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Stop! That! Train!

Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...

Gay Short Films : 48

Dániel (UK)
Dániel is from Budapest and is studying child psychology in London. He is kind & patient and works as part time as a male escort to pay for his tuition fees. Dániel is invited by his closest friend Nori to have lunch where she introduces her  lover Tom. Tom has plans for Nori and they don’t include Daniel and he quietly asks him to back off. Beautifully made but perhaps not as ambitious as it could have been.

Un mundo brillante (Spain) [A Bright World]
A coming-of-age tale about fantasies and pain, when a boy has this huge crush on his football player mate.

Soft (UK)
When a father and son are independently terrorised by the same gang of youths, Dad is forced to deal with fears that he hasn't had to face since leaving school, rediscovering his fear of confrontation at the worst possible time. Very interesting!

Pretty boy (Spain)
The story of Pablo, a hustler who dreams of being a filmmaker. When he falls in love with a guy he meets, his life begins feel like a movie. But in life endings are not always happy. He is heart broken when his lover cheats.

Shotgun (Israel)
A brief encounter in the school toilet turns into love as a sixteen year old Springsteen fan and an eighteen year old trouble maker find a way to make high school a little less boring. When mom finds out, she tries to ship away the boy, testing their love for each other. Lovely boys.

Estudo em Vermelho (Brazil)
A guy just sitting and reading some lines which made no sense. A boring 10 minutes of my time lost.

Páginas (Brazil)[Pages]
Lost in his memories and writing his memories of love, Crispin doesn't realize that true love could be right there in front of him, but he is too busy living in the past. But with Tonho's company the boy discovers the true sense to continue on his own path.

Trevas (Brazil) [Marrow]
Two travelers inside strange landscapes. An intimate portrait of lovers. Good landscapes and chemistry but yawn !

Casa Forte (Brazil) [Strong House] 
Images of various local landmarks are shown while the narrator talks with reference to plantations, slaves and slave traders. The two competing stories are put in dialogue with each other, creating a complicated analysis of the haunting power of colonial institutions. May make sense for locals but I could get nothing out of this film.

Bekir (Turkey)
A young boy is trying to come out his mother. The way she reacts and what follows.

Daniël (Netherlands)
The coming-of-age story of a teenage boy on a summer day. The boy meets a girl but finds himself attracted to the girl’s brother. A tender love story evolves. Like in a dream the reality of the surroundings disappears, leaving the mysterious beauty of a sweet memory.

Pink Lemonade (USA)
A guy realises that he likes the guy selling pink lemonade more than his girlfriend. Bad acting!

Queer Hutterite (Canada)
A 23-year-old photographer, Kelly’s story has been recorded in this short documentary film. He always felt different, but realising you're gay while growing up on a Hutterite colony isn't just unusual — it's almost unheard of.

The Red Bike (UK)
Mikey is fifteen and can't ride – he’s got a balance disorder. But this doesn't stop him making the perfect bike for someone else.  Besides, you can't stay asleep forever and Mikey, despite his mother's fears, has something that he wants to say. Weird but last reaction was good.

Platinum (Germany)
When Felix loses his voice, he believes he needs treatment. But is it really a disease that blocks it or rather the feelings he tries to choke?

And besides above , there are a few more really short and weird films/docs that I saw:
Canto de Outono (Brazil) [Song of Autumn] - Just a video
Honest Conversations Fathers and Their Gay Children
Tres Gotas de Agua (US Short Doc) - Interviews of 3 different immigrant mothers and them coping up with their child’s sexuality
Homophobia in Jamaica (short doc) - Few people’s personal experiences of their everyday life
Mbodiment - 2 different case studies of feeling safe in a gendered space for men
The Life of Alex (short doc) - Alex’s rowing team members are very cool and accepting of him being gay.
Necesitamos Mas Besos - People's reactions when they see 2 guys kissing in Argentina and Colombia.
En Onze (In Eleven), Silva, Moves By Bright Light, Naked Bienne

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