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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
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...
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Boys Briefs 4

By Golu
And continuing with another anthology of short films in this series. Just like the cover says, this series is a collection of 6 stories about guys who hustle and this is the common theme. The hustler is a common figure in gay arts and culture who is simultaneously tragic, romantic, and heroic. Often his tragedies appear the result of dysfunctional if not outright abusive families, and are further tied to a general and pervasive societal homophobia.

Into the Night (Australia): This short deals with the need for companionship, as a lonely older man hires a street boy mostly for company, and also portrays a much younger boy just entering street life.

Boy (New Zealand): A young hustler learns the truth about the death of a young woman in a small town, and has to fight for his life when the town wants him silenced. This film is shot in short choppy scenes of 3 seconds each. It was a little bit confusing for me.

Gigolo (Germany): Offers a complex character who hint towards larger social problems. Karim isa hustler who is with a rich older woman. When she dumps him he find a a rich man but neither has given him contentment. He is a man shaped by French racism.

Build (Canada): A college student who quits his studies and turns to hustling goes through disappointment in a lifetime of failed aspirations. He needs to support his alcoholic mother and himself financially. When he is betrayed by his fellow co-worker whom he had a crush on, he has to face disappointment and somehow continue on.

Rock Bottom (USA): A sweet, overweight, 30-something, picks up twink street hustler Jason and takes him home where typical hustler shenanigans take place. Yet a real rapport develops between the two, and the film ends with Jason crossing his own hustler boundaries to kiss Billy, suggesting things might get better for both.

Gold (Canada): A nearly blind artist employs hustler Jay not for his body, but to assist him in painting new canvases. In teaching Jay about passion and beauty, he leads the young man to a kind of salvation.

I have to admit that in general the shorts in this series have been a lot better than the previous ones that I saw and hence it deserves a slightly higher rating. 
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