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...
Have We Met Before? (UK)
The film takes viewers through the history of how gay men meet starting in the 70s and running through to modern day. From the hanky code and public toilet hook-ups, to the Internet and smartphone apps, the short features stories from men who reveal what it’s been like to be gay through the ages and the various ways they’ve met other men. It makes you realize just how accessible hook-ups are these days, when you can literally have someone in your bed within minutes after speaking to them on an app.
The Act (UK)
Set in 1965 on the eve of the decriminalization for acts of male homosexuality. Matthews spends his nights exploring his sexuality and meeting men in Soho, with the threat of being found out and punished hanging over him. He forms a relationship with another man, that threatens to reveal his secret and a tense push-pull ensues.
First Position (USA)
Set in 80s San Francisco, we meet a young dancer trying to follow his dreams despite battling AIDs. He becomes embroiled in a relationship with another dancer, who tries to help him, but his health and his passion create a head-on collision for disaster. A beautifully filmed, tragic and poignant tale.
Winter (Mexico)
Out of the blue, cabaret performer Nico receives a call from their estranged father who is coming to visit them. Keeping their queer lifestyle under wraps, Nico soon realizes that they and their father are much closer than they previously thought. I wish there was a little more drama here.
The Suit Weareth The Man (UK)
This is the longest short and also a weird one. Maciej suppresses his sexual and cultural identities in order to climb the corporate ladder, struggling with the conflicting wishes of his conservative mother Marta and the orders of his handsome yet ruthless boss Christopher. Starting off as corporate corruption, the film suddenly goes into a weird whacky sex BDSM-ish fantasy, that had me totally lost.
Infinite While It Lasts (Brazil)
An intriguing love-at-first-sight story between two men, with the twist that one has huge sexual appetites and the other is asexual. A clever, complex and gripping story that has the potential to be stretched into a full fledged feature film.
Melon Grab (Australia)
An uncertain future dawns upon two young best friends as one of them is moving away from their coastal hometown. Their way of dealing with it is skateboarding as the descending sun marks a new point in their lives and unspoken sexual attraction that is never realized.
Thrive (UK)
I have reviewed this film earlier also. Two young men meet in person for a hook-up after finding each other on an app. After having sex, they begin to open up to each other, with each having a surprising secret to share with the other. The film explores the shame and guilt, as well as stigmas, around sexual health. As before, this is an amazing short.
This collection was a good decent one after a long time. (6.5/10)
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