Skip to main content

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...
Post a Comment

Murder In Mahim (Hindi) (Web Series)

By Golu
I have mixed feelings about this show. These days there are plenty of murder mystery shows and it's important to keep viewers engaged in the story. The show opens with the brutal murder of a gay sex worker in the toilet of Mahim train station and this is where the story begins. The show and story is good but the show takes forever to come to a point. There are so many side stories and every 5 minute conversation is starched into  20 min scene. The show tries to educate and empathize with gay community in India because still it is considered a big taboo in that society. The show takes a gritty yet empathetic look at gay life in the Mumbai underbelly.

In the male public urinals of Mahim station, a mutilated body is found. The victim is discovered to be a young gay sex worker; soon enough, another sex worker turns up dead with clue being given on who the next target would be. IT turns out that two police constables are next in line. This will take expertise of Shiva Jende, an inspector, who, along with assistant sub-inspector Firdaus who wearily applies himself to the case. Fridays happens to be lesbian but she is in closet, given how the common people and her colleagues use slang for LGBT community and judge them and consider them as a threat to society.  A retired ex-journalist Peter Fernandes is also closely following the case. Shiva and Peter used to be friends and had a falling out. Peter' son is friends with some of these sex workers and might be gay but the family doesn't know. As Peter warily investigates, he gets an up-close view of the city’s underground gay scene, a world of masseurs and “personal trainers”, young boys pulled to prostitution through a mix of poverty, prejudice and police corruption. The central theme of the show is to solve the murder case, and it focuses on many side stories of Peter's family, Shiva's equation with his father, Firdaus' issues regarding her sexuality and her love and many more characters that come in and out during the murder investigation.

The film is inspired by a popular novel in India. There are lines quoted almost verbatim, though I missed the colloquialisms and street-speak. The central theme is murders go gay sex workers and in the process, through the conversations between Peter and Shiva and through character of Firdaus, India audiences is tried to get educated that love is love. The whole story behind the why's these murders is easy to connect with and powerful people using their position to extort money from the lower class. How this eventually pans out in interesting. For an Indian show it was nice to see having some mature conversations around sexuality and how people like Shiva and Peter change their perception around an individual's sexuality. Except that of Leslie, a popular gay socialite. Somehow his chatter is made to be very caricaturist. I feel that the show may have been more effective as a movie, but having said that I applaud the makers who invested some money in the story and the show and brought to light this story. It delves into the chilling murders at Mahim railway station, exploring the perilous trend of honey-trapping within the LGBTQIA+ community. It blends elements of investigation and drama to illuminate this disturbing phenomenon. But all said and done, this show does test your patience with 8 episodes of 40 minutes each. If you stay with the show, it wont leave you disappointed in the context in which the story is told. (6/10)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Phor Lae Lukchai (Thai) [Father & Son]

By Golu
I think the budget of this film was probably too small, but for that, the film definitely offers a different and unique storyline without over dramatizing anything. Yes, some scenes were a bit amateurish but in the bigger scheme of things, that can be overlooked. The film is both beautiful and sad in its own unique way. Aek is a gay dad, whose partner died right around the time their son Nueng was born through surrogacy in a road accident. The relationship between father and son is unpleasant and unstable. We are not really told why, but it seems the father has been unsuccessful in caring and loving his son because of his partner's death. Aek continues to hook up wit hookers. Also, Nueng is constantly bullied by everyone around him for having a gay dad. He has no friends, except Nat, a neighborhood boy, who also happens to be Nueng's boyfriend. In a sudden turn of events Nat is found murdered along with another boy naked. Saddened by the events, Nueng jumps from roof and k...
1 comment
Read more

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Filipino Series) [Like In The Movies]

By Golu
Pinoy BL series seem to be catching up to the popularity of the Thai shows. And I must say that they are doing a pretty good job at it. Where Thai series started to get repetitive with so many shows based in a college setting with seemingly similar storylines, Pinoy series are offering the viewers with new and interesting stories and some really good sets and surroundings. This series was 8 episodes of about 25-20 minutes each. Karl, a 19-year old introvert architecture student is in the middle of an identity crisis. Prior to the start of the second semester in college and forced by his parents, he moves into his uncle's condominium unit so that he can learn to be financially independent. Karl takes on odd jobs online to do so. But when one of his major clients suddenly goes MIA, he is left short on funds and without a means to pay for his utilities. An opportunity presents itself when his cocky neighbor Vlad has to hide from his family and proposes to share Karl's space for th...
23 comments
Read more

The Tuxedo (Thai Series)

By Golu
When I saw this series with 8 episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, I thought, good: Finally someone has come to senses and made a show which is not stretched out and they have tried to squeeze in a decent storyline in a good small episode format. But unfortunately, despite a decent premise on hand, the clunky writing, bad screenplay and an extreme tasteless portrayal of mental illness makes this show, not a fun watch. By the time it finishes, you just want to laugh off at the entire absurdity of it all. Aioun is talented tuxedo designer and very much in demand but he has handful of clients and he builds suits only for people who he feels a connection to. One night when his younger brother is about to get mugged, he is helped by a total stranger named Sichol. Since he tears his suit in the fight and has an interview the next day, Aioun gifts him a suit form his design as an expression of thanks. Sichol's interview is for. Personal assistant of a man named Nawee, a wealthy heir to h...
25 comments
Read more