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Contrast (Japanese Series)

By Golu
This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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Queer As F**k: Bizarre Short Films

By Golu
Queer as F**k collects six short films from the New Queer Cinema movement that simultaneously extol and eat away at gay identity with modes of camp. The title rightly says that it is a collection of 'Bizarre Short Films'. This collection might have been a hoot 20 years ago, when it came out but watching it today felt quite pointless and weird to be honest.

Jeffrey's Hollywood Screen Trick: A very funny and witty look at the gay 'dance party' and the associated interaction between gay men at this type of event. Using clever animation involving Billy love dolls, you may actually laugh while watching this one. Though the ending might comes as a shock.

Shame No More: An extremely clever send up of the 50's propaganda films denouncing homosexuality and the ability to 'cure', though here it is the heterosexuals with the problem! Beautifully filmed to realistically look like a 1950's film.

Soda Pop: A lovely tale of unrequited teenage first love. It's amazing how the filmmaker made it look like it was shot in the 70's.

The Trey Billings Show: The longest of the short films, this deals with a very low budget cable TV show hosted by an interesting character called Trey Billings. The film delves into why a lot of gay men worship female icons of yesteryear (though in a total side-splitting way!)

Dirty Baby Does Fire Island: Involving an animated baby doll with live footage - you wouldn't believe the situations Baby comes across like the secret joy and torment of poppers, cocaine, bulging muscles and sweaty sex.

Pyongyang Robogirl: Probably my least favourite of the films, it's basically a film depicting a female traffic controller in an Asian country. What was the point of this film?

These shorts are breathless reminders of what queer cinema was like before films like Parting Glances paved the way for lifeless gaysploitation like Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss and Trick. This collection did not do it for me. (3/10)
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