film & television reviews from Philip Bahr focusing on a gay male gaze | gay film | gay movies | gay television | LGBTQ perspective | classics | indie | television reviews
Let’s convince the definitely not corrupt people who run football to host an LGBTQ+ friendly 2030 World Cup – or raise money for a big gay charity instead 🌈 ⬇️ DONATE HERE ⬇️ ⚽ http://www.thebiggaydonation.gay/#TheBigGayDonation
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Qatar face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Sexual acts of male homosexuality are illegal in Qatar, with a punishment for all convicts of up to three years in prison and a fine, and for Muslims duly convicted in a court under sharia law the possibility of a judicially sanctioned capital punishment for homosexuality; however, there are no known cases where the death penalty was judicially enforced for homosexuality, though extra-judicial murders of LGBT people are unverified.
I finally caught Bros this weekend. I did not go to see it in the theater, but I did support Bros by renting it through Amazon. The price was similar to what I would have spent for 2 tickets. Felt good to support this new gay glass ceiling smasher. Bros is the first LGBTQ rom-com to be produced by a major Hollywood studio. In case you’re reading this years from now, it’s 2022 and yes society should be ashamed. But let’s not dwell on the crooked path to equal rights every minority continues to experience. Instead let’s talk about Bros. I loved it. I know! I was a little scared. I’m not the biggest Billy Eichner fan. I’m angry a lot myself and shout more than a bit – mostly at home – apologies to my best friend whom I live with. So I was worried I may not enjoy the film. Billy’s character Bobby was neurotic and talked a lot and screamed a lot. It also worked for the film. Bros is a perfect rom-com. Bobby meets Aaron played by the dreamy (understatement) Luke Macfarlane. They are polar opposites and both are relationship-phobic. Bobby’s the executive director of the new LGBTQ History Museum opening up in NYC. Aaron’s a lawyer who’s comfortable, if not passionate about his craft. Bobby’s got body issues. Aaron’s a fuck god. The film doesn’t shy away from topics gay men discuss. The sex scenes are natural, funny, and hot. Seriously Bros is a winner. It’s a perfect formulaic rom-com which will hopefully pave the way for bigger studios to make more matter of factly big budget, queer films. It’s silly, it’s campy, it’s sexy, it’s awkward, it’s serious in moments, it’s got a happy ending. It hits all the right notes. Bravo to Billy who co-wrote, executive produced and stars in the film. 4 out of 5 because like most big Hollywood films, it needed a bit of editing.
Bros currently streams on Peacock and is available on disk from your local public library.
12/2022: Bought the Blu-ray of Bros and loved it even more the second time around. It’s silly, stupid, smart as hell, romantic, and sophisticated simultaneously. Billy Eichner should be very proud. A perfect date movie, and a perfect microcosm of the complicated dance it is to be a man who loves men in 21st Century USA. Raising my rating to 5 out of 5.
Based on the 2012 tinsel town tell-all, Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018) follows Scotty Bowers in his later years (90+) as he reminisces on his post-WWII life acting as a sort of sweet pimp to the stars. The book and documentary have a polarizing effect on the public. There are people who laugh at the absurdity of Scotty telling tales after all these stars are dead and gone. And there are other reasonable people who feel like it has to be true, simply because of the pressure the studio system put on its stars from the 40’s and beyond – they had to have some way of blowing off steam so to speak. Told with frankness and kindness, Scotty comes off as sort of a Mother Teresa of the Hollywood underground sex scene in the second half of the 20th Century. At first, I dismissed Scotty. Then I finally sat down and watched the documentary. There are so many threads of truth – Rock Hudson, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, I can’t help but think a lot of this must be true, even if it might also be embellished. The oddest part of the reveal was not the Hollywood name dropping. It was the idea that in his 60’s Scotty would marry a woman who had no idea of his past. He never told her about his past. And then when he publishes the book, she wants no part of it. She’s also obviously homophobic in one scene. Why would a man who is gay or fluid or bisexual marry someone who’s not accepting of LGBTQ folk? And why would Scotty keep that part of his life from her, if he indeed celebrated sexuality his entire adult life? He seems so gleeful about sex and his part in helping others, even as he remembers the best times of his life well into his 90’s. In some ways I suppose Scotty embraced the modern definition of the word queer long before this new generation. Whatever you believe or don’t believe, Scotty’s tale is a salacious, saucy story. Lots of fun. None of the sex stories made me cringe. His hoarding in multiple homes really made me cringe. But the truth to his sexcapades whether they are true, false, or what I believe – somewhere gloriously in-between do make you wonder about the rigidity of the Hollywood system, and the people who bought into it to work and become stars. Whatever you believe, there was a lot of hormones pinging. 3.5 out of 5.
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood currently streams on Hulu, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Plex, PlutoTV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel.
I have no excuse or idea why I watched the entire first season of Selling the OC. It’s trash reality TV. I know these kinds of shows can be fun. There are so many mean characters on this show, so many drama queens. It was difficult sitting through parts, especially the last few episodes. I do like the actual real estate. I will never be able to afford a home, especially not a 20 million dollar home. But it’s still fun to look. So that part was a no-brainer. But the bitching and back-stabbing was hard to take. I know it’s reality TV and everyone’s assigned a character. Or perhaps that’s created in the editing room. Whatever, it was nasty. A couple of the guys stayed out of it, but for the most part, they make the women all look very catty. Not a good thing for 2022. Also, it’s a mostly white cast, and all but one is straight. There’s a bisexual man who gets no love interests. Yikes. 2 out of 5. Next.
In Episode 4 of Reel Charlie Speaks, I explore everything Amistead Maupin including a deep dive into his 9-part book series, Tales of the City. Maupin’s book and particularly the Tales series has made a lasting impact on my life and his character of Anna Madrigal is my favorite fictional character of all-time. I also discuss his stand-alone books, the various Tales adaptations and the beautiful legacy Maupin has created with his work.
Not exactly a media post, but perusing NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, I imagined many filmmakers and showrunners gaining inspiration to create media projects around these landmarks. Over 400 and counting in NYC. From nyclgbtsites,
Making an invisible history visible
Our groundbreaking work documents historic places connected to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in New York City and tells the often untold story of their influence on American history and culture. Explore the map below, view our curated themes, or browse an index of over 400 sites.
Only Murders in the Building gets better in Season 2. Part of me may have embraced this cozy mystery come to life or maybe the scripts and delivery just got better. Whatever the reason, I laughed out loud during every episode. Was shocked by many of the reveals. And had no idea who the killer was until the shocking finale. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez hit their stride together giving us Jessica Fletcher in on her own jokes realness. Loved so many of the secondary characters including gasp! Shirley MacLaine, Ryan Broussard, Jackie Hoffman, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Andrea Martin. Steve Martin’s character’s arc is particularly smarty pants funny as they make fun of a mediocre 80’s TV star making a comeback. Martin Short delivers potty mouth one-liners that make us sing. And Selena Gomez continues her dead pan parody of an aimless, rich, Millennial. Truly a fun way to spend a Tuesday evening. Upping my score to a 4 out of 5.
Only Murders in the Building currently streams on Hulu.
Netflix is bundling hosted stand-up evenings where a group of comics do short sets which give the viewer a taste of their talent. Recently there was an outstanding all female show and an LGBTQ+ show. Both fantastic. First up is Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin hosting a sort of farewell to their series, Grace & Frankie. From Decider,
Among the stand-ups performing, in order: Heather McMahan, Michelle Buteau, Cristela Alonzo, Iliza Shlesinger, Tracey Ashley and Margaret Cho. Plus a duet from Rachel Bloom and Eliot Glazer, and multiple segments of banter staged as Jane & Lily answering questions from the audience.
How can you not love Jane and Lily, even if the their comments are read from a teleprompter. And anywhere Margaret Cho lands is a good thing. 4 out of 5.
The second show features an entire cast of LGBTQ+ comics hosted by Billy Eichner fresh off of finishing his new film, Bros, due out later this summer. Memorable sets from Solomon Georgio, Sam Jay, River Butcher, Patti Harrison, Matteo Lane, Eddie Izzard, Marsha Warfield, Mae Martin, Judy Gold, Joel Kim Booster, James Adomian, Guy Branum, Gina Yashere, Bob the Drag Queen, Trixie Mattel, Scott Thompson, and Todd Glass. All different types of humor represented. Also a whole lot of fun. 4 out of 5.
Both comedy specials are currently streaming on Netflix. Catch them this weekend, before Pride month runs out.
Every so often, a series somehow burns itself out, and as a result the sophomore effort pales in comparison to the original. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to Hacks: Season 2. Yes I can. Jean Smart was the best thing to happen to television during the pandemic with her turns on Hacks and Mare of Easttown. I loved Hacks: Season 1 so much, I watched it twice before Season 2 landed. So what happened? It was almost as if the writers said, “Deborah lost her way at the end of the first season, so let’s have the first four episodes of Season 2 meander through aimlessly in search of meaning just like she’s going to do.” Not a good idea. And Ava finally, totally, completely got on my nerves. Her embrace of the lesbians on the cruise episode felt awkward and contrived. Also, she just annoyed me annoyed me. And her Mom should have stayed put in Season 1. I get that we are seeing where the whining comes from, but long-term stereo whining is not fun. Marcus’ drug binge was stupid and insulting. We don’t need a reason, just get him on the dam bus. And since I’m on a roll, I was so bored with the Laurie Metcalf character (obviously not the actor’s fault). If I had to rearrange things overall, here is what I would do. Get rid of Damien, Kayla, and keep Jimmy only for a few serious scenes. Give more time to Kiki, DJ, and Josefina. Getting rid of those other characters would make room for the three more interesting characters to shine bright. Kiki could have been on the bus permanently. There’s lots of fixes needed for Season 2. But in the end, episodes 4-8 were much better than the first half. And it is Jean freaking Smart as Deborah Vance, so even with all that bitching, I’m still giving this little nugget a 3 out of 5.
I finally caught Bros this weekend. I did not go to see it in the theater, but I did support Bros by renting it through Amazon. The price was similar to what I would have spent for 2 tickets. Felt good to support this new gay glass ceiling smasher. Bros is the first LGBTQ rom-com to be produced by a major Hollywood studio. In case you’re reading this years from now, it’s 2022 and yes society should be ashamed. But let’s not dwell on the crooked path to equal rights every minority continues to experience. Instead let’s talk about Bros. I loved it. I know! I was a little scared. I’m not the biggest Billy Eichner fan. I’m angry a lot myself and shout more than a bit – mostly at home – apologies to my best friend whom I live with. So I was worried I may not enjoy the film. Billy’s character Bobby was neurotic and talked a lot and screamed a lot. It also worked for the film. Bros is a perfect rom-com. Bobby meets Aaron played by the dreamy (understatement) Luke Macfarlane. They are polar opposites and both are relationship-phobic. Bobby’s the executive director of the new LGBTQ History Museum opening up in NYC. Aaron’s a lawyer who’s comfortable, if not passionate about his craft. Bobby’s got body issues. Aaron’s a fuck god. The film doesn’t shy away from topics gay men discuss. The sex scenes are natural, funny, and hot. Seriously Bros is a winner. It’s a perfect formulaic rom-com which will hopefully pave the way for bigger studios to make more matter of factly big budget, queer films. It’s silly, it’s campy, it’s sexy, it’s awkward, it’s serious in moments, it’s got a happy ending. It hits all the right notes. Bravo to Billy who co-wrote, executive produced and stars in the film. 4 out of 5 because like most big Hollywood films, it needed a bit of editing.
Based on the 2012 tinsel town tell-all, Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018) follows Scotty Bowers in his later years (90+) as he reminisces on his post-WWII life acting as a sort of sweet pimp to the stars. The book and documentary have a polarizing effect on the public. There are people who laugh at the absurdity of Scotty telling tales after all these stars are dead and gone. And there are other reasonable people who feel like it has to be true, simply because of the pressure the studio system put on its stars from the 40’s and beyond – they had to have some way of blowing off steam so to speak. Told with frankness and kindness, Scotty comes off as sort of a Mother Teresa of the Hollywood underground sex scene in the second half of the 20th Century. At first, I dismissed Scotty. Then I finally sat down and watched the documentary. There are so many threads of truth – Rock Hudson, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, I can’t help but think a lot of this must be true, even if it might also be embellished. The oddest part of the reveal was not the Hollywood name dropping. It was the idea that in his 60’s Scotty would marry a woman who had no idea of his past. He never told her about his past. And then when he publishes the book, she wants no part of it. She’s also obviously homophobic in one scene. Why would a man who is gay or fluid or bisexual marry someone who’s not accepting of LGBTQ folk? And why would Scotty keep that part of his life from her, if he indeed celebrated sexuality his entire adult life? He seems so gleeful about sex and his part in helping others, even as he remembers the best times of his life well into his 90’s. In some ways I suppose Scotty embraced the modern definition of the word queer long before this new generation. Whatever you believe or don’t believe, Scotty’s tale is a salacious, saucy story. Lots of fun. None of the sex stories made me cringe. His hoarding in multiple homes really made me cringe. But the truth to his sexcapades whether they are true, false, or what I believe – somewhere gloriously in-between do make you wonder about the rigidity of the Hollywood system, and the people who bought into it to work and become stars. Whatever you believe, there was a lot of hormones pinging. 3.5 out of 5.
Only Murders in the Building gets better in Season 2. Part of me may have embraced this cozy mystery come to life or maybe the scripts and delivery just got better. Whatever the reason, I laughed out loud during every episode. Was shocked by many of the reveals. And had no idea who the killer was until the shocking finale. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez hit their stride together giving us Jessica Fletcher in on her own jokes realness. Loved so many of the secondary characters including gasp! Shirley MacLaine, Ryan Broussard, Jackie Hoffman, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Andrea Martin. Steve Martin’s character’s arc is particularly smarty pants funny as they make fun of a mediocre 80’s TV star making a comeback. Martin Short delivers potty mouth one-liners that make us sing. And Selena Gomez continues her dead pan parody of an aimless, rich, Millennial. Truly a fun way to spend a Tuesday evening. Upping my score to a 4 out of 5.
Every so often, a series somehow burns itself out, and as a result the sophomore effort pales in comparison to the original. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to Hacks: Season 2. Yes I can. Jean Smart was the best thing to happen to television during the pandemic with her turns on 
Reel Charlie 