Capsule film reviews: Four LGBT movies from the USA

‘Moonlight’
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2016
Director: Barry Jenkins
Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert
Genre: Drama
Rating: R for some sexuality, drug use, brief violence, and language throughout.
Grade: B+

Photo courtesy of A24.

“Moonlight” is a groundbreaking film — the first film with an all-black cast and the first LGBT film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Can’t deny that. But, while “Moonlight” is a well-composed film with great acting, I can’t help feeling disappointed after months of buildup. As a film, it’s good, and I’m happy that it’s been so well-received by mainstream audiences because we do need more diverse representation in cinema. But as a gay film, it’s really nothing special. The plotline is predictable, and this story… it’s been done. Maybe not this artfully, but it’s definitely been done. It’s broken into three distinct chapters, which represent three stages of one man’s coming-of-age. “Little” shows Chiron’s (Alex Hibbert) childhood years, where he seeks refuge from school bullies and his drug addict mother (Naomie Harris) with a mentor (Mahershala Ali) who tells him that it’s okay if he’s gay. Next up is “Chiron,” which depicts Chiron’s (Ashton Sanders) teen years and the problems that amplify therein. Finally comes “Black,” which shows Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) as a miraculously-ripped grown man who is still haunted by his first (probably only?) love. The movie I would have liked to see would focus on Chiron as an adult and really develop that character — a tough, intimidating drug dealer in Atlanta who has had just one sexual experience (with his high school crush, Kevin, years ago). Flashbacks to his childhood and adolescence could help flesh out his background, but a central narrative to come back to would have given the movie a lot more direction.

‘King Cobra’
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2016
Director: Justin Kelly
Starring: Garrett Clayton, James Franco and Christian Slater
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of IFC Midnight.

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I inexplicably was for this movie. Gay porn, murder, and an all-star cast including the cute male lead from Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie.” That’s all I need in entertainment, really. “King Cobra” is based on the true story of Brent Corrigan (aka. Sean Paul Lockhart), played in the film by the dreamy Garret Clayton. Corrigan is infamous for his successful career in gay porn that began when he was well underage. (Spot the Brent Corrigan reference in my review of “Schoolboy Crush” here!) “King Cobra” chronicles Corrigan’s ascent to pornstardom and his struggles to escape from the grasp of the Cobra Video studio and its lecherous owner Bryan Kocis (called “Stephen” in the film and portrayed unnervingly by Christian Slater). When Stephen refuses to let Corrigan out of his contract, rivals from another porn studio (Keegan Allen of “Pretty Little Liars” fame and James Franco) plot to do whatever it takes to get Stephen out of the way so Corrigan can perform with them. I would say this movie is about 85 percent gay porn, 10 percent murder and 5 percent plot development, which is the perfect equation for any movie. It’s campy and creepy, and if you’re into that, you should definitely watch “King Cobra.”

‘Tangerine’
Release Date: July 10, 2015
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Karren Karagulian
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Rating: R for strong and disturbing sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, and drug use.
Grade: A+

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

“Tangerine” is phenomenal, and it’s just the kind of offbeat buddy/revenge comedy we totally needed in our lives. The film received major buzz following its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival because the entire thing was (amazingly) filmed using only iPhones — particularly impressive considering how cool the cinematography is and how well it captures this Hollywood neighborhood. But even more remarkable is the engaging storyline. “Tangerine” follows two trans women who work the streets near the iconic Santa Monica and Highland Donut Time shop: Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), fresh out of prison and on the hunt for her cheating boyfriend Chester (James Ransone), and her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor), who just needs to make it to her big singing gig at Hamburger Mary’s that night. The day’s adventure is thoroughly entertaining, and the glimpse into the lives, friendships and relationships of the characters is really wonderful. I even equally enjoyed the subplot that follows Razmik (Karren Karagulian), a married Armenian cab driver and frequent customer of Alexandra’s. Other background characters are portrayed by real-life Instagram stars and Viners found online by director Sean Baker (a lot of the film’s kinetic soundtrack was sourced from Vine and SoundCloud as well). In the end, “Tangerine” is a compelling film that proves big-budget frills aren’t necessary when you have charismatic characters and a unique story to tell.

‘Blackbird’
Release Date: April 24, 2015
Director: Patrik-Ian Polk
Starring: Julian Walker, Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington
Genre: Drama
Rating: R for sexual content, language and some drug use – all involving teens.
Grade: D+

Photo courtesy of KBiz Entertainment and Tall Skinny Black Boy Productions.

This movie is… really not what I was expecting. With stars like Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington topping the bill and a strong story to work with about a gay black teenager growing up in Baptist Mississippi, I expected “Blackbird” to be a solid and impressive melodrama. Much to my surprise, it’s actually quite goofy. Campy, even. Which is — at times — enjoyable (I liked the high school drama club preparing to present a gay version of “Romeo & Juliet”), but — at times — very stupid. Julian Walker is not at all convincing or compelling in the lead role of Randy, and Kevin Allesee as Randy’s older love interest Marshall gives me the creeps every time he appears onscreen. The strange subplot about Randy’s missing younger sister is unnecessary and seems added on as an ill-conceived afterthought. But worst of all, the entire film is spoiled in the final moments when Randy dreams up a “vision” that tells him the exact details of the entire rest of his life. Whose idea was it to end the movie like that? Because it’s absolutely terrible. I don’t know what happened, but I feel like “Blackbird” was a really wasted opportunity.

Capsule film reviews: Foreign LGBT movies (part 4)

‘The Way He Looks’ (Brazil)
Release Date: April 10, 2014
Director: Daniel Ribeiro
Starring: Ghilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi and Tess Amorim
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of Vitrine Films.

“The Way He Looks” is actually a wonderful, creative coming-of-age movie. It centers on Leo (Ghilherme Lobo), a blind Brazilian high school student, who longs to gain his independence and study abroad in the United States despite the fears of his overprotective parents. The solid relationship he has with his best friend Giovana (Tess Amorim) is challenged when he begins pursuing a romance with Gabriel (Fabio Audi), the new boy in school. This interesting story is a breath of fresh air for the coming-of-age/gay teen romance genre. There are so many things “The Way He Looks” does well. The budding young love is perfectly paced, and the awkward jealousy between best friends when one starts dating is beautifully illustrated. Even Leo’s parents are well-written, complex characters that offer depth to the story rather than serving as stock characters to further the protagonist’s plotline. The film handles both Leo’s blindness and his sexuality tactfully, and it results in a really well-done, believable film.

‘Velociraptor’ (Mexico)
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Director: Chucho E. Quintero
Starring: Pablo Mezz, Carlos Hendrick Huber and Alan Aguilar
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of TLA Releasing.

I have been looking forward to watching “Velociraptor” for a long time: a Spanish-language gay drama set against the backdrop of an apocalypse? That is right up my alley. And I’m so glad that the film exceeded my expectations. In “Velociraptor,” Álex (Pablo Mezz) and Diego (Carlos Hendrick Huber) are best friends spending some casual time together as the end of the world creeps closer and the people around them react accordingly. For Álex, who is gay, it particularly bothers him that he’s never found a guy he trusts enough to go all the way. And Diego is a really (really, very, very) supportive friend. “Velociraptor” greatly succeeds because of the amazing chemistry between the two leads, who are (for the most part) the only real characters in the entire movie. The characterization is believable and the tangible sexual tension is captivating. The storyline is excellent and super unconventional, which makes “Velociraptor” such a valuable contribution to queer cinema. I also love the well-executed flashback scenes that add depth to the story, as well as the voiceovers reporting on the status of planet Earth. “Velociraptor” will make you think about friendship and the ways people limit themselves in order to fit into society. Definitely one to check out.

‘How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)’ (Thailand)
Release Date: Feb. 8, 2015
Director: Josh Kim
Starring: Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Thira Chutikul and Jinn Jinna Navarat
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: B+

Photo courtesy of Wolfe Video.

On the eve of Thailand’s annual military draft lottery, now-21-year-old Oat is haunted by memories of his childhood and his first experience with the drafting process. The majority of the film takes place in flashbacks to Oat (Ingkarat Damrongsakkul) as an 11-year-old orphan growing up in the outskirts of Bangkok with his aunt, younger sister and older brother. “How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” shows Oat beginning to lose his innocence and grow up as his brother Ek (Thira Chutikul) prepares to face the draft lottery and the corrupt system that is stacked against them. While Oat trains himself to beat Ek at a game of checkers so he can finally be allowed to accompany him to the gay bar where he works as an escort, the young boy also learns how adults “win” at real life: by doing whatever it takes. Although I would have liked to see more development of adult Oat in the present-day sequences, I think “How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” is a great, well-done film. I enjoyed the characterization of Oat and Ek, as well as several supporting characters, including Ek’s more privileged long-term boyfriend Jai (Jinn Jinna Navarat) and their friend Kitty (Natarat Lakha), who is exempted from the draft because she is transgender.

‘Jongens’ (aka. ‘Boys’) (Netherlands)
Release Date: Feb. 9, 2014
Director: Mischa Kamp
Starring: Gijs Blom, Ko Zandvliet and Stijn Taverne
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: C+

Photo courtesy of Pupkin Film.

“Jongens” (translated from Dutch as “Boys”) is all right for a quick little teen angst/romantic drama. Fifteen-year-old Sieger (Gijs Blom) lives with his single father (Ton Kas) and rebellious older brother Eddy (Jonas Smulders) after his mother’s death. He and his friends spend most of their time training as key runners on the local track team. When he is chosen as one member of a relay team that will compete in an important upcoming race, Sieger begins developing feelings for Marc (Ko Zandvliet), another boy on the team. Blom’s acting is pretty good: he does an impressive job conveying a lot of emotion with minimal dialogue, often by exchanging pointed glances with Zandvliet as Marc. The scenery is nice, and the accompanying soundtrack is a good complement to the storyline. Unfortunately, the plot is not particularly captivating or original, and the ending of “Jongens” is disappointingly ambiguous and anticlimactic. I didn’t dislike the film at all, but I probably wouldn’t watch it again. I would recommend this film, but I would recommend it to someone who hasn’t seen many films about gay romance yet, so the story may still be intriguing and new.

Check out more capsule film reviews of foreign LGBT movies here, here and here.

RPDR’s Kim Chi slays Seoul debut at SKRT in Itaewon

“One day, I would love to be able to perform in South Korea and actually have people come out to see me.”

Kim Chi performs at SKRT in Itaewon, Seoul on Sept. 24. SCREAMfmLondon

About an hour before doors opened at the Itaewon nightclub SKRT for Mad Bambi’s third drag ball in Seoul, the line already stretched down the block and around the corner. By 11 p.m., the line had grown beyond the fire station at the nearby intersection, down the street and out of sight. Forty-five minutes after the doors opened, tickets were sold out.

Seoulites walking past would stop and stare at the huge crowd. “What is the line for?” they would ask.

“We’re waiting for Kim Chi,” we’d respond. They would continue to stare.

“All these people are waiting in line for some kimchi?”

“No, this person on the poster is Kim Chi, a man who dresses as a woman.”

“…That’s a man?”

The attraction of the evening was, of course, Kim Chi — an anime-inspired, conceptual drag queen and runner-up on season eight of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Born in the USA but raised in South Korea, Kim Chi has a special place in the hearts of Korean fans who turned up en masse to support her debut on the Seoul drag scene.

I’ve never been to such a crowded drag show. I missed half the voguing waiting in line out front, and strained to see over the crowd during the opening performances of local queens Nikki Ashes, Charlotte Goodenough and Cha Cha.

Kim Chi performs for fans at SKRT in Itaewon, Seoul. SCREAMfmLondon

Finally, Kim Chi arrived onstage to the Dixie Chicks’ “Sin Wagon,” twirling her red skirt and tipping a wide-brimmed hat. Kim is a queen known for her incredible looks and makeup talent, so it was a thrill to see her work up close as we all sweated and danced together to the DJ’s tunes that ranged from Lady Gaga and Beyoncé to their K-pop equivalents HyunA and CL.

Kim Chi spoke to the audience in both English and Korean, expressing her joy and gratitude for the warm reception. During her set, Kim performed English and Korean lipsyncs, as well as her RPDR trademark song, “Fat, Fem & Asian,” which is a tongue-in-cheek response to the marginalization of anyone fat, femme or Asian in the gay community.

It was very exciting to see Kim Chi’s triumphant return to Seoul after her rise to stardom on RPDR. It was exciting to see such an excellent turnout despite South Korea’s less-than-accepting stance on homosexuality.

Seoul’s gay pride parade this June. SCREAMfmLondon

At the annual gay pride parade in Seoul every summer, religious protesters surround the event, preach over loudspeakers and occasionally try to put a stop to the Pride events. In previous years, Christian groups have laid down in the street to stop the parade and, last year, attempted to prevent the event from even receiving its permits from the city.

But the Korean LGBT community carries on, with role models like Kim Chi paving the way. Her drag is captivating and cutting-edge, and she never shies away from her Korean heritage. On “Drag Race,” Kim Chi stood out from previous Asian contestants for not simply joking about racial stereotypes but instead embracing her Korean roots and using that connection to her full advantage. One standout moment came when Kim appeared on the main stage in a beautiful traditional hanbok as a tribute to her mother.

Kim Chi’s sold-out performance at SKRT is hopefully a sign of more good things to come.

Film review: The Handmaiden (Agassi)

Kim Tae-ri and Kim Min-hee star in “The Handmaiden.” Photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment.

It’s always been interesting to me how deeply twisted and delightfully macabre Korean cinema can be — in sharp contrast to the conservative cuteness in popular television dramas. And no one has mastered the perverse and gory in this genre like director Park Chan-wook, who brought the world “Oldboy,” “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” and, most recently, “The Handmaiden.”

His latest creation takes place in 1930s Korea, during the Japanese occupation of the country. Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) is a beautiful but frail heiress living on an expansive estate with her tyrannical, book-collecting uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong). When she hires Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) to be her new maid, she has no idea that the woman is secretly a double agent, raised from childhood as a pickpocket and chosen by a conman (Ha Jung-woo) to help him seduce the heiress and steal her fortune.

Although it runs for nearly two and a half hours, “The Handmaiden” never seems to drag and each scene keeps the audience anticipating more. The first half of the film moves along at a pleasant pace as Sook-hee and Hideko begin to get to know each other. The building sexual tension between the two women is masterfully executed, and Tae-ri is particularly charismatic in her role as the endearing criminal-with-a-heart-of-gold.

Photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment.

When the film finally reaches its peak of excitement, it never relents. There are nonstop twists that constantly change the audience’s perception of the characters’ alliances, as well as flashbacks and revelations that reveal deeper levels to every element of the story. It’s a thrill to watch and try to keep pace with the film’s progression.

And when it gets grisly (because of course it has to), it does not disappoint. The climactic conclusion is absolutely satisfying and every bit as fucked up as is expected of Park Chan-wook.

“The Handmaiden” is also filmed beautifully — each scene is a pleasure to observe. The scenery is complemented with skillful framing and camera angles that complete the film’s artistic aesthetic. “The Handmaiden” is a great thriller and pleasing to the eye as well.

I love the kind-of feminist focus on the powers of the two female heroines, as well as the unique love story that develops between them. My only real complaint about the film is that the lesbian romance is so completely shot for the male gaze it’s a bit cringe-worthy in parts. The entirety of “The Handmaiden” is pretty kinky, and it’s clear a straight male director was behind the helm.

But, hey, no one could claim this film is not aesthetically exceptional, and the story is quite an exhilarating ride. I highly recommend “The Handmaiden.”

‘The Handmaiden’
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Director: Park Chan-wook
Starring: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo and Kim Tae-ri
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A

Capsule film reviews: Even more foreign LGBT movies

‘Night Flight’ (South Korea)
Release Date: Aug. 28, 2014
Director: Leesong Hee-il
Starring: Kwak Si-yang, Lee Jae-joon and Choi Jun-ha
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A-

Photo courtesy of Finecut.

“Night Flight” is a very well-done story of loneliness and survival. It follows three former friends who have grown apart during high school. Gi-taek (Choi Jun-ha) uses comic books to escape from real life where he is bullied by his classmates, Gi-woong (Lee Jae-joon) tries to distance himself from everyone and expresses himself only through fighting, and Yong-ju (Kwak Si-yang) is realizing his sexuality and the feelings he’s had for Gi-woong since middle school. The seeming hopelessness of overcoming the teenage experience is always achingly sad, and it’s particularly well illustrated in this film. “Night Flight” is perfectly paced and thoroughly explores the relationships between each of the characters. Although it’s quite upsetting and violent throughout, it provides a satisfying ending. The least successful element of the film is its odd and out-of-place soundtrack — especially during the end credits, where the poignant final scene is cut off with the jarring sound of some jaunty indie folk song for some reason unbeknownst to me.

‘Blue is the Warmest Color’ (France)
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2013
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Salim Kechiouche
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: NC-17 for explicit sexual content.
Grade: A-

Photo courtesy of Wild Bunch.

“Blue is the Warmest Color” has been one of the most critically acclaimed LGBT films in recent years, and it’s really pretty good. It’s a great, long (long, long) movie with the world’s longest, most in-depth sex scene. It’s almost comical how long and in-depth the sex scenes are in “Blue is the Warmest Color,” but it’s fitting because every scene is quite long and in-depth. I know it’s a very American thing to emphasize, but, damn, this movie is long. The story follows Adèle’s (Adèle Exarchopoulos) coming-of-age. She begins as a 15-year-old high school student struggling to convince herself she’s interested in boys, but eventually realizes she’s much more interested in an older, blue-haired painter named Emma (Léa Seydoux). The film artfully and thoroughly follows Adèle and Emma through the highs and lows of a first love. “Blue is the Warmest Color” is realistic — often harshly. It’s a well-told story with a strong ending, though, so it’s obvious to see why it’s become so beloved since its 2013 release.

‘Schoolboy Crush’ (Japan)
Release Date: Aug. 6, 2007
Director: Kôtarô Terauchi
Starring: Yoshikazu Kotani, Atsumi Kanno and Yuuki Kawakubo
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: D

Photo courtesy of TLA Releasing.

Wow, what a wild ride. Although “Schoolboy Crush” bills itself as some sort of sexy, twisted romance taking place in an all-boys boarding school in Japan, it’s actually more like three entire seasons of a soap opera condensed into a brisk 88 minutes. Not to be confused with the gay porn of the same name, “Schoolboy Crush” follows Aoi (Yoshikazu Kotani), a teacher who discovers that an escort he recently slept with is a new student in his class. To say that literally everything happens in this movie is not even that much of an exaggeration. There’s some kidnapping, suicide, bullying, stalking, prostitution, blackmail, love triangle, comas, tragic family backstory, marine biology… There’s even a very exciting scene where somebody gets beaten with a candelabra inside the church. So much zany stuff happens, but “Schoolboy Crush” is still remarkably boring because they hardly even get to the actual romance that was supposed to be central to the plot. At least, I think that’s what the movie was supposed to be about.

‘Free Fall’ (Germany)
Release Date: May 23, 2013
Director: Stephan Lacant
Starring: Hanno Koffler, Max Riemelt and Katharina Schüttler
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: D

Photo courtesy of Edition Salzgeber.

“Free Fall” is a German film about Marc (Hanno Koffler), a police officer in training, who begins having a secret relationship with a fellow officer despite living with his pregnant girlfriend. I feel like I should keep this short because you’ve surely read this review before. Everybody has seen this movie before. It plays out exactly as it always does in these kinds of movies: Marc is very conflicted about his newfound feelings for men. He tries to deny them, but is unable to resist. He acts like an asshole to everybody. His girlfriend becomes upset. So does his boyfriend. Everything eventually unravels. It’s made well enough, but “Free Fall” is super predictable and doesn’t have anything new to offer. The lack of diversity and creative storytelling in queer movies continues to frustrate me. Why bother continuing to make the same movie over and over again? If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Skip “Free Fall.”

Capsule drama reviews: My Love From Another Star, etc.

‘My Love From Another Star’ (aka ‘You Who Came From the Stars’)
Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun and Park Hae-jin
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Sci-fi
Episodes: 21

Photo courtesy of HB Entertainment.

I laughed hysterically. I cried uncontrollably. I craved chicken and beer. “My Love From Another Star” has been my favorite drama to date.

The show is about Cheon Song-yi, a down-on-her-luck movie star, and her next door neighbor, Do Min-joon, the 400-year-old alien who falls in love with her just months before he’s finally due to return to his home planet. This is a great example of how excellent a show can be when it centers on a fully-realized female character. Song-yi has been my favorite drama heroine to date — she is funny, exuberant, glamorous, sympathetic. She has so much personality, and she’s so adorable, it’s very hard not to fall in love with her and consider giving up your home planet. I understand completely.

Everything about “My Love From Another Star” is actually pretty great. Pretty stellar, as it were. The fashion, the cinematography, the script, etc. The supporting characters are also notable — particularly Shin Sung-rok as the cartoonishly evil villain Jae-kyung and Park Hae-jin as the rejected suitor Hwi-kyung, who recovers gracefully and proves to be a real friend and a stand-up guy in general. This show is fantastic.

‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’
Release Date: Feb. 2, 2001
Director: Kim Dae-seung
Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Lee Eun-ju and Yeo Hyun-soo
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: Not Rated

Photo courtesy of Cineclick Asia.

This movie really weirded me out. And it’s not particularly easy to weird me out.

It begins with the love story of In-woo and Tae-hee, who meet at university and quickly become inseparable — until Tae-hee is killed in a car accident. In-woo moves on with his life, marries, has a baby, and becomes a high school teacher, which is working out well for him until he becomes convinced that Tae-hee has been reincarnated as one of the underage students in his class. From there, the movie becomes wholly unsettling as In-woo creepily grooms the boy, calls him up the middle of the night, and tries to convince him that they’re soulmates.

It’s, at least, an interesting challenge of gender and heteronormativity springing from a religious standpoint, but “Bungee Jumping of Their Own” is very uncomfortable to watch. And it ends with the unpleasant message that it’s kind of romantic to kidnap a child that reminds you of your dead ex-lover. I can’t really hang with that.

‘Answer Me 1997’ (aka ‘Reply 1997’)
Starring: Jung Eun-ji, Seo In-guk and Song Jong-ho
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16

Photo courtesy of tvN.

Unfortunately for me, the vast majority of the in-jokes, pop culture references and celebrity cameos that make “Answer Me 1997” so amusing were pretty lost on me. Much more entertaining if you have a basic understanding of Korean life in the 1990s. However, I still enjoyed the show as a quick and interesting coming-of-age story about a group of high school friends.

The show is framed with the story of Shi-won, a 30-something writer, attending a high school reunion and reminiscing with her friends and former classmates about growing up in the ‘90s. She reveals that she is now married and pregnant, but leaves the identity of her husband open for interpretation as the narrative bounces back and forth between the present day and her final year of high school in Busan.

“Answer Me 1997” is the most down-to-earth drama I’ve watched so far. It’s honest and candid about premarital sex, homosexuality, erotic fanfiction about boybands… All the real issues that teens deal with every day. The pacing is great, the throwbacks to the ‘90s are refreshing, and the teenagers are really accurately depicted. Also unique is the setting in Busan and the distinction made between hailing from a big city like Seoul and growing up anywhere else in the country.

‘Shut Up Flower Boy Band’
Starring: Sung Joon, Jo Bo-ah and Lee Hyun-jae
Genre: Romance
Episodes: 16

Photo courtesy of tvN.

While I’m cruising around, living my life, I keep wondering what that song I always have stuck in my head is. Turns out it’s “Jaywalking,” the song that propels Eye Candy to fame in “Shut Up Flower Boy Band.” Damn, that’s an unexpectedly good song — super catchy hook, rhythmic back beat, rough rock ‘n roll guitar, and the romantic lyrics Byung-hee wrote about his muse before his untimely death at the hands of the high school bullies.

“Shut Up Flower Boy Band” follows the five-piece band of outcasts as they pursue their dreams of sharing Byung-hee’s music with the world. Will girls and money tear the band apart? Will they ever get through a live performance without something chaotic happening halfway through the single? Only time will tell!

Both the music and the aesthetic are consistently enticing. The boys are all pretty compelling individual characters, especially Do-il (the mysterious, long-haired drummer who is the son of a mobster and is ridiculously good-looking), Hyun-soo (the tormented guitarist, played by Kim Myung-soo from Infinite), and Ji-hyuk (the newly-appointed lead singer who takes Byung-hee’s place as the group’s leader). Less compelling is Jo Bo-ah as Soo-ah, Ji-hyuk’s love interest/Eye Candy’s general muse. But the unconventional music drama and the cute rocker boys more than make this show worth watching.

Capsule film reviews: Four more foreign LGBT movies

‘Yossi & Jagger’ (Israel)
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2002
Director: Eytan Fox
Starring: Ohad Knoller, Yehuda Levi and Assi Cohen
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of Strand Releasing.

This movie is great — it somehow manages to create vivid and multidimensional depictions of all of the characters (even the background ones) and their connections to one another, although almost the entire plot takes place over the course of a single day. The story follows Yossi (Ohad Knoller), a commander of a company of soldiers in the Israeli army, and his second-in-command officer, Lior (Yehuda Levi), with whom he’s having a secret affair. Lior is quite amusing and endearing, his full-bodied personality and passion for music earning him the nickname “Jagger” among his comrades. Yossi is more reserved and sensible, but their chemistry is obvious, and the film beautifully and succinctly captures the loving relationship between the two. Also impressive are the stand-out performances of Aya Steinovitz and Hani Furstenberg as the company’s two female soldiers who are individually finding their places in a male-dominated field. The 67-minute film is quick but undoubtedly touching and memorable.

‘Weekend’ (United Kingdom)
Release Date: Sept. 23, 2011
Director: Andrew Haigh
Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New and Jonathan Race
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: A

Photo courtesy of Peccadillo Pictures/Sundance Selects.

I remember when “Weekend” was released because it was very much talked-about, and it is still just as good years later. In fact, it’s very refreshing and kind of remarkable in that it’s such a well-made, high-quality gay romance film that does not at all feature a gay panic as a plot device. Both main characters, Russell (Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New), are already well aware that they’re gay and are out of the closet when the story begins with them meeting in a club and going home together one Friday night. The film follows the slow building of their relationship as they spend the weekend together having meaningful conversations, taking drugs, riding bumper cars and having sex. It is bittersweet, though, because Glen is scheduled to leave for America the following week. “Weekend” is really a beautiful, captivating movie that is romantic and interesting. It’ll move you.

‘Undertow’ (Peru)
Release Date: Sept. 23, 2009
Director: Javier Fuentes-León
Starring: Cristian Mercado, Manolo Cardona and Tatiana Astengo
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: Not Rated
Grade: B+

Photo courtesy of Axiom Films.

“Undertow” is a pretty well-executed, interesting romance — almost a fairy tale with its melancholic, supernatural twist and star-crossed lovers. It begins with Peruvian fisherman Miguel (Cristian Mercado) sneaking away from his pregnant wife Mariela (Tatiana Astengo) to carry on an affair with a reclusive painter, Santiago (Manolo Cardona). It’s a pretty standard storyline until you remember that this is supposed to be a ghost story: Santiago shortly drowns at sea and returns as a ghost that only Miguel can see. At first, they’re excited and try to make their relationship work, but then they realize that undead love triangles aren’t really any less complicated than everyday love triangles and aim to put Santiago’s body to rest. The story is unusual and enjoyable. “Undertow” does a good job characterizing the entire community and showing development throughout as the plot progresses. Some elements are more difficult to follow (the ghost thing, I mean), but it is, overall, a solid movie.

‘Guys and Balls’ (Germany)
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2004
Director: Sherry Hormann
Starring: Maximilian Brückner, David Rott and Rolf Zacher
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: R for sexual content, nudity and language.
Grade: C+

Photo courtesy of Regent Releasing.

“Guys and Balls” is both a goofy gay romance and a sports movie! It follows Ecki (Maximilian Brückner), who is the goalie of his small-town football team until his teammates discover that he’s gay and kick him off. After being ostracized in town both because of his sexuality and because of a big mistake he made that cost the team the game, he heads to the big city to put together an all-gay football team with whom he plans to beat his old teammates and redeem himself once and for all. A series of zany high jinks ensue, a lot of which rely on offensive stereotypes, but it all comes together in time for the climactic final scene at the big game. Ecki, at least, is a dopey but likeable character, and the movie is, overall, pretty silly, even though it does attempt to feature some serious storylines. It’s just okay, though.

Drag roundup: Adore Delano, ‘Till Death Do Us Party’

Photo courtesy of Sidecar Records and Producer Entertainment Group.

Adore Delano is absolutely (absolutelyyyyy) the best singer who has appeared on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and “Till Death Do Us Party” is the most solid album released by any of the show’s alumni. Not that there’s much competition in that category. But, still.

It’s also become the most commercially successful album of any “Drag Race” alumni, for good reason.

And I’ve been slowly cobbling together this review over the course of the last month, so without further ado, here is my rundown of “Till Death Do Us Party”:

“Speak My Sex”

This honestly isn’t the best opening track. There’s not much to say about it — it’s kind of a nonsensical electronic dance song about sex or something. I’m not sure what it’s about. Skip this one. I usually do.

“DTF”

“DTF” is the album’s lead single, and, while it’s not the strongest song on the album, it’s a pretty good one. The languid, sensual beat complements Adore’s laid-back vocal style perfectly and reflects the unromantic casual sex celebrated in the song. “Paper bag bitch, busted in the face. / Got that bomb dick, not a total waste,” she declares. “DTF” has been called the Grindr anthem, and I can get down with that.

“Party”

The adorable music video for “Party” was released on July 1, featuring Adore and friends causing a ruckus at a neon pink birthday party. The visuals are so cute, I ended up enjoying the track a lot more than I initially did. It’s still a little bit of a disappointment, though, and seems like it was rushed through the songwriting process rather than giving it the consideration it deserves — particularly since “Party!” has become such a marketable catchphrase for Adore.

“I Adore U”

The album’s lead ballad “I Adore U” is simply extraordinary. I only wish the rest of the album incorporated Adore’s hip-hop influences as flawlessly as this song does. The melancholy love song allows Adore to show off her incredibly strong vocal talent on slower verses and a soulful bridge, as well as her trademark rough-around-the-edges persona with a rap chorus that is catchy, effective and modern. “I Adore U” is really beautiful and powerful; it deserves mainstream radio play.

“Calling All Goddesses,” “Jump the Gun,” “Give Me Tonight” and “The Creeps”

“Till Death Do Us Party” excels with its more personal songs — the rest is, unfortunately, pretty forgettable (if not fun and danceable) filler. “Calling All Goddesses,” “Jump the Gun” and, later, “The Creeps” are some of the more unremarkable tracks. “Give Me Tonight” is a cover of the 1984 Shannon single that’s, well, better than the original, at least.

“I Look Fuckin Cool (feat. Alaska Thunderfuck)”

This duet with fellow “Drag Race” alum Alaska Thunderfuck is one of the album’s best upbeat songs. It is highly weird, which is enhanced by Alaska’s exaggerated vocals, and it’s a great track to blast while getting ready to go out on the town. There are so many genius, quotable one-liners: “My nails are broke and busted, / But I’m still fucking dusted,” “Dirt poor but spirit wealthy, / Dead battery from selfies,” “So I’m like a coloring book, even a child could read me.” The list goes on. “I Look Fuckin Cool” is fuckin’ inspirational.

“Hello, I Love You”

“Hello, I Love You” is probably the best straightforward pop song on the album. On this track, Adore channels the same manic, ditzy persona that appears in “Party,” but the structure of “Hello, I Love You” is superior and the chorus is undeniably catchy. This is another song that could easily fit in with mainstream pop music.

“My Address is Hollywood”

“My Address is Hollywood” is one more standout track — a slower, harder dance song about show business. Adore’s heartfelt bridge is great, as she sings, “I’m a city angel, / but it doesn’t pay well. / Baby, that’s okay. / Heaven wouldn’t have me / ‘cause I’m all about me. / Hell, I’m on my way.” This is a very strong closing track for an, overall, quite legit album. I hope to see Adore do great things in the future. She’s got it.

Adore Delano
Till Death Do Us Party
Release Date: June 3
Genre: Pop, Dance
Grade: B-

Drag roundup: LogoTV’s Drag Race Pride Party

Laganja Estranja performs at the Metropolitan Nightclub in West Hollywood. Via tiffmc1013/Twitter

On the last night of the LA Pride festival, I powered through the crowds in West Hollywood to LogoTV’s Drag Race Pride Party because of course I would.

Michelle Visage hosted the event in the middle room of the Metropolitan Nightclub. It’s a Vegas-style club where you make an ascent up a stylish flight of stairs toward a few separate rooms of bars and dance floors. While the space was attractive, the sound system was terrible. Or, whoever was running the sound system was terrible. Either way, there were a number of delays, missed cues and issues with the sound levels. That was a bummer, but it was still a delight to drink a $15 mixed drink while watching all of the performers.

Shangela opened the show with an enthusiastic Beyonce medley — particularly impressive considering she broke her leg during a similar show last Halloween while performing her trademark dance move, the death drop.

Yara Sofia and BenDeLaCreme put on equally captivating performances, although I think the success of these numbers was due in large part to their unique costumes. In Yara’s case, her outfit consisted of a wildly realistic nude bodysuit complete with painted-on breasts, a shock of pubic hair and a gigantic penis prosthetic swinging between her legs. It was a sight to behold. BenDeLaCreme performed her pretty cool robot routine to the Peaches song “Lovertits” in a leotard with a light-up breastplate.

The craftsmanship, professionalism and talent among the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni is astounding, and it’s what keeps me coming back to all of these events.

The fastest way to make friends at a drag show, I’ve found, is to talk about how much you love Laganja Estranja. This tested technique has not failed me yet. When I told someone at the Pride Party that I was mostly there to see her, his face lit up.

“I’m so glad you know!” he gushed.

The sacred knowledge that we share, of course, is that Laganja is — by far — one of the best live performers to appear on “Drag Race.” Plus, her fashion is to die for.

At the Pride Party, Laganja stole the show in a matching leotard and turban augmented with peacock feathers. She showed off her dance skills to RuPaul’s season six featured single, “Sissy That Walk” (which is also RuPaul’s best song since 2011’s “Glamazon”), and then cleared a space through the middle of the crowd to extend her performance into the audience. Killed it.

The evening wrapped up with performances from three previous “Drag Race” winners: Raja, Sharon Needles and Jinkx Monsoon. Jinkx’s campy, vaudeville-style fervor was a great end to the show. And Raja should probably not release any more original music. And neither should Latrice Royale, for that matter. In fact, that trend should just slow down in general.

But if presented with the chance to see Laganja live, take it, and remember that you don’t know nothin’.

Drag roundup: Trannyshack LA at The Dragonfly

Toxic Waist performs at The Dragonfly in Hollywood. SCREAMfmLondon

It was my birthday, and a drag queen clocked me in the head with a cauldron during a dramatic reenactment of “The Silence of the Lambs.” So, that happened.

Trannyshack LA was the scene of the aforementioned cauldron incident. For the record, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intentional; she was just generally throwing a cauldron, and my head was in the line of fire. Story of my life.

Since 1996, Heklina has hosted Trannyshack, a regularly-occurring drag event in San Francisco. It’s become a relatively big deal over the years, and the event occasionally takes the show on the road — to LA, for instance.

On May 31, Heklina emceed the event at the Dragonfly Bar in Hollywood. It was one of the last of her events to use the name “Trannyshack” before making the switch over to “T-shack” (at least in the interim). She addressed the issue onstage, explaining that the ultimate point of her show was to be inclusive, and that includes eliminating language that makes others feel oppressed. Although the use of transphobic words has been a divisive issue in the drag community in the past few months, Heklina handled it professionally and with a good attitude. Right on.

As for the show, it was pretty tame (save Toxic Waist, who closed the evening with a great Leatherface-in-a-jockstrap number during which the audience was sprayed with fake blood).

My favorite act was Devan M., who performed a high-energy routine in a “Phantom of the Opera”-style half-face mask and cape. I really appreciate the added androgynous factor of bearded drag queens such as Devan. The trend of wearing facial hair while in drag has been gaining momentum recently, likely influenced by RuPaul’s phenomenal hair and makeup artist Mathu Andersen and by Conchita Wurst, the Austrian drag queen who won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest.

More traditional drag performances came from Ambrosia Salad and Killer. The “traditional” element of Ambrosia’s act being the lip-sync to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” not necessarily the sexy Jesus backup dancers nailed with glittery blood to “YOLO” crosses. Killer brought out a great long-form Judy Garland impression, and there can never be too much Judy Garland.

Also impressive was Cupcake Canne, who performed a “Black Swan”-themed routine entirely on pointe. Although it’s really difficult to see anything that takes place low to the stage at a drag show because everyone in the crowd is about 20 feet tall in gigantic heels and hair.

The special guests of the evening were rapper Cazwell and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Manila Luzon, who joined him onstage for their duet, “Helen Keller.” Cazwell performed “I Seen Beyonce at Burger King,” which is somehow the weirdest, catchiest song in existence. (My favorite verse is “She was looking around for some customer service. / I walked up to her, made her security nervous. / She said, ‘How much for a case of beer?’ / I says, ‘Girl, are you drunk? I don’t work here!’”).

The rest of Cazwell’s set was okay. Meaning, he played “Ice Cream Truck,” and it was the first time I’ve listened to that song without watching the accompanying video. I’m not sure that song should even exist separately from the video.

All head injuries aside, I’m really glad I attended. I feel like this is a pivotal time for drag, and I’m excited to watch the evolution of mainstays such as “the club formerly known as Trannyshack.”