Meaningful Gay Films

[APMountianMan]

In the current chatter of gay films, "Brokeback Mountain" has been acclaimed as a breakthrough film. Today, I was reminded of another film. In fact it was a first date film with my wife.

At the time, I was dating men. I'll have to tell you of our meeting at another time to give you a deeper understanding of our relationship. The point of this posting is that our first date included going to see the movie "Philadelphia."

Part of the reason was because we both lived in the suburbs of the city. Part of the reason was because we both were honest about our sense of sexuality.

I believe that "Philadelphia" is a much better film than "Brokeback Mountain." It is no secret that I do not believe "Brokeback Mountain" deserves the acclaim it is receiving. That aside, I am wondering how many others have seen "Philadelphia" and how you would compare the film to "Brokeback Mountain.'


"Philadelphia" stared Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, and Antonio Banderas among others.

Do you remember this film as fondly as I do, or is my fondness for the movie based on the fact that it was the first date movie for me and my partner for life?


:cool:

[JohnnyV]

AP Mountain,

Funny I just came across this old thread. Gay films??? I never got that into Philadelphia. I think the best gay films were the ones that were made before films had to announce themselves as gay. Here's my top ten gay film list; maybe others can share theirs too:

ROPE (1948): How hot! Two men who share a Park Avenue bedroom strangle their handsome blond friend, then lock him in an Italian book chest. Jimmy Stewart trying to be sexually ambiguous, Farley Granger getting bitch-slapped like a girl! Yowza!

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1950): Oooh! What is there not to like in this film? The feline rich Mama's boy trying to exchange murder for a little bit of nookie with a handsome tennis player. Again, Farley Granger getting bitch-slapped like a girl! And a runaway merry-go-round to boot.

CAT ON A HIT TIN ROOF (50s?): What's not to love? Paul Newman on crutches and a raven-haired Liz Taylor with tits for days. Southern accents are hotter when there's a Faulkner-like tinge of homoeroticism underneath it all. And thank God Paul Newman can finally get it up by the end.

SATYRICON (1967): Fellini's ode to bisexuality, circa 1968. If it's way too bizarre for you, remember that the Roman story it's based on was also the source for the GREAT GATSBY. I wasn't into the little Roman boy running around getting molested -- that was scary! -- but I love the two bisexual men wandering from pirate ship to pirate ship and engaging in three-ways with slave girls and gladiatresses. Oooh la la!

A SEPARATE PEACE (1970s?): Parker Stevenson as a pubescent prep-school boy in a strange obsessive relationship with another WASPy, angelic schoolmate. Makes you want to go to boarding school.

THE BIBLE, by John Huston (1964): Okay, I confess, I rewound and replayed the Sodomic orgy scenes about 100 times to see if there was any cock exposed. There was none. Anyway I had an erection through the whole Adam and Eve sequence, because I couldn't decide who was hotter.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1960s): A bunch of sweaty Greek men in tunics, on a ship with lots of leather and power thighs. How can you go wrong?

CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981): Harry Hamlin had just co-starred in that gay love tragedy with Kate Jackson ("Making Love"), when he suddenly switched gears and played Perseus. Harry Hamlin is fucking hot, with or without a talking metal owl.

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1960): Jack Lemmon looks way too happy about his future marriage to a man by the closing scene. But even in the dress, he doesn't look as good as Marilyn Monroe.

HAIR (the 1970s version): How close can Treat Williams and John Savage get to sucking each other off without actually doing it? The public service messages about the horrors of war almost slipped me by as I waited, drooling, to see who was going to be the initiator, especially in the scene where Williams strips in front of Savage at a Nevada army base, begging him to switch clothing. A three-way with both of them and a bare-breasted Bevery D'Angelo could have won these guys an Oscar.

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953): God, where do you start? First, it's so obvious that Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are really lipstick lesbians, I don't even know why they have to force that closing wedding scene on us. And any bi or gay man who can keep a straight face during that scene when Jane Russell sings "Anyone Here for Love?" surrounded by thirty male gymnasts in Speedos deserves a medal. If you put the DVD on slow-mo, you'll see that one of the wrestler's testicles slip out of his swimsuit. The part where Jane Russell lines all the wrestlers up touching their toes, so she can spank them one by one with a tennis racket, awakened me to the fact that I loved man ass.

PSYCHO (1960): Anthony Perkins is a handsome, swarthy loner who is obsessed with his mother. You can't help but want him to be gay, even as he's stabbing Janet Leigh in the bathroom. He's got those bedroom eyes.

HERCULES: Take your pick of the many versions of this film. They're all an excuse for hours and hours of gay masturbation fantasy material.

BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967): Okay, Warren Beatty looks way too good in that tank top to even consider giving up his cock for Faye Dunaway. No surprise he's impotent. Maybe if he got James Caan involved and did a three-way, he'd have a chance.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1950s): There is nothing gay about this movie, except that Marlon Brando is so fucking hot that any bi or gay man in the audience is doomed to a painful erection for the entire duration of the film. The only thing I can suggest is that IF he could have had a sudden encounter with Karl Marlden during one of their drunken rampages, wouldn't the movie have been so much better? I think Karl Malden would have to be the top; Brando's too pretty!

Love,
J

[Driver 8]

but I love the two bisexual men wandering from pirate ship to pirate ship and engaging in three-ways with slave girls and gladiatresses.
Shouldn't that be "gladiatrices," you classics scholar you?

[JohnnyV]

Indeed you caught me out there! Driver, what are YOUR top ten gay films?

J

[arana]

I really liked Philidelphia when it came out. It gave you a true sense of how people treated others who they felt were "different" after the fact. Plus Antonio was hot in that movie.


CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981): Harry Hamlin had just co-starred in that gay love tragedy with Kate Jackson ("Making Love"), when he suddenly switched gears and played Perseus. Harry Hamlin is fucking hot, with or without a talking metal owl.
I love Bebo!

[APMountianMan]

Hey JohnnyV,

Most of the movies that you mention I have seen but a few I have not. I don't want to hint that you are showing your age with your selection... oops... guess I did! Anyway, here are a few of my favorites.

My Own Private Idaho -- Still, for me, the best confession scene ever is in this movie. I can feel River's pain just thinking of the film.

Total Eclipse -- I love this film for daring to show the underside of sexual experimentation. Ever have a partner tell you that they were just experimenting with their sexuality? Besides, I like seeing Leonardo nude.

Ode to Billy Joe -- This movie may have ruined Bobby Benson's career but it saved a many a teen life.

Dead Poet's Society -- Yes, the book was better, but Ethan Hawke made my heart go into over drive.

Interview with a Vampire -- I know, I know... but come on, Pitt and Cruise did produce some serious heat.

And just out of lust....

Fight Club... If you don't know why, you weren't paying attention. Go stand in the corner!

:cool:

[JohnnyV]

AP --

Dear God, you're older than I am by more than ten years! I'm just completely out of touch with pop culture, I guess. But now that I think about it, yes, the films you put up there definitely strike a chord.

(I think the reason why I picked so many old movies is I love the camp factor, and I think gayness is the hottest when we're not talking about it directly, but that's me.)

I only have to pick a fight with you about FIGHT CLUB -- I didn't find the gayness in that film that hot for some reason.

Love,
J

[APMountianMan]

AP --

Dear God, you're older than I am by more than ten years! I'm just completely out of touch with pop culture, I guess. But now that I think about it, yes, the films you put up there definitely strike a chord.

(I think the reason why I picked so many old movies is I love the camp factor, and I think gayness is the hottest when we're not talking about it directly, but that's me.)

I only have to pick a fight with you about FIGHT CLUB -- I didn't find the gayness in that film that hot for some reason.

Love,
J

LOL! You crack me up. Fight Club? All I have to say is look at Pitt's body... the way they nave his pants hanging so low that ... oh my god... did I say this was a pure lust factor?

And by the way... why are you up so late?

:cool:

[JohnnyV]

And by the way... why are you up so late?

:cool:

1) I have chronic insomnia
2) I am trying to get my lectures ready for tomorrow
3) you're KEEPING me up with your interesting talk

Love,
J