Badpuppy Gay Today |
Wednesday, 19 March, 1997 |
Producers of gay and lesbian film festivals in metropolitan locales have found that audiences react best and with top-of-the-winners-list appreciation to the lesbian film, Costa Brava, set in scenic Barcelona.
The story, directed by Marta Balletbo-Coll, who has also co-written and co-starred in the film, is about Anna, a Barcelona tour guide who wants desperately to be a playwright. The film is replete with touristy vistas and while its beginning is actually somewhat shaky, the tale takes shape with gusto as Montseraat (played by Desi Del Valle) enters Anna's life. A seismic engineer, Montseratt is an engaging personality who contrasts nicely against Anna's wise-cracking personae. The relationship between the two women gives focus to a host of "couple" issues including the personal ambitions of one, the presence of males in the life of the other, and those problems that arise between people who settle into daily connubial bliss.
Costa Brava, shown repeatedly at gay and lesbian film festivals, has picked up several "Best Picture" awards.
March 19th at 9 p.m., "Breaking the Surface," a film adaptation of the life of Greg Louganis, will air on TV's USA network. Additional showings will take place on March 22nd and 29th. Louganis' best-selling autobiography is the poignant telling of the highs and lows of a famous gay Olympic gold medal champion who, while at the height of his closely-watched career, became HIV-positive. The difficulties encountered during a once closeted-life and the unhappy attitudes that predominated during Louganis' formative years are, in his book, much pronounced.
Now out in video is Andy Wachowski's noir lesbian thriller, Bound, about two sexy molls who fall in love and collaborate in a criminally-inspired scheme. Bound begins with a light and engaging sequence that focuses on the couple's meeting and includes scenes that show the fleshier aspects of their budding relationship. Starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, Bound is also garnering feverish acclaim. Much of the film celebrates guns and violence in the 90's noir tradition, but critics, nevertheless, see this movie as a significant addition to filmland's newly developed "shoot'em up" gay and lesbian genre.
A new video set (3 volumes) is "The Best Defense," produced by Gay Games gold medalist, Darl Scharff. Scharff's decision to back this production was made during an outing of gay athletes, all martial arts stars, at the 1994 Gay Games in New York. Angered about rising reports of gay-bashing and seeking practical ways to address it, the athletes decided on a course of action, what can be done to educate gay men and lesbians in self-defense. The result is an impressive round of "How To" self-defense sequences starring eight of the world's top-named martial arts champions, all gay men or lesbians.
© 1997 BEI;
All Rights Reserved. |
