Arts & Culture :: DVD-Streaming

Screen times: B.A.R. film coverage through 50 years, part 1

Screen times: B.A.R. film coverage through 50 years, part 1

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 30, 2021

It wasn't until the third issue of the 'Bay Area Reporter' in 1971 that the rationale for having a film section was revealed by its first critic. 100s of film reviews since then have catalogued the rise of indie and mainstream cinematic LGBT depiction.

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 23, 2021

There's an unintended poignancy to 'Pretend It's A City,' the new limited-series documentary on Netflix, showcasing author, public speaker, and humorist Fran Lebowitz. Filmed in 2019, it portrays a vibrant Manhattan chock full of people.

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Mar 16, 2021

Singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin's life and career is dramatized in National Geographic's five-part series, which also serves as a testament to Franklin's talent and determination amid decades of civil rights inroads for Black culture and women in music.

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Mar 9, 2021

The multi-award-winning 'Pose' will end after Season 3; 'For All Mankind' features a lesbian astronaut; 'Clarice' quotes Audre Lorde; news media's taken to task for under-reporting the murder of trans women.

Mayim Bialik: call her a rad cat lady

Mayim Bialik: call her a rad cat lady

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Mar 9, 2021

In 'Call Me Kat,' her first sitcom following the end of the long-running 'Big Bang Theory,' Mayim Bialik plays Kat, the single and sassy owner of a Louisville cat café, with costars Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan and several cats.

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 9, 2021

Patrick Liu's film 'Your Name Engraved Herein,' which just started streaming on Netflix this month, profiles a longterm romance between two teens, while reflecting on Taiwan's political changes that led to same-sex marriage legalization.

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Mar 3, 2021

In his newly published memoir, 'American Exxxtasy: My 30-Year Search for a Happy Ending,' gay filmmaker Amero recalls those bygone days with wit, humor and heart.

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Mar 2, 2021

Set in Colombo, Sri Lanka during the mid-1970s and early 1980s, 'Funny Boy,' based on Shyam Selvadurai's acclaimed novel, is timely for a variety of reasons.

Soul, Sin, Secrets & Scots: The Lavender Tube on new Black and gay series, and men in kilts

Soul, Sin, Secrets & Scots: The Lavender Tube on new Black and gay series, and men in kilts

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Feb 23, 2021

'Soul of a Nation' explores Black stories, 'It's a Sin' sears with '80s UK gay and AIDS stories, plus 'Tell Me Your Secrets' and 'Men in Kilts' tempt your television time.

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Feb 23, 2021

In Mike Mosallam's affectionate Ramadan rom-com 'Breaking Fast,' Mo (out actor Haaz Sleiman) is a devout, disciplined Muslim doctor who has reconciled his religious dedication with his queer sexuality.

Miami rhapsody: Regina King's powerful film adaptation of Kemp Powers' play

Miami rhapsody: Regina King's powerful film adaptation of Kemp Powers' play

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Feb 16, 2021

'One Night in Miami...' is a fictional dramatization inspired by true events that bring together four men from different backgrounds whose contributions to Black culture continues to resonate to the present day.

'Two of Us': lesbian feature Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film

'Two of Us': lesbian feature Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Feb 16, 2021

'Two of Us,' the French entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, is a deeply sensual tale of textured, long-standing love and desire between two women.

Change-makers: The Lavender Tube on 'Equalizer,' 'Clarice,' and Christopher Plummer remembered

Change-makers: The Lavender Tube on 'Equalizer,' 'Clarice,' and Christopher Plummer remembered

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Feb 9, 2021

Queen Latifah's terrific in 'The Equalizer,' 'Clarice' brings back "The Silence of the Lambs" character, and the late Christopher Plummer is remembered.

Gravity, rainbow: 'Falling,' Viggo Mortensen's writing-directorial debut

Gravity, rainbow: 'Falling,' Viggo Mortensen's writing-directorial debut

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Feb 9, 2021

'Falling,' written and directed in his debut by Viggo Mortensen, adds itself to a list of several current films involving elders and dementia, with an obscured gay angle. Despite its poetic visuals, it lacks full characterization.