The second week of the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival ( CIFF ) will see a plethora of GLBT screenings, starting with the Friday, Oct. 24 showing of Chicagoan Tom Gustafson's directorial debut, Were the World Mine a decided highlight.
The film is a feature-length version of Gustafson's short Faeries. It focuses on Timothy, the only openly gay student at an all-male high school. Timothy isn't guilt ridden about his sexuality—far from it—but everyone from his mother to his fellow students and many of the local townspeople aren't quite so accepting. When Timothy's drama teacher ( Wendy Robie, best known for Twin Peaks and The People Under the Stairs ) stages an all-male version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, she casts Timothy in the role of Puck, the lead fairy.
Soon Timothy discovers a magical ability to turn everyone in town gay—giving him a chance at last with the hunky jock he's been mooning over. The film is a sweet fantasy-comedy in the mold of Get Real ( with touches of The History Boys thrown in for good measure ) . What help sets Were the World Mine apart from similar coming-out dramedies are the gorgeous pop songs used as underscoring throughout and the occasional fully realized musical number staged a la Baz Luhrmann. ( A soundtrack is being released in November. ) The movie screens Oct. 24 and 26. I'll introduce the Oct. 24 screening ( which Windy City Times is co-sponsoring ) and conduct a Q&A with Gustafson after the showing.
Other films with prominent GLBT themes screening the second week of the fest include:
—The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela ( Iceland ) : Raquela Rios, a prostitute in the Philippines, finds Internet fame as a transsexual porn star, ends up in Iceland with the help of new friends and next sets her sights on Paris when bitter reality steps in, threatening to squash her Cinderella-like dreams. Screens Oct. 26, 28
—Another World ( Italy ) : A hyped-up, hopped-up docudrama that runs the gamut of Italy's gay male community—one guy after another tells his story of shame or desire, shares his fantasy, fetish, or reveals his fears, guilts, or remembers his first time, etc. Patently false but stylishly made, this bit of melodramatic hokum with its score of hot guys spewing their stories in delicious Italian is worth taking in if only as a guilty pleasure. Screens Oct. 22, 25, 26
—Dream Boy ( USA ) : A southern fried coming-out story, this one featuring new kid in town Nathan ( Stephan Bender ) , who has the good fortune to discover that Roy the cool kid next door ( Maximillian Roeg, son of British director Nicolas Roeg ) , is gay, too. But next comes a bushel full of prejudice courtesy of the small-town conservative minds Nathan and Roy encounter. Screens Oct. 24, 25
—Serbis ( Philippines ) —An old time, decaying movie house now shows porno flicks and serves as a way station for a bevy of hustlers and hookers. The Pinedas, the family that owns the theatre who live above it are preoccupied with their own internal dramas but find themselves drawn into the lives of their customers. Nominated for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Screens Oct. 22, 25
The films will screen at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois; 600 N. Michigan 9; and the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport. Good, the Oct. 29 closing-night film that stars Viggo Mortensen, will be at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Complete information on tickets, showtimes and special events are available by calling 312-332-FILM ( 3456 ) or online at www.chicagofilmfestival.com .
Noah, Ricky, Alex, and Chance, the four gay African-American characters from Logo's hit TV show are back in their feature film debut, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom. The film, crafted ( like the series ) by Patrik Ian-Polk, gives us a 90-minute look at the big-time relationship dramas that unfold during the long weekend in which Noah ( Darryl Stephens ) and his hunky but testy boyfriend, Wade ( Jensen Atwood ) , head to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts with Noah's friends in tow to get married.
A few uninvited guests will ( naturally ) show up, and there will be enough laughs ( thanks to Alex ) , hot sex ( thanks to Ricky, Noah and Wade ) , recriminations and tearful make-ups to soothe any drama queen. Yes, the characters are still just variations on the Sex and the City gals ( the anxious writer, the testy brainiac, the sassy fussbudget and the slut ) but they're male variations—and Black ones to boot. Both these refreshing quantities are exceedingly rare—enough to let a few acting, writing and directing gaffes go by unmentioned. The pleasures of the film are the same as those of the series—there's no need to project fantasy onto the characters, which makes this return to Noah's Arc worth boarding. It opens Friday, Oct. 24 exclusively at Landmark's Century Centre Theatre. www.LandmarkTheatres.com
Film notes:
—The annual Music Box Massacre 4—an assemblage of 24 hours of great horror entertainment once again curated by Rusty Nails ( who emcees the event ) —is scheduled to commence Saturday, Oct. 25, at 12 p.m. and run until the following day. Nails has once again put together something for fans of every kind of horror—the selections span from 1932's The Old Dark House ( from gay director James Whale with Boris Karloff and gay actor David Manners ) to the brand-spanking new Midnight Meat Train, the latest film from the mind of queer horrormeister Clive Barker. Barker will appear at the Oct. 25 7:30 p.m. screening, sign autographs and sit for a Q&A afterwards. Other films in the line-up include Phantom of the Paradise, Eyes without a Face and Dead Alive. The marathon finishes up with a 9:30 a.m. screening ( love this ) of the uncut version of The Exorcist. Now that's scary! Complete schedule and ticket info at www.musicboxtheatre.com
—The Music Box is also the place for a rare in-person appearance by none other than Russ Meyer star Tura Satana, who will be in town for a screening of the Meyer camp classic, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Burlesque performer Michelle L'amour will kick off the evening, and a free afterparty ( for ticket stub holders ) complete with a kissing contest ( which Satana will judge ) will happen at the Liar's Club. Complete info is at www.musicboxtheatre.com .
Check out my archived reviews and Knight at Home at the Movies column for DVD recommendations at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Readers can leave feedback at the latter Web site.
