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Brandon Judell
Tomatometer-approved critic
Cinema editor of New York Theatre Wire and contributor to CultureCatch.com and indieWire. My articles have also appeared in THE BAY AREA REPORTER; Detour, aRude, Filmmaker, The Bay Area Reporter, SOHO STYLE; SMOKE AFFAIR; The Advocate, and FLAIR. My short stories have been anthologized in Libido, and A Member of the Family (Dutton).
Central Station;The Celebration; Beautiful Thing; Battle of Algiers; Another Country; Ghost Dog; Surrender, Dorothy; The King is Alive: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf; Boys Don't Cry; Keep the River on the Right; I Love You, Alice B. Toklas; Laurel and Hardy's The Brats; Jules and Jim; Once Were Warriors; Ladybird, Ladybird; You're a Big Boy Now; Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
Hollywood.com,
indieWire,
Huffington Post,
CultureCatch,
New York Theatre Wire,
GreenCine,
PopcornQ,
Critics Inc./America Online,
Entertainment Asylum,
Bay Area Reporter,
Detour Magazine,
PlanetOut,
IFC Rant,
Gay.com UK,
Aufbau,
Gay City News,
The Forward,
Fashion Wire Daily,
Jednet,
Cyberlinc,
The New Lesbian and Gay Voice,
scotsgay.com,
Soho Style,
Black Bear Film Festival,
Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care,
aRude,
Brandon Judell (Medium)
New York City
http://www.indiewire.com
Movies reviews only
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Marry My Dead Body (2022) |
What follows are fisticuffs, grumpy gangsters, grandmas insisting you come over for dinner, and a few shoot-outs that lead to quite a sweet, moving, satisfying finale proving that sometimes we all need a good dose of otherworldly romantic silliness. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 11, 2023
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Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) |
Imagine the Hallmark Channel making soft-core porn and you pretty much have it: yearning, orgasmic faces, but no crotch shots. The acting varies in believability as does the script, but the leads are beautiful, especially when dancing among nude statuary. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 11, 2023
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Bottoms (2023) |
Having beaten Everything Everywhere All At Once’s opening-week take and with a continued solid box-office, Bottoms won’t win any Oscars but the film just might prove to the powers that be that sapphic cinema is a money-making proposition. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 11, 2023
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Factory Boss (2014) |
An unflinching view of capitalism gone awry. . . .Boss displays how little we know about our competitor for world power, and how alike we are in so many arenas. That’s not meant to be totally complementary. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Aug 01, 2023
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Where Is the Lie? (2023) |
I may be totally wrong about this one because I only lasted 20 minutes. Feeling guilty I tried another 7. So there's a chance that the next 58 minutes are scintillating, “But why,” I ask, “are so many trans folks depicted on screen as shallow twits?” - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jul 27, 2023
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Egoist (2022) |
What follows is both surprising and beautifully wrought. With a solid script and direction, plus first-rate thesping . . . and with a whole lot of Mother-Love incorporated and some tears, Egoist is one the top queer offerings out so far this year. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jul 26, 2023
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The Lesson (2023) |
Intermittently sexy with a thrilling finale, consistently clever dialogue, and inviting visuals, 'The Lesson' is about mortals with “taught” minds while so many of this film’s on-screen contemporaries front and center the untaught. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 25, 2023
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Öte (2023) |
An engaging travelogue of sorts with stunning views captured by cinematographer Junior Gung, and a joyful ending, Öte will have you booking tickets to Turkey overnight. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 24, 2023
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Like Turtles (2022) |
This, the charming directorial debut of actress Monica Dugo, in which she also stars, tells of a happy housewife, who has her daily routine down pat. . . in a well-scripted, finely cast feature that spills over with simplistic yet satisfactory wisdom. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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Delta (2022) |
Quite timely is Michele Vannucci’s visual stunner Delta. Here cinematographer Matteo Vieille Rivara often amazes the eye with the natural beauty he captures, especially with several overhead compositions. Yes, dead-eyed fish afloating have their appeal. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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Siccità (2022) |
For those in the mood for a first-rate ecological/political/end-of-civilized-behavior satire in the vein of Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, search no further than Paolo Virzi’s Dry. Just imagine what what would happen if Italy had no rain for three years. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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Chiara (2022) |
Chiara with its Biblical folk dancing and breaking into song, isn’t exactly Jesus Christ Superstar, but it’s still a fun trip back to the 13th century. An impressed Lord rewards the young lass with miracles, including concocting olive oil out of thin air. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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The Hummingbird (2022) |
After our hero gets a death threat, he's met with sibling rivalry, a 4-decades’ long platonic relationship, suicides, high-stakes gambling, picturesque locales, sword lessons, plus hugs & kisses. Here's a riveting life to view, sort of a low-keyed Iliad. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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The Lord of the Ants (2022) |
A hard-hitting look at Fascism’s attacks on Queerdom. With a first-rate script that refuses to depict the poet as totally sympathetic, plus a solid cast & picturesque scenery, here’s an offering that in earlier decades would have been an art-house smash. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 09, 2023
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Jerk (2021) |
One might declare Jerk a rare, perfect fusion of text & its visualization . . . of brutality & its burlesque . . .of the absurd intertwined with an undeniable element of damnable verisimilitude. Jerk will certainly not be greeted with unanimous adoration - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Feb 14, 2023
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America (2022) |
Praised by all of the reviews out so far, America might teach you more about floral arrangements than Judaism, but with its superb cinematography (Omri Aloni), fine acting, and leisurely pace, you’ll have more than enough time to ponder the film’s title. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jan 18, 2023
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The Art of Un-War (2022) |
There are also moments of humor. Early on this antimilitarist artist wets his hair down with Honest Tea to look his best. Later director Niro includes footage of what some might deem avant-garde satire, satire that raises serious societal questions. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jan 18, 2023
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(undefined) |
One of the more unforgettable films hitting the festival circuit . . . This uncommonly comic romp with its devastating undercurrents constantly surprises. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jan 15, 2023
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Happy Birthday (2002) |
Cutting from one angst-filled moment to another, Malaysian-born Tan has created an honest exploration of what it is to be gay and have more on your mind than creatine, Ellen's talk show, and Queer Eye on the Straight Butt.
- New York Theatre Wire
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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The Menu (2022) |
A tingling black comedy awash with thrills, wit, and well-earned heartburn. Reaching for the Tums has never been so much fun. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
Seldom has a film boasted more glass statuary. As the credits roll, you can’t help but expect a thank you to the manufacturers of Windex. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jan 06, 2023
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
There is indeed a smattering of the character development. No doubt all abustle, some critics just understandably might’ve missed the transmogrifications. (Hint: Look for someone putting on a mask and another going all hue-y.) - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Dec 02, 2022
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A Man of Dance (2015) |
Clearly articulating the joys and frustrations that accompany one’s career in dance, this biography spotlights the early aching of the joints, the lack of decent salaries, and the strains placed upon romance. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Nope (2022) |
The first hour of Nope is pretty negligible fare with the exception of a flashback to a killer chimpanzee and the wonderful-to-see-again Donna Mills almost getting kicked in the kisser by an upset steed. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Nov 02, 2022
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Undetectable (2021) |
A welcome addition to the genre of AIDS on celluloid. Corcoran’s knowing direction captures the plight of what it is to have been young, beautiful and worshipped, then to suddenly find yourself older, not so wiser, battling a not so pleasant disease. - Critics Inc./America Online
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| Posted Oct 24, 2022
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Erica's First Holy Shit (2022) |
Whether you’ll be charmed by this offering or whether EFHS will cause you to switch your political affiliation to something rightwing, depends a lot on whether you are a fan of early John Waters films or have a supply of Alice B. Toklas brownies on hand. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 21, 2022
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Age of Consent (2014) |
A history of the Hoist, a London leather bar. This heartfelt chatter fest argues that this S&M club almost brought about gay liberation in England by providing a friendly place for guys to f**t each other. There’re numerous staged acts of lasciviousness. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Sep 17, 2022
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Jacinto (2021) |
Billed in its press notes as what occurs when “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre meets Forrest Gump,” there’s a good chance that the creator of that allusion saw neither film. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 14, 2022
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Peter von Kant (2022) |
With Ozon’s clever script, Wyskjop’s superb production design, Dacosse’s applaud-worthy cinematography, & a soundtrack inclusive of such a heartbreaking tune as “Each Man Kills the Things He Loves,” Peter von Kant is 1 of the best offerings of the year. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Sep 14, 2022
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Happening (2021) |
The most-need-to-be-seen feature of the year . . . . In this grippingly honest, no-holds-barred film, a 23-year-old lit student seeks an abortion in 1963 France, an act for which she, her doctor, and anyone else who aids her can be sent to prison. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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Futuro Beach (2014) |
The film doesn't hold together due to a splintered, dissatisfying dramatic arc. . . Some out-of-character behavior is never explained, and what could have been an aesthetic Valentine to a grand besottedness eventually dissolves into a spiceless churrasco. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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2551.01 (2021) |
Inarguably, if you were streaming 2551.01 and continually halting the film, you'd notice every image is worthy of being framed. Yes, this might just one of the most completely realized artistic visions that's reflective of what we're all living through. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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Nude Tuesday (2022) |
One the whackiest offerings of the year, & that’s just for its language: gibberish. Every sound spoken by the cast is nonsensical, & the oft-hilarious subtitles, by comic Julia Davis, seemingly were not known to the actors themselves beforehand. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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Attachment (2022) |
Attachment will more than sate your cravings, especially if you’ve been yearning for a kosher Sapphic thriller with Kabbalahesque underpinnings: “Is that a dybbuk in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?” - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022) |
With a dynamic opening and finale, and happily with no real gore, Huesera makes a strong argument for keeping a whole bunch of condoms on your night table. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Aug 14, 2022
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Woman on the Roof (2022) |
Sometimes, we find something to grasp onto and manage to reshape our despair. This quietly amazing film, with cinematographer Ita Zbroniec-Zajt’s ability to use a palette of whites in the most expressive manner, is one of the better offerings of the year. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jul 13, 2022
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You Can Live Forever (2022) |
Jamie and Marike have multiple “Tony/Maria-in-the-dancehall” moments where the girls block everyone else from their senses. You almost feel as if you are intruding, and to be polite, you practically want to excuse yourself from the theater. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Jun 18, 2022
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After Blue (2021) |
It's not for all tastes. But if you idolize the early films of David Lynch and Alejandro (El Topo) Jodorowsky, if you desire a 94% testosterone-free movie experience, & if you dream now & then of owning a complete set of Crayola crayons, look no further.
- Bay Area Reporter
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| Posted Jun 07, 2022
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Rifkin's Festival (2020) |
The directors latest, a pungent paean to Neurosis with a capital N plus a master's bow to the classic films of Buñuel, Fellini, Welles, et al. . . boasts several bona fide laughs and many more wry observations. Shawn displays a marvelous world weariness. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Apr 19, 2022
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Ambulance (2022) |
Never has a film been more in need of a defibrillator than Michael Bay's latest . . . Just imagine "Fast and Spurious" meets "Greys Anatomy." Not exactly a healing entertainment, although a terrific ad for ibuprofen. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Apr 09, 2022
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Three Months (2022) |
Heartfelt and brimming forth with a valuable spotlighting of issues that the young LGBTIQI+ crowd must confront, Three Months is a must-see for the under-20 crowd while still being pleasant enough for the aged. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Mar 22, 2022
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Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021) |
An oft-fun, intermittently moving adaptation of the West End musical, which itself is a takeoff on a doc about a high-school lad who ignored taunts from his peers and a cold-shouldering by his dad, to become a spangled drag queen with Wizard of Oz pumps. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Mar 22, 2022
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My Best Part (2020) |
What I sort of left out so far is how good most of it is, displaying great promise for Maury's future directorial career. . . . If only he had left 25 or so minutes of his own performance on the cutting room floor, this would have been a four-star effort. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Mar 22, 2022
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Ford Transit (2003) |
Hany Abu-Assads powerful documentary Ford Transitreveals the horrors of the Israeli roadblocks, and the diversity of the Arabs confronting them daily. - indieWire
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| Posted Feb 28, 2022
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The Holy Land (2001) |
Eitan Gorlins narrative film is already splitting moviegoers. Its been rejected by the Jerusalem Film Festival and one American Jewish woman after a screening cursed out the writer/director, calling him a plague worse than Arafat for the Jews. - indieWire
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| Posted Feb 28, 2022
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Parallel Mothers (2021) |
A thrilling blend of deceit, lust, love, and a tale of two unwed heterosexual women . . . . Almodovar continues to fill in the void created by the deaths of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Pier Paolo Pasolini. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Feb 17, 2022
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Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998) |
Not everything in Spanish cinema revolves around Pedro Almodovar. Basque-Born Julio Medem (Cows, Tierra) is a serious alternative . . Expertly crafted, his film shifts back and forth in perfect parallel form between his protagonists points of views. - indieWire
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| Posted Feb 14, 2022
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Bite Me (2019) |
Under director Meredith Edwards' rather solid command, Bite Me is much better than anyone would have expected. The leads give their all and supply full-bodied moments of merriment and a few believable pangs of distress. Passes the Bechdel test splendidly. - Brandon Judell (Medium)
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| Posted Feb 10, 2022
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Flee (2021) |
The result is one the more engaging film experiences of this past year. Besides its queerdom and its ability to move you to well-earned tears, Flee is not without its moments of humor. - CultureCatch
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| Posted Feb 08, 2022
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Pursuit of Equality (2005) |
Throughout, the audience went wild, booing and cheering, depending on who was on screen. Most didnt noticed that no gay male couples are shown kissing on the lips. Only the lesbians smooch. But whatd you expect from a pair of well-meaning straight guys? - CultureCatch
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| Posted Feb 06, 2022
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