Out director Ira Sachs slams his new queer film’s NC-17 ratg, llg the MPA “anti-gay” - LGBTQ Natn

Contents:

• HERE! PROVIS ‘SHELTER’ FOR GAY-THEMED MOVI
• OUT DIRECTOR IRA SACHS SLAMS HIS NEW QUEER FILM’S NC-17 RATG, LLG THE MPA “ANTI-GAY”
• 'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY

HERE! PROVIS ‘SHELTER’ FOR GAY-THEMED MOVI

Even this low r screener, Shelter sh as a film wh huge heart, and one that's been ma wh equal re by the actors and all of the 's not at all like the angst-ridn abomatn of a gay surf flick "Tan L". Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Brokeback Mt., but I saw a screeng of this film at the SF Gay and Lbian Film Ftival tonight and loved as much as BBM and some ways appreciated more. For my money the actg (wh avowed heterosexuals playg the gay rol, as BBM) was more nvcg, the kissg more natural, the sex scen extremely sexy and movg; another tone the realistic portrayal of gay love and sex.

The fay settg provid a ntext that allowed one man's g out story to be jt one among many chang all fai go through together while simultaneoly puttg some evil homophobic stereotyp to bed, you should pardon the exprsn, rather than dwellg on them as BBM.

Y, 's a g out story, y, Zach has trouble acceptg who he is, y, Zach's sister don't react well to havg a gay brother, but no, Zach's bt iend don't sert him, and no, his girliend don't have a hissy f when she learns the tth, and the end, Zach turns out to be que a man.

OUT DIRECTOR IRA SACHS SLAMS HIS NEW QUEER FILM’S NC-17 RATG, LLG THE MPA “ANTI-GAY”

Ultimately, Shelter treats s gay romance pretty much like any straight die film would treat a boy-girl one, and if ever there was a film which shows how "love mak a fay, " Shelter is that Wright (Zach), Brad Rowe (Shn), Ta Holm (Jeanne), Ross Thomas (Gabe), Katie Walr (Tori), and young Jackson Worth (Cody) uldn't be better and serve to be remembered award season, as do the a py of Shelter handy to loan to anyone who bemoans the state of gay cema 2008. TV (creators of such awful cd as Dante's Cove) didn't exactly fill me wh much hope, but to my surprise, I walked out of last night's screeng believg that I'd seen one of the bt films Outft has programmed years, and one of the bt gay films about fay dynamics ever. It jt mix alg wh homosexualy along wh all the other problems life brgs along the way a brilliant manner that is very enjoyable; I was so entertaed wh the ma two characters, Zach and Shn, have amazg, credible, believable chemistry that was portrayed excellently by the actors to where you feel like this scene is gog on right ont of you.

I've stated my opn on Zach and Shn, but Jeanne was a believable, strs-filled sister who wish her life uld f wh her fay, and Gabe was the bt iend most gay guys wish they had; someone who jt saw their homosexualy as no thg, and liked them as a iend for the quali they share and fun they have. And the sub-theme of two gay men beg aptly-able father figur to a young child sends a remarkable msage that perhaps not all heterosexuals may be pable of raisg a child as effectively as two rponsible gay men wh strong fay valu their hearts.

'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY

It would have helped me rencile my ner-stggl and feelgs about beg a homosexual much more easily and given me more stcture of what to expect om someone should I have bee volved wh another guy. And eventually he velops not only the strength to accept himself and Shn to his life, but bee an extraordary father-figure to his 5 year old nephew, betiful thg about "Shelter" is that don't rely on ane gay stereo-typ (i. And the sub-theme of two gay men beg aptly-able father figur to a young child sends a remarkable msage that perhaps not all heterosexuals may be pable of raisg a child as effectively as two rponsible gay men wh strong fay valu their more, what sets "Shelter" apart om most other gay films is how straight-forward and betifully portrayed is.

Where most other Amerin-ma gay films offer are poor wrg, terrible actg, bad directn, typil mpy ntent, leadg and supportg promiscuo gay characters, shrillg dialouge -- need I list those horrible films -- "Shelter" is strongly distguished, scere, and thentic.

First off, mt be said that, whether straight or gay (except for those already "out"), puttg yourself "out there" for this type of role has got to be an extremely difficult cisn. Starrg Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss's Brad Rowe a reer-revivg performance and newer Trevor Wright, there are no gay bars Shelter, no dgs, no drag queens, no circu anthems, no gay- bashgs, no AIDS sr, and no screamg parents to speak of. Bee of this I was able to nnect to the film better than any gay themed film I've watched before; I was practilly giddy when Zach was on the phone wh Sean e I have been that suatn gay films should be like this one, realistic and wh real men that have re more than about how they look the mirror, we get enough of those twks om the rt of Hollywood.

I hate g the term "gay themed film" bee very often most of the "them" the films are jt as relevant to all this is the story of a guy disverg that he is attracted to a man and attempts ( a very homogenized "movie of the week" way) to exprs all of the challeng that e wh that disvery. It's a sweet film to spe 's stereotypil plot pots (sadly there is always some tth stereotyp), but bee never gets to ep to the emotns of the ma ("gay") characters I don't thk serv as anythg other then "light entertament'.