Documenteers: The Documentary Podcast Bob Sham & Friends

For our MOVIES ARE GAY theme we like to hit up, at least, one romcom and today’s discussion had an unprecedented major studio presence for a gay film with a majority LGBTQ cast but it seemed to come and go fairly quietly. The Judd Apatow produced film directed by Nicholas Stoller, written by Billy Eichner and starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane may have had an uphill battle within an era where romantic comedies in general have become more and more rare. We’re talking about the movie “BROS” from 2022 in which Bobby, a neurotic and loud NYC gay man with a podcast, gradually falls for a beefcake “bro-type” named Aaron. It’s a lot like many romantic comedies in some ways while showing what is different about queer relationships. Very adult but seems like decent fodder for the romcom crowd. This didn’t blow up the box office but perhaps this movie will linger over time with a gradual shift in overall perception? We will see. We’re talking waaaaay deeper cuts than “BROS” this month but the future of gay romantic comedies may have been unfairly hoisted up “BROS” shoulders in today’s shaky moviegoing landscape. Hear us tell of it.

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Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249
Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought

The Old Dark House (1932) by Bob Sham & Friends

We keep on trucking’ for this month’s theme of MOVIES ARE GAY and you can call this “LOW BUDGET WEEK”. We got one movie made on about 22 grand and this one was made from a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. That’s right. We paid for this one. So you’re welcome for the sex scene. It also happens to be the first film by a black lesbian. Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 film “THE WATERMELON WOMAN” has a lot of issues stemming from low budget. You get what you get when you need some pals, who have no acting ability or experience, to help you hold down a few scenes. But the layered story of a woman seeking a long lost black lesbian thespian manages to push beyond its surface and show interesting personal relationships with a nice amount of black film history to boot. Did we mention the sex scene? It’s the best scene in the movie in terms of pure execution. This sex scene could win a contest. It could be it’s own short film. See for yourself. Minute 41: https://archive.org/details/the.watermelon.woman.1996.webdl.720p.h264.aac-deep

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Contact us here: MOVIEHUMPERS@gmail.com
Check our past & current film ratings here: https://moviehumpers.wordpress.com
Hear us on podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o6PSNJFGXJeENgqtPY4h7
Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249
Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought

This month, MOVIES ARE GAY and we’re hitting up our second ever Gregg Araki movie with his groundbreaking 1992 film “THE LIVING END” starring Craig Gilmore and Mike Dytri. This low budget feature is considered ground floor for what was dubbed a “New Queer Cinema Movement” in which LGBTQ creators were looking to push boundaries within a world of social and political marginalization during a time in which the AIDS epidemic was thoroughly embedded into the queer culture scene. This new movement did not seek safety in the sentimental but presented queer characters struggling in a world they didn’t make. Luke, a nihilistic vagabond who has killed a few people, meets movie critic Jon. Jon has just been diagnosed with HIV. Luke already has it. In many ways they are different but their situation brings them closer together in backlash to a fatalistic world that wants nothing to do with them. They may not make it to the 21st century. A lot of low budget acting tropes get balanced out nicely here in a well executed ground floor film that shines in the context of its time. Last we checked, we found the film right here: https://archive.org/details/this-is-how-the-world-ends-gregg-araki-2000 and you should be able to find out more by looking up “Strand Releasing”. Fuck the world in the most gay 90s way possible.

Subscribe to us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJf3lkRI-BLUTsLI_ehOsg
Contact us here: MOVIEHUMPERS@gmail.com
Check our past & current film ratings here: https://moviehumpers.wordpress.com
Hear us on podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o6PSNJFGXJeENgqtPY4h7
Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249
Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought

Strangers On A Train (1951) by Bob Sham & Friends

We’re week one into MOVIES ARE GAY 2 and we’re still glad to no longer be in outer space. Queer film history has its controversies when it comes to representation and this notorious feature film feels like an outsider work by critically acclaimed director William Friedkin. One that feels observationally curious on the part of the director. We’re discussing his 1980 film “CRUISING” starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino & Richard Cox. It’s about an undercover cop who goes into the very specific world of gay leather/S&M clubs to find a killer who cruises for his victims. Activists at the time were critical of more depictions of the gay underbelly and the self loathing often at the center of such representation. On the other hand, the actual New York gay S&M scene at the time was very on hand for the project representing a sub-culture of a sexuality that would be drastically changed by the end of the 80s. Modern takes have seemed more objective and slightly less charged with “Cruising” finding its place in LGBTQ history for good or bad. It’s fairly open ended ending still raising conversations to this day. We just so happened to have found a link to the film right here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8dmb7g

Subscribe to us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJf3lkRI-BLUTsLI_ehOsg
Contact us here: MOVIEHUMPERS@gmail.com
Check our past & current film ratings here: https://moviehumpers.wordpress.com
Hear us on podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o6PSNJFGXJeENgqtPY4h7
Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249
Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought