British Gay Cinema

Postcards From London

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Postcards From London tells the story of beautiful teenager Jim (Harris Dickinson of Beach Rats, The Darkest Minds), who finds himself in Soho where he falls in with The Raconteurs - a gang of unusual high class male escorts who specialize in post-coital conversation. From shy novice to sought after escort and eventually artist's muse, Jim would be the toast of the town if it wasn't for his annoying affliction. He suffers from Stendhal Syndrome, a rare condition which causes him to hallucinate and faint when he encounters real works of art. But when Jim is roped into the world of detecting art forgery, could his condition bring about his downfall?

Call Me By Your Name

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

It’s the summer of 1983 in Italy, and Elio (Timothée Chamalet), a precocious 17-year-old, spends his days in his family’s villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading and flirting with his fried Marzia. One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father, an eminent professor. Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

An Englishman in New York

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

John Hurt stars as Quentin Crisp (a role he originally played in 1975's 'The Naked Civil Servant') in this biographical drama based on the last 20 years of Crisp's life. The literary figure and gay iconoclast emigrated to New York in 1981 and lived there until his death in 1999. The film observes Crisp in both his public and private lives, from his seemingly cavalier response to the outbreak of AIDS to his tender relationship with his dying friend Patrick Angus (Jonathan Tucker) and his own response to growing old. Denis O'Hare, Swoosie Kurtz and Cynthia Nixon co-star.

Soft Lad

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Twenty-two year old David has it all he s young, hot, and he s just got into the prestigious dance school of his dreams. But he has a secret: for two years he s been sleeping with his sister s husband, Jules. After an argument between the two lovers, David throws himself into a one-night stand with Sam, a casual encounter which fast becomes something much stronger.

Unable to express his feelings to anyone, Jules is slowly driven mad by his secret desire for David, and jealous of his new found, public relationship. When David s sister, Jane, insists he brings his new boyfriend over for dinner, Jules snaps, revealing in turn a secret which none of them can ignore.

Pride [DVD & Blu-Ray]

Tue, 03 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Set in the summer of 1984 – Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support. But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village in deepest Wales and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

Cucumber [DVD]

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Life for 46-year-old Henry (Vincent Franklin) and his boyfriend Lance is comfortable and settled. But after the most disastrous date night in history, involving a threesome, two police cars, and Boney M, Henry's old life shatters, and his new life begins. While Lance gets to know the mysterious Daniel, Henry soon finds himself with unexpected companions. 24-year-old Freddie and 19-year-old Dean have only been passing strangers, until now. But when they all find themselves under the same roof, they need to work out; are they friends or enemies? Can men from such different generations ever get on?

Henry's sister Cleo can only stand and watch as Henry's life spins off in wild new directions, helped by his nephew Adam. But Cleo's hiding secrets of her own. And with his dangerous old friend Cliff prowling around, Henry has to think fast, and forge a whole new life, while facing truths about himself which challenge his entire identity.

Kick Off [DVD]

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

What happens when the hardest team in the Sunday Soccer league comes up against a gay team (pun intended) and finds they've finally met their match? Watch and wince as fledging referee Elton Glixton struggles to control this testosterone tsunami as rude-boy meets bum-boy in this outrageous new British comedy set in the crazy gung-ho world of 5-a-side footie. KickOff is the latest and craziest balls-bonanza from award-winning writer/director Rikki Beadle-Blair (FIT, Stonewall, Metrosexuality).

Greek Pete - A Year In The Life Of A Rent Boy [DVD]

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

A moving, often graphic docu-drama, Greek Pete draws on the actual life experiences of its cast; men who work within and around the world of London-based gay escorts, or ‘rentboys’. A focal point emerges in charismatic Pete, an ambitious young man who wants to be known as the best in his chosen field - to the point of seeking a nomination in the 'World Escort Awards' in Los Angeles.

Pete arrives in London with the hope of increasing his business as an escort, always up for it and always horny, a fantasy for those willing to pay. Not only is the money better in the big city, there are more opportunities to be had and Pete has goals and ambitions. He wants a flat in central London, a decent laptop and some good promotional photos to help with trade.

If he works hard and becomes the best escort that he can be, perhaps a nomination at the ‘World Escort Awards’ in Los Angeles could be more than just a vague dream. His plans get complicated when he meets London boy Kai, a fellow escort on the scene, and starts a relationship. While Pete can easily separate his job from his love life, Kai has a harder time sharing his boyfriend with clients. Both are searching for very different things in life.

Wilde [DVD]

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 09:16:08 GMT

Dramatisation of the fall from grace of author Oscar Wilde. Wilde (Stephen Fry) returns from a successful 1882 lecture tour of America to wed Constance Lloyd (Jennifer Ehle). However, he admits to himself that he is really attracted to men, and embarks on an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law), known as 'Bosie'. Although winning critical success with 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', Wilde's homosexuality looks set to land him in hot water with strict Victorian society.

PRIEST (1994) [IMPORT]

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 08:12:12 GMT

This superb film about a young Roman Catholic priest, torn apart by the conflict between his devout, deeply committed Christian faith and his homosexuality, remains by far the best I have ever seen, of its genre. The film accurately portrays that conflict with profound insight. Moreover, thankfully this Dutch DVD version is uncut (unlike the US DVD version) so the sensitively portrayed love scene and others are left intact. It is really good news that this important film is now available on DVD without being censored, even though the actual picture quality is hardly better than the original videotape.

Since the film was released in 1994, Western society has moved on significantly in becoming much more accepting of love between gay people and committed relationships. Unfortunately the RC Church along with many evangelical Protestant churches have not. On the contrary, many have become more conservative than ever; so the deep inner conflicts remain for many gay Christian people, who find no help from the traditional Churches and still encounter much hostility and outright rejection from their fellow Christians. For anyone wishing to understand why that conflict still exists and remains so strong in the 21st Century, this must-see film helps to illustrate the reasons for those conflicts. But in any case it is well worth seeing just as a beautiful story of love between two gay men in a hostile world.

Writer: Jimmy McGovern

Clapham Junction [DVD] (Region 1 US import)

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

36 hours in the lives of a number of gay men in Clapham, South London.

Originally shown on Channel 4, this title has apparently never been released in the UK.

This is available now as a region 1 (USA) import so you will need a multiregion DVD player to be able to view it.

The Lost Language of Cranes [DVD]

Wed, 19 Mar 2014 02:51:09 GMT

Bittersweet drama based on the novel by David Leavitt. When Philip (Angus MacFadyen) falls in love with the wealthy and manipulative American Elliot (Corey Parker) and decides to come out of the closet, his friends are supportive and positive. But when he comes out to his parents, he stirs up a maelstrom of hidden feelings and secrets that threaten to destroy their marriage.

Bashment [DVD]

Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

JJ (SKINS star Joel Dommett); an aspiring MC has just arrived on London's exciting underground urban music scene. He's got the skills, he's got the rhymes, and he's got the drive. But JJ isn't going to find it easy in this world, not only is he a white boy but he's also gay. JJ decides to come out on-stage at the Urban Slam Finals, taking his boyfriend Orlando (Marcus Kai) with him but the pair know it could get dangerous. When the couple are confronted by the infamous rap crew, the 'Ilford Illmanics', a terrifying act of violence changes all their lives forever. Rikki Beadle-Blair (FIT, KICK OFF) is back with this hard-hitting, award winning urban drama adapted from his stage play exploring the intersection of race, sexuality and music. Starring stand-up comedian and MTV presenter Joel Dommett in his first lead role performance as JJ and a host of Team Angelica regulars, BASHMENT is like nothing you have ever seen before.

Kinky Boots [DVD]

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 02:21:37 GMT

When you are a tall strapping man who dresses like a woman for a living, finding a pair of sexy but durable shoes can be worth your weight in gold. Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor)--a drag queen also known as Simon--finds her shoe salvation in straight-laced Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), who has inherited his father's shoe factory. Unable to pay the bills making traditional loafers and wingtips, Charlie agrees to make Lola a pair of kinky boots that turn out to be so fabulous the pair end up going into business together. They face a few obstacles, such as the bawdy union workers who aren't too keen on taking orders from a drag queen who's more of a man than they are. Then there's Charlie's posh real estate girlfriend, who wants to convert the factory into pricey condos. While the movie doesn't provide any real surprises (or even any scenes as suggestive as its title might suggest), the film (which is loosely based on a true story) is highly entertaining that will delight fans of both comedy and shoes.

Not technically gay cinema, but still good fun and plently of camp humour

The Naked Civil Servant [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:07:31 GMT
Classic TV drama which traces the life of the flamboyant British eccentric Quentin Crisp as he grows up in a society not prepared to accept his openly homosexual lifestyle. A landmark of British television, this adaptation of Crisp's autobiography earned BAFTAs for both its star, John Hurt, and director, Jack Gold.

The Fruit Machine [1987]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:03:30 GMT
Comedy-thriller about two gay scouse teenagers who witness a murder at a club called the Fruit Machine and flee to Brighton. Robbie Coltrane appears as an oversized drag queen called Annabelle.

Queer As Folk (Definitive Edition) [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:52:48 GMT
Definitive extended edition of Channel 4's controversial drama series. Stuart Jones (Aidan Gillen) and Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly) are gay friends living in Manchester. Both 29 years of age, they are beginning to question the direction their lives are taking when they meet wild 15-year-old Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam) who shakes up their world with his arrival on the scene. 'It's hard to believe that 15 years have past since this was first shown on Channel 4 and yet remains so vivid in the mind. Series 1 was a classic and groundbreaking at the time for a television series and, although series 2 was a bit of a cash in, it was still pretty good.

My Beautiful Laundrette [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:46:48 GMT
Set within the Asian community in London, My Beautiful Launderette is an unusual love story concerned with identity and entrepreneurial spirit during the Thatcher years. Omar (Gordon Warnecke) takes over the running of his wheller-dealer Uncle's launderette with the intentionof turning it into a glittering palace of commerical success. When he employs childhood firned and ex-National Front member Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis) they become lovers as well as working partners. However, complications soon ensure as the anger of Johnny's deserted gang begins to build and Omar is forced to face increasingly difficult family issues. Written by Hanif Kureishi and skilfully directed by Stephen Frears, My Beautiful Launderette tackles the difficult issues of racism, bigotry, violence and politics in early 80's Britain and still manages to be compassionate, humourous and hugely entertaining.
Writer: Hanif Kureishi

Maurice [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:41:31 GMT
The second of the Merchant/Ivory films (A Room with a View, Howard's End), Maurice deals with a theme few period pieces dare mention--a young man's struggle with his homosexuality. It's not just a gay coming-of-age story, however. The hero wrestles with British class society as much as his personal and sexual identity. Starring:- James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliott and Simon Callow The film opens on a stormy, windswept beach, as an older man awkwardly instructs young, fatherless Maurice Hall (James Wilby) in the "sacred mysteries" of sex. The same turbulent, wordless struggle with passion lasts throughout this slowly evolving, beautifully filmed story. Novelist E M Forster's brainy, British melodrama hinges on choice and compulsion, as the pensive hero falls for two completely different men. First comes frail, suppressed Clive (Hugh Grant), who wants nothing more than classical Platonic harmony ... and a straight lifestyle. (Grant's performance is so convincing, one wonders how he ever became a heterosexual sex symbol.) After Clive's wedding, Maurice turns to hypnosis to cure his unspeakable longings. Unfortunately, his "cure" is interrupted by Clive's lustful, brooding, barely literate gamekeeper Scudder (Rupert Graves), a worker more at home gutting rabbits than discussing the classics. Maurice's love for a "social inferior" forces him to confront his illicit desire and his ingrained class snobbery

Entertaining Mr Sloane [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:39:19 GMT
Entertaining Mr.Sloane is a 1970 black comedy directed by Douglas Hickox and based on the 1964 play of the same title by Joe Orton. Keth (Beryl Reid) is a lonely, middle-aged woman living in the London suburbs with her ageing father Kemp (Alan Webb). When she meets the attractive Sloane (Peter McEnery) sunbathing on a tombstone in the cemetery near her home, she invited him to become her lodger. Soon after he accepts her offer, Kath seduces him and despite the age gap, Sloane encourages the flirtations. Kath's successful and closeted brother Ed also falls for the charms of the enigmatic Mr. Sloane and decides to make him his chauffeur, clad in a leather uniform much to Ed's delight. Only Kemp distrusts the mysterious Sloane and accuses him of being involved in an old, unsolved murder.

Sebastiane [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:35:14 GMT
The first and only film shot entirely in subtitled Latin, Sebastiane is Derek Jarman's first work as a director (though he shared the job with the less well-known Paul Humfress) and is a strange combination of gay nudie movie, pocket-sized Ancient Roman epic and meditation upon the image of Saint Sebastian. It opens with the Lindsay Kemp dance troupe romping around with huge fake phalluses to represent the Ken Russell-style decadence of the court of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 303, then decamps to Tuscany as Diocletian's favourite guard Sebastian (Leonardo Treviglio) is demoted to ordinary soldier and dispatched to a backwater barracks because the Emperor (Robert Medley) suspects him of being a covert Christian. The bulk of the film consists of athletic youths in minimal thongs romping around the countryside, soaking themselves down between bouts of manly horseplay or sylvan frolic. It all comes to a bad end as the lecherous but guilt-ridden commanding officer Severus (Barney James) fails to cop off with Sebastian and instead visits floggings and tortures upon his naked torso, finally ordering his men to riddle the future saint with arrows, thus securing him a place in cultural history. The public schoolboy cleverness of scripting dialogue in Latin--a popular soldier's insult is represented by the Greek "Oedipus"--works surprisingly well, with the cast reeling off profane Roman dialogue as if it were passionate Italian declarations rather than marbled classical sentences. The film suffers from the not-uncommon failing that the best-looking actor is given the largest role but delivers the weakest performance: Treviglio's Sebastian is a handsome cipher, far less interesting than the rest of the troubled, bullying, awkward or horny soldiers in the platoon. Peter Hinwood, famous for the title role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, can be glimpsed in the palace orgy. The countryside looks as good as the cast, and Brian Eno delivers an evocative, ambient-style score. - Kim Newman

Pink Narcissus

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:31:03 GMT
Considered lost for many years, Pink Narcissus is an astounding discovery - an unwavering celebration of the male body within a fantasy world of epic indulgence.
This is a breathtaking and outrageous erotic poem focussing on the daydreams of a beautiful boy prostitute who, from the seclusion of his ultra-kitsch apartment, conceives a series of interlinked narcissistic fantasies populated by matadors, dancing boys, slaves and leather-clad bikers.
The film was shrouded in mystery following its 1971 release, its creator credited only as 'Anonymous', before being rediscovered and revealed as the work of artist and photographer James Bidgood. Its cult status endures as does adoration for its star, the gorgeous and enigmatic Bobby Kendall.
With its highly charged hallucinogenic quality, its atmosphere of lush decadence, and its explicit erotic power, Pink Narcissus is a landmark of gay cinema.

A Taste of Honey [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:13:39 GMT
Classic 1960s realist drama based on the play by Shelagh Delaney. Abandoned by her sailor boyfriend and her man-hungry mother (Dora Bryan), pregnant Manchester teenager Jo (Rita Tushingham) thinks she might have to face life's difficulties all alone. Help then comes in the form of a kind-hearted gay man named Geoffrey (Murray Melvin), who moves in and takes care of her; the two find happiness together, but soon life moves on..

Weekend [DVD + Blu Ray]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
A one-night stand that becomes something more - an unconventional love story between two young men trying to make sense of their lives.
On a Friday night after hanging out with his straight mates, Russell heads out to a nightclub, alone and on the pull. Just before closing time he picks up Glen. And so begins a weekend - in bars and in bedrooms, getting drunk and taking drugs, telling stories and having sex that will resonate throughout their lives.
Also available on Blu Ray

Get Real [DVD] 1998

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
It tells the story of 16-year-old Steven (Ben Silverstone), a boy who can't tell anyone of his sexual preference except an overweight girl named Linda, who is also unlucky in love. Steven (and most of his school's female student body) have a crush on John, the school hunk, who dates a model. Before long, John and Steven finally meet and start a private romantic tryst. The lies, secrets, and deceit build to a head at the school's commencement ceremony, where John is to be presented a prize for athletics, while Steven reads his award-winning essay on growing up. All is finally revealed.

Another Country [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Another Country tells the story of Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett) and Tommy Judd (Colin Firth), teenage friends at an elite English public school during the summer of 1931.
Clever, hedonistic and gay, Bennett is in his penultimate year of school and the future looks bright. He is convinced he will rise to the heights of his chosen career in the diplomatic service by eventually being appointed Ambassador in Paris. His best friend Judd, committed to Lenin's 'brave new world', despises such bourgeois aspirations.
Homosexuality, honesty and hypocrisy are the main themes in this coming-of-age film, based on the award winning play by Julian Mitchell.

Beautiful Thing [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
A long, hot summer in South London is the turning point in the life for two teenagers, Jamie and Ste. Ste, a popular sporting hero at school, is being bullied mercilessly by his drunken father and so he decides to seek refuge with Sandra, Jamie's next door neighbour. One night, Jamie and Ste end up sleeping, top to tail, in the same bed in Sandra's flat, and from these beginnings a touching romance develops between the two boys

Caravaggio [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Derek Jarman struggled for seven years to bring his portrait of the seventeenth-century Italian artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio to the screen. The result was well worth the wait, and was greeted with critical acclaim: a freely dramatized portrait of the controversial artist and a powerful mediation on sexuality, criminality and art - a new and refreshing take on the usual biopic.
The film centres on an imagined love-triangle between Caravaggio, his friend and model Ranuccio, and Ranuccio's low-life partner Lena. Conjuring some of the artist's most famous paintings through elaborate and beautifully photographed tableaux vivants, these works are woven into the fabric of the story, providing a starting point for its characters and narrative episodes.
Caravaggio features wonderful performances from Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, and, in her first role, Tilda Swinton, who was to become Jarman's muse and long-time collaborator. A visual treat, it was the first major film production for award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell, with luscious production design by Christopher Hobbs.

Prick Up Your Ears Special Edition [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
The life story of controversial 1960s playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman), revealed in flashback after his murder by lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina). Born in Leicester, Orton moves to London and enjoys an openly gay relationship with Halliwell in their famous Islington flat. However, when Orton achieves spectacular success with such plays as 'What the Butler Saw' and 'Loot', Halliwell begins to feel alienated and the pair's future looks increasingly uncertain.

Sunday Bloody Sunday [DVD]

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT
Singer Murray Head is the bisexual lover to both Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch's Jewish homosexual doctor in this dramatic portrayal of middle-class life and permissive love in the 1970s.