This Weekend’s VOD Favorites
The Gay Cinema Video On Demand experience at TLAgay.com has your entertainment needs covered! We’re always working to expand selection of new and old gay-themed movies available for your viewing pleasure. Here’s just five of our current favorites, from various years, that you may have missed – ALL available to watch INSTANTLY! These aren’t our TOP 5, by any means – just a handful of flicks we want to highlight.
The Skin of the Teeth
Get Out meets Grindr in The Skin of the Teeth, a sinister new drama-thriller from writer-director Matthew Wollin, who evokes the feel of a contemporary film noir. When Josef (Pascal Arquimedes) arrives at John’s (Donal Brophy) apartment for a date, their prickly energy slowly gives way to an unusual and genuine chemistry. But after Josef swallows a pill with unclear effects, the night starts to take a shocking turn. Josef is suddenly plunged into a surreal world where he is forced into a literal and figurative interrogation of just who and what he is. While evoking the surreal work of David Lynch, this wild new film examines race, sex, love and identity in a mind-bending way – and the lead performance will keep you holding your breath from beginning to end.
Naples in Veils
Though it concerns a straight affair, this new film from maverick queer director Ferzan Ozpetek has a subtle gay sensibility we think you will appreciate. Also, there’s a lot of tasteful, lovingly rendered male nudity!
During a party, Adriana (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) crosses the seductive and powerful look of Andrea (Alessandro Borghi), a charming and self-confident young man. They are immediately attracted to each other and spend a passionate night together. Adriana begins to think this could be the beginning of a great love that could change her life. They agree to meet the next day, but Andrea doesn’t show up. Disappointed, Adriana goes back to her normal life, but an unexpected breakthrough comes: Andrea is suddenly found dead. Wrecked and in shock and dragged to the center of an investigation with disturbing outlines, Adriana feels all her certainties undermined and slips into the most secret area of her personality, from which there seems no possibility or escape.
All Boys
In the wake of cultural events like the Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall came the rise of a newfound adult film industry in Eastern Europe. Since then, Czech actors in gay erotica and sites like Bel Ami have risen to iconic status. Markku Heikkinen‘s revelatory documentary All Boys shows us both sides of this nascent industry, which can be interpreted as either a sign of sexual liberation or as the exploitation of disenfranchised young men. In a hyperconnected world where erotic media is never far out of reach, All Boys is required viewing. Heikkinen uses beautiful cinematography, historical research and devastatingly honest interviews to give us a rare look behind the scenes of the adult film production process. In particular, he follows the rise and fall of actor Aaron Hawke – whose short career serves as a cautionary tale on the fleeting nature of stardom. Behind every seductive image is a story, and All Boys is intent on showing us how the story ends.
The Endless Possibility of Sky
Sex and drugs – getting hooked and getting off are addicting. For Drew (Brad Hallowell) from mundane Waterville, Maine it is resisting the illicit pleasures of New York. For Mistress DaTina (Philly Abe) it means operating a drug and sex den to cope with her life. For Rob (Rob Ordonez) it is a way to find a warm bead each night. For Christian (Michael Vaccaro) it means dealing with his helpless and loss. Gay filmmaker Todd Verow intermingles various story lines into a visually captivating and sexually stimulating drama that, in many ways, challenges the viewer’s preconceived notions of normality. This film is a narrative that portrays the physical and emotional tolls of sex and drug addiction and the trauma that they can cause.
Everlasting Love
Each day after work, Carlos (Joan Bentallé), a language school teacher, frequents the heady surroundings of his local cruising ground. One evening he encounters a teenage boy from his class named Toni (Aimar Vega), and the two engage in a brief sexual tryst. As the relationship between teacher and student begins to develop, some dark truths emerge about the young man and his mysterious group of friends. Much like Alain Guiraudie‘s Stranger by the Lake, Maral Fores‘ follow-up to his acclaimed debut Animals (BFI Flare 2013) continues to explore the perils of illicit sexual encounters, but with an edge of youthful impudence. Characterized by meticulous long shots, Fores’ disturbing mystery has a languid visual approach often at odds with the thrills on screen, which are guaranteed to shock and excite in equal measure.
