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 that you may have missed – ALL available to watch INSTANTLY! Stay home, stay safe and enjoy a movie!

 

Song Lang
Set in a richly imagined 1980s Saigon, Song Lang is both a gritty underworld noir and an operatic romance. An unlikely bond develops between hunky, brooding Dung (Lien Binh Phat), a tough debt collector for a ruthless loan shark, and Linh Phung (popular V-pop singer Isaac), a charismatic young opera singer. The two meet when Dung comes to forcefully collect a debt from the struggling opera troupe. But when their paths cross again, a deep friendship develops, awakening romantic feelings in both men. Making his feature-length debut, Vietnamese director Leon Le serves up a uniquely lush melodrama, teasing a smoldering relationship between two apparent opposites set against the backdrop of a gorgeous art form as it fades out of fashion.

 

Al Berto
It’s 1975 and the winds of change are blowing over post-revolutionary Portugal. Al Berto (Ricardo Teixera) returns to his small village after spending several years away in Brussels, where he trained as a painter. Settling illegally in a mansion that had been expropriated from his family during the revolution, young Al Berto begins to hang out with locals – who seem to share his interest in the arts and his dream of a different life. Among them is the handsome Joao Maria (Jose Pimentao), who quickly finds himself falling for Al Berto’s charm. Soon the young man begins forming his own counter-culture revolution – one that bewitches the town’s youth, but proves deeply threatening to the ideals of the conservative locals. Colorful, sexy, provocative and deeply political, Al Berto is a compelling period piece.

 

Kanarie
Drafted during Apartheid by the South African Army, Johan (Schalk Bezuidenhout) has a love for Boy George and Depeche Mode that lands him a spot in the SADF Choir called the ‘Canaries.’ Against a landscape where law and religion oppress individuality, Johan and the Canaries have to survive military training and go on a nationwide tour, entertaining people whilst fortifying belief in the military effort and promoting the cause of both Church and State. Then, an unexpected romance on the battlefield forces Johan to reckon with his long-repressed sexual identity. Examining the effects of nationalism on the soul, while also exploring a tender brotherhood among misfits, this charming and thought-provoking musical comedy revels in the discovery of finding your voice and learning to fly.

 

The Wild Boys
The debut feature from director Bertrand Mandico, The Wild Boys tells the tale of five adolescent boys (all played by women) who are mysteriously drawn to lives crime and transgression. After the ground collectively commits a brutal crime – aided by “Trevor,” a strange deity of chaos they can’t seem to control – the boys are punished to board a boat with a lecherous sea captain hell-bent on taming their ferocious appetites. They soon arrive on a lush island where dangers and pleasures abound… and the boys start to transform in both mind and body. Shot in gorgeous 16mm and brimming with homoeroticism, genderfluidity and humor, The Wild Boys will take you on journey you won’t soon forget. It’s a colorful, unique and strangely funny underground queer masterpiece.

 

Fairytale
America. The 1950s. Mrs. Fairytale (Filippo Timi) spends her days locked in a world of stuffed poodles, whiskey-infused teas, risqué mambo lessons and threats of alien invasion. In this Technicolor fantasia, all her hopes and dreams would appear to have come true, but something troubling lurks behind the polished veneers. When Mrs. Fairytale and her friend Mrs. Emerald (Lucia Mascino) embark on a journey of liberation and self-discovery, their cozy, colorful world is turned upside down. With nods to everything from Doris Day movies and Douglas Sirk melodramas to the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock, Fairytale is as much a homage to classic Hollywood as a satire of American values. Featuring gloriously camp costumes and performances, it’s a feast for the eyes.

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 that you may have missed – ALL available to watch INSTANTLY! Stay home, stay safe and enjoy a movie!

 

15 Years
Yoav (Oded Leopold), a successful architect, has everything he’s ever wanted: Dan (Udi Persi), his lover of fifteen years – a younger lawyer who adores him; and his best friend, Alma (Ruti Asarsai) – a successful artist, who is like a mother and a sister to him. However, when Alma announces she is pregnant, it ignites Dan’s desire to become a father himself. But Dan’s parental urges have the opposite effect on Yoav, who is haunted by long buried demons. Yoav’s tight grasp on his life begins to come apart, leading to self-destructive behavior that threatens to destroy his life with Dan, unravel his friendship with Alma, and cost him everything. Sexy and thoughtful with great acting and gorgeous cinematography, 15 Years is a must-see.

 

Fairytale
America. The 1950s. Mrs. Fairytale (Filippo Timi) spends her days locked in a world of stuffed poodles, whiskey-infused teas, risqué mambo lessons and threats of alien invasion. In this Technicolor fantasia, all her hopes and dreams would appear to have come true, but something troubling lurks behind the polished veneers. When Mrs. Fairytale and her friend Mrs. Emerald (Lucia Mascino) embark on a journey of liberation and self-discovery, their cozy, colorful world is turned upside down. With nods to everything from Doris Day movies and Douglas Sirk melodramas to the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock, Fairytale is as much a homage to classic Hollywood as a satire of American values. Featuring gloriously camp costumes and performances, it’s a feast for the eyes.

 

The Happy Sad
This critically acclaimed drama from director Rodney Evans (the same filmmaker behind Brother To Brother) focuses on two young New York City couples – one black and gay, one white and straight – whose lives become intertwined. Tired of dating Stan (Cameron Scoggins), Annie (Sorel Carradine) pretends to be seeing her female coworker, Mandy (Maria Dizzia). Heartbroken, Stan finds himself hooking up with Marcus (LeRoy McClain), who just started having an open relationship with his long-term boyfriend, Aaron (Charlie Barnett). As they explore new relationships and redefine monogamy, a chance encounter on a subway platform makes each of them reevaluate their sense of who they are and what they want. The Happy Sad is a thoroughly entertaining drama about redefining one’s sexuality and the desperate search for elusive happiness.

 

1:54
Tim (adorable French star Antoine-Olivier Pilon) is a shy sixteen-year-old athlete with a natural gift for running, dealing with the loss of his mother as well as his sexuality. However, the last four years of high school have been tough on him because of Jeff (Lou-Pascal Tremblay) and his crew. In his last year of school, Tim is sick and tired of feeling like a loser, and wants to shine for once. He decides to stand up to Jeff by dethroning him in the 800m championship, the event Jeff is known for in school. But behind the competition and rivalry, a secret is wreaking havoc. After a personal video is shared on social media, Tim’s private life is about to explode into the public eye. Soon Tim finds himself pushed to the edge because of the pressure he endures, the edge where human limits reach the point of no return.

 

Mixed Kebab
Happily filled with contradictions, tall, dark and handsome Bram (Cem Akkanat) lives a mysterious life in Antwerp that is very different from his conservative, religious upbringing. By day he is the dutiful son and brother, but by night he is a casual drug dealer partying around town and hanging out with the very cute Kevin (Simon Van Buyten). Rumors fly around the neighborhood about Bram’s “inclinations,” so his father lays down the law that his eldest son needs to be a role model for his younger brother Furkant (Lukas De Wolf) who’s a hoodlum turned Islamic fundamentalist. Subsequently Bram flies off to Turkey to meet his future wife (who happens to be his cousin), but not without bringing his newfound friend with him. The platonic friendship with Kevin rapidly turns to a seductive love affair that will shake up everyone’s old-fashioned values. At the center of Mixed Kebab, director Guy Lee Thys paints a rich picture of how race and class affect a simple thing like love in today’s society and that courage and tolerance ultimately triumph over all.

Fairytale is a surreal, over-the-top Italian satire all about America in the 1950s

America. The 1950s. Mrs. Fairytale (Filippo Timi) spends her days locked in a world of stuffed poodles, whiskey-infused teas, risqué mambo lessons and threats of alien invasion. In this Technicolor fantasia, all her hopes and dreams would appear to have come true, but something troubling lurks behind the polished veneers. When Mrs. Fairytale and her friend Mrs. Emerald embark on a journey of liberation and self-discovery, their cozy, colorful world is turned upside down.

With nods to everything from Doris Day movies, Douglas Sirk melodramas, the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and the early work of maverick queer filmmakers Todd Haynes and Francois Ozon, Fairytale is as much a homage to classic Hollywood as a satire of American values. Featuring gloriously camp costumes and performances, it’s a feast for the eyes.

 

Watch the trailer for Fairytale below and click here to watch the film. It’s now available on-demand at TLAgay!