The sensual gay classic Lilies gets a gorgeous new 4K restoration from Strand Releasing

Originally released in 1996, the sensual gay classic Lilies tells an emotionally intense, suspense-laden tale of love, betrayal and revenge in which one man’s past comes back to haunt him.

 

Set in a Quebec prison in 1952, the film follows local bishop Jean Bilodeau (Marcel Sabourin), who has been brought to the prison to hear the confession of Simon Doucet (Aubert Pallascio), a dying inmate. But Doucet, in fact, has a very different revelation for Bilodeau: he has enlisted his fellow inmates to stage a play set in 1912, when Bilodeau and Doucet were childhood friends.

 

For the majority of the film, we watch as the play is presented by the inmates. What we see is a recreation of events from forty years earlier, when Bilodeau and Doucet (played as young men by Matthew Ferguson and Jason Cadieux) were both coming to terms with their homosexuality and found themselves locked in a love triangle with another boy, the beautiful Vallier (Danny Gilmore).

 

Described by director John Greyson as an homage to both Jean Genet and Federico Fellini, Lilies screened at numerous festivals during the mid-90s, including Sundance, and received major critical acclaim. It was nominated for 14 Genie Awards (Canada’s version of the Oscars), winning four of them, including Best Picture.

Long unavailable on home media, this fascinating gay classic has been recently restored in 4K for a special edition new Blu-ray release from Strand Releasing. This brand-new collector’s item also includes a new interview with the director about the film and its restoration.

 

Watch the trailer for Lilies below and click here to pre-order your copy. The new Blu-ray will be available starting July 23rd at TLAgay.

 

Out This Week: The Cakemaker

“Drool-worthy confections express unspoken emotions… and a master class in exquisite restraint.” – The New York Times

 

“Fascinating! Provocative, unexpected and finally very moving.” – Los Angeles Times

 

“Convincing and quietly moving, a tale of emotional journeys and trials, and the challenge of starting anew after tragedy.” – RogerEbert.com

 

“A delicate and moving drama that questions love beyond sexual identity.” – The Playlist

 

“A tender, tactile and just-sweet-enough story of hidden love, challenged faith and unwittingly shared grief that marks an auspicious feature debut.” – Variety

 

The Cakemaker © Strand Releasing

The Cakemaker © Strand Releasing

 

A moving new drama from writer/director Ofir Raul Graizer, a talented artist making his feature film debut after several critically-acclaimed shorts, The Cakemaker has been nominated for nine Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and has become one of the top grossing foreign films of the year in the United States. The trailer alone may make you a little weepy. Make sure to invest in a box of tissues before you watch the full movie.

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O Fantasma © Strand Releasing

Out This Week: O Fantasma

What do you get when you put together a ravenously promiscuous young man, a latex suit, explicit sex, kidnapping, a mental breakdown and a live rabbit? O Fantasma! It’s still one of the strangest and sexiest gay films we’ve ever seen (and we’re saying that a whole eighteen years later).

 

Co-written and directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, who went on to helm the films Two Drifters, To Die Like a Man and the recent mind-fuck The Ornithologist, O Fantasma centers around twenty-something Sergio (Ricardo Meneses), a Lisbon trash collector on the graveyard shift who is a societal “phantom” – one who collects the rubbish of others and eradicates it under a darkened sky.

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O Fantasma © Strand Releasing

Throwback Thursday: O Fantasma

What do you get when you put together a ravenously promiscuous young man, a latex suit, explicit sex, kidnapping, a mental breakdown and a live rabbit? O Fantasma! It’s still one of the strangest and sexiest gay films we’ve ever seen (and we’re saying that a whole eighteen years later).

 

Co-written and directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, who went on to helm the films Two Drifters, To Die Like a Man and the recent mind-fuck The Ornithologist, O Fantasma centers around twenty-something Sergio (Ricardo Meneses), a Lisbon trash collector on the graveyard shift who is a societal “phantom” – one who collects the rubbish of others and eradicates it under a darkened sky.

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Foam Party (c) Strand Releasing

Get Dirty at the Foam Party

“Sunrise, but it isn’t time to go home yet. An after party with an orgy in the mansion of some friends. Something for everyone. Come alone or bring whoever you want. Pass the message on”

 

This text is sent from phone to phone. There’s a map attached. The strangers come to the specified place: it’s a mansion. And it’s also Milo’s (Carlos D’Ursi) home: he’s a man in his thirties who’s been paraplegic for a few months. His best friend Gus (Nacho San Jose) has prepared him a birthday party… somewhat improvised.

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Our Top 15 Gay Movies of 2017!

2017 was a great year for movies… and movies centered around gay men in particular. Not only was there a wealth of titles to choose from, but many of them rose above the gay movie niche and made a huge splash on the international film fest circuit. Some even broke through into the mainstream (looking at you, Call Me by Your Name). Check out our Top 15 Gay Movies of 2017 below and make sure to pick up your copies on DVD and Blu-ray at TLAgay.com! All but one of our top 15 are currently listed and we’ll be posting the final straggler (looking at you again, Call Me by Your Name) for pre-order as soon as it’s announced – most likely once it has finished making the award show rounds.

 

B&B (c) Breaking Glass Pictures

B&B (c) Breaking Glass Pictures

15. B&B

Director: Joe Ahearne

Lovers Marc and Fred (Tom Bateman and Sean Teale) initiated a major legal battle after they were refused a double bed at a remote Christian guest house. They came out of their court case victorious and now they’re back at the establishment to claim their conjugal rights. Triumph, however, quickly turns to terror when a scary Russian neo-Nazi also checks in. Their weekend of celebratory fun soon becomes a bloody battle for survival. B&B is a whip-smart and brutally funny dark comedy-thriller that has been earning rave reviews from critics – some of whom have even compared it to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. The Hollywood Outsiders, specifically, called it “a film Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of.” The Horror Society said it’s “frickin’ fantastic and a trailblazer for LGBT cinema.”

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Dream Boat (c) Strand Releasing

All Aboard the Dream Boat!

Once a year, the Dream Boat, a cruise only for gay men, sets sail off the coast of Spain. This stunningly beautiful documentary takes you on board, keeps you riveted from start to finish and makes you feel like you’re really part of the cruise – and having a hell of a good time.

 

Aboard the ship, it’s raining men. Sun, sea, naked skin and lots of testosterone stoke the vibes. The countdown is on for seven days of hunting for love, happiness, and eternal youth. For months, the passengers have been eagerly awaiting this journey. They have pumped up their bodies, purchased push-up swimwear and filled their suitcases with hot outfits and glamorous costumes. For many of the men, a trip on the Dream Boat offers liberation from political, social, or internal boundaries.

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Throwback Thursday: Mysterious Skin

In 1992, Gregg Araki punched the cinematic world in the gut with his breakout feature The Living End, a hedonistic road movie about two HIV-positive men who embark on a shocking and violent crime spree. Since then Araki has been flipping the bird to mainstream culture whenever possible.

 

Turning 12 this year, Mysterious Skin, still might be his most accomplished and acclaimed effort. Adapted from Scott Heim‘s 1996 novel, Araki took his most serious turn to that point, taking on the controversial subject of childhood sexual abuse. In the process, he proved himself to be a maturing artist worthy of this difficult topic.

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