Langlois, Denis

1996

Langlois, Denis

1996

Canadian director Denis Langlois’ smart, engaging feature debut questions how well we juggle love, friendship and relationships in the age of AIDS. Philippe and his lover Jean-Marc have been together for eight years, and the sex and passion have completely dissipated from their relationship. As a prank during a drunken party, some of Jean-Marc’s friends call an escort service. Callboy Steve appears and in the course of the evening has passionate sex with Jean-Marc. But events turn dark as Steve apparently tries to hang himself, and Philippe and Jean-Marc take in the wayward escort in an attempt to pull him out of his depression. Forced by the AIDS pandemic to confront the fragility of life, the characters’ relationships begin to fray. In the end, L’escorte’s plot twists and resolutions remind us that it’s the process of living which is paramount.

Walz, Martin

1996

When police find a castrated and unconsious professor and his blood-covered student in a dingy hotel room, gay cop Luigi Mack-eroni is assigned to the case. But Mackeroni turns out to be the next victim, and the culprit is a killer condom. Luigi, luckily, loses only a testicle, but he can’t make anyone believe his story, and the marauding condoms are at large in the city, robbing male victims everywhere of their manhood. The bloody trail of horror eventually leads Inspector Mackeroni to the drooling, drug-addicted Professor Boris Smirnoff and his boss, German radical feminist religious fanatic Dr. Riffleson. Their agenda? To rid New York City of homosexual trash! Will the Inspector foil their diabolical plan? Or will the gay population of New York City be forever terrorized by the killer condoms? German director Martin Waltz brings to the screen this year’s wackiest film, a magnificent spoof on horror films which will leave you screaming, laughing, and crossing your legs a little bit tighter.

Jeffrey

1996

Tortured by rumors of his alleged marriage to David Geffen, Keanu Reeves falls asleep with his VR goggles on — leaving us free to play with his mind.

Khurana, Swati
Murgai, Leith

1996

Steinberg, Abigail

1996

Kimball is getting an exclusive interview with the mysterious performer known as Jules.

Adkin, David

1996

What American Fabulous was for first-person drag biography, this documentary is for activist narratives. Mixing together the story of the relationship between two men and a first-hand account of homosexual activism over the last forty years, Jim Loves Jack visits the Vancouver home of James Egan and Jack Nesbit. From 1949 to 1964, James Egan wrote letters and articles to newspapers and politicians all over Canada arguing for more positive perspectives on gay and lesbian lifestyles and sexualities — years before the term "Gay Liberation" had been invented. Thirty years later, in 1995, Egan re-emerged at the forefront of the struggle for gay rights by bringing one of the first constitutional challenges involving same-sex spousal benefits to the Supreme Court of Canada. Aside from the story of this couple and their bid for equal benefits, the documentary features interviews with early gay activist George Hislop and community-based historian Rob Champagne, along with archival clips from the first gay rights march in Canada.

MacMillan, Ian

1996

A history of twentieth century Britain seen through the eyes of lesbians and gay men.

It’s Not Unusual is required viewing for anyone who thinks that Britain’s only major contributions to homosexual history have been the Pet Shop Boys and Absolutely Fabulous. This richly informative BBC-produced documentary explores the history of gays and lesbians in the UK from the 1920’s to the present. From the Well of Loneliness trial to Clause 28, from visits to the Monacle Club in Paris to the AIDS epidemic, 20th century British history is reappraised through the lives of 22 lesbians and gay men. Combining fascinating archival footage with intimate and inspirational interviews, It’s Not Unusual is one of the most important historical documents of the past decade.

Herd, Kelli

1996

For some reason, Alex Stratton (Kerri Jo Chapman) just doesn’t fit in with the residents of her home town of Azalea Springs. Oh sure, she was born to a wealthy country club family and she married the Right Man, but still she sticks out like a Democrat at the Bohemian Grove. After all, she’s blasé about her husband, who’s simply doing his duty by playing golf every weekend, and she's dissatisfied with meaningless society chatter. Plus, she’s friends with gay people! In fact, she actually enjoys her work at Hope House, the local facility for AIDS patients. But it’s not until she starts spending lots of time with her old college chum Grace (Teresa Garrett) that she finally realizes what makes her different. Undeterred by homophobic townspeople, these two gorgeous women throw caution to the wind and pursue their passion for one another. But watch out: when rumor has it that the drinking water is contaminated with something that actually turns people gay, all hell breaks loose.

Chasnoff, Debra

1996

Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, It's Elementary is a powerful antidote to the conservative attacks on the so-called "gay agenda" in education. With inspiring footage shoot in schools across the country, It's Elementary shows what actually happens when teachers address anti-gay prejudice in their classrooms. The filmmakers visited classrooms from Kindergarten through High School interviewing kids, teachers and school administrators. What they found is a group of very courageous people putting their jobs on the line to help combat the hate and prejudice our children are being taught at such a very early age. Furthermore, it comes as no surprise that the major source for their learning of damaging stereotypes is from television and the movies. The climate of fear is so intense in some of these school districts that even the straight teachers are nervous about teaching these subjects for fear of being labeled gay or lesbian and losing their jobs. It is mostly up to the married teachers who are in a secure position to create change among the students. And change they are creating! What It's Elementary does show us is that people are taking risks and due to some very innovative teaching practices, progress is finally being made all across the country. Indeed, it is these lessons that need to be taught in all schools from Kindergarten on so that true acceptance and tolerance may prevail in future generations.