Topic: Lesbian Movie Marathon

[Tom]

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Out at the Wedding (2007/United States) IMDb TLA Releasing (United Kingdom) Director: Lee Friedlander Writing: Paula Goldberg (Writer) Length: 96 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Andrea Marcellus as Alex Houston
Desi Lydic as Jeannie Houston
Charlie Schlatter as Jonathan Banks
Mike Farrell as Louis Houston
Mink Stole as Sunny Betts

Plot:
Did you ever tell a white lie that got slightly out-of-hand? New Yorker Alex (Andrea Marcellus) gets embroiled in a farcical web of mistaken identities - and sexualities - when she decides to keep her mixed-race boyfriend a secret from her family at her sister's wedding. All goes well until her loose-lipped gay best friend Fred (Charlie Schlatter) lets it slip that Alex is in a relationship...with a woman. As the rumour-mill goes into overdrive, Alex amps up the charade and enlists red-hot Risa (Cathy DeBuono) to pose as her lover. But things go from complicated to crazy when Alex's newly wedded sister falls in love with Risa! Full of laugh-out-loud moments, shifting sexualities and wild characters, Out at the Wedding is one ceremony you'll never forget...

Extras:

• Commentary
• Photo Gallery
• Scene Access
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

Even though it is not laugh out loud funny, it has it moments. I enjoyed this movie, though it isn't one, which I will watch often.
It has Reginald VelJohnson (Die Hard, Family Matters) in a supporting role. It has been a while since I saw him in anything.
Sadly the video is non-anamorphic. A pet-peeve of mine.

Rating:

[Najemikon]

Hey Tom, and anyone else interested in... erm... Lesbians... well, Lesbian themed films I should say!  Did you know it was the 26th BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival at the end of March? The BFI have a sub-site set-up for it here: http://www.bfi.org.uk/llgff/

As a BFI member they sent me the programme as well and while it's not a genre that particularly interests me, Cloudburst caught my eye which will be the opening film. Here's the synopsis from the BFI:

Stella and Dotty have been together 31 years. Now in their seventies it is apparent, at least to her granddaughter Molly, that legally blind Dotty needs more specialist care than her ‘friend’ Stella can provide. With devious manipulation to get past the cantankerous Stella, Dotty is taken from their home and placed in an old people’s nursing facility. But it doesn’t take Stella long to break her woman out of there and go on the run. Stella knows that Molly will try to separate them again if she catches up so there’s only one thing for it, Stella and Dotty are going to have to get married in Canada to ensure they cannot be separated again. And so begins a road movie quite unlike any you’ve seen before as the two septuagenarian lovers leave their hometown in Maine and head to Nova Scotia, picking up an unlikely ally along the way, Prentice, a dancer from New York trying to get home to his sick mother. Through various hilarious scrapes and moments of peril for the elderly dykes-on-the-run, this oddball trio come to realise how important it is to have someone to love you in this life, and how lucky Stella and Dotty are that they have each other. Dukakis excels as butch Stella, with a mouth so profane she should come with a censor warning, whilst Fricker’s guileless Dotty provides the perfect counterpoint to Stella’s gruffness. The two Oscar-winning actresses share such warmth on screen you really do believe the two of them have been together for over 30 years. Fitzgerald’s film is wickedly funny and beautiful to watch. Ultimately an exploration of life and death and most importantly the love one can find along the way, we are proud to be opening the 26th LLGFF with Cloudburst.

Sounds like a lot of fun. They have a clip on the page I linked to earlier.

[Tom]

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Here Come the Girls 2 (2010/United States) Peccadillo Pictures (United Kingdom) Director: Angela Robinson, Sally El Hosaini, Cherien Dabis, Christine Chew, Leanna Creel, Jamie Babbit, Colette Burson, Erin Greenwell, Pratibha Parmar Writing: Angela Robinson (Writer), Sally El Hosaini (Writer), Cherien Dabis (Writer), Christine Chew (Writer), Melanie Aswell (Writer), Kelly Souders (Writer), Cherien Dabis (Writer), Erin Greenwell (Writer), Jaden Clark (Writer) Length: 121 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Stars:
D.E.B.S.
Tammy Lynn Michaels as Max
Jill Ritchie as Janet
Alex Breckenridge as Amy
Shanti Lowry as Dominique
Daryl Theirse as Mr. Tibbs

Plot:
Hot on the high heels of runaway success Here Come The Girls 1, Gleeful Desire raises the stakes and delivers more bang for your pink buck!

Featuring hilarious and heart-wrenching short films from established lesbian film directors from the UK and across the pond, a host of themes and narratives focusing on lesbian romance are touched upon, from controversial encounters such as rebelling against a homophobic high school prom, first-time follies at the local dyke bookshop, poisonous potions and gun-totin' schoolgirls, there is something here for everyone!

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Photo Gallery
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

A lesbian-themed short movie collection. I bought it mainly because of the short movie D.E.B.S.. This is the short movie on which one of my all-time favorite lesbian movie "D.E.B.S." is based on. It is a fun little movie. Only one of the actresses reprised her role in the big picture adaption: Jill Ritchie playing Janet. And she also did a great job here. Lucy is played in the short by Clare Kramer, which some of you may know as Glory from the fifth season of Buffy. Also she had a part in Bring It On.
The other movies in this collection ranged from interesting to boring. I especially liked PROM-troversy and "Little Black Boot", which is a nice take on the Cinderella story.
Also worth of note is "Memoirs of an Evil Stepmother" which is an interesting take on the Snow White story with a fun twist.

Rating:

[Tom]

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Eloïse (2009/Spain) IMDb | Wikipedia TLA Releasing (United Kingdom) Director: Jesús Garay Writing: Cristina Moncunill (Writer) Length: 92 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: Catalonian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Diana Gómez as Àsia
Ariadna Cabrol as Eloïse
Laura Conejero as La Mare
Bernat Saumell as Nathaniel
Carolina Montoya as Erika

Plot:
A high-school student's highly charged sexual awakening is brought vividly to life in Eloise - a fresh and vibrant take on the transformative powers of a girls's first lesbian love affair. As 18-year-old Asia lies in a coma fighting for her life we are given a glimpse in to the life she recently led. What begins as the typical existence of any standard high school senior (long-term boyfriend included), is forever changed after a life-altering first encounter with the stunning Eloise. Introducing Asia to a beautiful world of art and seducing her with the wild underbelly of bars and clubs, Eloise ignites passions in her she never thought possible. Fueled by a blistering erotic tension between the two dazzling leads, Eloise is an example of New Lesbian Cinema at its very peak.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Trailers
• Photo Gallery
• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

A good little drama. Even though you can guess from the beginning how it will end, it was entertaining.

Rating:

[Tom]

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The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United Kingdom) Director: Maria Maggenti Writing: Maria Maggenti (Writer) Length: 91 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Stars:
Laurel Holloman as Randy Dean
Miss Maggie Moore as Wendy
Kate Stafford as Rebecca Dean
Sabrina Artel as Vicky
Toby Poser as Lena

Plot:
This acclaimed coming-of-age comedy is the story of two teenagers who unexpectedly experience the excitement, surprise and romantic fantasy of first love. Randy (Laurel Holloman), a rebellious working class tomboy, meets the beautiful, well-to-do Evie (Nicole Parker) and the two girls discover a first love that affects their lives in ways they never imagined. Matter-of-fact, funny and sincere, The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls In Love is the perfect date movie for all.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

It has been a long time since I saw this one. Almost ten years. On the one hand I enjoyed this movie. But on the other hand it feels quite amateurish at times. There are some scenes where it is very noticable.

Rating:

[Tom]

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Sea Purple (2009/Italy) IMDb Peccadillo Pictures (United Kingdom) Director: Donatella Maiorca Writing: Mario Cristiani (Screenwriter), Donatella Diamanti (Screenwriter), Donatella Maiorca (Screenwriter), Pina Mandolfo (Screenwriter), Giacomo Pilati (Original Material By) Length: 105 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Valeria Solarino as Angela/Angelo
Isabella Ragonese as Sara
Ennio Fantastichini as Salvatore
Giselda Volodi as Lucia
Maria Grazia Cucinotta as Agnese

Plot:
Growing up in 19th-century Sicily, rebellious Angela finds herself attracted to her best friend Sara. As deep friendship turns to passion, Angela's strict father demands that the relationship cease. Refusing, Angela is locked away until her resourceful mother comes up with a solution that enables her to live with her lover, and seemingly satisfy convention.

Based on a true story, Sea Purple has drawn comparisons with The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister for its depiction of a landmark lesbian love story that defies convention.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

An interesting and entertaining movie. I enjoyed it. It was better than I had expected.

Rating:

[Tom]

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Mein Freund aus Faro (2008/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia Peccadillo Pictures (United Kingdom) Director: Nana Neul Writing: Nana Neul (Writer) Length: 90 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Anjorka Strechel as Melanie Wandel
Manuel Cortez as Nuno
Piet Fuchs as Sky Cooks Chef
Tilo Prückner as Willi Wandel
Florian Panzner as Knut Wandel

Plot:
An eternal daydreamer and closet lesbian, Mel wants nothing more than quit her job and fly away. Things change when the beautiful and streetwise Jenny literally crashes into her life when Mel nearly runs her over in her classic BMW. It is love at first sight, however there is just one problem: Jenny mistakenly assumes Mel to be a boy. Despite this, the pair become 'boyfriend and girlfriend'. With Mel attempting to disguise her true gender at every turn, her journey from tomboy to out lesbian is peppered with life-defining dilemmas and sweet surprises. An assured, mature piece of work that draws heartfelt performances from its leads, My Friends From Faro portrays young love in a way rarely seen on screen.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Photo Gallery
• Interviews

My Thoughts:

A very enjoyable movie. On the cover it says, that it is "Boys Don't Cry' with a happy ending. I enjoyed it much more than that movie, and

(click to show/hide)

though the ending is not necessarily happy, it isn't a downer like the 'Boys Don't Cry' was

.

Rating:

[Tom]

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Love Sick (2006/Romania) IMDb | Wikipedia TLA Releasing (United Kingdom) Director: Tudor Giurgiu Writing: Cecilia Stefanescu (Original Material By), Cecilia Stefanescu (Screenwriter), Razvan Radulescu (Writer) Length: 84 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85 Audio: Romanian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Romanian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Maria Popistasu as Kiki
Ioana Barbu as Alex
Tudor Chirila as Sandu
Catalina Murgea as Dna. Benes
Mircea Diaconu as Dl. Dragnea

Plot:
Love knows no boundaries when a fiery lesbian love affair between two Romanian students is put to the test. It's Alex's first year at university and her world turned upside-down when she meets savvy and sexy Kiki. Despite her lover's baggage, the naive freshman falls head over heels in love.
But threatening their bliss is Kiki's emotionally explosive brother whose attachment to her seems downright incestuous. Directed with a poetic eye, Love Sick spins its quick wit and hard-edged romance into a sublimely sensual portrait of first love.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Trailers
• Photo Gallery
• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

This is my first Romanian movie. I always was interested seeing one, since I work daily with Romanian colleagues. But they couldn't recommend me a good one. Last week I stumbled across this one while browsing Amazon.
I enjoyed this movie. On Wikipedia it is said to be often compared to "My Summer of Love". There are some similarities, but I enjoyed "Love Sick" more.

Rating:

[DSig]

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Eloïse (2009/Spain) IMDb | Wikipedia TLA Releasing (United Kingdom) Director: Jesús Garay Writing: Cristina Moncunill (Writer) Length: 92 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: Catalonian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English

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Thanks for this .. although my spanish is almost nonexistent with the subtitles it was a very good watch.  Your right, the plot just about says it all but I think it was very well done .. with sensitivity and creativity.

Thanks again for this one.

[Tom]

You're welcome! I am glad you enjoyed it.

[samuelrichardscott]

You may want to grab Life Blood if you see it really cheap (I paid less than £2 including shipping). It's not a very good movie, but not a total waste of time:
http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,6328.msg162207/topicseen.html#new

[Tom]

Thanks! I will keep a look out for it.

[Tom]

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Kiss Me (2011/Sweden) IMDb | Wikipedia TLA Releasing (United Kingdom) Director: Alexandra-Therese Keining Writing: Josefine Tengblad (Story By), Alexandra-Therese Keining (Story By), Alexandra-Therese Keining (Screenwriter) Length: 103 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35 Audio: Swedish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Ruth Vega Fernandez as Mia
Liv Mjönes as Frida
Krister Henriksson as Lasse
Lena Endre as Elisabeth
Joakim Nätterqvist as Tim

Plot:
This year's runaway hit at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Kiss Me is a stunningly rendered and honest love story about what happens when you follow your heart. When Mia and Frida's eyes meet for the first time at a party the attraction is instant. However, Mia is engaged to be married to a man she believes she loves so acting on anything seems out of the question. When subsequent circumstances throw the two women together, openly gay Frida finds it impossible to resist seducing Mia, and Mia finds it impossible to resist. Soon, Mia must choose between following her heart or fulfilling everyone else's expectations of her. A candid and beautiful film, Kiss Me is a classic lesbian movie in the making.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Trailers
• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

Not really any surprises, but a really nice watch with a happy ending. I can recommend it and see myself watching it again.

Rating:

[Tom]

It has some lesbian themes in it, but it is more a time-travel movie, so I have posted my review of "Sticky Fingers of Time" in my time-travel movie marathon thread.

[Tom]

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Molly's Girl (2011/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United Kingdom) Director: Scott R. Thompson Writing: Scott R. Thompson (Writer) Length: 120 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English, French

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Stars:
Kristina Valada-Viars as Molly
Emily Schweitz as Mercedes
Ellen Dolan as Ginger
Sondra Ward as Mary Beth
Stephanie Brown as Gina

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Trailers
• Deleted Scenes

My Thoughts:

The main character is a really strange girl and I understand that people can get frustrated with her.
I enjoyed this movie. Not really about a lesbian romance but more about Molly wanting to rattle her parents.

Rating: