Not for the Faint-hearted

Been watching a slew of gay movies from Netflix or Blockbuster lately. For the record:

"Denied" (2004) has hunky jock fall in love with loser best friend who denies he is gay by sleeping around with women. Lee Rumohr was a dishy Troy.

In "Defying Gravity" (1997), frat boy Griff (Daniel Chilson) keeps his brothers in the dark about his relationship with Pete, but a gay bashing forces him out of his closet.

Gay robbers, armed and dangerous, in "Burnt Money" (2000). Eduardo Noriega and Leonardo Sbaraglia burn up the screen, but the action tails off, and I nearly fell asleep.

"Sebastiane" (1976), directed by Derek Jarman, tries to be decadent, but turns out to be dull, dull, dull.

There is somewhat more psychological subtlety in "Mulligans" (2008). At the family's summer house, Dad falls for straight son's best bud. Dan Payne as the father was watchable. Pity Charlie David was a cipher as a gay college boy.

"Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" (2006): cute and silly.

In "The Bubble" (2006), aka progressive Tel Aviv, Jewish serviceman falls in love with Palestinian who is radicalized by the killing of his sister. The bubble pops, with devastating result. Worth watching. Directed by Eytan Fox.

"Longtime Companion" (1989), supposedly the first film to have AIDS as its main subject, looks at how gay men coped with the crisis. It won the Sundance Audience Award, and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Bruce Davison.

Not about gay men, but for gay men (and others), "Sex and the City 2" (2010) brings product placement to a new place.

Why do I watch so many bad gay movies, I hear you ask. Because I am hungry, hungry still, for images of men loving men.

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