BQFF reviews in Stuff

I’ve been having a great time at the Queer Film Festival this year, just going by myself to most of the films. The times have worked out pretty well with work hours and such, so I’ll generally just pack a shirt to change into and head the the cinemas straight from work, like I did today. The only films I saw with friends was the Queer shorts last Friday with my landlord, and “Being 17’ with Vish, James and Mitch, but all the others have just been little old me.

And man the films have been good this year, at least in my opinion. I’m sure I’ve already rambled on about some of them so I just wanted to write about the last two, because my last entry was before I went and saw them.

Yesterday’s was “Teenage Kicks”, the Australian film. I was totally surprised when a couple of people stood up the front and announced themselves as the writer/director and the producers of the film we were about to see. They just offered for us to hang around at the end of the film to ask any questions we might have.

So you know, I was expecting some indie-type, kinda lame-o film to be shown up on the screen, but nope, it was incredible. The iconic location shoots in Sydney, the brilliant acting (Australian acting can be terrible sometimes - Home & Away or Neighbours, anyone?), the storyline. I absolutely loved it. And it was nowhere near as sad as Monster Pies lol.
I’ve been doing a lame star-rating on my Facebook checkin’s at the end of the films as I’ve been walking home and every-one has gotten 4 stars, including this one. I’ll only give a 5 if I’m really blown away. My favourite film so far is still Paris 5:59, even with the extended sex-scene introduction to the film. Those French queer films are OWNING it this year.

Tonight’s film was an English film, “The Pass”. All I knew was that it was about homophobia in sport, and that it starred Russell Tovey (an actor my friend on the Gold Coast is obsessed with.) He was in “Looking”
Look, it was an alright film. It only really had two location shoots, both in hotel rooms. In fact, when the credits rolled and it said, “Filmed on location at the Mayflower Hotel, London”, it made sense that they’d just filmed in two different hotel rooms. And the entire film centered around these two guys who had an encounter when they were younger and then it cut to 5 years later and another 5 years later, and some shit went down, blah blah. There was probably one kinda intense moment in the film, but it was nowhere near as good as the others. Still, entertaining enough. It certainly wasn’t bad. I walked out going, “Oh okay, cool.”

I was walking along the riverside on my walk home, as I do, and there was this gigantic BANG. It echoed right across the river and toward the city. It had come from behind me somewhere and initially I thought it was a gun-shot, but then realized that not even a gun would sound that loud. I still don’t know what it was, but it sure scared the bajeebus out of me. I hurried my step. There was a gay couple holding hands walking a bit further up in front of me, which was cute, but it didn’t seem to phase them much.

I’m still coughing, like a motherfucker. Actually, it’s not too bad. It’s not as bad as other times. I’ve certainly felt worse. Nothing unusual. When I get sick, the fucking thing always hangs around like a bad odour for ages. Just the way things have always been and always will be. Ergh. I’m always conscious of stocking up on drinks and tissues during the movie and try to cough when there’s lots of noise happening on the screen lol. I try to sit away from people, but the last two movies, someone has sat down right next to me. I just had to cough to the other side.

Got everything done at work today, which was a first in many weeks lol. Helps when other staff actually turn up.