A gay professor learns there’s something fishy happening in his hometown. Cthulhu is a loose adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth. The first-time filmmakers bit off more than they could chew. But they understand how being LGBT can make even the most mundane of places feel dangerous.
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A tutor fears his students are being hunted by evil spirits. Eloy de la Iglesia’s Turn of the Screw gender swaps the protagonist of Henry James’ ghost story. Then cranks up the queer subtext. This episode comes with a trigger warning for discussions of sexual abuse.
If you suspect a child is in an abusive situation there are several organizations you can contact including RAINN or the NSVRC.
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Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen play a gay couple living in San Francisco. When Hal’s teen son comes for a visit, Hal debates whether to come out to him. That Certain Summer was made for the ABC movie of the week in 1972. It frightened the censors but proved a success for the network. My guests and I give it a fresh look.
For more information check out Matt Baume’s video essay from 2023.
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In 1983 Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy won him Tony Awards for Best Actor and Best Play. In 1988 his performance was preserved on film. Fierstein plays Arnold, a New York drag queen who experiences love and loss as he builds himself a family. It was a pleasure to introduce this classic to my guest.
For more information on Fierstein, check out his 2022 memoir I Was Better Last Night.
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To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar was a commercial hit in 1995. Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo play a trio of drag queens stranded in a small town. My guests and I ask: who is the protagonist and what is their journey?
This episode contains profanity. Trigger warning for discussions of transphobia and sexual assault.
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The Boy in the Wind was called Brazil’s first gay film. An engineer is put on trial for the murder of a teen boy. He has a supernatural explanation for the boys’ disappearance. Filmmaker Carlos Hugo Christensen managed to sneak a queer, political allegory past Brazil’s strict censors. We unpack it here.
This episode includes spoilers.
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A doctor (Michael Ontkean) cheats on his wife (Kate Jackson) with another man (Harry Hamlin). Should he tell her? 1982’s Making Love marketed itself as daring and controversial. It has been called the first studio film to present a positive portrayal of a gay relationship. Critics dismissed it as a soap opera. My guests gave me a new appreciation for a film I’d initially dismissed.
This episode includes spoilers.
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2014’s Xenia follows two brothers on a journey across Greece. Straight Odysseas and gay Dany are in search of the father who abandoned them. Filmmaker Panos Koutras uses the story to examine the treatment of immigrants and minorities in contemporary Greece. The often-dark story is lightened by quirky characters and a streak of surrealism. My guest had high praise for the work.
This episode includes spoilers and mispronunciations.
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In & Out begins at the Oscars. Matt Dillon thanks his gay teacher, Kevin Kline, in his acceptance speech. Kline insists he’s not gay. Is he or isn’t he? Screenwriter Paul Rudnick was inspired by the speech Tom Hanks gave when he won Best Actor for Philadelphia. My guests and I discuss how this coming out comedy has aged.
This episode includes spoilers.
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The Leather Boys follows Reggie, a naive biker, who’s torn between his brassy wife and his gay best friend. Homosexual behavior was still illegal in the UK but the gay character is treated with respect. My guests and I discuss Reggie’s options.
This episode includes spoilers.
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