There will be blood. That’s a near certainty when the film is from Japanese director Takashi Miike, the man behind the cult thrillers “Audition” and “Ichi the Killer.” And it’s probably why brash queer icon Charli XCX is going to work with him, producing and starring in his latest as-yet-untitled feature. The pop star is already shooting the new A24 drama, “The Moment,” so her entry into the movie business isn’t really the news here, rather it’s the intriguing combination of star and filmmaker and the question of just how gory and wild the finished product will be. Miike, like Charli, doesn’t hold back, and his frequently splatterific films provoke extreme responses, so this is already a fascinating project. Brace yourselves, gays.
‘Heightened Scrutiny’ highlights battle over trans rights
“Heightened Scrutiny” is the new documentary from Sam Feder – director of “Disclosure” and “Kate Bornstein Is a Queer and Pleasant Danger” – and it’s taking the film festival world by storm. The story of ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, as he fights a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth (United States v Skrmetti), “Heightened Scrutiny” examines the cultural and legislative forces that work to oppress and strip legal protections from transgender people. It features commentary from journalists like Jelani Cobb, activists like Laverne Cox, and more. After a premiere earlier this year at Sundance, the film has been hitting the global festival circuit (soon to be a centerpiece screening at New York’s queer NewFest) before eventual engagements in arthouse theaters and streaming platforms. Keep an eye out.
‘Brokeback’ is back
This year marks 20 years since “Brokeback Mountain,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late great Heath Ledger hit movie theaters (feeling old now, are we?). The film won three Academy Awards — for its score, screenplay and for its director, Ang Lee — and created quite a large cultural footprint, not to mention how angry it made plenty of conservatives (and some queer people) for all sorts of reasons. Now Focus Features is bringing the film back to theaters this June for special 20th anniversary screenings. There’s a new trailer and poster (and, we hear, merch, which is a little confusing so we’d like someone to explain how one takes a downbeat movie and sees a branding opportunity, please). And most importantly, it’ll provide audiences who were too young to see the R-rated drama in its initial release a chance to experience this part of queer film history. Tickets on sale now.
Jerrod Carmichael’s new message: don’t be gay
Stand-up comic Jerrod Carmichael officially came out publicly as gay on his special “Rothaniel,” and then he let the cameras into his off-stage life on last year’s “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” a brazen, Grindr-centric, often uncomfortably intimate upending of the conventions of typical reality television. Now he’s back with a new stand-up special, provocatively titled “Don’t Be Gay.” The contents are under wraps until HBO drops the special, but based on what we know from the man’s earlier work, we can fairly confidently predict Carmichael lulling the audience into his quiet, low-key, pregnant-pause-filled aesthetic before shocking them with his very personal approach to comedy. At least we hope that’s how it goes down. The special takes its queer (or prickly, pre-Pride) bow May 24 on HBO.
Romeo San Vicente is going to be extra gay in June so look out.
