Prayers for Bobby was one of my all-time favorites because it really speaks to the struggles of being gay and coming out gay. And the saddest part was not really the suicide ( although that was tragic) it was the parents finally coming around to understanding what it means when, in reality, it was too late for Bobby. And now we have a Florida governor who doesn't even want us to say the word gay in school. Just stupid and crazy and utterly ridiculous and partisan.
Excellent video! I've always thought your coming out video was by far your best. You bared your soul describing your difficult voyage to accepting all of you. To me, the most moving moment was when you surrendered to reality and told your father "Dad, I'm gay.". We've since learned that, while this wasn't easy for them to learn, your parents are truly loving parents who recognize how valuable you are as a person, in spite of that thing you had no control over. This is easily your second best video (well, at least in my opinion). You're now looking at a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ themed stories. Your analysis and commentary was inspired. As you noted, a lot of preparation went into making the video, but it showed in the results. I look forward to more commentary from you like this excellent video.
Amen Joseph! Our LGBTQ pioneers are the reason you get to have this channel and the reason I get to enjoy it! You're an extremely insightful young man and I look forward to see you continue promote good, clean, and strong LGBTQ content
@@josephgarner94 Thanks! Latter Days is about the clash between faith and sexuality, so some folk might be triggered while others will find it interesting and fun. Maurice is quite old, a lush Merchant-Ivory film that is quite long but beautiful and has a very encouraging ending. Taken from EM Forster's book set in Cambridge in 1912. 35 or so years ago, I was captivated: had never seen anything like it. Hugh Grant is in it.
I actually cried during Love, Simon. The specific part that got me was the conversation he had with his mother. The way she describes him 'holding his breath' telling him he can exhale now and be even more himself than before was so healing to hear for me. I do think the movie had some structural issues that lead to the problems you mentioned, but that one scene just made up for all of that for me. I guess I just really needed to hear those words.
If you ever get a chance, It's a Sin on HBO is fabulous. It's a mini-series, not a movie, but so gripping you don't feel the extra time. It follows a found family at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in London, and is the only LGBTQ+ movie I've watched that brings real joy to the table as well as sorrow. And all of it SO real and well done.
Joseph you are just a blessing to mankind, thanks for being such a great young man, may you be blessed forever and prayers for you, and Bobby.. Love you,..
Really enjoyed this video. I've seen Prayers for Bobby a long time ago but would like to see it again. Going to check out some of the other ones too. Always glad when when you post a new video.
Nowadays there are quite a few more than just 10 great gay / lgbt movies and it would be very very tough to say which ones are the 10 best. The Celluloid Closet by Whoopi Goldberg is one example. I would also agree Joseph that you are making history with a great cause. We have all made history over time as we are still surpressed in society in many different ways. Matter of fact, it would be reassuring one day if an LGBT History museum were created to remember all that we have all gone through, including those who took their own lives. As always, thank you for sharing.
I am going to list a few that do not have death by suicide, murder or a fatal disease at the end, and that do not have the theme of "You are gay, so you have to always end up miserable and alone" in them. 1. Shelter (USA) 2. God's Own Country (The United Kingdom) 3. Just Friends (The Netherlands) 4. The Way He Looks (Brazil) 5. Four Moons (Mexico) 6. Just A Question Of Love (France) 7. Esteros (Argentina) 8. Patrik 1.5 (Sweden) 9. Touch Of Pink (The United Kingdom & Canada) 10. My Beautiful Laundrette (The United Kingdom) 11, Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (Australia) 12. Beautiful Thing (The United Kingdom) 13. Latter Days (USA) I would add to this baker's dozen, a film that has one gay-themed story line, It is a movie that is best viewed blind without reading anything about it first to allow one to figure out for one's self what is going on. 14 Possible Loves (Brazil)
I hope u keep good posts like this on this forum for everyone to see. Other greats: Love Victor, Handsome Devil, Boy Erased, Bridegroom (a family 1), The Normal Heart, Akron (family 1), Make the Yule Tide Gay (family 1), Geography Club & many more! Good analysis !
I also really enjoyed handsome Devil, love victor, and the normal heart. The normal heart is on the list on my Patreon video. I liked how in handsome devil was about a friendship between two gay boys instead of a romance. There’s not many queer films like that!
I know you’re going to get deluged with titles, and I swear I’m not trying to be annoying, but even if it doesn’t make the list of best, I hope you get a chance to see “Torchsong Trilogy” (especially with Harvey just this month publishing his memoir).
I am a recently retired gay man and somewhat new to UA-cam and have yet to figure out Patreon so I’ll apologise for the length of this comment in advance and hope that it’s appropriate and thank for indulging me. I’ve long felt that LGBTQ+ film makers need community support to keep making movies and over the years I’ve amassed a collection over 100 gay themed DVDs of movies that go back to the early 1980s. Because you seem like an intelligent young man with a sense off curiosity I thought you should have a list movies are missing from most of the “best gay movie” lists I’ve seen, I don’t know what the availability of them is but you can look them up on IMDB. I’ll start with “Doing Time on Maple Drive” a Fox TV movie from the early 1990s (w/ Jim Carrey in a dramatic role); “Far from Heaven” and “A Single Man” (both w/ Juliann Moore and set in the 1950s & 60s, ASM also stars Colin Firth); “Trick” (Tori Spelling is actually ok in it); “The Object of My Affection” (Jennifer Anniston & Paul Rudd!); “A Home at the End of The World” (Colin Farrell); “Latter Days” (A gay Mormon - who’d have thought); “Imaginary Heroes”, “Beautiful Ohio”, “Shelter”, “Dare”, and “Make the Yuletide Gay” (a seasonal favourite). Moving to non-American films there is from Australia “Newcastle” and “Holding the Man” (a true story and it felt personal because I was living in Melbourne during the time it was set - I had to see the play twice in London because I was crying so hard the first time); from Canada “C.R.A.Z.Y.” and “Funkytown”; from Brazil “The Way He Looks”; from France “Proud” and from the UK, “Pride”, “Get Real” and 2 movies that deserve a place on Best Movie lists (not just ones featuring gay films) “The Weekend” and “God’s Own Country” (I think these last 2 are the only not PG films on the list). Don’t forget “Brokeback Mountain” One last comment, the streaming service TUBI has recently added several of of the "Boys on Film" compilation of gay short films from around and there is some interesting work in them.
I have just recently found this channel and, boy, am I glad I did! Joseph, your commentary is insightful, thought-provoking and well-presented. It is a welcome respite from what passes for discourse on much of UA-cam. Thank you for that. This crazy fucked-up world is just a little bit better pace with you in it. As for films, I would be interested to hear your views on "Love, Victor", the "Love, Simon" spin-off. It goes deeper into the family dynamics of a more difficult coming out and deals with other issues such as religion. Again, thank you Joseph. All the best.
a limited series and not a movie, but check out Heartstopper. This is the sweetest series I've seen lately. No Sex and no cursing. Lots of hand holding and a decent amount of kissing. Most gay characters are played by gay actors and the trans girl is played by a trans girl.
@@josephgarner94 it's written by a journalist called Leroy Arons, who was also gay. However he writes many of his conversations with Mary Griffith about Bobby and the book just feels so real and raw. Definitely reccomend it
Some great recommends, thank you Joe. Some I've seen, some I never heard of but will try and check out. Other films that have come to mind over the years that have become favorites are, (another made for TV drama) "Doing Time on Maple Drive", starring Jim Carrey. "God's Own Country" starring the dreamy Josh O'Connor. The stunning period piece "Maurice" and of course the now classic "Broke Back Mountain" and so many more. On a side note, I love Joe and his channel. He is intelligent, talented, sweet and beautiful inside and out. I'm a fan, keep up the great and inspiring work my friend.
I’m really not bothered by the misdirection in “Love, Simon,” since it isn’t really a mystery story, and we are seeing everything through Simon’s point of view. So what we are seeing is his interpretation of what happens at the party, and he doesn’t ever see anything that would make him think otherwise until the character whose name I won’t use to avoid spoiling it for anyone shows up at the Ferris Wheel. I do need to go back and try to watch “Happiest Season” again; when it first came out I kept trying to watch it on Hulu and having it freeze up so that I never got past the first 10 minutes.
Great video. Thank-you for the research you did to make it happen . "Moonlight' was the most surprising movie out of the group you mentioned. I wasn't sure where the movie was going & was satisfied where it ended up. "Love, Simon" was good in that it was PG. More people could see it without worry about over the oversexualization of the characters. It is amazing to see how cinema and TV has changed in terms of topics it highlights and in other ways stays the exact same with rinse & repeat movies & TV shows.
Love Simon is a mixed bag for me. Not just due to the annoying fair play problem you mentioned, but also because the Simon character just isn't very likable. Don't get me wrong, I love complicated characters, but Simon just lies to his friends the whole time, for seemingly no good reason. It was both entertaining and annoying. On the other hand, Moonlight was one of my all-time favorite queer films. It's a story that I can personally identify with and it's beautifully shot and scored. The writer/director, cinematographer, composer and, of course, the actors all make this movie a masterpiece in my eyes.
Wow. Thanks for starting off right at the start and giving so much time to "Prayers for Bobby". I have worked for more than 40 years to help reconcile GLBT people back into the church and have encountered these types of stories all my 67 years. This is one of many similar stories that have been told and still need to be told. I am so pleased for all the people who stuck with this movie from start to the point it was in theaters. I also commend them for allowing it to be shown on UA-cam to a free audience that needs to hear this story but wouldn't otherwise pay to see it. Just FYI, I have several playlists on UA-cam of GLBT movies from feature-length to short films, to history and documentaries/biographies, to comedy/standup, etc. Here is my most popular playlist which I have been curating for the past 12 years. It includes more than 400 full-length feature movies and is one of the most exhaustive lists of its kind. ua-cam.com/play/PLRCtiE8RQ5nyAbnegacKgsz77ToqH1Ihg.html
Your analysis of Moonlight was a revelation to me, even though I had alread seen it and admired it. I would love to hear your thoughts on other great movies, whether they are gay-related or not.
As as 69 year old gay woman, I remember in the earlier days, when finding movies about gay women was just about impossible. Most women know and celebrate ‘Dessert Hearts’ as THE movie to see. But there is another, less known movie about women loving women at came out around the same time, for women who loved literature but found true Brontë Sisters lacking. The short movie ‘Cynara, Poetry in Motion’ is hard to find but this lesbian written and directed movie is worth the search.
I have a Gay movie bookmark list of 256 movies and TV shows I’ve seen beginning from 1968 to present day and many more I can’t find copies online. From beautiful movie productions values found in Maurice (1987) to comedy The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994), and the recent Threes Months (2022). All found on Bflix period to website. I Figuring out the Love, Simon “who’s Blue mystery” was not all that difficult for me. There are two clues found in the telling of most every american cinema mystery story. The story structure has two elements: #1) Which suspect has the lease amount of screen time. #2) Which suspect has the surprise plot moment where the audience will make an assumption which rules out the suspect. Love, Simon’s character Brian Greenfield (Blue) has both. Also, did you know actor Keiynan Lonsdale who played the Brian Greenfield (Blue) character is Gay in real life? The above story elements don’t apply to most British mystery structures. The stories never provide true clues pointing to the real suspect while making the reader believe they actually are. Also, an explanation of the crime is all explained to the suspect at the end when caught. Both of these are most evident in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes’ stories and has basically set the British mystery standard. I see you gravitated to the film with heavy religious conflict significance. Yes, you’ve told us a little about your Mormon upbringing, a religion that has a lot of control over their members. I can say the majority LGBT I’ve met through my very long and diverse Gay life have discarded their religion without reservation: Mormon, Catholic, Muslim, etc. I discarded my Christianity religion at 10 yrs old when my sense of logical reasoning developed. I asked to many inquisitive question where the answer was always the same phrase, “Believe”. Eventually, the religious leader separated me from my Sunday School classmates and friends so I would not infect the others with my independent logical thinking. I’d had enough of the nonsense.
Others: Jongens (Boys) Giant Little Ones Beautiful Thing Get Real Fair Haven Gods Own Country North Sea Texas Shows: Young Royals SKAM Norway and its remakes are fantastic (France, Druck, WtFock).
@@josephgarner94 @Joseph Garner That's so awesome Joseph! It's great to finally hear from you. I lived in Provo before for quite some time & im a longtime subscriber
I've heard it explained in a way that makes perfect sense! The person coming out of the closet, has had the time to deal with and accept that fact that they are gay! If their family has had no idea, then this will come as a complete surprise to them! So the person coming out needs to give their loved ones the time and space to deal with what they have been told, so in effect, when you come out of the closet, your loved ones go into the closet! give them their space to deal!
oh my God, George & Allison's son was sooo adorable. Losing him is a tragedy for single guys around the U.S. & I wish I could have helped see a guy like their son. So sad😔
BTW, Joseph, you have done a great job here, I don't always agree with your comments. BUT you have obviously done your research and are Very Well Spoken. Thanks.
Weekend by Andrew Haigh (who also did Looking for HBO) is one of the best films of the 21st century to date, in my opinion. Check it out. Oh, and God's Own Country is also up there on the list.
10:56 But Joseph, that is the reality of gay life for some of us from past ages: to put up walls and hide from society behind shields so NO ONE would ever know who we were. That is one of the things I liked about this movie. There weren't any clues, just like in real life.
this is me. I knew I was gay at 13 in 1970. my mom was very religious, my dad was open but ruled by mom. I put my force field up to full power because I thought I was a freak of nature, a one of a kind, there was no one to tell me otherwise. after high school I went into US Air Force, I loved my job and all the travel. back then if you were found out you were discharged with other than honorable, so my force field stayed at full power. in 1992 after Gulf War and USSR collapse there was a reduction in forces, my field hit with 80%. I separated but this was during height of AIDS so kept the shields up. in short because of how I lived I am single, I do not know how to interact with "family". I am 65 and live alone, I know no other way. I am glad todays youth do not generally have the issues we had. I just hope we do not return to the dark ages.
@@Houdini_Bob So true, Bobcd4. 56 here and I am the same for the same reasons. even friendships can never be close because of so much being guarded and hidden. It becomes a way of life. After a point, it can't be easily changed.
Ondrej Cohoma As I penned in response to Waldo below: "Shelter" is the gay chick-flick: Everyone who sees it loves it and ofttimes watches it over and over again. Back in the days when there were brick-and-mortar video stores, a manager told me that she was asked by a woman to recommend a romantic film. When "Shelter" was the one that the manager told her, she was not sure about seeing a gay movie, but reluctantly rented it. When she returned it, she said, "I watched it five times."
Excellent video, In my opinion, beside Love, Simon all the other film just so good. I also recommend God’s Own Country, Your Name Engraved Herein and Song Lang
Great video, Joseph. Your reviews were quite good. I've been on a mission recently to watch a lot of LGBTQ+ films (and streaming series). There are some very good ones, and many of those for foreign films with English subtitles. Anyway, it's nice to hear others' opinions about these films. Oh, and based on your hair, I think you would have been a great hair stylist! :-)
Am I the only one finding "Call me by your name" creepy?! I love the story, but the casting (Timothée looks like he's 14 and Armie like he's 34) and directing (cutting out some parts, strange highlights of unimportant details, lack of feeling for the subject) just destroyed a great story with pedo vibes. 😫
@@ChrisPBacon-ok7ir I don't mind the age gap at all, as long as both parties are mentally capable of making such decision (of age, here in Europe it means 14-16), and it is consensual. But as I said, it's the way movie was filmed, focused around sex, not emotions and the feeling of manipulation by someone much more experienced. It's ok if you don't get that feeling watching the movie, after all, we all have our personal interpretations of every art piece we see, I'm just wondering if anyone else has the similar for this movie.
@@FelixSeverus , It's all good. Chalomet's character was 17 and, if I remember right, he was the aggressive one and was initially shunned by the older guy.
Please review the Netflix movie Heartstopper. In my opinion, this I’d one of the most realistic and authentic coming of age queer films ever. No unnecessary drama or emphasis on sexual activity which as you said is often overdone in gay films. Please give it a look. I would like to hear your review and overall take on the film. Thanks for your informative vlogs.
"Were the world mine", was a silly movie but fun. "The big Gay musical" so stupid but it's a fun movie. But if you speak French or find an English subtitle version, Chanson d'amour
Frank-IRL I quite enjoyed "Were The World Mine:' I thought that it was creative and original. As for "Chanson s'amour," I don't know anyone else who has ever watched it.
There's another queer movie I watched over a year ago called "More Than Only". It's on UA-cam. It's about a gay college student who's father only wants straight A's and a straight son. And it's clear his father will not accept anything else. Joseph you should check it out when you get a chance.
Wong Kar-Wai's HAPPY TOGETHER is one of the very best. There are so many Foreign language films that are better than these American movies like The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros from the Philippines and A Fantastic Woman from Chile.
Love Simon was a cute movie. My only problem with it was the ending when the whole amusement park was cheering for Simon and his guy. Not very realistic. There are a lot of homophobic people all around including at amusement parks. But I think the actor playing Simon did a great job.
Unpopular opinion: CMBYN is overrated. Many people like it because they're thirsty for Timothy, who looked like a prepubescent teenager getting freaky with a man that looks like he could be his dad. I mean a 17-year old? I don't care what the age of consent is - this film/story glorifies predatory behavior. Not to mention the ending is depressing af. Unfortunately, there’s an excessive amount of stereotypical and negative representations of gay men in American film and television even in the past couple years. Take the hit series, Euphoria, where Nate was molested by his messed up father (who is also troubled) when he was a kid. Not to mention there are far fewer films with same-sex couples that don't leave gay men feeling sorry for themselves because of how depressing these films are. Yes, the struggles of the LGBT community are real; their stories are crucial and important, but so are positive representations/stories, so I'm glad something like Love, Simon was talked about. If you haven't already, I highly recommend these LGBT foreign films: - God's Own Country (non-religious film) (UK) - The Way He Looks (Brazil) - The Handmaiden (Korea) - Your Name Engraved Herein (Taiwan)
CMBYN has no predatory behavior. If one views this movie they will learn from the fact that age doesn't always dictate love or real life. In Ft. Lauderdale, as a fmr police officer & veteran, LGBT films are critical to view with an open mind, because I can tell you that many many loving couples serve in local political office here, despite age span differences. You have no right to disrespect or disregard their relationships, especially since they're just under the mayor in political rank. Our county Sheriff & city Chief of Police push to hire gay officers, regardless of the span between the age of officers paramour.
@@LauderdaleJoeM Intentional or not, CMBYN glorifies predatory behavior amongst the gay community. Period. “You have no right” to tell me how I should or should not feel about a film. Children and youth will be made to believe that the predatory and manipulative relationship portrayed in the film is, as critics describe it, a “sexy, passionate summer romance”. It’s a film about a “forbidden” affair between a closeted seventeen-year-old boy and a twenty-four-year-old married man. The movie portrays a relationship in which the older adult clearly knows what he’s doing is wrong, yet he still starts a sexual relationship with a high-school aged teenager. The story ends with Oliver, the older man, married to a woman, while Elio (who was a teenager at the time of their “affair”) is still heavily affected by their relationship years later. The amount of praise the film garnered is deeply, deeply disturbing - sexual relations with a minor, infidelity, manipulation. It may all be harmless to you, but then again, people have different morals and principles. If it were a film about a fully grown married man having sexual relations with a prepubescent-looking teenage girl, it would have been cancelled into oblivion. This film should have never been accepted by the academy. And what was the point of bringing up your former career; political ranks; and hiring practices? These things are literally irrelevant to the issue. You’re a stranger on the internet. Just because you were a police officer does not automatically mean you deserve respect. There are immoral and corrupt individuals in all sectors of government. I’m also a gay man and understand the importance of LGBT films, equality, and civil rights, and I believe consenting adults can date whoever they want - I just don’t condone a predatory relationship with a 17-year-old. So, please, save your needless lecture.
Since you put Love Simon in there knowing damn well that movie was unrealistic trash, I'm going to name a couple... The Thing About Harry Gods Own Country Fair Haven The Way He Looks Shelter
Waldo "Shelter" is the gay chick-flick: Everyone who sees it loves it and ofttimes watches it over and over again. Back in the days when there were brick-and-mortar video stores, a manager told me that she was asked by a woman to recommend a romantic film. When "Shelter" was the one that the manager told her, she was not sure about seeing a gay movie, but reluctantly rented it. When she returned it, she said, "I watched it five times."
Philadelphia. Alive & Kicking. Bent. Boyfriends. In & out. Johns. My beautiful laundrette. My night with Reg. my own private Idaho. Peters friends. The object of my affection. Lilies. The two of us. Total eclipse. Brideshead Revisited. Victor Victoria. Wilde. It’s a sin. Everybody’s talking about Jamie. Ammonite.
So by now you realize that coming out is an ongoing process throughout your life with each new person you meet, bravery is the key word in gay life. Courage is a way of life as an LGBTQ person. Also stories about homoSEXUALITY require a “sexual” component, hence the mostly R ratings. Interestingly, children do not require education on same sex love as it comes perfectly naturally to them until they are shamed for it. In fact it’s preferable until they’re indoctrinated.
Prayers for Bobby was one of my all-time favorites because it really speaks to the struggles of being gay and coming out gay. And the saddest part was not really the suicide ( although that was tragic) it was the parents finally coming around to understanding what it means when, in reality, it was too late for Bobby. And now we have a Florida governor who doesn't even want us to say the word gay in school. Just stupid and crazy and utterly ridiculous and partisan.
I was just going to mention that one! Yeah, that was an impressive one! It was definitely upsetting though
Excellent video!
I've always thought your coming out video was by far your best. You bared your soul describing your difficult voyage to accepting all of you. To me, the most moving moment was when you surrendered to reality and told your father "Dad, I'm gay.". We've since learned that, while this wasn't easy for them to learn, your parents are truly loving parents who recognize how valuable you are as a person, in spite of that thing you had no control over.
This is easily your second best video (well, at least in my opinion). You're now looking at a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ themed stories. Your analysis and commentary was inspired. As you noted, a lot of preparation went into making the video, but it showed in the results. I look forward to more commentary from you like this excellent video.
Amen Joseph! Our LGBTQ pioneers are the reason you get to have this channel and the reason I get to enjoy it! You're an extremely insightful young man and I look forward to see you continue promote good, clean, and strong LGBTQ content
I have a love for "Latter Days" and "Maurice".
I might do another video about queer movies so I’ll check out latter days and Maurice as well.
@@josephgarner94 do check out Latter Days...young Mormon man coming out during his Mission stint...
@@robertrawley1115 yes…..both good
@@josephgarner94 Thanks! Latter Days is about the clash between faith and sexuality, so some folk might be triggered while others will find it interesting and fun. Maurice is quite old, a lush Merchant-Ivory film that is quite long but beautiful and has a very encouraging ending. Taken from EM Forster's book set in Cambridge in 1912. 35 or so years ago, I was captivated: had never seen anything like it. Hugh Grant is in it.
I actually cried during Love, Simon. The specific part that got me was the conversation he had with his mother. The way she describes him 'holding his breath' telling him he can exhale now and be even more himself than before was so healing to hear for me. I do think the movie had some structural issues that lead to the problems you mentioned, but that one scene just made up for all of that for me. I guess I just really needed to hear those words.
my biggest irk with 'Love, Simon' was how the guy who outed him faced zero consequences...
If you ever get a chance, It's a Sin on HBO is fabulous. It's a mini-series, not a movie, but so gripping you don't feel the extra time. It follows a found family at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in London, and is the only LGBTQ+ movie I've watched that brings real joy to the table as well as sorrow. And all of it SO real and well done.
Sounds great I’ll look into it as well 🙂
Joseph you are just a blessing to mankind, thanks for being such a great young man, may you be blessed forever and prayers for you, and Bobby.. Love you,..
Really enjoyed this video. I've seen Prayers for Bobby a long time ago but would like to see it again. Going to check out some of the other ones too. Always glad when when you post a new video.
Very well researched and critiqued! Nice job!
Nowadays there are quite a few more than just 10 great gay / lgbt movies and it would be very very tough to say which ones are the 10 best. The Celluloid Closet by Whoopi Goldberg is one example. I would also agree Joseph that you are making history with a great cause. We have all made history over time as we are still surpressed in society in many different ways. Matter of fact, it would be reassuring one day if an LGBT History museum were created to remember all that we have all gone through, including those who took their own lives. As always, thank you for sharing.
Loved this! I've been touched & moved by those movies... & healed. Thanks for sharing. 🤗
I am going to list a few that do not have death by suicide, murder or a fatal disease at the end, and that do not have the theme of "You are gay, so you have to always end up miserable and alone" in them.
1. Shelter (USA)
2. God's Own Country (The United Kingdom)
3. Just Friends (The Netherlands)
4. The Way He Looks (Brazil)
5. Four Moons (Mexico)
6. Just A Question Of Love (France)
7. Esteros (Argentina)
8. Patrik 1.5 (Sweden)
9. Touch Of Pink (The United Kingdom & Canada)
10. My Beautiful Laundrette (The United Kingdom)
11, Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (Australia)
12. Beautiful Thing (The United Kingdom)
13. Latter Days (USA)
I would add to this baker's dozen, a film that has one gay-themed story line, It is a movie that is best viewed blind without reading anything about it first to allow one to figure out for one's self what is going on.
14 Possible Loves (Brazil)
I hope u keep good posts like this on this forum for everyone to see. Other greats: Love Victor, Handsome Devil, Boy Erased, Bridegroom (a family 1), The Normal Heart, Akron (family 1), Make the Yule Tide Gay (family 1), Geography Club & many more! Good analysis !
I also really enjoyed handsome Devil, love victor, and the normal heart. The normal heart is on the list on my Patreon video. I liked how in handsome devil was about a friendship between two gay boys instead of a romance. There’s not many queer films like that!
@@josephgarner94 Nice to see we're all watching the same/similar movies. If parents would follow, they'd understand us much better!
I know you’re going to get deluged with titles, and I swear I’m not trying to be annoying, but even if it doesn’t make the list of best, I hope you get a chance to see “Torchsong Trilogy” (especially with Harvey just this month publishing his memoir).
Jeffrey
Well done Joseph, I can't wait to see part 2.❤
I am a recently retired gay man and somewhat new to UA-cam and have yet to figure out Patreon so I’ll apologise for the length of this comment in advance and hope that it’s appropriate and thank for indulging me. I’ve long felt that LGBTQ+ film makers need community support to keep making movies and over the years I’ve amassed a collection over 100 gay themed DVDs of movies that go back to the early 1980s. Because you seem like an intelligent young man with a sense off curiosity I thought you should have a list movies are missing from most of the “best gay movie” lists I’ve seen, I don’t know what the availability of them is but you can look them up on IMDB. I’ll start with “Doing Time on Maple Drive” a Fox TV movie from the early 1990s (w/ Jim Carrey in a dramatic role); “Far from Heaven” and “A Single Man” (both w/ Juliann Moore and set in the 1950s & 60s, ASM also stars Colin Firth); “Trick” (Tori Spelling is actually ok in it); “The Object of My Affection” (Jennifer Anniston & Paul Rudd!); “A Home at the End of The World” (Colin Farrell); “Latter Days” (A gay Mormon - who’d have thought); “Imaginary Heroes”, “Beautiful Ohio”, “Shelter”, “Dare”, and “Make the Yuletide Gay” (a seasonal favourite). Moving to non-American films there is from Australia “Newcastle” and “Holding the Man” (a true story and it felt personal because I was living in Melbourne during the time it was set - I had to see the play twice in London because I was crying so hard the first time); from Canada “C.R.A.Z.Y.” and “Funkytown”; from Brazil “The Way He Looks”; from France “Proud” and from the UK, “Pride”, “Get Real” and 2 movies that deserve a place on Best Movie lists (not just ones featuring gay films) “The Weekend” and “God’s Own Country” (I think these last 2 are the only not PG films on the list). Don’t forget “Brokeback Mountain” One last comment, the streaming service TUBI has recently added several of of the "Boys on Film" compilation of gay short films from around and there is some interesting work in them.
I have just recently found this channel and, boy, am I glad I did! Joseph, your commentary is insightful, thought-provoking and well-presented. It is a welcome respite from what passes for discourse on much of UA-cam. Thank you for that. This crazy fucked-up world is just a little bit better pace with you in it.
As for films, I would be interested to hear your views on "Love, Victor", the "Love, Simon" spin-off. It goes deeper into the family dynamics of a more difficult coming out and deals with other issues such as religion.
Again, thank you Joseph. All the best.
a limited series and not a movie, but check out Heartstopper. This is the sweetest series I've seen lately. No Sex and no cursing. Lots of hand holding and a decent amount of kissing. Most gay characters are played by gay actors and the trans girl is played by a trans girl.
I'm so glad you mentioned prayers for Bobby. It's my favourite queer film. The book is also incredible and I sobbed so much
It definitely made me want to read the book, is it written by Bobby’s mother?
@@josephgarner94 it's written by a journalist called Leroy Arons, who was also gay. However he writes many of his conversations with Mary Griffith about Bobby and the book just feels so real and raw. Definitely reccomend it
The book, THE MEANING OF MATTHEW was a tear jersey, reality that his mom wrote.
Some great recommends, thank you Joe. Some I've seen, some I never heard of but will try and check out. Other films that have come to mind over the years that have become favorites are, (another made for TV drama) "Doing Time on Maple Drive", starring Jim Carrey. "God's Own Country" starring the dreamy Josh O'Connor. The stunning period piece "Maurice" and of course the now classic "Broke Back Mountain" and so many more. On a side note, I love Joe and his channel. He is intelligent, talented, sweet and beautiful inside and out. I'm a fan, keep up the great and inspiring work my friend.
I’m really not bothered by the misdirection in “Love, Simon,” since it isn’t really a mystery story, and we are seeing everything through Simon’s point of view. So what we are seeing is his interpretation of what happens at the party, and he doesn’t ever see anything that would make him think otherwise until the character whose name I won’t use to avoid spoiling it for anyone shows up at the Ferris Wheel. I do need to go back and try to watch “Happiest Season” again; when it first came out I kept trying to watch it on Hulu and having it freeze up so that I never got past the first 10 minutes.
Yeah I can see that, it’s purpose is definitely not to be a mystery!
I heard a rumor that Joseph once almost beat a man to death for touching his glorious luxurious hair.
Great video. Thank-you for the research you did to make it happen . "Moonlight' was the most surprising movie out of the group you mentioned. I wasn't sure where the movie was going & was satisfied where it ended up. "Love, Simon" was good in that it was PG. More people could see it without worry about over the oversexualization of the characters. It is amazing to see how cinema and TV has changed in terms of topics it highlights and in other ways stays the exact same with rinse & repeat movies & TV shows.
Love Simon is a mixed bag for me. Not just due to the annoying fair play problem you mentioned, but also because the Simon character just isn't very likable. Don't get me wrong, I love complicated characters, but Simon just lies to his friends the whole time, for seemingly no good reason. It was both entertaining and annoying.
On the other hand, Moonlight was one of my all-time favorite queer films. It's a story that I can personally identify with and it's beautifully shot and scored. The writer/director, cinematographer, composer and, of course, the actors all make this movie a masterpiece in my eyes.
Wow. Thanks for starting off right at the start and giving so much time to "Prayers for Bobby". I have worked for more than 40 years to help reconcile GLBT people back into the church and have encountered these types of stories all my 67 years. This is one of many similar stories that have been told and still need to be told. I am so pleased for all the people who stuck with this movie from start to the point it was in theaters. I also commend them for allowing it to be shown on UA-cam to a free audience that needs to hear this story but wouldn't otherwise pay to see it.
Just FYI, I have several playlists on UA-cam of GLBT movies from feature-length to short films, to history and documentaries/biographies, to comedy/standup, etc. Here is my most popular playlist which I have been curating for the past 12 years. It includes more than 400 full-length feature movies and is one of the most exhaustive lists of its kind.
ua-cam.com/play/PLRCtiE8RQ5nyAbnegacKgsz77ToqH1Ihg.html
Your analysis of Moonlight was a revelation to me, even though I had alread seen it and admired it. I would love to hear your thoughts on other great movies, whether they are gay-related or not.
Desert Hearts and North Sea Texas are greatly underrated.
Great job on these recent videos! Love what you're doing, Keep it up! :)
As as 69 year old gay woman, I remember in the earlier days, when finding movies about gay women was just about impossible. Most women know and celebrate ‘Dessert Hearts’ as THE movie to see. But there is another, less known movie about women loving women at came out around the same time, for women who loved literature but found true Brontë Sisters lacking. The short movie ‘Cynara, Poetry in Motion’ is hard to find but this lesbian written and directed movie is worth the search.
If you want to go more recent and YA, "But I'm a Cheerleader" has been a huge touchstone for many.
I have a Gay movie bookmark list of 256 movies and TV shows I’ve seen beginning from 1968 to present day and many more I can’t find copies online. From beautiful movie productions values found in Maurice (1987) to comedy The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994), and the recent Threes Months (2022). All found on Bflix period to website. I
Figuring out the Love, Simon “who’s Blue mystery” was not all that difficult for me. There are two clues found in the telling of most every american cinema mystery story. The story structure has two elements: #1) Which suspect has the lease amount of screen time. #2) Which suspect has the surprise plot moment where the audience will make an assumption which rules out the suspect. Love, Simon’s character Brian Greenfield (Blue) has both. Also, did you know actor Keiynan Lonsdale who played the Brian Greenfield (Blue) character is Gay in real life?
The above story elements don’t apply to most British mystery structures. The stories never provide true clues pointing to the real suspect while making the reader believe they actually are. Also, an explanation of the crime is all explained to the suspect at the end when caught. Both of these are most evident in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes’ stories and has basically set the British mystery standard.
I see you gravitated to the film with heavy religious conflict significance. Yes, you’ve told us a little about your Mormon upbringing, a religion that has a lot of control over their members. I can say the majority LGBT I’ve met through my very long and diverse Gay life have discarded their religion without reservation: Mormon, Catholic, Muslim, etc. I discarded my Christianity religion at 10 yrs old when my sense of logical reasoning developed. I asked to many inquisitive question where the answer was always the same phrase, “Believe”. Eventually, the religious leader separated me from my Sunday School classmates and friends so I would not infect the others with my independent logical thinking. I’d had enough of the nonsense.
If you haven’t seen it already, check out the movie Straight Up
You should read the love simon book too
It's called "Simon vs homo sapiens agenda"
My favorite lgbt book is "history is all you left me"
Most excellent. Your videos are the highest quality. We are thinking and good human beings, not weird. I don't know to thank you.
Others:
Jongens (Boys)
Giant Little Ones
Beautiful Thing
Get Real
Fair Haven
Gods Own Country
North Sea Texas
Shows:
Young Royals
SKAM Norway and its remakes are fantastic (France, Druck, WtFock).
Thank you for sharing this video, watching from Tablas Romblon, Philippines.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones. But words will never hurt me." IF YOU BELIEVE that tired trope, I have a couple of bridges for sale. 🤨
I was just watching boy erased just as this view came up in my feed. Interesting.
I lived in Utah too btw
Boy erased is on my list, I heard it’s excellent!
@@josephgarner94 @Joseph Garner That's so awesome Joseph! It's great to finally hear from you. I lived in Provo before for quite some time & im a longtime subscriber
Loved BOY ERASED, true set in Arkansas.
Just started this video but really hope"Shelter" "Beautiful thing" and "Shank" make it on the list.
I've heard it explained in a way that makes perfect sense! The person coming out of the closet, has had the time to deal with and accept that fact that they are gay! If their family has had no idea, then this will come as a complete surprise to them! So the person coming out needs to give their loved ones the time and space to deal with what they have been told, so in effect, when you come out of the closet, your loved ones go into the closet! give them their space to deal!
oh my God, George & Allison's son was sooo adorable. Losing him is a tragedy for single guys around the U.S. & I wish I could have helped see a guy like their son. So sad😔
BTW, Joseph, you have done a great job here, I don't always agree with your comments. BUT you have obviously done your research and are Very Well Spoken. Thanks.
Weekend by Andrew Haigh (who also did Looking for HBO) is one of the best films of the 21st century to date, in my opinion. Check it out. Oh, and God's Own Country is also up there on the list.
10:56 But Joseph, that is the reality of gay life for some of us from past ages: to put up walls and hide from society behind shields so NO ONE would ever know who we were. That is one of the things I liked about this movie. There weren't any clues, just like in real life.
this is me. I knew I was gay at 13 in 1970. my mom was very religious, my dad was open but ruled by mom. I put my force field up to full power because I thought I was a freak of nature, a one of a kind, there was no one to tell me otherwise. after high school I went into US Air Force, I loved my job and all the travel. back then if you were found out you were discharged with other than honorable, so my force field stayed at full power. in 1992 after Gulf War and USSR collapse there was a reduction in forces, my field hit with 80%. I separated but this was during height of AIDS so kept the shields up.
in short because of how I lived I am single, I do not know how to interact with "family". I am 65 and live alone, I know no other way. I am glad todays youth do not generally have the issues we had. I just hope we do not return to the dark ages.
@@Houdini_Bob So true, Bobcd4. 56 here and I am the same for the same reasons. even friendships can never be close because of so much being guarded and hidden. It becomes a way of life. After a point, it can't be easily changed.
The best one ever Is Prayers for Bobby if youre into sad pictures. Or Shelter if youre into romantic stuff
Ondrej Cohoma
As I penned in response to Waldo below:
"Shelter" is the gay chick-flick: Everyone who sees it loves it and ofttimes watches it over and over again. Back in the days when there were brick-and-mortar video stores, a manager told me that she was asked by a woman to recommend a romantic film. When "Shelter" was the one that the manager told her, she was not sure about seeing a gay movie, but reluctantly rented it. When she returned it, she said, "I watched it five times."
Excellent video, In my opinion, beside Love, Simon all the other film just so good. I also recommend God’s Own Country, Your Name Engraved Herein and Song Lang
Hearts to you. If you haven't seen it, check out "Summer of 85"
Thank you. God's Own Country, I one of the best films I have seen.
I felt more misled by the absence of CMBYN in this video (despite its appearance in the thumbnail) than the misdirection in Love Simon. 💅
CMBYN is an excellent movie and in the second half of this video.
Great video, Joseph. Your reviews were quite good. I've been on a mission recently to watch a lot of LGBTQ+ films (and streaming series). There are some very good ones, and many of those for foreign films with English subtitles. Anyway, it's nice to hear others' opinions about these films. Oh, and based on your hair, I think you would have been a great hair stylist! :-)
Akron is good as is Closet Monster.
I would add "Call Me By Your Name" and, if you're feeling brave, "Party Monster."
Call Me By Your Name is excellent! Its also on my list in the second part to the video.
Am I the only one finding "Call me by your name" creepy?! I love the story, but the casting (Timothée looks like he's 14 and Armie like he's 34) and directing (cutting out some parts, strange highlights of unimportant details, lack of feeling for the subject) just destroyed a great story with pedo vibes. 😫
@@FelixSeverus , My first was almost twice my age and also initiated by me...
@@ChrisPBacon-ok7ir I don't mind the age gap at all, as long as both parties are mentally capable of making such decision (of age, here in Europe it means 14-16), and it is consensual. But as I said, it's the way movie was filmed, focused around sex, not emotions and the feeling of manipulation by someone much more experienced. It's ok if you don't get that feeling watching the movie, after all, we all have our personal interpretations of every art piece we see, I'm just wondering if anyone else has the similar for this movie.
@@FelixSeverus , It's all good. Chalomet's character was 17 and, if I remember right, he was the aggressive one and was initially shunned by the older guy.
Please review the Netflix movie Heartstopper. In my opinion, this I’d one of the most realistic and authentic coming of age queer films ever. No unnecessary drama or emphasis on sexual activity which as you said is often overdone in gay films. Please give it a look. I would like to hear your review and overall take on the film. Thanks for your informative vlogs.
"Were the world mine", was a silly movie but fun. "The big Gay musical" so stupid but it's a fun movie. But if you speak French or find an English subtitle version, Chanson d'amour
Frank-IRL
I quite enjoyed "Were The World Mine:' I thought that it was creative and original. As for "Chanson s'amour," I don't know anyone else who has ever watched it.
There's another queer movie I watched over a year ago called "More Than Only". It's on UA-cam. It's about a gay college student who's father only wants straight A's and a straight son. And it's clear his father will not accept anything else. Joseph you should check it out when you get a chance.
Have you ever seen "Beautiful Thing" or "The Way He Looks" ?
Wonderful
Big Eden is my favorite gay film
Very nice and informative
CMBYN first. Love the others too
You are an amazing guy
Please review the movie “Making Love”….you won’t regret it
I’ll look into it 🙂
@@josephgarner94 Its hard to find. If you can't find it, I'll be happy to loan it to you. It is from 1982.
missed u..where u been?🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
I know I was gone for a few months but I’m back and better than ever 🙃
i hope I put down Tinder and Grindr for u🤦🤦🤦🤦
You should Read some queer books especially Simon vs the Homo sapiens agenda
Wong Kar-Wai's HAPPY TOGETHER is one of the very best. There are so many Foreign language films that are better than these American movies like The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros from the Philippines and A Fantastic Woman from Chile.
Love Simon was a cute movie. My only problem with it was the ending when the whole amusement park was cheering for Simon and his guy. Not very realistic. There are a lot of homophobic people all around including at amusement parks. But I think the actor playing Simon did a great job.
Unpopular opinion: CMBYN is overrated. Many people like it because they're thirsty for Timothy, who looked like a prepubescent teenager getting freaky with a man that looks like he could be his dad. I mean a 17-year old? I don't care what the age of consent is - this film/story glorifies predatory behavior. Not to mention the ending is depressing af.
Unfortunately, there’s an excessive amount of stereotypical and negative representations of gay men in American film and television even in the past couple years. Take the hit series, Euphoria, where Nate was molested by his messed up father (who is also troubled) when he was a kid. Not to mention there are far fewer films with same-sex couples that don't leave gay men feeling sorry for themselves because of how depressing these films are. Yes, the struggles of the LGBT community are real; their stories are crucial and important, but so are positive representations/stories, so I'm glad something like Love, Simon was talked about.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend these LGBT foreign films:
- God's Own Country (non-religious film) (UK)
- The Way He Looks (Brazil)
- The Handmaiden (Korea)
- Your Name Engraved Herein (Taiwan)
CMBYN has no predatory behavior. If one views this movie they will learn from the fact that age doesn't always dictate love or real life. In Ft. Lauderdale, as a fmr police officer & veteran, LGBT films are critical to view with an open mind, because I can tell you that many many loving couples serve in local political office here, despite age span differences. You have no right to disrespect or disregard their relationships, especially since they're just under the mayor in political rank. Our county Sheriff & city Chief of Police push to hire gay officers, regardless of the span between the age of officers paramour.
@@LauderdaleJoeM Intentional or not, CMBYN glorifies predatory behavior amongst the gay community. Period. “You have no right” to tell me how I should or should not feel about a film.
Children and youth will be made to believe that the predatory and manipulative relationship portrayed in the film is, as critics describe it, a “sexy, passionate summer romance”. It’s a film about a “forbidden” affair between a closeted seventeen-year-old boy and a twenty-four-year-old married man. The movie portrays a relationship in which the older adult clearly knows what he’s doing is wrong, yet he still starts a sexual relationship with a high-school aged teenager. The story ends with Oliver, the older man, married to a woman, while Elio (who was a teenager at the time of their “affair”) is still heavily affected by their relationship years later.
The amount of praise the film garnered is deeply, deeply disturbing - sexual relations with a minor, infidelity, manipulation. It may all be harmless to you, but then again, people have different morals and principles. If it were a film about a fully grown married man having sexual relations with a prepubescent-looking teenage girl, it would have been cancelled into oblivion. This film should have never been accepted by the academy.
And what was the point of bringing up your former career; political ranks; and hiring practices? These things are literally irrelevant to the issue. You’re a stranger on the internet. Just because you were a police officer does not automatically mean you deserve respect. There are immoral and corrupt individuals in all sectors of government. I’m also a gay man and understand the importance of LGBT films, equality, and civil rights, and I believe consenting adults can date whoever they want - I just don’t condone a predatory relationship with a 17-year-old. So, please, save your needless lecture.
Since you put Love Simon in there knowing damn well that movie was unrealistic trash, I'm going to name a couple...
The Thing About Harry
Gods Own Country
Fair Haven
The Way He Looks
Shelter
Waldo
"Shelter" is the gay chick-flick: Everyone who sees it loves it and ofttimes watches it over and over again. Back in the days when there were brick-and-mortar video stores, a manager told me that she was asked by a woman to recommend a romantic film. When "Shelter" was the one that the manager told her, she was not sure about seeing a gay movie, but reluctantly rented it. When she returned it, she said, "I watched it five times."
? Ｐｒⓞм???
Philadelphia. Alive & Kicking. Bent. Boyfriends. In & out. Johns. My beautiful laundrette. My night with Reg. my own private Idaho. Peters friends. The object of my affection. Lilies. The two of us. Total eclipse. Brideshead Revisited. Victor Victoria. Wilde. It’s a sin. Everybody’s talking about Jamie. Ammonite.
So by now you realize that coming out is an ongoing process throughout your life with each new person you meet, bravery is the key word in gay life. Courage is a way of life as an LGBTQ person. Also stories about homoSEXUALITY require a “sexual” component, hence the mostly R ratings. Interestingly, children do not require education on same sex love as it comes perfectly naturally to them until they are shamed for it. In fact it’s preferable until they’re indoctrinated.