Arts & Culture :: DVD

Andra Day in 'The United States v. Billie Holiday'

Andra Day in 'The United States v. Billie Holiday'

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Apr 13, 2021

The queer, Black classic that everyone in the LGBTQ community deserves is here. 'The United States v. Billie Holiday,' as a film, is an indictment, instructional guide and spiritual love letter rolled into one.

SF Film Festival 2021; a few fave flicks

SF Film Festival 2021; a few fave flicks

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Apr 6, 2021

SFFilm is making big changes to accommodate the pandemic for its 64th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival to be held from April 9-18 that will include primarily online streaming and in-person events at the Fort Mason Flix drive-in theater.

Screen times: Film coverage in the B.A.R. through 50 years, part 2

Screen times: Film coverage in the B.A.R. through 50 years, part 2

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Apr 6, 2021

As the 1990s approached, films began to offer more positive portrayals of LGBTQ people, often as the loyal best friend, with characters beginning to be more fleshed out, having lives rooted in their sexuality but not necessarily ruled only by it.

Groove Tube: the B.A.R.'s five decades of TV turn-ons

Groove Tube: the B.A.R.'s five decades of TV turn-ons

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Apr 6, 2021

It is hard to narrow the discourse to just a handful of TV shows over so many years and hundreds of columns, but here are some of the LGBTQ stories that spurred controversy or altered the landscape.

Screen times: B.A.R. film coverage through 50 years, part 1

Screen times: B.A.R. film coverage through 50 years, part 1

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 30, 2021

It wasn't until the third issue of the 'Bay Area Reporter' in 1971 that the rationale for having a film section was revealed by its first critic. 100s of film reviews since then have catalogued the rise of indie and mainstream cinematic LGBT depiction.

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 23, 2021

There's an unintended poignancy to 'Pretend It's A City,' the new limited-series documentary on Netflix, showcasing author, public speaker, and humorist Fran Lebowitz. Filmed in 2019, it portrays a vibrant Manhattan chock full of people.

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Mar 16, 2021

Singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin's life and career is dramatized in National Geographic's five-part series, which also serves as a testament to Franklin's talent and determination amid decades of civil rights inroads for Black culture and women in music.

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Mar 9, 2021

The multi-award-winning 'Pose' will end after Season 3; 'For All Mankind' features a lesbian astronaut; 'Clarice' quotes Audre Lorde; news media's taken to task for under-reporting the murder of trans women.

Mayim Bialik: call her a rad cat lady

Mayim Bialik: call her a rad cat lady

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Mar 9, 2021

In 'Call Me Kat,' her first sitcom following the end of the long-running 'Big Bang Theory,' Mayim Bialik plays Kat, the single and sassy owner of a Louisville cat café, with costars Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan and several cats.

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 9, 2021

Patrick Liu's film 'Your Name Engraved Herein,' which just started streaming on Netflix this month, profiles a longterm romance between two teens, while reflecting on Taiwan's political changes that led to same-sex marriage legalization.

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Mar 3, 2021

In his newly published memoir, 'American Exxxtasy: My 30-Year Search for a Happy Ending,' gay filmmaker Amero recalls those bygone days with wit, humor and heart.

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Mar 2, 2021

Set in Colombo, Sri Lanka during the mid-1970s and early 1980s, 'Funny Boy,' based on Shyam Selvadurai's acclaimed novel, is timely for a variety of reasons.

Soul, Sin, Secrets & Scots: The Lavender Tube on new Black and gay series, and men in kilts

Soul, Sin, Secrets & Scots: The Lavender Tube on new Black and gay series, and men in kilts

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Feb 23, 2021

'Soul of a Nation' explores Black stories, 'It's a Sin' sears with '80s UK gay and AIDS stories, plus 'Tell Me Your Secrets' and 'Men in Kilts' tempt your television time.

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Feb 23, 2021

In Mike Mosallam's affectionate Ramadan rom-com 'Breaking Fast,' Mo (out actor Haaz Sleiman) is a devout, disciplined Muslim doctor who has reconciled his religious dedication with his queer sexuality.