Mango Kiss **
Lou and Sass are performance art partners and best friends
who have recently moved to
Maple Palm 2006
What if the love you cherished could be ripped from you, and
there's nothing you could do to stop it? If a gay
This intense dramatic feature exposes the harsh reality of
nonexistent same-sex immigration protections in the
Nominated for 4 Golden Globes including Best Picture and
Best Director! Director David Lynch.
The press say..... "There's
nothing like this baby anywhere! This sinful pleasure is a fresh triumph for
Lynch, and one of the best films of the year. Visionary daring, swooning
eroticism and colours that pop like a whore's lip gloss!" Rolling
Stone
"A maniacal
thrill!" ?
The New York Times.
Stars the ever sexy Naomi Watt....
Memento Mori (whispering
corridors)
Mercy (1999) ***
A gritty female detective enters a sordid world of sexual
deviance to catch a pattern killer in this direct-to-video soft-core suspense
thriller.
(The) Monkey's Mask (2002) **
The Monkey's Mask is a stylish and sex-drenched lesbian
murder mystery that we can all enjoy. This Sydney-set film was adapted from a
novel by screenwriter Dorothy Porter. Susie Porter (Star Wars: Episode 2) stars
as Jill, a 28-year-old private investigator who is hired by the parents to
locate their missing daughter Mickey, a poetry-obsessed student. Jill jumps at
the opportunity - but she soon gets sidetracked by an intense affair with
Mickey’s lusty poetry lecturer, Diana (Kelly McGillis).
More complications arise when Mickey’s strangled body turns
up. Rather than move on from both Mickey’s case and the torrid affair with
Diana, Jill becomes more involved with both.
There are enough twists and turns to beguile mystery lovers,
and even more flesh for those who enjoy onscreen Sapphic love. McGillis, (The Accused, Top Gun, Witness) is unabashedly
sexual here and as the cute, albeit not quite Hercule
Poirrot gumshoe, Porter provides a fine foil.
Gorgeously composed in cinemascope, flawlessly acted, Monkey’s Mask is
cinematic poetry of the highest and sexiest - order.
Maggie & Annie *
Annie has everything she's ever wanted in life - a wonderful
husband, and a darling little girl. However when she meets Maggie - cute,
athletic and openly gay - at a softball game, she discovers something in
herself she never knew existed.
Make a Wish (filmed in 2004)
A comic twist on the classic horror tale! Susan invites a
group of ex-lovers for a camping trip to celebrate her birthday. Plans include
hiking and relaxing by the old water hole. Unscheduled activities include some
steamy tent-hopping. But then, one by one, the campers begin to disappear...
“If anyone can think of a better set-up for a horror film than lesbian
ex-lovers camping in
“In the spirit of Friday the 13th, one by one the lesbians get the chop.
First time filmmaker Ferranti creates fever pitch psycho-sexual tension, with
lots of self deprecating humor thrown in. It's about
time we got our very own lesbian slasher!” - Selina
Robertson, London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Official Selection at LGBT Film Festivals across North America: Miami, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Toronto, Fire Island, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Austin,
Kansas City, Philadelphia, and many more!
My Femme Devine
My Mother Likes Women (filmed 2002 sub-titled)
Sofia (Rosa María Sardŕ) is a pianist who lives in
The selfish sisters go about trying to remove Eliska (Eliska Sirova) from their mother's life and decide to show mom
that Eliska isn't serious or faithful to her. The
plan is for Elvira to seduce her, and although Eliska
doesn't fall for that,
This is a nice film about real "family values,"
with a sweet romance. If you're a fan of Pedro Almodóvar,
you'll also appreciate the comedic style.
Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006) ****
The Shah family runs one of the premiere Indian restaurants
in
Then when Nina finds out that they are in the finals of the
coveted "Best of the West Curry Competition," she knows that she must
win it for her father. Although it's been a while, she spent her childhood in
the kitchen with him, and Nina tries to summon all of his unwritten rules for
cooking the perfect curry.
Her greatest competition is from Sanjay (Raji
James), the man she left at the altar three years ago, running from their
arranged marriage. Luckily her father's business partner Lisa (Laura Fraser,
Iron Jawed Angels, The Investigator) is in Nina's
corner, helping her in the kitchen ... and soon falling in love.
Nina and Lisa are ready to win it all, but hit a snag when
Nina feels like she can't come out to her family. With a little bit of help
from her father's spirit, in cooking and in love, Nina takes his advice to
follow your heart.
Naked Killer (1992 subtitled) ***
Finally a
After they kill a mob leader, Cindy's former student, the
brutal Princess (Carrie Ng), is hired to murder them both. This makes for some
great weapons work and fight scenes between Princess and her girlfriend Baby (Madoka Sugawara), Kitty and Cindy, and Kitty's cop
boyfriend Tinam (Simon Yam).
The film includes a lot of bloody violence, gunfights and
martial arts combat between four beautiful women. Throughout, the women tease
one another sexually and never know whether the others are enemies or friends.
The plot is secondary here, but if you enjoy campy
November Moon **
November Moon tells the gripping story of a wartime romance
between two beautiful and strong-willed women. On the brink of World War II,
November Messing flees her native
Amid a series of life-changing wartime events, November and Férial are challenged by extraordinary circumstances to
realize their truest selves and to live - or die - by those choices.
An international film-festival favorite,
November Moon won Best Film honors at the Gay Film
Festival of New York, the AGLA Award (Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists in
the Entertainment Industry), and Frameline's Best
Director Award for Alexandra von Grote. ". . .shows sensitivity in balancing the complexities of wartime
actions, and subordinates the love story to give a broad picture of that
period." ...
Its a french "Aimee &
Jaguar"
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel
by Jeanette Winterson. Jess (Charlotte
Coleman) grows up in northwestern
Jess continues to spend time with her mother and the other
incredibly annoying bible thumpers. But she also uses bible study to pick up
her next girlfriend, Katy (Tania Rodrigues), until
they are cruelly betrayed to the church. All of this finally gives Jess the
strength to leave for
Great performances and a moving coming of
age story. Produced by the BBC with screenplay by Winterson,
it won several television awards in the
Only The Brave
Out of Season 1998
This is an amazing cinematic accomplishment for first time
Director Jeanette L. Buck. Out of Season is both poignant and compelling with
an honesty rarely seen in film performances. Especially in
the lesbian genre.
Micki is a bit of a wanderer. She
never stays in one place too long. Never with a woman much
longer. Now family and maybe fate brings her to East Coast Cape May to
nurse her ailing Uncle Charlie. She doesn't know if "she's searching for
something or running from it."
Quickly this lack of direction is challenged by a local
lesbian recluse/short order cook Roberta. As much as you want them together,
you can't help but surrender--savor every moment they
clash. Sexual tension times a hundred--sweet connection to the moon and back.
I've seen Out of Season and put it at the top of my list of
nearly any lesbian film prior. Get misplaced!
Peach
The Politics of Fur
Please Don’t Stop
Peck on the cheek (2002 sub-titled)
This lavish Indian comedy-drama is unsure of what it wants
to be, but still manages to be charming and consistently entertaining. A Peck
on the Cheek is a sweet, funny, fairy tale about the adopted daughter of loving
parents who wants to find her real mother, even if it means running away from
home.
The structure is a little ungainly -- there's an ill-advised
subplot about guerrilla fighters in
Pandora's Box (filmed 1928)
German silent film Pandora's Box was censored when it came
out in 1928 because of explicit sexuality. Lulu (Louise Brooks) is a
What some consider the first lesbian in the history of
cinema, the Countess gives longing and jealous looks
to Lulu as she works a room full of men. The Countess then takes her hand to
dance, and they dance closely, watched by Lulu's male lover. He cuts in, and
later the Countess makes one more move for Lulu's attentions, with a long hug
and a joyful look on Lulu's face.
The Countess was almost completely edited out of many
versions of the film at the time, but she's back in for modern viewers. Other
edits changed the ending, showing Lulu's religious conversion, but the original
version, Lulu is killed by Jack the Ripper.
If you're a fan of groundbreaking cinema, this is probably
one you for you. Just keep in mind that it is a silent movie, so much of the
story comes from facial expressions, body language and editing, and it requires
close attention.
Personal Best 1982**
The intertwined lives and loves of three highly-ranked
athletes striving for the national team; Chris (Mariel
Hemingway) bounces between the beds of male coach Terry and her female friend,
competitor, and role model Tory.
(The) Pleasure Drivers filmed 2005*
This aimless, meandering film involves three interconnected
stories. A college psychology professor's wife (Deena
Dill) leaves him for another woman, and he heads out on a road trip with a
student who is also a professional escort. In another segment, Tom (Angelo Spizzirri, Pretty Persuasion) is unwell mentally and
physically, and when they no longer have money for his meds, his caregiver
Daphne (Lauren Holly) snaps. She kidnaps Tom's sister from a cultlike church, and with the help of her cousin (Meat
Loaf), she also hits the road.
All of them end up in the same isolated motel, and the
church sends a hit woman to take care of the kidnapper and her ransom demands.
Out lesbian Jill Bennett (In Her Line of Fire, "Dante's Cove,"
Platonically) looks hot in black leather as the brutal hit woman who jumps out
of her convertible rather than opening the door. We're first introduced to her
as she and her strap on give it to another woman. When she reaches the motel,
she ties up the professor (Angus Macfadyen) and ends
up using her condom covered silencer to dispense his first real sexual
pleasure.
Unfortunately, a gun toting lesbian in black leather isn't
enough to make this movie worth watching. I really didn't care about who lives
and dies in the end - just waiting for the credits to roll.
Puccinni for Beginners 2007
Writer/director Maria Maggenti
struck a chord with the The Incredibly True Adventure
of Two Girls in Love, and a decade later, she's back with a well produced
comedy about a bisexual romantic triangle. Allegra
(Elizabeth Reaser) is a
In scenes that harken to Woody
Allen, Allegra juggles the two relationships with
advice from strangers passing by on the
With a plot that is a bit predictable, we find that Philip
and Grace used to be a couple, both raw from their breakup
and rebounding with Allegra. Can there be any hope
that she doesn't end up breaking both of their hearts as well as her own?
The dialog is smart, couched in the
Prey for Rock n Roll **
Combining a hot rock-n-roll score by Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) with hot stars Gina Gershon (Bound) and Lori Petty (Tank Girl) and a
true-to-heart story of a mostly-dyke LA Strip band provides some major
entertainment. Jacki (Gina Gershon)
is the lead singer of the "Clam Dandys" an
LA Sunset Strip all-girl band. Her current line-up includes the young drummer
Faith, guitarist (and Faith's girlfriend) Sally (Lori Petty) and bass player
Tracy.
Jacki's turning 40 -- she's been
playing the strip for twenty years while she waits for her big break. Until
then, she's a tatoo artist. In this rather sloppy,
fun movie -- these girls are all a mess. Jacki's
bisexual, but can't commit and loses her girlfriend early on. Faith adores her
older lover Sally -- they're the most stable of the band.
The performances are excellent overall. Gina Gershon stands out with her portrait of a tired rocker who
realizes that she's never going to be a star. Lori Petty is also superb in her
supporting role -- when is she ever going to be a star -- are we the only ones
who loved Tank Girl? The standout performer here is really the music and the
atmosphere/sets. The good solid rock-n-roll tunes from Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) really make the film.
Anyone who has friends who have tried to make it in the rock-n-roll world will
know Prey for Rock & Roll rings true.
Replay
Producing Adults (2004)
Venla (Pekka
Strang) works as a psychologist in a fertility
clinic, while at the same time, she can't convince her longtime
boyfriend Antero (Kari-Pekka
Toivonen) to have a baby with her. He goes as far as
secretly getting a vasectomy after she tells him that she will leave him if he
won't have a child. Their relationship is without real intimacy, although they
plan to get married. She's deluded and a bit dazed going through life, and he's
just not honest about his feelings.
Meanwhile, Venla becomes close to Satu (Minttu Mustakallio),
a doctor and co-worker, and supports her when she tries to get the clinic to
change its policies to supply sperm to single women and lesbian couples. Satu is obviously falling for Venla,
and she starts doing the same. But it takes Venla
some time to realize whom and what she really wants out of life, and the two
women must endure Venla's confusion.
While Antero and Venla go into counseling
together, Satu's heart is broken, and she is worn
down enough to work on a relationship with her brother's annoying (male) friend
(Tommi Eronen). Don't fear
though - the film does make for a happy lesbian ending and an unconventional
love story once Venla wakes up.
The Right Girl
Round Trip
Revior Julie (filmed 1998)
Revoir Julie is an absolute must-see. Two women, Julie and
Juliet, meet again after 15 years and share memories about their teenage years.
But why did Juliet change school? Why did they not dare get in touch all these
years? All is revealed thought a brilliant plot and wonderful, fun, and witty
dialogue. Jeanne Crepeau's script is of the highest
quality, with a touch of Rohmer (but without the boring factor!).
The storyline is a mix of romance and comedy and the two
actresses deliver top of the range performances. 10 out of 10!
Red Doors 2005
This heartwarming and touching
comedy focuses on the Wongs, a Chinese-American
family from the
The girls are all very focused on the drama in their own
lives. Katie is having a prank war with a boy whom she'd really rather date.
Eldest daughter Sam (Jacqueline Kim, Lao Ma in "Xena")
is unsure about her upcoming marriage, and Julie (Elaine Kao) has recently
fallen in love with Mia (producer Mia Riverton), an actress visiting the
hospital where she is a medical student.
The pressures of dating a celebrity with nosy reporters
around are a challenge to the budding relationship. But Mia comes through when
her girlfriend needs her the most - a crisis that
brings them all together.
Robin’s Hood 2003
Robin is trying to make a difference in her urban community
but finds that the system doesn't allow her to do what's best for her clients.
The rules are stacked against them, and soon her supervisor sends her looking
for a new job.
The solution? Expand into the bank
robbery business and give to the poor, just like a modern day Robin Hood. But
it's not a fairytale. Bank robbery is a dangerous profession, and it's not
always easy going between the two lovers.
A new, refreshing love story with two very
beautiful women, who are even sexier in bed together. Coupled with the
issues it tackles related to social services and racism, and a great
soundtrack, this dvd will be
a nice addition to your lesbian romance collection.
Saving Face 2004 ****
This heart-warming coming out romance from first-time
lesbian director Alice Wu was the toast of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Boyishly gorgeous Michelle Krusiec
stars as Wil, a young
Wil's schedule makes their romance
difficult enough, but she's also in the closet - so it causes a major trauma
when her single mother Hwei-Lan (the luminous Joan
Chen) shows up on her doorstep looking for a place to live because she's gotten
pregnant!
Wil does what any dutiful child
with an expectant, unmarried mother on her hands would do: she proceeds to set Hwei-Lan up with every eligible bachelor in town.
Although the two women are close, Wil
doesn't tell her mom about Viv, but neither will her
mom tell her who is the father of the upcoming child.
This difficult situation comes to a head in a surprising way!
Serving in Silence (filmed 1995) ***
Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer was a 25 year Army veteran, Chief Nurse of the
Washington State National Guard, a recipient of the Bronze Star in
Grethe is involuntarily
discharged, but doesn't take this discrimination lying down. With the support
of her partner Diane, her father and four sons, Colonel Cammermeyer
challenges the existing ban on homosexuals in the military.
This outstanding film is her true story, with Glenn Close
(Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, The House of the Spirits)
portraying Grethe as she falls in love with Diane
(Judy Davis, Gaudi Afternoon), comes out to her
family, and risks it all by going public and becoming a real hero to the lgbt community. Although Colonel Cammermeyer
is an amazing woman, who also receives her Ph.D. during the course of the
story, she's also a real person, played brilliantly by Close.
After a long legal battle, courts later ruled that the ban
was unconstitutional, and Grethe was reinstated in
the National Guard. This was the same year that "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell" became official
Show Me Love (Fucking Amal)
– Sub-titles ***
A sensitive and funny coming-of-age drama about two teenage
girls growing up in a small town that find liberation
in a conservative setting.
Show Me Love explores the minds of the teenage girls with
surprising sensitivity. The result is an uncliched
contemporary story about longing, the joy and pain of being in love, the
comical and heartbreaking aspects of growing up - and the courage it takes to
be different.
Same Sex Parents (sub-titles) filmed in 2001. ***
Olympe (Louise Monot)
is a French high school student, trying to fit in,
have a boyfriend, etc. When word gets out that her mother Martine (Élisabeth Bourgine) is a lesbian,
and she's teased at school, Olympe doesn't react
well. She sulks with her mother and insults her boyfriend. Martine's lover Do (Donatienne Dupont), who lives
with them, is supportive, but also has issues with how far in the closet
Martine is.
Olympe runs off to
She wants to live with her father, but he drives Olympe back home. When she arrives early, she walks in on
her mother and Do making love, prompting her to tell her mother to get rid of
"the filthy dyke." She forces her mother to choose between daughter
and lover, so Do moves out.
Secret Things 2002 Sub-titled
Sandrine (Sabrina Seyvecou) is a
bartender in the same
After landing jobs in the same company, Nathalie puts
together a plan to gain power and money by manipulating the most important men
there. As she works on Mr. Delacroix (Roger Mirmont),
Sandrine lures him to the apartment, where he walks in on the two women having
sex. Soon they are enjoying after hours threesomes.
But the plan is put astray by Christophe
(Fabrice Deville), the owner's son who enjoys playing
with the lives of others. Much more powerful than either of them, he makes the
two women do his bidding, including a threesome with his sister Charlotte (Blandine Bury) and throwing them into large orgies at his
house.
Show Me (filmed 2005) **
A sharp cat-and-mouse thriller (with a lesbian twist)!
Two disaffected teens abduct yuppie Sarah and force her to
take them to her remote vacation cottage in the woods. Since the teens have
basically acted on impulse, they aren't sure what to do next. But within days,
the situation evolves into an erotically charged, high-stakes confrontation
with unexpected twists.
There are times when a film really surprises you with its
quality, and this is one of those occasions. Show Me
combines the edge of a thriller with emotionally compelling characters and
performances. The two female leads, one a teenage cutter from a broken home and
the other a woman setting off for what seems like a romantic tenth anniversary
trip, are both complex and unpredictable.
Sarah (Michelle Nolden, Men with
Brooms) is stalled in city traffic when two young window washers carjack her at
knifepoint and force her to drive to her remote cabin in the Canadian woods.
Jenna (Katharine Isabelle, Ginger Snaps) and Jackson (Kett
Turton) aren't quite sure what to do once they
arrive, but they tie Sarah up. The next several days reveal secrets and lead up
to an unexpected conclusion.
In this case, letting you know much about the lesbian
content would spoil some of the plot twists and turns. (Suffice it to say that
seduction at knifepoint is not a component.) Give this one a watch. It's new
and different in the world of films with positive lesbian characters.
Set Me Free
Salmonberries
Savage Roses
She Must Be Seeing Things
Shelter Island 2003 ***
Champion golpher (Ally Sheedy) and her lover (Patsy Kensit)
retreat to their
The Sex Monster (filmed 1999) *
A neurotic businessman (Mike Binder) tries to improve his
sex life with his wife (Mariel Hemingway) by
encouraging her to have a threesome involving another woman. Fortunately, she
likes the idea. Unfortunately, she likes it more than he bargained for. Is she
now a lesbian???...
Sirens
So Close.
(Chik yeung tin si)
2002 **
A conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin
sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and
an equally high-kicking female cop.
Suddenly (Tan de repente)
subtitles 2002
“Each day turns in unexpected ways,” says Marcia’s
horoscope.
This utterly original romantic drama offers up a crazy,
poignant road trip in the cinematic tradition of Stranger Than
Paradise as a pair of scruffy dykes (butch cuties Carla Crespo
and Véronica Hassan) kidnap
a bored shop-girl (Tatiana Saphir) and take her to
the seaside.
Marcia lives a life of dreary routine alone in
The capricious Mao declares her love for the half-horrified,
half-fascinated girl and kidnaps her at knife point, hijacking a taxi and
making for the coast where Marcia claps her eye on the sea for the first time
in her life.
The trio ends up at the ramshackle house of Lenin's Aunt Blanca
(Beatriz Thibaudin), a spry old bird who is as
unconventional as her niece, despite her advanced years, and rents out rooms to
two lodgers.
The remainder of the film follows these six characters in
search of love and happiness, as relationships form and re-form and
personalities reveal themselves in surprising ways.
The Sticky Fingers of Time (filmed 1997) ***
A writer, Tucker Harding, is hired to cover an article on
the hydrogen-bomb test,
Not long after she is murdered by a woman from the future,
Ofelia, intent on securing her own ability to time travel. However, before her
death Tucker travels to the year 1997 where she meets Drew, a failed writer who
has been infected with Tuckers original mutation since birth.
Spider Lillies 2007
A spider lily is a flower that is said to line along the
pathway to Hell. It contains poison which will cause one to lose our memory.
Memories are central to the story, as the characters involved are questioned as
to whether their memories are faulty, and if one can choose to repress them in
the attempt to forget, be they happier times, or times of woe.
Jade (Rainie Yang) is an Internet
web-cam girl, living with her grandma, and making a living out of smut,
enticing men to trade money for moments of online peek-a-boo
pleasure. She has a love since 9 years of age, and it is the relationship with Takeko (Isabella Leong), a
tattooist, that forms the fulcrum of the story. Takeko
herself bears a strong spider lily tattoo on her left arm, and it is something
that Jade wants for herself, trying to rekindle and
capture memories of her lost love, now found again.
There had been a recent fad about tattoos, nevermind the negative connotations once associated with
this permanent body art. Perhaps this movie will change opinions about tattoos,
as it opens your mind to specifics as to the reason behind each design, and the
rationale that each person probably had when making their choices on a
particular design. And as a plot device, it was a hand in glove, a tattoo's
powerful symbolism of hiding real intentions or emotions behind, or to feed off
its perceived energy and possessing the design's qualities.
Spider Lilies has fine editing
which serves the movie extremely well in engaging the audience with the
characters' past. In fact, the rich back stories created for the characters
make the story very compelling to watch. If there is a chink in the armour, then
it's the characterization of Takeko's brother Ching (Shen Jian-hung),
who is a bit slow in mental intelligence, and spends a lot of screen time
pouting for his sister's attention, which totally messes up her social life,
out of love and obligation to provide the only family care for him.
The fear and pain of being forgotten in a modern society
might resonate with many, and anyone who has spent enough time on the internet,
will know that its anonymity can often lead to misunderstandings. That subplot
perhaps added a touch of lightness coupled with a tinge of sadness and irony.
As most youths today turn to the net as an outlet for expression, most will be
able to identify with this portion of the story arc.
Still Standing 2005 *
Micaeal (Adam Garcia) and Elise
(Amy Adams) are about to get married. Their high school and college friends
gather together for the wedding and resolve some issues. Lana (Mena Savuri) is in therapy and when Elise's ex (Lauren German)
shows up from
That Tender Touch; 1969
The 1960's and '70s brought us Blaxploitation
(e.g. Black Mama, White Mama and Cleopatra Jones), but it also was the source
of many a Dykesploitation film. Thanks to lgbt film historian Jenni Olson,
low budget lesbian exploitation movies from this period are now being
rediscovered like the lesbian pulp novels of the '50s and '60s. That Tender
Touch is one of the first releases in the new Wolfe Vintage Collection.
Big time melodrama ensues as femme lovers Marsha (Bee
Tompkins) and Terry (Sue Bernard, Faster, Pussycat!
Kill! Kill!) live happily together in southern
"Marsha, I need you. I want you," is what Terry
really feels, but she thinks she must lead a "normal" life with a
man. Marsha can't let go, and even though she is also propositioned by two of
Terry's female neighbors and the maid, she can't
stand the thought of Terry with a man.
Like most productions from this time, the lesbian must die
in the end to a dramatic score. As long as you know about this upfront, enjoy
the film for the trashy historical piece that it is. (Some will have great fun
watching, while others will probably find it a bit torturous.) The dvd has been mastered from a 35mm
archival print and definitely shows its age, but in some ways that adds to a
feeling of authenticity.
Treading Water
Christmas is the season for giving and spending time with
your family? apparently. How can you face this when
your family is ruled by an uptight matriarch who won?t even acknowledge your lesbianism? Casey Olsen
(Redman) and Alexandra (Landra) are passionate lovers
who have surprisingly made successful lives for themselves in a
As Christmas approaches, the pair, who live on Casey?s houseboat-cum-love nest,
must come to terms with the emotional turmoil in the Olsen household. Though
only across the bay, they are socially polar opposites. The strict Catholic
mother (Miller) simply cannot bring herself to accept that her daughter is gay,
and therefore Alex will not be invited to join the entire family for Christmas
dinner. Having lived through this before, Casey puts her foot down; and the
entire fabric of the family begins to come apart piece by piece, as secrets,
homophobia and repression are brought out to air. Himmel
has successfully created a poetic, sometimes comical and frequently erotic
character study that many of us will identify with. The climax is neither predictable
nor melodramatic in this emotionally charged drama.
Tick Tock (filmed 2000) **
Rachel (Megan Ward) plans with her partner-in-crime Carla
(Kristin Minter) to murder Rachel's wealthy husband for his money through a
complex plot of blackmail, seduction, and brutality involving a cowboy named
Travis who may or may not be on to the ladies plan.
Theresa and Isabelle (filmed 1968)
"Oh Therese" "Oh
Isabelle" ... oh no. Filmed in French in 1968, this is an erotic
lesbian classic, but for modern viewers, it can be somewhat tedious. It moves
very slooooowly, with longing glances and dramatic
music.
Therese (Essy Persson)
is a teenager sent to boarding school when her mother remarries and essentially
abandons her daughter. There she meets Isabelle (Anna Gaël),
a much more carefree and life experienced girl, and the two become fast
friends.
The story is told in flashback as an adult Therese revisits
the old school and recalls her first love. The girls, played by women who look
much too old for the parts, soon start kissing and caressing in bathroom stalls
and the chapel. Love scenes are not explicit, but sensual with nudity, and they
are poetically narrated by the adult Therese, who uses such phrases as
"secret pearl."
They promise to never leave one another, but as one might
expect for a film of this time, all doesn't end well. Soon after they spend a
night together in the woods, Isabelle's parents take her out of the school,
leaving a heartbroken Therese all alone again.
Directed by Radley Metzger and
based on the novel by Violette Leduc.
Things You Can Tell By Just Looking At
Her (filmed 2000) **
An anthology of five loosely connected
stories dealing with a variety of very different women in dealing with their
own life problems. The first story "This is Dr. Keener"
features Glenn Close as a doctor looking after her invalid mother who comes to
realize that her own life is passing her by. The second story "Fantasies About Rebecca" features Holly Hunter as a wealthy bank
manager who doesn't realize that her own life is a sham in dealing with an
unplanned pregnancy, a workaholic boyfriend, and an observant street woman who
knows more about Rebecca than she herself does. The third, "Someone For Rose" features Kathy Baker as a single mother who
debates with herself over starting a romance with a dwarf who moves into the
house across her street. The fourth, "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight
Christine" features Calista Flockhart as
Christine, a tarot reader who struggles with increasing grief and depression
while taking care of her lesbian lover Lilly who's dying from cancer. The
fifth, "Love Waits for Kathy" features Amy Brenneman
as a police detective who examines her loneliness after her blind sister Carol
begins dating while Kathy is on a case of investigating the suicide of an old
school friend who was just as lonely as she.
Twice a Woman aka Twee vrouwen 1979
Woman (Laura) falls in love with girl (Sylvia). They have an
affair, but suddenly Sylvia runs off with the ex-husband of Laura. Laura can't
understand why, but Sylvia doesn't want to talk to her. Later it becomes clear
why Sylvia did this and then it is the ex-husband to be upset. He takes
revenge.
The Truth about Jane ***
Jane's mom assumes her popular daughter is just like every
other fifteen-year old girl. Then Jane meets
Jane's mom (Stockard Channing, West Wing, Grease)
assumes her popular daughter is just like every other fifteen-year old girl.
Then Jane meets
Tuli 2006
A group of young Pilipino boys gathers at the creek. Through
the lush forest, sun dapples the ground and water. A kind of ritual begins to
transpire. The boys, one by one, are circumcised in a requisite rite of
passage. A young girl, Daisy, is also there and becomes her father's stoic
assistant in the act. Life in the remote Philipino
village seems simple and innocent.
But as the children grow up, the plot becomes more complicated. Cut to Daisy, a
beautiful young woman. She is dissatisfied with her
life, and her father is continually drunk and increasingly abusive. An arranged
marriage seems her only way out, but she has her eye on a different life. She
is already falling in love with her female childhood friend - a relationship
that threatens to tear the village apart.
Totally Fucked Up
Thin Ice
Three on a Match
Twenty One
Unveiled (Fremde Haut)
subtitles filmed 2005 ***
Fariba, persecuted in
Stars Jasmin Tabatabai
(BANDITS) and Anneke Kim Sarnau
(THE CONSTANT GARDENER).
German w/some Persian. English
Subtitles.
Vampyres (filmed 1974)
Fran and Miriam are a pair of
beautiful vampires who get victims to pull over by hitchhiking. They proceed to
bring them back to their house and drink their blood.
Vampyros Lesbos
(filmed 1971)
Linda is a young American lawyer, working in a law office in
An erotic horror tale about a vixen vampiress seducing and killing women to appease her
insatiable thirst for female blood.
V for Vendetta filmed 2005 ****
"People should not be afraid of their governments;
governments should be afraid of their people."
Much has been written about this film and its sociopolitical commentary on oppressive governments that
seek to curtail freedoms, lie to its own citizens, and find torture and
imprisonment without trial acceptable. What it gives us is both a warning about
what a climate of fear can create and a hope that there are those out there who
will lead the masses to their senses.
"V" (Hugo Weaving) is a freedom fighter, a man who
wears a mask as he uses terrorist tactics to rally
"V" saves Evey (Natalie
Portman) from rape by the secret police, and she joins him. When
detained, Evey shares a cell wall with Valerie
(Natasha Wightman), imprisoned because she is a lesbian. She writes out
her story to Evey. "I remember how different
became dangerous. I still don't understand it … why they hate us so much."
The death of Valerie, imprisoned for her sexual orientation,
is a rallying point for "V" and is used as a powerful illustration of
the dangers of such government power over the lives of its populace.
(The)Watermelon Woman (filmed 1996)
Cheryl is young, Black, and lesbian, working in
Following various leads, Cheryl discovers the Watermelon
Woman's stage name and real name and surmises that the actress had a long
affair with Martha Page, a White woman and one of
Wave Babes (2003) *
Inspired by the movie Blue Crush, in Wave Babes buffed
lesbian Sam (comedian Georgia Ragsdale) gets a call from her gal pal Val, she
dons her bikini for a reckless
When Val's ex shows up with his trophy wife, does Val have
what it takes to survive the girl-fight? Will Maureen tell all Val's secrets?
Will Sam get ALL the girls?
Hilarious extras include standup
comedy by Georgia Ragsdale.
War Widow (The)
What Makes A Family
Women from Down Under
Why Not Me
Work
What's Cookin
Ensemble drama about four Los Angeleno
families of various ethnic backgrounds and social standings coming together for
their respective Thanksgiving dinners and finding out they have a lot in
common.
When Night Is Falling ***
Camille (Pascale Bussičres, Eldorado, The Five Senses), a classical
mythology professor at a
Patricia Rozema’s third feature
brings desire and romance back to the screen with a rush. Camille and
Wild Side **
The lesbian sleeper of 1995, this torrid love story is
packaged in the guise of a standard soft-core action/thriller. Everything that
Showgirls tried but gloriously failed to be is in this Wild Side. Heche is Alex Lee, a banker by day and a high-class hooker
by night. Both of her careers are sent in a tailspin after a $1,500 tryst with
Bruno Buckingham (Walken), a bug-eyed, high-living
businessman with criminal intentions. An elegant and gorgeous Chen is Virginia
Chow, Bruno's wife who meets and immediately is attracted to the beautiful
Alex. Before she realizes it, Alex is caught up in a plot to inject a computer
virus into the national banking system, is a pawn of a sex-crazed FBI man, and
in love (with