Queer Cinema 5

When I first moved to the Cities (1992), it seems to me that Dale and I were always going to one GL Film Festival or another. My favorite night was the night when the festival played the short films. For some reason, I always found those more interesting than any of the full-length features. I would really like to find some of these on DVD.

So, I recently picked up Boy's Shorts from TLA. The disc contains 6 short films, all from 1990 to 1992. I was hoping I would remember seeing at least one of them at a festival. Alas.

None of the selections were familiar to me, and I have to say I was disappointed by them. The shorts on this disc are Resonance, RSVP, Anthem, Relax, Billy Turner's Secret and The Dead Boys' Club.

The one I liked the most is RSVP. An elegy of sorts to a lover lost to AIDS. It has very little dialogue, most of the soundtrack is opera star Jessye Norman singing an aria favorite of the man who has died and the reactions of those who are affected by his death. Very moving.

The Dead Boy's Club had potential, but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Toby, just coming out in the 1990's, gets a vision (via a pair of possessed shoes) of gay life in the 1970's. Maybe because I came out in the 1980's, there just wasn't anything for me to connect with.

I just didn't get Resonance, a gay-bashing in Sidney told via interpretative dance. And Billy Turner left me cold. I didn't find it the "upbeat, energetic comedy" as described in the blurb on the case.

I will continue the search. I'm sure I will come across at least one sometime. The DVD market is huge and I'm sure someone will put the shorts on DVD (if they're not already, I just may have to wade through a slew of them).