2018 OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL

It’s almost that time again to celebrate the lives of the LGBTQ communities through cinema. The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival will be held beginning on July 13th and concluding on July 22nd. This looks like another year of exciting programming from across the globe.



The Opening Night Gala, which will once again be held at the majestic Orpheum theatre in downtown L.A., will begin with the presentation of this year’s Outfest Achievement Award to filmmaker, Angela Robinson. Her work as a writer/director includes the feature films, “D.E.B.S.” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded” and on television with the shows, “True Blood” and “The L Word”. Ms Robinson’s latest feature from last year, “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women”, based on the story of the creator of the classic comic-book super-hero, Wonder-Woman and his unconventional life, will be screened during the fest.

The film that will kick-off the fest will be “Studio 54”. This glittering documentary by Matt Tyrnauer will allow viewers behind the exclusive velvet ropes to reveal all of the juicy and scandalous details of what went on at this infamous, celebrity-filled, New York disco back in the 1970's. Mr. Tyrnauer has another documentary that will be screened during the fest, "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood".  This is a shocking expose on the after-hours activities of the glamorous stars in the golden age of Hollywood seen through the eyes of Scotty Bowers who claims to have arranged private hook-ups for some of these closeted actors.





Some of the Special Screenings of the festival include the U.S. Centerpiece, "We The Animals", the feature debut by documentary filmmaker, Jeremiah Zagar. This drama (which made a splash at this year's Sundance Film Fest where it won the NEXT innovator Award) is based on the novel by Justin Torres and tells the story of three young brothers trying to navigate through their parent's volatile marriage and ultimate separation. While two of the boys seem to model the behavior of their macho father, the youngest son appears more sensitive and thoughtful like their mother.



"Marvin ou la belle éducation (Reinventing Marvin)" is the International Centerpiece. Anne Fontaine, the acclaimed French filmmaker ("Coco Before Chanel"), delivers her latest which involves Marvin, a lonely boy who is a little different which causes him to be picked on by his classmates and misunderstood by his parents. An understanding school principal guides him towards a drama class and Marvin's life opens up to endless possibilities and a new way to express himself on the stage. And the film features the legendary actress, Isabelle Huppert playing a version of herself.



Choreographer turned filmmaker, Jamal Sims with his directorial debut, "When The Beat Drops" has been selected as the Documentary Centerpiece. The film takes place in Atlanta and follows a group of black gay dancers who perform a dance called "bucking" which follows in the tradition of the New York ballroom scene where they compete to see who is the best dance troop.



And the Closing Night Gala will be Desiree Akhavan's "The Miseducation of Cameron Post". The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival tells the story of Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenage lesbian who is sent to a religious conversion camp after she is caught by her parents making out with another girl. While the counselors attempt to "cure" her, Cameron resists and forms a bond with two others (Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck) to rebel against this therapy.



For the complete list of films, venues and to purchase tickets, please click below:

2018 Outfest Film Festival

PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN (2017)

Written & Directed by Angela Robinson


Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. October 15, 2017 7:05 PM



Wonder Woman was one of the first female super-heroes to appear in comic-books back in 1941, a time when women were not seen as much more than wives and mothers.  She was the rare feminist character that was highly intelligent, powerful and strong who didn't require a man to fight her battles but still maintained traditional ideas of femininity. William Moulton Marston, an American psychologist and educator, is the man behind Wonder Woman's creation (under the alias "Charles Moulton") and with "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women", from writer/director Angela Robinson, reveals the incredibly unconventional life of the author that inspired this unique hero. Enticing and melodramatic, the film examines the eye-raising, intimate relationship between Martson, his wife and his female student yet lacks a convincing passion and spirit to fully engage this decidedly kinky material.

The film opens with Marston (Luke Evans) startled by a frenzied mob burning comic-books including his "Wonder Woman". This is followed by the professor being questioned by the director of the Child Study Association of America (played by Connie Britton) during an investigation over the effects on children to his questionable comic-book character and the depictions of subversive behavior in them.

We flashback to 1928 when Professor Marston is teaching a course on human behavior involving the dynamics between men and women at Harvard. His wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall), also a noted psychologist, works along side her husband at the school as they are struggling to develop a device that can detect if you are lying. In search of a research assistant, Olive (Bella Heathcote), a lovely, sweet-faced student, applies for the job and Marston, attracted to more than just her brain, quickly hires her. Outspoken, opinionated yet insecure, Elizabeth crudely warns the shy young girl not to sleep with her husband. Horrified that she felt a need to even mention the idea, Olive wants to quit even before she starts the job. But after Marston has his wife offer a hasty apology and both are thrilled to discover Olive is the daughter of radical feminist, Ethel Byrne who is the sister of the groundbreaking activist, Margaret Sanger, they begin to work closely together.

Thanks to a suggestion by Olive, they are finally able to get the lie detector to function. And this soon leads to this highly educated couple being unable to deny that they have both become completely smitten and fallen in love with their young protégée.

This is only the third feature by Ms Robinson following her 2004 indie debut, "D.E.B.S." and the Lindsay Lohan disaster, "Herbie: Fully Loaded" the following year. Although she has spent most of her time directing for television, it's hard not to wonder if her gender has played a part in her not having more opportunities in film. This may be why "Professor Marston" has a solid screenplay and impressive performances yet features a fairly generic cinematic vision. One glaring example is when our trio make love together for the first time. With Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" blaring in the background, they come together backstage at the school's empty theater, playfully dressing in stage costumes and shot in glossy, Hollywood-styled soft focus. It's hardly a genuine erotically-charged moment or even a believable sex scene.

Once William, Elizabeth and Olive commit to their progressive relationship, they move to upstate New York where they raise together their children (with each woman having two with the professor) while telling their neighbors that Olive is a widow that they are helping out. A trip in to the city has Marston stumbling upon a tiny shop which discretely sells fetish wear and detailed instructions on the pleasures of bondage which further spurs the professor's imagination. But noisy neighbors, resentment and illness disrupts the idyllic paradise the trio have created in their home.

While no one will confuse these beautiful actors for their real-life counterparts, they are able to bring these people to life with committed performances. Mr. Evans, the Welsh actor and Ms Heathcote from Australia are quite exceptional but it's Ms Hall who is the true standout here. The British actress delivers a fierce intelligence, sharp wit and fiery passion to her role as she struggles with her mind telling her that their romantic liaison is completely impractical while her body is filled with an undeniable desire.

"Professor Marston and the Wonder Women" introduces us to a forward thinking man that greatly admired and respected women, believing that with their superior minds should be in charge of ruling the world. Although this was far from a commonly held belief in Marston's time (and not much has charged in our modern era) but with the two important women in his life that he loved to help fuel his imagination, he was able to creatively bring his extraordinary ideas to realization. The film is not entirely successful in breaking out of the usual bio-pic routine yet succeeds in opening our eyes to other uncustomary ways to love and be profoundly committed in a relationship.

2017 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

Another summer movie season has come to a close and it has proven to be somewhat of a disappointment with the films ranging from unnecessary sequels, underwhelming remakes to just plain awful. While there were a few bright spots ("Wonder Woman", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", "Baby Driver", "Girls Trip", "Dunkirk") but mostly there were just too many duds released ("The Mummy", "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", "The Dark Tower", "Valerian & The City of a Thousand Planets" to name just a few). Now is the time to look forward to the fall, where the selection of films looks far more promising. Here are ten upcoming films that I'm particularly looking forward in seeing.

All release dates are subject to change:

"BATTLE OF THE SEXES"

Release date: September 22, 2017

I was around eleven years old when the events of the comedy-drama, "Battle of the Sexes" took place so I was aware yet not particularly interested in this gender war between tennis players Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. But I'm very interested now in the retelling of this tension-filled showdown that took place in 1973. Steve Carell and Emma Stone star as the iconic tennis stars as we witness all of the outrageous theatrics that leads up to the dramatic match between them. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ("Little Miss Sunshine") directs.



"WOODSHOCK"

Release date; September 22, 2017

It seems Tom Ford may have inspired other fashion designers to get in to the movie business. The Mulleavy sisters, Laura and Kate (who design the women's clothing line, Rodarte) have written and directed their first feature, "Woodshock". With friend and muse, Kirsten Dunst as an executive producer and star, the film focuses on a grief-stricken woman living in Northern California. She works at a marijuana dispensary and when a powerful new strain is discovered, it quickly replaces lumber as a lucrative cash crop in the area. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the visuals in the film are wildly vivid and disorienting.



"BLADE RUNNER 2049"

Release date: October 6, 2017

When "Blade Runner", a 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott and based on the Phillip K. Dick novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", was released, it was initially met with tepid critical reaction and middling box-office. Over time, the film became much more appreciated for it's inventive story-telling and groundbreaking visuals and is now considered a sci-fi classic. Now, thirty-five years later, a follow-up film has finally been made. "Blade Runner 2049" is set thirty years after the first film as a blade runner, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) begins to unravel a dangerous plot that could potentially end mankind. As he further investigates, it leads him to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford),  a former blade runner who dropped out of sight years ago for a good reason. Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival") directs with Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista and Edward James Olmos (who also reprises his role in the original film) also starring.



"PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN"

Release date : October 27, 2017

"Wonder Woman" became one of the biggest hits of the year and the timing couldn't be better to take a look at the unconventional life of that character's creator. "Professor Marston & The Wonder Women" examines Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), a brilliant man who was a psychologist, inventor and most unlikely, a comic-book writer. We learn that the doctor, his wife (Rebecca Hall) and close friend to both (Bella Heathcote) were all involved in a highly unusual relationship and that these strong-willed women became the inspiration of his famous creation.



"MY FRIEND DAHMER"

Release date: November 3, 2017

John "Derf" Backderf wrote a memoir on his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer who would grow-up to become an infamous serial killer. But he took the unusual step of creating it as a graphic novel. Marc Meyers has adapted the novel and directed "My Friend Dahmer" and cast Ross Lynch, an actor formerly associated with Disney Channel programming, as Dahmer. While not exactly attempting to make him sympathetic, the teenage Dahmer is revealed to be a lonely and tormented young man who drank to excess, displayed strange behavior and was oddly fascinated with roadkill.



"MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS"

Release date: November 10, 2017

"Murder on The Orient Express", the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, had previously been made in to a popular 1974 film by Sidney Lumet and featured an all-star cast that included Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave and Ingrid Bergman who won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role. So I guess the time must be right for a remake. Kenneth Branagh not only directs but also has taken on the juicy role of Hercule Poirot, the internationally famous French detective, who works to solve the crime on this train. This is also a star-filled event and features Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr. ("Hamilton"), Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp.



"THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI"

Release date: November 10, 2017

Frances McDormand makes a long overdue return to the big-screen with a starring role in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", the latest from playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges", "Seven Psychopaths"). She plays Mildred Hayes, a mother, grieving over the murder of her daughter, who becomes angry and frustrated that no arrest has been made in this crime. Deciding to take a stand and draw attention to this, Mildred rents three billboards that publicly shames the town sheriff (Woody Harrelson) and his police department. Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage also star.



"CALL ME BY YOUR NAME"

Release date: November 24, 2017

"Call Me By Your Name", based on the book by André Aciman, tells the story of Elio (Timothée Chalamet), an American teenager spending the summer with his parents at their Italian villa. Oliver (Armie Hammer), a handsome academic friend of the family, comes to stay for a visit. Elio is fascinated by this slightly older man, with a deep friendship developing before their relationship becomes more intimate. Luca Guadagnino directs from an adapted screenplay from legendary filmmaker, James Ivory ("A Room With a View", "Howard's End", "Maurice").



"THE SHAPE OF WATER"

Release date: December 8, 2017

Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican filmmaker who has made two of my favorite films, "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth", has returned with another dark fantasy, "The Shape of Water". While those previous films focused on young protagonists fighting against the supernatural, his latest is more of an adult romance. Set in the 1960's during the Cold War, Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a lonely, mute woman who works as a janitor at a U.S. government laboratory. She discovers a secret experiment; an amphibious creature (Doug Jones) held in a water tank. Elisa makes an emotional connection with it and determined to set it free. Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer co-star. The film will make it's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will also be screened at this year's Toronto fest.



"STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI"

Release date: December 15, 2017

The highly anticipated follow-up to 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is finally here. With Rian Johnson ("Looper") taking over directing duties from J.J. Abrams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" continues where we left off with the aspiring Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley) finding Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on an isolated island but soon discovers he's no longer the heroic Jedi warrior of the past. Meanwhile, Finn (John Boyega), the former stormtrooper turned reluctant hero, is on a new mission for the Resistance with just a mechanic (Kelly Marie Tran) by his side. Oscar-winner, Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern are new additions to the series with undisclosed roles.