List Price: $24.95 Our Price: $22.46YOU SAVE $2.49!
Buy it
DVD Leaving Metropolis
Torrid sex and tortured emotions fill the screen in Leaving Metropolis. David (Troy Ruptash), a successful painter, has lost his inspiration. To find stimulation, he gets a job at a small, out-of-the-way diner, run by married couple Violet (Cherilee Taylor) and Matt (Vincent Corazza, Owning Mahoney). When sparks fly with Matt, David gets stimulation and inspiration--but the portraits he paints of Matt may break the couple apart. The machinations of a bitter friend bring the situation to a boil. Though filled with lots and lots of sex (both gay and straight), Leaving Metropolis pays as much attention to the character's minds as to their flesh (well, almost as much--the sex scenes are quite extensive and the bodies are all beautiful). Some of the script's metaphors are a little clumsy, but the psychology is convincing. Adapted by award-winning writer Brad Fraser from his play Poor Super Man. --Bret Fetzer
The movie was good to watch. Gay artist has lost his muse and finds it in his one of his bosses who happens to be a straight male (well not anymore) and is married to his other boss. Tragic love story which although has played out in many movies, I've seen played out in real life as well. The actors weren't exactly Oscar quality, but entertaining overall.
Love Means Never Having To Say Your're Straight?
David (Troy Ruptash) is a gay painter going through a bad time artistically who decides-- in order to get fresh inspiration-- to get a job in a restaurant owned by Matt (Vincent Corazza) and his wife Violet (Cherille Taylor.) David also has a best girl friend-- doesn't every gay man?-- Kryla (Lynda Boyd) and a pre-op transexual friend Shannon played by Thom Allison. The movie is written and directed by Brad Fraser and adapted from his 1994 play POOR SUPER MAN. Further facts: Matt allgedly is straight; Kryla has a serious moral streak that allows her to meet men on the internet but permits her to make severe judgments about her best friends; Shannon-- the most endearing character in the film-- has AIDS. With all this things going on, you have the makings of a first class work of art-- a gay man falling for a straight man; the betrayed wife, someone very ill with AIDS-- or soap opera. Unfortunately, in this instance the soap wins. The acting for the most part is adequate, and there are nice touches-- the cuddling after the steamy sex scene between Violet and Matt where she is clothed and he isn't, for example, and the footage where Shannon and David sleep together because of Shannon's advanced illness. (I remember a dear friend who died in the 80's and all his close circle of friends stayed in bed with him to comfort him.) The film, however, degenerates into a crying game with enough blame to go around although the prize must go to David's rooftop sobbing jag. And wouldn't any gay man worth his Judy Garland CD's have told the restaurant owners to f--k off and walked off the job immediately when they called him the F word early on in the story? Finally, do serious artists only paint while wearing nothing but boxer briefs?
I watched the DVD version of the movie a second time with Mr. Fraser's commentary, always a risky undertaking for any director. A great movie doesn't require the creator's justification for producing it. With anything less than great, the director rarely convinces the viewer to change his mind after hearing his explanation for what he was trying to do. Mr. Fraser, who discusses some of the negative criticism the movie received, says that it is not a "gay" movie but rather is about intimacy and sexuality. He admits that the references to Superman don't work in the film because he was not permitted to use any of the Superman imagery or logos and that, given the opportunity again, he would have done some things differently. On the other hand, he frequently uses such superlatives as "wonderful," "fabulous," "great" and "terrific" to describe this work that he "loves."
I suspect that much of the melodrama in the film works much better in the stage version. Many of my friends whose critical opinion I value tell me that Mr. Fraser does fine work on QUEER AS FOLK and swear by that show, one of the reasons I rented the DVD. This movie, however, is disappointing.
'Leaving Metropolis' lacks polish...but is still worthwhile
"Leaving Metropolis," from Brad Fraser, is set in Canada. It's top character is David (Troy Ruptash), a painter. He enters a small diner, run by marrieds Matt (Vince Corazza) and Violet (Cherilee Taylor). David is well-groomed, tasteful, articulate. Matt and Violet are working-class folks who are independent restaurant owners. They are not well-groomed or articulate. These three -- separated in two categories -- come from different worlds. And they're about to converge.
Now before you think I'm going to describe point-by-point (much of which you can find in other reviews) about what happens in "Leaving Metropolis," let's just consider it a journey.
"Leaving Metropolis is the story of a single man' life and that of a marriage interrupted by a third wheel -- with a twist -- and we see secondary stories in the life of David: a saucy, female pal, Kryla (Lynda Boyd); and another friend (played by Thom Allison) who is mourning over the loss of a lover.
This is also a film in which it is the single man who is honest and fulfilled; strangely, it's Matt and Violet, both apprently without friends, who are not. They appear bored. And this is one more part of Fraser's portrait of these separate lives that makes this journey somewhat unexpected. But they won't be for much longer.
If you've read others' reviews, you can tell that "Leaving Metropolis" is a love story. Of the unusual kind. In my efforts not to spoil, I've come to realize there's no point in holding back an important fact: "Leaving Metropolis' is the story a single man, who is gay, and his life -- and that of the lives of the "straight" couple he meets -- becomes changed.
Having first seen the film as a rental from a popular -- and unnamed -- videostore chain, I was left with skepticism. "Leaving Metropolis" -- which plays at 89 minutes for the unrated version -- isn't long enough. It doesn't allow for enough character development. The supporting characters, alas, play like stock figures, the requisites expected in the makings of a "gay" film. And, with the exception of a memory Matt shares with David (while enjoying some beer), we don't get a feel for who these folks really are. To simply describe the them isn't enough; to say what happens isn't enough; these formerly still waters need to run deeply. Very deeply.
Performances by Ruptash, Corazza, and Taylor help to alleviate the quality of this film. They're sincere and honest. Ruptash's and Corazza's so-called bravery in their love scenes (director Fraser's commentary mentions that Corazza is straight and a married father) helps us understand the males' attractions. There's no holding back there, and it's good for delivering this film with power.
What has sold me on "Leaving Metropolis" is the context and the complexity of the characters' situation. Even though the exploration didn't satisfy, the journey was quite interesting. And worthwhile. "Leaving Metropolis" is worthy of a few viewings.
This could possibly be the cheesiest movie I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot of movies!) Do not waste your money on this low-budget, low-acting-ability, low-camera-experience movie. I enjoy a good "gay movie" every now and then and this was not it. Sorry to disappoint! More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael D. Akers DVD Release Date: Released the 27 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.95 Your Price: $19.96YOU SAVE $4.99!
Buy it
Despite a slow weird beginning I enjoyed this movie more than words can say. It was funny weird, thought pervoking and it left me feeling really good despite some real life situations that were not always happy. I could identify with the mormon dude since I know well his pain having come from a strict hardcore Bible Thumping BAPTIST family myself. Trust me "Baptist's" are no more accepting or tolerant of gays or gay friendly folk than the religious neanderthals seen in this movie.
Despite the religious homophobic downers this was my kind of movie it had a happy ending I could honestly beleive. This movie left me happy and filled with hope. The unrated version has the steamier sex scene but what you see is pretty tame by todays standards. I would not recommend this... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Steve Sandvoss - Wes Ramsey - Amber Benson - Jacqueline Bisset - Mary Kay Place Director(s): C. Jay Cox DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.99 Your Price: $18.74YOU SAVE $6.25!
Buy it
This is another film I purchased without knowing a thing about it, and wound up being quite glad I did. The premise of this film had me on the edge of my seat from the very first gut-wrenching conflict, in a film that was filled to the brim with gut-wrenching conflicts. The acting of both principals in this essentially two-character piece was first rate, and helped to elevate it high above most standard gay-themed fare. But what really made this picture superior to 90% of the gay titles I've purchased in the past year was the confrontation of real issues that gay men should be discussing, but frequently shy away from. Without giving away the plot, let me say that almost every minute of the taught, carefully crafted script is imbued with thoughtful discussion on issues that are all to... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Tony Piccirillo DVD Release Date: Released the 31 August 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $9.99 Your Price: $9.99YOU SAVE $0!
Buy it
A Love story about "What could have should have might have been" IF ONLY... is the basic premise of The Trip. The Trip follows two gay men through young adulthood into early middle age. One a fully realized gay young man living in truth to himself with honor without shame. This first young man was doing what he could as a gay activist from the 1970's onward to champion causes of gay rights, HIV awareness and diversity. The other gay man was a conflicted deeply closeted homosexual chap from one of those hellish super religious conservative homes where father rules with an iron fist and every aspect of waking life is lived daddy's straight arrow conservative way or no way.
On his own and away from his militaristic thought police father at home the young seemingly... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Miles Swain DVD Release Date: Released the 09 December 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.99 Your Price: $19.99YOU SAVE $5!
Buy it
Grande Ecole merges the delirious ogling of naked flesh with highfalutin' cultural theory from abstruse thinkers like Michel Foucoult--a whiplash-inducing combination that could only come from the French. Paul (Gergori Baquet), a middle-class student, arrives at a snooty economics school and finds himself lusting after his new roommate, the upper-class Louis-Arnault (Jocelyn Quivrin)--even though Paul already has a hot-and-heavy relationship with his luscious girlfriend Agnes (Alice Taglioni). Paul's sexual confusion leads him into an affair with a handsome Arab groundskeeper named Mecir (Salim Kechiouche), who falls helplessly in love with Paul. Grande Ecole awkwardly combines race and class consciousness, the defense of a death-row inmate in Texas, and an... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Robert Salis DVD Release Date: Released the 09 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $26.98 Your Price: $21.58YOU SAVE $5.4!
Buy it
