did you believe you were putting angels in yr arms (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} iatrogenicmyth) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} bisexual,@ 2008-02-10 16:17:00 |
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Netflix and bisexuality:
I find the Netflix definition of a "bisexual movie" quite interesting. Most of these movies aren't really depictions of bisexuality at all, and a lot of them are, essentially, reflections of stereotypes about bisexuality and sexuality in general. Some of the movies included on the list are ones I've seen and I honestly cannot remember anything "bisexual" about them.
I find the Netflix definition of a "bisexual movie" quite interesting. Most of these movies aren't really depictions of bisexuality at all, and a lot of them are, essentially, reflections of stereotypes about bisexuality and sexuality in general. Some of the movies included on the list are ones I've seen and I honestly cannot remember anything "bisexual" about them.
2 x 4 - Irish construction worker Johnny (Jimmy Smallhorne) seems to have settled into a new life in America -- until the demons of his subconscious threaten to destroy everything. Working for his uncle (Chris O'Neill) by day and escaping into drugs and booze at night, Johnny soon finds his life spiraling out of control as he discovers his repressed bisexuality and is tormented by nightmares of his past. Winner of the Cinematography Award at Sundance.
All Over the Guy - Striking a healthy, loving balance in a relationship is no easy trick, no matter what your sexual orientation. For Eli (Dan Bucatinsky), it's been a seesaw of emotions since he broke up with Tom (Richard Ruccolo). But with a little help from friends, including Lisa Kudrow and Christina Ricci, maybe things can get back on track. A warm and winning comedy directed by Julie Davis.
B Monkey - Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life -- and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and leads him through all kinds of new, interesting and dark situations.
Basic Instinct - Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone star in this Oscar-nominated erotic thriller about a troubled cop and a seductive novelist entwined in an alluring game of whodunit. Facing internal inquiry, Detective Tom Curran (Douglas) doggedly pursues a case involving Catherine Tramell (Stone), a writer and temptress who's suspected in a murder reminiscent of a crime detailed in her book. But as the body count rises, so does Curran's obsession with Tramell.
Bound - Andy and Larry Wachowski made their directorial debut with this crime-thriller. Gina Gershon stars as a handywoman who crosses paths with a gangster's moll (Jennifer Tilly) and likes what she sees. Before you can say, "Unhook my brassiere," they decide to filch $2 million and hit the road together. But Tilly's beau (Joe Pantoliano) isn't keen on giving up his money or his girl.
Brother Born Again - Seeking to renew her relationship with her born-again Christian brother, documentary filmmaker Julia Pimsleur traveled to a remote Alaskan island, where brother Marc has lived for 10 years with his spiritual family. The resulting film captures Pimsleur -- a bisexual Jewish New Yorker -- as she searches for an understanding of her sibling's chosen life path, and in the process, delves into the definition of family and explores family dynamics.
Chasing Amy - Soon after comic book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), he realizes things aren't as perfect as he once thought: Alyssa's gay. With no help from his best friend, Banky (Jason Lee), Holden attempts to make the relationship with Alyssa work. Although he knows Alyssa cares deeply about him, her past may conspire to come between them and ruin everything.
Clara's Summer - Clara and Zo are excited to be off to summer camp for a week of adventure. Zo quickly hooks up with Sebastien and then is devastated to find he's dating her just to impress his friends. Flighty Zo then turns to Clara, telling her she loves her, but Clara rejects her advances. However, when Sonia, a beautiful bisexual, befriends Clara, the angst-ridden teen falls hard in this sensuous tale of teenage self-discovery. Patrick Grandperret directs.
Contadora is for Lovers - Helen (Renee Pietrangelo) and Mike (Vincent De Paul) travel to the island of Contadora for a romantic honeymoon. Upon arrival, the couple is greeted by charming Gabriel (Anthony Sago), a romantic dreamer in search of his true sexual identity, and the alluring threesome soon develop an intimate relationship. Exotic scenery heats up the sexual exploration in this steamy romp directed by Jorge Ameer.
Cruel Intentions - Slaking a thirst for dangerous games, Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) challenges her stepbrother, Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), to deflower their headmaster's daughter (Reese Witherspoon) before the summer ends. The prize, if he succeeds, is the chance to bed Kathryn. But if he loses, Kathryn will claim his most prized possession. Sebastian takes up the dare but soon learns there's more to the bargain than meets the eye.
The Doom Generation - Carnage ensues when trash-mouthed, meth-freak Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) and her dim-bulb boyfriend, Jordan White (James Duval), save depraved drifter Xavier Red (Johnathon Schaech) from some skinheads. A clash with a convenience-store clerk leads to a killing, and the trio finds themselves on the run. Their hellish road trip spawns remorseless brutality; as the journey proceeds, it grows ever more nihilistic -- resulting in a shattering conclusion.
The Dying Gaul - When Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a slick Hollywood studio exec, offers gay screenwriter Robert (Peter Sarsgaard) $1 million to transform a screenplay's homosexual protagonists into heterosexuals, Robert takes the bait -- and ends up sleeping in Jeffrey's bed. But complications ensue when Jeffrey's wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), begins unraveling her husband's secrets, with nail-biting consequences. Craig Lucas directs in his feature-film debut.
Flesh (Andy Warhol) - Filmmaker Paul Morrissey produced this controversial film for avant-garde visual artist Andy Warhol in the early 1970s. The plot of the film revolves around a bisexual gigolo (Joe Dallesandro) who's turned to selling himself for money in order to pay for his wife's lover's abortion. When it was released in theaters, the movie drew much negative attention and was even stolen by police during one of its first presentations.
Further Tales of the City - This sequel to More Tales of the City finds Mary Ann (Laura Linney) struggling to advance in her new career on TV, while Michael (Paul Hopkins) is playing the field after his break-up with Jon (Billy Campbell). After her divorce, Prue (Mary Kay Place) finds comfort in a mysterious stranger, and DeDe (Barbara Garrick) returns with a revelation that could be the scoop Mary Ann has been waiting for.
Get a Life - A gay man with a tall order for a lover searches for the perfect mate and winds up finding much more in this romantic comedy. Jaime (Brian Campbell) scours Chicago for a straight guy willing to turn gay just to be with him, a journey that leads to self-discovery. Along the way, Jaime encounters all kinds of colorful characters and gorgeous hunks and learns the surprising truth about love, acceptance and what it takes to be happy.
Gia - Angelina Jolie is mesmerizing in her breakout role as supermodel Gia Carangi, a cover girl who lived fast and died at age 26 from the ravages of AIDS. This fact-based Home Box Office film (which won an Emmy and two Golden Globes, among other awards) follows Gia from busing tables at her father's diner to the glamorous world of high-fashion photography and finally to her downward spiral into drugs and toxic relationships. Faye Dunaway co-stars.
The Girl - Two Parisian women -- "the Artist" (Agathe de la Boulaye) and "the Girl" (Claire Keim) -- are in the throes of a passionate and volatile love affair. But the Girl is also a high-class prostitute, and their affair begins to spin out of control when her pimp, "the Man" (Cyril Lecomte), puts pressure on the two women to end their obsessive relationship. Sande Zeig directs this sexy and stylish French film.
The Girl From Rio - When the stunning but evil, Sumitra (Shirley Eaton) arrives in Rio de Janeiro, she has only one thing on her mind: enslaving all men to bend to the will of her force of bisexual, warrior women! She find success, until she captures an American playboy on the run. Her possession of him leads to a confrontation with crime lord Sir Masius (George Sanders).
Henry and June - A sensual masterwork based on real events, this rich evocation of wild expatriate nights in 1930s Paris begins when writer Anaïs Nin embarks on a professional relationship with famed American author Henry Miller (Fred Ward). But their studious union deepens into something else. And when Nin falls under the spell of the alluring Mrs. Miller (Uma Thurman), fiction, fact and fantasy blur.
Higher Learning - "You gotta get that 'We are the world' crap outta your head, 'cause it ain't gonna happen on this campus." College is a battleground in the hands of writer-director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood). As several students make their way through school, they find themselves traversing a minefield of race and sexuality. The stellar cast includes Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Jennifer Connolly and Michael Rapaport.
Homo Promo - Hollywood's relationship with the gay community and the way it portrays them on film has run the gamut from incendiary to awkward to heartbreakingly poignant. This documentary explores the industry's attempts to include gay themes by way of trailers of vintage films (those made between 1956 and 1977), including "Tea and Sympathy," "Outrageous," "Midnight Cowboy" and more, and looks at how the films were marketed to moviegoers.
Horsey - Delilah Miller is an explosive 23 year old painter who struggles to reconcile her insatiable appetite for both men and women in her search for a real relationship. She starts a romance with rock musician Ryland Yale, a sexy, possessive and undependable heroin addict, and finds herself torn between her emotional needs and physical desire.
The Hours - This gripping drama follows the parallel lives of three 20th-century women. The incomparable Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman, in an Oscar-winning performance) is hard at work on the classic story of Mrs. Dalloway while battling depression in the 1920s; Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) is an unsatisfied 1950s housewife who finds solace in Woolf's novel; and Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep) is a modern-day book editor who's losing her former lover to AIDS.
I'm the One That I Want - Comedienne Margaret Cho's prodigious comedic talents are on full display in this hilarious concert film (lensed at San Francisco's Warfield Theater). We follow the ebb and flow of Cho's life and career after her failed TV sitcom, "All-American Girl." At the root of it all is the double standard that minority women face in the chauvinistic entertainment industry.
Iris - Iris Murdoch was l'enfant terrible of the literary world in early 1950s Britain -- a live wire who thumbed her nose at the conformity of the era via a voracious sex life that included male and female partners. In this snippet of her life, Murdoch (Judi Dench) faces the onset of Alzheimer's disease alongside her adoring husband (Jim Broadbent). Kate Winslet portrays the young, free-spirited Iris in flashbacks.
Johnny Legend's Deadly Doubles 5 - Horror maven Johnny Legend presents two swinging '60s flicks directed by sexploitation maestro A.C. Stephen. Marsha Jordan stars in College Girls Confidential, which features a raucous fraternity toga party jammed with lesbian cheerleaders, sexual perversity and acid trips. Then, in Motel Confidential, take a peek at the sexual adventures of guests at a cheap motel, including a horny guy who unwittingly trysts with a transvestite.
Kids - Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) is on a mission to deflower as many virgins as possible. His addle-brained theory: Boffing first-timers will protect him from contracting HIV. Trouble is, he already has it. Controversial photographer-filmmaker Larry Clark follows a group of aimless New York teens around a city with few parents and fewer boundaries. Nineteen-year-old Harmony Korine (Gummo) co-wrote the raw, provocative script.
Kinsey - Liam Neeson provides a fascinating portrait of theorist and zoologist Dr. Alfred Kinsey, whose name has been associated with human sexuality ever since he interviewed thousands of people about their sex lives and released his findings in a groundbreaking 1948 book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. The book caused ripples in the scientific community and paved the way for further inquiry into the subject. Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard co-star.
Lake Consequence - A repressed housewife develops an erotic infatuation with a local landscaper in director Rafael Eisenman's soft-core sensual drama that'll get your blood pumping. After accidentally being whisked away with handsome laborer Billy (Billy Zane) and his girlfriend (Hollie L. Hummel) for the weekend, 30-something wife and mother Irene (Joan Severance) rediscovers her long-dormant sexual desires during the getaway tryst.
Love Life - Ex-pro baseball player Joe (Stephan D. Gill) and his wealthy trophy wife, Mary (Stephanie Kirchen), have a secret: They're both in the closet and their marriage is a sham. They accept each other's outside -- but emotionally disconnected -- affairs, until extramarital passion forces them to reexamine what they believe is a perfect arrangement. Written and directed by Damion Dietz, this powerful drama co-stars Keith Bearden and Jill Kocalis.
Monique - When Bill (David Sumner) and Jean (Joan Alcorn) hire French au pair Monique (Sibylla Kay), they have no idea her presence will disrupt their complacent suburban existence. Monique takes good care of the children, but her lack of sexual inhibition arouses the passions of both Bill and Jean. Soon they each succumb to Monique's charms, and as they're drawn into an unusual ménage à trois, they're not prepared for the devastating consequences.
No Ordinary Love - No desire is forbidden in this twisted suspense-comedy about a group of sexually ambivalent 20-somethings living in the Hollywood Hills. Kevin (Smith Forté) shares space with a male stripper, a girl who dreams of becoming a rock star and an orphaned teenager -- and none of them pay any rent. But after another renter falls to his death in a drunken stupor, Kevin's landlady -- who also happens to be his mother -- threatens to evict him.
The Opposite of Sex - At 16, Dee Dee Truitt (Christina Ricci) is a full-blown force of nature. When she moves in with her brother and his lover, she quickly seduces her way into a gender-bending love triangle. Lisa Kudrow plays against type as the straight-laced single woman with designs on Dee Dee's brother, but Ricci's bodacious performance steals the show, and her spunky narration keeps the film fresh and unpredictable.
Orlando - Director Sally Potter adapts Virginia Woolf's 1928 allegorical novel about a woman who lives for 400 years -- the first half as a man -- in this surrealist study of sex and gender roles throughout the ages. The transition from man to woman and from the 16th to the 20th century is realized by Tilda Swinton's breakthrough performance and the film's Oscar-nominated costumes and art direction. Quentin Crisp plays Queen Elizabeth I.
Race You to the Bottom - In this romance about the fluidity of love and sexuality, a writer and his female friend from college act on their growing attraction -- despite the fact that they both have boyfriends. When bisexual travel writer Nathan (Cole Williams) invites Maggie (Amber Benson) to join him on assignment through romantic Napa Valley, the two carry on their affair free of their unsuspecting partners. But tangled feelings and commitment issues soon lead to discord.
The Sex Monster - Building contractor Marty Barnes (Mike Binder) has always wondered what it would be like to share a bed with two women and, to his delight, he persuades his reluctant wife, Laura (Mariel Hemingway), to try it. The experience fulfills Marty's wildest dream.. until Laura morphs into a walking sex machine who seduces every woman in sight -- including Marty's secretary. Binder also wrote and directed this fast-paced, ribald sex comedy.
Six Degrees of Separation - Paul (Will Smith) is a charming and engaging young con artist who appears one day on the doorstep of Flan and Ouisa Kittredge (Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing). Professing to be a friend of the affluent couple's son, Paul spins a tale of celebrity and despair that deeply affects the pair and their socialite friends. Playwright John Guare's psychological drama also stars Ian McKellen, Mary Beth Hurt, Bruce Davison and Heather Graham.
Steam: The Turkish Bath - Exquistely constructed with sensual imagery and tantalizing rhythms, Steam proffers a view into the etheral mecca that is Istanbul, interweaving the stories of two people who found it necessary to escape and reinvent their lives.
Sunday Bloody Sunday - Divorced working woman Alexandra Greville (Glenda Jackson) has occasional sexual encounters with a younger man, sculptor Bob Elkin (Murray Head). Elkin is completely open about the fact that he's also the lover of Alex's acquaintance, Dr. Daniel Hirsch (Peter Finch). Both Alex and Dr. Hirsch resign themselves to living with the situation rather than risk losing Elkin completely … but can all three relationships continue in equilibrium?
Three of Hearts - When Connie's lesbian lover, Ellen, leaves her, Connie hires a gigolo named Joe to seduce her ex, rough her up a bit and then send her back home. Seems simple enough … except the stud ends up falling for his bisexual quarry and doesn't want her to leave. Sherilyn Fenn, Kelly Lynch and William Baldwin make up this star-crossed triangle turned on its ear.
Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family - Filmmaker Susan Kaplan captures the story of a nontraditional family consisting of three consenting adults, two of whom are bisexual. Shot over an eight-year span, the film follows the domestic struggles between bisexuals Sam and Steven and their live-in straight partner, Samantha, whom they found through a creaky "audition" process. Everything's fine until the threesome decides to conceive a child; and then things really get complicated.
Tweek City - Streetwalking and drug dealing lead to one man's descent into hell in the City by the Bay. Bill Jensen (Giuseppe Andrews) leads a hazy life of speed-induced one-night stands but spurns real human connection. Things worsen when a tragic turn of events involving his only confidant, Jerm (Keith Brunsmann), sends Bill into a grim spiral downward. Eric G. Johnson's disturbing odyssey is set in San Francisco's gritty Mission District and Los Angeles.
Two Girls and a Guy - Writer and director James Toback (Black and White) explores a contemporary love triangle in this comedy-drama. When two girls (Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner) find themselves waiting outside an apartment building, they come to realize they're there to meet the same guy (Robert Downey Jr.) -- who's been sleeping with them both! Armed with this knowledge, the girls break into the guy's apartment and prepare for the ambush.
The Velocity of Gary - Gary (Thomas Jane) is a street hustler who's just trying to make it to the next day. But a seismic shift occurs in his life when he meets Valentino (Vincent D'Onofrio), an actor in porn movies and even more of a castaway than Gary. In addition to their ever-precarious living situation, the budding relationship must contend with a free-spirited waitress named Mary Carmen (Salma Hayek), who's Valentino's girlfriend and never very far away.
Velvet Goldmine - Ten years after British glam-rocker Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) fakes his assassination onstage and disappears from view, tabloid journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is dispatched to deconstruct the legend of the bisexual pop star. In the process of interviewing Slade's cohorts and colleagues, Stuart gradually strips away the veneer of makeup and glitz, revealing the empty core of both the man and the music.
Wild Things - When guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) rejects the advances of teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), she accuses him of rape. In short order Sam's suspended by the school, rejected by the country club, and fighting to get his life back. Bill Murray plays an unscrupulous lawyer; Theresa Russell plays Kelly's mom; and Neve Campbell is perfect as a disturbed teen in a tale that leaves viewers guessing until the bitter end.
Women in Love - Award-winning documentarian Karen Everett turns the camera on herself in this highly intimate portrait of her own love life. Drawing from her circle of lesbian, bisexual and polyamorous friends and lovers, Everett fashions a collective biography set in the vivid San Francisco lesbian scene. Subjects include erotica video makers Jackie Strano and Shar Rednour, as well as photographer Phyllis Christopher, who specializes in lesbian erotica.
All Over the Guy - Striking a healthy, loving balance in a relationship is no easy trick, no matter what your sexual orientation. For Eli (Dan Bucatinsky), it's been a seesaw of emotions since he broke up with Tom (Richard Ruccolo). But with a little help from friends, including Lisa Kudrow and Christina Ricci, maybe things can get back on track. A warm and winning comedy directed by Julie Davis.
B Monkey - Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life -- and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and leads him through all kinds of new, interesting and dark situations.
Basic Instinct - Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone star in this Oscar-nominated erotic thriller about a troubled cop and a seductive novelist entwined in an alluring game of whodunit. Facing internal inquiry, Detective Tom Curran (Douglas) doggedly pursues a case involving Catherine Tramell (Stone), a writer and temptress who's suspected in a murder reminiscent of a crime detailed in her book. But as the body count rises, so does Curran's obsession with Tramell.
Bound - Andy and Larry Wachowski made their directorial debut with this crime-thriller. Gina Gershon stars as a handywoman who crosses paths with a gangster's moll (Jennifer Tilly) and likes what she sees. Before you can say, "Unhook my brassiere," they decide to filch $2 million and hit the road together. But Tilly's beau (Joe Pantoliano) isn't keen on giving up his money or his girl.
Brother Born Again - Seeking to renew her relationship with her born-again Christian brother, documentary filmmaker Julia Pimsleur traveled to a remote Alaskan island, where brother Marc has lived for 10 years with his spiritual family. The resulting film captures Pimsleur -- a bisexual Jewish New Yorker -- as she searches for an understanding of her sibling's chosen life path, and in the process, delves into the definition of family and explores family dynamics.
Chasing Amy - Soon after comic book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), he realizes things aren't as perfect as he once thought: Alyssa's gay. With no help from his best friend, Banky (Jason Lee), Holden attempts to make the relationship with Alyssa work. Although he knows Alyssa cares deeply about him, her past may conspire to come between them and ruin everything.
Clara's Summer - Clara and Zo are excited to be off to summer camp for a week of adventure. Zo quickly hooks up with Sebastien and then is devastated to find he's dating her just to impress his friends. Flighty Zo then turns to Clara, telling her she loves her, but Clara rejects her advances. However, when Sonia, a beautiful bisexual, befriends Clara, the angst-ridden teen falls hard in this sensuous tale of teenage self-discovery. Patrick Grandperret directs.
Contadora is for Lovers - Helen (Renee Pietrangelo) and Mike (Vincent De Paul) travel to the island of Contadora for a romantic honeymoon. Upon arrival, the couple is greeted by charming Gabriel (Anthony Sago), a romantic dreamer in search of his true sexual identity, and the alluring threesome soon develop an intimate relationship. Exotic scenery heats up the sexual exploration in this steamy romp directed by Jorge Ameer.
Cruel Intentions - Slaking a thirst for dangerous games, Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) challenges her stepbrother, Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), to deflower their headmaster's daughter (Reese Witherspoon) before the summer ends. The prize, if he succeeds, is the chance to bed Kathryn. But if he loses, Kathryn will claim his most prized possession. Sebastian takes up the dare but soon learns there's more to the bargain than meets the eye.
The Doom Generation - Carnage ensues when trash-mouthed, meth-freak Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) and her dim-bulb boyfriend, Jordan White (James Duval), save depraved drifter Xavier Red (Johnathon Schaech) from some skinheads. A clash with a convenience-store clerk leads to a killing, and the trio finds themselves on the run. Their hellish road trip spawns remorseless brutality; as the journey proceeds, it grows ever more nihilistic -- resulting in a shattering conclusion.
The Dying Gaul - When Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a slick Hollywood studio exec, offers gay screenwriter Robert (Peter Sarsgaard) $1 million to transform a screenplay's homosexual protagonists into heterosexuals, Robert takes the bait -- and ends up sleeping in Jeffrey's bed. But complications ensue when Jeffrey's wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), begins unraveling her husband's secrets, with nail-biting consequences. Craig Lucas directs in his feature-film debut.
Flesh (Andy Warhol) - Filmmaker Paul Morrissey produced this controversial film for avant-garde visual artist Andy Warhol in the early 1970s. The plot of the film revolves around a bisexual gigolo (Joe Dallesandro) who's turned to selling himself for money in order to pay for his wife's lover's abortion. When it was released in theaters, the movie drew much negative attention and was even stolen by police during one of its first presentations.
Further Tales of the City - This sequel to More Tales of the City finds Mary Ann (Laura Linney) struggling to advance in her new career on TV, while Michael (Paul Hopkins) is playing the field after his break-up with Jon (Billy Campbell). After her divorce, Prue (Mary Kay Place) finds comfort in a mysterious stranger, and DeDe (Barbara Garrick) returns with a revelation that could be the scoop Mary Ann has been waiting for.
Get a Life - A gay man with a tall order for a lover searches for the perfect mate and winds up finding much more in this romantic comedy. Jaime (Brian Campbell) scours Chicago for a straight guy willing to turn gay just to be with him, a journey that leads to self-discovery. Along the way, Jaime encounters all kinds of colorful characters and gorgeous hunks and learns the surprising truth about love, acceptance and what it takes to be happy.
Gia - Angelina Jolie is mesmerizing in her breakout role as supermodel Gia Carangi, a cover girl who lived fast and died at age 26 from the ravages of AIDS. This fact-based Home Box Office film (which won an Emmy and two Golden Globes, among other awards) follows Gia from busing tables at her father's diner to the glamorous world of high-fashion photography and finally to her downward spiral into drugs and toxic relationships. Faye Dunaway co-stars.
The Girl - Two Parisian women -- "the Artist" (Agathe de la Boulaye) and "the Girl" (Claire Keim) -- are in the throes of a passionate and volatile love affair. But the Girl is also a high-class prostitute, and their affair begins to spin out of control when her pimp, "the Man" (Cyril Lecomte), puts pressure on the two women to end their obsessive relationship. Sande Zeig directs this sexy and stylish French film.
The Girl From Rio - When the stunning but evil, Sumitra (Shirley Eaton) arrives in Rio de Janeiro, she has only one thing on her mind: enslaving all men to bend to the will of her force of bisexual, warrior women! She find success, until she captures an American playboy on the run. Her possession of him leads to a confrontation with crime lord Sir Masius (George Sanders).
Henry and June - A sensual masterwork based on real events, this rich evocation of wild expatriate nights in 1930s Paris begins when writer Anaïs Nin embarks on a professional relationship with famed American author Henry Miller (Fred Ward). But their studious union deepens into something else. And when Nin falls under the spell of the alluring Mrs. Miller (Uma Thurman), fiction, fact and fantasy blur.
Higher Learning - "You gotta get that 'We are the world' crap outta your head, 'cause it ain't gonna happen on this campus." College is a battleground in the hands of writer-director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood). As several students make their way through school, they find themselves traversing a minefield of race and sexuality. The stellar cast includes Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Jennifer Connolly and Michael Rapaport.
Homo Promo - Hollywood's relationship with the gay community and the way it portrays them on film has run the gamut from incendiary to awkward to heartbreakingly poignant. This documentary explores the industry's attempts to include gay themes by way of trailers of vintage films (those made between 1956 and 1977), including "Tea and Sympathy," "Outrageous," "Midnight Cowboy" and more, and looks at how the films were marketed to moviegoers.
Horsey - Delilah Miller is an explosive 23 year old painter who struggles to reconcile her insatiable appetite for both men and women in her search for a real relationship. She starts a romance with rock musician Ryland Yale, a sexy, possessive and undependable heroin addict, and finds herself torn between her emotional needs and physical desire.
The Hours - This gripping drama follows the parallel lives of three 20th-century women. The incomparable Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman, in an Oscar-winning performance) is hard at work on the classic story of Mrs. Dalloway while battling depression in the 1920s; Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) is an unsatisfied 1950s housewife who finds solace in Woolf's novel; and Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep) is a modern-day book editor who's losing her former lover to AIDS.
I'm the One That I Want - Comedienne Margaret Cho's prodigious comedic talents are on full display in this hilarious concert film (lensed at San Francisco's Warfield Theater). We follow the ebb and flow of Cho's life and career after her failed TV sitcom, "All-American Girl." At the root of it all is the double standard that minority women face in the chauvinistic entertainment industry.
Iris - Iris Murdoch was l'enfant terrible of the literary world in early 1950s Britain -- a live wire who thumbed her nose at the conformity of the era via a voracious sex life that included male and female partners. In this snippet of her life, Murdoch (Judi Dench) faces the onset of Alzheimer's disease alongside her adoring husband (Jim Broadbent). Kate Winslet portrays the young, free-spirited Iris in flashbacks.
Johnny Legend's Deadly Doubles 5 - Horror maven Johnny Legend presents two swinging '60s flicks directed by sexploitation maestro A.C. Stephen. Marsha Jordan stars in College Girls Confidential, which features a raucous fraternity toga party jammed with lesbian cheerleaders, sexual perversity and acid trips. Then, in Motel Confidential, take a peek at the sexual adventures of guests at a cheap motel, including a horny guy who unwittingly trysts with a transvestite.
Kids - Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) is on a mission to deflower as many virgins as possible. His addle-brained theory: Boffing first-timers will protect him from contracting HIV. Trouble is, he already has it. Controversial photographer-filmmaker Larry Clark follows a group of aimless New York teens around a city with few parents and fewer boundaries. Nineteen-year-old Harmony Korine (Gummo) co-wrote the raw, provocative script.
Kinsey - Liam Neeson provides a fascinating portrait of theorist and zoologist Dr. Alfred Kinsey, whose name has been associated with human sexuality ever since he interviewed thousands of people about their sex lives and released his findings in a groundbreaking 1948 book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. The book caused ripples in the scientific community and paved the way for further inquiry into the subject. Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard co-star.
Lake Consequence - A repressed housewife develops an erotic infatuation with a local landscaper in director Rafael Eisenman's soft-core sensual drama that'll get your blood pumping. After accidentally being whisked away with handsome laborer Billy (Billy Zane) and his girlfriend (Hollie L. Hummel) for the weekend, 30-something wife and mother Irene (Joan Severance) rediscovers her long-dormant sexual desires during the getaway tryst.
Love Life - Ex-pro baseball player Joe (Stephan D. Gill) and his wealthy trophy wife, Mary (Stephanie Kirchen), have a secret: They're both in the closet and their marriage is a sham. They accept each other's outside -- but emotionally disconnected -- affairs, until extramarital passion forces them to reexamine what they believe is a perfect arrangement. Written and directed by Damion Dietz, this powerful drama co-stars Keith Bearden and Jill Kocalis.
Monique - When Bill (David Sumner) and Jean (Joan Alcorn) hire French au pair Monique (Sibylla Kay), they have no idea her presence will disrupt their complacent suburban existence. Monique takes good care of the children, but her lack of sexual inhibition arouses the passions of both Bill and Jean. Soon they each succumb to Monique's charms, and as they're drawn into an unusual ménage à trois, they're not prepared for the devastating consequences.
No Ordinary Love - No desire is forbidden in this twisted suspense-comedy about a group of sexually ambivalent 20-somethings living in the Hollywood Hills. Kevin (Smith Forté) shares space with a male stripper, a girl who dreams of becoming a rock star and an orphaned teenager -- and none of them pay any rent. But after another renter falls to his death in a drunken stupor, Kevin's landlady -- who also happens to be his mother -- threatens to evict him.
The Opposite of Sex - At 16, Dee Dee Truitt (Christina Ricci) is a full-blown force of nature. When she moves in with her brother and his lover, she quickly seduces her way into a gender-bending love triangle. Lisa Kudrow plays against type as the straight-laced single woman with designs on Dee Dee's brother, but Ricci's bodacious performance steals the show, and her spunky narration keeps the film fresh and unpredictable.
Orlando - Director Sally Potter adapts Virginia Woolf's 1928 allegorical novel about a woman who lives for 400 years -- the first half as a man -- in this surrealist study of sex and gender roles throughout the ages. The transition from man to woman and from the 16th to the 20th century is realized by Tilda Swinton's breakthrough performance and the film's Oscar-nominated costumes and art direction. Quentin Crisp plays Queen Elizabeth I.
Race You to the Bottom - In this romance about the fluidity of love and sexuality, a writer and his female friend from college act on their growing attraction -- despite the fact that they both have boyfriends. When bisexual travel writer Nathan (Cole Williams) invites Maggie (Amber Benson) to join him on assignment through romantic Napa Valley, the two carry on their affair free of their unsuspecting partners. But tangled feelings and commitment issues soon lead to discord.
The Sex Monster - Building contractor Marty Barnes (Mike Binder) has always wondered what it would be like to share a bed with two women and, to his delight, he persuades his reluctant wife, Laura (Mariel Hemingway), to try it. The experience fulfills Marty's wildest dream.. until Laura morphs into a walking sex machine who seduces every woman in sight -- including Marty's secretary. Binder also wrote and directed this fast-paced, ribald sex comedy.
Six Degrees of Separation - Paul (Will Smith) is a charming and engaging young con artist who appears one day on the doorstep of Flan and Ouisa Kittredge (Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing). Professing to be a friend of the affluent couple's son, Paul spins a tale of celebrity and despair that deeply affects the pair and their socialite friends. Playwright John Guare's psychological drama also stars Ian McKellen, Mary Beth Hurt, Bruce Davison and Heather Graham.
Steam: The Turkish Bath - Exquistely constructed with sensual imagery and tantalizing rhythms, Steam proffers a view into the etheral mecca that is Istanbul, interweaving the stories of two people who found it necessary to escape and reinvent their lives.
Sunday Bloody Sunday - Divorced working woman Alexandra Greville (Glenda Jackson) has occasional sexual encounters with a younger man, sculptor Bob Elkin (Murray Head). Elkin is completely open about the fact that he's also the lover of Alex's acquaintance, Dr. Daniel Hirsch (Peter Finch). Both Alex and Dr. Hirsch resign themselves to living with the situation rather than risk losing Elkin completely … but can all three relationships continue in equilibrium?
Three of Hearts - When Connie's lesbian lover, Ellen, leaves her, Connie hires a gigolo named Joe to seduce her ex, rough her up a bit and then send her back home. Seems simple enough … except the stud ends up falling for his bisexual quarry and doesn't want her to leave. Sherilyn Fenn, Kelly Lynch and William Baldwin make up this star-crossed triangle turned on its ear.
Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family - Filmmaker Susan Kaplan captures the story of a nontraditional family consisting of three consenting adults, two of whom are bisexual. Shot over an eight-year span, the film follows the domestic struggles between bisexuals Sam and Steven and their live-in straight partner, Samantha, whom they found through a creaky "audition" process. Everything's fine until the threesome decides to conceive a child; and then things really get complicated.
Tweek City - Streetwalking and drug dealing lead to one man's descent into hell in the City by the Bay. Bill Jensen (Giuseppe Andrews) leads a hazy life of speed-induced one-night stands but spurns real human connection. Things worsen when a tragic turn of events involving his only confidant, Jerm (Keith Brunsmann), sends Bill into a grim spiral downward. Eric G. Johnson's disturbing odyssey is set in San Francisco's gritty Mission District and Los Angeles.
Two Girls and a Guy - Writer and director James Toback (Black and White) explores a contemporary love triangle in this comedy-drama. When two girls (Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner) find themselves waiting outside an apartment building, they come to realize they're there to meet the same guy (Robert Downey Jr.) -- who's been sleeping with them both! Armed with this knowledge, the girls break into the guy's apartment and prepare for the ambush.
The Velocity of Gary - Gary (Thomas Jane) is a street hustler who's just trying to make it to the next day. But a seismic shift occurs in his life when he meets Valentino (Vincent D'Onofrio), an actor in porn movies and even more of a castaway than Gary. In addition to their ever-precarious living situation, the budding relationship must contend with a free-spirited waitress named Mary Carmen (Salma Hayek), who's Valentino's girlfriend and never very far away.
Velvet Goldmine - Ten years after British glam-rocker Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) fakes his assassination onstage and disappears from view, tabloid journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is dispatched to deconstruct the legend of the bisexual pop star. In the process of interviewing Slade's cohorts and colleagues, Stuart gradually strips away the veneer of makeup and glitz, revealing the empty core of both the man and the music.
Wild Things - When guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) rejects the advances of teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), she accuses him of rape. In short order Sam's suspended by the school, rejected by the country club, and fighting to get his life back. Bill Murray plays an unscrupulous lawyer; Theresa Russell plays Kelly's mom; and Neve Campbell is perfect as a disturbed teen in a tale that leaves viewers guessing until the bitter end.
Women in Love - Award-winning documentarian Karen Everett turns the camera on herself in this highly intimate portrait of her own love life. Drawing from her circle of lesbian, bisexual and polyamorous friends and lovers, Everett fashions a collective biography set in the vivid San Francisco lesbian scene. Subjects include erotica video makers Jackie Strano and Shar Rednour, as well as photographer Phyllis Christopher, who specializes in lesbian erotica.
Any that were included that really surprised you? How about any that were excluded?
EDIT: Clearly, my memory of some of these films isn't as good as other members of the community, so I'm deleting my comments on movies I was surprised to see on the list and will just mention two that I was surprised to see excluded.
I was surprised by the exclusion of Imagine Me and You and Puccini for Beginners, which I believe depict the fluidity of human sexuality quite well.
[Also, here's a link to Wikipedia's list of bisexual-themed movies, for comparison.]
