25th Sep2016

Green Room (DVD)

by timbaros

green_room_140591After witnessing a murder, a punk rock band is forced to fight for their lives in this chilling thriller.

The Ain’t Rights are not the most successful band around, and they’ll play anywhere, anytime for some cold hard cash. So when they get invited to perform at an Oregon bar they jump on the opportunity. The group, whose members include Tiger (Callum Turner) the band’s vocalist, Reece (Joe Cole) the drummer, Sam (Alia Shawkat) the guitarist, and Pat (the late Aton Yelchin) the bassist, don’t know what type of crowd, or the type of venue, to expect, all they know and care about is that they are going to get paid. But the crowd is not the most hospitable, and at first don’t take to the group’s music. But after a few songs the crowd gets into it, and when their time slot is up they head to the green room. It’s here where they find a dead body, surrounded by a couple of guys who ‘work’ at the bar. This is when they realize that they have stumbled onto something sinister, and something illegal, and they immediately try to run away. But what they don’t know is that the club is for white supremacists, run by Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart), and they weren’t supposed to see the dead body, but now that they have, Banker and his gang of thugs won’t let the band leave. In fact as the band are witnesses to a crime, Banker plans to not let the band live! It’s up to each band member to escape the clutches of Banker and his boys to get the hell out of there.

Green Room is a taut thriller that takes us on a ride from the unknown to the downright scary. As the band fight for their lives, Banker and his associates also attempt to fight for theirs, not realizing how tough the band members are. Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier (who wrote and directed the acclaimed 2013 thriller Blue Ruin), here he ups his game and gives us a roller coaster of a ride featuring a very good ensemble cast.


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16th Sep2016

Set the Thames on Fire (Film)

by timbaros

48048e_a24ace3242df4855ae9de50e57f1ade0London is slowly being engulfed by water while two young men attempt to survive in a society that’s gone a bit loony in the new film ‘Set the Thames on Fire.’

Billed as ‘an agony in 3 acts,’ this dystopian fantasy slash black comedy is set in the future where the London we know of today is gone, and there’s water everywhere because the Thames has overflowed, with Monument almost covered half way up in water. There are two levels of society, the rich and the poor, and Art (Michael Winder) and Sal (Max Bennett) fall in the later category. They meet at a cocktail party for the rich – Art is hired to play the piano while Sal, who has just escaped from a psychiatric hospital, gets by on his very good looks.

The men form a bond, and Art invites Sal to stay with him in his dilapidated flat. The landlord, Mrs. Hortense (Sadie Frost) wants the rent from Art but is satisfied when Sal pays her in sexual favors. The men dream of one day leaving for Egypt, escaping the cruel city that London has become, and even more so to escape the evil and ugly Impresario (Gerard McDermott) who now rules over the kingdom. But they encounter many eccentrics and weirdos in the pocket of the city in which they live; a fortune teller (Sally Phillips) who expresses disbelief in her daughter’s stupidity; a mad transvestite (the excellent and scary Noel Fielding) who is quite deranged and who expects both men to perform sexual acts on him; a magician (David Hoyle); and masked policemen who roam the city and kill on the spot – no questions asked. ‘Set the Thames on Fire’ is a buddy movie where two young men try to survive, and attempt to leave, a city that’s pretty much no longer habitable, with the Thames rearing it’s ugly head. It’s first time director Ben Charles Edwards who brings us a film that’s both different yet compelling. Great turns by both leads and a great supporting cast make this film reminiscent of one of Terry Gilliam’s films (‘Brazil’) where society is not what it is today.

Set the Thames on Fire is in cinemas from 16 September, on demand from 19 September and on DVD from 26 September

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16th Sep2016

Briefs (Theatre)

by timbaros

a3-briefs-image-only14There are seven men who strip down to their briefs every night on the Southbank – in a show called ‘Briefs!’

At the London Wonderground right near the London Eye, ‘Briefs’ is one of the world’s hottest all-male boylesque extravaganzas. For the fourth straight year, these men are packing in audiences, and packing it in their briefs, to perform their stunts and magic tricks whilst leaving very little to the imagination! This Australian sixtet (plus one New Yorker) is led by the glamorous and vivacious and sarcastic hostess Shivannah. She is our guide throughout the show, with multiple outfit changes that outsparkle the spotlights!

And her boys put on quite a show! For starters, we get Louis Biggs who has a thing for unscrambling a Rubick’s cube in his briefs, to Evil Hate Monkey (yes, that’s his name in the program) who does acrobatics that take him up and down, legs spread in the air, and another who does yo yo tricks that are a bit too close to his bits for comfort. And the best for last is the finale where heavily tattooed Mark ‘Captain Kidd’ Winmill splashes all about in a large champagne glass, and, just a word of caution – don’t sit in the first two rows!

‘Briefs’ is a show of glitter, flesh, high heals, very naughty jokes, and undressed men put in compromising positions, all for the benefit of their audience. It’s circus, physical theatre, showmanship and fun, lots of it, and it’s burlesque – with balls! The men have spent the last year touring the world and they’re fame is ever increasing, so now’s your chance to go see them. It’s a limited run that’s ending on September 24th – so get tickets now! ‘Brief’s’ is oh so sexy!

http://www.londonwonderground.co.uk/whats-on/briefs1

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15th Sep2016

I Saw the Light (DVD)

by timbaros
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‘I Saw the Light,’ a film about the life of country music legend Hank Williams, was released earlier this year to mostly negative reviews.

What could’ve been a promising, and perhaps an award-wining film, with Tom Hiddleston playing Williams, arrived dead on arrival. It’s perhaps the lack of energy and excitement that’s missing from a film about a rowdy, wild, womanizing, chain smoking, alcoholic singer who died at the very young age of 29 in 1953. It also could be Hiddleston’s less than lackluster performance in a role that should’ve actually gone to an American actor who could sing with a real southern twang, for this is what Williams was best known for.

The film charts the rise, and rise, of Williams’s music career coupled with his relationship with his first wife Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen). It’s a turbulent one, not helped by Williams constant drinking, womanizing, and the effect his meteoric rise to fame had on his health and personal life. It was fame that was well-deserved but, as we’re shown in the film, he couldn’t really handle. Hiddleston doesn’t quite fit the part – he’s way too clean cut and looks as healthy as ever from the beginning to the end of the film. But we don’t really feel his joy and excitement of singing for the first time at country music’s holy grail the Grand Ole Opry – we really don’t feel much of anything for him – but we do, however, feel the love he has for Audrey, that is until their relationship is over and he falls for one beauty after another. Perhaps Marc Abraham was the wrong choice to write and direct this film. His one other writing and directing credit was 2008’s ‘Flash of Genius’ (never heard of it? Neither have I), so for him to be given the reins of creating a music biopic on one of country’s living legends was perhaps not the best choice. ‘I Saw the Light’ could’ve been another ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ classic but instead it’s an unfocused film that never really comes close to capturing its subjects popularity and appeal more than 50 years after his death. And at 123 minutes, it’s just plain too long.
The film doesn’t do much for Hiddleston’s career, and neither did his two-minute relationship with Taylor Swift.

‘I Saw the Light’ is now available digitally and on DVD

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14th Sep2016

Party (Theatre)

by timbaros

14bfb5b1943a5c0d1ca5e35adbe44c72There’s a party going on in Vauxhall and you’re all invited!

‘Party,’ a play at the Above the Stag theatre, is about seven gay men who get together one evening to hang out, chat, be together, and basically talk about sex, as gay men do! And what a party it is! It involves alcohol, lots of alcohol, where seven handsome and hunky guys pretty much up for anything, play a game called Fact or Fantasy, a bit like Truth or Date, which involves, of course, male nudity – all taking place in a cozy living room.

‘Party, ’written by David Dillon in 1992, originally ran in Chicago before moving to New York, and has even been produced internationally. For this version, directed by Gene David Kirk, the party, and action, takes place in a British man’s living room, with references to British culture, news, and the requisite British accents! It’s the home of Kevin (Nic Kyle), who is letting out his extra bedroom to Peter (Stefan Gough). In attendance at the party are dancer Brian (Jamie Firth), teacher Ray (Ben Kavanagh), Philip (Lucas Livesy), James (Sam Goodchild) and young and innocent Andy (Tom Leach). They’re all friends, good friends, but when they decide to play Fact or Fiction, a game where one man is to tell the truth, lie, or act out someone else’s fantasy, secrets are revealed, as well as skin, lots of skin, in a game where being shy is not an option! And it’s Ray who steals the show with best lines – he actually berates Andy for not knowing who ‘Barbra’ is or how to tell the difference between a cast album and a soundtrack. Peter reveals, during the game, that he’s got a secret crush with one of the men, while Brian is sexy and he knows it, and is the first to strip off. It’s a party in this intimate theatre where the audience feels like they’re right in the middle.

‘Party’ is 100 minutes of very funny jokes, lively atmosphere, and laugh out loud comedy. It’s play which celebrates gay men who enjoy the company of other gay men, sexual attraction or not. And all the actors deserve praise, and courage, for baring it all – it’s exciting and done in good taste. This is one party you definitely don’t want to miss. Buy your tickets now as Above the Stag has just announced a three week extension to the show, which will now run until October 30th.

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12th Sep2016

Theo & Hugo (Film)

by timbaros

theoandhugoheroTwo men meet at one of Paris’ most popular, and notorious, gay sex clubs, and then embark on an evening with lots of twist and turns, in the new film ‘Theo & Hugo.’

You might think you’re watching a gay porn film as the first 20 minutes of ‘Theo & Hugo’ is full on man-to-man action – erections and anal sex are all on full display, filmed at L’Impact – a naked gay sex club in the Marais district in Paris. ‘Theo & Hugo,’ In French, with English subtitles, is shot in real time, and it’s in that club where Theo and Hugo meet, at exactly 4:27 a.m., amongst the writhing and moaning group of men who are all enjoying each others’ company.

While there, Theo & Hugo connect sexually, intimately, and emotionally. They then decide to leave the club together to carry on their night with each other. But what wasn’t discussed while they were having unsafe sex at the club was the use of a condom to prevent HIV transmission, as Hugo (Francois Nambot) tells Theo (Geoffrey Couët) that he is HIV+. What transpires after is a rollercoaster of a night for both of them, when Theo goes to the hospital to get PREP (Post-exposure prophylaxis), medication that should kill any traces of the virus that might be in his system. Romantically, and responsibly, Hugo joins him there. They then wander the streets of Paris, on a night that could turn out to be either very romantic or very tragic, with the ramifications of HIV staring them right in the face, and the possibility that their encounter could be more than just an encounter.

Is ‘Theo & Hugo’ a porn film or is it a film with an important message? This is something that you will have to decide, but nonetheless, it’s guerrilla and gay filmmaking at it’s finest. And Kudos go to the actors for ‘baring it all’ in scenes that are relevant to the message of the film, and to writers and directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau for bravely, and successfully, having the balls to make this controversial, yet romantic and engaging film.

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11th Sep2016

Bridget Jones’s Baby Premiere Photos (Film)

by timbaros

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The Entertainment Website went to the European Premiere of Bridget Jones’s Baby in London’s Leicester Square. In attendance was the whole cast and crew, including Renée Zellweger, Emma Thompson,
Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Dempsey, and Colin Firth, and Director Sharon Maguire and screenwriters Helen Fielding and Dan Mazer. Bridget Jones’s Baby opens in UK cinemas on September 16, 2016. Photos below taken by Tim Baros.

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The cast and crew giving speeches before the start of the film

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Renée Zellweger being interviewed outside of the theatre

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Colin Firth speaking to fans on the pink carpet

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Patrick Dempsey in selfie mode on the pink carpet

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Emma Thompson dashing down the pink carpet

 

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Attendee Freddie Fox mingling with the fans

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Olympic Diver Tom Daley taking selfie with fans on the way into the theatre

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07th Sep2016

The Naked Magicians (Theatre)

by timbaros

The Naked Magicians Christopher  Wayne & Mike Tyler - Trafalgar Studios 31 Aug - 24 Sep (2)There are two men who get their kit off every night near Trafalgar Square, and I recommend that you go have a peak!!!

These two men are Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne, and they are starring in a new show at Trafalgar Studios called ‘The Naked Magicians.’ Having seen the show, I can vouch that they do indeed take off all of their clothes (except for the strap that holds the microphone battery!).

Directly from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Tyler and Wayne are two Aussies who’ve been performing as naked magicians all over the world for over two years, so they’re both used to baring all in front of an audience. But their charm and cheekiness in the way they strip is unique, and best of all, lots of fun.

Both men are actual real-life magicians (and not strippers) and their show features all sorts of magic tricks. Ninety minutes in length, the handsome gents perform tricks such as pretending to smash an audience members mobile phone, using an inflatable penis to get members of the audience to reveal their porn names (name of street you grew up on and the name of a pet) while already having it written down, card tricks galore, and of course the disappearing clothes trick, are all part and parcel of what they do. Of course, any magic show wouldn’t be a magic show without audience participation, and some lucky (?) members of the audience get the chance to go on stage and help the men to ‘perform’ their magic. Since this boisterous magic show is R-rated, the humour and the jokes, are for an adult audience, so if you’re prudish, go see Aladdin instead! And near the end of the show, the buffed men wear top hats, not on their heads, but hats that are strategically placed and in which an audience member is tasked with holding the hat in place while Christopher performs some rope tricks. It’s hilarious! By the time the men attempt to get themselves out of straightjackets (tied by two audience members), they are practically naked, but it’s the hungry audience who wants to, and gets to, see more, and they definitely get to see more. ‘The Naked Magicians’ takes magic to a whole new naughty level and it’s a level where you want to be at!

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03rd Sep2016

Chicklit (Film)

by timbaros

Bonar & Law at workFour men try to cash in on the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ phenomenom by writing their own racy novel in order to save a local pub in the new film ‘Chicklit.’

Set in a small village in Norfolk, the whole town seems to be reading ‘She Came in Chains,’ a new BDSM book by author Lady Lovelorn, including local newspaper editor David Rose’s (Christian McKay) wife Jen (Caroline Catz). So when the local pub is faced with closing unless a buyer can come up with £300,000 to save it, Rose has an idea – why don’t him and his pals write their own racy novel. So he enlists his card game buddies – pub manager Chris (Tom Palmer), school teacher Justin (David Troughton) and local bookstore owner Marcus (Miles Jupp) to each write their own section of a ‘mommy porn’ novel in the hopes that they can get someone to publish it. Well, David contacts London book agents Bonar and Law (John Hurt and Eileen Atkins), who are very interested in representing the book the men have called ‘Love Let Her.’ They get a publishing deal but with one caveat, they need to have the author available to do book tours and signings. So David enlists his struggling actress sister-in-law Zoe (Dakota Blue Richards) to play the part of the ‘author’ of the book. But with the book becoming a success, it’s harder and harder for them to keep the book’s real authors a secret, and even more so when Zoe starts getting tired of promoting something that is not hers.

‘Chicklit’ is a cute and funny take on chick literature and how almost anyone with an imagination and a computer can write a saucy novel. Filmed like a 1970’s style television show in a small English village with typical local characters, it’s a film that’s both charming and cute. Hurt and Atkins almost steal the movie as the uproarious book agents while the delightful music of Alex Britten (related to Director Tony Brtten who also wrote the film with Oliver Britten – it’s a family affair), who sings as part of the pub’s house band, adds a nice touch. This film is recommended.

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03rd Sep2016

Equity (Film)

by timbaros

equity-is-such-a-good-wall-street-movie-you-almost-forget-that-all-the-characters-are-womenA female investment banker is under pressure to bring to the market a successful IPO but she faces lots of obstacles in the new film ‘Equity.’

Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) is Naomi Bishop, a high-flying banker at Remson Partners who expects to be promoted to Global Head of her division but is hindered by the lackluster performance of her last IPO in a company called Dinosaur. She gets a second chance to lead another IPO in a company called Cachet because she knows the company’s founder Ed (Samuel Roukin). It’s a privacy company that can build social network which are hack-proof. But Bishop all too quickly loses her credibility and business acumen. Her assistant Erin (Sarah Megan Thomas) closes the deal by getting very close to Ed. And Bishop has a very curious (and a former acquaintance) prosecutor Samantha (Alysia Reiner) on her back asking lots of questions, questions that include her relationship with a junior banker at her firm (James Purefoy). Things get more complicated when a former employee at Cachet comes out with info that hurts the IPO putting the deal, and Bishop’s job, in jeopardy.

‘Equity’ tries to bring a fresh perspective on women in the world of banking and finance but fails miserably. Directed and written by women (Meera Menon and Amy Fox with Megan Thomas respectively), the entire plots just doesn’t add up. Bishop is not as smart as one would expect someone in her position to be, thanks to the poor choices, and mistakes, she makes. And her outfit choices are just plain bad. The performances are barely passable but the script definitely isn’t. ‘Equity’ is a sell and not a buy.

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01st Sep2016

Boys on Film 15: Time and Tied (DVD)

by timbaros

G OCLOCK 1Peccadillo continues to champion gay short films by coming out with their 15th gay shorts compilation. This one’s titled ‘Boys on Film 15: Time and Tied’ and it showcases a selection of British short films that are either sexy, funny or meaningful or all three.

The best by far is ‘Trouser Bar.’ Directed by famous gay porn director Kristen Bjorn, ‘Trouser Bar’ takes us into a gay shop that sells clothes made of corduroy clothes, which gets both the staff and customers frisky. It’s pulsating music and mustached actors mimic the best elements of a 1970’s gay porn film, and it builds to an exciting climax. Porn star Ashley Ryder is practically unrecognizable as one of the shops customers, with Julian Clary making a quick cameo. This short is an 18-minute masterpiece.

‘Crossroad’ doesn’t have any dialogue, but it’s a hard-hitting 11-minute short about a young man who lives with his girlfriend. He’s angry and revengeful over the black man who ran over and killed the man he was in love with. Directed by gay actor Leon Lopez. Powerful.

‘Dawn’ introduces us to a young blind man who’s waiting at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere, and unbeknownst to him the woman he’s speaking to is transgender. They share a special moment together in this 11-minute short directed by Transgender filmmaker Jake Graf.

‘Sauna the Dead’ is a fantastic gay horror film about one man looking for love in a sauna where the patrons turn into zombies who then try to eat him and a fellow Indian customer alive. Very original and excellently shot at Chariots Vauxhall. Directed by Tom Frederic (who also stars), it’s 23 minutes of scary fun.

‘G’Clock’ is a relevant and timely short about a chemsex party where a paramedic and a younger man re-connect from a pervious encounter. Though it ends abruptly, it’s very glossy style with a very sexy cast make it’s ten minutes too short. The film includes the infectious song ‘Look at Me’ by DPSC. With Leon Lopez (again) and a bevy of real life porn stars.

‘Closets’ (18 minutes) is a poignant and emotional story about a camp young teenage boy in 1986 who likes to dress up in his mother’s clothes. She gets angry at him so he retreats into his closet, and then comes out of the closet (no pun intended) to meet another young gay man 30 years in the future whose gay lifestyle, and dressing up, is more acceptable. This 18-minute beautiful film is directed by Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and has a fantastic performance by Tommy Knight as the 1986 gay teen.

‘Putting on the Dish’ is basically two gay men sitting on a bench in a park talking about gay men and sex. Their accents and the too short story make it a bit hard to understand and pretty much irrelevant.

The above is just a taster of all the short films that are featured in this two hour compilation that’s all about showcasing some of the UK’s best emerging talent. Tie yourself to your DVD player and make this a much watch!

BOYS ON FILM 15: TIME AND TIED

NOW AVAILABLE TO OWN ON DVD & ON-DEMAND WORLDWIDE

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