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Reviews
Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes (2004)
Cute gay superhero flick with lots of inside jokes
I picked this up as an online rental just because it was highly rated in the gay/lesbian section and I'm glad I did. "Surge of Power" is a cute low budget film with obvious but undeclared gay characters. I enjoyed the story and got many of the insider references placed there just for the gay comics nerds like me. While Vincent Roth's acting skills may not have been super great, his enthusiasm, personality, cute face and chiseled body went a long way in making up for his other deficiencies. Getting through the opening credits, you realize that this is a dream project for Roth and it shows in the script, costumes and other design touches attributed to him.
There were a number of guest appearances by actors associated with comic book and science fiction TV shows like the original Lois Lane (Noel Neill), the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno), and Star Trek's Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). These appearances and other things served to both legitimize as well as poke fun at the movie. Another guest was actor Trev Broudy who was severely beaten in a hate crime in 2002 in his first acting appearance following his recovery.
While the movie may have been a low-budget vanity project, the superhero special effects seemed appropriate most of the time.
I found the movie entertaining as light-hearted fare in the superhero genre. I didn't have high expectations for the movie and was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality of the film. If you are a gay comics fanboy, I do recommend this a fun rental.
The Power of Harmony (2005)
Very good look at Dallas' gay chorus and families of choice
Ginny Martin's latest documentary skillfully tells the story of the Turtle Creek Chorale using their music to showcase their personal tales. The stories range from heartbreaking to joyous as the men relate how their families of origin rejected them as they came out of the closet and formed their own families of choice with TCC representing an extended family. Some of the stories have happy endings, some end surprisingly upbeat in the face of adversity and, of course, some show bittersweet glimmers that acceptance has come a long way in 25 years, but not far enough.
America needs to see this film to put a human face on the gay community, emphasis on community. The men featured in the film are ordinary people taking the extraordinary step of sharing their lives on their terms. These are the stories of every gay man in America, but the Turtle Creek Chorale is writing, singing and performing the soundtracks of their lives through laughter, tears and everything in between.
As a gay man living in Dallas, I have seen the Chorale in concert a handful of times. I am not particularly familiar with their commissioned works, pieces of which are used to introduce each man's segment. The character development of the music is, in my opinion, one of the weakest parts of the film. The music is so diverse, rich and beautiful, but it seems only the tiniest narrative slivers of those works are presented. I wanted more background on the music itself, particularly the lyrics, who wrote them and why. The film certainly made me want to hear more of their music and it gave me a greater respect and appreciation for my friends who sing in the Chorale.
Tides of War (2005)
Standard submarine movie with a gay twist
This movie first aired 4/1/2005 on ->hereTV, the gay pay-per-view satellite channel. The guide description reads "A submarine commander (Adrian Paul), who is gay, combats a mysterious enemy while silently mourning the loss of his partner."
The movie starts out with the obligatory gay scene, but it has practically nothing to do with the rest of the movie. There is a nice moment of closure on the gay storyline at the end of the movie.
The acting is pretty good, but most of the underwater effects are a little cheap. Any scene with a torpedo or depth charge in it looks totally fake, but other scenes looks reasonably acceptable.
I found it to be pretty good for a submarine thriller, but was a little too light on the gay content to warrant being classified as a gay-themed movie or getting first-run on a gay channel.