Heavy Issue 76 - ScotsGay Magazine

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Films to know about by Malcolm Epstein films >> Amjeed Kabil interviewed on page 12 The coming months have two films with gay characters - one that treats them with respect and one that doesn’t. August brings us THE WALKER (15) with Woody Harrelson known for playing rough diamonds, who privately has a wife and children, but here plays a sophisticated gay man very effectively. Wealthy American politicians with no interest in opera, ballet and their wives hobbies are happy their women have a gay escort so they don’t have to worry about his sexual intentions. One afternoon a week, Woody plays cards with mature ladies including Lauren Bacall and Kristin Scott Thomas. They find him a constant amusement and are happy to know he has a boyfriend at home. Drama comes when he offers to drive Kristin to her next appointment and she rushes from the house to tell him the man, whom she later confesses is her lover, has been murdered. Knowing if the wife of a prominent politician admits to having found a murdered man will cause endless press coverage Woody offers to call the police and say he found him. The offbeat story holds interest. A British comedy later in September DEATH AT A FUNERAL (15) throws in everything that can go wrong at a funeral. A guest gives her nervous boyfriend a pill from a bottle marked Valium and when he begins acting strangely is told the bottle contains hallucinatory drugs. The man’s behaviour goes from bad to worse before he shocks the guests yelling: “He’s not dead in there, he’s alive.” Lurching across the coffin he knocks it on the floor and the body with it. Dragged away he locks himself in a bathroom and stripping naked climbs from the window on to the roof. A miniscule man then confesses to the two sons of the deceased he had been having an affair with their father in the year before he died and shows them intimate pictures of the two of them together. If he is not paid £15,000 he tells them he will show these shots to the other guests. They wrestle with him on the floor and tie him up amid screams. “He is having a fit.” They tell another guest who walks in who has happened to have found the Valium bottle and forces some pills into the little man’s mouth. I was attracted to all this as the widow is played by the most neglected and charismatic actress in Britain, Jane Asher. She has played the lead in many London stage productions and has been disgracefully neglected by British film producers. Not that she is too worried being happily married with grown up children and runs a successful wholesale and retail cake making company. Her first cake decorating book in 1982 was followed by many serious novels. What ever hysteria took place in this film I was happy to study Miss Asher. French plays written by MOLIERE (12a) in the 18th century are still being revived today. The good looking Romain Duris plays him in this section of his life as a struggling actor who begins writing plays to pay the rent when he is not stimulating local females. The costumes of the day are impressive as are the locations in ornate mansions. French director Alain Resnais is still making movies in his eighties and with PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (tbc) he chose to film a play by the British Alan Ayckbourn. It covers the daily life of people in snow covered Paris. A Hollywood director went to India to make MARIGOLD (15) about a lovely American blonde, Ami Larter, who finds herself broke in Bombay. A top Hindi film star finds her irresistible and teaches her to dance so they can make a film together. He has been betrothed to a local girl from an early age and his father doesn’t approve of his new interest. The choreography and vast cast are a delight. If you have never seen an Indian film before as this is in English it is worth tracking down early in August. Later in the month TWO DAYS IN PARIS (tbc) is a good comedy about an American guy and his French wife who spend honeymoon time in France as her parents live there. He complains about the size of French condoms saying nobody is that small. The wife, Julie Delphy, wrote, produced and directed it. The husband, Adam Goldberg, has also written film scripts. With these kinds of minds a brittle script is no surprise. If you have nieces and nephews fond of animals you will be very popular taking them to FIREHOUSE DOG (pg). A lost dog wanders into a fire station to be befriended by the fire chief and his 12 year old son. I loved it. CURRENT RELEASES The younger generation may not have heard of the singer Edith Piaf and an ideal way to know why the French and many other nationalities revered her so greatly is to see LA VIE EN ROSE (12a). Her life was tragic as both parents neglected her disgracefully and much of the time a brothel owner brought her up. Edith turned to drink and drugs at an early age and as a street singer she was finally noticed by a club owner who realized her great potential. Her life story is a tearjerker and Marion Cotillard in the lead is perfection. The best way to appreciate it is to get the EMI CD soundtrack first and hear her memorable songs. This film will make many of us realize how lucky we are. There are those amongst us who are convinced the Australian Eric Bana is a gift from heaven. Letters tell me your fantasy is waking up in bed to find him next to you. The fortunate Drew Barrymore has that experience in LUCKY YOU (PG). It helps to be a poker lover to appreciate this one as in Las Vegas they gamble night and day. Eric’s father had taught him to play, but they have a fraught relationship against each other at the gambling tables. Debra Messing, Grace in the TV series “Will and Grace”, with a revamped hairstyle is Drew’s protective older sister. If Mr Bana has not come under your scrutiny before have a long look at him here. A French thriller TELL NO ONE (15) opened to rave reviews about a guy who believes his wife has been murdered and eight years later she emails him. The critics loved it, but it was never clear to me what she had been doing all that time. DVD WORLD How would the royal family react if a prince was gay? This is the theme of SURVEILLANCE which shows how CCTV cameras can follow us most places. Director Paul Oremland held my constant interest casting a stunning new face, Tom Harper, in the lead as a sports master at a public school who frequents gay clubs at the weekend. Simon Callow is the royal employee who has the predicament of deciding what is good for their image. For the first time Peccadillo Pictures are promoting this as video on demand. Renting it costs £2.99. The wealthier amongst us can buy it for £9.99 TAN LINES is easier to rent in shops covering Australian teenagers who surfboard when they are not sexually active. A gay guy returns to his family after a few years in the big city to cope with the reaction from his parents. There are faces here with great potential beyond those beaches. Made in the eighties THE FRUIT MACHINE is now on DVD. Two Liverpool teenagers leave home to brave the wide world. Robert Stephens is an opera singer past his prime who finds one enchanting and the other violent. Robbie Coltrane is a drag queen running a night club. It is an offbeat peculiarity... 10 ScotsGay ScotsGay 11
Interview ScotsGay’s Stephen Mathieson questions Amjeed Kabil, author of Straigtening Ali Book reviews by Dirk Kriete books What is the book about? This is my first novel. It’s about Ali Mirza, a young British born Pakistani man, whose family arrange for him to get married even though he has told them he is gay. The novel follow’s Ali’s story as he leaves after the wedding night to be with his ex-boyfriend, only to find out that his ex-boyfriend wants nothing to do with him. He returns to England homeless, and eventually finds help and a new home. The story follows Ali as he grows and develops from a weak and vulnerable individual who can barely stand up for himself to someone who is able to survive some of the worst things that life throws his way. The story is quite humorous at times with some wonderful lines, but then there are sad and poignant moments such as Ali’s wedding night when his wife Sajda wants a physical relationship. What inspired you to write it? The inspiration for the novel came from events in my own life when I was in my early twenties. There are parallels between Ali’s story and my own. We both had an arranged marriage which we left, we’ve both been homeless, and we’re both gay. Some of my own experiences of living in a British-Pakistani household are reflected in Ali’s story as well. My parents and family have given me some interesting experiences – my parents came to England in the 1950’s and then brought their family up in accordance with their traditional values, which sometimes conflicted with Western ones. However, this has given me a unique insight into the gay British- Asian experience, and a wealth of stories to write about. Is the family reaction to Ali’s sexuality typical of how a British Pakistani family reacts? The family’s reaction in the novel to Ali’s sexuality is typical of how some British- Pakistani families might react. In Pakistan it’s considered part of life for men to experiment with each other before they settle down and get married (usually an arranged marriage). Homosexuality is considered to be a phase they go through. It’s a bit of “masti”, or harmless fun. As a British- Pakistani if you actually say that you’re gay and are open about your sexuality, you’re also opening yourself to ridicule and homophobia from parts of the community. The family try to often protect themselves from this by forcing the child into an arranged marriage. A lot of people therefore have to make a choice. Should they be out and have nothing to do with the community or should they keep their sexuality hidden and do what the community expects. Are there differences - growing up white and gay and growing up Asian and gay? I don’t think there are many differences in growing up white and gay and growing up Asian and gay. The same expectations from the parents are still there for the children to marry. The same guilt and angst is still there for the child. The only difference that there might be is that the Asian child will be told it is their duty to get married. The other thing I would say is that there are not many gay Asian role models in the public eye. Were you worried about portraying elements of Pakistani life in a negative way? I’m unsure whether I have portrayed elements of Pakistani life in any negative way. What I have done is written a story about the tough balancing act many second generation British-Asians have to do in trying to reconcile the liberal British values with the traditional Pakistani values. Some people may consider that some elements may be negative, but in the story the family is reacting to something that they can’t understand and sometimes lack of understanding can bring out the worst in people. Have you witnessed racism from gay people or are you aware of racism in parts of the gay/LGBT community? I have in the past experienced racism by some elements of gay/LGBT community, but this can be said about the community in general. You will always find a minority of people with racist views. However, nowadays my experience of racism is pretty rare. The LGBT community is becoming very inclusive. When I first became curious about my sexuality I went to a gay youth group in Birmingham. It was a really safe environment where I could be myself and discover who I was. Nowadays some nightclubs host an Asian dance night such as Saathi here in Birmingham and Club Kali in London. How much more inclusive can you get than that? This is about the gay community appreciating the diversity within. Name your three greatest influences or role models. I have a great admiration for Meera Syal. She’s managed to successfully cross the TV medium from doing shows like Goodness Greatness Me to having written two excellent books. Peter Tatchell is also another amazing figure. I could never do what he does, and sometimes his actions conflict with what my views are but he does get results. In a trip to Russia recently he unfortunately got beaten up when he took part in a gay pride parade. The Russian police stood by whilst the general public tried to disrupt the parade. What he achieved was to put Russia’s inhumane and homophobic treatment of their gay community on the world map. I have about thirty or forty influences that would come equally third. People like Monica Ali, Irvine Welsh, Vikram Seth, Shahrukh Khan, Bill Bryson and so on. I think I’d better stop there! Would you like to see Straightening Ali as a stage play or a feature film? I would love to see it as a movie. Meera Syall to play Ali’s mothers role, Will Young to play the Steve role and Jimi Mistry (from East is East) to play the Ali role. What’s your second book called and what’s it about? I am currently working on my next novel. It’s not another story about Ali even though I get e-mails from readers saying that they would love a sequel. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s gay themed, with a beautiful and glamorous cross dressing man as the central character. The story is light hearted and fun and it’s been wonderful creating the new characters. Any plans to visit Scotland? We’d happily show you around. I have been to Edinburgh several times, and really love the city especially during the Fringe Festival. I will be going to Edinburgh at the end of the year again but I really need to get to Glasgow at some point, and yes it would be great to have a local guide! Straightening Ali By Amjeed Kabil Published by STARbooks Press £10.99 Roulette By Adrian Brooks Published by Suspect Thoughts Press £9.99 This book will be a treasured memory for two reasons, first of all for the brilliant story and excellently crafted characters and secondly the wonderful surroundings in which I found myself reading the story of the town of Roulette. Most of this book I read while lying in the sun by the pool on beautiful Tenerife, and so compelling a read this book is that I continued reading in the evening. Roulette opens a view into the world of a community thrown together by happenstance, with absolutely hilarious consequences. All the greedy real estate developers, right wing Christians and sleazy Republican politicos find to their cost that by picking a fight with the ragtag band of artists, gays and nomads in this colourful shanty town all they gain is egg on their collective faces. I take my hat off to Adrian Brooks, and only hope that perhaps Hollywood will pick up this story and bring it to the masses. It deserves a star cast and a dialogue as witty and sharp as this book. The Danger Dance By Caro Soles Published by Harrington Park Press £9.99 This is the second book of my holiday reading list and I must say it was another well chosen tale. It’s a Sci-Fi with a twist, in that the main characters are aliens of a hermaphrodite persuasion. The two lovers are members of the Merculian National Dance Company and are ordered by the dreaded Praetan to leave their tranquil existence to go undercover aboard the starship Wellington, to discover who is passing secrets about fleet movements and weaponry to the enemy. I have always been a fan of Sci-Fi so you won’t be surprised to hear that I highly rate and recommend this book. Rest assured though that this recommendation is not on genre alone, it is a book full of futuristic space adventure, with enough swashbuckling action and intrigue to keep even the most jaded Sci-Fi addict enthralled. Closet Monsters By Dan Kelly Published by Starbooks Press £11.99 Unfortunately this third and final book accompanying me on my holidays was an utter disappointment, which just goes to show that you really can’t judge a book by its cover. The cover proudly proclaims: ‘Wet dream or bloody nightmare!’ – and as far as I am concerned, it certainly was the latter. Now don’t get me wrong, I do like a bit of spine chilling horror, but this book failed to deliver anything of the sort… not even a little shiver was gained by reading any of the twelve stories in this collection. The only redeeming feature of these stories was some red hot action, but even that could not make up for the lacklustre characters and shallow storylines dished out by the author. Don’t take this book on holiday! The Dragon Man By Garry Disher Published by Bitter Lemon Press £8.99 I should have taken this book on holiday instead of the gothic horror... I was riveted from the first to the last page It’s one of the most carefully crafted and well written crime novels I’ve read in a long time; full of twists and unexpected turns that deliberately deceive you and leave you wondering till the last page is turned. The story revolves around a sleepy beat near Melbourne which is set to explode as a series of murders set the press alight. I won’t tell you much more of this story, you’ll just have to go out and buy yourself a copy of this book – you won’t regret it! I am not Myself these Days By Josh Kimer-Purcell Published by Corgi £6.99 Armistead Maupin said about this book: “Absolutely hilarious, heartfelt and heartbreaking!” and I have to concur with those sentiments. This is the memoir of the author, who lived a double life in New York. By day, he was a successful young advertising executive. By night, he would trade in his corporate uniform for high heels and sequins, performing in the underbelly of the Big Apple in nightclubs as a glittering drag queen before returning to the uptown penthouse he shared with his crack-addicted male-escort boyfriend. This is one autobiography well worth reading, as it blends the rather tawdry and dramatic world of drag with a soulful and ironic perspective of the author’s journey through love and life. This is a brilliant book, one of those emotional tour de force that makes you laugh out loud one minute and has you welling up the next. It is told with an unusually honest voice that knows how to convey hard truth with unflinching courage. Hot Valley By James Lear Published by Cleis Press £8.99 When this book arrived I felt like rolling my eyes in despair at the cheesy tag line designed to draw the Pink Pound out of your pocket – I mean who comes up with stuff like ‘Gay Love And Lust In The American Civil War’ I ask you… But I did give it a go and I must say that I am glad I did. It’s actually a well written and coherent book, portraying the life of young and spoiled Jack Edgerton, son of a prominent Vermont Family. It is set in 1861, and the troubles in the Southern states seem a long way away. Everything changes however when he meets and falls in love with Aaron Johnson, the sexy son of a slave on the run from Virginia. The two are separated by circumstance, but pursue each other through the escalating madness of the Civil War and both find themselves forced to choose sides. After a series of outrageous adventures they are finally reunited in the Shenandoah Valley where the story reaches an unexpected climax. After initial misgivings, I must say that this is a really good read and it portrays life in that difficult period of American history very well. Dangerous Boys, Rent Boys Edited by John Patrick Published by Starbook Press £12.99 Well, Mr Patrick has done it again… When it comes to gay erotica there’s just no-one quite like this legend! This book does not disappoint, it has all the usual thrills and spills we’ve come to love so much in the anthologies and stories selected by this ever so talented editor. These are stories about boys you definitely wouldn’t want to take to meet your mother, and anyway if you wanted to do just that they probably would want to be paid for the privilege. These dangerous boys are back in this long overdue re-release of Dangerous Boys, Rent Boys. Well-known authors of gay erotica such as Terry Cross, Frank Brooks, James Wilton and Jess Montagudo have beaten a path to John Patrick’s door to be included in this release, but the star prize as far as I’m concerned goes to the author of the steamy bonus book included - Matthew: One Of Lenny’s Boys! Dorm Porn 2 Edited by Sean Fisher Published by Alyson Books £10.99 Hot on the heels of John Patrick comes Sean Fisher! He has brought together more raunchy, irresistible gay erotic stories about college boys and their sexy escapades. As with the first Dorm Porn book, it’s time to go back to school and these randy college boys can’t wait to do just that. There’s enough hot action happening in dorms, on campus and any place that fuels their hot passion to keep you in the mood for more. American Photography of the Male Nude 1940 – 1970 By Bob Mizer Published by Janssen Publishers £19.99 Last but not least in this month’s selection, here is a very superior coffee table book featuring the best photography to come out of the Athletic Model Guild during its reign from the 40’s through to the 70’s. Homosexuality was legalised in some countries in 1968, which spelled the end for the need of disguise and subterfuge. This is an intense and incredible collection of photographs of a thenunderground culture that was shaped and given its character by the very fact that it was illegal. It is also in photographic terms a unique document of early erotica/homo-erotica that takes place in a time prior to the mass production era of pornography which exploded in the early 80’s. This book will appeal to any collector of photography, or students of history - especially those specialising in the history of the gay and lesbian movement. It will also provide a talking point to those of us that just appreciate the beauty of the male form. 12 ScotsGay ScotsGay 13
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