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The Importance of Organic Queerness in Single Record

For Dekkoo viewers who have not yet watched Single Record, watch out! There are some minor spoilers ahead.

Single Record is a six-episode documentary-style series that follows an up-and-coming rapper named Aaron Hunter as he navigates the rocky road of the New York music industry. Along with a killer soundtrack, the show’s cast puts on a spectacularly engaging performance that will keep viewers engrossed as they watch Aaron teeter between the brink of stardom and tragedy.

Watching Single Record was refreshing for many reasons. For one, this great show features a nearly all-black cast. This is monumental for queer kids of color who don’t often get to see people who look like them on the screen. It’s no secret that when it comes to queer film and TV, there’s usually a focus on thin, white gays or twinks. But the queer community is so much more diverse than that, and Single Record is a great reminder of the importance of representation.

The other reason Single Record stood out for me was its approach to its queer content. The mainstream media has only recently given queer people room to strut their stuff, but their roles in these stories can sometimes come off as forced or cliché. Often, we see queer people playing the token gay best friend or forced into a role where it seems as if the writers all gathered together and said, “You know what would be fun? A gay person!” While roles like these are still important and no doubt make a difference in the fight for representation, they can feel a bit contrived. When this happens, we are given some pretty flat characters that seem less like real people and more like stereotypes. What these characters often lack is an authenticity that seems reserved only for the straight characters. Why is that? Because the straight characters aren’t being constrained to a pre-conceptualized storyline determined by their sexuality.

Just like straight people, queer individuals are multifaceted and have a lot more to them than just being queer. But when it comes to roles in mainstream media, it seems like the only screen time queer people get feature the same old story arcs over and over again to the point where it all feels recycled. Single Record, however, is a great antithesis to this vicious circle of tired tropes. In the show, we are first introduced to Aaron as the talented rapper that he is. His queerness doesn’t even come into play until the second episode when he and Harmon share a kiss late night at the studio. And even long after that kiss, the show doesn’t rely on Aaron’s sexuality. Rather, it allows a queer character to navigate the ups and downs of his life as any normal person would.

You can see the organic chemistry for yourself right here on Dekkoo. Stream Single Record here!

The gay classic Bedrooms and Hallways comes home to Dekkoo

Released in 1999 (a busy year for gay cinema that included Boys Don’t Cry, Better Than Chocolate, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Trick, among others) Bedrooms and Hallways was writer-director Rose Troche’s long-awaited follow-up to her 1994 indie sensation Go Fish. This film proved a complete departure from her lesbian milestone: a hilarious comedy set in London about the tangled love affairs of a gay man.

Failed romantic Leo (Trainspotting co-star Kevin McKidd) is just hitting thirty. His kitschy roommate Darren (Tom Hollander) only reminds him of what he’s missing, merrily touting Darren’s frequent, illicit meetings with a lusty real estate agent (Hugo Weaving). So with nothing to lose, Leo joins a men’s group to bond with his fellow males and get his mind off romance. However, the latter notion didn’t account for sexy straight Irishman Brendan (James Purefoy). But wait… is Brendan straight? For that matter, is Leo? Life is never as black and white as it seems, especially after Leo and his group go on a drum-thumping, chest-banging camping retreat where a snarl of love triangles and jealousy explodes.

Colorful production design, glossy production values and an energetic ensemble cast (including Simon Callow and Jennifer Ehle) contribute to the lighthearted proceedings, of which Hollander takes the cake. Darren’s snippy dialogue and misinformed sexual antics are a true highlight.

Two decades ago this year, before she became one of the masterminds behind The L Word, Rose Troche rattled the straight/gay/bi boundary lines and shook the sexual tree. The result is a knee-slapping spoof of gay life at the turn of the millennium and the New Age movement, as well as a witty and prescient send-up of any and all rigid notions of sexuality.

Bedrooms and Hallways is now available to stream on Dekkoo.

Get Out meets Grindr in The Skin of the Teeth

Get Out meets Grindr in The Skin of the Teeth, a sinister new drama-thriller from writer-director Matthew Wollin, who evokes the feel of a contemporary film noir.

When Josef (Pascal Arquimedes) arrives at John’s (Donal Brophy) apartment for a date, their prickly energy slowly gives way to an unusual and genuine chemistry. But after Josef swallows a pill with unclear effects, the night starts to take a shocking turn.

Josef is suddenly plunged into a surreal world where he is forced into a literal and figurative interrogation of just who and what he is.

While evoking the surreal work of David Lynch, this wild new film examines race, sex, love and identity in a mind-bending way – and the lead performance will keep you holding your breath from beginning to end.

The Skin of the Teeth is now available on Dekkoo. Check out the trailer below.

Short Film Spotlight: Writhing

“I’ve been putting it off for so long, it’s almost funny how easy that was.”

“Yeah, I know, right? You think in the back of your head it’s gonna be this intense thing and it’s literally like 15 seconds.”

“Nobody tells you that.”

Part work of ethereal realism, part dance film, the twelve-minute short Writhing follows a young man facing the probability of a positive HIV diagnosis. Writer-director Robert John Torres (who also co-stars as a supportive clinic counselor) takes us through the process. While the film doesn’t provide any easy answers, it does offer a great deal of compassion.

Everett (Reed Alvarado), a young gay man, is “pretty certain” that he has contracted HIV. However, he has been mentally and emotionally unwilling to bring himself in for testing. Finally working up the courage, he confesses his fear to a friend (Elizabeth B. Bates). He wants to go alone, finally ready to face the truth.

Torres has a wide variety of visual tricks up his sleeve, perfectly deployed the convey Everett’s uneasy emotions. Vape smoke frequently crowds the frame, standing as a metaphor for the lead character’s hazy uncertainty. There’s also a man (Keanu Uchida), credited as “humanoid figure” who gives meaning to the film’s title. Clad in a leather harness with pink skin, he dances, contorts and literally writhes on Everett’s bed in a perpetual state of unrest. His presence creates a strange juxtaposition with the seemingly ordinary West Coast suburban neighborhood we see out the window.

Clearly, not everything is alright with Everett at this moment… but it will be again (regardless of the results of his test).

Writhing is now available to stream on Dekkoo.

The Falls: Covenant of Grace concludes a powerful romantic trilogy

The third and final installment of a beloved romantic trilogy, The Falls: Covenant of Grace, originally released in 2016, follows The Falls (2012) and The Falls: Testament of Love (2013) in telling the story of two former Mormon missionaries who fell in not-so-easy-to-maintain love.

RJ Smith (Nick Ferrucci) and Chris Merril (Benjamin Farmer) were once practically poster boys for the Mormon Church: they were both Eagle Scouts with perfect academic records and pretty girlfriends. But once it came time to serve a mission and experience the Mormon rite of passage, things changed. They were paired up together… and fell in love. The strict restrictions of the Church, however, would keep them apart for some time.

Covenant of Grace picks up with their story many years later. RJ and Chris have been growing closer. Chris, now divorced but still an active member of the LDS church, lives in Salt Lake City with his young daughter. RJ has moved to Portland, and is a successful writer.

Chris takes a weekend trip to visit RJ in Portland, but their burgeoning relationship is thrown for a loop when the LDS church announces a ban against baptisms for children of same sex couples. They are divided about how to handle the announcement, and what it means for their relationship and their faith.

Even though he still has faith, RJ would rather just be done with the Church, but Chris is not ready to let it go. Chris goes home with the issue of their relationship still unresolved.
But when Chris’ mother unexpectedly dies, RJ drops everything to fly to Salt Lake City and be there for the man he so passionately, painfully loves.

After RJ returns home to Portland he struggles with his feelings about the Church and
Chris. With the help of his friends, he begins to gain some clarity about his priorities. At the same time, Chris is just beginning to understand that he doesn’t have to choose between God and love.

Don’t miss this powerful, romantic and deeply compassionate film – now available on Dekkoo.

Writer-director-star Wade Radford gets Caught in a Landslide

What does it truly feel like to be lonely?

A boy ravished, worn and depleted embarks on a spiritual journey through his own troubled mind in this experimental romantic ghost story from writer director Wade Radford.

Through a combination of pharmaceuticals and alcohol, Jay (Radford) walks through the lost memories of true love. Tonight, he will walk in the wilting greenhouse that was the backdrop to his summer romance. He’ll watch the water run beneath the blue bridge and he’ll meet his familiar resident ghost (Robbie Manners). In a film that combines imagery, poetry and the reality of loss, Caught in a Landslide takes the viewer from the beauty of ‘England’s garden’ to the darkness of a broken mind that so many have endured.

Based on the book “A Vision of Life” by Jay Proctor, LGBTQ writer, actor and director Wade Radford (known for a number of punk-influenced underground gay films from the UK) returns in this art-house collaboration with co-director Wesley Strong.

Sometimes dreams can be turned upside down, and sometimes a vision of life is just that – a vision.

Watch the trailer for Caught in a Landslide below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Whirlwind

A smart and sexy story about the complexity of gay relationships, Whirlwind is a touching, funny ensemble film exploring non-monogamy, commitment, friendship, getting older and more from Richard LeMay, the director of 200 American.

Set in New York City, the story centers on a tight knit group of gay men. At first they appear to have it all. They are funny, good looking and successful, but soon a handsome stranger enters into their group and everything changes.

Drake (David Rudd) is young, hot and charming, but he has ulterior motives. What starts out with Drake adding some excitement to the routine of this circle of friends quickly begins to spiral out of control.

Both touching and funny, this story follows the wake of one person’s deliberate attempt to destroy the relationships of five men, all the while letting his own friendships unravel around him.

Written by Emmy Award-winning creator Jason Brown and starring some of the most talented actors in New York with credits including Broadway hits such as A Chorus Line, Rent, Hairspray and Wicked, Whirlwind is a surprisingly subtle and honest depiction of thirty-something gay men and the crossroads they must face.

Whirlwind is now available on Dekkoo.

Cinema Spotlight: Rift

Paying homage to classic art-house horror films like Robert Wise’s The Haunting and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, Rift is an enticing, well-acted and expertly-directed mystery-thriller from Iceland that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Gunnar (Bjorn Stefansson) receives a strange phone call from his ex-boyfriend, Einar (Sigurdur Thor Oskarsson), months after they parted ways. Einar sounds distraught, like he’s about to do something terrible to himself, so Gunnar drives to the secluded cabin where Einar is holed up and soon discovers there is more going on than he imagined.

As the two former lovers come to terms with their broken relationship, some other person, a mysterious figure in red, seems to be lurking outside the cabin, wanting to get inside. Is this a fantasy… or a real intruder?

Eerie and stylishly crafted by director Erlinger Thoroddsen (Child Eater), Rift is a horror-tinged examination of trauma and the psychic scars it leaves behind. The film proved a big hit at film fests – not just LGBT festivals, but general horror film festivals as well, where it earned rave reviews.

Watch the trailer for Rift below. The film is streaming now on Dekkoo.

Book your stay at The Rainbow Bridge Motel

After reserving their dream wedding package in Niagara Falls at The Rainbow Bridge Motel (the self-proclaimed “#1 Gay Wedding Destination!”) Dean and Darren (Chris Modrzynski and Cole Burden) could not be more excited for their wedding. Once they arrive, they’re greatly dismayed to learn that they’ve actually booked themselves into a seedy motel sandwiched between chemical plants.

And if that’s not bad enough, the place is run by a seemingly insane, completely over-the-top huckster named Shibbawitz (National Lampoon veteran Scott Rubin) – the culprit behind the recently re-branded motel. He’s looking to ride the trend of Niagara Falls becoming a gay wedding destination. In reality, he’s clueless on how to cater to the LGBTQ community – let alone perform a gay wedding. Unfortunately, the Burmese political refugee family that he employs as cheap labor are not much help either.

Although a disastrous ceremony looms, it pales in comparison to the heightened cultural and emotional obstacles stirred up by the approaching nuptials. Can Dean and Darren get to the altar with their love – and their lungs – still intact? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Shot on location in Niagara Falls, this is the first film to ever shoot on the iconic Rainbow Bridge. “You could live your whole life without ever being apart of something special,” said the film’s co-director, J. Garrett Vorreuter. “For us, we knew from the start that this was special, even bigger than us. And now we get to share that magic with audiences everywhere.”

Watch out the trailer for The Rainbow Bridge Motel below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Spring

Writer-director Hong Khaou’s 13-minute short film Spring could be either a horror-thriller or a wildly erotic celebration of how exploring one’s kinks through BDSM can be a liberating experience. It’s hard to tell, even once the film has ended, and that’s all by design.

Chris O’Donnell (no, not the one you’re thinking of) stars as Joe, a young man who clearly wants to explore his submissive side, but has some reservations. He’s particularly nervous during his first meeting with Tim (Jonathan Keane), a handsome, slightly older stranger who assures him that he’s “in safe hands.” Joe isn’t so sure, but he’s just curious enough to find out.

For Joe, this potential encounter all about the sexual thrill. He relishes kneeling in front of his older master, taking in his scent. Tim, however, is more interested in the psychological aspects of their coupling. Once they have arrived back at what may or may not be Tim’s residence, a cavernous home with plenty of empty rooms to explore (and no one to hear you scream), a struggle plays out between their very different desires, after which, nothing will be the same as before.

Khaou builds tension from the very first frames of Spring and never lets up. There’s no moment during this stylish short where we’re not wondering if Tim is a sociopath who plans to murder – or at least deeply psychologically scar – Joe. His experience, equal fear and excitement, becomes our own.

Spring earned great acclaim at film festivals all around the world when it debuted in 2011 and it’s easy to see why. Hong Khaou’s next project was the 2014 feature-length film Lilting, a deeply emotional drama staring Ben Whishaw as a young man trying to form a relationship with his deceased lover’s Chinese-Cambodian mother. We highly recommend both and can’t wait to see what he does next.

Spring is available not on Dekkoo.