crushing on: Kazunari Ninomiya [i love 'em innocent looking]

I was watching the JPop variety show called Music Station not long ago when I chanced upon Kazunari Ninomiya being interviewed for having been part of the movie 'Letters from Iwojima' -oddly enough, I have yet to see that film. But back then, i already found him really cute.

So, last week, I was able to acquire a copy of Yamada Tarou Monogatari [The Story of Yamada Tarou] which had a Taiwanese counterpart called The Poor Prince from years ago which starred Taiwanese F4 member, Vic Zhou -never bothered to watch that one- and thank goodness I didn't.

I learned that his nickname is Nino, which suits him superbly. Aside from being the cutie that he is, he's such a good actor. Now, there is much to be said about how animated the Japenese actors are when they do, but Nino displayed quite an understanding of nuance in his performance which earns him a place in my heart.

Oh yes, one needs to mention, I love those lips...

What I love about these Japanese boys is their ability to be triple threats; defined by being able to sing, dance, and act. Not like these Filipino actors who do horribly in our local variety shows. I mean, guys like Ikuta Toma and Nino has me wondering why me make tv stars of non-talent commoners too quickly back here.

I can't wait to watch him in Ryusei No Kizuna.

Oh, wouldn't it be nice to have someone sitting and looking like that waiting for me? Oh well...


thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

what makes a movie gay [part 2 of 3]

and so, we continue from where we left off, on how I'm over-thinking what makes a gay movie...

Fourth: Gay Icons and Camp



-these films aren't really gay but are more about the impact the stars and the movies had on gay culture. it features accepted gay icons like judy garland, barbara streisand, rock hudson etcetera. or at other instances, these films feature famous lines that every queen/queer will move themselves to quote like "as god as my witness, i will never go hungry again"



All About Eve, The Wizard of Oz, Now Voyager, and the many judy garland and bette davis movies comes to mind...and let's not forget barbara...we must not forget barbara [although i'm not a fan].


"Fasten you seatbelts... it's going to be a bumpy night." from All About Eve



Fifth: The Unspoken

-these movies are best described as movies wherein you are led to believe that there are gay undertones in the story...such stories are of friendships between boys/men that only the two of them can understand...oftentimes, the characters are as i could coin it, 'too pretty to be straight". but there is a deep human emotional quality to these stories. stories that transcend the basest/simplest of the things we seem to neglect/make ordinary in the dynamics of human connections.


a scene from NAPOLA or in other releases "Before The Fall"

NAPOLA (before the fall) -about two teenage boys sent to a Nazi elite high school at the end of the 2nd world war. one a poor German boy from the city and the other, the son of a high ranking Nazi official. a moving story of how the idealism of youth is shattered as the very belief systems they foster crumble before them. moving is the attempt of one to reclaim his friend's soul. note, there's boxing here and has a lot of good looking German teenage boys (if that's your thing)





Sixth: I Can't Stop Dancin' I Can't Stop Singin' [add acting...]

-if you're a show tune queen/queer, if you love the rap-a-tap-tap, and all that jazz -then you are very familiar with this category. far be it for me to generalize that the film musicals are gay, they indeed have a following in the gay community. Whether it be musicals that deal with life in the theatre or the performance arts -whether there be the 'token gay guy' or not; these movies have held a special place in out hearts. they're the reliable pick-me-up when you're down. they can also be plays adapted to film...




-CAMP, made famous by the line, "oh my god, a straight boy!!! an honest to god straight boy!!!" - Vlad,a straight boy battling his demons of fitting-in and teenage angst decides to enroll in a summer camp for musical theatre called camp ovation. and right off the bat, everybody falls in love with him: gay or straight. as he becomes the object of affection of the many -which he enjoyed tremendously, the whole camp is turned over as they move from show to show performing songs like 'i'm still here' (from Company), 'and i am telling you' (dream girls), trukey-lurkey time (promises, promises), and the anthem to many a drag queen's 'ladies who lunch' -add to that a great song composed by ahrens and flaherty(the people behind 'once on this island') entitled 'i sing for you'



-TRICK, the story of a struggling musical theatre writer named gabriel (played by a loveable christian campbell) who meets a go-go by named mark on the new york subway; and their misadventures overnight ass they try to find a place to be 'private' -in full compliment, tori spelling as a fag-hag, a drag queen, a n on the rocks gay couple, and lots of opportunities to be musical...


Seventh: Eye Candy

-the title says it all; shallow but true, there are movies that fill up the screen with many a goodlooking people. and be it beauty or sex appeal they try to sell, we just cant forget them. this varies upon preference...

-She's The Man: a modern deconstruction of Shakespeare's gender-bender play on appearance versus desire called Twelfth Night. I love Channing Tatum in this movie; so let the photos speak for themselves...











this has been rather enjoyable, and we shall continue this next post...

thus spake the barefoot baklesa

The History Boys: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

i just love this song...

The lyrics to "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" are originally by Lorenz Hart, with music by Richard Rodgers. The song debuted in 1940's theatrical production of Pal Joey


Bewithced, Bothered, and Bewildered

He's a fool and don't I know it
But a fool can have his charms
I'm in love, and don't I show it?
Like a babe in arms

Love's the same old sad sensation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I'm wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

Lost my heart, but what of it
He is cold, I agree
He can laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And long for the day when I'll cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

After one whole quart of brandy
Like a daisy, I'm awake
With no Bromo-Seltzer handy
I don't even shake

Men are not a new sensation
I've done pretty well I think
But this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I've sinned a lot, I'm mean a lot
But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

When he talks, he is seeking
Words to get off his chest
Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best

Vexed again, perplexed again
Thank God, I can be oversexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

what makes a movie gay? [part 1 of 3]

before I post part 3, let us revisit these, shall we...



okay, as much as Eric Cartman from the cartoon series South Park is somewhat right about Brokeback Mountain -it being a western "about two cowboys eatin' pudding" -there's much more to gay cinema than the many second rate indie digitals the many young directors are churning out...

But first what is Gay Cinema? Well, i really can't define that genre singularly. But rather, Gay Cinema as defined by these things i have commonly observed through my collections.

First: That's Soooo Gay

-in short, by the sheer gayness of it, it qualifies. whether it be a love story between two men and/or women, a coming-of-age story,and a coming out story. these films have no pretenses in presenting gay culture and 'the scene' to which the film has framed itself...

for example:




In & Out -comedy, starring kevin kline; about a teacher who is outed by his former and currently famous student after winnning the Oscar for best actor just days before his wedding to a longtime friend and fellow faculty at the high school where he teaches



Latter Days -romance, here a gay LA party boy takes a bet to seduce one of their mormon missionary neighbors (a very hot mormon missionary) who turns out to be gay!!! Famous for this line, "you want revelations engraved in gold and angels trumpeting down from heaven. what if this is it instead; me, telling you 'i love you' right here in the snow." the romance spirals in the midst of a rather beautiful sountrack.




Imagine Me & You -romantic comedy, the premise here is that the bride discovers the soon to be love of her life (their lesbian florist) on the day of their wedding...one of the two lesbian love films i made an effort to collect.



Dorian Blues -teen coming out/of age movie, about a guy named Dorian who realizes that he is gay at the age of 17 and tries to avoid it at first with the help of a loving brother named Nick and not so much from his 'nazi' father and passive mother.

Second: Borderline Gay



-this is where that rather vague concept of 'bisexuality' comes into play [for me, that's vague, okay]. these movies are defined by the temporary experimentation into the gay and lesbian world.



Y tu Mama Tambien -coming of age, two friends go on a road trip with a very attractive lady whom they both sleep with and then at a defining moment near the end of the movie makes them experiment on each other -kinda like her take at getting even after learning that the boys were just in it to boink her...



Kissing Jessica Stein -romantic comedy, about a woman whose failed attempts at heterosexual romance leads her to consider a lesbian relationship...i'm sure the girls at saint scholastica's can relate to this (biro lang!). but seriously, i love the emotional journey the characters in this movie take; and the music, and new york...need i say more?



Third: The Historical Gay

-movies about real people (including historical figures) who are gay and real events related to gay issues. and in some cases people going through unexplained gay issues...


Stephen Fry and Jude Law as Oscar Wilde and his beloved Lord Alfred Douglas

Wilde -period piece, stars Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde and Jude Law as Lord Bossey. this details the hidden gay life of famous victorian writer Oscar Wilde and his lover (Bossey). very victorian in many sensibilities and nuances; and tragic...



i'm going to continue this next blog...

continuing the mario maurer drool mode [episode something-something]

Here we go again... I came upon this video from youtube last night. Truth be told, i was a little agitated when i went online [it doesn't take much to get me so these past few days]. But there is nothing like Mario Maurer to bring a smile to my face... Oh well... He is just so cute here.

To those of you who have been living under a rock and have no idea who this cutie is, just click on these to learn more about Mario Maurer through The Love of Siam, and Friendship.

thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa