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In 1961, a film version of Lillian Hellman’s play The Children’s Hour was produced under the same title. Unlike its 1936 cinematic predecessor—which sidestepped the lesbian crux of the story to comply with restrictive Hollywood decency codes of the time—the recent version was faithful to the original Broadway drama’s storyline, that of two schoolteachers whose livelihood is ruined when a malicious student spreads gossip about their relationship being indecent. The twist happens when one of the pair, Martha, reveals that she does have romantic feelings for her colleague, Karen, who is happily engaged to a local doctor. From there, the twisted love-triangle becomes progressively more tragic for all three...

(Cinzi Lavin, glreview.org)

Director Stephen Frears’ film “Prick Up Your Ears” — that last word an anagram for “arse” — is getting a 30th anniversary re-release in a restored edition. The weeklong run provides a rare opportunity to see this biopic of the late gay playwright Joe Orton on the big screen.

The film was scripted by another gay playwright, Alan Bennett, based on John Lahr’s biography, which drew on Orton’s diaries. It opens with neighbors and police discovering the bodies of Orton (Gary Oldman) and his lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina), and ends, in 1967, with Halliwell murdering Orton before he commits suicide. The story in between toggles back and forth between Orton’s life and present-day scenes of Lahr (Wallace Shawn) interviewing Orton’s agent, Peggy Ramsay (Vanessa Redgrave), who has stolen Orton’s diaries from the crime scene.

As Peggy describes Orton upon first meeting him, she says he had “confidence and charm.” As Orton, Oldman delivers both qualities with notable élan. It is obvious why every man and woman in the film is attracted to him; he’s fetchingly sexy in his white T-shirt, leather jacket, jeans, and jaunty cap. That he sports a seductive, devilish grin when he is amused or is getting away with something naughty only adds to his appealing insouciance. “Prick Up Your Ears” captures very well the symbiotic relationship that develops between the lovers. Frears plays up the tensions between Joe and Kenneth throughout the film, as their arguments become increasingly nasty. Joe is harsh toward the insecure but supportive Kenneth, at times denying him glory and sex, which provokes Kenneth to angry outbursts. But Kenneth largely suffers Joe’s abuse — likely because he is terrified of losing him. That homosexuality remained illegal and very much underground in 1960s Britain may have contributed to Kenneth’s willingness to stay with a cruel companion rather than have none at all.

“Prick Up Your Ears” may shock less than viewers might expect given the gruesome facts of the story, but the film’s extraordinary writing, directing, and acting still hold up 30 years later.

(Gary M. Kramer, gaycitynews.com)

"Midnight Cowboy" moseys into UK cinemas again next month on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, and with it comes another opportunity to ask whether this is a film about homophobia or a homophobic film. In its portrayal of the friendship between two New York City street hustlers – the budding gigolo Joe Buck (Jon Voight), tall and sweet as an ice-cream sundae, and the stunted, snivelling chancer “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) – the picture hints at the inexpressible desires in any bromance. Ratso bandies the word “faggot” around and mocks Joe for the campness of his cowboy duds. Evidently the homophobe doth protest too much, for we have been privy to Ratso’s fantasies in which Joe runs shirtless with him along the beach.

It is the penultimate scene, when Joe robs, beats and perhaps even kills a gay client, that throws the movie into disarray. The scene itself provides a snapshot of Joe’s own shame and self-doubt, and a film should be allowed to depict the consequences of homophobia without being accused of perpetuating it. But it’s the way the attack on that man is swept blithely aside in the next scene that casts doubts on the motives of the film, and on the integrity of its gay British director, John Schlesinger. So why is it that I struggle to take offence?

What we look for in our formative years can be very different from the demands we make later as analytical adults, and it was certainly more important to me that representations of gayness were complex or colourful than that they were positive, whatever that meant. As far as I was concerned, film-makers were welcome to be hostile or mocking toward homosexuality just so long as they didn’t ignore it. I would have taken animosity over anonymity any day.

(Ryan Gilbey, theguardian.com)

A special Halloween event hosted by Death Cafe Malmö. The afternoon will begin with the screening of a film on the subject of death, followed by coffee/tea, cake and conversation on death. 

Doors open: 14.45 

Film begins: 15.00

Director Ebba Stoppelenburg on her documentary film Jolly (2026): 

“For generations, my family has had a human skull at home. In Jolly I journey through historical, ethical, spiritual and scientific perspectives to try to understand who this individual was and how to properly care for their remains.”

Death Cafe is a space where people come to share and listen to other people's thoughts on the subject of death over a slice of cake and a hot beverage. Subjects which can be touched upon are for example thoughts on burial ceremonies, personal anecdotes on death and religious or non-religious perspectives on death. Everybody is welcome to join! Conversations will be held in Swedish and in English. Please note that Death Cafe is a philosophical meeting place and not a professional health service.

Here is some more information on Death Cafe: https://deathcafe.com/what/