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Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became thedefining theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy,politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for anentire generation of theater-goers. Post-9/11 wouldseem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don'talways age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably directed by Mike Nichols(The Graduate), provides a time capsule of the '80s and reveals thedeep emotional subcurrents that will give the play lasting power.

The story centers around Prior Walter(Justin Kirk) and Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple that fallsapart when Prior grows ill as a result of AIDS. But cancer is not the onlything invading Prior's life: He begins to have religious visions of anangel (Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility) announcing that he isa prophet. Louis, who doesn't cope well with disease and suggestions ofmortality, leaves and starts a relationship with Joe Pitt (PatrickWilson), a closeted Mormon who works for Roy Cohn (Al Pacino, Dog DayAfternoon)--the real-life right-wing lawyer, notorious for hisruthless behind-the-scenes machinations. Add in Joe's depressed andhallucinating wife Harper (Mary Louise Parker, Fried GreenTomatoes), his determined but open-minded mother Hannah (Meryl Streep,Adaptation), a fierce drag queen/nurse named Belize (JeffreyWright, Basquiat, reprising his celebrated performance from theBroadway production), and you've still only begun to discover the wealthof characters and storylines in Kushner's ambitious work.

Thepowerhouse cast (also featuring James Cromwell, Michael Gambon, and SimonCallow) is uniformly superb. The script has its weaknesses--some of thefantastic elements, including Prior's journey to Heaven towards the end,fall flat--but even what doesn't work is bristling with ideas and aferocious desire to capture human existence in this time and place.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A profound human dimension amid the politics and pain
A jaw-dropping film adaptation of Tony Kushner's epic, 5-hour play, which was a defining artistic statement documenting the political and social upheaval that AIDS-HIV disease brought to America's gay community and to the wider America around it. Mixing agitprop and camp with magical realism and utter, heart-rending, pathos, Kushner and director Mike Nichols bring the story to the screen in a big, big way, with all-around amazing performances by a perfectly cast ensemble. Al Pacino gets to chew up yards of scenery in his portrayal of the sleazy, venal, far-rightwing attorney Roy Cohn (who acted as Joe McCarthy's point man in the infamous 1950s prosecution of "atom spies" Julius and Ethel Rosenberg) and for once, all of Pacino's high-decibel yelling pays off with some real dramatic ooompf.

There are a lot of things that you could comment on in this play -- the exploration of Jewish-American assimilation, the powerful reaffirmation of a supposedly marginalized leftist perspective, etc. -- but the most profound insight Kushner has to offer is about who the real redeeming angels will have to be in our nation's coming cultural reconciliation. The humanity that he is able to impart into the character of the middle-American Mormon, Mother Pitt (played faultlessly by Meryl Streep), is a marvel of modern political drama: and it rings undeniably true. Pushing past our narrowly defined social and political "roles," and into our shared humanity, is the only road open to folks who want to see America's moral and ethical core liberated from the ideological intrusions of the religious far-right, and the resulting frustrated anger of the disenfranchised middle-liberal-left. In a strictly us-vs-them world view, Mother Pitt would be derided by those on the we're-here-we're-queer Left... but as many people have learned, particularly amid the devastating upheavals of the HIV crisis, our real emotional lives are (ideally) not ruled by dogma. Mother Pitt isn't just a caring parent, she's also a kind, pragmatic person, and for her, the most pragmatic choice when confronted with an epidemic, is to simply offer sympathy and solace. What could be more natural? Let's hope her example prevails.

The CITIZEN KANE of the Modern Era
My expectations were high when I learned that HBO was going to spend over $60 million on an adaptation of Tony Kushner's extraordinary 6-hour epic play, but I could nt have imagined that the resulting film would move to the top of my list of best films ever made in the United States - but that is precisely what Angels in America has done.

Streep and Pacino deliver the finest performances of their careers here (Streep in 4 roles!). Emma Thompson is radiant. And the performances of Jeffrey Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Justin Kirk and Ben Shenkman positively shine.

And the WRITING and DIRECTION! As close to Shakespearean as any American work I have ever read. And scenes that captivate in their composition and lighting, in their structure and their content. And a magical blending of profundity, humor, pathos, tragedy, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit over desperation and resignation. A musical score to match the high levels of word and vision.

In short, this film is nothing short of miraculous. All who worked on this masterpiece should be proud of their achievement. Angels in America stands as testimony to what the human mind can accomplish at its finest and most creative.

Simply the best movie I've seen in years....
HBO should've released this movie in movie theaters. I saw it at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and it was a fantastic experience. Seeing it on TV is great, but.... Oh well, just enjoy! The acting, story, and filmography are amazing.

awesome
I started to watch the series using the on demand feature of our cable company and then it went away before I got to watch the whole thing. I can't wait to get the dvd so I can finish watching it and have it to watch again and again. Having been around when this was all going down makes this series really hit home. The acting is superb as are the special effects.

beyond wonderful
If they had released this movie in the theaters, there would not have been enough Academy awards to give to the writer, the director, and the wonderful cast. Who should get Best Actor? Al Pacino as the loathesome Roy Cohn or Justin Kirk as the dying Prior Walter? Who should get Best Actress? Meryl Streep as the practical, compassionate Mormon housewife, or Emma Thompson as the beautiful, terrifying angel? This series had me riveted to the TV set. I could not do anything but watch. Get this movie. You owe it to yourself to witness one of the major artistic events of the decade. ... Read more

Description

When his conservative mom arrives to visit, a gay man attempts to keep his boyfriend and his London lifestyle in the closet with hilarious results! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A mediocre film featuring both Darian Caine and Katie Keane
Girl Explores Girl: The Alien Encounter is your typically silly, plot-deprived John Bacchus-produced Seduction Cinema film. The population of an alien planet has lost the means to reproduce, so they send two emissaries to Earth to see how the humans go about multiplying. The two aliens soon ditch their alien bodies (and ridiculous lettuce-like heads), with Zorkon taking the form of a total geek (John Bacchus) and Galaxia adopting the body of a hot little blonde number (Katie Keane). Zorkon is more than ready to begin trying to save their planet, but Galaxia feels nothing with Zorkon and goes out to do some exploring of her own. She finds an overly made up buxom blonde (Natalia Ashe), does some intense work with her, and returns to disappoint Zorkon with her choice of sexual preference. Poor Zorkon has to rely on call girls to entertain him, with Darian Caine and Victoria Vega being just what the alien doctor might have ordered.

Girl Explores Girl does have the distinction of featuring the girls of The Erotic Witch Project, including Katie Keane, the blonde who garnered many fans from her earlier performance but soon stopped working with Surrender Cinema. Keane has a couple of memorable steamy scenes here that should delight her fans. I much prefer the dark and mysterious Darian Caine, who features in three scenes in Girl Explores Girl. After a nice round of exotic dancing, however, her scenes with Victoria Vega are a little on the tame side. Darian still brings plenty of sizzle to the screen, however, and fans of both Caine and Keane would do well to add this film to their collections.

The Collector's Edition of this movie includes a bonus documentary called Loving the Alien, interviews with Keane and Ashe, a photo gallery featuring the women of Girl Explores Girl, and trailers for a sampling of other Surrender Cinema productions.

Lots of sex....very little else.
I spotted this DVD and thought I would give it a watch, however, thre is pretty much no plot or actual story in this 'movie'. So Its pretty much like a drawn out porno flick. The actual sex scenes in this movie are pretty decent, and there are lots of them. Which is why I gave it 3 stars. So if you're into lesbianism, then this would be up your alley.
Just understand that if you buy it, its just for the sex, and pretty much nothing else.

A good softcore, girl/girl video.
Girl Explores Girl is really just a pornographic girl/girl video that has been toned down just enough so that most mainstream retailers will carry it. The "plot" is threadbare and just ties the numerous sex scenes together.

It does what it sets out to do pretty well. The women are attractive and naked. Three of the sex scenes were very good, the others were just okay.

It's not going to make any top ten lists, but it is still worth a look.

Okay foray into softcore-land.
Coming on the heels of the infamous Erotic Witch Project, Girl Explores Girl features the 3 girls from that film, along with fetish-porn-model Natalia Ashe.

Storyline: One shouldn't go into a Seduction Cinema movie for the storyline, usually, but in this movie the storyline is so bad that it actually does affect the movie as a whole. 2 aliens come to earth; one becomes an incredibly dorky guy, and the other a hot girl, and sex ensues. That's pretty much it. Little in the movie makes much sense, and the non-sex scenes are downright annoying, so it's best to just skip to the good stuff rather than sitting down with a tub o' popcorn. This is in sharp contrast to Erotic Witch, which is a semi-funny parody that's worth watching all the way through, as well as containing some good girl/girl(/girl) scenes.

The girls: Okay, as everyone else has said, Katie Kean- a svelte blonde- is hot. I'm partial to Darian Caine, myself- she's a buxom dark-haired goth-like girl, and Victoria Vega- a brunette- is pretty nice to look at. Unfortunately, Natalia Ashe is horrific looking- her one redeeming virtue is her prehensile tongue. She's overly tanned, overly made-up, and her hair's fried from too much peroxide.

The sex scenes: except for the first scene in the film, all of the couplings are girl/girl. Darian with Victoria, and Katie with Natalia. Unfortunately, there is no menage a trois or four-way in the movie, nor do the couples switch. IMO the movie would have been better if there had been interaction between all four girls rather than keeping them as two separate couples. At least it would have been nice to pair Katie with Darian and/or Victoria.

The Darian/Victoria scenes are a bit dull. While the actresses are fun to watch, there's no passion (Darian chews gum throughout the whole thing, which is kind of funny); there's little/no kissing, just some half-hearted tongue-play. The shower scene is okay, and the food scenes are probably the hottest between the two.

The Katie/Natalia scenes are, surprisingly, much more erotic. There's a definite chemistry between the two, and there's a bit more playing around overall- the scenes actually get quite explicit, which is a nice departure for a softcore film. Still not enough kissing for my taste, but hey... can't win 'em all.

DVD extras: Pretty nice- the menus are self-explanatory, and the making-of documentary is fun to watch. The interview with Katie is okay, while the one with Natalia just furthered my distaste for her. I'd like to have seen the DVD be dual-layer, so the extras could be accessed easier on single-sided DVD players.

Overall: a decent effort, but not as good as the Erotic Witch Project. Probably still worth the purchase by fans of softcore girl/girl movies, but if it's a toss-up I'd go with EWP first.

no budget, no script, no acting.
The movie begins with special effects straight off someone's 15 year old mac as the alien craft heads toward earth. The two aliens in the story beam down to a backyard wearing rubber hands and masks they got at the five and dime. The first sex scene is a Barbie and Ken type that lacks any kind of heat whatsoever(it looks like they threw this in from something else they were working on). The rest of the movie takes place in a bedroom or by a backyard pool. There are two sets of girl/girl couplings; two brunettes and two blondes. The two brunettes seem to be just going through the motions and are not really interesting. However, the two blondes seem to have an on screen chemistry that works,(as long as they're not talking). Their scenes are really hot and very explicit. The ending: very lame. As far as eroctic sci-fi, fantasy, or horror go, there is better and worse to be found. There are a couple of scenes that are good, but most of this one is junk. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Unexprectedly Interesting!
This film is a combination of science fiction and good old-fashioned film noir, complete with mystery and intrigue. It is a little slow to start but once you're hooked, you really do want more.

Without giving too much of the plot away, the story is about time-travelers and revolves around three main characters, with a fourth character who is integral to the story but doesn't get as much screen time as the other three. The characters are a female 1950s pulp detective novelist, the mysterious man one presumes to be her paramour, and a modern day woman. The fourth character is an intriguing African American woman whose presence is known throughout the movie but she isn't seen except at the beginning and the end. Essentially, these folks are time travelers and it is sort of through the modern woman's eyes that the viewer sees the events unfold. We know as much as she knows and we find out what she uncovers as the movie progresses.

This is a movie that is really hard to pin down without giving away all of the essential plot points. That's what makes it an interesting piece to watch. One suspects it was a low-budget film but even so, there's some really nice artistic flourishes thrown in and the acting is so good, you forget that it probably didn't cost too much to shoot this flick. I like how the film handles the concept of time travel without any flashy special effects. It's simple and just plain cool once you think about it. One caveat though, for those expecting a lesbian film, this is not really it. There is some lesbian subtext but for the most part heterosexuality is the maintext. I thought this was a lesbian movie about lesbians but that wasn't really the case. It's ok though because the movie is so interesting and well done. As long as you're not expecting a lesbian movie, you won't be disappointed.

You should watch this movie just because it will give you something to think about and discuss with anyone who watches it with you.

Best Indie Release for 2002!
If you're looking for a film that takes chances, doesn't hide behind its special effects department and actually has a script that's smart and makes you think, then check out "The Sticky Fingers of Time." Hard to categorize, this "film noir/sci-fi/indie gem is the best film to come along in ages! It's dreamy, it's sexy. I want to watch it again and again.

expertly written and directed. phenomenal film.
I saw this film two or three years ago at one of the San Francisco film festivals. I loved it. I told everyone about it, and have had to wait this long time before I found it on DVD.

It is expertly written and directed, a phenomenal film. It cloaks any budget constraints in a black-n white film noir look and feel, very convincing, all time periods feel authentic (good costume work - also good set designs). The time travel elements are well told, especially for such a complex underlying concept. There's nothing condescending or overbearing the way you found in Matrix (no endless monologues explaining everything). Rather, it's concise in it's storytelling, told visually and thematically and through action. Really nice, a fun romp through time, very catchy.

All actors were well above what I've come to expect, even - or maybe especially - from Hollywood. No one really let the ball fall. I recommend this to anyone who loves film noir or science fiction - thriller stories.

Surprising and Engaging Independent Film
First, a small confession...I have this unwritten (until now) rule that I don't usually purchase a film if it's length is less than 90 mins. This especially applies to Independent Films as Indie films of under 90 minutes can sometimes just be overly long "shorts" in dire need of editing. If I'm looking to actually purchase a "short", well that's a different story, time wouldn't really be a consideration then.

So..I was a little hesitant to purchase "The Sticky Fingers Of Time" as it clocks in at only 82 minutes.

Something made me reconsider my own rule, though and I purchased up a copy here at Amazon. This was based soley on the fact that I'd read a small article on this production in Filmmaker Magazine about a year ago. The title of the film stuck in my head; as did the description that mentioned "time travelling lesbian".

Time Travelling Lesbians? Yea, we don't get many of those types of films - so the name stayed with me.

And there it was one day, popping up on Amazon and I bought it.

Cut to the chase - yes, I'm happy I did. There are several reasons.

The first reason, the production values are right on! They are excellent. The production design and sets perfectly place the "time freaks" in the correct year.

The second reason, well - this is just an engaging story. So engaging, actually, that I was disappointed when it ended, wanting the story to continue off on another tangent.

To describe this film would be difficult at best. Yes, it is about time travel but not "Star Trek worm-hole space time continuim" sort of sci-fi stuff, it's just something that happens.

Interestingly enough, that is my one complaint, if I can call it that ... is that there is not enough plot spent on the "time travel" aspect of the story. It is well explained and defined, but it did leave me wanting more information.

Basically, this is a well told three main-character story. There are other characters, obviously, but the main three are people who...well, they call themselves "time freaks" and oddly enough - they don't seem surprised or even particularily alarmed at their ability to move about in "time".

Ultimately, you could describe this as a "time-travelling-lesbian-themed-sci-fi-murder-mystery".

It does take a few minutes to get sucked into the story, but it's worth the short wait for the story to unfold.

It sure would have made a great "Twilight Zone", that's for sure.

I will definitely recommend this independent film. It has more than competent actors, a fun and engaging script, and excellent production values.

You'll enjoy your 82 minutes.

Best Regards,
turtlex

Sticky Fingers: Authentic Science Fiction
This is a genuine authentic Science Fiction story!

It's got the "makes ya think" riffs in it that sucked me into Star Trek and Arthur C Clarke as a child. Plus, it's got a cute nerdy bisexual female lead character, and manual typewriters. *Swoon*.

Something for everyone.

It's a garage production, no special effects, and completely successful in what it attempts. It plays some interesting games with the traditionally linear storyline, as well, not unlike the deviations in Pulp Fiction and Mememento.

I give the movie several thumbs-ups. Can't wait to see what's on the DVD.

-- dvb ... Read more

Amazon.com

A mix of revisionist fairy tale and social satire, this gay allegory imagines urban runaways as storybook werewolves lurking around the fringes of a quaint little village. Gabriel (James Layton) is a rascally, seductive veteran of the wilds who fancies young Seth (Lee Williams), an innocent newcomer tossed out of his home by parents appalled at his sudden transformation from normal boy to... wolf. Sporting shaggy fur coats, long fingernails, and pointy Spock-like ears, these handsome young cubs are a cross between Dickensian street urchins, Peter Pan's Lost Boys, and modern homeless kids. Harmless (except when committing petty crimes and doing some minor hell raising), they are feared and despised by the good churchgoing folk of the town, demonized in sermons, and blamed for the crimes of a few citizens whose pious façades hide the true evil in this rural paradise. It's a modest little tale with a simplistic view (it's a fairy tale, after all) and easy scapegoats in the scheming elderly villagers, but it's a clever approach accomplished with suggestion and sly revisionism. A rebellious city girl puts a cute twist on "Little Red Riding Hood" when she seduces the cute, naïve Seth, and a priest proclaims, "There were no wolves in the Garden of Eden," before loading his gun for a hunting expedition. Sweet, romantic, and sad, there's even a "happily ever after" worked into an otherwise tragic turn. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A great movie - beautiful, funny, odd
I first saw this film at a film festival a few years ago, and have looked forward to getting it on DVD since.

It's a beautiful movie - the settings and scenes are lush and rich, and the characters are all wonderful - from sexy young men to ridiculous old ladies.

It's a fairy-tale-esque story with wolves as an allegory to gay men, with a nicely intertwined story of some elderly ladies plotting to kill their mistress.

It's not just worth watching, it's worth watching more than once!

Significant Disappointment
I saw this film before its release, at the New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. It sticks in my mind still because of its trite, fully derivative, predictable, and tedious plot. I cannot recommend the film...

A Howling Success
A beautifully written and filmed feature that intelligently explores homophobia and hypocrisy through an allegory that reworks Little Red Riding Hood amongst the Shropshire Hills.

The Wolves of Kromwer focuses on the relationship between Seth and Gabriel, two gay wolves, their supposed murder of the local lady of the manor and the resulting wolf hunt.

Imaginative script with surreal comic touches. Well acted and good characterisation. Involving and thought provoking.

Premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Charles Lambert (writer and producer) is a man I am expecting great things of in the future.

Haunting, mind-blowing
This is one of those rare movies that upon first view it enthralled and frightened me with it's subconsious familiarity. From Boy George's first words of narration to the strange interaction of a local women to these two "wolves" I was hooked.

And while it could be seen as simpistic. When have fairy tales ever been complex? A case could be made that the acting is all over the place. Have you seen Star Wars II?

The great "secret" of this movie seemed a bit obvious. But considering the current stuff in the paper seems sort of precient.

Entertaining. Sensual. Evocative. Strange.

OH, PLEASE GNAW ON ME MR. WOLF!!
.
Not a drama, not a thriller, definitly not a horror film, well, what then? You got it, a comedy in way too many acts. Our big bad wolves run around the forrest with their tails sewn to their ratty, not-so-fur-like-mid-moth-eaten -coats and yap like foxes instead of wolves calls.

I admit I was the one doing the howling. The only acting I was able to pick up on was the two elderly ladies and they snarled and howled more than the wolves. Actually they were waiting at GMAWS house to eat the wolves...

I say, if you ever have a little...get-together for a film fest, this would get everyone off-(no not that off), on a light note. You could spend hour's picking it to pieces....and howling!!

I gave it a (one)* And a 'shame-on-you', kick- in- the- cinematic- reels for wasting so much celluloid.
This has set the 'gay motion picture' back to the dark ages.

There were three rich guys plus Boy George who got together ,
this was their first movie and hopefully their last...
ciao yaaah 69 ... Read more