Easier With Practice: DVD Review

By Jeff Walsh

Easier With Practice is one of those movies that is impossible to review on a gay site, especially for someone as spoiler-adverse as me.

Because the distributor sent me this with another title, and I didn't even bother to read about it in advance, I just converted it so that I could watch it on my iPad and review it on the plane to or from Hawaii. And, for 90 percent of the movie, my thought was "Why did they send me an interesting, albeit seemingly heterosexual movie?"

In the back of my mind, of course, I thought, "The only way this would be a gay movie is if..." and, of course, that is what ends up being the case. So, we have a gay movie that is sort of a twist gay movie, except to review it on a gay website almost requires you to tell people the twist, so that it actually seems like a gay story.

The question I have, of course, is... if you watch this movie based on knowing it will eventually be a gay movie, even though it doesn't seem like it for most of the film and, because of that knowledge, figure things out in advance that you otherwise wouldn't or shouldn't, is it still a satisfying movie?

And I don't know the answer to that question.

Contest: Win a copy of Strings Attached

"Strings Attached" by Nick Nolan is a great story of how a closeted teen's life changes and he becomes a man (see review below).

We have three copies of this book to give away. One grand prize winner will get a signed copy, and two others will win copies of the book, as well.

To enter, send me a private message with a subject line of Strings, before July 6, and you're entered. Only one entry per member. And, of course, if you enter, you have to be Ok receiving a gay book in the mail, obviously.

Good luck!

Strings Attached: Book Review

By Jeff Walsh

Nick Nolan's "Strings Attached" is a fun beach read of a book. I can safely say that, as I read it on a beach all day today. But seriously, this novel starts out like your typical gay young adult novel, but then adds a lot of additional layers and metaphors to make it an even more compelling read.

When the book starts, Jeremy has to call 911 for his drunk mother, who almost died... again. He ends up living with his aunt, with whom his mother had a falling out after the death of Jeremy's father. This aunt is incredibly rich, with butlers and a huge mansion overlooking the ocean. In short order, Jeremy goes from poverty to posh.

As you know is a gay young adult novel, you start lining up all the things that will likely happen, and most of them don't. Or few things happen as you initially suspect. If anything, I'd go as far as to say Jeremy's awakening about being gay, while integral to the story, is less dramatic than the family drama around which it is set.

Latest journal entries.

emilikee's picture

4/23/2013

She pulls me out into the hall outside of the cafeteria.
“Do you like me?” she asks
I dart my head left and right while blushing uncontrollably. Partly because the love of my life just talked to me, but also because i was embarrassed “Shhh!”
She stares at me, confused.
“Okay,” i start to whisper to her “I have a killer crush on you,” this makes her blush.
“So, you are gay too?” she whispers smiling
I don't know what to make of the situation. It is like all of my secrets are pouring out.

Ann's picture

homeschool, friends, debate, and such

I don’t think I mentioned this in my last journal entry, but I’m homeschooled. I’m part of a local group of homeschoolers, and tonight the teens of the group were supposed to go roller skating, but it got cancelled because not enough people were interested in going. So, I thought I’d make another journal entry.

jazzybchick's picture

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Hey again. It's Jazzy again. I just wanted to say that I have a Youtube channel for my disease. I doubt that any of you know what my disease is like. It affects millions of people. You just don't know. I'm having surgery on May 10th. I wish more people would help our disease just like cancer. We hurt too and we suffer. So please support people with my disease.
Go to www.ccfa.org and visit my page on Youtube. I think it's www.youtube.com/BattleWithUC

LostSouls's picture

Thrown Away

As promised this time I want to write about Dalton, and of my brothers he's really my boyfriend. This one isn't going to be fun for me to write.

When third grade started Chase and I were in separate classes because everything was done my last name. A-L and M-Z was the dividing point I think? We never saw each other except for on the bus and at home, but that helped us have our own friends.

poetic_star's picture

heroism and chocolate bars

The playground looks broken in
December's plastic moonlight.
The basketballs have turned
to orange ghosts on the court
and the purple clouds above
resemble one-eyed teddy bears, smoking cigars.
You hold my hand between zombie oak trees
and stutter through a Michael Jackson song.
"Ben, the two of us.." you whisper,
then press your lips against mine.

It's surreal but I swallow your laughter
and stick my hand inside your jacket,
making you gasp as I trace
your shy muscles.
Boy, I want to scare off all
the bad memories that still
linger in this park;
the jump ropes and

Ann's picture

So...hi

Hi there. I'm Ann. Nice to meet you. I've been, I guess it'd be called lurking on here for a while. My mom read extensively internet predators so she made sure I knew of the dangers of the internet, but I ended up scared of what would happen if I joined a site. I've gotten computer viruses before, so, I was afraid that would happen. And I'm in the closet, the bi closet, so there's that fear that anyone will find out. But I could really use some support right now, and I'm going to be eighteen in less than a year, so I figured what the heck.

Eke's picture

i do not know why i watch gay porn when i dont like guys like that

Hi,
I'm just a guy interested in girls... But also in seeing pennises, its really annoying.. But I keep doing it. Watching gay porn and watching pennises, I colud never touch a guy like that, but once I even masturbated to it... HELP


Syndicate content Syndicate content