By: Dana Michell
What: Our Of Bounds Film Festival
Where; Village 8 Cinemas
When: Friday & Saturday, Feb. 14-15
The Out of Bounds Film festival showcasing outrageous films from around the world is in full swing and one of the biggest hits is Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, making it’s Canadian screen debut.
The concept of the film is simple: a space ship of gay aliens touch down on earth and make everybody gay, making the world a better place for it.
The sci-fi spoof is actually a wrap-around film, where new voices are dubbed over old footage. The film was originally the 1952 black and white sci fi horror flick, Killers From Out of Space, but was repackaged for modern day audiences.
Writer and creator, Tex Hauser said the original movie was perfect for his script.
"When I watched the footage, it just became a natural fit. We had to add some new scenes, because back in the ’50s they had no money or time for cut-aways or close-ups but that has provided some of the funniest parts of the movie," he said.
Hauser came up with the idea after working in New York’s Broadway theatres for many years.
"I am one of about four guys in the whole industry who is not homosexual but my whole world is gay so I wanted to make something that poked fun at the whole concept of being gay."
The film has been getting rave reviews at avante-garde, sci-fi and gay film festivals around the world, winning audience awards against the Hollywood heaveyweights.
"Initially we were a bit shocked people liked it so much, but this movie is really for people with a unique sense of humour. It’s definitely not a general sense of humour film like Scooby Doo, where 50 million people can go see it and have a laugh. The humour in many Hollywood films is really broad but for us we were targeting a niche market. Fifty per cent find it hysterical and the other 50 per cent don’t laugh at it at all, but that cult following is usually enough to vote it over the others. But really we’re a low, low budget movie that can’t compare to big studio blockbusters in any way."
Catch Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and a selection of other out, loud and avante garde films for just $11 each. Here’s a brief look at the rest of the films on offer:
AKA
Dean is trapped in a working class suburb with a sexually abusive father and a waitress mother. Dean runs away from home seeking out an upper class life funded by his credit card until the past catches up with him.
CIRCUIT
John, a small town cop, is forced to move to the big city after being outed. He goes to work in a West Hollywood club and is quickly seduced into a whirlwind of sex, muscles and drugs.
DRIFT
Quentin Lee, a Hong Kong-born, Montreal-high schooled and California-based filmmaker shines a burning torch into the centre of a love triangle to explore what would happen if another path was chosen.
FAR FROM HEAVEN
Set in Hartford, Connecticut in 1957, at the height of social conservatism and restraint, a dashing Dennis Quaid and a ravishing Julianne Moore are the perfect married couple until wifey discovers hubbie having sex with a man. He goes into therapy and she goes after their black gardener.
NOTORIOUS C.H.O.
A brilliant, taboo-busting comedian, Margaret Cho is known as much for her raunchy humour as she is for her enormous contributions as a social equalizer and healing force.
ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS
Elvira, Mistress of the Night, is back and she is fabulous! Shot entirely in Transylvania and Romania, her new gothic-horror comedy is a hilarious send-up of the classic Vincent Price/Edgar Allen Poe films of the early ’60s – with a little Rocky Horror Picture Show thrown in.
