Ryan Field's Blog, page 446

Gay Film Review: "Is It Just Me?"

I have to admit that I didn't go looking for the DVD of "Is It Just Me," I won it in a GayRomLit event this past October and finally made time to watch it last night. I honestly don't get more than an hour or two to watch TV, and when I do it's usually something I'm catching up on with DVR.

As anyone can imagine, the reviews for IIJM are about as diverse as any reviews out there for gay romance, and though I don't review films often, I did want to take the time to review this one simply becau...

So Now Matt Bomer's Too Old for Fifty Shades of Grey Film

This is entertaining: more Fifty Shades of Grey drama. And, Hollywoodfail at its best some might say. The latest talk about openly gay actor Matt Bomer playing Christian in the film version of Fifty Shades of Grey has nothing to do with him being gay, so they say. Now they are claiming he's too old...or will be by the time they film the last in the FS trilogy.

According to Fifty Shades Casting , Matt Bomer "is honestly,...too old. He's 35 and will be 40 by the 3rd movie. The...

SCOTUS & Gay Marriage; Amway Boycott and Jane Lynch: Provincetown Film Society Auction

There's been a lot written about SCOTUS and gay marriage, so this is from my inbox from Freedom to Marry:

Just moments ago, the U.S. Supreme Court set the clock ticking on the important work we need to do to secure our next wave of wins in 2013.
The Court announced that it will hear a challenge to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law that discriminates against legally married same-sex couples, and to California's Proposition 8.
Ryan,it is urgent that we now create the climate...

"Cloud Atlas" Directors Behave Badly with Reviewers

The other day I wrote a post about how poorly the producers of the film "Cloud Atlas," in my opinion, handled scenes that required actor Jim Sturgess to wear "Yellowface." And it gets even worse. While I was reading about that particular subject I found a few interesting things about how the directors reacted to critical reviews of their film. Evidently, some people in the film industry don't seem to be held to the same standards as authors.

Here's a quote from wiki so you can...

If You Were Gay in 1959: A Life Filled with Awesome Love

First, if you were gay in 1959 the odds are you were either sipping from the gin pail or in a very good mood. And if you were attracted to the same sex you were homosexual in clinical terms or any number of offensive pejoratives on the street.

On December 21st I have a new book coming out that's titled,"A Life Filled with Awesome Love," that's set in a remote western town, takes place during 1959, and has a story that revolves around a younger gay man trapped in impossible circumstances. So w...

The Simon & Schuster Author Solutions Self-Publishing Firestorm

There's been a firestorm of sorts in the self-publishing community recently with regard to mega publisher Simon & Schuster partnering with a company called "Author Solutions." The issue isn't about SS getting into self-publishing. They're ALL doing it now that they've admitted e-books aren't going to disappear. It's more about the alleged reputation of Author Solutions.

I come to this topic with a lot of self-publishing experience. I self-pubbed four e-books alone last...

Mean Girl Bullies in Workplace; RWA Rita Award Changes; Bad Sex in Literature Awards

In browsing through the web, I found an interesting article about bullying. It's not about kids bullying each other in school and it's not about authors and reviewers bullying each other on the Internet. This time, shock of shocks, it's all about women bullying other woman in the work force.

While investigating woman-on-woman bullying I found most women were eager to tell their stories under anonymity. One woman told me about her encounter with a woman boss who told her “nice would only get h...

To Any Gay Person Who Has Ever Felt Bullied By Other Gays

I wanted to write this post and leave it up for a long time for a reason. I've been talking to a friend who is in the closet and I've been listening to him tell me how he's being bullied and talked down to by another gay person who thinks he knows it all. There's not much I can do and it's frustrating.

I've seen this before. Unfortunately, there are some gay people who feel the need to push the idea of coming out on everyone that crosses their paths. And I don't think that's fair or heal...

Should Jim Sturgess Have Played "Yellowface" in "Cloud Atlas?"

When I first read about actor Jim Sturgess playing "yellowface" in the film, "Cloud Atlas," I was reminded of something that happened my freshman year in college. I'd signed up for two theater electives, one was "The History of Film," the other, "Theatrical Make Up." I was very excited because both classes were being taught by a professor, Harvey Flaxman, who had important commercial credits as the writer and producer of the cult classic film, "Grizzly."

In THoF class I was shocked...

Boardwalk Empire Erotica; Gay Erotic Romance; What's Gonzo Porn?

After watching the season finale of "Boardwalk Empire" last night, and watching a highly erotic BDSM scene (erotic for TV standards), I couldn't help wondering whether or not the writers on BE had been influenced by "Fifty Shades of Grey." And while I'm seeing a lot more erotica in the mainstream in all media forms, I'm also seeing this almost Victorian attitude toward gay fiction. This all does tie in, so stick with me. 

When I write posts like this I like to step back an...