DVD: “The Way He Looks,” “Annie,” “Top Five,” & More!

A blind gay boy in love, a comedian in crisis, and a little orphan named Annie make up this week in home entertainment.

Without further ado, here are the details!

The Way He Looks

($32.99 Blu-ray, $27.99 DVD; Strand)

A major hit on the LGBT film festival circuit finally arrives on home video. Brazilian teenager Leo has been blind since birth, but when a new student, Gabriel, shows up at his school and becomes a friend, his eyes are truly opened to something new and special. A genuinely sweet gay coming-of-age romance tale. Extras include a behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes, cast and crew interview and the short film that helped launch the feature.

Annie

($38.99 Blu-ray, $30.99 DVD; Sony)

The evergreen Annie musical gets a 21^st Century, multi-cultural redux starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, and Cameron Diaz. We can leave it at that, right? Extras include a commentary, featurettes, bloopers, deleted “Something Was Missing” performance by Jamie Foxx, music video and more.

Top Five

($39.99 Blu-ray, $29.99 DVD; Paramount)

Chris Rock’s latest outing as writer/director is meta, satirical, and at times cutting — and far more accessible and funny than Birdman. Rock plays Andre Allen, a comedic actor whose struggle to stay sober — and disdain for his signature hit film franchise — has somehow deprived him of the ability to be funny. When he’s interviewed by a New York Times reporter (Rosario Dawson) about his hot mess of a dramatic slave movie and upcoming marriage to a reality TV star, for a full day and night, everything comes to a head. Great cameos from the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and Whoopi Goldberg add to the fun and poignancy. Extras include a commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes and more.

ALSO OUT:

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Son of a Gun

Lawrence Ferber

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/2faQ8ubiV7Y/dvd-the-way-he-looks-annie-top-five-more-20150317

9 Undeniable Reasons the St. Patrick's Day Parade Needs the Gays

You’ll never find the pot of gold if you can’t see the rainbow.

read more

Daniel Reynolds

www.advocate.com/comedy/2015/03/17/9-undeniable-reasons-st-patricks-day-parade-needs-gays

Uganda: Prominent Muslim cleric blames drought on gays

LGBTI activist says the cause is deforestation, not homosexuality

read more

darrenw

www.gaystarnews.com/article/uganda-prominent-muslim-cleric-blames-drought-gays170315

In Memoir, Barney Frank Lives Up to His Name

The former congressman talks to The Advocate about his autobiography and, as we’ve grown to expect, doesn’t hold back.

read more

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/politics/2015/03/17/memoir-barney-frank-lives-his-name

US preacher Pat Robertson tells mother to treat her gay son like a drug addict

‘Don’t enable his lifestyle’

read more

darrenw

www.gaystarnews.com/article/us-preacher-pat-robertson-tells-mother-treat-her-gay-son-drug-addict170315

Michael Sam's booty gets raves in DWTS debut – but his footwork does not

Football player and partner Peta Murgatroyd score 26 out of possible 40 dance the Cha-Cha to Uptown Funk

read more

gregh

www.gaystarnews.com/article/michael-sams-booty-gets-raves-dwts-debut-his-footwork-does-not170315

Kevin Hart-Will Ferrell Comedy Shocks Audience With Gay Jokes

Kevin Hart may have recently admitted that he’s too insecure to portray a gay character, but he certainly isn’t shy about making jokes at their expense. The busy comic actor, who seems to have a new film out every few months, costars with Will Ferrell in the upcoming comedy Get Hard and reports from the SXSW premiere of the movie Monday indicate that some of the film’s gay-themed humor may be outdated. In the R-rated bro-com, Ferrell plays a millionaire convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to a decade in prison who asks Hart’s character to help toughen him up before his gig in the slammer. And in the parlance of this film, “toughen him up” translates to “teach him how to blow a dude.”

Variety notes that the gay jokes, as well as a lot of race-based humor, had the audience in Austin, Texas, laughing and cringing simultaneously and describes the film as the “most high-profile comedy ever made about the subject of prison rape.” The Variety writer also reveals the following plot detail:

As part of his prison-prep routine, Ferrell decides to try to perform oral sex on a guy, and he takes an older gentleman into a bathroom stall. “I’m going to suck your d–,” Ferrell says, but he’s so disgusted by the thought, the scene will feel homophobic to some viewers. Another running joke has Ferrell shove objects up his anus.

HitFlix’s review suggests the film is essentially a two-hour joke that “gay rape is hilarious.” The writer adds:

There is nothing this movie can imagine that is worse than gay sex, it seems to be saying. How in the year 2015, as we see over 30 states finally recognizing same-sex marriage, can we possibly justify this thing? How can anyone sit in the theater and just laugh and laugh and laugh as the movie repeatedly screams, “Oh my god, gay people are so gross!”

The comedy will open nationally in theaters on March 27. Check out the trailer below.

Jeremy Kinser

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