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DVDS
GAY MEN’S FILMS 1. “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” directed by Patrick Ian Polik (2008, 101 min., $24.95 DVD). “Noah’s Arc” is back and you’re invited to the big wedding! But can Noah and Wade really pull it off? Will Ricky’s sexcapades get the better of him? Can Chance and Eddie stay together? And can Alex stay sane? Get set for a wild wedding weekend of love, laughs, sex and some serious drama. 2. “Boys in the Band,” directed by William Friedkin (1970, 119 min., $27.95 DVD). Friedkin’s groundbreaking film about a group of gay friends at a birthday party, who dissect their lives and relationships until a married straight friend unexpectedly appears. Based on Mart Crowley’s acclaimed Broadway play of the same name. 3. “Shelter,” directed by Jonah Markowitz (2007, 88 min., $24.95 DVD). Experienced and nurturing Shaun is everything Zach desires, but Zach isn’t fully accepting of himself as a gay man, causing a strain in their love life and in their friendship. Now Zach is forced to confront his closeted mentality or risk losing his first true love forever. 4. “The DL Chronicles,” directed by Quincey Lenear and Deondray Gossett (2007, 132 min., $24.95 DVD). The stories of men of color who, by necessity and by choice, live sexually duplicitous and secret lifestyles. 5. “Boys Briefs 5,” various directors (2007/8, 109 min., $26.95 DVD). The latest installment of the successful series takes us to Europe and back again in its search for the best gay shorts in the world. 6. “Whirlwind,” directed by Richard Lemay (2008, 99 min., $24.95 DVD). A smart and sexy story about the complexity of gay relationships, this touching, funny ensemble film explores non-monogamy, commitment, friendship, getting older and more. 7. “Noah’s Arc: Second Season,” directed by P. Polk (2007, 180 min., $39.95 DVD). Noah and the boys are back for another season of Logo’s hit original series. 8. “Daydream Obsession 2: Infidelities,” directed by Thomas Smyth (2004, 72 min., $29.95 DVD). Clayton’s obsession and joy with overpowering his home-wrecking boyfriend lead him on a delusion-filled path of naked men playing Frisbee and eating ice cream. Will Clayton break out of these delusions before he pushes the next victim too far? 9. “Siren in the Dark,” directed by Laura Reilly and Steven Vasquez (2009, 81 min., $24.95 DVD). Cameron, a police officer with psychic abilities, is called upon to interview an accused teen in hopes of finding the whereabouts of the teen’s missing gay lover. His investigation immediately spirals into sordid tales of drug abuse, sexual obsessions and a mysterious man living on a deserted mountain road. 10. “Another Gay Sequel,” directed by Todd Stephens (2008, 97 min., $24.95 DVD). Packed with celebrity cameos and total gross-out humor, this outrageous follow-up to “Another Gay Movie” follows the spring-break adventures of Andy, Nico, Jarod and Griff when they enter the Ft. Lauderdale “Gays Gone Wild” contest (a competition to see who gets laid the most).
LESBIAN FILMS 1. “Red is the Color of,” directed by Anne Norda (2007, 87 min., $29.95 DVD). The tense marriage between two artists is disrupted when the husband’s provocative nude model ignites his wife’s sexual and spiritual awakening. 2. “The Guitar,” directed by Amy Redford (2008, 93 min., $26.95 DVD). Saffron Burrows stars as a young woman who loses her boyfriend and her job and is given a devastating diagnosis by her doctor. Mel’s surprising response to her misfortunes includes the purchase of a special guitar. 3. “Drifting Flowers,” directed by Zero Chou (2008, 99 min., $24.95 DVD). Teddy Award-winning director Chou (“Spider Lilies”) weaves three poetic tales about lesbians seeking their true identity. 4. “Karen Williams: I Need a Snack,” directed by Andrea Meyerson (2009, 59 min., $19.95 DVD). Williams shares her stories about sex, online dating and customer service in the irreverently hilarious way only she can deliver. Grab a snack, sit back and enjoy an hour of non-stop laughter. 5. “Lost and Delirious,” directed by Lea Pool (2000, 100 min., $14.95 DVD). This terrific, full-on lesbian melodrama takes up the long tradition of girls’ boarding-school movies and features a stunning cast of young female stars. A gorgeous production from an out lesbian director. 6. “Butch Jamie,” directed by Michelle Ehlen (2007, 84 min., $19.95 DVD). A quirky, gender-bending comedy about an out-of-work butch lesbian actress willing to try almost anything for a role. When she finally lands one, she manages to find lust and love too. 7. “The L Word: Season 5,” various directors (2007, 658 min., $49.95 DVD). Season five is packed with more drama, more sex and more of the wild lesbian entertainment you’ve come to expect. 8. “She Likes Girls 3,” various directors (2008, 92 min., $24.95 DVD). The girls who like the girls are back in this jam-packed installment of the most popular lesbian-shorts DVD series of all time. 9. “Itty Bitty Titty Committee,” directed by Jamie Babbitt (2007, 87 min., $27.95 DVD). This latest fabulous movie from Babbit is a dynamic, romantic, frequently funny and politically astute production with a smart script, rockin’ soundtrack and terrific ensemble cast. 10. “Show Me Love,” directed by Lukas Moodysson (1998, 89 min., $29.95 DVD). A sensitive and funny coming-of-age drama about two teenage girls growing up in a small town, who find liberation in a conservative setting.
BOOKS
LESBIAN INTEREST 1. “Rose of No Man’s Land,” by Michelle Tea (Harvest, 306 pp., $14 pb). A whirlwind exploration of poverty and dropouts, this furious love story between two weirdo girls brims with snarky observations and soulful wonderings on the dazzle-flash emptiness of contemporary culture. 2. “Borderlands/La Frontera,” by Gloria Anzaldua (Aunt Lute, 288 pp., $16.95 pb). Rooted in Anzaldua’s experience as a Chicana, a lesbian, an activist and a writer, the groundbreaking essays and poems in this volume profoundly challenge how we think about identity. 3. “Night Call,” by Radclyffe (Bold Strokes, 242 pp., $15.95 pb). Medivac helicopter pilot Jett McNally’s heart belongs to an Army officer she left behind in Afghanistan, and good-time anesthesiologist Tristan Holmes is no substitute — except maybe in bed — in this high-stakes medical drama of love in the fast lane. 4. “Hungry for It,” by Fiona Zedde (Kensington, 300 pp., $15 pb). Zedde takes readers on a sensual journey through the heady nightlife of Miami in this scorchingly sexy new novel. 5. “Consequences” by Skyy (King’s Crossing, 304 pp., $15.95 pb). School’s back in session and there’s a lot of unfinished business. This fast-paced sequel to “Choices” will leave you on an emotional roller coaster you won’t want to get off. 6. “Side Order of Love,” by Tracey Richardson (Bella, 251 pp., $14.95 pb). From the author of the runaway best seller “The Candidate” comes the story of two women trying to find the right recipe for love. 7. “Double Pleasure, Double Pain,” by Nikki Rashan (Urban Books, 232 pp., $14.95 pb). Rashan takes readers along on a passionate journey for an answer to the common question, Who am I? in this story of a young woman who must decide whether to continue a lopsided relationship with her boyfriend or submit to the unfamiliar passions felt toward another woman. 8. “As We Are Now,” by May Sarton (W.W. Norton, 134 pp., $13.95 pb). A novel in the form of a diary, this story tells of Caroline Spencer, a 76-year-old retired schoolteacher who has suffered a heart attack and been deposited by relatives in an old-age home. Subjected to subtle humiliations and petty cruelties, she fights back with all she has and, in a powerful climax, wins a terrible victory. 9. “October’s Promise,” by Marianne Garver (Bella, 224 pp., $14.95 pb). Garver’s charming first novel features an unforgettable Cupid in a setting readers will wish they could find on a map. 10. “Venus Vendetta,” by Rose Pry (Spinsters’ Ink, 242 pp., $14.95 pb). When Gillian and Jazz find out their friend Reggie has vanished, the search for her leads them into the midst of an elaborate web of deceit, treachery and threats, all of which centers around a televangelist who seemingly can’t be touched.
GAY INTEREST 1. “Book of Frank,” by CAConrad (Chax Press, 151 pp., $16 pb). “CA is very good news as a raconteur, poet, performer and activist and makes news daily with his dedicated Outsider passion and ‘alternative path’ imagination.” — Anne Waldman 2. “Basketball Jones,” by E. Lynn Harris (Doubleday, 256 pp., $22.95 hb). Harris returns to explore the down-low culture that made his first novel, “Invisible Life,” a groundbreaking phenomenon in his latest rip-roaring tale of sex, secrets and betrayal. 3. “Skin Lane,” by Neil Bartlett (Serpent’s Tail, 320 pp., $14.95 pb). Part fairy-tale, part compelling evocation of a now-lost London, this is Bartlett’s fiercest piece of writing yet: cruel, erotic and tender. 4. “Murder in the Rue Ursulines,” by Greg Herren (Alyson, 256 pp., $14.95 pb). As New Orleans continues to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Chanse MacLeod becomes involved in a high-profile case involving a golden couple of Hollywood who have committed themselves to helping New Orleans recover. 5. “Drifting Toward Love: Black, Brown, Gay and Coming of Age on the Streets of New York,” by Kai Wright (Beacon Press, 224 pp., $16 pb). Prostitution, homelessness, drugs and violence against gay men of color are all discussed in unflinching, and at times wrenchingly intimate, detail, alongside touching reminiscences of first love and the initial realization of a “different” sexuality. An important book about an oft-marginalized group. 6. “Ultimate Gay Erotica 2009,” edited by Jesse Grant (Alyson, 248 pp., $15.95 pb). This year’s collection of hot erotica will leave the reader breathless and wanting more. 7. “Phoenix Rising,” by Kimberly Gardner (MLR, 280 pp., $14.99 pb). Two-dozen roses, one-dozen balloons and a night with a sexy young stripper. What a 36th birthday for Jimmy Trent. But the ultimate gift is yet to come as he finds himself falling in love with the beautiful dancer. 8. “The Torturer’s Wife,” by Thomas Glave (City Lights, 261 pp., $15.95 pb). Glave, known for his stylistic brio, expands and deepens his lyrical experimentation in stories that focus — explicitly and allegorically — on the horrors of despotic dictatorships, terror, antigay violence, the weight of memory, secret fetishes, erotic longing, desire and intimacy. 9. “A Perfect Waiter,” by Alain Claude Sulzer (Bloomsbury, 211 pp., $19.95 hb). This short, evocative novel combines a romantic melodrama of homosexual love and betrayal with deeper meditations on the passage of time, the essence of truth, the deception of desire and the inevitability of death. 10. “Best Gay Love Stories 2009,” edited by Brad Nichols (Alyson, 227 pp., $15.95 pb). People everywhere need romance in their lives, and this volume will have readers wishing they were the lovelorn characters who populate its stories.