Mannen Som Elsket Yngve (2008) is directed by Stian Kristiansen, based on the novel by Tore Renberg. It tells the story of Jarle Klepp (Rolf Kristian Larsen), a red hair Norwegian teen who was forming a band with his friends. The era was the time of the falling of the Berlin Wall. Everything was fine - music, girlfriend and all, until a new boy, Yngve Lima (Ole Christoffer ErtvÄg) stepped into his class. Jarle found himself constantly thinking of Yngve.

After being exposed to gay love stories from USA, UK, Japan and France so often, I was happy to find an offering from Norway. The film was pretty interesting, and the story was believable... except it was until the ending part. When Yngve played, in a party, a sentimental song recorded for him by Jarle, Jarle was embarrassed. In an attempt to save his own grace of being labeled as a homo, Jarle confessed in a whisper that he loved Yngve. And Yngve ditto-ed in a whisper too. What progressed should have been a moment of beautiful confrontation. Instead, the story line turned weird where without any notice, Jarle called Yngve a homo and Yngve ran off. I could not buy that. All these could not have happened within a minute.

Such a pity. It could have been my favourite new film.

Mannen Som Elsket Yngve won the Amanda Awards in Norway (2008) Best Film, Best Best Children's or Youth Film, Best Direction and Best Editing.

Dream Boy is a film, written and directed by James Bolton, based on the novel of the same title by Jim Grimsley.

Nathan (Stephan Bender) and his family moved into a new quiet town, with a haunting secret past. With a new life, it was hoped that Nathan could escape his dark past. There, he was infatuated by his next door friend, Roy (Maximillian Roeg), who drives the local school bus, although Roy is a senior student in the school too. The story lingers around Nathan and Roy and their secret affair. Life for Nathan becomes difficult when his past catches up with him. It becomes worse when Roy's friends find out about their secret.

I have been always intrigued by teenage gay themed film. I have read the book, and I was horrified by the turn of the event at the end of the book, but no matter what, the film managed to get me excited about the love these two teenagers discover. I enjoy the way the story is told of the sneaking around, and of how their eyes tell of their crushes for one another. Stephan Bender is an asset to the film, coz his face portrays the innocence of Nathan's character. It helps as well that the four boys in the lonely town are adorably cute.

I was again shocked by the ugly turnout at the end of the film, and prayed that it ended the same way the book had described. I was happy that it did, although the suspense of suspecting the end credits may drop in anytime, without the way the ending should be, was there.

All in all, I place this film high up there, together with Beautiful Thing, Get Real, Trick and Edge of Seventeen.

The true test of gaymanship.. LOL. Nice ad, with gay taste.

Not a gay song, but a gay music video. Okay, okay. A bisexual music video. Definitely is teaching us what Brokeback Mountain should be. Ahem. Sigh.. I never have such experience going to the bar.

According to Wikipedia, this controversial, sexy, hot gay mv was hit by 668,398 views in the first 10 months. That's a lot of attention, and the single peaked at No.5 in the Spain Music Chart.

Another beautiful gay song rendered by Pet Shop Boys.

What a performance tonight
Should I react or turn off the light?
Looks like you're picking a fight
in a blurring of wrong and right
But how your mood changes
You're a devil, now an angel
Suddenly subtle and solemn
and silent as a monk
You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

It's better than nothing, I suppose
some doors have opened, others closed
but I couldn't see you exposed
to the horrors behind some of those
Somebody said: listen
don't you know what you're missing?
You should be kissing him
instead of dissing him like a punk
But you only tell me you love me when you're drunk
You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

All of my friends keep asking me
Why, oh, why
do you not say goodbye?
If you don't even try, you'll be sunk
'cause you only tell me you love me when you're drunk

What's the meaning
when you speak with so much feeling?
Is it over when you're sober?
Am I junk?
You only tell me you love me when you're drunk
You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

Hallo Spaceboy is a song by David Bowie and Brian Eno taken from the album Outside (1995). Talented Pet Shop Boys remixed it, with additional lyrics by Neil Tennant. The single reached no.12 in the UK Chart.

(If I fall, moondust will cover me, moondust will cover me...
If I fall, moondust will cover me
If I fall, moondust will cover me)

Spaceboy, you're sleepy now
Your silhouette is so stationary
You're released, but your custody calls
And I wanna be free
Don't you wanna be free?
Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
But moondust will cover you
Cover you

So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
This chaos is killing me
Hallo spaceboy
(Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy
Hallo)
(Moondust will cover me)

Ground to Major, bye bye Tom
This chaos is killing me
Dead the circuit, countdown's wrong
This chaos is killing me
Planet Earth, is control on?
So sleepy now
Do you wanna be free?
Don't you wanna be free?
Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
But moondust will cover you
Cover you

So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
(Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
Hallo spaceboy
You're sleepy now
This chaos is killing me
This chaos is killing me

So
Bye bye love
Yeah,
Bye bye love
Do you wanna be free?
Yes, I wanna be free
Hallo spaceboy
You're sleepy now
Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
But moondust will cover you
Cover you

So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
(Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
Hallo spaceboy
You're sleepy now
Hallo spaceboy
(Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
Hallo, hallo
(If I fall, moondust will cover me)


Another gay song that I cannot find lyrics to. But at least we can enjoy the music. Kinda demeaning.. This gay song is by Hip Hop artist, Soce.

I know this is pretty gay, although I cannot find the lyrics. You can tell. Look at the title. Enough said.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You is an offering by Peter Cameron, that lingers on a few days' life of James Sveck, an 18 year old boy. James is days away from his new life in college, and the story surrounds the idea and issues of him not wanting to continue his studies, but to move away to an isolated area, to live in his dream house. James has to deal with his mother who has just broken up with her newly wed husband, and an older sister who is having a relationship with her married professor. James is keen to be close to the worker hired by his mother to take care of her gallery.

I was so eager to read this book, due to the good comments and reviews by several readers, that not able to find a copy was upsetting. And upon getting it for my birthday, I sat myself down and read. And read. And I was... disappointed.

I do not know the big deal with this book. I find James's character irritating. He is nothing but a proud, spoilt rich kid who thinks highly of himself and lowly of those all around him. No one is good enough for him, and even the slightest thing he likes - the dream house, becomes a turn-off just because of the real estate agent cannot be impressive enough to convince him. Kids around his age are not good enough for him, and practically no one is, except for the gallery worker. This was supposed to be where the gay plot steps in, but actually, the book hardly touches on it. It is like a cheap ploy to get attention, perhaps from the gay community to buy this book by making the lead character gay, but never gay enough.

If it is not for the book cover, I would have been glad to get rid of the book.

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