With the Pride festivities going 24-7 and the weather being so incredibly appealing, there is absolutely no way that anyone in their right mind would want to stay inside long enough to watch a movie; but then again, you need a few hours between disco workouts, no?  When the sun is too hot, it’s a good idea to take a break, so why not huddle around the small screen and see the best of what gay cinema has to offer.  There’s no end of possibilities when it comes to renting gay or lesbian-themed movies, but when it comes to quality, the search becomes ever that more dire.  I’ve gone through my archives and come up with a few favourites that are worth checking out.  We all know about Brokeback Mountain so I’m not even bothering to include that one.

Madame Sata(Karim Ainouz, 2002) is a superb drama about Rio’s toughest street fighter and most fabulous drag queen, and features one of the sexiest guy-on-guy scenes ever.

Gods And Monsters(Bill Condon, 1998), the Oscar-winning script that fictionalizes the last days of Frankenstein director James Whale (Ian McKellen) and his gardener (Brendan Fraser).

Bad Education (Pedro Almodovar, 2004) is the steamy melodrama about manipulation between star and director, one of Almodovar’s darkest (and oooh dirtiest) films.

Hedwig And The Angry Inch(John Cameron Mitchell, 2001) is adapted ever so beautifully from the hit Broadway show.  I wrote a paper on it in university and got an A, and will love it forever as a result.

The Crying Game (Stephen Rea, 1992) is, simply put, a perfect film.

Entre Nous(Diane Kurys, 1983) is about love between two mistreated housewives, one of them played by the unforgettable Isabelle Huppert.

Far From Heaven  (Todd Haynes, 2002) is a pristine reimagining of Douglas Sirk’s melodramas, with Julianne Moore (outstanding) as an unhappy housewife and Dennis Quaid as her sexually confused husband.

Wonder Boys  (Curtis Hanson, 2000) is one of the best movies about post-secondary education, and it’s delicious the way Robert Downey, Jr. brightens at the sight of Tobey Maguire and decides to do something about it.

Maurice  (James Ivory, 1987) is not the best film adaptation of E.M. Forster, it’s actually a bit too dark in tone, but it’s a gorgeous period piece and the boys are all delicious, including a very young Hugh Grant.

C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallee, 2005) is probably one of the best Canadian films ever made, about a boy growing up gay and rebellious in 1970s Quebec.  Outstanding.