Out Movies: July 2008 Archives

What's really interesting about Matthew Montgomery's film career so far is that while his most significant leading roles have been gay men, they have been in various genres ranging from romantic comedy to drama to sci-fi. We talked about some of his best films in part two of our interview. Click HERE to read part one. But first, Matthew tells me about his inspiration for gay roles: Not long after "Gone But Not Forgotten was released, he started getting fan mail: "I got this letter from this kid one that that said that he really liked the movie and that it made him confident and gave him the courage to come out to his family and accept who he was. Man, are like you kidding? To have that kind of effect on somebody, It was when I got that first email - and subsequently I've gotten many, I have a purpose now. It's more than about me and how many movies I can do what character I can play. It's also about having a voice and standing up for something important and being a part of helping us move forward and integrating us into society... The younger gay generation looks us to up with respect and see that they can be open about who they are and that they can have aspirations and dreams and not have to mask who they are in order to succeed in the world."

Long-Term Relationship: "I loved it and thought it was very funny, the characters very rich. I felt very strongly about the script." The film also marked Matthew's debut as a producer with Guest House Films: "I don't claim to be an expert in the industry but as an actor, when you're on enough sets, you pick up on things and you do know how to run the show and you do know how to put the pieces together. It's all up there in your head. You just have to access it and that's what happened. ... It aso helps me to be very realistic about how it happens. I don't have any illusion of the glamour, I get my hands dirty getting in it and making it work, making it happen. It's a lot of hard work but it's well worth it."

"Gone, But Not Forgotten" "It's about this guy with amnesia who is found in the woods sort of wandering around when he's rescued by a ranger in the area. He has no recollection of his past. The movie is about him trying to recapture whatever his history is. At the start of the movie he doesn't even know what his name is. It's about him rediscovering who he is, where he came from and what that means. And in the meantime he stays with this ranger and, of course they fall in love. For as low budget and low production values as it is, it's surprisingly stayed as one of the top 10 gay movies of all time which is shocking to me."

"Back Soon" "Both characters are supposedly straight and I took it with that approach anyway, I thought it was more interesting. They had never had wanted to have that kind of experience before with another guy. In the end, it's because you realize - and this is a spoiler - it's because my character is being possessed, so to speak, by the character of his dead wife."

Socket: I jumped in head first. I love sci-fi so the idea to combine the two genres of science fiction and gay was, I thought, a great opportunity. The thing I liked about "Socket" is I don't feel that it tries to be more than it really is. You can look at it and sort of interpret it as sort of these underlying elements of drug addiction in the gay world or addiction with relationships. But really on the surface it's just a really cool, creepy, cringe-worthy science fiction movie with gay elements that's a lot of fun. I really loved that we are sort of moving past the typical gay story of coming out. There's still definitely a place for that and I hope those stories continue to be told but it was nice to be a part of something different that was part of a very specific genre.

Pornography: A Thriller: (The film is in post-production and will most likely be released in the first quarter next year.) "This one's really trippy on a psychological basis. It's very non-linear. It;s based on this fictional legend of this former gay porn star who supposedly died in a snuff film. The character that I play is a writer who reviews gay pornography and he comes across footage that could potentially be the actual snuff film that this guy died in. It's really sort of (expletive) with your mind and makes you question what's real and what isn't and who's real and who isn't. I don't think there's anything out there that's ever been done like this. "

On nude scenes: "I'm still not comfortable with it. I'm very sefl conscious about my body so it's very strange to me. the thing thast I;ve been lucky with ius where every movie that I've done where they've asked me to be nude and I've agreed to it, the direvtor and actors i;ve wolrked with have been so considerate and sensitive., always checking my pulse to make sure that I'm ok. there;s been a lkot of talking and pre-planning before we get onto the set so that we do know what we're duty. It's not as sexy as people think. It's very robotic and mechanical. Move here, turn your butt cheek there. It's the very opppsite of romantic or hot - for us anyway. I've done so much nudity is my moveis that when I don't, sometimes I get letters from people who say, 'Why didn't you take your clothes off. I'm like, Are you kidding me? I just don't even respond to those kinds of emails. I didn't really think much about the nudity at the beginning.l If it was there, it was there. Now I think about it a lot more."

The future: Matthew has written his first screenplay about "Stick Figures" about a self-absorbed gay man who is battling through alcoholism who gioes back to his hometown and fins out he has inherited a little girl - his daughter. It's about someone learning how to be a parent."

To learn even more about Matthew, click HERE to get to his web site.

So, if you've seen "The Dark Knight" and "Mamma Mia" already and want to see something with subtitles this weekend, let me suggest "No Regrets."

Here's a synopsis: Set in Seoul, South Korea, the movie centers on Sumin (Lee Young-Hoon), who leaves the orphanage where he grew up and heads to the city to study art design. After losing his job at a factory due to layoffs, he finds himself working as a prostitute in a gay bar. Initially Sumin resists the advances of Jaemin (Lee Han), who comes from a rich and conservative family that doesn't accept his sexual identity. Eventually Sumin succumbs to Jaemin's advances, after they briefly experience happiness as passionate lovers, Sumin and Jaemin's relationship falls into heartache and tragedy.

"No Regret" begins exclusive engagements Friday at the Sunset 5 in West Hollywood and at Cinema Village in New York City. On August 1, it opens at Cinemas Palme d'Or
in Palm Desert, followed by Living Room Theatres in Portland Oregon (Aug. 22) and Landmark Lumiere in San Francisco (Aug. 29).

Here is the trailer:

I saw this movie last year during Outfest and was moved by it. "Holding Trevor, a dramedy focusing on the lives and loves of attractive twenty-somethings, premieres in Los Angeles and New York on July 4th.

The film stars writer and executive producer Brent Gorski and singer/songwriter Jay Brannan (Shortbus) and was directed and produced by Rosser Goodman (Daddy-O, Life's a Butch!, Wet Dress).

Here's a synopsis: Trevor Holden (Gorski) is young, beautiful and intelligent, and desperately looking for himself in all the wrong places. Despite the well-meaning advice offered by his sexually promiscuous best friend and his self-righteous female roommate, Trevor still seems to come up short. Almost ready to throw in the towel, Trevor happens upon Mr. Right. He ends his unhealthy relationship with Darrell, a self-destructive heroin addict, and finds a potential new beginning in Ephram, a medical intern with ambition, a warm demeanor and stunningly good looks.

The movie had me at stunningly good looks. It opens in Denver on July 11th and Palm Springs on July 18th. Other select cities will follow.