The Breaking Glass Pictures July 18, 2017 DVD release of the 2017 low-budget horror film "Lake Alice" follows up the Breaking main act of showing that gay-themed films reflect EVERYONE who has love and lost or had it unrequited with proof of intelligent life regarding a well-produced student-film grade slasher flicks. The primary distinctions are that the "rabbits" are an ordinary American family, and we get to know the potential "coyotes" before rabbit season commences.


The following YouTube clip of the "Alice" trailer provides a good sense of the horror invading everyday lives that the film expertly accomplishes.

​"Alice" commences with affluentish couple Greg and Natlie driving to their isolatedish year-round vacation home in the titular rural community. Adult daughter Sarah is in the backseat with boyfriend Ryan Emerson, This sets the stage for what can be considered "Meat the Parents."


Mom and Dad going into town for provisions sets the stage for introducing the natives who consider the part-time "immigrants" a necessary  economic evil. The first up is the malicious sheriff who engages in his ritual of stopping their car just for the fun of it.


Next up is lonely middle-aged single man Carl, who is the kind of guy who buries you in unwanted zucchini from his garden and is vampire-like in that he takes a polite invitation to come in as a basis for putting his feet up and staying a while.


This leads to doting Mom Jane, who is nice and very down-to-earth but hopes that her 20-something son Tyler still has a chance with Sarah several years after what Sarah seems to consider The Summer of Slumming. We later meet Tyler when Mom and son arrive at the Thomas cabin in the wake of momentous news for that family.


A subsequent encounter introduces the bullying not-so-bright Deputy Reed.


Meanwhile back at the ranch house, the first signs of something being amiss are discovered footprints in the snow. In true horror-film style, the degree of menace increases as the seemingly di rigueur blizzard approaches.


Things culminate when a middle-of-the-night knock at the door wakes the family; they don't know who it is but know who its for. This leads to the entry of the monster of the film. Director Ben Milliken does an excellent job making a guy wearing a green parka with fur-lined hood and covering his face with a red-streaked Spider-Man style mask made out of what looks like a jockstrap pouch menacing.


Of course a family member going out to investigate quickly earns that person one in the back; a subsequent escape attempt nets a comparable result. The remaining two vacationers find themselves alternatively fleeing in terror, fighting off Jockface, or coming to the rescue of his or her fellow survivor.


Milliken and writer Stevie Jane Miller further provide awesome twists that include a variation on a cliche that is worth watching for. This rollercoaster ride begins roughly 20 minutes near the end of the film where many things are not as they seem.


Our dynamic directing/writing team save the best for last in terms of presenting a case of a New Norman; those who wait for the final solution with Bated breath will not be disappointed.


Breaking further outdoes itself regarding its typical truly special DVD features; this time it is a 51-minute version of "Alice" that goes beyond being a Cliff Notes version of the main feature to provide an altered narrative of the story. A prime example is a linear timeline in the main feature changing to one in which we join our story already in progress and go back to a sequence that follows a scene that Milliken and Miller entirely omit from the beginning of the film.

he Breaking Glass Pictures July 18, 2017 DVD release of the 2016 drama "Do You Take This Man" is the latest example of Breaking both showing that the experience of gay men is the same as straight folks and that boys who like other boys catching up in that regard is a modern phenomenon. The only bone of contention is that personal experience is contrary to the depiction in this film (and the ABC sitcom "Modern Family") that the redhead in a gay relationship with a dark-haired guy is the more uptight and sensitive one.

"Man" is the second Breaking film for former "Rent" and current "Star Trek: Discovery" star Anthony Rapp. The Unreal TV reviewed "Bwoy" has Rapp playing a tortured middle-aged man in an online relationship with a guy 20 years his junior. The strong live-stage vibe of both films make good use of the talents of Broadway star Rapp.


This time, Rapp plays happily engaged 40 year-old Daniel, whom the audience meets on the morning before the day that he and live-in fiance Christopher (Jonathon Bemnett) are scheduled to go to the chapel and get married. Most couples can relate to Daniel getting up before Christopher and being less exuberant than this 33 year-old at the final stages of his puppyhood.


As an aside, one must wonder if "Man" writer/director Joshua Tunick is a fan of '90s teen heartthrob Christopher Daniel Barnes.


The drama begins with Daniel citing a need to prepare the rehearsal dinner for 10 as the excuse not joining Christopher and his friends for brunch. This relatable moment becomes even more so when Christopher and company return to find Daniel who claims to be too busy to come out and play chatting with HIS friend Jacob. "Facts of Life" veteran/John Astin offspring Mackenzie Astin puts the same boyish charm of the "Cousin Oliver" role of Andy on "Facts" to his portrayal of Jacob.


The tension increases when Daniel springs surprise guest childhood friend Emma, whom Daniel repeatedly identifies as the Joey to his Dawson, on Christopher as a surprise guest at the upcoming meticulous planned rehearsal dinner. The aforementioned brunch buddies bitchy gay BFF (Thomas Dekker of the Fox "Terminator" television series) and party girl fag hag Summer quickly jumping through hoops to avoid Daniel throwing a hissy fit completes the picture.


The mere arrival of Emma is only the tip of the iceberg regarding that character; the parents of Daniel arriving five hours early provides more comic than relief; having Allyson Hannigan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "How I Met Your Mother" play the divorced sister of Daniel provides context for the element of whether opposites make a better couple than people who seem made for each other. The last plotline additionally creates a sad sense that neither Willow nor Lily are happy.


Tunick injects more real life in this reel tale regarding his treatment of the extent to which parents support their gay children. As often is typical in gay couples, Christopher has minimal contact with his parents and Daniel constantly sees his. Christopher hits particularly close to home for many gay men in stating that his parents attending his nuptials only would make Mom and Dad and every other attendee uncomfortable.


The perspective of the parents of Daniel provide great context for parents all along the relevant Kinsey Scale of acceptance. Their overall compassion further makes them the type of in-laws that gay and straight couples alike would love as in-laws.


Another perspective is that your not-so-humble reviewer dubbed the highly critical mother of an ex Endora and delighted in pretending to be under a spell after each criticism; Endora commenting that yours truly having a cleaning lady was wasteful prompted several gleeful hours of frantic cleaning.


The reality continues with Christopher withholding devastating news regarding the wedding ceremony; his perfect logic is that Daniel knowing something that cannot be solved at the time does not help anyone. Predictably, the big revelation causes recriminations and near tears. It further prompts the type of conversation that most couples should have but leave in its original container. On a scarily related note, your not-so-humble reviewer can relate to the "I was right" aspect of this development but would have had a back-up in anticipation of the "what if" occurring.


Traditional romcom elements dominate regarding a last-minute scramble by those nearest and dearest to Christopher and Daniel  can put right what once went wrong so that the boys can have a shot at happily ever after.


The big wedding picture this time is that the relative newness of marriage equality (which Daniel correctly states differs from gay marriage) being both legal and widely accepted creates valid feelings of at least one person in a gay relationship wanting a grand declaration of love. The below analysis of any wedding rains on that particular parade.


On a large level, a wedding often involves bringing together relatives with inter-connected decades of conflict. (First wives insulting second wives is particularly entertaining.) Focusing in, "Man" depicts the challenges related to a "mixed" couple getting married.


A couple in which both people are uptight can result in the quest for perfection that Daniel outwardly seeks driving everyone crazy and the couple being disappointed when their ceremony falls far short of the Diana and Charles extravaganza. A couple that consists of either two slacker or "Chillax" dudes may end up exchanging vows on a municipal little league field and inviting guests home for take-out pizza and six packs.


The best solution seems to be hiring a trusted wedding planner to make every decision and be the sole point of contact for service providers, not worrying about excluding relatives who either are so angry at you or other relatives that they do not want to come, and merely showing up for the ceremony to be dazzled.


Tremendous personal turmoil that extends well beyond a neighbor wanting a pool resulting in flooding the comprehensive sitcom section of the Unreal TV DVD library prevented checking out the DVD extras. Large faith based on roughly 50 Breaking features inspires confidence regarding the cast interviews. deleted scenes, and "making-of" documentary. These provide something to which to look forward to when pulling "Man" off the shelf if and when your not-so-humble reviewer declares his love in front of his human and canine friends; nothing says that members of the wedding party cannot have four legs. 

​Foreign gay-themed art-house film division of tla video tla releasing making the 2016 Lithuanian drama "You Can't Escape Lithuania" available on DVD on July 11, 2017 provides North American audiences a chance to see a potential Millennials cult classic. The most meta aspect of this film is that writer/director Romas Zabarauskas has an actor play writer/director Romas Zabaraukas. Additionally, early scenes refer to the fictional Zabarauskas making the real-life film "We Will Riot" by the real Zabarauskas.


The real Zabarauskas goes full-on 21st century in revealing early on that his fictional counterpart bares far more than his soul in a crowdfunding promotion to obtain the money for his latest film; the real Zabarauskas shares that this is a "ripped from the headlines" aspect of the film but does not provide the photos.

The following YouTube clip of the theatrical trailer for "Lithuania" fully conveys the modern sense and sensibility of the film.

​Please note that all future references to Zabarauskas are to the reel one.


Zabarauskas and his visiting Mexican boyfriend Carlos are lounging around the apartment of the former in the titular nation when movie star/friend Indre shows up with literal blood on her hands. The gist of her story is that roughly 10 years of frustration with her mother leads to to Indre accidentally killing her and then fleeing the scene.


The literal exit strategy that Zabarauskas develops is to have him and Carlos assist Indre with an equally literal run for the border so that she can hide out until the heat cools down. Much of the drama regarding this is Carlos objecting to being caught up in the drama.


The filmmaker in Zabarauskas soon comes out in the form of deciding to use the video camera on his smart phone to make an avant-garde movie about their adventure. This does not sit well with Indre, who ultimately gets Zabarauskas to see her side of things.


The manner in which Zabarauskas pursues a fleeing Carlos and persuades him to stay with the group at this early stage is one of the best scenes in "Lithuania."


Insight that is very awesome from the perspective of someone from the era in which the score is kept at sporting events and not everyone goes home with a trophy is the realization of Zabarauskas that his mother has been protecting him from the harsh realities of life at least since high school.


It is less awesome to learn that the father of Zabarauskas shows far more hatred than can be understood on learning that his son likes other boys. This proves that all of us need a loving parent in our life.


A fun scene with gay-porn potential involves Carlos going off to prove that bears are not the only ones who perform a certain bodily function in the woods and Indre temporarily fleeing as a traffic cop approaches to help Zabarauskas change a flat tire. The cop expressing great interest in Zabarauskas and commenting that he knows that this stranded motorist is a gay filmmaker evokes thoughts that one or the other is going to end up bent over the hood of the car with with his hands cuffed behind his back and his pants around his ankles. Learning the extent to which that happens requires watching the film.


At least one encounter during the involvement with the officer has great significance for our trio of outlaws. It further prompts the soul-searching that begins with the symbolism related to Indre killing her mother and Zabarauskas both deciding to actively help her escape and to bring Carlos along for that ride and another.


The drama further heats up when the group stops for the night. Both Zabarauskas and Indre further bare their souls and effectively run off into the sunset in a scene that is far from a Hollywood ending. The scenes after that remove most of the ambiguity regarding that walk into the woods.


Although very few Millennials even accidentally commit matricide (or patricide), they (and many Gen Xers) can see themselves in the folks whose family drama continues haunting them and who discover that they are not as special as believed. The overlying cynical aspect of this is that we end up paying for "it" in one form or another.