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DVD REVIEW: Teenage Kicks

Teenage Kicks (Matchbox DVD) certainly starts off in an arresting way with incestuous desire leading directly to death within about two minutes. Yet Miklós Varga (Miles Szanto) doesn’t seem to learn from this as he sets out to prove Homer Simpson’s adage about the brain being ‘a subsidiary of the penis’. Miklós has problems at home, is in love with his best friend Dan (Daniel Webber) and is openly hostile to Dan’s girlfriend Phaedra (Charlotte Best). Yet he tries to cope with these problems through violence, random sex with men and women, and hanging out in a crack den.

There’s very little subtlety or depth in any of the film’s characters. Szanto is competent but doesn’t have the screen presence to carry the film. The script, in terms of dialogue and themes, never rises above soap opera. It’s never boring – which in my book is a huge plus – but it’s never engaging or compelling. Webber, as the best friend, has the charisma and acting ability the lead lacks, but as he’s not got that much to work with he’s limited in what he can do. And it’s also possible that what I really liked about him is his dirty-blond hair.

If you want to see some gay teen angst then I’d urge you in the strongest possible terms to watch Presque Rien. With its story of a young man having to negotiate a melodramatic concoction of love, sex and family, Teenage Kicks plays out pretty much like an Australian version of the superior French one. Kicks is not in any way a bad film. It’s competent, but competence – like beautiful photography – never put bums on seats.

Click here for trailer.

PREVIEW: Keith Vaughan: On Pagham Beach, photographs and collages from the 1930’s

Keith Vaughan: On Pagham Beach, photographs and collages from the 1930’s will feature rare vintage photographs and collages by the British artist Keith Vaughan (1912-1977).

Keith Vaughan, Boy in Fishing Net, c1939, photographic print
Keith Vaughan, Boy in Fishing Net, c1939, photographic print

Dating from the 1930s, the majority of these images have never been seen or exhibited before.

Recording the visits made by the artist and a close coterie of male friends to Pagham Beach (near Bognor Regis in West Sussex), these works were known to have existed and were often alluded to in published studies on the artist, but their whereabouts have always remained a mystery.

The re-emergence of this remarkable collection will confirm the central role that photography played in Vaughan’s artistic development. A self-taught painter and photographer, many of these vintage photographs are the source material Vaughan used for drawings, gouaches and oils created after the Second World War, and are the foundation that led to the artistic evolution of one of Britain’s most renowned 20th century figurative painters.

2017 marks the fortieth anniversary of Vaughan’s death, which also coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the repeal of the ‘Labouchere amendment’ of 1887 and the passing of the Sexual Offenses Act in 1967, which legalised homosexuality between consenting adults – behaviour which for the previous eighty years had been liable to prosecution and imprisonment with hard labour for up to two years.


Event: Keith Vaughan: On Pagham Beach, Photographs and Collages from the 1930’s

Where: Austin/Desmond Fine Art, Pied Bull Yard, 68/69 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3BN

When: October 25 – December 8

Times: Mon-Fri: 10.30am – 5.30pm, Sat: 11am-2.30pm

Cost: Free entry

Who’s the boss behind the bar? @The Crown

This month Morgan Fabulous popped into Kemptown to chat with Arly and Bego, owners of the newly refurbished pub, The Crown.

The Crown, a freehold venue, offer a variety of spirits and lagers, however Arly and Bego welcome coffee and speciality tea lovers, as they feel that during the day not everybody wants to have an alcoholic drink. The couple have made The Crown into the perfect hub to have a coffee, check emails, socialise with friends and have a refreshing alcoholic beverage.

Open for nearly 100 years, the new owners have been operating this new ethos at the pub for just the last five months.

They both laboured for two months whilst the bar was closed, planned the design and decorated the pub themselves, changing the internal décor; the selection of beer and spirits and the general ‘feel’ of the pub.

Previously they bought and restored a 15th Century cottage in Cambridgeshire, bringing it back to life so that the history and beauty of the house could be restored and enjoyed by the new owners.

They said: “It was challenging but rewarding to see the final product of our hard work, and great experience for when we refurbished the pub”

The Crown has taken over their lives – but in a good way attracting an eclectic mix of individuals including locals and visitors to Brighton including members of the LGBT+ communities. They both work behind the bar six days a week and the pub is closed on Mondays.

Arly says their customers are their biggest assets: “they make us laugh, leave us feeling bemused and often share their wonderful life stories with us…there is never a dull moment.”  

They decided on a whim two years ago that it would be nice to own a bar in Brighton. When the opportunity presented itself for them to buy The Crown, they were able to bring their dream to reality.

Having never worked in a bar they are the first to admit they are learning as they go. With help and advice from their customers, they have educated themselves and attended several courses to be clear on the basics and legal compliance. However, it seems that their lack of experience may be a bonus as they are often told by their knowledgeable real ale drinkers that they sell the best pint of Harveys outside of Lewes!

Bego grew up in Bilbao in the Basque Country in the North of Spain and graduated from San Sebastian School of Film and Video. She later came to England to study multimedia at Birmingham University, finalising her studies with a Masters in Fine Art Photography at London Metropolitan University. She went on to work as a film/video technical adviser at Goldsmiths and University of London. She likes to chill out and enjoys reading. Her favourite books are; The Secret History by Donna Tartt and during spare moments of madness she love a bit of Rumi’s poems.

Arly was born in London but grew up in New Jersey and Philadelphia in the United States. She attended High School in New Jersey, and graduated from University in Philadelphia before returning to the UK where she obtained a Masters in HR and an Employment Legislation qualification. Before buying The Crown she worked in HR for over 15 years on a variety of projects. She enjoys cycling, doing anything sporty and loves listening to her favourite artists, Tori Amos and Sarah Maclachlan.

 

PREVIEW: Elvis Las Vegas 1969

Anscombe Production Associates (APA) present a concert version of their production Elvis Las Vegas 1969 for the 2nd Henfield Haven Anniversary Concert.

Brighton born and Henfield schooled producer, Tim Anscombe will produce the show. Tim trained as a classical tenor before starting his own successful production company based in Brighton APA. His many production credits include Privates on Parade at the Brighton Theatre Royal and the legendary double act Hinge and Bracket.

The artists that appeared in his recent musical production of ‘Elvis Las Vegas 1969’ in Gravesend have agreed to perform for the Henfield Haven 2nd Anniversary Concert at The Henfield Hall.

In the full stage show, act two of the musical is a reproduction of the actual concert given on July 31, 1969 in Las Vegas. Given that the Henfield stage is not quite big enough to contain the set and structures used in the full production, APA have devised a tribute show which captures the very best of the musical numbers.

For the first half of the Henfield show they have added some older Elvis Presley favourites from 1954 onwards for those lovers of the great man. Songs like That’s Alright Mama, I Forgot To Remember to Forget, I Beg Of You, I Need Your Love Tonight and a few other Memphis style memories.

The second half of the concert will be the concert as performed in Las Vegas in 1969, full of songs specially chosen by both Presley and his manager Tom Parker to woo audiences back into Elvis’s live shows. Are You Lonesome TonightWords, Falling in Love With You, Suspicious Minds, Love Me Tender, In the Ghetto and many more.

40 Year after his untimely death Elvis Presley remains as popular today with young audiences as with those fortunate enough to have grown up with this amazing performer.

Elvis impersonator Scott Elvis will play the role of Elvis in Henfield Hall. He is an amazing performer, his Presley timing and rock and roll aura is amazing.

Event: Elvis Las Vegas 1969

Where: The Henfield Hall, Coopers Way, Henfield BN5 9DB

When: Sunday, November 26

Time: 3pm

Tickets available from:

♦ The Henfield Haven: 01273 493365

♦ Jasmines the Florist: Ivy House/High St, Henfield: 01273 491936

♦ Stokes Newsagent: 1 Commercial Buildings, High Street, Henfield:  01273 492032

PREVIEW: Morrissey plays Brighton Centre in March, 2018

Morrissey announces first full UK tour since 2016, which arrives at the Brighton Centre on March 3, 2018, to promote his new album Low in High School.

Low in High School will be released digitally and in physical formats: CD, coloured vinyl and limited edition cassette and is Morrissey’s first studio album since 2014 and his debut for BMG.

The album sees BMG partnering with Morrissey on the new release and on the launch of his new label, Etienne Records.

Low in High School was recorded at La Fabrique Studios in France and in Rome at Ennio Morricone’s Forum Studios and is produced by Joe Chiccarelli (who has worked with Frank Zappa, The Strokes, Beck and The White Stripes to name a few).

Rising to prominence as frontman of The Smiths, Morrissey went on to forge an even more successful career as a solo artist, with all ten of his solo efforts landing in the Top 10 on the UK album charts, including 3 entries at the number one.

Since releasing his debut solo album Viva Hate back in 1988, he has since released a number of critically acclaimed follow-ups including Kill Uncle and Your Arsenal, and hugely successful comeback album You Are the Quarry after a five-year hiatus in 2004.

In 2013, Morrissey published his record-breaking autobiography on Penguin Classics, which immediately topped the best-seller list with literary reviewers hailing it a masterpiece in writing and prose.


Event: Morrissey – Low in High School

Where: Brighton Centre, King’s Rd, Brighton BN1 2GR

When: Saturday, March 3

Time: 6.30pm

To book tickets online, click here:

General UK On Sale will be from November 3, at 10am

New survey highlights disconnect between the aspirations of people living with HIV in the UK and HIV treatment advances

People living with HIV in the UK continue to have lower expectations from life than the general population, despite HIV treatment advances.

New survey highlights disconnect between the aspirations of People Living with HIV in the UK and HIV treatment advances.

Results from the survey show that the expectations from life of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) are still lower than the general population despite significant advances in HIV treatment and management that have significantly improved life expectancy.

The findings show that despite the medical advances of recent years, HIV can still have a significant negative impact on how those with the virus see and plan for their future.

The HIV is: Expectations from Life survey found that PLWHIV in the UK are nearly four times more likely to expect to live shorter lives than their friends, peers and older siblings who do not have the virus.

PLWHIV were consistently twice as likely to expect a lower quality of life compared to their younger siblings, friends, peers, older siblings and colleagues, and over twice as likely to describe their health as poor (15%) than the rest of the general population (6%).

The impact of HIV on relationships was also highlighted in the research.

Over the course of their lifetime, PLWHIV in the UK were less likely to expect to be married/in a civil partnership (42%) than those without HIV (51%), and nearly one in three (31%) of PLWHIV expect to be single versus none of those without HIV.

Almost 2 in 3 PLWHIV (63%) said this was in part due to their HIV making them feel uncertain about their long-term health, impacting their ability to commit. The majority (68%) of PLWHIV also said a fear of disclosing their HIV status has impacted their decision to meet potential partners or to go on dates.

HIV was also found to impact decisions to start a family naturally among 60% of heterosexual women, 51% of heterosexual men, and 28% of men who have sex with men (MSM).

Nearly a third (30%) of those who say their HIV status has impacted their decision to start a family naturally cited uncertainty about their long-term health as a reason for this, however, the most common reason given was fear of giving the child the virus (75%).

Tom Hayes
Tom Hayes

Tom Hayes of Beyond Positive, said: “This survey suggests that many people with HIV are still unaware that having an undetectable level of the virus in their blood (viral load) means being virtually untransmittable – if HIV is properly treated and managed there should be almost no fear of passing on the virus to a partner or child and PLWHIV should not limit their dating or family planning aspirations.”

“Societal stigma remains a major issue to be addressed, but through sharing the latest scientific understanding within the community, we can work to reduce and remove other barriers, so many of which are due to a lack of understanding or belief in the medical reality of living with HIV today.”

The continued stigma surrounding HIV was also more significant in the UK when compared to other European countries.

Over 2 in 5 PLWHIV in the UK (44%) said that the continued stigma surrounding HIV could be a barrier to a long-term relationship or being married/in a civil partnership compared to 25% in Germany, 28% in France, 17% in Spain, 12% in Italy.

Chris Woolls
Chris Woolls

Chris Woolls, Director, Cara Trust, said: “With advances in treatment, the possibility to lead a long and healthy life with HIV is more real than ever before, yet the expectations don’t always meet this reality.”

“Each and every person living with HIV should be receiving the best care available to them, based on their needs and preferences, and not let misconceptions about HIV stop them from leading the life they want.”

Since 1995, the number of PLWHIV aged 50 years or older has more than doubled globally, and is expected to continue to increase over the coming years.

To preserve long-term health, early initiation of HIV treatment is critical, alongside individualising antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens for patients and taking a multi-disciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals from different disciplines to reduce the risk of developing co-morbidities

Nicola Sturgeon to apologise for historic criminalisation of gay men in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, is to make a statement of apology to gay men convicted in the past under Scotland’s historical discriminatory “homosexual offences” laws.

Nicola Sturgeon to issue apology
Nicola Sturgeon to issue apology

The apology will be made in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, November 7, to coincide with the publication of a bill to give a pardon for such convictions.

Until 1981, all sexual activity between men was a criminal offence in Scotland. Legislation in 1980 (which came into effect in 1981) decriminalised sex between men over the age of 21 (the age of consent for sex between men and women, or between two women, was then 16). In 1994 the age of consent for sex between men was reduced from 21 to 18, but it was not until 2001 that the discrimination was removed, by equalising the age of consent at 16.

Prior to these changes, men were prosecuted for activity with another man that would have been legal then between a man and a woman, and that is legal today between two men. This included consensual sexual activity in private, and acts such as kissing another man in a public place.

Tim Hopkins
Tim Hopkins

Welcoming the news, Tim Hopkins, Director of the Equality Network the LGBTI charity, said: “We welcome the imminent publication of this bill, and we particularly welcome the announcement today that the First Minister will apologise in the Parliament to all those who were convicted under these discriminatory laws. The apology is important because it shows that it was the discriminatory laws that were wrong, and not the consensual relationships that were made criminal by those laws.”

The bill, to be introduced on November 7, is expected to give a formal pardon for these discriminatory convictions where the activity would not be a crime today. The pardon is expected to apply both posthumously to people who are no longer living, and to those who are living. It will also enable people who have such a conviction on their records to have it removed, so that it no longer shows up on criminal record checks.

Tim Hopkins added: “We look forward to seeing the detail of the bill. If it implements the policy announced by the Scottish Government, it will be a hugely important statement that Scotland regrets the discrimination of the past, and now considers its LGBTI people to be fully equal citizens who deserve equal respect. It will also be of direct practical importance to people who currently have one of these convictions show up on criminal record checks for jobs or volunteer posts.”

The Equality Network estimates that the total number of these historical discriminatory convictions in Scotland runs into thousands, and that there are hundreds of men alive today with such convictions on their records.

Sex between women was never criminalised in this way in Scotland, and the same rules applied to it as applied for sex between a man and a woman.

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