a short film by Steve McBride 1994 | 17 mins | UK ›› Shame a homophobic journalist gets more than he bargained for! Closeted lovers and stars of the American series 'Starting Out' Aiden Forrester and Joe Diskoff arrive in the heart of the North of England for some PR work, unaware that Newcastle based journalist Mike Salmon it out to OUT their special relationship in the hope of career advancement thereafter. Only such a sexual exposé requires evidence. And boy does Mike find it, when in sneaking his way into their hotel room, he comes to witness more than he bargained for, as the boys get down to some business of their own - man-on-man style! With the goods on our boys, Salmon is soon to hit the keyboard, knowing that his dream of becoming the premier North East entertainment reporter is but a deadline away. Or so it would appear. For with a spoiler warning firmly in place, fate has a way of changing things, given Aiden and Joe have the last laugh when thanks to their televised coming out interview, Mike finds himself with a dead article on his hands and a career move - in the backward direction! Written and directed by Steve McBride, this amusing if slightly dated short, cue the large mobile phone and old computer software, nevertheless stays true to the Black and White toon by featuring a series of key location shots, from Newcastle's famous Tyne Bridge to the architectural splendour of its central station. Yet keen eyed viewers will equally spot the elegant Art Deco interior of the renowned Tyneside Cinema; home to independent and foreign language films in the North East, together with the annual London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival touring programme. Of this programme or rather short, Joe Caffrey is every inch narrow-minded reporter Mike Salmon, determined as he is to dish the dirt on screen lovers Harold Finley and Stuart Laing. In doing so, he delivers a set of homophobic lines that highlight his characters' prejudice, only for such to be cast aside in the final reel by way of his 'if you can't beat them, join them' cottaging attitude to life. Originally released in the UK as part of the Boys on Film video series, this well-executed tale has like many a title I could mention, all but vanished into the celluloid void, seldom to be seen again. And yet it remains one of the few, if indeed the sole (?) gay film to be produced in the heart of the North East. All of which is the real shame of the piece. For Newcastle's thriving gay scene and extensive quayside redevelopment and here think the prodigious Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the iconic Gateshead Millennium Bridge, let alone the outstanding acoustic and design creativity of The Sage International Music Centre are crying out to be featured in further Gordie based productions of the homosexual kind. Directors - take note! starring: Joe Caffrey, Harold Finley, Stuart Laing, Jo Law, Carole Kersland, Paul Tyndall, Simon Murray, Ian Robertson, Anthony Rogerson Copyright 2007 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #140 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹