Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Stage and Cinema review by Harvey Perr

New review of the DVD of WORD IS OUT can be found at Stage and Cinema by clicking here.

This is a film that should be in the library of every gay man and lesbian in the world. But it should also be seen by every American who can never be told enough or too often that the people who want equal rights are their friends and their family members and are very much like themselves. Word Is Out is essential, even – and perhaps especially – after thirty years.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

From Dominique Bremond

I saw "Word is Out" in France where I was living at the time, shortly after it came out in 1977 or 1978. It was a breeze, a gulp of fresh air to hear all of these very different people share theirs lives, theirs stories and their views.

Word is Out had a tremendous impact on my life.

When I moved to san Francisco in 1981, one of the first persons I ran into on the street was one of men interviewed,
then, shortly after, I saw Pat Bond at Bagdad Cafe on Market Street. It seemed surreal at the time.
A big heartfelt thank you to all of you who participated in the making of Word is Out. You touched so many lives in many countries.

Dominique Bremond
The French Class

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Cincinnati CityBeat review!

Cincinnati CityBeat review of WORD IS OUT can be read here!

Excerpt: "Word Is Out allowed late-’70s gay filmgoers to see themselves on the screen not as caricatures or idealizations, but as real people with unifying experiences. It was a powerful moment. The film also functioned beyond affirmation to impact the mainstream, showing a world beyond stereotypes where gay men and women lived lives the same as any straight person — a universality that moved Word Is Out beyond gay cinema to become human cinema.

This restored 30th anniversary DVD release is exquisite with several bonuses that truly complement the film, especially a then-and-now documentary that brings the interviewees into the present. Revelations that many succumbed to AIDS are absolutely devastating, hanging a haunting specter over the film’s hopeful histories. Grade: A"

Friday, July 9, 2010

Cinemaqueer review of WORD IS OUT

Cinemaqueer review of WORD IS OUT can be read here.
"Word Is Out is not a dry time capsule; it is a vital and entertaining document that hasn't lost its edge, even after more than three decades."

Friday, July 2, 2010

David Gillon interviewed in Hartford Courant!

You can read David Gillon interviewed by Susan Dunne in the Hartford Courant here.

An excerpt: "I never imagined that there would be a serious effort behind something like this. I just knew it wasn't going to go anywhere [laughs]. But the most powerful thing you could do at the time was to speak out. Speaking up, which I had been doing at the time in little ways, was the most powerful thing you could do to combat homophobia, to really change things."