Who would you cast as Axel? I vote for Chris Evans.įlash forward ten years, and Germany gave us two much better gay movies: Männer wie wir ( Men Like Us) known in the U.S. And that gives me hope that the awful stereotypes in the original won’t make the cut this time. remake, and this time the writer will be König himself. Happily, the story doesn’t end there as Maybe, Maybe Not has since been optioned for a U.S.
It turns out the movie is based on a comic by the same name created by Ralf König who just happens to be … a gay man! But as far as I can tell, König didn’t have anything to do with the film adaptation of his work (frequently the case). You know us, mos! Just can’t control ourselves around straight folks! Of course, that cliched bit about gay people is better than the shrieking drag queen who also throws herself at Axel.
This "comedy" was the highest grossing film in Germany in 1995 and told the story of Axel (Schweiger), a womanizer who gets caught cheating by his girlfriend who dumps him on his keister.Ī series of events leads to Axel’s temporarily living with Norbert (Król), a gay guy, who naturally at some point has to try and seduce him. Wortmann and starring Til Schweiger, Rufus Beck and Joachim Król. The first gay German film I ever saw was 1994’s Maybe, Maybe Not ( Der bewegte Mann) directed by Sönke When the Nazis rose to power, most copies of the movie were burned as "decadent." The controversial film eventually fell victim to censorship laws making it possible for only doctors and medical researchers to watch. Magnus Hirschfield not only played the Doctor, but partly funded the movie through his Institute for Sexual Science.
This movie wasn’t just any movie it was made in response to Germany’s harsh anti-gay laws stemming from German Criminal Code Paragraph 175 and was intended to educate the public. Magnus Hirschfeld in Different from the Others The movie starred Conrad Veidt and Reinhold Schünzel and was written by Richard Oswald.Ĭonrad Veidt and Dr. In fact, Anders als die Andern ( Different from the Others), released in 1919, is one of the first sympathetic portrayals of gays on film. Germany has a long and storied past when it comes to gay cinema. That little plane? Um, you didn’t think I was going to fly commercial, did you? Well, come on! We don’t have all day! Schnell, schnell! Sneaky, those Germans! That’s proof enough for me!Īre your bags packed? Good! I’ve ordered up a very nice Lufthansa jumbo jet to whisk us away. Yes, American football players do the same, but they hide under all that padding.įinally, have you ever looked closely at the word "Germany?" Notice something, well, gay about it?Īnd I’m absolutely certain that Deutschland (the German word for Germany) has something equally queer hidden in it.
Then of course, there is German futbol where the hotties where tight pants, slap each other’s butts and hug alot. I’d argue emphatically that it is! Here are just a few "gay" things about Germany.Īny country where much of the male population is willing to occasionally march around in vests, little boy shorts and/or suspenders is at least a little gay. ! is Germany really gay enough of a country for this column. But I deny all those stories about horse-thievery being the reason my great-grandpappy split the Fatherland!)īut given that this is the BEST.
(Yes, Jensen is a Danish name, but my great-grandfather was named Von Pletz and there is even a Baron somewhere in our past.
Plus, my great-grandfather immigrated from Germany. Why Germany? Well, thanks in large part to Forbidden Love, many of us have become much more interested in all things German. Now what would be really cool is a trip overseas! So pack your bags, AfterEltoners because this week we’re off to … Germany! (And for those you living in Europe, well, it’s your turn to have a roadtrip!) , who hasn’t taken a road trip around this great country of ours? Not to disparage that trip which was fun, but for those of us living in the U.S. Regular readers of the BGWE! will recall that several weeks ago, Brent Hartinger took us all on a road trip around the U.S.