Karl Rove, I Love You

In 2004, perpetual supporting actor Dan Butler (Fraiser’s Bulldog) realizes that he can simultaneously awaken the American electorate to the evils of Karl Rove — thereby swaying the presidential election in Kerry’s favor — and make the leap to leading man status. His absurd plan goes awry when he begins falling in love with the christo-fascist, and we ended up with four more years. Butler and Phil Leirness co-directed this hilarious mockumentary that, in the Obama age, thankfully feels dated. Extras: Commentary with the cast and crew, deleted scenes
—Brian Padgett

My Fair Son

Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Cui Zi’en tackles the father-son relationship that is convoluted in so many gay men’s lives in this arthouse import. Angst-ridden adolescent Ray moves in with his estranged father, enrolls in art school and begins dating other boys in his classes. Things complicate quickly after Ray’s father discovers he’s gay, but Zi’en’s focus rests primarily on the paternal than the sexual, as the title suggests; the open-ended examination of the connection between a father and his gay son, though uniquely-steeped in Chinese culture, is reiterated in like relationships around the world. Extras: None —B.P.

The Strange One

Although no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, 1957’s The Strange One is fascinating to watch as a historical example of homosexual cinematic expression when such themes were strictly prohibited by the Production Code. Based on Calder Willingham’s Broadway show End as a Man, Ben Gazzara reprises his role as Jocko DeParis, a sadistic upperclassman at an all-male Southern military academy. The Tom of Finland-esque illustration opening the film and the scantily-clad and overly interactive cadets in the showers aside, Director Jack Garfein’s treatment of two secondary characters and their sexual ambiguity undoubtedly ruffled feathers upon the film’s release. Notable for its cast and crew of Actors Studio alums, this subversive film marked both Gazzara’s and George Peppard’s screen debuts. Extras: Retrospective interview with Gazzara, previews —B.P