The Picture of Dorian's Gay

Let's face it: film festivals in this city are a dime a dozen. And while it's so totally awesome that as a result we get to see movies in the theatres other folks have a hard time tracking down at all and get to wander around Cumberland in September looking for Ashton and Demi, it can be a little overwhelming trying to keep up with the veritable cornucopia of fests in town. Should you check out ImagineNATIVE or After Dark? TJIF or Hot Docs? Reel Asian or Sprockets? There are lots of potential deciding factors, but if you want to base your decision on who's gonna have the most memorable after-parties, you might want to consider Inside Out, which opens tonight.

The 17th annual gay and lesbian film festival kicks things off this year with Duncan Roy's The Picture of Dorian Gray, a modern adaptation something along the lines of Will Self's 2002 novel in which the homoerotic subtext becomes simply text. The film stars 7th Heaven dreamboat David Gallagher as the titular immoral immortal. Torontoist was able to snag an advance screener of the film and, to be honest, it's a bit of a dud. Sure, it's filmed in a stylishly budget way and there is a bit of an illicit thrill in being able to watch the former child star get evil (and get his freak on), but as far as genuine audience enjoyment goes, this might be one for the "friends and family only" file. The after-party will probably be a better time. But, don't despair! There are ten more days of Inside Out left and Torontoist is going to be there, telling you which screenings are sweet and which are skippable.