Chris & John to the Rescue (Season 1)

This amateur Canadian TV series features Chris Carter and John Simpson as a pair of gay best friends — “dears” as they call themselves and others — playing queer eyes for various gay guys. They help a newly out gay teen find a fag hag; try to help another out youth get a boyfriend; and in the best episode — and that’s damning with faint praise—they teach a Christmas hater to embrace the holiday for the sake of his boyfriend. While some viewers may find this “so bad its good” television, most folks will be offended, not amused, by such madcap antics as John pretending to be a black female psychic or attending a gay bear film festival where they insult the community that hosts them. Alas, Chris and John are supposed to be “helping” folks, but too often they mock them, and the humor at others’ expense is not very funny. A running joke about a wannabe performer (Brian Doyle) being a bad singer is run into the ground over the course of the series. Chris and John show that this pair of supposedly “clever” guys are not particularly creative. Oh, and the show’s sassy narrator—she must go. Bottom line: Save yourself! D —Gary M. Kramer

Midnight Express

30th Anniversary Edition

Long before The Shawshank Redemption became one of America's most beloved films about prison (and before misguided efforts like Brokedown Palace trivialized the experiences of those unjustly incarcerated), Alan Parker's controversial Midnight Express conveyed the horrors suffered at the hands of a corrupt judicial system in the story of Billy Hayes, a young American man who was sentenced to 30 years in a dirty Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Instanbul. From an impassioned, succinct script by a then-unknown Oliver Stone (who scored an Oscar for his work), Parker created a disturbing and unforgettable (if significantly altered) account of Hayes' experience, directing future gay icon Brad Davis (who went on to star in Fassbinder's Querelle before dying of AIDS in 1991) to deliver the most powerful performance of his career—and setting the bar high for all future movies set inside the concrete jungle. Thirty years after its release, Midnight Express remains a sheer masterpiece of vivid drama. Extras: In addition to Parker's enlightening commentary, three talky featurettes feature Stone, Parker, actor John Hurt and the film's producers discussing Davis' eccentric work process, the difficulties in adapting Hayes' story for film, and the resistance they faced from Columbia Pictures regarding the film's tender depiction of homosexuality in prison. But you can get the same information from Parker's making-of memoir, included as a 24-page booklet. A —Ken Knox

TV Preview

TransAmerican Love Story

Another reality show with a group of cheesy guys falling over each other to capture the “heart” of a single, man-hunting female, right? Wrong. TransAmerican Love Story, debuting Feb. 11 on Logo, puts a fresh spin on what’s fast becoming a tired staple in reality TV. This time around, the bachelorette looking for love is none other than transgendered activist, artist and actress Calpernia Addams! With a little help from host Alec Mapa and best friend Andrea James, Calpernia wades through a pool of eight eligible bachelors—hailing from a wide range of backgrounds—to find Mr. Right. Although a little staged and corny at times, it’s great to see a diverse set of individuals brought to the screen positively. B —Pearl Barraclough