The Special Shelf: Starfish

After the death of her dearest friend, Grace, Aubrey (Virginia Gardner) has found herself back in the Colorado mountains, in a space that she remembers on a cellular level but that simply doesn’t feel like home anymore. And after a post-funeral fraught night of sleep, she awakens to a near-deserted world, where everything around her bears the signs of an invasion by unspeakable horrors from some unseen place. Intermittent radio transmissions help to keep hope alive, but it’s in reconstructing the path her late friend left for her (via a mixtape-based scavenger hunt of the soul) that Aubrey may find a way to set the balance of the universe right.

 

This isn’t your typical horror movie. It’s not even your typical horror-movie-as-extended-grief-metaphor (à la The Babadook), though it would certainly succeed under those terms. This is a movie where the strength of women’s friendships is such to break down the boundaries of time and space. This is also a movie where heterosexual entanglements are either obstacles or problems to be solved, so I’m already inclined to love it. But it does far more.

Gardner is a magnet for empathy, much like she was in last year’s Halloween reboot (she played Vicky, the babysitter nobody wanted to see get killed). She’s in nearly every scene of the film and cements herself as one of the greatest actresses working in genre cinema today.

The way we relate to our friends’ pets isn’t something that most films will delve into, and here we see Aubrey dealing with a strong-willed, just this side of petulant turtle named Bellini (which is either named for the drink or for Kids In The Hall co-writer Paul Bellini, and I’m fine with either or both of those explanations) and a pair of unnamed jellyfish. The turtle has personality, and actually delivers an impressive performance for such a tiny reptile. The jellyfish are so alien to our frame of reference that they simply exist, indicative of the vast gulf between all kinds of organisms.

As in all cinema, a good monster can make up for many sins. This film has a great one. Several, in fact. Ranging from man-sized ravening maws with an array of pseudopodia to giant, dinosaur-sized polypedes. They serve dual purposes as reminders of the constant threat Aubrey is under as well as how far off the axis of normality the world has shifted.

Haunting, sad, and uplifting, Starfish is a creative and mind-bending exploration of love, grief, and friendship from writer/director A.T. White (of the band Ghostlight and the arts collective We Are Tessellate). It also makes for a great double feature with Other People, the 2016 feature debut from Chris Kelly, co-creator of The Other Two (a/k/a the best new show of 2019). Though be warned that you’re in for three hours and change of a heavy journey if you decide to take that double feature journey. It’s certainly worth it.

 

Starfish is in the midst of a limited theatrical release right now thanks to the lovable freaks at Yellow Veil Pictures, and will be available through most VoD services this month via The Orchard, who also put out the Norwegian lesbian SciFi epic Thelma two years back. Every cent the film makes for the writer/director is being given to cancer research.

Click here for other entries in The Special Shelf!

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

Keep readingShow less
by Spectrum Medical Care Center

Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz

When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.

I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.

Keep readingShow less

Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area

Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!

Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.

Keep readingShow less