MOVIE NIGHT: Friday, July 10th

Film: Brüno

When: 7:45 PM (Meet in front of Dick's Sporting Goods inside the mall; movie starts at 8:15 PM, but if we want to sit together we should get there early.)

Where: AMC The Parks At Arlington 18 (3861 S. Cooper St., Arlington; map)

Tickets: Adults $9.50 (purchase tickets online to guarantee your seats)

Dinner After the Movie: Cheesecake Factory, The Parks at Arlington (immediately following the movie - @ 10:00 PM if you want to join us after the movie)

Brüno (trailer): Borat trickster Sacha Baron Cohen returns to the big screen to offer yet another stinging dose of socio-political satire in this comedy that finds him assuming the persona of gay fashionmonger Bruno, the self-proclaimed "voice of Austrian youth TV." Originally conceived as part of Cohen's cult television series Da Ali G Show, the character of Bruno offered a cleverly costumed Cohen the opportunity to highlight the absurdities of the fashion industry by interviewing unsuspecting fashion icons and other haute couture hangers-on.

HomoQuotable - Peter Tatchell: "While the film scores plenty of laughs by mercilessly exposing dim-witted homophobes, Bruno's persona also embodies some really lazy, crude gay stereotypes. A sex-obsessed 'cockaholic,' he is a shallow bitchy queen who uses and abuses everyone around him. Not nice. On the plus side, ultra gay Bruno will make many bigoted straight people feel uncomfortable, which is a delicious prospect. But quite a few gay men watching this movie may also squirm with discomfort.

"Does Bruno reinforce or undermine homophobia? I am not sure. If Cohen's intention was to mock prejudice, this film doesn't always pull off the money shot. Compared to Borat, it is more hit and miss. The movie rolls back the boundaries, with its in-your-face raw portrayals of gay sexuality. Some might argue that this honesty and debunking of taboos is refreshing and ground-breaking. But do these no-holds-barred erotic depictions advance or reverse public acceptance of queer life?

"Surely no cinema can be so influential that it sways public opinion for or against prejudice? After all, it is only a film. Moreover, it is a comedy and was never intended to be taken seriously. Fair point. But although it may not create homophobia, perhaps it can reinforce and inflame it? Go see Bruno. You decide." - Noted British gay activist Peter Tatchell, speaking to Attitude Magazine.