An Empty Bed
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
One of the last of the pre-Gay New Wave films, Mark
Gasper’s An Empty Bed (1989) is a sincere, but ultimately too short and
plodding flashback reflection by an older gay man (John Wylie as Bill Frayne)
who is haunted by his old age and lost love of his life. It is another man, and while the film has a
few good points, it never makes the most of its 56 short minutes and wears thin
quickly. For diehard Gay Cinema fans
only.
The 1.33 X 1 image was shot on film, but the transfer and
print are soft, while the age of the transfer (NTSC analog from a few years
ago) further limits the good color. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a little better, but also shows the limits of its age
and the film’s budget. Extras include a
half-hour director interview, stills, text biographies and trailers for other
First Run product.
- Nicholas Sheffo
