A Guide to What to Watch

On DVD & Blu-ray:


The Perks of Writing a Screenplay
Acclaimed author turned screenwriter Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being A Wallflower stars Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and out queer actor Ezra Miller, who garnered raves for his performance. Bonuses: Deleted scenes, commentary, and Best Summer Ever. Out February 12 from Lionsgate.


Coming Out Among Baptists
Director Stephen Cone’s tender coming-of-age drama The Wise Kids stars Tyler Ross as out gay student Tim, who’s trying to navigate growing up in a Southern Baptist community in Charleston, S.C., with his two best friends. Now available from Wolfe Video.


Life Is a Cabaret
To mark the 40th anniversary of Bob Fosse’s Oscar-winning queer classic, Warner Home Video is releasing Cabaret for the first time on Blu-ray with a doc titled Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals, and exclusive interviews with stars Minnelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey. Out February 5.


Lesbians and Elvis’s Granddaughter
There’s something so beguiling about Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and granddaughter of the King of Rock and Roll himself. In Jack & Diane, Keough (The Runaways) is one half of a teenage lesbian couple falling in love. Her girlfriend is played by indie darling Juno Temple, who since her 2000 debut has amassed 33 films, including seven slated to come out this year. The film portrays the intense passion between rambunctious soft butch Jack (Keough) and sweet-natured Diane (Temple) in a fast and furious summer fling during which Diane is besieged by changes to her body — a metaphor for the consumption of love — illustrated by body fluids, hair, blood, and in one dream sequence, a ravenous werewolf-like being. It’s an apt metaphor for how young love swallows us up. Out now on Magnolia/Magnet.


Standing Up to the Bullies
Emmy Award–winning director Lee Hirsch’s acclaimed documentary Bully capitalized on the national conversation about the harassment of kids perceived as “different.” A massive social media campaign by teenager Katy Butler led the Motion Picture Association of America to reduce the film’s rating from R to PG-13, so it was accessible to the audience it profiles.

Bully, which made the Oscar shortlist, shows why gay director Hirsch, a childhood victim of bullying, told The Advocate the problem should be addressed broadly: “You don’t want a situation where you feel like you can only get support if you’re gay.” Out in February from Anchor Bay.