Sundance gets a little gayer

Sundance announced another slew of films on its 2008 slate yesterday (these are the out-of-competition offerings), and it's as depressingly gay-anemic as the list of films in competition, it does at least feature a few legitimitely intriguing gay-related movies.

First and most exciting to me is Tom Kalin's Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne. The exciting bit is the fact that this is Kalin's first feature film since Swoon, the groundbreaking meditation on the Leopold/Loeb murder case that helped kickstart the queer indie film movement here in the States back in 1992.

Kalin is back in true crime mode, this time tackling the horrific Barbara Daly Baekeland murder in London, 1972. Baekland (Moore), a wealthy socialite, was murdered by her gay only son, Anthony (Redmayne), after seducing him into an incestuous relationship in an attempt to "cure" him of his homosexuality. Sensational subject matter and a fascinating true story, and one that I'm very interested to see tackled by this impressive bunch.

Birds of America, a dysfunctional family comedy directed by prolific gay playwright Craig Lucas (Longtime Companion, The Dying Gaul), has potential for some gay elements, but who knows.

Also rather delicious-sounding is Otto: or, Up With Dead People, the new film by gay cineterrorist Bruce LaBruce (Hustler White, Super 8 1/2). This one follows a "lonely gay zombie searching for love and meaning in contempo Berlin." Okay, I'm so there. Check out the website for some more intriguing (and gruesome) pics.

Gay Six Feet Under mastermind Alan Ball's Towelhead (formerly titled Nothing is Private), which has received mostly scathing reviews, is playing the fest as well.