25 years ago this week, my first feature "I Think I Do" opened at NYC's Quad Theater (via Strand Releasing) and received this lovely review in the The New York Times. It played there for four months--an incredible run then, but astounding now considering how much exhibition has changed. It then hit 30 US cities, as well as being released in the UK, Germany, Spain, South Africa, and Brazil. The journey on this project actually started about 30 years ago, just after I finished film school at New York University with the idea of doing a modern update of screwball comedy with a gay couple at the center of it all. While the idea was simple, execution was not. Some readers criticized the script which presented gay marriage as a given, more than a decade before marriage equality became a reality. But the big problem was the major indie players at the time (Miramax, Fine Line, Focus, et al) were reluctant to finance gay comedy as they believed there was no market for it (!). Casting was also a challenge as most agents and managers often wouldn't put actors up for queer roles. Anyway, we eventually found our true believers and true-blue friends who helped make this little film happen on a minimal indie budget. "I Think I Do" was the product of an enormous crew of talented folks, led by our fearless producer Lane Janger along with the tireless work of our casting director Stephanie Corsalini who assembled an amazing ensemble led by the late Alexis Arquette along with Tuc Watkins, Guillermo Diaz, and Marni Nixon too! After premiering at Frameline 's Film Festival and then Toronto International Film Festival, "I Think I Do" truly struck a chord with LGBTQ audiences desperate to see themselves in a film where they were not dead, dying, or being attacked. Instead they were now lead characters in a mainstream romantic comedy...what a concept! And, along with other breakthrough films from that time like Trick, Edge of Seventeen and But I'm A Cheerleader, it changed what was possible in queer indie cinema. Now, after being out of circulation for a number of years, I'm happy to share the news that "I Think I Do" will re-released on digital platforms later this year. A restoration/2K transfer of the 35mm negative, which has been safely stored at UCLA's Film & Television Archive (courtesy of Outfest Legacy Project), is being done in L.A. I'm so thrilled the film will be getting back out there again, both for its longtime fans and to teach the current generation that gay romantic comedy was not invented last year. That's right kids, it happened way back in the 90s...even before "Will & Grace"! #indiefilm #filmmaking #lgbtq
Todd Killinger
4mo
That’s incredible news. Remember my friends and I being enchanted by the film when it came out in ’98, seeing it multiple times at The Quad after spotting the one-sheets advertising the release plastered all around the neighborhood (long before the advent of those schmancy digital kiosks). Turned us on to Marni Nixon, The Partridge Family, and Tuc Watkins’ abs. Still have my DVD that I bought from Tower Records at Astor Place, hoping an upgraded physical media release (4K!) with creator commentary is forthcoming as well.
REMEMBER IT WELL
Writer & Editor | Creative Collaborator | Content Producer
1yHere's the link to the full review: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/10/movies/film-in-review-436801.html