Due primarily to Jeff’s influence, I’ve seen more movies in the past couple of weeks than in the entire first half of the year. And the most recent choices, especially, really have been worthwhile.

Chicago, of course, the most well-known, speaks for itself. We saw it Sunday afternoon at the Cinema and Drafthouse just up the street, which offers a really cool–and inexpensive, at about $4 for the movie–way to see fairly recent films–on padded benches and swivel chairs at little cafe tables, over appetizers, sandwiches or pizza, along with a glass of wine, beer or cider. OK, it’s a little grungier than that description makes it sound, and the food is, well, pub food quality, but the movie admission is cheap and the place can be fun.

The previous night we went to the theater at Shirlington, one of my favorites because it tends to feature foreign, arty and more esoteric films. It was there we saw Bend It Like Beckham, which included the Will Rogers Institute PSA I had discussed earlier.

Last night’s film, Más Que Amor, Frenesí (from a song lyric in the film, “el sexo, más que amor, frenesí”: “sex isn’t love, just frenzy”) certainly lived up to the last word in the title. As part of the Out@Visions! weekly exploration of gay cinema at Visions in Dupont Circle, this film was a roller coaster ride of a black comedy (a favorite genre) reminiscent of Almodovar at his craziest. And all with some terrific Latin eye-candy and a great soundtrack.