When a recent GayNZ.com competition asked: "What's your favourite LGBT-themed movie?" the responses got our memories jogged, and piqued our interest in a few we hadn't heard of before. Here's just a few inspiring selections for the next time you're wandering the aisles of your local video vault. Angels in America "Nothing's lost forever. In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we've left behind, and dreaming ahead" - Harper Pitt This 2003 six-hour epic got our largest number of votes for favourite LGBT film, with several using words like 'triumph' and quoting the pieces of dialogue that moved them the most. Subtitled 'A Gay Fantasia on National Themes', the interwoven stories deal with the lives of both open and closeted gay men at the dawn of the AIDS virus in the mid 1980's. As the characters' luck runs out and disaster unfolds, angels, ancestors and other strange visions scare and mystify them. Angels in America is coming to the Wellington's Downstage Theatre this September/October. Tipping the Velvet Nancy Nan Astley: "Don't you know? Hasn't she told you about us?" Walter Bliss: "I know that you were sweethearts of a kind." Nancy Nan Astley: "Of a kind? The kind that hold hands? Didn't she tell you that we fuck each other?" Walter Bliss: "I don't care to use such language Nan. And if I did, I wouldn't use it for anything a pair of girls could do. You need a man for that, I think you'll find." This BBC three-part miniseries of lesbian love in 1890's London won numerous awards in 2002, and five years on it's still a firm favourite on DVD. And we now hear plans are underway for the story to get full Hollywood movie treatment for release in 2009. If you loved Tipping the Velvet, check out 'Fingersmith', another popular BBC-filmed adaptation of a Sarah Waters' novel. Beautiful Thing Ste: "And are you?" Jamie: "Queer?" Ste: "Gay." Jamie: "I'm very happy. I'm happy when I'm with you…" Summer heat beats down on a London housing estate and two teenage guys find themselves thrown together. An idyllic and uplifting, but ultimately believable love story. 'Get Real' is another good British teen coming out story we recommend. For young, fun, camp and sexy Americans, try 'Eating Out' or 'Another Gay Movie'. Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig: "How did some slip of a girly boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally ignored song stylist barely standing before you?" Her sex-change operation got botched, and her ex-boyfriend stole all her songs - what is a girl to do? With so many amazing scenes and great lines, it's no wonder this glam adventure of a transsexual rock queen has many 'Hedhead' fans in New Zealand. Playing this gem on DVD will have you singing and repeating Hedwig quotes at your mates for days afterwards. Fans should also try 'Shortbus' by the same creator, or re-visit 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' for more wicked winter fun. Monster "People always look down their noses at hookers. Never give you a chance, because they think you took the easy way out, when no one could imagine the willpower it took to do what we do. Walking the streets, night after night, taking the hits and still getting back up" - Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'. Theron gained weight, shaved off her eyebrows, coloured her hair, and wore contacts and dentures for her role as real-life serial killing prostitute Aileen Wuornos. She then deservedly won an Oscar for her incredible performance. The movie tells the story of her Sapphic relationship with a young woman played by the adorable Christina Ricci. The film was popular with many lesbians - and with scenes like the one below, we can see why. A documentary about the life, crimes and execution of Aileen Wuornos is also available on DVD, called 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer'. Another highly-recommended awe-inspiring performance is Hillary Swank's portrayal of transgender teen Brandon Teena in 'Boys Don't Cry'. Brokeback Mountain "I wish I knew how to quit you" - Jack Twist Yes, we all know about Brokeback Mountain, but we thought we'd tug at your heart-strings one again with a little clip featuring everyone's favourite cowboys. This was just a small taste of what's out there telling our stories on DVD. Share your gay movie recommendations with us on our message board. "I tried singing once, back in Berlin; they threw tomatoes. After the show I had a nice salad" - Hedwig. Matt Akersten - 4th August 2007