#formula 17

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Formula 17, queer film from Taiwan, is now available on YT. LINK

[celluloidrainbow]

17歲的天空 | FORMULA 17 (2004) dir. Yin-jung Chen Naive country-boy Tien-Tsai travels to Taipei for the summer, where his quest to lose his virginity is impeded by his insistence on finding true love first. On his first night in the city, he happens to lock eyes with an irresistible hunk, who, as newfound friends soon inform him, is the planet’s biggest playboy. (link in title)

[colourme-feral]

Random thoughts on Formula 17 (2004)

Thanks to @my-rose-tinted-glasses for letting me know that it's now available on Youtube!

There are 2 Happy Together posters on Tien Tsai's walls.

Ah, MSN Messenger, those were the days.

According to the train ticket, Tien Tsai is from Daxi, Yilan, which is at least an hour and 45 minutes from Taipei.

The romanisation of the station name has since changed from Hsimen to Ximen.

Tien Tsai looks so awkward about this because his name sounds like it could mean genius, which is why he had to emphasise that it was his real name, since it sounds like a fake name. 😂

Tien Tsai's friends tell their stories are in Mandarin, while Jun tells his in Cantonese.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Yu meets Ray at Shalun beach, which is a noted spot for cruising and nude sunbathing. (more info)

THIS HAND GESTURE WAS SUCH A THROWBACK.

Tieh Nan and Jun speak to each other almost exclusively in Cantonese, while the rest of the characters mostly speak in Mandarin.

Teru teru bozu, is that you?? (more info)

Hello to the bedside Bauhaus book that architects like Tieh Nan will read before bedtime and then place before their empty Ikea picture frames.

His friends are amazing.

Tien Tsai and his friends all wear necklaces with necklaces/one that resembles barbed wire and Tieh Nan prays for a last chance with Tien Tsai. 🤔

The background music used here for Jun's story about Tieh Nan is what is used for Chinese opera.

The fortune teller uses physiognomy to tell Tieh Nan's fortune/fate.

This scene is from the actual first Taipei Pride, held on 1st November 2003, as fact checked by @my-rose-tinted-glasses.

They changed the truck of doom to the scooter of doom, which is very fitting for Taiwan. 😂

The Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association (臺灣同志諮詢熱線協會) is included in the film's credits. It is an organisation that provides the LGBT community with peer counseling, support networks, and a community resource center and was the first LGBT non-governmental organization registered in Taiwan. (more info)

[sorenkingsley]

Formula 17 (2004) dir. Chen Yin-jung

[pandasmagorica]

15 Day BL Challenge: Day 1: Fave OG Actor Pairing.

Created and Presented by @Negrowhat: 15 day BL challenge full challenge list

If OG means original, we need to go way back to 2004 and the Taiwan movie Formula 17. It's definitely QL in the original sense, queer story made by women for women. Very campy and fun.

Tien (Tony Yang) goes from country to city to find love only to find his internet friend just seeks a hookup. Tien bails only to wind up crashing at his friend Yu's. Yu helps Tien get started in Taipei. Tien falls for playboy Bai Tien Nan (Duncan Chow) despite the warnings of his roomies that Bai discards playmates like used tissues. Of course, misunderstandings and romance ensue.

There's a couple scenes I love which are told in the style of Chinese opera.

There's are other Asian queer films from that era - in 2006 Taiwan gave us Eternal Summer - but this is the one I love most and the one that most falls into the QL category (as opposed to a gay film) back when the two categories had clearer boundaries between one another.

So, Tony Yang and Duncan Chow.

[haveyouseenthisqueerfilm]

Have you seen Formula 17 (2004)?

Yes

No

I've never heard of this film

Voting ended onDec 19, 2023

[j0ey2k]

Formula 17, 2004 - Dir. Yin-jung Chen

[isaacsapphire]

From the files

Found a note in my own handwriting, circa 2006 with "Formula 17", "Last Exile", "You and My Secret", "DeviantArt -Pyrogoth", and "Naked Lunch" scrawled on it.