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First there's the ever tank top wearing Marc, (Michael Shawn Lucas) a wannabe actor who dreams of landing a big part on the Broadway stage; but the first big part Marc takes, belongs to the horny supper of the building in the Village that he wants to rent an apartment in. If you always wondered how Chandler and Joey got their big apartment in New York so cheaply, you can stop wondering.
Was HIV part of an experiment conducted by some secret X-Files like cabal? No One Sleeps takes this well known conspiracy theory and makes a brave attempt to weave it into a thrilling mystery. Young Stephan (Tom Wlaschiha,) a researcher from Berlin, has come to San Francisco to take part in a conference on HIV.
Welcome to Azalea Springs, a small Southern town where the accents are as big as the hairstyles. Life in this sleepy hamlet gets a major caffeine rush when the local chapter of "Homo-No-Mo" tries to shutdown a newly opened AIDS hospice. With a motto like "Turn or Burn," you'd think they'd be more compassionate conservatives.
When Surrender Dorothy ends, you have to first catch your breath, and second hope that Trevor is dead. This harshly lit black and white nightmare is the perfect holiday gift for that person on your list that you really want to creep out. It's shot like an old Roger Corman movie and could easily be written off as a B-movie if it wasn't for the strong acting.
The Trio is a neat film that happens to be in German (English subtitles,) packs a lot into the first 40 minutes, but has some terrible marketing behind it. To read the packaging you think you're about to watch something like La Cage Aux Folles, that's The Birdcage to us Americans, and that you'll be rolling on the floor in laughter. The truth is that you'll be smiling in admiration of the film's cleverness.
As a film critic every now and then, you see a movie that makes you feel like driving down the street with a bullhorn yelling, "Attention gay men, you must see this film that speaks to who we are as men and who we aspire to be!" Well Gypsy Boys sure as hell isn't one of those movies!
I happen to mention in passing that I enjoy the occasional foreign film, and suddenly I'm the Bigmanout.com foreign film critic. Well that'll teach me to open my mouth at the next content meeting. But if I'm going to write a review of a foreign film, Don't Tell Anyone, is a nice way to start.
When it comes to films I have three categories: the excellent, the weekend afternoon time killer, and a waste of celluloid. Furthermore, if I can see where a film tried to go with its plot I try my best to give it the benefit of the doubt. That's where I find myself with Just One Time, a goofy romantic comedy set in a peaceful New York neighborhood where the residents find out how the other half lives, ain't bad.
The Journey of Jared Price begins with the title character arriving in Los Angeles by bus, smelling a lot like the turnips from the back of the truck he transferred from. Jared (Corey Spears) left behind his small town in Georgia to see what life in Southern California had to offer a wide-eyed innocent 19-year old. Attention vultures… commence circling!
What would happen if The Big Chill and Dangerous Liaisons had a torrid 3-way with a low budget independent film? They would spawn Spin The Bottle. Five late 20-something friends reunite at the lakeside summerhouse where they played together as children. The friends get together again through a contrived plot device that's not worth typing about.
With Lois off hoeing for Radio Shack, Clark heads out to West Hollywood, leaving his cape and Heterosexuality back in Metropolis. Dean Cane (TV's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman) is a player in this film's ensemble cast. This movie is about a group of friends, all looking for love, and trying to keep each other sane until they find it.
The Next Best Thing Stars Rupert Everett as a tank top wearing Gay gardener, and Madonna as a spiritual girl Yoga instructor. The two best friends share more than a few bottles of wine one night, and nine months later the salesclerks at Baby Gap know them by name.
If you're in the mood for yet another coming out story, this low budget independent film might be just what your VCR has been hungry for. Griff (Daniel Chilson) is a So. Cal. College student with a boyfriend or f%$#-buddy (he's not sure which) named Pete. (Don Handfield.)
