Fun Down There (1988)

Buddy Fields (Michael Waite), a shy young homosexual leaves his small-town home in upstate New York and moves to NYC for some "Fun down there". He settles into a hedonistic life in Greenwich Village where he aimlessly rambles through his journey of self-fulfillment with gay sex and love, but is baffled by the whole gay scene. The film is unrated due to some semi-explicit masturbation and full frontal nudity scenes. Humour is almost totally deadpan, and the brainless conversations between Buddy and his family are quite hilarious. Buddy's parent's are played by Waite's real-life parents, Harold Waite as Mr. Fields and Betty Waite as Mrs. Fields. This is a strange, unconventional, and funny gay movie made on a shoestring. It's not a slick Hollywood production. There are long takes that may try your patience, except they do set a very individual tone and style. It isn't glib, full of histrionics, loaded with messages, and does not try to shock. In short, it doesn't portray gays the usual way. The film quality and sound are mediocre at best. It may be a bit too boring and lacking in drama for some. There are scenes with no dialogue and no music, not even background sound. "Fun Down There" is a real homemade project from the days when "independent" meant something. Maybe it's not for everyone, but worth a look for those interested in the evolution of gay subject matter in films. The script was written by Michael Waite and Roger Stigliano, who also directed.

De Vierde Man (1983)

This Dutch murder mystery/horror film is about Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbé), a gay alcoholic writer who begins having visions warning him of impending danger. In his bedroom, a spider catches flies from its web affixed to a crucifix. He travels from Amsterdam to Vlissingen for a public lecture. His stories, he says, "lie the truth." A listener, Christine Halsslag (Renée Soutendijk), a seductive beautician, invites him to stay the night. When he sleeps with the petite Christine, he flattens her breasts with his hands and exclaims "You look like a boy in his glory, so slim, tender!" Next day, he sees a photo of her boyfriend Herman (Thom Hoffman), a plumber from Köln. He convinces her to bring Herman to town and sets out to seduce him. When Gerard flirts with Herman, he puts his hand on his thigh and says, "I could tell you stories. There's one bigwig bastard, when he throws a do all the neighbors lock their kids up behind locks so thick. Children of six or seven years old, girls and boys, no difference. Find that fun? Little boys!" He seduces the heterosexual Herman by a surprise fondling of him from behind. His visions intensify and begin to threaten his relationship with Christine, since it may be her the visions are warning against. Mary, the mother of Jesus, appears to him in visions to show that he is targeted as her fourth victim. Mary says, "Anyone given a warning must listen to it." Gradually, aided by visions and nightmares, he's sure Christine is a murderer who has killed three husbands. He or Herman will be the fourth man. Gerard believes his vision of Mary and his life is spared. He passes on the warning to Herman, who ignores it, thinking that Gerard is trying to scare him off so that he can have Christine for himself. The movie ends in a bloody climax with Herman's death. Scripted by Gerard Soeteman from Gerard Reve's novel of the same name, this movie was directed by Paul Verhoeven. The English title is "The Fourth Man".