Dream Boy (2008)

Set in 1970's rural Louisiana, shy 15 year-old Nathan (Stephan Bender) and his family have moved from one town to another trying to escape the domestic disintegration within their own home. When Nathan moves in next door to charismatic Roy (Maximillian Roeg), he escapes domestic abuse by developing a relationship with him. Roy is a hunky and honest yet sexually naïve 17 year-old school bus driver. They start a friendship as high school study partners, and soon their strong emotional bond takes a natural turn towards physical attraction, a secret they must hide from those around them in their rural community. In fact, the two learn about one another mostly by what they do not say.

The way the opening scenes are handled is refreshing compared to many films of this nature. But an ominous tone is established early on, setting the stage for a major shift. We soon learn the reason for Nathan’s odd and awkward nature as well as why he is more sexually experienced than Roy. It has to do with his abusive father. Once Roy has initiated Nathan into his circle of friends, the group go on a camping expedition deep in the bayou. There they come across an old plantation house steeped in legends of numerous hauntings. After a night of passion, Nathan briefly breaks away from Roy, only to be forced to confront the demons of his past, with tragic results leading to a brutal reality. Nathan’s final humiliation is gratuitous and cruel. He is martyred by being put out of his misery and returns as an angel. The boy who has been victimized his entire life finally finds love, only to be raped and murdered because of who he is.

Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Jim Grimsley, "Dream Boy" tells a story of awakening physical and emotional desire that take a horrible turn late in the story. Which boy is the "dream boy" for which boy is one of the many questions the film asks. It also probes the effects of sexual abuse in a small family. Stephan Bender and Maximillian Roeg are to be commended for their performances, the kind of natural and honest acting one rarely sees anymore. The two have a strange and wonderful chemistry. This film has a quiet intensity and power, is beautifully paced with attention to detail, which gives it a very genuine feel. There is a simplicity and sparsity to the movie that makes it feel like a classic. Richard Buckner composed the music and recorded the film's soundtrack. The script was written by director James Bolton from Jim Grimsley's novel.

Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008)

In this campy sequel to "Another Gay Movie" best friends Andy (Jake Mosser), Nico (Jonah Blechman), Jarod (Jimmy Clabots) and Griff (Aaron Michael Davies) enjoy a crazy spring break at a gay resort in Fort Lauderdale where they compete in a "Gays Gone Wild" contest to see who can bed the most hunks. The plot revolves around who can get the most "buttlove" over the course of the vacation. In order to come out on top, they'll have to conquer giant genital crabs and evil gay frat boys. The foursome become entwined in all sorts of sexual misadventures.

Actually the characters are now portrayed by different actors, except for Jonah Blechman returning as Nico. Griff and Jarod are now a couple, so they are carefully testing the waters as to how much outside fun they can have, without ruining their relationship. Andy immediately meets sweet cute Luis (Euriamis Losada), who doesn't believe in casual sex, while Nico is more nelly than ever--but his natural shyness and lack of confidence put him at a disadvantage with the horny and aggressive crowd. It's a week of crazy events, MC'd by RuPaul and Lady Bunny, with some people in costumes, zombies invading the bathhouse, Nico's discovery of a cute mer-man (Brent Corrigan) and a musical salute to water sports.

"Another Gay Movie" is about getting laid for the first time, and this sequel is about who can get laid the most. It is easily more than twice as rude and crude as the original film, but not as clever. There is an extended scene of three characters vomiting on each other, as well as the graphic results of silicone cement added to a tube of lube. It is hysterical at times, but it is tedious and disappointing in comparison to the first film. With little more than 90 minutes of gross-out humor and simulated sex scenes stitched together by a simplistic plot, it does succeed in providing gutter humor while appeasing the gays who are always screaming about "stereotypical depictions" in gay films. Packed with celebrity cameos such as RuPaul and Perez Hilton, the movie was shot entirely on location in and around Ft. Lauderdale during the month of December 2007.

Viewers and critics unanimously hate this film. One viewer wrote, "The sequel is really really flaky, extra fluffy and totally pointless. There's nothing at all to be gained by watching it--certainly not any sense of entertainment." Another wrote, "This movie is one of worst movies ever made. When only one main actor returns for a sequel you know it has to be bad." Misha Davenport of The Chicago Sun Times wrote, "In a way, I guess this is progress; even gay filmmakers are now able to make very, very bad movies." Nathan Lee of The New York Times wrote, "This wretched gaysploitation number is, in fact, the worst gay sequel ever." The DVD has numerous extras, including deleted scenes, how they did Brent's mer-man suit, and a music video with guest star Perez Hilton. Marty Beller composed the incidental music. Todd Stephens directed and wrote the screenplay from a story by himself and Eric Eisenbrey.