Altromondo (2008)

"Altromondo" is an experimental drama composed entirely of monologues. It's a personal journey through male homosexuality, from darkness to light, from total denial to complete acceptance, as told in monologues performed by actors adapted from interviews with ordinary Italian gay men. Each character tells about his own life experiences, sufferings and joys. Starting from the denial of homosexuality itself, and through stereotypes, prejudices, and the various submerged obsessions it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality. The film is a multicolored kaleidoscopic trip through a varied and multi-faceted aspect of the human experience that is rarely represented on the big screen. It reaches into the depths of Italy's gay community and pulls out stories that range from the taboo to the heartbreaking. Closeted, openly gay, occasionally gay, proud, ashamed, fetishistic--the men come from all walks of life, and they turn their reminiscences into little works of art.

This docudrama is an indictment against homophobia, animated by the hope of showing the way forward for those who have not yet found a way to express their sexual orientation. It's a lucid film on the myths and prejudices surrounding the homosexual reality in Italy, without false modesty and without compromise. Overall, this fascinating patchwork explores the constant struggle between the individual's innermost desires and the ongoing search for normalcy. Giordano Corapi composed the original music, and Fabiomassimo Lozzi directed and wrote the screenplay adaptation from the works of Antonio Veneziani. In Italian with English subtitles. The English title is "Another World".

Arizona Sky (2008)

Jake (Blaise Embry) and Kyle (Kyle Buckland), two teenagers in rural Arizona, go camping out in the desert for one last time before Jake and his family move away to the big city. They have become sexually intimate, but they agree to keep it a secret. Kyle is worried about facing the consequences if his sexual relationship with Jake becomes known. They express their mutual love, and sadly face the impending separation and sleep together in the bed of Kyle's pickup truck for one last time. Kyle says tragically, "My best friend is moving away--forever!" He wants to go to college, but stays home to care for his ailing mom, tend the horses and work the diner.

Fast forward fifteen years, and Jake (Eric Dean) is a successful filmmaker in Hollywood working on a science fiction film project in his living room with his assistant Brian (Evan Cuthbert). They discuss their respective main goals in life before they get down to business. Due to the growing stress of his work Jake begins to have anxiety attacks: he has one in front of Brian, who urges him to take a vacation. Jake has come to realize that he is gay, but his understanding of life is that it is 10% show and 90% business. He has virtually no private life. His straight friend Steve (Brent King) reinforces Brian's suggestion that Jake take a "personal journey" away from it all, and after another anxiety attack Jake decides to go back to his hometown in Arizona to see if he can find himself. At the last minute he asks Steve to come along, and he agrees.

When Jake gets back to Arizona he tries to find out about Kyle (Jayme McCabe) through Kyle's Aunt Elaine (Patricia Place), whose name and address he finds in the local telephone directory. In a warm visit with Elaine he finds out that Kyle still lives there, just a few blocks away from his aunt, whom he visits several times a week. In a way she has taken the place of Kyle's deceased mother in his life. He holds down three jobs: the morning cook at the diner, ranch hand, and a partner with his cousin Heath (Emerson Smith) in fixing cars and tractors.

Jake and Kyle have a pleasant reunion in Kyle's living room. To both men's surprise, old emotions are rekindled and they discover that they still love each other. But this time, with the help of family, they are about to find out how they can be happy once again---under the Arizona Sky. In a scene in Jake and Steve's motel room, Steve tells Jake about a secret he discovered about his grandfather when he was a boy riding his bicycle around town: his grandfather gave food to an indigent family. Steve concludes that doing things like that may be what life is all about. Later Jake discovers that Kyle like Steve's grandfather is also helpful to a poor woman, Cora (Bernadette Murray), and her family. She tells Jake that she wouldn't know what she would do if it weren't for Kyle's help. Jake sees that Kyle understands what life is all about, and in his desire to share in it, he gives the woman money.

Kyle is unsure and troubled about his feelings for Jake, still self-conscious and afraid of coming out as a gay man. He is encouraged to do so by his Aunt Elaine, who has always known the truth. She urges him to be himself and find happiness in life. Kyle's cousin Heath is not so open-minded, and when he discovers Kyle and Jake in bed together one morning, there is an emotional showdown and a confrontation. Kyle stands his ground in admitting to Heath that being gay is part of who he is and something he will not hide any longer.

Jake and Kyle decide to move in together with Jake concluding that he can make films just as easily in rural Arizona as in urban California. The last scene of the film shows Jake and Kyle once again in Kyle's pickup truck looking up at the Arizona sky.

This is a beautiful old-fashioned gay romance with a happy ending. If you're fed up with gay-themed movies with tragic endings, this one is for you! It also proves that not every gay film requires sex scenes to keep the audience interested. The young actors who play the leads as teens have good chemistry, and actually resemble Eric Dean and Jayme McCabe who play them as adults. The supporting cast is also very good, but all suffer a bit from heavy-handed direction. The sound is a bit strange at times, as the microphones seem to be switched on and off so background noise comes and goes with it. The DVD has director and actor commentaries and chapter stops only. Mark Krench composed the original music. Jeff London and Jefferey London wrote the screenplay and directed.

Dog Tags (2008)

Nate Merritt (Paul Preiss) was abandoned by his father and lives with his mother Debbie (Candy Clark), a Hollywood actress turned recluse, and his fiancée Trish (Amy Lindsay). They don't seem to love him for who he is, but for the the man they think he could be. Life is not easy for them financially so he joins the Marines.

Hitchhiking to a jewelry store near the base, Nate goes on leave in Palm Springs and meets Andy Forte (Bart Fletcher), a free-spirited and energetic young gay man who dreams of going to Hollywood for the glamor. Andy is an equally lost "careless carefree" loner who "loses track of time" and "can't remember whether something happened four minutes ago or forty years from now." Like Nate, Andy is on leave when the two meet at the "Straight Marine's First Gay Sex" porn shoot that neither thought they'd be involved with thanks to the manipulation of its sleazy producer. Andy and Nate become good friends platonically but as time passes their relationship becomes physical and deeply intimate. Interestingly, they are polar opposites--Nate is introspective and pensive while Andy seems to be without a care in the world.

Nate, a mechanic, helps fix Andy's car and the two learn more than they should by eavesdropping on conversations each has with the white trash families they're trying to escape. They find themselves in vulnerable positions regarding each other and as Nate looks more deeply into himself, he discovers and uncovers his missing father's identity. He also discovers who he actually is. A picture frame, a drive in movie theater screen, and the titular set of "Dog Tags" all fit into place in the haunting mystery of who Nate is, and who his long lost father isn't. It's a heartbreaking love story with a sad ending.

This isn't really a gay romance, as the sexuality of the young men seems as confused as they are, meaning this might just be one side trip in their paths to adulthood. But it is a beautifully-told story of life and love, how loneliness and lack of direction can affect a person, and how much difference a good friend can make. It's an emotional and moving coming of age drama with too many pointless flashbacks. Comments from viewers are mixed. One wrote, "You keep wishing that something will be happening and you keep waiting until the end, too slow and not too good acting." "Curious" is not rated, but has sexual content and rear nudity. The DVD has a director commentary and trailers. Jeffery Alan Jones composed the original music, and Damion Dietz wrote the screenplay and directed.

2 Minutes Later (2007)

Famous portrait photographer Kyle Dalmar (Michael Molina) goes missing, and lesbian detective Abigail Marks (Jessica Graham) teams up with the artist's hunky gay identical twin Michael (Michael Molina) to solve the mystery. Michael is an insurance adjuster wrestling with his homosexuality. It begins when an assignment takes him to Philadelphia and he makes contact with his licentious brother. However, Kyle mysteriously disappears, and Michael pretends to be him in order to investigate with Abigail. Soon Michael finds that he enjoys his brother's libidinous lifestyle.

With modest Michael posing as arrogant Kyle, the detective duo enter a world of deadly secrets with suspects including Emily Monroe (Ben Sander) and Victor (Peter Stickles). Between clever banter, trysts and gunshots, the pair uncover assistants who have designs on their bosses, clients who have an interest in detectives, and killers who want them stopped. Navigating between identity and duplicity, Abigail and Michael discover that photos never lie, and two minutes can mean the difference between life and death. There is a twist surprise ending.

This sexually charged thriller is a fast-paced drama that leaves little time for character development. With the exception of the two leads the acting is somewhat wooden. The pace of the story is both a blessing and a curse as the denouement is rushed, which removes the cleverness of various plot strands coming together. If the film had been extended by at least 15 minutes it might have succeeded as a good mainstream movie. The plot is believable, but the ending seems to require a sequel. It's a chic and sexy thrill ride with a lot of male nudity, and many viewers enjoy it. The DVD extras are worth watching, especially the short, which is very funny. Houston Bernard, Carrigan, and Brian Wilbur Grundstrom composed the original music. Robert Gaston wrote the screenplay and directed.

An Angel Named Billy (2007)

Loving father Mark Anderson (Richard Lewis Warren) has recently suffered a stroke and is frail and weak. His best friend Thomas (Buddy Daniels Friedman) is an old bald drag queen desperate for love and happiness. They plan to find Mark's gay photographer son James (Hank Fields) the love of his life and soon meet troubled teen Billy (Dustin Belt). He has just turned 18, but his abusive bible-thumping alcoholic father saw him kiss Billy's best friend Rick (Shawn Richardson) and threw him out of his house on their ranch. With no place to turn, no money and no contacts, Billy hitch hikes to Los Angeles. Confused, lost and running scared, Billy soon finds a help wanted ad posted in a gay café regarding a job as a live-in aide. It was Mark who placed the ad, and he introduces Billy to his lonely son. Billy's cheerful nature, honesty and willingness to help make a difference in both men's lives. The companionship that they provide for one another helps both to come to terms with their gay sexuality and finally understand what it means to know someone who is truly accepting.

Billy quickly learns about full responsibility, independence, not to mention real life lessons about being gay. He unexpectedly finds himself in love with James and builds a bond with Mark that is unbreakable. When Billy comes home from a night out at the gay clubs with a friend, and complains about how they picked on his simple nature and choice of jobs, he tells James that he fears he will never be loved. James is quick to reinforce that both he and his father love Billy like a member of the family, but he knows that isn't what Billy necessarily means. This moment brings to the surface the growing attraction between the two. But when an old boyfriend of James resurfaces, Billy fears he is being deceived. However, the film has a happy ending.

This is a sweet, enjoyable, original, and emotional film made by director Greg Osborne, better known for his gruesome horror movies. The largely inexperienced cast click well together and handle some tough scenes nicely. Although the film lasts two hours, with the first half fully fleshed out into minute detail, the second hour often seems rushed and lacking any significant plot development. The "tying up of loose ends" at the end seems a bit unrealistic. Viewers comments are mixed. One wrote, "The plot kinda resembles "Sum of Us" but without the good acting. And without the good production values. And without anything closely resembling a good movie." The screenplay was written by Eliezer J. Gregorio and Greg Osborne, who also directed.

3-Day Weekend (2008)

Long-term couple Simon (Derek Meeker) and Jason (Douglas Myers), along with their friend 45-year-old muscle bear Cooper (Derek Long) and his boy du jour Ace (Stephen Twardokus), meet annually for a three-day weekend at their luxurious hunting lodge, away from their hectic city lives. Looking to spice up this long-standing tradition, they add a special twist to this year's retreat: each of them must invite one attractive single friend to their mountain getaway.

Arriving are a frisky former college roommate, an often naked yoga instructor, an uptight co-worker, a closeted 25-year-old self proclaimed "geek" (Chris Carlisle), male model types of various ages, and high-priced rent boy Andre (Daniel Rhyder), who actually knows five of the others through his work. But this combination of new and old friends creates more tension than anyone ever anticipated. After 72 hours and multiple sexual couplings, new relationships form while others are lost. It's readily apparent that their plans to shake things up have succeeded. One couple becomes closer, one couple grows apart, and love blossoms for another. Wasn't that the plot for "Love! Valour! Compassion!"?

This drama is about gay relationships, borrowing and paying homage to both "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Boys In The Band". It does a good job tackling topics such as ageism, monogamy vs. "open" relationships, how the AIDS epidemic has affected gay baby boomers, self-image, and spirituality. The plot is somewhat light overall, although the acting is above average, and the production values and direction are very good for a low budget film. Viewers comments are mostly positive but unusually bland about this mixture of sexual intrigue, humor, and drama. The DVD includes extensive extras, including deleted and extended scenes, bloopers, a music video, a director commentary, and cast interviews. Austin Wintory composed the original music, and Rob Williams wrote the screenplay and directed.

R U Invited? (2006)

Five friends receive invitations to an underground sex party. However, to qualify for attendance each one must submit revealing photos as there is a "screening process". For the voyeurs among us, this affords the opportunity of having the quintet of hopefuls strip down, pose and titillate the camera and the crowd. As the party draws near issues of monogamy, weight, appearance, discrimination, drug use, and promiscuity arise. Friendships are tested and pushed to their boundaries, personalities collide, sexual histories are revealed, and relationship survival is in question.

First is Ben (John de los Santos), the kept boy toy of Anderson (Phil Harrington), a wealthy businessman who is wise in the ways of the world. "All you can do is live yourself," he advises the group-sex newbie, Jason (David Matherly). Jason is at first reluctant to get naked for Ben's digital lens with Mondo (Gabriel Praddo), his boyfriend of 6 months looking on. Worse still, when finally nude his nervous pecker beats a retreat until Ben heroically acquiesces to Mondo’s suggestion to "make him a little more showy." That attention soon brings about the required rise, yet is the first of several character-muddying actions that prevent the film from being a great movie.

Charlie’s (Christopher Jones) jewels are already so widely known that he can skip the audition. The happy whore is married to makeup artist Helen Bedd (Chase Wade). She's a pent-up drag queen who gets wind of her "if you didn’t see it, it didn’t happen" mate then storms over to the pre-party staging ground where she thrashes her man with a sharp tongue before slashing his face with a hanger and kneeing him in the groin. The probable outcast of the buff boys is the naive and somewhat overweight Gordy (Oscar Contreras). He boldly bares his cleavage for his friends in a fit of revenge rage. As the lads wait for the results of their nude screening pics, there's ample opportunity to chat about drugs, communication strategies, and position preference. The actual party is brief with the screen flooded with red-tinted flesh and a few puzzled looks.

The first quarter of the film is a bit slow to start and each character seems stereotypical. But then as the story unfolds and their real selves come out, it is quite endearing. Dallas-based filmmaker Israel Luna tackles the subject matter with irreverent bite in this comedy about five gay friends who receive an invitation to an orgy and find themselves resorting to petty infighting while preparing for the rigorous "screening" process. Israel Luna composed the original music, edited the film, wrote the screenplay, and directed.

Pantasya (2007)

Five previously unconnected people find their lives intertwining in erotic ways in this gay-themed Filipino movie. It has five episodes that all deal with gay soft-core fantasies involving men in uniform. It starts with "Biyahe" about a jilted taxi driver and his jealous passenger who find comfort in each other's arms. (Arthur Estrella and Rov Roxas) The second episode is "Linya", about a lonely homeowner whose phone conks out. Two handsome repairmen arrive and they end up engaging in a sexy threesome. (Mark Dionisio, Harold Montano, and Kiko Montenegro)

Next is "Laro", about four basketball players who are taking a shower in the locker room after an intense game. A shy guy takes a peek at them and later joins in the fun. (Kervin Castillo, Dexter Castro, Brent Lorenzo, Nicco Taberna, and Kyle Zenorio) "Bilis" is about a hunky delivery boy in a hurry who delivers pizza to a bored yuppie who is working overtime in his office. They are instantly attracted to each other. (Justin De Leon and Trent Allan) The last episode is "Bantay", about a horny security guard on the graveyard shift. He sees two lovers quarrel and go their separate ways. Rhyme Rodriguez dumps Jon Eric, and Jon finds comfort in the arms of Kyro Baldemor, the easy going guard who allows Jon to cry on his shoulder.

Tasteful and erotic, this sexy Filipino film is filled with naked guys, hot scenes, and is lots of fun. Dreams come true in amazing reality and detail. We get a beautiful show of Asian male skin and a great deal of imagination. Viewers opinions are mixed. One wrote, "Somewhat disappointed in the movie. Stories were low key and not enough frontage showing which in my opinion makes a gay movie. Sorry I was not enthusiastic enough about the movie but the way the synopsis sounded it was really hot. More like tepid." Another wrote, "Very well done, was disappointed with the lack of nudity that was advertised but stories were well done." Marissa Cadiz composed the original music, Boots Agbayani Pastor wrote the screenplay, and Brillante Mendoza directed. In Tagalog with English subtitles.

Kiss Me Deadly (2008)

"Kiss Me Deadly" is the first installment of a planned spy franchise centered around gay former government agent Jacob Keane (Robert Gant) who can't seem to escape his former life. Keane is a photographer living the family life in Milan with his loving boyfriend Paolo (Nathan Whitaker) and Julia (Alessandra Muir), the daughter he shares with his lesbian friend Kyra (Katherine Kennard). Keane is pulled away from his boyfriend and daughter and back into the world of international espionage when his former partner Marta (Shannen Doherty) reappears after 17 years. With her memory erased, they now must elude a pair of ruthless assassins and a mysterious villain looking to gain classified information at any cost. What ensues is a fast paced game of cat and mouse as Keane must determine who wants them dead, and why.

The story begins on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as Keane and his partners Marta and Jared (Fraser Brown) are attempting to either get a man out of the country or learn something important from him. But before the assignment is completed there's an explosion and Marta is sent flying, with the mystery man lost in the flames. A few days later Keane learns that the Cold War has ended and he has lost his job. We fast-forward to the present with a montage of major political events moving through Bush, Clinton, another Bush, the World Trade Center attacks and the attacks on the Pentagon.

Keane is now living a comfortable life in Milan as a photographer specializing in rather tacky underwear campaigns. He kisses his assistant and has two of the male models pose together, so we realize rather quickly that Keane is gay. Marta reappears and leaves an urgent message on his answering machine that she is coming to Milan and must see him. He drops the kid off at Kyra’s house and heads to the train station to meet Marta. When he gets there he learns that she has amnesia and is being pursued by an evil thug. From here on the movie is all about learning why Marta can't remember anything and figuring out what Frosty the Hitman and his thug henchman Fredrick (Ian Roberts) are after. Keane has some pieces of the puzzle and must reconnect with his old agency after 20 years of retirement. As he does, he begins to wonder if they may be in on the scheme. He's also not telling Marta everything he knows, which leads her to become suspicious of him--especially when she regains memories of sleeping with him.

Keane kisses his lover goodbye and hits the road with Marta. The action moves to St. Albans, then to London, Zurich, and finally back again to Milan, keeping up a fast pace to make the viewer lose track of the story and overlook some holes in the plot. Along the way there's some gratuitous full-frontal male nudity which is frequently more distracting than anything else. After Keane and Marta leave town, they unearth some secrets and get a few more innocent people killed. It's strange that these super operatives are not very good at deducing the obvious solution to their situation. The climactic fist-fight between Keane and a beefy goon is the most satisfying action of the film, and not just because of the added joy of knowing that these are two strapping gay men wrestling one another to the ground.

"Kiss Me Deadly" is an action-packed spy thriller that has mixed reviews. The action is uneven, and a few of the scenes are so badly shot and edited that they're funny. There's a car chase where neither vehicle looks like it’s going over 15 miles per hour and a car crash where the vehicle suddenly flips over--off-screen. It's almost completely humorless and the characters don't have much electricity or chemistry with one another. But there are a few clever twists and unexpected shocks that keep things from getting too dour. Claude Foisy composed the original music, George Schenck and Frank Cardea wrote the screenplay, and Ron Oliver directed.

Clandestinos (2007)

Gay, cute and charismatic Xabi (Israel Rodríguez) has been living in reformatories, detention centers, and prisons since he was abandoned as a child. His feral life led to a life behind bars. He seldom manages to escape, but does on one occasion and meets Iñaki (Luis Hostalot), a middle-aged ETA terrorist who becomes his friend, teacher and lover--a Basque separatist who instructs him about the nature of revolution. However, Xabi is sent to a high security correctional facility after throwing a gasoline bottle at a policeman in a street raid, nearly killing him. Xabi, with friend Joel (Hugo Catalán), a young Mexican, and a Moroccan named Driss (Mehroz Arif) who is going to be deported, manage to escape and arrive in Madrid. They are the "clandestinos" of the title.

Xabi looks for Iñaki because he wants to join the ETA, but cannot find him. Joel and Driss are more interested in hooking up with two girls they meet on the bus. Desperate to prove himself to the terrorist, Xabi plants bombs and robs unsuspecting johns. As Xabi tries to prove himself to Iñaki, he gets in over his head, especially when a john he picks up to rob turns out to be a police chief (Juan Luis Galiardo), and his plans begin to crumble. Finding Iñaki turns out to be difficult, because Iñaki doesn't want to be found. A far more serious terrorist, he's driving around with a trunk full of C-4 and doesn't want to reunite with his young acquaintance. Surprisingly, Xabi and Driss have some success with their homemade bomb, but their situation is doomed not only because the anti-terror squads are on their tail, but also because the comically slutty girls with whom Driss and Joel have shacked up start to have suspicions. They realize what is going on with Xabi and call the police. The ending is done poorly and is a disappointment

Politics and gay love come together in this melodrama, and as we go inside the heads of the three boys we end up with a pleasurable viewing experience. The film provides some wonderful eye candy (the shower scene in the prison, for example) but it tells us about the desire for acceptance and how to achieve it. The cast is very good and Israel Rodríguez as Xabi is excellent. But while the action here is exciting, the tone is quite wrong for the movie. Since when is terrorism a lark? Sergio De La Puente composed the original music. The screenplay was written by Gabriel Olivares and Antonio Hens, who also directed. In Spanish with English subtitles.