Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon (2008)

"Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon" is a straightforward documentary about Jack Wrangler, a spoiled Beverly Hills brat, an insecure homosexual, and an unsuccessful actor who became a self-made icon of gay porn films. Born Jack Stillman, his father was a producer of TV show "Bonanza" and Jack realized his sexual nature with his attraction to Michael Landon. When he reached the peak of the gay porn-star profession, he then made a big a name in straight porn, married a famous woman, and started several new careers. This detailed documentary takes you through Jack's mind and life with much footage of him, his work, his times, and many people who were around him.

Wrangler is the emcee of this event, sharing his story with interviews and a horde of stills and footage documenting his rise to a formidable object of lust. He becomes the face of the gay porn scene, changing feminine stereotypes with his "everyday man" image and aggressive marketing angles, revealing Wrangler to be a puzzling, intelligent human being. Gay men saw him as a hero and role model. He seems shocked at how much he accomplished, discussing the branding of his name on sex toys and poppers, and his personal appearances, where he would work out stand-up routines to throngs of gay men. Wrangler crossed over to straight porn and although he admitted to be gay, he was able to participate in very hot heterosexual sex scenes. His testimony is backed by a slew of cult icons, including Bruce Vilanch, Chi Chi LaRue, Sharon Mitchell, Marc Shaiman, and Jamie Gillis.

The last part is devoted to Wrangler's relationship with Margaret Whiting, the famous singer who fell in love with the young star, ignoring his career and his sexual activities. The pairing is given adequate screentime to appreciate, allowing a comfortable transition to explore Wrangler's declining years in the adult industry, and his eventual career as a legitimate musical theater presence. The end of this documentary feels like a roller coaster slowing to a halt, concluding a ride of amazing experiences and revelations, showcasing a man who in his own words, "wanted to take a bite out of life."

In this fascinating documentary, Wrangler looks back over his life, and his wild, unpredictable career and life is recounted in this funny, smart and sexy film. He had invented himself and had great determination. Even though the porn industry is part of his past, people will always refer to him as a former porn star. It is easy on the drama and tells us a lot of the obvious. Interesting though, is to hear him finally explain his marriage to Margaret Whiting and how that has worked all these years. Some of the comments he makes in interviews in the DVD "extras" section are more interestesing than those included in the film. Jeffrey Schwarz directed.

Sun Kissed (2007)

The movie opens with a very good-looking man driving a truck along a desert highway. It is Teddy Rappaport (John Ort), a young aspiring writer on his way to his professor's isolated house to complete his first novel. He stops to pick up Leo Spaulding (Gregory Marcel), a handsome man waiting at a bus stop and the the mysterious caretaker of the house. When Leo and Teddy first meet they have sex after a beautiful interlude in the sun. Thus begins a romance which is filmed as soft core porn. Layers of memory and hallucination unfold that intertwine the two men. This is is the only part of the film that seems real.

Suddenly the plot switches both locations and chronologies and no explanation is given why. What could have been a beautiful love story becomes nonsense and questions are left unanswered, and even if we knew the answers I don't think we would care. When Teddy attempts a drunken seduction, Leo reveals a murky, mysterious and possibly dangerous past. What is the true nature of Leo’s relationship with Crispin (George Stoll), the older gay gentleman who owns the desert house where the two young men are staying? We witness Leo's slow sexual awakening, in painful conflict with his prejudices, obsessed with the idea "I am not homosexual." It is the supposed heterosexual who appears inwardly divided, in contrast to Teddy who knows that he is "completely" gay and draws an inner balance from this consciousness, in spite of his moments of despair. The loneliness of this couple in the middle of the loneliness of nature creates lots of atmosphere.

Intrigue and surrealist imagery dominate this gay-themed drama. Contemporary issues of sexuality, identity and creativity are explored through the young men's quests for love and intimacy. However, a plot with possibilities has poor and clumsy editing, horrible close-ups, and the overuse of the word "amazing". "Sun Kissed" is not a good movie. Typical viewer comments are "This is a nothing movie with a nothing story that feels and looks like a bad high school play" and "The quality of the film was horrible, sections of the movie must have been filmed with an 8 mm camera." It does have redeeming features though: good looking men, nudity and great music. Rockers "The Sea and the Cake" supply the music and if the songs were not there the plot would have been a disaster and the underlying bisexual theme would have suffered. Yet the music alone cannot make a good movie. It seems to be an Irish stew that would be a fine short, but as a full length film it falls flat. Of course, it does have some admirers. Patrick McGuinn wrote the screenplay and directed. He is the son of former "Byrds" rock band member Roger McGuinn.

Via Appia (1990)

Via Appia is the nickname of a Rio district where male prostitutes hang out. There German flight attendant Frank (Peter Senner) hires Mario (Luiz Kleber), a young hustler for a one night stand. Before Mario departs the next morning, he leaves a message scrawled in soap on the bathroom mirror: "Welcome to the AIDS club" before stealing Frank's camera and disappearing. The HIV-infected former Lufthansa steward hooks up with a filmmaker who thinks it's a good idea to film Frank's return to Brazil in search of this guy. We get to see the mean streets of Brazil, the boys who earn their living there, and the sex tourists who prey upon them as they are in turn preyed upon. Probably the most interesting aspects of the film involve a savvy Brazilian boy of the streets who attaches himself to the filming party and joins the search. The film crew looks for Mario, and Frank with his director and the fast talking hustler José (Guilherme di Padua) try to find Mario--who always seems to have just left whenever they arrive.

This is an interesting documentary based on the misfortunes of a gay flight attendant who likes to vacation in Brazil. The documentary is somewhat slow at certain points but it is all in context and helps to portray Frank's desperation. There is a lot of nudity and tends to show the stereotypical gay persona of man as sexual predator, but over-all the insight into the hidden side of Brazilian culture and the thought-provoking subject matter make it worthwhile. The film is no longer as topical as when it was first made because the mystery surrounding the disease has been reduced. Charly Schöppner composed the original music, and Jochen Hick wrote the screenplay and directed. Filmed in German and Portuguese with English subtitles.

Coffee Date (2006)

Straight-laced Todd (Jonathan Bray) arrives at a cafe for a blind date with Kelly (Wilson Cruz), whom he expects to be a girl. When Kelly turns out to be a hunky gay man, Todd discovers that he has been the victim of a prank by his brother Barry (Jonathan Silverman), who had placed an ad for his romance-starved straight brother on an internet "M4M" message board. Todd's mundane world is quickly turned inside out and he finds out that he has a lot of interests in common with his new gay friend. They decide to get revenge on Barry by pretending they are actually now a gay couple.

When Todd brings Kelly home, he sneaks out the window so Barry believes Todd spent the night with a man. It works too well, since Barry won't believe that Todd isn't really gay, and moves out of Todd's apartment. The joke soon goes further than they expected when Todd's family and friends all believe him to be gay. Everybody including his mother try to thrust him towards this new romantic endeavor. Todd continues to go with Kelly, and occasionally his friends, to see a movie, have a drink or coffee, and when the office gossip monger Clayton (Jason Stuart) sees Todd with a group of gay men, he "outs" him to everyone else at work, who accept and embrace the revelation. Despite his repeated attempts to prove otherwise, Todd soon finds himself doubting his own sexuality, and feelings toward Kelly.

"Coffee Date" is a fast-paced light hearted comedy filled with sexual shenanigans of a misguided kind. It handles the simplistic slapstick plot with realism, warmth and humor, showing the boundaries of friendship, sex and human compassion. The Village Voice calls it, "A warmhearted tale carried by genuine affection and a charming cast." It's great to see two of the top gay actors play gay characters in a gay film. In addition to acting in the film, Deborah Gibson (Melissa) wrote and performed the closing credits song. Originally a 2001 short film by writer/director Stewart Wade, it was expanded into a feature and played at various film festivals. Eban Schletter composed the original music, and Stewart Wade wrote the screenplay and directed.

Breakfast with Scot (2007)

Eric McNally (Thomas Cavanagh) is a gay retired hockey player turned TV sportscaster who lives with his partner Sam (Ben Shenkman), a sports lawyer. When Sam unexpectedly becomes the temporary legal guardian of his brother's stepson Scot (Noah Bernett), an 11-year-old orphan whose mother died of a drug overdose, their lives are turned upside down. The mother was the common-law wife of Sam’s brother Billy (Colin Cunningham), who left for Brazil promising to return and leaving the boy in the custody of child services. Scot is an effeminate sissy who loves boas, beads and Broadway musicals. The presence in Eric's home of an auburn-haired girlie-boy with a flouncing gait threatens his masculine self-image, not to mention his reputation as a macho sports hero. What makes Eric’s situation confusing is that his colleagues in broadcasting all know he is gay. Eric even admits that during his years as a professional player he was nicknamed Erica.

Sam believes Scot’s fondness for dressing up in his mother’s clothes and jewels and donning make-up is an unconscious expression of his grief and loneliness, a way of staying by her side. The impulsive kiss that Eric plants on Sam’s lips at a party late in the movie comes across more as an expression of horror than as a sign of his liberation from homophobia. He doesn’t begin to bond with Scot until he discovers that the boy can skate. At last he can both play surrogate father and demonstrate traditional manhood by channeling the boy’s twirling and dipping figure-skating talent toward hockey. Eric's unwillingness to become a parent eventually fades as Scot teaches Eric about accepting and loving your true self.

"Breakfast with Scot" is derived from the 2001 novel by Michael Downing, and viewers who have read the book are quite disappointed with this film. In the book the couple are a chiropractor and an editor at an Italian art magazine in Cambridge, Mass. The movie changes their occupations and moves the story to Toronto, Canada. It's a comedy with a message, quite well done in all departments. Damian Rogers wrote it's "a good-natured film about tolerance, acceptance and just being yourself." Robert Carli composed the original music, and Sean Reycraft wrote the screenplay based on Michael Downing's novel. Laurie Lynd directed.

KM.0 (2000)

The title refers to Madrid's central square, from which all distances within Spain are measured. Zero may also describe the state of the lives and stories of the 14 lonely strangers whose lives intersect and collide at this popular meeting point on a sweltering August afternoon. Chaos ensues when four pairs of strangers each make plans to meet. Mistaken identities and second chances are among the results of this comedy of errors featuring horny gay university student Máximo (Armando del Río), an internet-love seeking flamenco dancer (Victor Ullate Jr.), macho lovelorn gigolo Miguel (Jesús Cabrero), an actress, and a businessman starved for new sexual experiences. A young film director (Carlos Fuentes) arrives in town to meet his sister's friend, hooker Tatiana (Elisa Matilla) waits for her next trick, a woman married to a workaholic husband hires a male escort, a young woman whose fiancé is a morose waiter at a Km.0 bar and her younger sister appear, and then there's the male escort's roommate Benjamín (Miguel García). Multiple cases of mistaken identity lead almost everyone to the wrong pairing, and ultimately all 14 strangers become involved in this tangle of love and lust.

Several locals become drawn into the mix as well, including a local bartender (Alberto San Juan) who dreams of owning his own business, the bartender's shallow, robbery-prone fiancée Amor (Silke Klein) and her younger sister, a police officer (Roberto Álamo) with impulse control issues, and a mysterious stranger who seems rather bemused by the whole scenario. Sexuality is celebrated in all forms, including physical relations between older women and younger men, friendly intimacy and flirting between straight men and gay men, and the goal of helping a prostitute to earn what she's worth, rather than rescuing her from the profession. At first glance, all the connections may seem a little confusing, but the pacing is steady and the characters larger than life, so you never have that much trouble following all the diverse episodes. There are also various subplots that effectively bounce off each intersection of the characters.

The plot is contrived, the coincidences abound, but the characters find unexpected love and rejoice in the rain. It's a sweet film, fun and sexy without becoming overly graphic, politically incorrect, a romantic drama where the topic of sex pops up constantly, with very unexpected twists and turns that are woven into the plot. "KM.0" is a fast-paced, creative and warmly captivating farce the shows that serendipity, providence, and life's choices and coincidences can sneak up on us when we least expect it. The characters are genuine and likable, and the direction and cinematography are very good. It has a refreshingly earnest sexual frankness, which is both hip and cute at the same time. Joan Bibiloni composed the music, and both Yolanda García Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra wrote the screenplay and directed. In Spanish with English subtitles.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

The film opens with mass in a Boston Catholic church. Twin brothers Conner MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus) pray while a sermon is read. As the priest begins his homily, the brothers approach the altar. They depart as the priest reminds the congregation that they should fear not just evil but also the "indifference of good men". The brothers conclude that the priest finally understands, with Conner saying, "I do believe the Monsignor's finally got the point." Murphy replies, "Aye".

Conner and Murphy work at a local meatpacking plant. While celebrating St. Patrick's Day in a neighborhood bar, three Russian "soldiers", led by Ivan Checkov (Scott Griffith), enter and order everyone to leave. In the ensuing bar brawl, Conner, Murphy, and the patrons humiliate the mobsters, who the next day ambush the brothers in their home. Murphy is dragged into a nearby alley to be executed, but Conner escapes to the roof and drops down with a toilet off the roof and onto the mobsters, killing them and rescuing Murphy.

The Russian mob's involvement summons flamboyantly gay FBI agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) to the murder case, and he surmises that the mobsters' death was not a professional hit but self-defense. As the police begin a manhunt for the killers, Conner and Murphy arrive at the police station to clear their names. During the initial interrogation, the brothers impress Smecker with their multilingualism (including Gaelic, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, and German) while explaining the bar fight and subsequent self-defense the next morning. Smecker believes their story and allows them to stay overnight in a holding cell to evade the press. That night, Conner and Murphy receive a vision from God telling them to destroy all that is evil so that which is good may flourish.

The brothers resolve to rid Boston of "evil men" with the help of their friend and former mob package boy David "The Funnyman" Della Rocco (David Della Rocco). The brothers trade in the weapons and valuables stolen from the mobsters' bodies for their own, and use Conner's knowledge of Russian to locate a meeting between Russian syndicate bosses at a local hotel. Crashing into the room through an overhead air duct, the brothers draw their guns and fire, killing the 8 underbosses. Forcing the leader, Yuri "Fat Man" Petrova (Victor Pedtrchenko), who was the brothers' main target, to his knees, the brothers recite a short prayer.

Then they execute him, placing pennies over his eye sockets, in which both of his eyes were shot out. While the brothers are preparing to leave the hotel, they are surprised to find Rocco dressed as a bellboy knocking at the door with a tray of food. They pull him into the room, concealing their identity with masks, and threaten to execute him. Rocco, who is begging for mercy, says he was sent as backup by Italian mob boss Papa Joe Yakavetta (Carlo Rota). Eventually they reveal their identity to Rocco, who becomes appalled at seeing the dead Russian bodies in the room. Once again, Agent Smecker is brought to the front of the murder case. Smecker's theory is that the executions were the result of the feud between the Russian and Italian mobs.

The next day, the brothers try to convince Rocco that he was sold out by Papa Joe, because he was sent to the hotel with a six-shooter despite the fact there were 9 mobsters in the hotel room. Rocco soon realizes this after killing two of Yakavetta's men at a deli later on, who hint to Rocco that he really was sold out. In retaliation, Rocco and the brothers hunt down and kill Vincenzo Lipazzi (Ron Jeremy), underboss of the Yakavetta crime family at a local strip club. Also killed at the Strip Club are two street criminals with no connection to organized crime (thus disproving Smecker's mob war theory). The three vigilantes proceed on a series of increasingly violent missions, cleansing the city of criminals and others who have eluded justice. Papa Joe, believing that the mob killings are an act of revenge from Rocco, contracts the infamous contract killer Il Duce (Billy Connolly), to deal with the package boy.

As Smecker and his team investigate the scene of the killing of Lipazzi, Smecker is informed of the shooting that took place earlier in the day at the deli. However he is unable to connect this incident to the one at the strip club because at first one of Smecker's men said the shootings were not related, but Smecker realizes that different weapons were used at the deli. Rocco used a six-shooter at the deli, while he and the brothers later on used silenced pistols at the strip club. Smecker reveals that the shootings were related due to the fact that there were no witnesses at either scene, though at the strip club there was a stripper who went unconscious before Lipazzi was murdered. Angering Smecker, he leaves the deli and he warns that there will soon be related shootings carried out by the three vigilantes.

Rocco insist that he and the brothers murder a hitman that Rocco had briefly worked with. According to Rocco, the man was responsible for murdering an entire family and had burned their remains in a dumpster. They head to the hitman's house and murder all of his men. After a hand-to-hand fight, Rocco beats the hitman to death with a cue ball. As they leave the hitman's house through the front door, the trio is ambushed by Il Duce, and in a shootout the trio chase Il Duce away. Rocco's finger is shot off and each of the brothers receive serious gunshot wounds which they cauterize with a hot iron. Hours later at the crime scene, Smecker discovers the finger and takes it to conduct his own investigation. Discovering that it belongs to Rocco, whom he previously met, Smecker begins to unravel the mystery surrounding the various murders.

His sympathy for the brothers conflicting with his professional desire to bring them to justice, Smecker, who is homosexual, goes to a gay bar, gets drunk, and seeks advice from a nearby Catholic church. Bemoaning the futility of the courts that fail to punish evil men and his uncertainty with the MacManus brothers' actions in a confessional, Smecker is oblivious to the fact that Rocco, who has tracked Smecker to the church, is forcefully directing the priest's responses to preserve the Boondock Saints' identities. Conner sees Rocco follow the priest into the confessional and, disgusted with the blasphemy, pulls Rocco's head through the other confessional at gun point. In whispered tones, Rocco tries to explain to Conner the circumstance while still holding his gun to the priest's head. Smecker is advised, reluctantly by the priest, that the Saints are acting as messengers from God and that "the laws of God are greater than the laws of man." Inspired by the advice, Smecker decides to help the brothers.

Then the brothers contact Smecker on the phone and inform him that they, along with Rocco, would finish off Papa Joe Yakavetta that night. Things at first go to plan that night as the brothers and Rocco infiltrate the Yakavetta headquarters to finish off the family, but are captured by Papa Joe and his henchmen who recently arrived to protect Papa Joe. When Papa Joe comes down to the basement, Rocco curses him. Papa Joe decides to execute Rocco to intimidate the brothers, who free themselves and tend to Rocco while Smecker, disguised as a female prostitute, distracts the other mobsters. Smecker kills the remaining mobsters only to be knocked unconscious by Il Duce who mistakes Smecker for a woman. As the brothers say their family prayer over Rocco, Il Duce arrives and sneaks up behind them.

As he hears them recite the family prayer and sees that the man he was hired to kill (Rocco) is dead, he lowers his weapons and joins them. It becomes apparent that Il Duce is their long-lost father, as the brothers had previously refused to teach Rocco the prayer because it is only passed down in their family. He then joins them in their mission to rid the city of evildoers.

Three months later Papa Joe is sent to trial, and though there seems to be enough evidence to convict him, the reporters on scene anticipate his acquittal due to his charisma. The trial is forcibly interrupted when the two brothers and Il Duce, aided by Smecker and several police officers, infiltrate and lock down the courtroom. The three then publicly declare their mission to destroy evil and recite their prayer one last time, killing Papa Joe with several bullets. The media dubs the three "Saints", and the movie ends with various "man-on-the-street" interviews in which various Boston citizens reflect on the question "Are the Saints ultimately good or evil?"

"The Boondock Saints" is very watchable and keeps the viewer interested throughout with a strong story, frequent black humour and interesting visuals. Willem Dafoe steals the show and David Della Rocco is also very good. It's funny, touching, and even moving occasionally, not very politically correct, the acting is competent, with a clever balance of humor and tension, with phoney Irish accents. This gangster film may carry a message about self-help justice with elements of comedy, tragedy and morality. The "f" word is used almost 250 times, and the movie has received poor reviews from critics who bitch about poor acting, a sketchy plot, and too much violence. Jeff Danna composed the music, and Troy Duffy wrote the screenplay and directed.

Socket (2007)

Dr. Bill Mathews (Derek Long) is a surgeon who is struck by lightning and winds up recovering in the hospital where he also works. There he meets a mysterious, sexy intern named Craig (Matthew Montgomery) who suffered the same natural accident and has developed an appetite for electrical voltage. After meeting him Bill realizes he has the same craving. Craig slips him a card inviting him to a meeting of "people just like us." In this underground group Bill finds other survivors who have been electrocuted in various ways and the members are now addicted to the electric current. The electrical sex-addicts can only get off by plugging in--plugging into electrical sockets that is.

Not only does Bill become hooked, his relationship with sexy Craig ignites, setting a chain of events into shocking motion. Soon the two develop an insatiable appetite for wall sockets and each other, but it's not enough for Bill. Using his gifted talents as a surgeon, this doctor will stop at nothing to find the ultimate charge. Bill uses his surgical knowledge to come up with a method of inserting electric sockets and prongs into the members' wrists so they can "juice up". But after Bill accidentally discovers that he can mainline electricity from living people, he becomes hooked on absorbing this particular kind of power. When the ultimate quest for pleasure goes too far, the results are shocking.

An erotic sci-fi fantasy like no other, a pair of gay lovers literally get a jolt as they plug in for pleasure. To say this goes beyond the usual coming-of-age or romantic comedy gay movies is an understatement. It's surely one of the most original films in its genre, fusing the usual hot gay men and lots of nudity with electricity fetishes and erotic sci-fi. The premise that men who are struck by lightening develop an insatiable addiction to electricity is silly, but when the film is this much fun, it doesn't matter. Dark and sexual, fairly low-budget, but always entertaining, it really offers something different. "Socket" is reportedly the first gay sci-fi thriller, and is also unique in that it is a film where the sexuality of the four lead characters is irrelevant to the somewhat confusing plot. There are too many flashbacks, and viewers seem to be mostly disappointed with the acting and the entire film. Jennifer Kes Remington composed the music, and Sean Abley wrote the screenplay and directed.

Sex Life in L.A. (1998) #2 (2005)

Michael Sullivan narrates this German-made English language film, a downbeat documentary about male sex for sale in LA. The focus is on 9 diverse interview subjects, including muscular HIV-positive real estate broker Cole Tucker, actor Matt Bradshaw, fashion model Tony Ward (Madonna's former lover and contributer to her "Justify My Love" video), photographer Rick Castro, performance artist Ron Athey, and homeless hustlers David and Patrick. The 9 men want to have successful lives, and it's a film about survival, fashion models, hustlers, porn actors, photographers and performance artists. They all work with their bodies to realize their dreams and each dream is different. The film shows the most intimate views of their lives behind cover photographs. It includes very private parts of Tony Ward and his story of success and failure in Hollywood. Shot on 16 mm film.

"Sex/Life in L.A. 2: Cycles of Porn" is a follow up and another revealing glimpse of a world where sex, art and business collide in LA. The film begins with a look behind the scenes at Chi Chi LaRue's "Live and Raw Hotel", a hotel filled with webcams and host to a group of boys, filming every moment for the world to see. Produced 7 years after the filmmaker's first documentary portrait, director Jochen Hick checks up with some of his previous subjects: Adult film stars Kevin Kramer, Cole Tucker and Matt Bradshaw.

Surprisingly Cole Tucker is not like his onscreen persona and it is nice to see what a down to earth man he is, much like the rest of them. But sexuality is constantly evolving, and styles, tastes and even new technology are providing a new supply of up-and-coming talent. Hick deftly explores a culture in which young men occupy a house outfitted with webcams for a sexy chat site, and nomad filmmakers rove the country looking for impromptu stars of their condom-free "bareback films". The dreams, disappointments and unwavering reality of the gay adult industry are all opened up with insight and humor in this interesting film. Sex parties, drugs, and more sex round out the film that just begins to scrape the surface.

The documentaries waste no time in introducing us to a mixed bag of current and former gay sex workers, all of whom are affiliated with the porn industry. The more intelligent of these young men seem particularly sad because even when they're expressing their hopes and dreams for a different future, they don't seem to really believe that they'll get it. They're barely legal age, yet they've already developed a mature cynicism. The least appetizing portion of the second film depicts one of the young men from the "hotel" going to a sex party with a group of older men who are sucking on pipefulls of crystal meth, very disturbing considering one of the young participants from the first film had died from a combination of crystal meth and heroin.

Walking a fine line between pathos and humor, the older porn stars first chronicled in Hick's initial film, emerge as older, somewhat different people than they were seven years earlier. Cole Tucker shows up as a stable businessman involved in a long-term relationship, appreciative of his experiences in the porn industry, but mature enough to accept the need to move on. Living with his sister in bible-thumping Baton Rouge, La., Matt Bradshaw seems resigned to his current circumstances, to the point of being almost evasive about much of his experience as a performer in porn movies.

The bareback production team from Hot Desert Knights, a specialty film company, hires men in the same age bracket as Cole Tucker. They seem happy and contented with their lives, despite the fact that all are admittedly HIV-positive. These men have confidence and maturity, with no tinge of the bitterness and cynicism of their younger counterparts. There are brief scenes of hardcore sex, but these guys are mostly dull. A bit higher IQ for the subjects would have been more interesting. There's not much introspection or thought here. The high points of the film are a bathtub masturbation scene including "the money shot" by very tired looking model Tony Ward, and self mutilation scenes by performer Ron Athey. James Hardway/Harrow composed the music, and Jochen Hick wrote the screenplay and directed.

Naked Boys Singing! (2007)

Ten men pick up where "The Full Monty" left off. First, they shed their clothes as they enter LA's Hayworth Theater. Once on stage, they start the party with the The Chorus Line-like come-on, "Tonight you finally get what you paid for!" Throughout the set, the diverse array of physically fit men discuss topics ranging from nude housekeeping (Kevin Stea's "Naked Maid") to cultural traditions (Joe Souza's "The Bliss of Bris"). It's lighthearted and upbeat. Most of the 16 songs are basically show-tunes, with the exception of Jaymes Hodges's country-flavored "Nothin' but the Radio On" and Anthony Manough's disco-oriented "Muscle Addiction."

Some performances are solo. Others include two or more participants, such as the locker room lament "Fight the Urge" and the opening salvo "Gratuitous Nudity." Gay-friendly and body-positive, "Naked Boys Singing!" is truth in advertising. The show was recorded in front of a live audience and the entire repertoire--except Jason Currie's soft-shoe "Robert Mitchum"--features full-frontal nudity. You'll get a charge from "Gratuitous Nudity", and "Perky Little Porn Star" all performed entirely in the nude. The musicians of rock band Barenaked Ladies perform fully clothed, whereas the "happy Hollywood hyphenates" perform fully un-clothed.

"Naked Boys Singing!" is a musical comedy film adaptation of the 1998 off-Broadway stage musical of the same name. The play first went "full-frontal" at Los Angeles' Celebration Theater in 1998. Since its raucous debut, the revealing revue has dropped its drawers for eager audiences around the world and was voted best musical by "LA Weekly" and "Backstage West". This long-running musical review sparkles with memorable tunes and vibrant dance numbers most will enjoy over and over again. Alternately campy and coy, smirky and serious, the 16 original songs (newly arranged by Troy Christian) celebrate the male anatomy and the gay lifestyle with playful wit and bold explicitness. Sound quality is excellent, cinematography is tastefully well-done, and quiet moments are few. With its complete lack of sleaze, it is more likely to have you pondering the cast members’ skin care routines than their vital statistics. And though stage shows are always best experienced live, the DVD version offers the advantages of "pause" and "zoom". Brought to you by the producers of "Latter Days" and "Adam & Steve", this electrifying filmed performance brims with excitement, fervor and sexy naked men.

The Cast

* Kevin Alexander Stea as Naked Maid
* Joe Souza as Bliss of a Bris
* Phong Truong as Window to the Soul
* Jason Currie as Entertainer
* Joseph Keane as Perky Porn Star
* Anthony Manough as Muscle Addiction
* Andrew Blake Ames as Jack's Song
* Vincent Zamora as Window to Window
* Jaymes Hodges as Nothin' but the Radio On
* Salvatore Vassallo as Conductor

The screenplay (including music and lyrics) was written by Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Shelly Markham, David Pevsner, Mark Savage, Robert Schrock, Rayme Sciaroni, Trance Thompson, Bruce Vilanch, and Mark Winkler. Robert Schrock and Troy Christian directed.