Frameline 30, and Opening Tonight: Another Gay Movie
"Finally, we have our own gay American Pie," Frameline board member and friend-of-SFist Glenn Kiser said as he introduced Another Gay Movie. Frameline sneak-peek-screened the film last month to a sold-out audience, and now it finally opens tonight at the Castro. And, yeah, that's a fairly accurate description: it's a naughty, goofy, lowbrow romp (yes! that's right! a romp!) about a team of gay kids who want nothing more out of their pre-college summer than to casually lose their virginity.
But they can't do it casually, of course; being slutty's the most important thing in the world to them, and they fret endlessly and hilariously over their asses, and cute jocks, and whether it's okay to be a bottom, and k-holes, and love conquering sex. And it all happens to a relentlessly raunchy tune, including a scene involving Richard Hatch and an enema that had the audience screaming with horrified laughter.
The film's built around a familar enough formula -- a group of friends (one jocky, one flamboyant, one nerdy, one everymannish) obsess over their sexual inexperience and yearn for smut. They live in a ridiculous, artificial world that's half pure-of-heart Nick-at-Nite and half gay paradise, where preening moms are played by drag queens and nobody bats and eye at a lesbian cheerleading squad. Andy wants to bottom for his teacher, Nico wants a sugar daddy, Griff frets about his rear, Beau's feeling inadequate about his front, and there seems to be some kind of blossoming impossible romance between two of the friends. Hijinks, naughty slapstick, and more jokes than plot ensue, and a satisfyingly implausible happy ending is assured.
We don't want to give anything away, but some of the highlights involve a hilar misunderstanding with an iron-fisted dungeonmaster played with aplomb by Graham Norton; a coming-out scene that spoofs the director's own prior film, Edge of Seventeen; Scott Thompson making birdcalls in a men's lavatory; a quiche scene that out-penetrates American Pie in multiple regions; and some outstandingly detailed and lengthy scenes of man-on-man action that left the filmmakers totally disinterested in even trying to get a rating.
There's an outstanding bit in the beginning, where the boys sheepishly share their limited sexual knowledge, and attempt prove how worldly they are. With as much macho posturing as they can muster, they all swagger that they're tops; only boy-next-door Andy has the courage to shyly venture, "isn't anyone ... bottom-curious?" Alas, his soul-bearing moment is met with embarassed denial from his friends -- OMG, coming out as a bottom is the new coming out as a gay! Despite the fluffy gag-driven plot, there's a few moments like those that really do resonate emotionally. And then, at another point, Andy has a scene involving a lubricated gourd about which we're still fantasizing for purely non-emotional purposes.
It's been argued that the film doesn't do the gays any favors, portraying them as shallow, sex-crazed idiots. Yeah, okay, maybe that's true. But here's a film that's found a way to make us laugh at butt plugs for reasons that had never previously occurred to us ... and isn't that the greatest favor of all?
Another Gay Movie runs from Friday (the fourth) to Thursday (the tenth, on which day Xanadu is going to be screening in Dolores Park by the way). Showtimes are 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:45pm, 7pm, and 9:30pm; the film sold out fast at Frameline, so get your tix early. Some of the cast will be present to receive your applause (or whatever) Friday and Saturday nights at the 7pm screenings.