Punks

It's good to see a film depicting non-white gay men in believable situations and of various types from drag queen to masculine, and with them not being objects of derision for the other characters or the audience. Very funny and well-made.

Not bad for a low-budget film, but not great either. It's about three black gay males and one gay Latino male searching for sex and/or love in L.A. It is good to see an (almost) all-black cast in a movie not involving drugs, guns or non-stop profanity. Also, this is one of the few movies dealing with GBMs. Still, it's acting is erratic--some of the guys play it too straight, others camp it up WAY too much. There's absolutely no complexity to the characters' motivation or desires; the plot is, to be nice, old and done to death; and the direction is horrid. Also some really bad sound muffled a good portion of the dialogue. I saw it at a gay/lesbian film festival with a mostly black/white GM audience, and even they weren't too thrilled by it. A few good lines and some cute guys help. Still the low budget hurts and the movies not as funny or as clever as it thinks it is. I don't like blasting a movie like this, but I really didn't like it. Still, it's one of the few of its kind.

I liked Punks -- from its edgy, in-your face "realness" to its touching romantic foibles. The acting and situations of the 4 main characters are believable, a modern-day "Cinderfella", in gay Black-face, a story of friendship and love. Excellent performances by the ensemble cast in general, particularly Rockmond Dunbar (Darby) Seth Gilliam (Marcus), and Dwight Ewell (Hil). Plenty of "fresh" and flesh to keep most viewers amused, while love and reconciliation blossom in a community of oft-misunderstood and marginalized gays. An eye-opener... Nice directorial debut by writer/producer Polk.

When this movie began I didn't think I was going to like it at all. It seemed to be the same old tired and true gay story with all the exaggerated stereotypes. However, as I continued to watch, giving the movie a try, I found a pretty good, moving film. I identified with the main character in so many ways. I thought the acting was good too. I really felt the chemistry between the characters, emotionally as well as sexually. Kudos to the actors, producers, directors, etc for creating a decent movie about the life of black, gay men.

I do have one complaint. I was disappointed with the climax. It was like a two yard dash. It was like, boom, bam, that's all folks.

On another hand I must say that the Charlie's Angels reference in this movie made me laugh out loud for a long time. Good one.

This film taken in its proper context, low budget and Patrik-Ian Polk's first film, is an extremely fun and realistic look at a segment of the population that continually gets neglected by the media (film, television, etc). The humor is specific which might make this movie hard to catch for some. I saw it in Los Angeles and the audience laughed out loud the entire time, a definite crowd pleaser. A classic fairy-tale story with a to-die-for ending, possibility the fantasy for just about anyone breathing. The movie explores complex issues, placed in a comedic context. The costumes for the "Sistas": fabulous. Rockmond Dunbar: flawless. Seth Gilliam: fantastic. Everyone should see the movie for the pure experience. Did I mention, Rockmond Dunbar?