ninetyninedegrees Reviews

Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009)

Third time is a charm

[8/10 · 23 November 2009]

I was a big fan of the first Eating Out; I thought it was very original and funny. The second one (Sloppy Seconds) was a big disappointment. Well, the third time is a charm. All You Can Eat revives the fresh originality of the first one with pretty much an all new cast and characters and setting. The two main leads are certainly easy on the eyes, which is always helpful, but are surprisingly good. All You Can Eat probably has the biggest budget of the three and definitely the best production quality. Very funny, and very touching at the end. Love all the little hidden gems, like just a sign that reads "Larry Craig LGBT Center", LOL! Give All You Can Eat a shot, you won't be sorry.

Running with Scissors (2006)

Boring, waste of talent & perfectly good celluloid

[2/10 · 17 February 2007]

Good grief, what a wretched movie. Way too long, and when I finally made it the ending I wasn't sure what I wanted more - a good stiff drink, or a good hot shower to cleanse myself from the memory of the depressing story.

Supposedly a story about a "dysfunctional family", these people aren't "dysfunctional" - just about every character belongs in a mental institution. I enjoy "difficult" movies and, while the "dysfunctional family" theme is now way over done, "American Beauty" was one of my favorite recent films. But, in American Beauty I could understand the characters, could believe they existed just down the street. Running with Scissors is just way the top.

Certainly top notch acting; too bad it was wasted on this dribble.

Story of a Bad Boy (1999)

What happened???

[7/10 · 31 March 2005]

.. to this movie, Director Tom Donaghy, and lead actor Jeremy Hollingworth? This movie appears to be the last thing they made, and this was 1999. And what happened to the U.S. distribution? It appears to be have been shown in the U.S. at only a few film festivals and then it went straight to video in Europe. I saw the movie recorded from German TV, with German audio dubbed over the original English audio, thankfully with English subtitles so I could understand it. It's an enjoyable film with a handsome, likable lead actor. I can see where the movie would be controversial. It's a little Portnoy's Complaint - Pauly seems to get arousals at the oddest times and places, and needs to . . . bring himself to self-climax frequently to relieve the stress. And the concept of alter boys sexual attracted to one another would not be well received by some. But, I thought America was supposed to be a free society? Anyway, the Story of a Bad Boy is an enjoyable little film. Catch it however you can, even dubbed over in a foreign language.

A Thousand Clouds of Peace (2003)

Very impressive directorial debut

[9/10 · 30 March 2005]

Wow! Is Mexican film making coming along! Mil Nubes de Paz is one of the most interesting and enjoyable "arthouse style" films I've seen in a long time. The black & white cinematography is perfect, reminiscent of classic 1930's Hollywood films. The facial closeup shots and facial expressions reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman and early Pedro Almodovar.

Mil Nubes de Paz is a stark film about a gay young man looking for love on the streets of Mexico City. It is beautifully told, the flow of imagery at least as important as the dialog in telling the story. I watched on the DVD release from Strand Releasing, with digital transfer approved by the Director. Highly recommended!

Spring Break Shark Attack (2005 TV Movie)

Low expectations & wasn't disappointed

[3/10 · 21 March 2005]

I didn't expect much, and got what I expected. I can't believe this has 6 votes of a perfect 10. Was the cast and crew here on IMDb voting? There wasn't that much eye candy, although the HD broadcast was pretty good and Riley Smith is looking better than ever. There are a few minor technical flaws. For example, that was the strangest Florida coastline I've ever seen - complete with mountains, rocky islands, etc. It looked suspiciously more like Hawaii or Mexico. The only mountains I've seen in Florida where man-made ones in Disney World. Is it obvious I'm fishing for 10 lines here? This movie doesn't deserve 10 words, let alone 10 lines. Did I mention that Riley Smith is looking better than ever?

Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler (2002)

Not as bad as the title suggests

[7/10 · 21 March 2005]

Much better than the title would suggest, but not as good as it could have been. I had low expectations, so I pleasantly found the film much more engrossing than I expected. OK production quality, generally quite good acting. My main complaint is they seemed to wrap things up to quickly at the end, as if they were running out of budget or film. But, good plot twists; keeps you wondering were the plot is going. At first I thought it was going to be a "gay Pretty Woman" - the client falls in love with the (male) hooker and rescues him from his low life surroundings. Then another plot twist; no love story, but the client will still rescue the hooker. In the end, it's the hooker who rises above his surroundings by himself.

Issues 101 (2002)

It's the era of Digital Video, in which . . .

[1/10 · 17 March 2005]

almost anyone with any kind of budget can make an alleged 'movie'. And that generally for the better. There's been some creative low budget gems. "Two Brothers", made for under $600 Canadian is a good example. "The Journey of Jared Price", shot in 5 days with a budget of $30,00 is a great little movie. Unfortunately, Issues 101 pales by comparison. My mouth open in aghast, I kept thinking I was watching someone's home movie. A bad home movie, with bad casting, little to no acting ability . . . oh, it's easier to summarize by saying nothing, absolutely nothing works in this . . . digital video footage. It doesn't deserve to be called a movie, or be listed in IMDb. It's only redeeming value may be to be watched by aspiring actors and/or directors to see what NOT to do. On the other hand, I will keep an eye out for Dennis W. Rittenhouse, who plays Christian, in porn. Nice face and body, and the simulated sex scenes in which he bottomed where the only times he seemed comfortable in his role.

Urbania (2000)

I must have missed something here . .

[5/10 · 27 February 2005]

. . . that the other reviewers give this movie such glowing reviews. I thought it was an OK film, but certainly not great. This is basically a story about a gay man seeking to personally avenge the gay-bashing murder of his lover. That plot alone would be a little bleak, so I can buy the introduction of the quirky street characters. Adds a sense of realism to the NYC setting. The bartender getting paid a couple hundred buck to expose himself to a woman, and then inheriting a a large insurance payment when she dies in an airplane crash - OK, we're starting to stretch things a little. But, the introduction of the Urban Legends stuff. C'mon - that's clearly brought in to try to camouflage the main plot & attract a wider audience, and an excuse to name the movie something sexier than "The Gay Bashing Avenger." This movie has nothing to do about Urban Ledgends, and the title is misleading.

Hard (1998)

"Hard" is aptly named

[7/10 · 19 February 2005]

"Hard" is about the hard life & times of its characters, and its is hard to watch. I generally don't like murder movies, and definitely don't like graphic violence, blood & gore. But, I liked this movie.

The version I saw was the 2005 re-released DVD Directors Uncut Version, unrated. Some of the sex and violence scenes edited out of the theatrical release are restored. Pretty good production quality. Some of the acting can be wooden. Certainly not the most pleasant movie I ever watched, but was one of the most interesting.

As other reviewers indicate, it's a movie about a gay serial killer and his pursuit by a closeted gay policeman. The message is about homophobia and self loathing. I recommend you give it a try, but don't watch it alone late at night!

The Last Year (2002)

Directors are supposed to get better as they go along

[1/10 · 11 February 2005]

I saw Director Jeff London's "And Then Came Summer" and liked it. Although low budget, it is an enjoyable teen coming of age film with decent acting. So, I thought I'd give "The Last Year" a try. Bad mistake. This is like a High School Home Made movie. The digital video quality is so bad, I've seen better quality productions in people's home videos of their summer vacation. Mike Dolan, who plays the comfortable with his sexuality Alex does a decent acting job with what he had to work with. Ron Petronicolos, who plays the struggling with his sexuality Paul is completely unbelievable. And, I'm sorry, but Patrick Hoesterey, who plays Robby, Paul's roommate, had to be a relative or current squeeze of the Director or Producer. He's unattractive, can't act, and horribly miscast in his role. He ruins about every scene he's in.

Don't bother with this. It's so bad it's annoying.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

I just don't get it

[1/10 · 8 February 2005]

My not being Christian probably affects my judgment on this movie (I was raised Protestant, but have been Agnostic since age 9). I rented it, expecting not to enjoy it, but wanted to know "what all the fuss was about". I still don't know what all the hype was about. This movie was dreadful. Just footage after footage of the brutality. I suffered though all of that, hoping to see a point. When the movie finally ended I was practically shouting That's IT! That's the ending? What was the point? And people are supposed to get inspiration from seeing a man brutalized? Jesus certainly was not the only person ever to suffer. The Spanish Catholics did a pretty good job of brutalizing Jews and Muslims in The Inquisition. Would Christians get inspiration from watching a non-Christian torn apart limb by limb on the rack? I doubt it. Mel Gibson seems to have a thing for portraying unnecessary brutality in film, such as in Braveheart. I see no need or point to it.

Poster Boy (2004)

An engrossing story made into a boring documentary

[4/10 · 6 February 2005]

I just saw this at the Outfar Film Festival in Phoenix, and I have to say I was disappointed. The plot had the making of a really engrossing story: The handsome college-age son of a Southern Right-wing Senator is a closeted gay, and is "outed" in an attempt to destroy the re-election of his father. Depending on how the story was scripted, I anticipated feeling sympathy for the son, anger toward those who invade his private life for political gain. Or, the could have scripted so that one feels the "closet-case" got what he deserved. Unfortunately, the way the film was scripted and filmed destroyed any chance of achieving an engrossing story or feeling anything for the characters involved.

The story is told in the form of a rather obnoxious reporter interviewing Henry, the senator's son. As he describes the events leading up to his outing, we fade in & out of the scenes. This format has been used successfully several times in the past. It doesn't work this time. By the end of the film I felt as thought I'd watched a bad documentary, just witnessing the events, feeling nothing for the people involved. The other problem is the main characters seem almost schizophrenic in their personalities. One moment Henry is throwing the suit & tie clad Young Republican into the pool; the next moment he's bonding with him and hiring him a hooker when he learns he's still a virgin. We first meet Anthony as an "out there" Act Up! activist; we next see him a sensitive best friend of an AIDS-stricken woman. Next he's telling her that he also had sex with her boyfriend that gave her AIDS; we next see him caring about Henry, whom he had vowed to "out".

By the time Henry is outed, I was looking at my watch and waiting for the ending credits. Too bad. Good plot done wrong in about every detail. Better luck next time.

200 American (2003)

Enjoyable Little Film

[8/10 · 27 January 2005]

I rarely comment on films in IMDb, but felt compelled to defend this film I quite enjoyed it. I thought it was an entirely believable plot, decent quality production, and decent acting. I very much enjoyed Sean Matic as Ian/Tyler. An Hawaii raised American, his Aussie accent was very convincing.

"Worst Gay Movie ever.."??? C'mon. If you want to see the worst gay-themed movie ever made, try Green Plaid Shirt, or any Jeff London film (The Last Year, And Then Came Summer).

The world would be a very boring place if we all thought the same way and liked the same things.

Keep an open mind and give 200 American a try.

Green Plaid Shirt (1996)

Really, really, really, really bad.

[1/10 · 24 January 2005]

I was going to say this was the worst gay-themed film I've ever seen, but I can honestly say this is the worst film if any genre I've ever seen.

You know you're in trouble when a movie starts with a "personal note" from the Director, asking for the audience's "understanding" for the "many challenges" facing a first-time Director. The audio track is so bad in many scenes it's almost impossible to follow the dialogue, and this from a DVD version. Bad lighting, bad sets, bad photography, poor script, generally bad acting all add up to make this "film" unwatchable. I did make it through to the bad ending after several attempts, and immediately gave away the DVD I foolishly purchased. I'm sure there are many challenges facing a first-time Director. But, don't try to palm off this lame attempt as a finished product. I see from IMDb details that this was not only the first Directing attempt of Richard Natale, but also the only. That's the one positive thing I can say about this alleged "movie".