Another Gay Movie

In Another Gay Movie, a stereotypical quartet of newly-minted gay graduates from San Torum High are desperate to lose their virginity: a buff yet dumb jock, a brainy bespectacled nerd, an effeminate zany who does a wicked Paul Lynde impersonation, and a seemingly normal all-American boy who can't get to first base, all of whom are egged on by an excessively masculine lesbian pal. Needless to say, things don't quite work out as planned. On the surface, Another Gay Movie seems like a gay version of American Pie, matching its rude-boy crass humor by taking wild potshots at many gay stereotypes: go-go boys, bondage masters, meth-addicted party animals, and even an unexpectedly taboo reference to the creepy guys from NAMBLA. Funny cameos by gay icons—including Survivor winner Richard Hatch (in the nude), cross-dressing comic Lypsinka (doing Joan Crawford), and porn star Matthew Rush—add to the madness. Yet it's also a surprisingly sweet film, thanks in large part to filmmaker Todd Stephens' wise decision to allow the characters a level of sincerity frequently lacking in teen films (straight or gay). Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Todd Stephens and producer Jesse Adams, 17 minutes of deleted scenes, an “Unscripted” interview with Stephens and costar Michael Carbonaro (8 min.), a seven-minute “Staged Screenplay Reading,” a three-minute “making-of” for Nancy Sinatra's “Another Gay Sunshine Day,” a “Pillow Talk with Grandpa Muffler” audio segment, weblinks, and trailers. Bottom line: a fun extras package for a rough but often raucously funny comedy.] (P. Hall)