JULY 21. 2006
matter) can trump misogyny
and homophobia.
The DVD’s notable extra
feature is “Everyone, Every
where,” a short film about the
International Gay and Lesbian
Human Rights Commission.
Sir Ian “Gandalf’ McKellen
narrates.
—SB
JUStOUt 3»
Destiny. His perform
ance is stylish, smart
and tough—in other
words, everything the
film is not.
The DVD features
commentary by Lewis
and Lia. The pair also
participate in a Q &. A
session recorded at the
2005
Philadelphia
International Gay &.
Lesbian Film Festival.
—SB
FAQS
TLA Releasing
The gay indie film FAQS is not so much a
movie as a manifesto. And it’s a really dumb
manifesto at that.
With no subtlety whatsoever, it argues that all
straight people suck and that they’re irreversibly
programmed to hash queers or, at the very least, call
them had names. Over the course of 90 minutes
there’s not a single queer-friendly straight character—
and this is West Hollywood, not the Bible Belt.
FAQS is the malformed brainchild of Everett
Lewis, a writer and director whose previous films
include The Natural History of Parking Lots and
Luster. Despite a lot of bad dialogue and crude
character development, the script conveys the
powerful message that queers can band together to
fight homophobia.
Lewis’ message is terribly muddled, however,
bouncing back and forth between a pro-violence
stance on queer activism and a “make love, not
war” attitude that comes too late in the movie to
Balance out the militant content.
Cute but overly earnest actor Joe Lia plays
India, a young man who flees his fag-hating parents
only to be exploited by a sleazy straight pornog
rapher. One night he’s chased into a parking garage
by gay-bashers, and a
black drag queen named
Destiny emerges out of
nowhere to rescue him
with some daunting
gunplay.
Destiny is a queer
den mother of sorts.
She invites queer kids
to live with her under
the somewhat disturb
ing condition that they
parade around naked for
two hours a day. Gay
male viewers will be
happy to know that this
little house rule results
in an extended full-
frontal romp for Lia.
Molk
The plot clumsily
evolves into a string of
romances and conflicts that force Destiny, India,
India’s boyfriend and other characters to evaluate
how far they’re willing to go to protect themselves
in the straight world. Most of the actors are hand
some and clearly game for some boudoir action, but
the sex scenes fall flat because of bad lighting and
obscure camera angles.
It must he said that Allan Louis is fabulous as
Ice Men
Wolfe Video
1 wasn’t expecting much from this film, which
slipped under the radar like many an indie. And
the tagline wasn’t the most promising: “At a
Remote Cabin, Guns, Booze and Testosterone Lead
to Trouble.” But director Thom Best and screen
writer Michael MacLennan have fashioned a solid
variation on The Big Chill with a strong queer
inflection.
Handsome, uptight Vaughn (Martin Cummings),
bitter after a recent breakup with his girlfriend, has
invited some friends up to his cabin for a weekend of
male bonding and to celebrate best friend Bryan’s
(David Hewlett) birthday. Also along for the ride are
macho Steve (James Thomas), gay, semi-closeted
photographer Jon (Greg Spottiswixxl) and a couple
of unexpected, and unwelcome, guests. The latter
include Vaughn’s wild brother, Trevor (Ian Stacey),
and Vaughn's ex-girlfriend.
Bantering and bickering start almost immedi
ately, promising not a happy-go-lucky exercise in
male bonding but a lot of emotional fireworks that
will change these relation
ships forever. And the film
delivers as a slew of secrets,
infidelities and betrayals
slowly emerge. In one of the
best scenes, Jon, forced to
1 bunk with Steve, lets his
fingers do the walking over
t
his fetching body, thinking
he’s asleep. Typical of the
film, the reaction is not the
expected one from Mr. Hot
Straight Boy.
Ice Men makes the most of
the dramatic setting of the
Canadian wixids in the dead
of winter—especially effective
in a scene where a drunken
Trevor plunges through the
ice. The acting is variable,
with occasional lapses into
melodrama. Spottiswood is a marvel to watch as
the gay boy, unerringly finding the character’s
sensitivity without slipping into bathos. But even
when the acting falters, or contrivances peep
through in what is essentially a very theatrical
movie, the beauty of these troubled guys keeps us
engaged.
—Gary Moms ©
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