So let’s review: raunchy, profane, sexual. That about sums up “Another Gay Movie”.
VIDEO:
Among the tidbits of production trivia in the commentary track, Stephens says he went for a very specific look in the film. He wanted "Another Gay Movie" to be campy. By the look of it, the production succeeded in spades. Nearly every shot in every scene includes some version of a bright, attention-drawing color. If it´s not scarlet red pillows in a bedroom, then it is sparkly blue glasses for Nico. This color palette isn´t normally seen in movies, let alone on DVD, so the transfer to home video had the chance to be problematic. That´s not the case here. Every object is clearly defined on the screen without distortion. Additionally, there aren´t problems with the transfer to speak of. The white sets show this off the best since they show video problems the easiest. "Another Gay Movie"s original theatrical aspect ratio is respected here (1.85:1) and the picture has been anamorphically enhanced. Considering the budget for this film (roughly $500,000), the transfer is a wonder.
AUDIO:
Sound-wise, the disc is limited to two English tracks: 5.1 and standard 2.0. Both do their jobs as expected, with the 5.1 track being the more lively of the two. This is a dialogue-driven film as opposed to one dependent on action and effects. As such, both tracks sound basically the same, with some effects thrown to the rear speakers but none nearly enough to make this an audio reference disc. That´s not a knock against the quality of either track; it´s a fact about the genre in which "Another Gay Movie" resides. The rear speakers are utilized rather well during the opening credits, which features a new song by Nancy Sinatra. Otherwise, the two party scenes are the best examples of what the track is capable of. English subtitles are also included.
EXTRAS:
One would think with the number of guest stars in "Another Gay Movie", they would have popped up somewhere in the extras. Comedian Ant, "Boy Meets Boy" leading man James Getzlaff, Scott Thompson from "Kids in the Hall", Graham Norton, Richard Hatch…not a single one makes an appearance in any of the extras. Honestly, outside of the commentary track, there´s really little of note on the special features portion of the disc. First up, though, is the aforementioned commentary track with Stephens and producer Jesse Abrams. These two guys-who are coincidentally the most cordial ex´s in the history of the world-start talking the minute the TLA logo pops up on the screen and really don´t stop until the DVD timer reads 1:33:18 (out of a possible 1:33:38). Yes, they are quiet for a grand total of perhaps 45 seconds for the entire movie.
Their stories about the film range from the font on the opening titles (taken directly from "The Brady Bunch") to film references, the political statements Stephens was trying to make (basically about safe sex), actors who passed on roles in the film, the difficulties working with a tiny budget and everything in between. They do pimp the original motion picture soundtrack quite a bit, especially the fact it´s available on iTunes. If I have one gripe with the track, that´s it: talk about the movie at hand and don´t try to sell another product to the audience. Aside from that really minor quibble, these guys know everything there is to know about the film and they share all of it. (As with all TLA releases, the commentary is only accessible through the set-up menu.)
A total of 12 deleted scenes (16:49) are available, with optional commentary. With the exception of two scenes, the excised material turned out to be extensions of existing material. All in all, only one was a bad cut in my opinion. It shows Griff and Jarod commenting about each other´s genitalia (Jarod is insecure about his size) pre-sex. The scene isn´t explicit or vulgar; it´s simply a nice way for Jarod to come to grips with his "question" during the film of having a small penis. Stephens comments the scene was deleted because the blocking was wrong and he wasn´t pleased with it. The other trims were made for the obvious reasons: pace, length, continuity and redundancy.
The other extras are rather expendable. "Unscripted" is a nearly 8 minute featurette with Stephens and actor Michael Carbonaro (Andy) in which they take turns asking each other viewer submitted questions (submitted through Moviefone). Nothing they have to say is a particular revelation, though they get along as if they´re best friends. An excerpt from a "Staged Script Reading" (7:09) is next up. In his quest to raise money for the movie, Stephens and some of his actors went to different venues to read the movie to an audience. Again, no revelation. "Nancy Sinatra Making of Another Gay Sunshine Day" featurette (3:03) is perhaps the most disappointing feature here. This three minutes is simply a montage of footage shot in the recording studio. No interviews, no ideas…just b-roll footage which looks like it was shot with a home video camera. "Pillow Talk with Grandpa Muffler" is wholly unnecessary. It features actor George Marcy repeating a litany of sexually explicit statements over and over again, each time changing an inflection or emphasis. Lastly are a group of trailers for existing and soon to be released TLA titles: "Another Gay Movie", "Adam & Steve", "Say Uncle" and "20 Centimeters" (street date December 5).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
So let´s review: raunchy, profane, sexual. That about sums up "Another Gay Movie". It´s not for everyone, nor does it try to toe the "politically correct" line. There is enough universal material for a wide range of audiences to identify with if they can open their minds enough to watch indiscriminately. A promise of sorts is made at the end of the film by both the characters and the director: a sequel is a possibility. Imagine a movie called "Another Another Gay Movie".
Among the tidbits of production trivia in the commentary track, Stephens says he went for a very specific look in the film. He wanted "Another Gay Movie" to be campy. By the look of it, the production succeeded in spades. Nearly every shot in every scene includes some version of a bright, attention-drawing color. If it´s not scarlet red pillows in a bedroom, then it is sparkly blue glasses for Nico. This color palette isn´t normally seen in movies, let alone on DVD, so the transfer to home video had the chance to be problematic. That´s not the case here. Every object is clearly defined on the screen without distortion. Additionally, there aren´t problems with the transfer to speak of. The white sets show this off the best since they show video problems the easiest. "Another Gay Movie"s original theatrical aspect ratio is respected here (1.85:1) and the picture has been anamorphically enhanced. Considering the budget for this film (roughly $500,000), the transfer is a wonder.
AUDIO:
Sound-wise, the disc is limited to two English tracks: 5.1 and standard 2.0. Both do their jobs as expected, with the 5.1 track being the more lively of the two. This is a dialogue-driven film as opposed to one dependent on action and effects. As such, both tracks sound basically the same, with some effects thrown to the rear speakers but none nearly enough to make this an audio reference disc. That´s not a knock against the quality of either track; it´s a fact about the genre in which "Another Gay Movie" resides. The rear speakers are utilized rather well during the opening credits, which features a new song by Nancy Sinatra. Otherwise, the two party scenes are the best examples of what the track is capable of. English subtitles are also included.
EXTRAS:
One would think with the number of guest stars in "Another Gay Movie", they would have popped up somewhere in the extras. Comedian Ant, "Boy Meets Boy" leading man James Getzlaff, Scott Thompson from "Kids in the Hall", Graham Norton, Richard Hatch…not a single one makes an appearance in any of the extras. Honestly, outside of the commentary track, there´s really little of note on the special features portion of the disc. First up, though, is the aforementioned commentary track with Stephens and producer Jesse Abrams. These two guys-who are coincidentally the most cordial ex´s in the history of the world-start talking the minute the TLA logo pops up on the screen and really don´t stop until the DVD timer reads 1:33:18 (out of a possible 1:33:38). Yes, they are quiet for a grand total of perhaps 45 seconds for the entire movie.
Their stories about the film range from the font on the opening titles (taken directly from "The Brady Bunch") to film references, the political statements Stephens was trying to make (basically about safe sex), actors who passed on roles in the film, the difficulties working with a tiny budget and everything in between. They do pimp the original motion picture soundtrack quite a bit, especially the fact it´s available on iTunes. If I have one gripe with the track, that´s it: talk about the movie at hand and don´t try to sell another product to the audience. Aside from that really minor quibble, these guys know everything there is to know about the film and they share all of it. (As with all TLA releases, the commentary is only accessible through the set-up menu.)
A total of 12 deleted scenes (16:49) are available, with optional commentary. With the exception of two scenes, the excised material turned out to be extensions of existing material. All in all, only one was a bad cut in my opinion. It shows Griff and Jarod commenting about each other´s genitalia (Jarod is insecure about his size) pre-sex. The scene isn´t explicit or vulgar; it´s simply a nice way for Jarod to come to grips with his "question" during the film of having a small penis. Stephens comments the scene was deleted because the blocking was wrong and he wasn´t pleased with it. The other trims were made for the obvious reasons: pace, length, continuity and redundancy.
The other extras are rather expendable. "Unscripted" is a nearly 8 minute featurette with Stephens and actor Michael Carbonaro (Andy) in which they take turns asking each other viewer submitted questions (submitted through Moviefone). Nothing they have to say is a particular revelation, though they get along as if they´re best friends. An excerpt from a "Staged Script Reading" (7:09) is next up. In his quest to raise money for the movie, Stephens and some of his actors went to different venues to read the movie to an audience. Again, no revelation. "Nancy Sinatra Making of Another Gay Sunshine Day" featurette (3:03) is perhaps the most disappointing feature here. This three minutes is simply a montage of footage shot in the recording studio. No interviews, no ideas…just b-roll footage which looks like it was shot with a home video camera. "Pillow Talk with Grandpa Muffler" is wholly unnecessary. It features actor George Marcy repeating a litany of sexually explicit statements over and over again, each time changing an inflection or emphasis. Lastly are a group of trailers for existing and soon to be released TLA titles: "Another Gay Movie", "Adam & Steve", "Say Uncle" and "20 Centimeters" (street date December 5).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
So let´s review: raunchy, profane, sexual. That about sums up "Another Gay Movie". It´s not for everyone, nor does it try to toe the "politically correct" line. There is enough universal material for a wide range of audiences to identify with if they can open their minds enough to watch indiscriminately. A promise of sorts is made at the end of the film by both the characters and the director: a sequel is a possibility. Imagine a movie called "Another Another Gay Movie".
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[release]20274[/release]