It’s about shedding inhibitions and baring your soul more than the nudity.
After "Kris," the next number had to be a faster pace. Unfortunately what we get is "Muscle Addiction," which feeds into the worst stereotypes of gay men: the preoccupation with the way a body looks. Sure, it´s upbeat and showcases Anthony Manough, the only African American member of the show, but it´s hard to have anything but disdain for the message, as the song says: a gay man has to be fat free. Obviously this isn´t my favorite piece.
Jason Currie again headlines, this time in "The Entertainer." No matter what I might say about it, props have to go to Currie for performing the trifecta: being naked, singing/dancing and wearing women´s heels. Currie is the most theatrical of the players, over performing in so many ways that it moves from the realm of the absurd right back to reality. Maybe a sign of the lyricists being just a bit too high on themselves, I think the idea is to be sorry for entertainers because of the hardships they endure. The song doesn´t convince me.
The reprise to "Window to Window" follows and then the finale, a medley of the up tempo numbers finishes off the set.
"Naked Boys Singing" refers to not only the nudity in the film, but also the openness with which each of the characters shares themselves. Every number features a revelation or deeply personal side normally kept in the dark. The terror over erections, the desire to be like everyone else, relieving stress through masturbation…these are universal themes regardless of sexuality and revelation or fears we normally keep to ourselves for fear of what someone else will think.
That message extends to the way each of the boys presents himself. Only in the most humorous ways do any of them try to cover their penises. This is a celebration of the male body in whatever form it may take. I´d like to say that size or shape doesn´t matter; the fact is, though, weight is the one area the cast is not representative of society. Each of the guys is skinny, the popular definition of attractive. It´s my one gripe: why not include one guy who isn´t conventionally beautiful?
Still, the production accomplishes in more places than it fails. Confined to the stage, director Troy Christian had to become inventive with choreography, not to mention camera placement. The minimal stage dressing helps the audience focus on the lyrics and performances instead of the superficial trappings the boys find themselves in. This is an experience in the film medium; it would be an absolute joy in person.
VIDEO:
There are a lot of jokes I could make about "Naked Boys Singing" being filmed with high definition cameras. But I won´t. What I will say is that for a production which had a four day shoot (depending on who is asked), the 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen picture looks remarkably good. Yes, just good. Not perfect or spectacular or completely clean. Blacks-of which there are many-don´t possess the depth of some other TLA titles and some of the various colors struggle to come through clearly. I´m apt to forgive a lot of these issues simply because of the production schedule.
AUDIO:
No such problems in the English 5.1 track. Bouncy and full of life, there isn´t anything to detract from the auditory experience. And that´s a definite plus, since at least half the joy of "Naked Boys Singing" comes from the music. There could have minor problems with the track, considering the entire movie was rerecorded after principle photography. The dub isn´t obvious as it is in many other films. The "new" dialogue doesn´t have a different sound to it when compared to the original mix. One qualm, though, is that there are no subtitles on the disc, only English captions.
EXTRAS:
The mother lode here is the previously mentioned hour long documentary "Nuts & Bolts: The Making of Naked Boys Singing." An exhaustive making of, the behind the scenes information spans from the conception of the production in 1997 through casting, rehearsal, shooting and everything in between. There are more interviewees than can possible be named and more minor tidbits of information than can be relayed here.
One of the aspects I found interesting was the apprehension the first time the guys got naked together. It seemed as though the idea was foreign to them despite the name of the show. Then there was a minor controversy about the reprise to "Window to Window." I wanted to shake both characters and remind them what they were doing. Alas, though, everyone overcame their fears. Despite the quality of the information, the doc tends to run a bit dry in certain parts, especially when multiple people say the same exact thing.
A separate screen is available with "Naked Boys Singing" performance information while trailers round out the extras: "Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma" (2:51); "Rock Haven" (1:43; and "Boy Culture" (1:48). The "Naked Boys Singing" trailer is also included, clocking in at 1:03, while the official underwear sponsor of the review, Just Us Boyz, is promoted for 1:18.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Call me puerile, but "Naked Boys Singing" was of my most anticipated titles this year for the obvious reasons. But then it struck me: this isn´t just about seeing good looking guys parade around naked, it´s about shedding inhibitions and baring your soul. And that´s the lesson this diverse mix of songs celebrates. You really can´t ask for much more from ten naked boys, now can you?
Jason Currie again headlines, this time in "The Entertainer." No matter what I might say about it, props have to go to Currie for performing the trifecta: being naked, singing/dancing and wearing women´s heels. Currie is the most theatrical of the players, over performing in so many ways that it moves from the realm of the absurd right back to reality. Maybe a sign of the lyricists being just a bit too high on themselves, I think the idea is to be sorry for entertainers because of the hardships they endure. The song doesn´t convince me.
The reprise to "Window to Window" follows and then the finale, a medley of the up tempo numbers finishes off the set.
"Naked Boys Singing" refers to not only the nudity in the film, but also the openness with which each of the characters shares themselves. Every number features a revelation or deeply personal side normally kept in the dark. The terror over erections, the desire to be like everyone else, relieving stress through masturbation…these are universal themes regardless of sexuality and revelation or fears we normally keep to ourselves for fear of what someone else will think.
That message extends to the way each of the boys presents himself. Only in the most humorous ways do any of them try to cover their penises. This is a celebration of the male body in whatever form it may take. I´d like to say that size or shape doesn´t matter; the fact is, though, weight is the one area the cast is not representative of society. Each of the guys is skinny, the popular definition of attractive. It´s my one gripe: why not include one guy who isn´t conventionally beautiful?
Still, the production accomplishes in more places than it fails. Confined to the stage, director Troy Christian had to become inventive with choreography, not to mention camera placement. The minimal stage dressing helps the audience focus on the lyrics and performances instead of the superficial trappings the boys find themselves in. This is an experience in the film medium; it would be an absolute joy in person.
VIDEO:
There are a lot of jokes I could make about "Naked Boys Singing" being filmed with high definition cameras. But I won´t. What I will say is that for a production which had a four day shoot (depending on who is asked), the 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen picture looks remarkably good. Yes, just good. Not perfect or spectacular or completely clean. Blacks-of which there are many-don´t possess the depth of some other TLA titles and some of the various colors struggle to come through clearly. I´m apt to forgive a lot of these issues simply because of the production schedule.
AUDIO:
No such problems in the English 5.1 track. Bouncy and full of life, there isn´t anything to detract from the auditory experience. And that´s a definite plus, since at least half the joy of "Naked Boys Singing" comes from the music. There could have minor problems with the track, considering the entire movie was rerecorded after principle photography. The dub isn´t obvious as it is in many other films. The "new" dialogue doesn´t have a different sound to it when compared to the original mix. One qualm, though, is that there are no subtitles on the disc, only English captions.
EXTRAS:
The mother lode here is the previously mentioned hour long documentary "Nuts & Bolts: The Making of Naked Boys Singing." An exhaustive making of, the behind the scenes information spans from the conception of the production in 1997 through casting, rehearsal, shooting and everything in between. There are more interviewees than can possible be named and more minor tidbits of information than can be relayed here.
One of the aspects I found interesting was the apprehension the first time the guys got naked together. It seemed as though the idea was foreign to them despite the name of the show. Then there was a minor controversy about the reprise to "Window to Window." I wanted to shake both characters and remind them what they were doing. Alas, though, everyone overcame their fears. Despite the quality of the information, the doc tends to run a bit dry in certain parts, especially when multiple people say the same exact thing.
A separate screen is available with "Naked Boys Singing" performance information while trailers round out the extras: "Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma" (2:51); "Rock Haven" (1:43; and "Boy Culture" (1:48). The "Naked Boys Singing" trailer is also included, clocking in at 1:03, while the official underwear sponsor of the review, Just Us Boyz, is promoted for 1:18.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Call me puerile, but "Naked Boys Singing" was of my most anticipated titles this year for the obvious reasons. But then it struck me: this isn´t just about seeing good looking guys parade around naked, it´s about shedding inhibitions and baring your soul. And that´s the lesson this diverse mix of songs celebrates. You really can´t ask for much more from ten naked boys, now can you?
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[release]22654[/release]