Another Gay Movie

FILM SKOOL

The 15-Year Anniversary Director's Cut of Another Gay Movie is more outrageous than ever!

Andy Wilson (Michael Carbonaro) is your typical All-American seventeen-year-old gay virgin. Like everyone else, he's dying to have sex. Totally out of the closet and mad crazy horny, this naive high school senior is caught in that awkward vortex between child and adult. Much to the dismay of his mom, Mrs. Wilson (Lypsinka) - who wonders why all her carrots and cucumbers keep disappearing - Andy spends much of his private time practicing for the big moment when he'll finally take the plunge. What follows is a raunchy ride on the bumpy road to virginity loss. Along the way, the film spoofs not only American Pie and gay movies like The Broken Hearts Club and director Todd Stephen's own Edge of Seventeen, but the entire gay lifestyle is up for skewering.

The new Another Gay Movie: 15-Year Anniversary Director's Cut includes an introduction and audio commentary by Todd Stephens, a staged script reading, original audition tapes, interviews, Nancy Sinatra's making of Another Gay Sunshine Day and much, much more!

Another Gay Movie, a film by Todd Stephens.

Find more film previews and reviews, at KAOS.

From Zero To I Love You

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F I L M  S K O O L

A   F I L M   I S   A   P E T R I F I E D   F O U N T A I N   O F   T H O U G H T

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Meet Pete (Darryl Stephens), a guy in Philadelphia with a history of falling for married men. His father (Richard Lawson), and his soon-to-be stepmother (Leslie Zemeckis), want him to find someone single and settle down. Instead Jack - fifteen years into a "perfect marriage", with two kids in tow - walks into his life...

Noah's Arc graduates Darryl Stephens and Doug Spearman reunite, in front of, and behind the camera, respectively, on Spearman's second run at directing a feature (he also directed the 2013 comedy Hot Guys With Guns).

Stephens hasn't exactly been camera shy since Noah's Arc's premature climax, his resume boasting a swathe of mainstream prime time viewing, and gay series like the sadly passed-over DTLA (he's also been working on a series adaptation of 2006's Boy Culture, recreating his role from that movie).

Frankly, I could watch anything with the apparently ageless, engaging and charming Darryl Stephens in it, so I'll try to get through this review with as little bias as possible. But in truth, Spearman has assembled a talented cast that delights from beginning to end. Stephens has palpable chemistry with his handsome co-star, Scott Bailey. Keili Lefkovitz is effervescent in the potentially thankless role of the down-low guy's wife, and Stephen Bowman is a ton of fun as Stephen's best friend. Veteran Richard Lawson - trivia: his first credited role, in 1971, was "Homosexual", in Dirty Harry. He went on to appear in pretty much everything, including Dynasty (1986) and Angry Boys (2011) - plays Stephen's father, who, in a refreshing twist, is a black father who doesn't have a problem with his gay son.

Good gay rom-coms don't come along very often. From Zero To I Love You manages to be hopelessly romantic, a hoot, and genuinely insightful (the damage wrought by Pete and Jack's affair isn't merely brushed under the carpet). If I have one criticism, it's the occasional reference to race. Stephen's character at one point asks why he and his (white) partner don't have any black friends, and is later criticised by a black hook-up. But these tantalising threads are left dangling, unexplored, as if part of an earlier draft where race may have played a bigger part in the narrative.

Surprising, enchanting, and sexy, From Zero To I Love You is a winner. Doug Spearman: what's next?

A Different Direction

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F O R E V E R

I T ' S  N O T  W H A T  A  M O V I E  I S  A B O U T ,  I T ' S  H O W  I T  I S  A B O UT  I T

Frankie Bailey is a black, gay man in his 30's struggling to make ends meet while being forced to confront one of the biggest challenges of his life...

A Different Direction, a new short film written and directed by Sampson McCormick, and starring Noah's Arc's Darryl Stephens.

kaos top 30 gay films

W

elcome to the kaos Top 30 Gay Films of all time. These lists are always subjective, and everyone has their own favourites (usually the okay-ish Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, the soulless A Single Man, or the overrated Brokeback Mountain). I haven't included documentaries - hence the reason Paris Is Burning isn't on the list - or shorts.

What has been left out? Is your favourite rated too high, or too low? Be sure to let me know what you think!

30
Ethan Mao
(USA, 2004)

How many films have there been about gay Asian Americans? Name five. Okay, name two... Quentin Lee's thriller is rough and raw, but it has a big heart and it's edge-of-the-seat gripping.

29
Rope
(USA, 1948)

It's Alfred Hitchcock. It's James Stewart. It's 1948. Enough said, I think.

28
Boy Culture
(USA, 2006)

Q. Allan Brocka's Boy Culture is good, solid sexy fun. Darryl Stephens plays it butch.

27
浮気なぼくら (Naughty Boys)
(Japan, 2003)

"Two Japanese boys go on a real life Manga adventure," Amazon's description reads. That gives you a sense of what Imaizumi Koichi's Naughty Boys is like. It is, simply, bonkers.

26
I Love You Phillip Morris
(USA, 2009)

Largely unloved by the gays, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's bitter-sweet true story is much better than other big budget Hollywood stabs at portraying the gays (such as the lumbering, overrated Brokeback Mountain).

25
Trick
(USA, 1999)

This picture is insanely cute. If you could bottle the warmth and love this film exudes, you'd get Steve Hayes - who, by the way, isn't in Trick enough. Always leave them wanting more.

24
Sibak (Midnight Dancers)
(Philippines, 1994)

Gritty and truthful, Mel Chionglo's downbeat tale of "macho dancing" at Club Exotica manages to be sexy and even occasionally funny. There have been many films on the subject, but Sibak remains the definite article.

23
עיניים פקוחות (Eyes Wide Open)
(Israel, 2009)

Achingly romantic and beautifully shot, director Haim Tabakman's picture takes us into a closed society most of us would never even think about. Simply fascinating.

22
Drôle de Félix (The Adventures Of Felix)
(France, 2000)

The best thing you can do this weekend is to go with Félix on his road trip. Trust me on that. Joyful, funny, and just wonderful, this is one journey you won't want to miss.

21
Sud Pralad (Tropical Malady)
(Thailand, 2004)

Hypnotic, mesmerising, and visually stunning, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's weird and wonderful film is a masterpiece. 

20
In Extremis (To The Extreme)
(France, 2000)

Etienne Faure directed this haunting, surreal beauty of a film. Jérémy Sanguinetti as 13-year-old Gregoire is superb, and the last, heartbreaking scene - segueing to Mercury Rev's Holes - will stay with you forever.

19
Do Começo ao Fim (From Beginning To End)
(Brazil, 2009)

Aluizio Abranches' controversial film about brotherly love is beautifully underplayed, and beautifully shot. Despite the fuss, it's just a love story. 

18
He liu (The River)
(Taiwan, 1997)

Tsai Ming-Liang's films are in a league of their own. Silence, isolation and despair fill ever second of this disturbing - yet weirdly beautiful - picture. Watch out for the most disturbing gay sauna scene you're likely to see on screen.

17
Another Gay Movie
(USA, 2006)

Young, dumb, and full of... You get the picture. Loud and proud, Another Gay Movie delivers the kind of carefree teen comedy straight kids take for granted. A true guilty pleasure.

16
Brother To Brother
(USA, 2004)

Rodney Evans directed this thoughtful and intelligent study of the Harlem Renaissance. Anthony Mackie stars.

15
My Own Private Idaho
(USA, 1991)

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves star in Gus Van Sant’s haunting tale of two street hustlers. It's endlessly fascinating, and effortlessly beautiful.

14
Mysterious Skin
(USA, 2004)

Gruelling isn't the word for Gregg Araki's deeply disturbing picture about child abuse. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant.

13
Chuecatown (Boystown)
(Spain, 2007)

One of the funniest films on our list, Boystown is a riotous laughfest. Juan Flahn directed.

12
Milk
(USA, 2008)

Gus Van Sant directed this accomplished picture about a gay icon, and Sean Penn is brilliant in the title role.

11
Shank
(UK, 2009)

Raw, uncompromising and yet occasionally romantic, Simon Pearce's Shank is a cold, hard look at urban Britain. A sequel is in the works.

10
El cielo dividido (Broken Sky)
(Mexico, 2006)

Director Julián Hernández's depiction of a near wordless love triangle between three young men is breathtaking in its beauty, and truly jaw-dropping in its intensity. A key scene in a club, shown twice but from two different points of view, will leave your head spinning. Amazing.

9
Leave It On The Floor
(USA, 2011)

Black gay cinema can be as devoid of ideas as the rest of the gay film canon (how many more films about a group friends and their tag-along hag in the big city can we stand?), but Sheldon Larry's big, colourful, sexy film about the ballroom scene redresses the balance.

8
Longtime Companion
(USA, 1990)

Frightening and heartbreaking, this isn't an easy film to watch, but nevertheless it's one of the most important on our list, and one you won't ever forget. Essential.

7
My Beautiful Laundrette
(UK, 1985)

Stephen Frears' iconic gay cinema classic also features on of the sexiest scenes in any movie. Champgane for everybody!

6
The Killing Of Sister George
(UK, 1968)

Beryl Reid steals the show in this funny, moving dyke masterpiece. You'll hate Coral Browne's Mercy Croft as much as we do.

5
Keiner liebt mich (Nobody Loves Me)
(Germany, 1994)

Nobody Loves Me is a very black comedy by director Doris Dörrie, in which 29-year-old Fanny (Maria Schrader) - who's obsessed with death - and her black, gay psychic neighbour, Orfeo (Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss) - who's dying of AIDS - take centre stage. Édith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien is the film's theme, and the whole cast and crew gather to sing it in the closing credits. A joyful, funny and deeply moving picture, we love it to bits.

4
Philadelphia
(USA, 1993)

It's 1993. It's ground zero. This is testimony from the frontline, and it's like a knife in guts. Worth it for the opening sequence alone.

3
The Boys In The Band
(US, 1970)

What can we say about Mart Crowley's timeless, infinitely quotable classic that hasn't been said before? It's legendary, and rightfully so. Crayton Robey's excellent documentary Making The Boys is an essential companion piece.

2
The Birdcage
(USA, 1996)

Robin Williams is perfect. Nathan Lane is perfect. Mike Nichols' comedy is perfect. You won't stop laughing, and you'll come back again, again and again.

1
Beautiful Thing
(UK, 1996)

The poster says it all: this urban fairytale really is a beautiful thing - and it's the winner! Based on a play by Jonathan Harvey, blessed with a brilliant cast (Tameka Empson and Linda Henry steal the show from the boys) and featuring a killer soundtrack (Make Your Own Kind of Music by Mama Cass score's Jamie's first flush of teen love). It's the best coming out/coming of age story you'll ever see, and it's our number gay film of all time.

For editorial reasons, this article was updated to remove two entries on 25 March 2015.

We Can Do It!

A new photo campaign by the Open Artist Movement, inspired by World War II 'We Can Do It' posters, features ka-os|theory favourites Darryl Stephens and Wilson Cruz flexing their biceps:

"We Can Do It! is a photo campaign to build solidarity and personal strength through positive messaging. The goal is to bring to life modern iconic individuals, by depicting them as powerful and not victims in support of the global LGBT movement worldwide."

You can buy copies of the prints on the website, and new shots will be added over time. Who would you like to see in the series?

Darryl & Wilson

Noah's Arc actors Darryl Stephens and Wilson Cruz attend one of the protests against Proposition 8 in Los Angeles on the weekend. The pair have announced that they're starting a new organisation to support gay youth, From Street to Strategy: Freedom Action Inclusion Rights.

REVIEW

EARLIER THIS YEAR, a big screen adaptation of Sex & The City was released. Actually, that's not true, a ninety minute advert for Products was released, with the characters from Sex & The City grafted on to make people watch.

Noah's Arc is often referred to - for better or worse - as a black, gay SATC. So, when I heard the news that the prematurely cancelled series would also be bursting onto cinema screens, I had my doubts. Television and film are very different beasts, and one doesn't necessarily translate into another. Just look at SATC - a depressing, cynical exercise in vulgar consumerism.

When Noah's Arc first appeared on our screens, it was unique: a show that wasn't about white gay men. It was Queer As Folk in colour, and funnier. The series suffered under the tyranny of network television censorship (that NA was as hot as it was is a miracle) and a minuscule running time. But it was bursting with heart and soul, and audiences fell in love with Noah, Ricky, Alex and Chance - not to mention their numerous sexy suitors. Season two ended on a cliff-hanger, but with criminal disregard for the loyalty of the viewing audience, Logo cancelled the series, just when it was finding its feet. Let's not be bitter, because we have something to celebrate. Noah and Wade are getting married! We might not have a Season 3 (yet), but we've got Jumping The Broom. So what happened after the car crash? Did Noah wake up and find Wade in the shower? Did the whole of season two not happen? Was it all a dream? Don't be silly, kids. The movie is set at some point after the crash, which Wade survived. That's not a spoiler - he's all over the publicity photos, and Noah's Arc without Wade would be like SATC without Big. But what of Dre, I hear you cry! Well now, you'll just have to watch and see. And what of Jumping The Broom? It's a joy. A big, sexy, laugh out loud joy. There's smiles and frowns, and tears, and... er, Baby Gat (Jason Steed). Oh, Baby Gat. He's back, innit, full of bruvs and bluds, u get me. This one needs his own series. He lights up the screen and steals the show. I beg u, giv the boi his own show, innit. Brandy's (Jennia Fredrique) back too, bringing a lil fem to the table. Gary LeRoi Gray's Brandon is a refreshing addition to the clique. They're all welcome guests. Only Gregory Kieth's Trey is missing in action, which is a real shame. His long-suffering relationship with Alex was always a pleasure to view. Don't worry, all is not lost - he puts in a welcome cameo via webcam, in a pleasing throwback to Season one. It's a shame we couldn't exchange Trey for Jonathan Julian's depressing Eddie. I'm not quite sure if it's the character, or if the actor isn't quite at home here, but Eddie just gets me down. At least in the series his appearances were kept to a minimum - but we're forced into close quarters with him here. But that's a small quibble. The truth of the matter is this movie is packed with so many "OMG - I can't believe he/they just did that!" moments that such minor shortcomings can be overlooked. Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom is heartfelt, hilarious and packed with eye candy. This wedding cake has all the right ingredients. Don't miss it, gur'.

Darryl Stephens Speaks. Out

Oooooooooh, what's this? An interview in Instinct with yummy Noah's Arc star Darryl Stephens. Darryl, Darryl, Darryl, how we love you. (Sigh). If you've been paying attention, you'll know that I despise the pack of (usually gay) bloggers who think it's their business to out actors who would otherwise like to keep their personal lives private. These misguided individuals seem to think that actors have some sort of responsibility to the gay community. They don't. They're people doing a job, and it's none of your business who they do. We all want to know, but we don't have any right to, and people seem to forget that. The cast of Noah's Arc, who largely kept silent on the issue of sexuality, came in for some particularly harsh criticism after keeping silent on the subject. Darryl Stephens, who came out after Noah's Arc finished on television, says: “We had seen other gay shows where the straight actors who were playing gay got a lot of the credit for doing all the work and for being braver actors. We were all just trying to avoid that. I think as black actors we are all aware of the fact that the roles we are allowed to play are very limited. To step up and say “I’m gay” makes a lot of other doors close, too.” The fact that he needs to explain these simple facts is a sad indictment on the gay community. Mind you, he could say "I wanna see if this wine bottle fits in you" and I'd probably nod my head and smile dumbly. Darryl, Darryl, Darryl (sigh). See some of the interview here or get the magazine. Oh yeah, the magazine has a shirtless spread of Mr. Stephens. Save a copy for me.

Pictured: Darryl demonstrates talents we'll sadly never experience in the high brow classic, Another Gay Movie.

Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild

Gay cinema is amazing, and I don't just mean the efforts of the French, the Italians, the Chinese, the Israelis and even the Nigerians. The English can toss out the occasional gay masterpiece, too.

Surprisingly enough, Americanites can too, as anyone who's seen Mysterious Skin will attest. And I have high hopes for the forthcoming movie version of Noah's Arc.

So who watches gay cinema, exactly? Most of my gay friends and aquaintances don't, and I suspect it's mostly women and the dreaded liberal middle classes (in between bouts of coke snorting and civilised dinner parties).

The release of Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild hasn't met with much approval by the mainstream press, but they seem to be missing the point. "What ever happened to gay style and flair?" asks the New York Times. Well, Mister Times, not every fag is blessed with it. (Style and flair, that is).

I wasn't a big fan of Another Gay Movie, to which AGS:GGW is a sequel; it was a trashy 90 minutes with only Matthew Rush and Darryl Stephens holding my attention. It was a gay version of brain-dead American crap like American Pie et cetera.

And that's the whole point.

The beauty of Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild is that we can. Five, ten years ago, would there be a movie like this? It's fun, mindless nonsense that we can tune out to, be grossed out by, laugh, grimace and rail against. We deserve the freedom to be truly awful - breeders do it all the time, and so can we.

Here's to a second sequel - and if you're oblivious to worthy gay cinema, it is out there: you just haven't found it.

Noah's Arc Movie - It's Official

It's been nearly a year since news broke that there wouldn't be a third season of Noah's Arc, but in the wake of that disappointing blow were rumours of a movie. There's finally been an official announcement from Logo, the cable channel behind Noah's Arc, with the film being green lit.

The script is penned by John R. Gordon, who was a co-writer on the television series, as well as author of the novels Black Butterflies, Skin Deep and Warriors & Outlaws. Gordon is also behind the stunning short film Souljah, about a "gay/transsexual African former child soldier refugee", and a soon-to-be-released autobiography of porn star Bobby Blake.

Whilst it's a shame that we won't see a full season of Ricky's high jinks, Noah's agonising, Alex's lunacy and Chance's marital dramas, at least we'll get some resolution to the second season's cliffhanger.

You can watch a special video announcement from delicious Darryl Stephens (Noah) and series creator Patrik-Ian Polk here.

Darryl Stephens

Here's a gratuitous snap of favourite eye candy Darryl Stephens for you lot. He's only after being photographed by François Rousseau for Out, so he is. Strapping lad, isn't he? Stephens, of the sadly-departed Noah's Arc, is one of Out's 100 Men And Women Who Made 2007 A Year To Remember. They say: "(He is) consistently funnier, hotter and tougher than any of (his) straight counterparts. Coincidence? We think not." The article goes on to say: "...in a year of revolving closet doors for TV actors, we can also offer one long-anticipated quiet confirmation: Darryl Stephens, who has declined to discuss his sexuality while playing a series of nuanced gay roles. He doesn't exactly talk about it, but he proudly joins the other queer honorees in our pages." Declined to discuss his sexuality, huh? The cheek of it! Who does he think he is, this actor person? Anyone would think his sexuality was his own personal business!

TV's Most Influential Gay Male Sex Scenes

Website AfterElton.com has come up with a list of the best man-on-man action to steam up our screens over the years. These sort of things are always a cause for debate, but the list is refreshingly diverse - one would have thought that every scene on list would be lifted from Queer As Folk or Dante's Cove. But no...

Noah's Arc makes it to number three with that juicy coupling of Darryl Stephens and Jensen Atwood, and number five with the even juicier bootytastic hunkfest linking Christian Vincent and Nate Adams. As writer Christie Keith says on AfterElton, the scene "just busted onto TV screens without apology or angst." Anyone who's seen the original version of that scene in the pilot episode (included on the Season One boxset) will know just how steamy things got - before the demands of network television diluted things somewhat.

At number six is one of my personal favourites, that of Michael K. Williams (Omar) and Ernest Waddell (Dante) on The Wire. It isn't explicit or overplayed; there isn't any fuss. The character of Omar in The Wire is truly unique and groundbreaking, and unlike any depiction of a gay men anywhere else. Producer and writer Rod McCullom says their spine-tingling kiss was "debated across black pop culture, even discussed by rappers and basketball players." And what fag doesn't get a kick out of seeing Straight People running in fear as Omar strides down the street in his trench coat? Or is it just me?

The inclusion of Dante's Cove on the list is one I do take issue with, since it's nothing more than softcore porn - why not simply fill the list with Bel Ami or CocoDorm moments. Oz scrapes in at the bottom of the list, Keith commenting: "It's because somehow on this show, even though there's kissing and nudity and violence and suffering and even true love, there don't seem to be any actual sex scenes." I don't know about this - I can think of plenty of instances of graphic depictions of gay sex (often rape), and mostly involving Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Simon Adebisi. Oh, happy memories...

The list is also all-American, and so neglects series like the groundbreaking Metrosexuality and even the original British Queer As Folk (a series I hold no love for).
Still, the article makes for interesting reading, and signposts some joyous eye candy - and important moments for Us - in television.