AndyMangels.com: JUST OUT Information

Boys Life 3      Short films can be tricky. They must condense the story into a smaller time frame, although the generally young filmmakers often try to put too much into the condensation.

     They can be too experimental for the audience to appreciate or too political to gain allies on all sides of the spectrum. Finding a collection of short films about gay men that will appeal to most of the gay community is more difficult, but Strand Releasing's Boys Life 3 does just that.

     The collection opens with the French film "Majorettes in Space," a wacky and absurdist Dick and Jane style feature, wherein we meet a gay man, a straight man, a gay woman, a cosmonaut, a cadre of majorettes and the pope and learn simple truths about rubbers, gay pride, death and vodka. At six minutes, it's the shortest, but it's a pleasant opener.

     "Hitch" is a road trip with two young, scruffy, rangy men, shot in almost uncomfortably close documentary style. We eventually learn that the driver is bisexual and that the passenger is straight but feels strange yearnings for the driver. The sexual tension is so thick it's almost palpable, while the slow progression is more erotic than most gay pornography.

     Viewers will be most aware of "Inside Out" because of writer/director/star Jason Gould's recent cover story in the Advocate. It's a story about Aaron, the son of two famous celebrities (Mom never is mentioned by name, Dad is played by Elliott Gould), and the trials he faces in Hollywood. He is stalked by the paparazzi, is outed by the tabloids, joins a "survivors of celebrity parents" group run by Christina Crawford, joins Scientology and helps his brother-an unrepentant streaker-in court. The longest of the shorts, this is generally delightful, with a touch of catharsis at the end that we know never could happen in reality.

     Now being shot as a full-length picture, "Just One Time" is a hilarious short in which a neighborhood boy is lusting after his neighbor, who in turn wants his girlfriend to be with another woman "just one time." Her solution is obvious but no less fun to watch.

     Finally, "$30" is the heartwarming story of a teen-age gay boy whose father buys him a female prostitute at a seedy motel for his birthday. Why heartwarming? Because the prostitute is played at her earthy best by Roseanne's Sara Gilbert, who instinctively knows what to do to bring the boy out and keep the father happy all at the same time. In a film called Boys Life 3, it's funny to say, but girl Gilbert steals the award for best performance.

     Boys Life 3 begins in silliness and ends in earthy comfort, with lots of warm and funny feelings in between. I predict audiences will rave about it. Catch it Feb. 9 to 15 at Cinema 21.