Just a few years before gay performer Michael Carbonaro worked his magic on his popular hidden camera illusionist show The Carbonaro Effect, he cast a spell over us in Todd Stephens’ raunchy queer teen flick parody Another Gay Movie (Breaking Glass Pictures). Newly reissued in a 15th-anniversary directors’ cut edition, the extended version also includes a bevy of bonus material.
In typical teen sex comedy style, the movie features a group of horned-up friends all eager to lose the virginity they managed to cling to throughout high school before the end of the summer and the beginning of college. When Andy (Carbonaro, who spends a lot of time in various states of undress) isn’t masturbating, thinking about masturbating or fantasizing about teacher Mr. Puckov (Graham Norton), he’s a clerk at Rainbow Video. Nelly Nico (a kooky Jonah Blechman) also works at Rainbow Video as the business is owned by his mother Bonnie (Stephanie McVay). Hot jock Jared (Jonathan Chase) is ashamed of his lack of endowment and nerdy Griff (Mitch Morris), the bookish one, is harboring a secret crush on one of his buddies.
What follows is a series of wacky (and whacking off) episodes in which each of the bros does his damnedest to get deflowered. Andy, who is perfectly happy pleasuring himself, finds himself in a variety of uncomfortable situations at home, where he constantly alarms his parents (played by drag legend Lypsinka and gay actor Scott Thompson), as well as in Mr. Puckov’s dungeon, where the action is streamed live online. Nico’s penchant for older guys results in one disaster (with Survivor champ Richard Hatch playing himself) and one success (Grandpa Muffler as portrayed by George Marcy). Jared is having somewhat better luck in his experiences with Beau (James Getzlaff of Boy Meets Boy fame), but he almost bites the dust in a penis pump incident. As for poor Griff, a fling with personal trainer/exotic dancer Angel (Darryl Stephens) eventually gives him the courage to pursue the man he truly loves (no spoilers here).
Bursting at the seams with offensive humor, particularly the material related to race and disability, Another Gay Movie has a habit of going too far and then going even farther. Most of the characters are overblown caricatures, much more exaggerated than practically anything portrayed in non-gay movies of this ilk. This is especially true of the prominent lesbian character Muffler (Ashlie Atkinson) who may once in a while drop a pearl of wisdom, but is mostly beyond obnoxious. Even Nico’s citing of Paul Lynde feels more dated than it did the first time around.
Perhaps what’s most shocking about Another Gay Movie is that it was directed and co-written by Todd Stephens, the writer of the beloved gay movie Edge of Seventeen, and director of Gypsy 83, as well as the forthcoming and hotly anticipated Swan Song (starring Udo Kier and Jennifer Coolidge). It was probably just something he needed to get out of his system (twice, as it turns out, because a sequel was released in 2008).
Rating: C-
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