Boys' Shorts

good mini series

Six gay short films from Australia, Canada, England and the U.S. from the 90's with a wide range of perspectives on display. Good to see two with African-American subjects. A lot of emphasis on HIV-AIDS which was the obvious main subject on the minds of gay filmmakers during this period. This collection is worth purchasing just for two shorts which hold up well 20 years later. Both nostalgic for their period but still relevant for all today. "RSVP" is a poignant film about loss through AIDS, a beautiful piece by Laurie Lynd set in Canada with the background voice of Jessye Norman really touching a nerve. Mark Christopher's "The Dead Boys' Club" is simply an outstanding short, one of the best ever made. The "magic" pair of shoes that Toby inherits allows him glimpses of the pre-AIDS sexual promiscuity of the 70's temperered with the nervousness of gay sex life in the 90's. Very nice performance by Nat DeWolfe and a great soundtrack add immensely to the enjoyment of this excellent film.

I saw this in a theater in Chicago and found it to be an excellent and entertaining group of short films that attempted to span the experience of what it is to be young ang gay. Some were moving, many were quite funny. It wasn't just me! I make a point of listening to the comments of those around me. (A sort of informal "exit poll" if you will). The audience I was with had nothing but nice things to say about this as they were leaving the theater. This is FAR from a waste of your time. However, I do understand that later entries in this series have slippied in quality. Please do not let that keep you away from this extremely enjoyable collection of films.

I am replacing my VHS copy of this video with a DVD so that I will be able to watch it long after VCRs have disappeared. And I'm doing so solely for the short "The Dead Boys' Club". I first saw this at a film festival and it has become not just my favourite short film but one of my favourite movies period.I came out in the 80s just after AIDS had changed the gay community forever. But I was absolutely fascinated by the stories I'd hear from older guys about the heady, care-free days of the 70s that had come before me. This film brilliantly captures the dream-like appeal of that bygone era for people that have never experienced it. (Although it does it with a very modern bias - all the guys in the flashbacks are far too clean cut and smooth chested to be from the 70s!) At the same time it also makes the most powerful statement about the intensely personal impact of AIDS that I have ever seen on film. And it does this despite - or maybe because of - never mentioning the word once. Subtley is so rare in gay films. In fact, so is anything resembling a decent script. It perfectly captures that bitter-sweet reality of growing up, only in this case it's an entire community's adolesence that's on view. That's why I am holding on to this little gem as long as I can.

This is an abysmal collection of short gay movies. Some are pointless, some are totally incomprehensible, but ALL of them are really awful. I am at least of normal intelligence, so if I don't "get it" the problem isn't with me. Move on. Don't waste your time.