Ironically, Anthony eventually becomes victim of his own double-sided values as he is placed in charge of unraveling the murder and unearthing the body of his former  lover.

Things take a bizarre turn when an innocent newlywed couple purchases the cabin and Adam’s spirit haunts the premises, making life in their new home a nightmarish and terrifying ordeal.

Will Anthony be able to bring closure to Adam’s spirit and end the new residents’ frightening experiences?”

Unfortunately, The House of Adam is as confused as its (sometimes) lead character, Anthony.  At first, HOA is a drama as the lonely gay guy gets bullied by the local yokels, falls for closeted cop (who stole from his father!) then gets murdered.  Then HOA becomes a horror (very mild horror at that) as Adam haunts the home he was slaughtered in much to the consternation of the straight couple who’ve moved in.  Yet, HOA takes another turn and becomes a thriller as former lover, formerly closeted, former detective turned homeless wanderer ends up living in the shack of what was once his own house … purportedly to catch the killers!

I KNOW!

While Writer/Director Jorge Ameer has a number of films under his credit, the screenplay seems completely amateur with completely unnecessary plot elements typically used by noobs who need filler because they can’t think of what the characters need to say or do.  For example, why does a son who steals money from his dad want to be a detective?  He lies to his father about going to school to be a detective (Huh?).  And, why do we need the supernatural bit?   I could go on and on.  Despite some weak acting in spots and plot points that make you go “Huh?” HOA has a dramatic core story and is, generally, well-filmed.

Director: Jorge Ameer

Cast: John Shaw, Tiffany McFarland, Reeve Howard

Now, Karen might be a bit embarrassed that I first discovered her from her comedy CD on Uproar Entertainment from like a billion years ago. I thought she was funny then … wow. While her acts have always leaned toward rude and sexual she’s  Read the rest of this review …

Holy cow! The planet earth is in peril of impending doom, and maniacal destructive forces from outer space are close at hand! Twisted, demented alien terrorists are single-handedly about to reap horrific havoc on earth and threaten life itself.

Meanwhile, ace investigative reporter extraordinaire, Al Manac (James Vallo - reprising his role from another indie film, Space Daze), has been held captive for two years in their space lair, the victim of unending and unimaginable exploratory exams, which  include degrading forms of “probing”.

Anxious to initiate their evil bidding, the aliens beam Al back home to earth in an attempt to force him to carry out  their demonic plans.

Can Al help truly save the planet earth? Parallel worlds of outer space sci-fi and day to day reality collide head-on in this comic tale of passion, paranoia, outrageous aliens, and last but not least, “probing!”

If you know independent films, you know that, at times, the acting talent  can be a bit dicey, set design by Goodwill Industries (despite gobs of gay men on staff), and plots that meander hither and yon.  Spaced Out is none of those things - well, ok, maybe there wasn’t any set design … just seat-of-their-pants location shoots - this movie is well-crafted, well-acted, and purrs like a well-oiled engine.

The running joke throughout the film is the alien “probing” and, while the joke might get a little old after awhile the variety of  twists keep you rolling your eyes … they guy who walks around with an alien probe still stuck in his ass, the alien “fan” who desperately wants to get probed, and Al’s equally desperate need NOT to get probed again!

Cameo appearances abound in Spaced Out with Butch Patrick (Eddie from The Munsters) and Fred Williamson are the most notable.

Spaced Out is a fantastic, quirky sci-fi film and is definitely a must-see.

Studio: Ariztical Entertainment

Director: Scott Grenke

Cast: James Vallo, Butch Patrick (The Munsters), Fred Williamson (”The Hammer”), Robert Z’ Dar, Larry Thomas, Cole Williams (8 Simple Rules), Byron Thames, Antonio Fargas, Ilya Toshinsky, Mianda Watts & Charles Levi

Starring Ron Howard, Andy Griffith, Henry Winkler. Written By Ron Howard, Adam McKay. Directed by Jake Szymanski

At the Limelight disco, where shoulder pads and acid-washed jeans reign supreme, Goth guy Adam (Chester) and his fag hag Rhonda (a hilarious Parker Posey) meet Steve (Malcolm Gets), a Solid gold dancer wanna-be. Adam takes Steve home but after several bumps of coke laced with baby laxatives, their date comes to a comically explosive end.

Flash to 2005 and as fate would have it, Adam and Steve encounter each other again, blissfully unaware that they had previously met. As the two men begin courting each other, aided by the newly svelte Rhonda and Steve’s straight roommate (Chris Kattan of “Saturday Night Live”) clues begin to pop up about Adam and Steve’s pasts.

Chester and Gets, both openly gay actors, provide an authentic and appealing spin to the “boy meets boy” film genre in queer cinema. Supported by a strong cast (Posey and Kattan shine), appearances by Julie Hagerty, Sally Kirkland and Jackie Beat, and a toe-tapping country western musical number, Adam & Steve delivers laugh-out-loud sight gags and witty one-liners - yet it also has just the right amount of heart to touch the romantic in all of us.2005, 99 min

Country: US

Studio: TLA Releasing

Cast: Craig Chester, Malcolm Gets, Parker Posey, Chris Kattan

Director: Craig Chester

Screenwriter: Craig Chester

Rating: R

An extremely entertaining and sensual gay road movie. Felix (Sami Bouajila) is a gentle, carefree French-Arab living in Normandy with his lover, who, after finding himself suddenly unemployed, decides to head south to Marseilles in search of his biological father, whom he’s never met. Bidding his boyfriend adieu, Felix hits the road hitch-hiking where he meets a variety of strangers who become his new, imagined family. There’s young, frisky, and inexperienced “little brother,” (who lusts after him) hunky and liberated “cousin,” (with whom he has some hot sex in the fields), harried “sister” with a brood of kids, and wise old “grandmother”. By the time Felix reaches his destination, who will end up being his father? And does it really matter? At the film’s end Felix reunites with his lover in the sweet, gentle, sensuous and romantic film. Besides its air of whimsy and humor, The Adventures of Felix injects serious doses of realities like racism, crime and loneliness. For self-described, long-time “hysterical activists” and real-life lovers Jacques Martineau and Oliver Ducastel, that was part of the game plan.

2.35:1 Widescreen / 5.1 Surround / Subtitles / Commentary by Jacques Martineau and Oliver Ducastel / Theatrical trailers / Filmographies

2000, 95 min

A.K.A.: Drôle de Félix

Country: France

Studio: Wellspring

Cast: Sami Bouajila, Patachou, Ariane Ascaride, Pierre-Loup Rajot, Charly Sergue

Director: Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau

Screenwriter: Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau

Opposites attract in this romantic comedy about two very different gay men and their search for true love. Eli (Dan Bucatinsky, who wrote the screenplay based on his stage production) is a cute, neurotic X-Files addict whose favorite film is Gone With the Wind. When his straight best friend and next-door neighbor Brett (Adam Goldberg) falls in love with Jackie (Sasha Alexander), Eli is set up with Jackie’s hunky best friend, Tom (Richard Ruccolo.) From their disastrous first date and a tentative romance, Tom and Eli try to get close but are often foiled by their own insecurities. The film flips back and forth between Eli and Tom recounting their relationship to strangers, each trying to believe that they are “all over the guy.” Director Julie Davis coaxes wonderful performances out of her attractive cast, and Bucatinsky’s witty screenplay features some great, fast-talking dialogue. Christina Ricci and Lisa Kudrow contribute memorable cameos, as well as Andrea Martin as Eli’s overbearing mother. Romantic, funny and even sexy!

Lions Gate Films / English Dolby Digital 5.1 / Spanish subtitles / Anamorphic Widescreen / Aspect Ratio: 1.77 / Audio Commentary / Alternate ending / Deleted scenes / Storyboard comparisons / Cast tapes / Pre-production artwork / Interview / Trailer / Bloopers / English and Spanish subtitles

2000, 95 min

Country: US

Studio: Lions Gate Films

Cast: Dan Bucatinsky, Richard Ruccolo, Adam Goldberg, Sasha Alexander, Doris Roberts, Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow, Andrea Martin

Director: Julie Davis

Screenwriter: Dan Bucatinsky

Rating: R

Beautiful gay teens, hunky straight guys, great scenery at the beach - not much to complain about with this issue oriented drama that faces up strongly and surprisingly erotically to the issue of gay teens. Ultimately an uplifting tale told with aplomb, considering the obviously miniscule budget. Teenage David and his younger brother travel to his Dad’s hometown with their recently separated father. Dad renews a friendship with his hunky old buddy; while his son, Seth, hits it off with David. The two very cute boys become real close, real fast. They become so bonded that one night the teens get drunk, make a fire on the beach, look into each other’s eyes and lock lips. - Ah must say ah get quite tired of this plot device. Wah must one get drunk to express how they feel? Ah think it sends the wrong message. - The boys don’t realize that David’s younger brother was spying on them and he’s not too happy with what he saw. The next day over lunch with the whole tribe the whole story comes out of the closet with the teens. This is the most dramatic moment in the story and the one time Ta felt the actor playing David really opened up his acting wings. In a truly affirmative spirit Dad embraces his son. A truly worthwhile independent film - sort of a queer after-school special!

Guardian Pictures & 10% Productions / 115 minutes / Widescreen / Original opening scene / Cast interviews / Outtakes 2000, 115 min

Country: US

Studio: Alluvial Filmworks

Cast: J.F. Davis, Jesse Petrick, Mathieu Smith, Jeremy Douglas, Phyllis Rodenberger

Director: Jeff London

Let’s meet the targets of affection: You have studly jock Jarod (Jonathan Chase), who thinks he’s “top” but we all know better; nerdy Griff (Mitch Morris), who secretly harbors a crush on Jarod while obsessing about his butt or lack thereof; Nico (Jonah Blechman), the flamboyant cinema geek who is aiming to find a “Daddy” to break him in and, finally, the seemingly innocent Andy (Michael Carbonaro), who finds that a quiche may become his best friend. Guided by their “chick magnet” lesbian gal pal Muffler (Ashlie Atkinson), they’re bent on doing the “Big A” by the end of the summer. And will try anyone and, in some cases, anything to lose it.

Todd Stephens (writer/producer of Edge of Seventeen, writer/director/producer of Gypsy ‘83) breaks new ground in queer cinema by taking the straight teen comedy and reinventing it as a lavender extravaganza that features a who’s who of gay celebrities like Lypsinka (doing a fabulous Mommie Dearest); Graham Norton as Mr. Puckov, their prodigiously endowed, anything-goes exchange teacher; Scott Thompson as Andy’s uncomfortably accepting father with a secret of his own; Darryl Stephens (”Noah’s Arc”) as a sexed up aerobics instructor and Matthew Rush, who “rises” to the occasion as a date gone bad. As if that isn’t enough, even a cameo from Richard Hatch (”Survivor”) literally shows he has balls … and Lordy, Ah’ll never recover from seeing his “member!”

Mix in assorted garden vegetables, a butt plug about the size of a Hummer, furry gerbils prone to roam, penis pumps from hell, six-inch nipples, long-tongued lesbians and a few dozen enemas and you have a film that will definitely give the Right Wing coronaries en masse, and why not?

With 100 jokes a minute and a delicious looking cast, Another Gay Movie is a 100% gay, in-your-face spoof that will have you giggling with glee and gasping from the uncensored outrageousness.

2005, 93 min

Country: US

Studio: TLA Releasing

Cast: Michael Carbonaro, Jonathan Chase, Jonah Blechman, Mitch Morris, Scott Thompson, Graham Norton, Ashlie Atkinson, Stephanie McVay, John Epperson aka Lypsinka, Darryl Stephens, Matthew Rush, Richard Hatch, Ant, James Getzlaff, Andersen Gabrych, Angela Oh, Alyshia Osche, Kristen Novak, Megan Saraceni

Director: Todd Stephens

Screenwriter: Todd Stephens

Story: Todd Stephens

Executive Producer: Raymond Murray, Richard Wolff

Rating: Unrated

Bar Girls, which was created from a play by Lauran Hoffman, was brought to life on the silver screen from the stages in Los Angeles. Many of the characters that were in the Los Angeles play were also in the movie, as well as a special cameo appearance by Chastity Bono, a famous lesbian herself. The premise of the movie is based on Nancy Allison Wolfe’s character, Loretta, who seems to have a string of bad luck with the lesbian dating scene. Women have come and gone out of her life, and she finally feels that Rachel, who is portrayed by Liza D’Agostino, can be the right woman to change her life around. Rachel, who feels the same about Loretta, seems to be confused at first about her feelings towards Loretta, and is fairly new to the lesbian scene. As time progresses, Rachel and Loretta see more and more of each other, until Rachel eventually divorces her husband and moves out of her home to live with Loretta.

Everything with Rachel and Loretta’s living situation seems to be great, until they run into an up and coming police officer, JR (Camila Griggs) at their favorite lesbian hang out (which, ironically is where they first met). JR takes an immediate liking to Rachel, and Loretta feels as though Rachel is quickly falling out of love with her and appreciating JR and her flirtatious ways even more. Suspicious of Rachel and JR having feelings for each other, Loretta begins to doubt herself and her relationship with Rachel. Things take a crazy spin in the movie when JR and Loretta end up having sex and Rachel becomes quite furious. Even more fun is added to the mix when both Rachel and Loretta’s ex’s begin to date one another, and Loretta and Rachel are left to wonder what is really going on. Loretta and Rachel eventually work everything out, and they remain good friends at the end of the movie.

The LGBT community greatly appreciated this movie, as it was light hearted, and funny. Although it did not win any awards, it was well received for its funny candor and truth to every day lesbian life. Although Bar Girls is a movie that is already over a decade old, the message and the feelings in the movie have proven to carry on.

1995, 95 min

Country: US

Studio: MGM

Cast: Nancy Allison Wolfe, Lisa Parker, Camila Griggs, Paula Sorge, Justine Slater

Director: Marita Giovanni