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Another Gay Movie

(2006) ** Unrated
94 min. TLA Releasing. Director: Todd Stephens. Cast: Scott Thompson, Justin Bond, Michael Carbonaro, Ashlie Atkinson, James Getzlaff.

For years, people have imagined what the world would be like if homosexual folks outnumbered straight folks. In appraising American Pie, writer-director Todd Stephens got to thinking about "the film I desperately wanted as a gay teen." So Stephens decided to remake American Pie by creating "a galaxy hopefully not so far, far away. Where no one is tormented, tortured, or agonizes about who they are, Where 'gay' is as normal as The Brady Bunch, and queer virgins want the same thing as their straight counterparts—to get LAID!" Gentlemen and gentlemen, it's Another Gay Movie.

In its very existence, Another Gay Movie qualifies as a political statement, and Stephens' sentiment is hugely admirable. But those points don't make Another Gay Movie good: this out-loud movie overdoses on bawdiness and goofy style. Michael Carbonaro plays Andy Wilson, one of a foursome of "booty virgins" at San Torum High School (ahem—home of the San Torum Donkeys). Jock Jared (Jonathan Chase) and nerd Griff (Mitch Morris) are the buddies too tight to realize they're in love with each other, and movie buff Nico (Jonah Blechman) has one foot in the closet with a blithe mother and a literally blind girlfriend.

Determined to do "the big A" before summer is over, the graduates make best-laid plans that naturally go awry. Stephens slavishly follows the American Pie model, making Another Gay Movie more a remake than a parody (though the tone is Scary Movie-broad). Stifler becomes Muffler (Ashlee Atkinson), a raucous bull-dyke who throws a graduation party. In a less-funny variation on his role in Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, Scott Thompson plays Andy's dad; like Eugene Levy in American Pie, Thompson dispenses sex talk with embarrassing frankness. There's a scene involving a warm quiche, and another with Andy unknowingly exposing his sex life on an internet webcam. And the all-around scatological tone finds comic opportunity in condom-covered produce, vomit, penis pumps, erections, glory holes, and enemas.

If you're giggling already, Another Gay Movie should be right up your alley; if not, you may not make it to the film's sharp, brief turn to warm fuzzies. Stephens shoots the film in candy-colored, patently unreal settings (Brady Bunch-style ranch homes) and layers each scene with cartoony sound effects. Stephens doesn't know the meaning of restraint, but he does know well enough to pack the movie with gay in-jokes (including a reference to Edge of Seventeen, which Stephens wrote), camp-movie spoofs (takeoffs on Mommie Dearest and Carrie), gay celebrities (Graham Norton as a French teacher, Lypsinka as Andy's mom, porn star Matthew Rush as one of Nico's dates, and "million-dollar bear" Richard Hatch as himself), and a theme song sung by Nancy Sinatra.

Even with nods to safe sex, the unrated Another Gay Movie is considerably more explicit than American Pie (will Log Cabin Republicans be rankled at what gay teens are watching?). But there's no denying the galvanizing effect when a movie hero remarks, "What's a boy gotta do to get some man snatch?" At long last, like it or not, it's a frat comedy for the gay audience.

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