Head On

3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
Living in Australia's immigrant Greek community, Ari is a handsome young Greek who finds himself torn between his traditional upbringing and his sexual identity
  • Starring: Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis
  • Directed by: Anna Kokkinos
  • Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
  • Studio: Strand Releasing
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Product Details
Synopsis: Living in Australia's immigrant Greek community, Ari is a handsome young Greek who finds himself torn between his traditional upbringing and his sexual identity
Starring: Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis
Supporting actors: Julian Garner, Elena Mandalis, Tony Nikolakopoulos, Damien Fotiou, Eugenia Fragos, Dora Kaskanis, María Mercedes, Alex Papps, Vassili Zappa, Andrea Mandalis, Chris Kaglaros, Ourania Sideropoulos, Anthony Lyritzis, Ana Gonzalez, Maya Stange, Aimee Robertson, Nathan Farinella, Paul Farinella, Allan Q, Aris Gounaris
Directed by: Ana Kokkinos
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
Studio: Strand Releasing
ASIN: B0012I967C (Rental) and B0012INE7U (Purchase)
Rights & Requirements
Rental rights: 3 day viewing period Details
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Compatible with: Mac and Windows PC online viewing, compatible instant streaming devices. System requirements
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)
Also available on DVD

Head On DVD ~ Alex Dimitriades

3.8 out of 5 stars (52) $15.80
Theatrical Release Information
  • Production Company: Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Film Victoria, Great Scott Productions Pty. Ltd., Head On Productions
  • USA Box Office: $ 378 Thousand
  • Filming Locations: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
193 of 195 people found the following review helpful
Reality at its darkest October 4, 2000
Format:DVD
I saw this film in the theater last fall (1999), and the protagonist Alex's self-destructive quest into hard drugs and graphic anonymous unsafe sex still haunts me. Hitting close to home, the movie helped me realize certain things about the nature of many gay men torn between being accepted by society and being accepted by oneself. The film, more than just one down note after another, says that sometimes we cannot have both. Alex needs to express his homosexuality but has grown up in a strict orthodox Greek family in Melbourne, Austraila. The family serves as a microcosm for today's critical attitude toward homosexuality and Alex as a symbol for the gay man's (and gay woman's) struggle for acceptance. Since he can't have both, he doesn't want either. And Alex -- a beautiful, heart-breaking, masculine man -- fills his day with the most gratuitous, disturbing acts imaginable. But the film somehow breaks through the barrier of self-pity and self-loathing by portraying the most extreme nature of gay men in a way that distances itself just far enough. We the audience promise never to get as bad as Alex. We walk away shaking our heads, trembling from a life that's never too far from our reaches. Head On is a must-see for any gay man struggling with identity and how it's better to accept the hate of others than to accept it as a part of yourself.
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58 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Head On" is a film which many will see purely for its graphic content - indeed much of its success is attributed to the Australian public's fascination with seeing Dimitriades naked. Behind the sex, behind the hype, lies an artful examination of the pressures of a greek homosexual existence which marks a beautiful debut for Ana Kokkinos. Ari's beat-sex and inability to commit are rendered with a respect and compassion that could so easily have been replaced with a sensationalist approach. Kokkinos prefers to treat her subject cinematically, rather than in the straight-to-video style so many other gay-themed films are produced. Ultimately the film is a visceral but uniquely touching insight into its protagonist's life which haunts for weeks after viewing. The DVD transfer is high quality. There is little in the way of extras bar trailers from the distributors other recent releases.
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101 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's wonderful to be able to recommend a gay-themed movie that doesn't pour on a lot of pc platitudes about the nobility and martyrdom of misunderstood gays. Or that doesn't try to envelop us in propagandistic sickly sweet sentimentality that attempts to show how the gay world is one big happy, touchy-feely family of "normal" types. Reality, as this film shows, proves the opposite to be true.

The star of this independent film, and really the only reason for seeing it, is Alex Dimitriades. He plays a darkly handsome, heavily sensual male gigolo waiting for his sugar daddy. He's so believably screwed up, however, that he never gives anyone a chance to get near him. You can see the angry edginess in his eyes--he's too smart to accept the bourgeois dream of marriage, a serious work ethic, and life in the suburbs that his traditional Greek parents wish for him--he won't even bother to get a job. He'd rather spend his days stoned and sated by the furtive, sleazy sexual encounters, usually in alleys, he indulges in. The rest of the time he rails at everyone within reach for their shoddy dreams and for selling out to conventional morality. And yet he's traditionally macho in spite of himself--when his sister's virtue is compromised by a rival Lebanese youth, he tries to beat him up--while at the same time being ashamed of his Greek background and particularly his traditional strict father, who won't even bother to speak English. And when Alex finally does get a chance to be with a guy who wants more from him than anonymous sex, he screws that up too. He turns his back on family, friends, and love. He's committed to the shadowy, superficial life of gay sex in the fast lane, even though deep down he wants something more but he can't bring himself to be open to it. He's a romantic in spite of himself.

Unfortunately, the movie surrounding Alex Dimitriades' performance falls short. None of the other characters seem to be as believably fleshed out as he is, and some scenes just seem unnecessary. The director may have been trying to do too much. She does pull off a few bravura effects, including a striking finale with Alex miserably consigning himself to a life of promiscuity on the margins of society followed by his performance of a traditional Greek dance. It's lyrical, romantic and despairing all at once. This character is fully tragic--he realizes his limitations all too well and yet can't stop wishing for more. He's too smart to hope. Alex Dimitriades' performance rings so many bells about what it's like to be young, gay, smart and going nowhere and hating yourself for it that it puts all other so-called serious gay cinema to shame.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
i thought it was great
i enjoyed the movie very much. ending could have been a tad better, but i understand its meaning. good watch in my book.
Published 1 month ago by Eric
I'm Not Greek
Half the film is in Greek, with no English subtitles. I don't know a word of Greek, and most U.S. buyers probably don't either. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Warrior1
Sadly , the story of my life
I saw this film for the first time on a vhs tape when i was twenty years old . I didn't identify myself as gay at the time and couldn't make sense of Ari's journey . Read more
Published 2 months ago by giovanni
A Despicable Film On All Levels
Except for the cinematography, which is good, this is a total failure and not worth your time. I have seen 30,000 films in my life, and see them for several reasons: to feel, to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Literato
Disturbing
I found this movie incredibly depressing. I felt bad for the character regarding his drug use & life choices. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Amazon Viewer
Great, Real
Great plot, very believe-able, and very Greek! Culture full, likable characters, overall, worth a watch. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mikiedude
Australian Cinema at its best- uniquely confronting.
For those unfamiliar with the Australian style of movie-making, 'Head On' is a perfect introduction. Read more
Published on May 16, 2010 by michaelmouse1
This is kinda xenophobic, right?
Okay, I get it: some people don't like when multiply-oppressed main characters end on top and expose the prejudices of society? Read more
Published on July 13, 2008 by Jeffery Mingo
Very Disappointing!
This was definitely not entertaining in any sense of the word. So negative, in fact, that I wondered what it was trying to achieve. Read more
Published on February 7, 2008 by Phillip D.
Not very enjoyable
Not something to watch if you're looking for fun or entertainment. It's a dark story about family rejection that takes itself a bit too seriously. Read more
Published on February 2, 2008 by K. Pate
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