Customer Reviews

Lie Down With Dogs [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

This is, quite simply, one of the most shallow, pathetic and depressing films I have ever seen. What's even worse, it operates under the guise of a fun beach movie. Granted, I may be gay but am not one of those club going, circuit party, drinking guys who seem to drift through life in pursuit of good clothes and sharp wisecracks, and watching this film makes me even more secure in who I am. First off, this was filmed during off-season apparently, which gives Provincetown the look of a ghost town. One expects to see tumbleweed drifting through the streets in the establishing shots. Secondly, the poor misguided hero leaves New York because he is sick of it and the people (at least, that is what I can gather from the badly acted prologue...the friends the hero wants to get away from seem to have stepped out of a gay Fellini film...one without subtitles) So, our plucky hero goes to Provincetown, and instead of convincing us how wonderful it is, we come away with a bad taste in our mouths. One of his new best friends is an alcoholic who does not help him when he is sick, we are supposed to root for our hero at the end when the guy he likes ends up going with another man, and then we have the Randy Becker character who is a dangerous combination of pulchritude and stupidity (but then after watching this film, it begs the question...are brains and beauty mutually exclusive?) The worst thing about this film, besides the shallowness and charisma factors of zero in just about every character is how genuinely unfunny it is. Jokes fall flat...and if we are supposed to think jokes about older men (i.e. responsible) in AA are funny, then I suggest you check this film out. Me? I tend not to. I much prefer Boys in the Band, which, despite all its hard knocks seems to be more universally reviled due to its truthfulness. Lie down with Dogs is not a great, liberating film. It is shallow, it is unfunny, and it is best forgotten. And good riddance.

This is the gay filmmaking at it's shabbiest and most incompetent. Every moment of this film is a nightmare of mind and nerves. I was unable to watch more than fifteen minutes at a time--I was so stupified that I had to take breaks. The only redeeming quality of this film is that it's easy to point out who's responsibe for this atrocity: Wally White. He not only stars in this film, but he wrote, directed, and produced. Appearantly, the only thing he didn't do was cater and pour coffee. That's a blessing, cause if he did that as badly as he did the rest, everyone else in this film would have gotten food poisoning. The "story" is about a young gay man from NYC who goes to Provincetown, MA looking for romance and happiness. White plays the hero, and gives a truly annoying performance. His obvious belief that he's an attractive and compelling presence makes it even worse. With his whiny, grating voice, bulging belly, and embarrassing dialogue, he has the romantic charisma of Gilbert Gottfried and the sex appeal of Barney the Dinosaur. It's no wonder that he can't find romance in NYC, and when he gets propositioned by a hot gym buff, it's like watching science fiction. He looks for work as a houseboy, and stumbles in and out of yawn-raising misadventures. You won't care. Everything else about this film is also awful. While the setting (Provincetown) is a beautiful, lively place in real life, it's photographed so badly that you'll think it's a coastal slum. The sound is poor and scratchy, and the co-stars behave like relatives in someone else's home movie. Also, the choppy editing causes lapses in coherance. But none of that takes away from White's irritating screen presence, and his determination to be the center of attention. Even during quiet and sentimental scenes, he tries so hard to upstage everyone else, he treats his co-stars like boxing opponents. And when he does close-up monologues with the camera, you'll wish you had darts at your disposal. I don't know what Wally White has done since making this film. Hopefully he holds down a job that has nothing to do with making movies.

The latest critics (or whatever they consider themselves) provide an unjust and almost vitriolic view of this playful, not-to-be taken-seriously movie that nonetheless hides the truth of many of our (your) lives and fantasies. Wally White has achieved a splendid little essay on stereotypes (how hated they are!) and situations (how true they may be!) and has done so cheerfully and from the inside, not as an outsider looking in to damn; criticism of the our lifestyle there is (and it does apply in more cases than the self-styled critics would like to admit) but it is always tongue-in-cheek, fun, robust, playful, outrageous (even if often true, and I have seen it); and the new-wave gay, with his ultra-modern platforms who does not recognize the "truth" underlying this charade is merely self-deceptive and egotistical.
The movie is a little treasure of fun and frolic and should be taken for no more and treasured for no less. And its detractors should look a little more deeply into themselves before condemning it.

Maybe you SHOULD see this wretched excuse for a film... after all, where else can you get such succinct lessons in how to make a bad film, AND offend your target audience? Wally White's pathetic take on "What I Did Last Summer" is not only boring, self-absorbed and poorly done... it's also offensive as hell. He's trying to be funny here, but what White doesn't realize is that he encapsulates just about everything that's wrong with gay society. Since when is picking on others publicly (a la the jaw-droppingly insensitive "Square State" scene) humorous? How much worse is it that this smug little twerp is aiming it at his own people? This isn't just a rotten film, it's mean-spirited and Wally White doesn't even know it.

Lie Down with Dogs ran through the independent film circuit in 1995, and was forgotten as soon as the run was over, with good reason.

The plot centers around a shallow, self-centered gay man who can't handle the pressure of summer in New York, and decides on a whim to spend the summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

First of all, this film is not an honest portrayal of Provincetown--except for during the last reel when the main character, Tommy, takes a bike tour through the nature trails with Ben--who appears to be the only decent guy in town. In reality, Provincetown is much more idyllic than is shown here-and there are lots of nice, genuine people there. Not that the town doesn't party hearty, but that's far from the only reason gays & lesbians choose this as a prime vacation spot. (The town's extensive history as an artist's colony isn't even mentioned.) Matters are not helped by the fact that the film, which takes place during the summer, was shot in the off-season when the streets were nearly empty.

Second, the movie is a slanderous portrayal of gay life. In one monologue, White belittles Longtime Companion, but that film is far more realistic, moving, and does greater service to the gay community.

Wally White is obviously the primary force behind this film, since he's listed as producer, writer, director, and lead actor. So the blame for this drivel falls entirely on his shoulders. As producer, it's astonishing he was able to secure funding for his poorly written tripe. As director, he can't handle a camera, nor does he have an eye for cinematography--Provincetown looks better in the photos I took during a trip there. As actor, he gives the worst performance in the film. It says something about the overall quality of this film that, with the exception of Randy Becker (who was already an established stage actor by the time this film was released) none of the other principals has been heard from since--including Wally White.

I can't help the feeling that Wally White's primary motivation in making this film was to act out love scenes with numerous good looking guys who would be out of his league in real life.

Two stars due to the fact that this movie at least inspired me to visit the real Provincetown.

This, without a doubt, is the worst movie I have ever seen. It is incredibly bad. Moreover, the cover -- showing nice looking men frolicking -- is very misleading. None of the actors are physically or emotionally attractive. I think my 2 year old nephew could have put a more coherent movie together.

This little film is a bit different and it's pretty well done. I really can't complain about the quality in sound, video, clarity, casting and so on. All those things are quite good. I was a little bored with it however. It struggles to hold your attention long enough to get it's message out. It does have a great ending which is a very nice change, and there are a lot of guys in it, several of which were very pleasing to the eyes. It's all about one guys journey to the fast paced, one night stand after another all summer long in the ultimate gay party spot of Provincetown. He is looking for fun, or so he thinks, but he might just find something a whole lot more satisfying within his own heart. This guy has a problem being majorly shallow. The film is not all that immune from the same disorder, but both seem to make an amazing recovery in the end. In fact, the film makes a nice point in the ending if you can stay with it long enough to get that far. It's got some low spots to endure, but this film really does have a few high spot that make it worth watching. While most of the content is not my personal cup of tea and some of it was just not really worth watching at all for me, I can't honestly say it's a bad film. It's not by any means a blockbuster, and not one I will be watching over and over again. I would recommend this one to a select group of gays who are into the party life of sex and drugs. Those will find it most entertaining. If you are not into that sort of thing, You, as I, will be more comfortable watching something else. There are a whole lot better movies out there to choose from in my humble opinion. Nevertheless, I give this one three stars. One for the quality, one for casting and acting, and the other for the ending which doesn't just leave you hanging and feeling like you got nothing at all out of your time viewing it. I would recommend a lot of other films over this one, BUT if you are determined to watch it, just keep expectations low, and consider your own feelings about the subject matter.

It is not funny and the main character is annoying.

dont waste your money. would rather have watched attack of the killer tomatoes again.

I couldn't possibly discribe how bad this movie is. If I wanted to spend an hour and a half watching bitchy, self-cenetered, alcoholic queens I'd go to the bars.