Product Details

• Actors: Danny Arroyo, Jason Cutler (II), Olivia d'Abo, Elizabeth D'Onofrio, Hakan D'Onofrio
• Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: April 13, 2004
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001EFTTW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,099 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Velocity of Gary" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Life in New York City, apparently, ain't what it used to be. In director Dan Ireland's "slice of life," Vincent D'Onofrio is a former porn star named Valentino (how's that for subtle metaphor?) who is slowly dying of AIDS. That's the least of your worries. He's also one third of a symbiotic ménage à trois that includes waitress girlfriend Mary Carmen (an obnoxious Salma Hayek) and fetishistic gigolo boyfriend Gary (Thomas Jane, strutting like Madonna on valium). The movie comes across like some Midwestern housewife's salacious idea of what life is like "on the edge"--teeming with drugs, wild dancing, and drag queens. There's even a deaf, transgendered, Patsy Cline-wannabe who, no kidding, gets hit by a car while trying to call for an ambulance. Ireland and screenwriter James Still make such an embarrassing show of being outrageous that it's almost offensive; everybody is so busy being dangerously fabulous that nobody is even remotely human. --Steve Wiecking

Product Description

Gary, a young hustler, finds a kindred spirit in Valentino, a bisexual adult film star to whom Gary is instantly attracted. Standing in their way is Valentino's dedicated girlfriend. They put aside their differences when Valentino is diagnosed with AIDS, creating a makeshift family to mutually love and support him to the tragic end. Stars: Salma Hayek (Frida, Dogma, Once Upon a Time in Mexico), Vincent D’Onofrio (The Cell, Men in Black), Ethan Hawke (Reality Bites, Before Sunrise), Thomas Jayne (Magnolia, Bookie Nights).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most touching films in years!, September 8, 2000

By 

D. Litton (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Velocity of Gary [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Thomas Jane, Salma Hayek and Vincent D'Onofrio shine like night stars in the film, "The Velocity of Gary," directed by Dan Ireland with a wit and passion all its own. Opening with the character of "Gary" (that is not his real name, nor is it ever revealed), walking through the streets of New York City, clearly in the mood to pick up a guy or two. On the way, he saves a deaf drag queen from getting killed, but regrets it when he follows him everywhere. In comes Salma Hayek as Maricarmen, the lusty yet snappy Latina who is in love with Valentino, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. We soon learn two things: Gary is also in love with Valentino, and Valentino is dying of AIDS from his work as a porn star. Throughout the course of the movie, Maricarmen and Gary argue over what kind of care he should be receiving, and who is going to supply that care. The real waves of emotion come when the time for Valentino's impending death becomes very short, and the three of them begin to take stock of themselves as well as their relationship with one another. THis movie works the heart in more ways than one, most notably being the dialogue. The line, "Gary dreams about kissing someone so hard his mouth hurts. He dreams about kissing someone so soft his heart hurts, so long his neck hurts, so deep his throat hurts. Gary dreams about kissing someone so... completely that nothing hurts," is nothing but pure genius on the part of the writers. The sexual inuendo in the film, such as the kiss between Valentino and Gary in the phone room, takes it as far as it can without going into the extreme, and the passion between characters is vivdly evident. The search for one's purpose in life and where life goes is no more underlined than in this movie, which will move its open-minded viewers to tears of sadness as well as joy.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one that got away, July 11, 2003

By 

Melissa (Boston) - See all my reviews

It's a travesty that this film is not available on DVD. Travesty.

This is the kind of movie that is not what it seems. From the cover jacket, you expect it to be about the harshness of city living, full of darkness and anger and seedy characters, but it's not. It's about three people and a world that most of us (thankfully) haven't experienced in our lives. The three lead characters are: Valentino, a bisexual ex-porn star dying of HIV; Gary* (not his real name), a gay hustler who falls hard for Valentino; and Mary Carmen, Valentino's spitfire girlfriend who is jealous of her lover's relationship with Gary but who has no choice but to share him. The world they inhabit is the underbelly of NYC, but director Dan Ireland never looks down on the characters, nor does he put them on a pedestal. It's a fine balance, but one that is achieved. The result is that it is impossible to watch this film and not feel the affection that Ireland has for the characters and their world, and that transfers to the viewer. It's reminiscent of Boogie Nights, another film set in the world of porn,drugs and hustlers, and a film that also makes you care for its characters and the alternative family they create.

The three leads did amazing work. Vincent D'Onofrio is mesmerizing as the center of the love triangle, a character so full of life even as he's dying that he can't be contained. This was a brave role for the respected character actor, and it deserves to be seen. Salma Hayek turns in another great performance, and one scene in particular, breaks your heart. Valentino is dancing in a club with Gary and Mary Carmen, and when he turns his back on Mary Carmen for a second to bump and grind with Gary, the slow-motion shot of the pain, longing and jealousy in Hayek's eyes will rip your heart out. And Thomas Jane has never been better. For anyone who's only seen his work in Deep Blue Sea and that raunchy Cameron Diaz "comedy", brace yourself for an actor whose potential hasn't been tapped in his subsequent projects.

This film has more than enough heart to spare, and that is what is truly so great about it. It defies expectations and cliches, yet it leaves you feeling renewed and hopeful. I only saw this film this past week, and I can't believe it escaped me before. Don't make the same mistake I did. See Velocity of Gary. It will haunt you, but in a good way.

D'Onofrio also produced the picture with Ireland, along with a previous collaboration called The Whole Wide World, and these two should continue their work together. They've created two wonderfully different films about passion and love and the human condition. And that's something that's sorely lacking in today's cinema.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mesmerizing and brilliant film!, May 25, 2001

By 

FloozyFlapper1926 (Somewhere in the 20's) - See all my reviews

I had been reading mixed reviews on this film so I was pleasantly surprised after I watched it. This is now one of my favorite movies of all time! The characters and story drew me in so deeply that I re-watched it a couple of days later. The story of the charismatic, dying Valentino and his two lovers really moved me. These were people who loved each other in their own way. Even though Gary and Mary Carmen fought all the time, their love for Valentino was enough to keep them together. I found the story to be touching, the dialogue interesting and the actors perfect in their roles.

This is a film that is more understandable if you have known a lot of people who live alternative lifestyles. I've been friends with people in relationships like this and its a very complicated situation. I also enjoyed the strange characters like Kid Joey, the drag queen obsessed with Patsy Cline and Gary. He was so desperate and sad and I wish his character would have been in the movie longer. All these people were different and bizarre yet they all seemed to care about each other. Not to mention there is a really hot kiss between two gorgeous men! The ending was moving to me in that it gave you a sense of optimism for their future. It doesn't necessarily have a happy ending but its a real ending with heart.

Obviously this is a movie that is not for everyone but for those with an open mind, you can become absorbed in this story. This is a rare and beautiful film that will make you stop and think long after its over. I would give it more than five stars if I could!