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38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good (and funny) movie, with 3 dimensional characters!, January 7, 2006
This review is from: Slutty Summer (DVD)
I'd read some mixed (to bad) reviews of Slutty Summer, so I was unprepared for what a really good film it is. Of the countless gay movies I've seen, this was the first that truly made me feel that I was observing the real lives of 20something gay guys in a big city. The characters are all three-dimensional, even slutty Luke, well played by Jesse Archer, who is allowed to reveal a deeper side to his seemingly shallow character. Out actor/director Casper Andreas is very real and believable and likable as recently dumped Markus (I liked the way no attempt was made to explain his Scandinavian accent), and his developing feelings for equally effective Jamie Hatchett (as Tyler) build slowly and believably. Jeffrey Christopher Todd is adorable as hopeless romantic Peter, and I appreciated the respect with which Andreas treated this character; it would have been so easy to make fun of Peter's sincere desire to wait for Mr. Right. Virginia Bryant has many good moments as slightly ditzy Marilyn, and again Andreas has made her much more than the usual "fag hag" without a life of her own. I suppose it's possible (though doubtful) that at least some of the actors were straight (only Andreas is openly gay, as far as I know), but if so, they'd have to be quite amazing actors, because unlike far too many films, I believed that I was seeing real gay men (even down to smaller roles such as cutiepie Lex Sosa as Steven). Reading several other reviews here, I truly wonder at the cynicism and negativity of some gay viewers. This is not a bad film at all. This is not a badly made film at all. The budget may have been low, but this is clearly the work of a talented man who has surrounded himself with a talented bunch of mostly new to the screen performers. And the New York locations add to the realism of the story, and are especially interesting for an Angelino like myself (who loves New York as well). Thumbs up for Slutty Summer.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unfortunate Title, January 31, 2006
This review is from: Slutty Summer (DVD)
Sometimes the title of a film has connotations that put people off, preventing them from viewing a film that has a lot of good points just because the title is tacky. Such is the case for SLUTTY SUMMER. This low budget first film by writer/producer/director/actor Casper Andreas may not have the substance or finesse that other independent films have, but taken as a whole it is an entertaining outing that deserves more credit than it has received. One wonders if a different title and cover image would have resulted in a larger more attentive audience.
Summer in Manhattan and new writer Marcus (Andreas) has just terminated a relationship with unfaithful Julian (Christos Klapsis) and finds solace in his man-hungry but gay-friendly friend Marilyn (Virginia Bryan) who lands him a waiter position in a small restaurant where all waiters are various stereotypes of gay men: ex-model sleeparound Tyler (Jamie Hatchett), hopeless romantic wannabe actor Peter (Jeffrey Christopher Todd), nellie flamboyant one night stander Luke (Jesse Archer) and the obnoxious manager Kevin (Lance Werth). Through a lot of visits to bars and hangouts the crew try to soften Markus' hurt and in doing so open Markus' eyes (indeed, everyone's eyes) to the significance of relationships in the flippant world of gay Manhattan.
Yes, the story has been done before but life keeps repeating the same stories, too, and it is fine to have a different take on same sex ways of life and philosophy in the big city. For a film shot in 14 days there is a fine amount of attention paid to small details of conversations. Markus proves an economical director. The cast of mostly inexperienced actors does well, and even if they do seem to be parodies of stereotypes, they do establish understandable characters. For a first film this is a pretty successful outing. With different packaging perhaps it could have had a better chance in the theaters. Grady Harp, January 06
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Cute", December 2, 2005
This review is from: Slutty Summer (DVD)
I was not expecting much from this film, due in part to the poor choice of title, but was pleasantly surprised to find a "cute" romantic comedy with "cute" guys and some "cute" lines and situations. There are a couple of tender scenes, and I'm a sucker for tender scenes. No, it's NOT award material, but given the dearth of "gay-themed" flicks out there, it's worth a spin.
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