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Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss

Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sweet, Funny Movie
Review: Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss is an enjoyable, fluffy romp through the perils of gay relationships. Aspiring photographer Billy (Sean Hayes) has big ideas but lacks the necessary ingredients to bring his ideas to life: namely funding and models. With the help and encouragement of his roommate Georgina and his friend Perry, he decides to pursue his dreams. His model comes in the form of Gabriel, an appropriately named aspiring-actor, table-waiting hunk. Billy manages to persuade Gabriel to model for his latest project, a series of remakes of famous Hollywood screen kisses, featuring male couples, but Billy is after more than just a great shot. He'd also like to win Gabriel's heart. Only one problem, Gabriel is straight.

The writing is solid and features some great dialogue. The cast was well chosen and some of the actors, particularly Richard Ganoung as Perry, bring a depth to their supporting character role that adds another dimension to the movie. Of course, Sean Hayes is better known for playing Jack on Will & Grace. His performance in Billy is excellent and surprisingly restrained.

While the movie isn't spectacularly groundbreaking, it is a good movie. It's a little darker than many gay romantic comedies, no easy happy endings here, but it still leaves you satisfied and hopeful. Recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cute & Fun Flick!
Review: I had never heard of this movie until it came on TV one night. It's a fun film about a gay man who is attracted to a coffeeshop waiter/model, but he's not sure if the guy is gay or straight. The characters are engaging, and some of the one liners that are delivered, especially by the drag queens give this movie a nice added touch. The movie looks great on DVD, very crisp & clear. This is one of only 3 gay themed movies that I have in my library. The other 2 are "Making Love"-a moldy oldie from 1982, and "Jeffrey" from 1995.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If you were in my movie...
Review: A fresh and funny trifle, fluffy, brightly colored and utterly inconsequential but so personable you kind of have to love it.

Billy (Sean P. Hayes), a photographer who specializes in Polaroid works, has a knack for falling in love with the wrong men. Like Gabriel (Brad Pitt look alike Brad Rowe), a handsome, hunky and self-professed straight waiter/musician who's sending a veritable flash flood of mixed messages.

Bankrolled by old friend and mentor Perry (Richard Ganoung), Billy is shooting a series of images based on famous screen clinches, and pegs Gabriel as the Burt Lancaster stand-in for his homage to From Here to Eternity's famous full-body kiss on the beach. But Gabriel is also being wooed by fashionable photographer Rex Webster (Paul Bartel) for a high-profile underwear ad that will have to be shot the same weekend: Quelle crise!

Add in Billy's best friend George (Meredith Scott Lynn), short for Georgianna, her on-again off-again boyfriend Andrew (Christopher Bradley) and supporting cast of drag queens, lipstick lesbians, surfer studs, butch dykes, stoners, beach bums and scenemakers -- Carmine D. Giovinazzo stands out in the role of drug-addled Gundy, who tries to woo Georgianna by composing an impromptu and hilariously vulgar love song -- and the stage is set for frisky romantic farce, complete with running commentary. There's a danger in overpraising Tommy O' Haver's debut feature: It's such a modest little thing that it could easily be crushed under the weight of great expectations. But it's a sweet little breath of fresh air, all attitude and bubbly neuroses: Only a churl could resist its cracked Holly Golightly vibe.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Beauty and the Beast
Review: The beauty of this film is, in fact, it's beauty. It's like someone set up the movie to make postcards. Brad Rowe is beautiful too.

The beast is everything else. Even Sean P. Hayes is corny, and his character is childish, spoiled, and hard to sympathize with. I'd hope Sean could do better than this.

I was very disappointed. The film is actually kind of hard to watch. It's sort of like watching a train wreck. You just want to know what happens at the end.

The music is fantastic. I will probably buy the soundtrack. It could have been a better music video, perhaps, than an actual movie. The soundtrack promo at the end is captivating. You'll see what I mean if you watch it. It's probably the best part of the movie.

It's a gay wet dream gone totally awry. Watch if you must, but don't expect much.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great movie!!!
Review: a must see if you love sean hayes. even though he's not jack you fall in love with billy just as fast as you fell for jack. its not even really a comedy it has its funny moments but its more touching. i also recommend the music its great also and goes with the movie perfectly!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Bittersweet Tale of Unrequited Love
Review: Although this film is marketed as a comedy, I found it to be more of a bittersweet, almost traditional tale of unrequited love. Although, in this case, the man in love is Billy, a gay photographer portrayed by Sean Hayes (prior to his Will and Grace success) and the object of his affection is a sexually ambivalent hunk named Gabriel, played by Brad Rowe.

Billy is old-fashioned in his passion for Gabriel, not only because he is not sure whether or not Gabriel is gay or shares his affection, but also because Billy is a gentleman, who prefers old-time movies and screen kisses. He uses Gabriel as a model in a series of photographs, re-creating famous screen kisses, but using two men as the stars.

The relationship between Billy and Gabriel is both sweet and frustrating. Their sexual tension is palpable, and it is incredibly erotic seeing them tentatively express affection, rather than seeing anything explicit. Sean Hayes is very good as Billy, and he plays a very low-key, somewhat shy character. He proves he is much more than, well, "Just Jack"!

There are also the usual dream sequences, and supporting characters typical of many gay films, such as the straight female best friend, and the older, wiser gay mentor. There are also some very unattractive drag queens lip synching Petula Clark songs. However, this is an atypical "gay film" that is really very much like an old-fashioned romance, the kind that Billy enjoys. The acting is very good all-around, the production quality is high, even though it must have been filmed on a small budget. It doesn't look or feel like a low-budget independent, and it is sad and sweet and worthy of repeat viewings.

The DVD version contains director commentary by writer/director Tommy O'Haver that is almost as entertaining as the movie. He explains how he was able to make this movie look so good on such a small budget, about the friends and relatives who helped out, and about why he chooses not to make this film a gay fantasy, but rather a realtistic love story. It's really incredibly good and entertaining, and you can also see that he saw a true talent in Sean Hayes long before everyone else did.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A fun movie
Review: Maybe it is just me, but this movie just wasn't what I expected. Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable little flick, but on the whole I was a little dissapointed. With Sean Hayes as the star I was expecting to be rolling on the floor with laughter, however this was more of a light drama than a comedy. Most of the humour relied on the association factor of "been there, done that" and the normally hilarious Mr Hayes played a basically "straight" (only in one sense of the word) role.
My recommendation for those considering the purchase of this DVD is to rent it first. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly, but don't think it is one of those movies I will watch over and over again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: super funny and cute
Review: I liked this movie. it's funny and all, and the love story is just so cute. the whole is he or isn't he deal. its a really enjoyable film, and the story is entertaining too. very cute i think mostly gay guys and probably staight girls would enjoy it more though. my friend was the one that bought it and i liked it allot. the ending was kinda sad though, i didn't like it. but in some way it's still okay and acceptable. but ull probably will want it to end the other way. it wont bore u, it keeps u entertain, and its fun and cute to watch. u will really like it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Is he or isn't he? I don't care all that much.
Review: Okay, it's another homobittersweetsexual movie. This one is set in a garish place called Hollywood, if you choose to believe a place populated by such shallow people really exists. It's also a delightful trifle.

Had I written this review shortly after receiving the DVD I would have gone on gushily about how great it is, but it hasn't worn that well with repeated viewings. The slender thread - should I say tease - upon which the plot hangs, "is he or isn't he," "will he or won't he," hasn't sustained my interest that much on subsequent viewings.

Still, it's a fun movie.

Sean Hayes is wonderful in this endearing role he created before becoming a stereotypical queen on "Will and Grace." The other characters are not as well drawn and mostly too true to simplistic stereotypes but are entertaining. Brad Rowe plays the somewhat naive but just-a-little-bit curious hunk well. It isn't a role that I'm very sympathetic to. I realize he was supposed to be more wooden and less graceful than Billy, and a bit of a tease and a bit of a jerk, but I kept wondering if he was chosen just for his Brad Pitt looks.

I am not a fan of drag or musicals, but the fantasy sequences were a real hoot, particularly the dance number with Billy and Gabriel and the Petula Clark numbers. Besides Hayes acting, these are the best parts of the film.

Director Tommy O'Haver has a few cute cinematic tricks up his sleeve. The use of the Polaroid as integral to the story was fine, but he was overly fond of it's use as a cinematic device. I found the opening sequence and "groovy" credits tedious the first time thru and even more so on subsequent viewings. When a film starts out by playing down to the audience and talking down to the audience, it's usually not a good sign, but fortunately the rest of the film treats the audience more intelligently.

The Polaroid device is also unfortunately used to present the tedious flashback of Billy's coming out, which I suppose is actually somewhat autobiographical of the director. I suppose everybody thinks their coming out story is absolutely fascinating, but in truth they seldom are to anybody other than the teller. Anyway, its preferable in a movie to show a prior coming out experience, if it's essential to the story, rather than just have a character narrate a slide show. Billy's character is already the only well developed character in the film and this extra insight isn't necessary to the plot.

Besides the tiresome overuse of the Polaroid as a cinematic device, the scene in which Billy gets some quality PosturePedic time with Gabriel and starts acting like a rabbit in a lettuce patch was a bit heavy for a trifle like this. I was grateful Gabriel quickly put a stop to it.

One of the best parts of the DVD is the track of director's comments; don't miss it. There is a lot to the film that doesn't catch the eye of a casual viewer and I hope Mr. O'Haver has the opportunity to make more films, so long as he loses the Polaroid next time around.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a Nice Film
Review: This film was enjoyable to sit through. Sean Hayes, in his pre Will and Grace life did quite a nice job as Billy, the photographer with the crush on his straight friend. Most of the supporting characters were well done and well acted. Some of the scenes were almost painful to watch, Billy and the object of his affection laying platonically in bed, Billy makes his move, the friend lets him then tells him to stop. A nice film with some funny moments that had the guts to not have a sugary ending.


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