Rating: 
Summary: waste of time...
Review: "In the Flesh" is not much more than an after-midnight B movie you would find on most low-brow cable channels. Upon first glance, the plot and cast look inviting. Let your intrigue stop there. Don't expect much of a storyline -- with absolutely nothing that you have not seen before... and done better.If you like the male hustler genre, you may enjoy this flick. If not, the only reason I would suggest this movie is if you are having trouble falling asleep and the warm milk just isn't helping.
Rating: 
Summary: Fresh New Telling of an Old Story
Review: A charming bittersweet rendering of an old 'man meets younger man but has to save him from himself first' tale. An Atlanta detective (a confirmed loner) assigned to undercover vice work has sex with, instead of arresting, a hustler in a gay bar. The hustler is falsly accused of killing one of his regular tricks, and the detective provides him with an alibi and a place to stay. Along the way, a relationship blossoms, followed by love. There are some fairly predictable plot twists, and more than a little bit of fairly wooden acting. However, the two principal characters are well cast and do a very good job. The underbelly of Atlanta looks believably seedy.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally empty and devoid of interest.
Review: A few hackneyed plot twists I can forgive, as long as the plot is lucid enough to keep them in an order that's pleasing to the eye. But "In The Flesh" crosses the line, throwing so many twists at us that are predictable and shallow, and ruin what could potentially pass as a good movie. But that, along with boring characters played by actors who seem to have little interest in the plot, drags the movie into the depths of a Blockbuster rental bin, to be looked at and passed over for something better. Don't let the twists fool you: the plot is simpler than the producers would have you think. It centers around closeted detective Philip Kirsch (Ed Corbin), who has been assigned to working a local gay bar, believed to be an underground drug ring. There, he trades many furtive glances with regular hustler Oliver (Dane Ritter), and the two hook up for a night. And wouldn't you know it, that big, hulking, macho cop Philip finds his soft spot once again? He follows Oliver around like a lost puppy, searching his medical files (isn't he a cop?), coming to his rescue as his alibi when Oliver becomes the prime suspect in a suspense-less murder case, and inviting him to live in his house until he finds a place of his own. But the real killer is still at large, and so are Oliver's less-than-interesting feelings of mistrust and inner torment. So what does all of this result in? A lot of frustration for the viewers, especially those of us who would like to see something, ANYTHING, happen to these characters of any interest. Oh, there are moments, ones that tease us, making us think something big is about it happen, but nothing comes of it. Take the relationship between the two leads, for example. Simple logic tells us that, in any independent gay film, if two men find themselves attracted to one another, then we will at least be granted the privilege of seeing some hot lip-locking. In "In The Flesh," we get to see a gratuitous sex scene between a male and female, but not so much as a puckering of lips for our stumbling casanovas. If that isn't disappointing enough, the plot is a mess. It throws in secondary characters for its own convenience, such as Oliver's sister, who is a junkie that has become so dependant on narcotics that she will die without them. This provides an explanation for the drugs Philip finds in Oliver's belongings. One of Philip's cop buddies will play a role in the film's finale, in a contrived twist that seems desperate and tired. I don't know which of the characters I disliked more: the wooden, macho Philip, or hustler Oliver, the martyr of the movie whose several outbursts of emotional turmoil are more of an annoyance than a relatable feeling. The movie wants to be provocative in portraying how people builds emotional blocks when a catastrophic event traumatizes their lives, but it comes off as cheesy and unbelievable, and even actions the characters take reverse our emotions for them, even turning us against them. I wanted to like "In the Flesh," because I enjoy movies that aren't afraid to take on gay subject matter. But that doesn't mean that every movie I see with this type of material is going to be an Oscar-worthy effort. In fact, this is one of the most emotionless attempts I've seen in a while. You have to give it credit as an independent film, for being a mark higher than other films, but everything in this movie is hit-or-miss, and what's going on in these characters' heads is anyone's guess.
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally empty and devoid of interest.
Review: A few hackneyed plot twists I can forgive, as long as the plot is lucid enough to keep them in an order that's pleasing to the eye. But "In The Flesh" crosses the line, throwing so many twists at us that are predictable and shallow, and ruin what could potentially pass as a good movie. But that, along with boring characters played by actors who seem to have little interest in the plot, drags the movie into the depths of a Blockbuster rental bin, to be looked at and passed over for something better. Don't let the twists fool you: the plot is simpler than the producers would have you think. It centers around closeted detective Philip Kirsch (Ed Corbin), who has been assigned to working a local gay bar, believed to be an underground drug ring. There, he trades many furtive glances with regular hustler Oliver (Dane Ritter), and the two hook up for a night. And wouldn't you know it, that big, hulking, macho cop Philip finds his soft spot once again? He follows Oliver around like a lost puppy, searching his medical files (isn't he a cop?), coming to his rescue as his alibi when Oliver becomes the prime suspect in a suspense-less murder case, and inviting him to live in his house until he finds a place of his own. But the real killer is still at large, and so are Oliver's less-than-interesting feelings of mistrust and inner torment. So what does all of this result in? A lot of frustration for the viewers, especially those of us who would like to see something, ANYTHING, happen to these characters of any interest. Oh, there are moments, ones that tease us, making us think something big is about it happen, but nothing comes of it. Take the relationship between the two leads, for example. Simple logic tells us that, in any independent gay film, if two men find themselves attracted to one another, then we will at least be granted the privilege of seeing some hot lip-locking. In "In The Flesh," we get to see a gratuitous sex scene between a male and female, but not so much as a puckering of lips for our stumbling casanovas. If that isn't disappointing enough, the plot is a mess. It throws in secondary characters for its own convenience, such as Oliver's sister, who is a junkie that has become so dependant on narcotics that she will die without them. This provides an explanation for the drugs Philip finds in Oliver's belongings. One of Philip's cop buddies will play a role in the film's finale, in a contrived twist that seems desperate and tired. I don't know which of the characters I disliked more: the wooden, macho Philip, or hustler Oliver, the martyr of the movie whose several outbursts of emotional turmoil are more of an annoyance than a relatable feeling. The movie wants to be provocative in portraying how people builds emotional blocks when a catastrophic event traumatizes their lives, but it comes off as cheesy and unbelievable, and even actions the characters take reverse our emotions for them, even turning us against them. I wanted to like "In the Flesh," because I enjoy movies that aren't afraid to take on gay subject matter. But that doesn't mean that every movie I see with this type of material is going to be an Oscar-worthy effort. In fact, this is one of the most emotionless attempts I've seen in a while. You have to give it credit as an independent film, for being a mark higher than other films, but everything in this movie is hit-or-miss, and what's going on in these characters' heads is anyone's guess.
Rating:
Summary: Daring for its day low budget noir wanna be
Review: A low, and I mean low, budget indie centering around a steroid pumped cop and very attractive rent boy. It's set and was filmed in Atlanta and much of it takes place at a gay bar. The cop is established as a loner and is not to thrilled to be sent undercover to the fags bar to break a drug ring that is supposedly working out of it. He goes in and tries to fit in and rather ludicrously sits at the bar drinking beer alone declining to talk to anyone. I think they would all smell a cop a mile away, but not in this flick. The bar also acts as a defacto house of gay male prostitution, they have rooms above the bars, and one evening a handsome college type boy dances sensually by himself in his trademark red jeans and captures the attention of big burly cop. They chat, agree on a price and head upstairs. Mr. macho cop is queer! Big shock. The rest of the film is about the murder of a John, cute rental, red jean wearing boys getting framed for it, and big macho cop making up an alibi for him because he loves him. Will rental boy return his love, will the murderers get caught, will the other cops embrace queer cop once he comes out?
The whole thing was rather contrived and looks like an amateur production. It was clearly a labor of love and I suspect a lot more daring in it's day. The film was released in 1997. I would guess it was in production in the mid 90's.
*One big plus, rental boy is attractive but the sex scenes between him and burly macho cop are lame. You get the distinct impression that both of them are straight and the whole thing seems forced. Also be warned: The artwork used to promote the DVD/Video has bears no resemblence to the film.
Rating: 
Summary: A good, solid murder mystery.
Review: An Atlanta police officer assigned to a unit formed to crack down on prostitution meets a hooker who strikes a cord of sympathy in him, despite the hooker's possible involvement in a sordid murder. Still hurting from a failed relationship, he resists his attraction, but is drawn unrelentingly toward a bond with his foe. Back in the grimy world of prostitution, the crime turns more revolting and even some cops take on a decidedly sinister look. Who is trying to kill the hooker? Or is Corbin the intended victim? The solution comes as a surprise, but no more surprising that the hooker's periodic disappearances with food and supplies and the person for whom they are destined. Dane Ritter, the hooker, and Ed Corbin the cop are handsome guys, each of whom has the qualities that the other desperately needs, but is one a killer?
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting film despite itself
Review: Ben Taylor came up with a great premise upon which to build this story: a deeply closeted cop is assigned to investigate a gay hustler bar where he unexpectedly starts a relationship with a young man who is eventually accused of murdering one of the patrons. The cop decides to make himself the sole alibi for the young man and a precarious trust develops between these two very wary men. This is a world Taylor apparently knows well, unfortunately he doesn't explore any of it deeply enough to make it particularly believable or compelling. What there is of interest is in the growing relationship between the two central characters (played by Dane Ritter and Ed Corbin), an unlikely pair of actors who between them manage to elicit some nice moments out of a perfunctory script. Too bad that so much of a compelling situation was left unexplored. Still, the fact that the two main characters are falling in love rather than simply falling into bed with each other is very refreshing. Don't be afraid to try it on. You may actually like it. With remote in hand you can skip the worst of it and stick with the main story.
Rating:
Summary: The best Detective Gay Film made
Review: Ben Taylor, Atlanta born but a big star film writer in Europe has finally directed his first film right here in the US. The basic premise is strong. The story is a bit predictable...but enjoyable nevertheless. His characters are believable and the interaction realistic as well. The leads are both attractive znc introspective..rare for a gay themed film made in the US. I hope Ben does more films.
Rating:
Summary: A unique gay thriller with a great script and cast!
Review: Every once in a while comes a great little gem of a film. This can easily be said for "In The Flesh". Directed by Ben Taylor and starring Dane Ritter as the cute but not so innocent hustler, this hits right at home for ALL viewers straight or gay. Ed Corbin stars as a vice cop that is hesitant to take a case involving drug traffic in a gritty gay bar. There he befriends Dane Ritter the hustler and the two fall in love. Suddenly both are plunged into a nightmarish hell when a murder is committed and the cop risks his job for his new found lover insisting he is innocent of the crime. Soon the hustler becomes the hustled when he becomes the target of a murderer. What remains is the two attempting to stay alive amid corruption and greed in a seedy suburb of Atlanta. Still we are left with the question for money or love? Pay close attention to the bar,....but if youv'e been to or live in Atlanta you probably know that already.
Rating:
Summary: A unique gay thriller with a great script and cast!
Review: Every once in a while comes a great little gem of a film. This can easily be said for "In The Flesh". Directed by Ben Taylor and starring Dane Ritter as the cute but not so innocent hustler, this hits right at home for ALL viewers straight or gay. Ed Corbin stars as a vice cop that is hesitant to take a case involving drug traffic in a gritty gay bar. There he befriends Dane Ritter the hustler and the two fall in love. Suddenly both are plunged into a nightmarish hell when a murder is committed and the cop risks his job for his new found lover insisting he is innocent of the crime. Soon the hustler becomes the hustled when he becomes the target of a murderer. What remains is the two attempting to stay alive amid corruption and greed in a seedy suburb of Atlanta. Still we are left with the question for money or love? Pay close attention to the bar,....but if youv'e been to or live in Atlanta you probably know that already.
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