Rating: 
Summary: too far, too fast, too forced
Review: I was surprised to find myself disliking this video. It appears to have everything necessary to make it a great film. The problem appears to stem from the producer's desire to include every cliche concerning the gay world. The inclusion of some scenes seemed forced and awkward. It fails uterly as a love story, miserably as a coming out diary, and completely as an aide to youth coming to terms with life.
Rating: 
Summary: Edge of Seventeen
Review: "Edge of Seventeen" is an engaging debut . The story of a young man who struggles to find acceptance of his own sexuality through experience and discovery. Set in the 80's, Chris Stafford's debut is gentle, endearing, and wonderfully precise. The movie can be all too familiar in remembering those times of innocents, and how difficult it is to come out to friends and family. This is a very promising debut for Stafford and for the rest of the cast. Absolutely Fabulous!!!
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre but Somewhat Accurate, Worst Digital Transfer Ever
Review: I found the story accurate in the telling of how guys can mostly be just after the sex with no interest in the person; it happened to me for a long time. The makeup and outfits were a bit over the top for someone just coming out. The biggest problem I had with the DVD is that it is basically unwatchable due to the worst digital transfer I've ever come across. The picture begins to pixilate less than half-way through the film. Shortly after, the sound begins to fall out. After the loss of sound, the D/A converter becomes so overwhelmed with the jumble of data that everything freezes with no way out except to stop the disc. Somehow I was able to fast-forward past the frozen spot, but it froze again less than a minute later, with the pixilation happening the whole time. As a result, I can say I've never really seen the entire film due this mess of a transfer.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, loving movie
Review: I first saw this movie on my flight from NYC to HKG. It was so touchy because I had some similiar situation of my own before. Coming out is not an easy thing to do, specially back into 80's. The director of this movie describe how love can be found? I love that, specially when it came down to how "the little boy" face his future with his family or his friend.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbingly Accurate
Review: As an exact contemporary of the character in Edge of Seventeen--and one from Ohio to boot--I can assure all of the younger and luckier generation, that this is a disturbingly accurate portrayal of growing up gay in the 1980s. Nothing is glossed over and this is certainly no gay "propaganda" film. Eric, the main character, has plenty of unpleasant experiences and learns a few unhappy lessons on his way to being an openly gay young man. In the dark ages of the 80s, when very few schools have Gay-Straight alliances, where can Eric turn but the local gay bar? As he takes the first tentative steps toward coming out, he is used for sex by two other men, hit upon by barflies, and taunted by homophobic youths. But Eric also meets some real friends along the way, especially Angie, his boss and owner of the local gay club, played with gusto by lesbian comic Lea DeLaria. The use of thinly disguised real locations for much of the film adds to the realism here. Sandusky's Cedar Point stands in as the Crystal Shores Amusement park, and Cleveland's now defunct Legends nightclub (recently torn down and rebuilt as a drugstore) is the interior of the Universal Fruit & Nut Company bar where Eric begins to explore the seamier side of gay life. The performances here are uniformly outstanding, especially in the portrayal of Eric's parents. Both Stephanie McVay and John Eby are totally believable as typical 1980s Ohio parents. But the movie really belongs to Chris Stafford's Eric, whose portrayal of a young gay man coming out in the age of Reagan makes this film the definitive gay document of my generation. One note about the DVD--the image quality leaves a lot to be desired here, there is a great deal of haze and the colors are oversaturated, with plenty of bleeding red images. Also, the lack of closed-captioning effectively makes this DVD useless to the deaf community. I realize that Strand Releasing is a small company, but captioning is fairly standard now, and with the large number of deaf gay men & lesbians, the lack of captioning is inexcusable.
Rating:
Summary: Great 80's Music
Review: I am not completely sure how helpful music reviews are because one needs to listen to the music first before deciding whether they like it or not. If you watched the movie and liked the songs then you will be happy with the soundtrack because all of the songs that I really liked while watching the movie were on the soundtrack. If you like 80's music then you should definitely like this soundtrack.
Rating: 
Summary: Not great, but alright
Review: Many times watching this movie, I got very bored. It's not the most compelling movie. But there are strong points. First off, what a great job portraying the '80s. It really felt, looked, and sounded like the 80's in this movie. It was very nostalgiac-looking. Second, Eric's relationships with his parents are probably more compelling than anything else in the movie. His mother was wonderfully loving. The scenes with his parents oozed with realism. I also think the movie did a very good job of portraying the alienation of adolescence, the confusion of coming out of the closet, learning you are gay. The acting is also high quality. This isn't a great movie, but it's worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: Hits home!
Review: Perhaps the most intriguing moments in "Edge of Seventeen" involve those at an all-night gay bar, where the main character ventures in order to live his lifestyle out in the open, away from all his cumbersome worries of being closeted at home and school. He just dances and laughs the night away, the flashing red and blue lights casting shadows and colors across the floor, symbolizing the ever-difficult journey into the world of open homosexuality. "Edge of Seventeen" is dynamic in the way in which it unfolds, bringing its story to light in so many new and fresh ways. While all of the characters unfold in their own way, the most evolving and moving character is Eric, whose journey down the path of coming out and discovery of his sexual and physical identity set the stage for a heartfelt human drama that will keep you involved throughout. I found myself reminiscing to the times in Eric's life that I, too, lived through, as well as laughing hysterically along with him as he enjoyed his life the only way he knew how. More importantly, I came to realize just how true this movie is, not so much in how Eric lived his life, but his feelings and emotions, and how he deals with them in the course of coming out. As the summer of his junior year begins, Eric has high hopes for his summer. He, along with his best friend Maggie, are both beginning a job at the local fairground restaurant. The job seems rather listless, until Eric meets Rod, the blond hottie who also works at the restaurant, and who makes it no secret that he is gay. At first, Eric seems uncomfortable, yet he warms to Rod's jokes and advances, ultimately leading to a night of passion between the two the last night of their working together. This all goes on within the first half hour, and while it seems a little overwhelming for such a short period of running time, it all makes sense because Eric's experiences are meant to be just that. The rush that he gets from the pace of events will affect him much later into the film. Going back to school provides for nothing but hour upon hour of daydreaming of Rod, which leads Eric to explore his sexuality a little more openly, but only when he begins frequenting an all-night gay bar. One night, after fooling around with a guy in his car, Eric calls Rod, asking him what it all means, and professing what might be the makings of love, only to be shot down by Rod when he confesses that he has gotten back together with his ex. This begins a very devastating journey for Eric, who explores both his attraction for men and for his best friend, Maggie, and learns that he is only lying to himself by denying his same-sex attractions. The film is one for the ages, and it proves this by taking a story that could be placed in any recent time period and placing it in the 80's. The film is truly brilliant in bringing to life the music, the clothing styles, the lifestyles, and every other nuance of this era. The movie is able to achieve its goal in making us feel transported back to that time period, and it also makes itself look like it comes from that time period as well. This only makes it all the more special. The film also creates a well-crafted balance of humor and tension, both sexual and emotional, for Eric. When he first meets Rod, he knows he is attracted to him, and the big question that rises among the audience is, "Will they have sex?" After they do, the next big question comes, and that is whether or not this is going to be a Cinderella ending, where Rod sweeps Eric off his feet and stays with him forever. Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you take it, the rest of the film has much more in store for Eric, and instead of giving him nothing but daydreaming to do for the rest of the running time, he is given a chance to explore more deeply his desires, his fears, and who he knows he is inside. There is only one turnoff for me in this film, and that is some of the strings lefts untied in the end. I advise you to read no further if you have not seen this movie, but if you have, please continue. After Eric comes out to his mother, she leaves the room, but not before hugging him and asking "What did I do wrong?" We never see the two discuss the events of the last year, nor do they ever come to an understanding of one another's feelings about his sexuality, which is a bit of a letdown. Also, Eric and Maggie end up sleeping together, and soon he realizes that he cannot be with her no matter how much he may say he loves her because he cannot deny his attraction to men. She leaves, and they do not speak for the rest of the movie. Do they ever talk to or see each other again? We may never know, unless a sequel is in the works. There is such a terrific amount of acting for this film, and that is what keeps it moving: powerful performances by some of the best actors ever in a movie of this genre. Chris Stafford gives a stunningly powerful performance as Eric Hunter, playing out all of his emotions with believable feeling while never coming off as forced. His acting job tells us as an audience that he is aware of his status in this movie, and is determined to do a good job, with successful results. Andersen Gabrych plays Rod, the blond hottie of Eric's dreams, and while his emotional outwardness for the film is not as important, he still makes his character real. Tina Holmes is striking as Eric's best friend, Maggie, and when it comes time for her performance to really deliver, she does her utmost best in giving us heart and emotion. The comical relief of the film is given us by Lea DeLaria, who plays the group's boss at the restaurant and also becomes a mentor of sorts for Eric. She spans both horizons, playing the clown while also adding wisdom and wit to her words. "Edge of Seventeen," while being an independent film, has the look and feel of an afterschool special for Showtime or HBO, but it plays itself to be so much more than that. It takes itself very seriously when it needs to, not bogging us down with too much emotion at once, but giving us just enough to make us realize that the story is one that happens to everyday people. Performances add a lot to the heart of the story, if not giving us some eye candy to look at. It will keep you entertained as well as bring back memories for those of us who can relate to Eric and his struggle for his true identity.
Rating:
Summary: Fits the movie perfectly!
Review: The soundtrack for "Edge of Seventeen" pumps with beats from the 80's that transport us back to the times when dance clubs and gay bars were the scene. Music from Bronski Beat and Toni Basil, as well as many others, keep the emotion moving as well as adding to the charge that the characters Rod and Eric bring to the screen. The music, like the film, tells the story of one boy's yearning to break free, and this is s soundtrack experience that will be definitely pleasing to fans of the film.
Rating:
Summary: a must have!!!
Review: this is a wonderful comming out story. the 80's music is so great! if you've never seen this movie you must see it.
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