Rating: 
Summary: A nice little film with a pre-"Will and Grace" Sean Hayes
Review: If you like Sean Hayes' character Jack on the absolutely riotous NBC comedy "Will and Grace", you should do yourself a favor and catch Hayes in this romantic comedy that shows you a different side to his acting ability. As Billy, a struggling photographer, Hayes portrays a young man dealing with his feelings for the handsome object of his affection played by Brad Rowe. Quirky and interesting, the film follows the lead character on his quest for love and his attempts to find out if his mysterious attraction is straight or gay. His longing for Gabriel (I guess named for his angelic face) is sad and familiar to anyone, gay or straight, who has fallen in love with a beauty only to be turned away. This is not a perfect film but worth having in your dvd collection, especially if you are a Sean Hayes fan.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely romantic kitch!
Review: "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" offers gay and straight film audiences something quite unique. It is a kitchy romantic love story with a gay twist, and all the trappings of a goofy romance. Sean Hayes absolutely shines as the boy-next-door, hopeless romantic photographer pre- "Will and Grace" days. Beware: Billy is not "Jack", and you will come to love his character just the same! A great supporting cast adds flavor, and the nice twist at the end just peppers a wonderful story overall. This film is creative, inventive, and wildly funny, and it made my personal "Top Ten" list for 1998. And DVD owners watch out! The commentary by director Tommy O'Haver absolutely adds to the magic of the behind the scenes of making this film. Don't miss it!
Rating: 
Summary: Inoffensive fluff, no more or less
Review: BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS (USA 1998): An LA photographer (Sean Hayes) falls madly in lust with an aspiring model (Brad Rowe) who's been hired to pose in a series of pictures inspired by old-time Hollywood movies. But Hayes receives mixed signals from the object of his desire - is he gay, or isn't he? - which leads to complications of the heart...Described during the closing credits as a 'trifle' by writer-director Tommy O'Haver (ELLA ENCHANTED), this unassuming confection asks little more of its audience than to enjoy the scenery (both geographical and human!) and to pine along with its luckless protagonist as he pursues the hunk of his dreams. Those familiar with Hayes' outrageous turn in TV's "Will & Grace" may be disappointed by his restraint as a bland, scatterbrained idealist who learns the hard way that the course of true love never ran smoothly, especially in LA. Spiced with dream sequences that recreate moments from Hollywood's 'golden age' (most impressively, an Astaire-Rogers dance routine between Hayes and Rowe to the strains of Petula Clark, with drag queens on backing vocals!), the film pays affectionate tribute to the movies of a bygone era, movies which inspire the leading character on his never-ending quest for perfect happiness. Watch out for the magical scene in which Hayes and Rowe share a bed for purely platonic reasons, only to end up touching each other by 'accident'... Though fluffy and inconsequential, the film is rescued from anonymity by an excellent supporting cast, including Meredith Scott Lynn (STANDING ON FISHES) and Richard Ganoung (PARTING GLANCES) as Hayes' best friends, Paul Bartel (EATING RAOUL) as a veteran photographer who lures Rowe into his professional circle, Carmine D. Giovinazzo (IN ENEMY HANDS) as a stoner who offers Hayes and Lynn a place to stay on his yacht after they pursue Rowe to Bartel's photo-shoot in Catalina (Giovinazzo's rear-view nude scene is funny and sexy, all at the same time!), and Warhol 'superstar' Holly Woodlawn (WOMEN IN REVOLT) as a musical attraction at the gayest party in town! Filmed in vivid color and widescreen Panavision, cinematographer Mark Mervis (HELLBENT) uses every inch of the scope frame in a painterly fashion, though his beautiful panoramic compositions were resisted by the film's nervous backers, according to O'Haver's fascinating DVD audio commentary. Sadly, for his next film (GET OVER IT), the director opted for Super 35, which isn't the same thing at all... Aside from the aforementioned commentary, Trimark's unambitious DVD offers animated menus and a heavily cropped trailer, and that's it. The main feature's lack of anamorphic encoding is a drawback, but otherwise, picture quality is OK, and the soundtrack serves its purpose. 92m 24s
2.39:1 (Panavision) / Letterboxed
Dolby Surround 2.0
Dolby Stereo [theatrical]
Closed captions
All regions
Rating:
Summary: Tommy's Hollywood Screen Gem
Review: Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (BHKS) is a movie that deals with the ubiquitous gay theme of unrequited love. Most gay men will identify with falling in love with someone and for whatever reason that person turns out to be Mr Wrong.This is the theme that BHKS handles extremely well. Billy (played by Will and Grace's Sean Hayes) is an out of work LA based photographer with a perchant for polariods who falls for an out of work bass player and current waiter Gabriel (Brad Rowe). The problem is that Billy is uncertain which way Gabriel 'swings', and Gabriel doesn't seem to be able to provide any answers himself. Is he or isn't he??? And if he is, why isn't he interested in Billy???? We never truely get the answer to those questions, but the journey we travel with Billy and Gabriel brings up some lovely (and some confronting) themes that gay men everywhere can relate too. When the film first starts you know you're in for a treat - stills of polariod photographs are used to illustrate various storyline movements and Billy's dream sequences are nothing short of brilliant - drag queens miming beautiful songs such as 'This is my song' by Petula Clark provide the backdrop for those dream sequences, with Billy and Gabriel interacting in a tender, romantic way that is reminiscent of the MGM musicals of yesteryear. Speaking of the MGM musical influence, BHSK does not exactly imitate those movies, but rather takes elements from them to create something truely unique - right down to the musical sequences and the bold, bright colours used in the sets of the movie. For those who are only familar with Sean Hayes as 'Jack' on Will and Grace are in for a complete surprise. He has the wonderful ability to show the disappointed that comes with unrequited love in a very effective and subtle way. He really is a good actor and hopefully we will see more of him in future film roles. A special mention needs to made of the opening title sequence - this alone is worthy of an oscar!!! It is a very funny drag queen sequence that immediately gives the film a vibrant, original feel. The DVD itself has the movie plus a trailer and a promo for the soundtrack. The only other extra is the audio commentary by the director Tommy O'Haver. Tommy is very entertaining on the commentary and provides us with an indepth discussion of making a film on a low budget. Hopefully we will be seeing more quality film from Tommy in the future. BHSK is a lovely little movie that deals with the often traumatic theme of unrequited love in the gay world. Though the ending isn't exactly upbeat, we are left with a positive feeling of true love being just around the corner. It may not be to everyone's liking, but if you like arthouse movies that stir the emotions and leave you with a positive glow, make sure you watch BHSK.
Rating:
Summary: Camp with substance
Review: Recently re-watching this film about a year after I originally saw it, I was amazed at how enjoyable it remained on a second viewing. Using a style perfected by Almodovar, Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, is both charming and sad. O'Haver's film appears fresh and vibrant at all times and it is such a pleasure to see a gay love story told not as a subplot but as the driving plot. From the opening credits to the sad and poignant finale each actor contributes to the overall feel of the film. Sean P Hayes and Brad Rowe are perfect as Billy and Gabriel. Using a Gidget retro atmosphere to imbue a certain kitsch could have easily failed but here it works. It made me laugh and think how wonderful all those Annette Funicillo/Frankie Avalon beach movies would and could have been with a gay subplot. It was also refreshing to hear a soundtrack to a gay film that doesn't feature dance/club music. The use of Nina Simone and Petula Clark were perfect in adding that retro feel to hip and funky 1990's LA. Billy's Holywood Screen Kiss works beacuse of the cast, the unrequited love story, the music and the look of the movie. O'Haver's has molded together all the elments to produce quality fluff. Put it on and be prepared to feel good.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely romantic kitch!
Review: "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" offers gay and straight film audiences something quite unique. It is a kitchy romantic love story with a gay twist, and all the trappings of a goofy romance. Sean Hayes absolutely shines as the boy-next-door, hopeless romantic photographer pre- "Will and Grace" days. Beware: Billy is not "Jack", and you will come to love his character just the same! A great supporting cast adds flavor, and the nice twist at the end just peppers a wonderful story overall. This film is creative, inventive, and wildly funny, and it made my personal "Top Ten" list for 1998. And DVD owners watch out! The commentary by director Tommy O'Haver absolutely adds to the magic of the behind the scenes of making this film. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful movie that is entertaining and thought provoking
Review: "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" is by far one of the best movies I've seen (Oscar worthy). It is about a twenty something man chasing after his object of affection. The fact that his object of affection just happens to be male brings to the light that this is a gay oriented movie (As if you couldn't tell that from the cover, trailers, or movie poster) and something that few directors have tried to attack as a movie plot. We are introduced to Billy, played by Will and Grace's Sean P. Hayes, in bed with Fernando, his bed hopping latino lover. Not one for the promiscuous relationships, Billy leaves Fernando and to drown his sorrows, goes to a party. Here, he meets the man of his dreams (Ok, he actually technically met him in a coffee house, but they never said more than ten words), Gabriel. They hit it off and Billy asks Gabriel to be his new model in a set of poleroid shoots. Gabriel agrees and the rest of the movie involves Billy trying to figure out if Gabriel is gay or not (and Gabriel trying to figure it out for himself). Along the way, Billy recieves the consultation of fellow photographer and good friend, Perry, as well as his straight female roommate George (short for Georgeanna) and a few others. I won't tell you how it ends, but Billy does get his kiss.A remarkable movie, "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" shows us just how alike homosexuals and heterosexuals are when it comes to love and gives a down-to-earth view of the life of a homosexual, without all the clichés and stereotypes. Sean P. Hayes gives a spectacular performance as Billy, who nothing like Haye's Jack from Will and Grace. I don't quite understand everyone's fascination with Mark Anderson's Peter. Everyone is saying what a wonderful actor he is, when all he says on camera is one line: "Do you work with Fernando?"I mean, what kind of acting is that? Anyone can say that, and though I do admit that he has a few more lines at the beginning, they're on an answering machine. I don't quite see how this is acting. Anyway, a first rate movie. I'd give it six out of five stars. If you missed it in the theater, rent it tonight. Whether straight or gay, a garanteed hit!
Rating: 
Summary: billy's hollywood screen kiss
Review: A very enjoyable film--my husband and I loved it. Well acted, well written, great soundtrack. Great date movie boys, enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A Big, Technicolor Tease
Review: I had high hopes for this film, and was dissapointed. Granted, it's nice to look at. The use of technicolor is beautiful, and the locations are well-chosen and attractive. But that's the best thing about this film. This story is a collection of every gay movie cliche; the plain but idealistic, romance-starved hero, the attractive guy who's supposedly straight but possibly interested, and the usual assortment of stock charactgers (the sassy female buddy, the older mentor, the shallow lover of the moment who leaves the hero feeling empty, noisy drag queens, money-grubbing talent agents, ect). Of course, our hero (Sean Hayes) falls for a hot, blond straight guy. Of course, the hottie (Brad Rowe) seems to be awfully friendly. And of course, we spend the whole movie wondering "will he or won't he" jump in bed with our hero. And that's about it for some 90 minutes. Sean Hayes plays the main character, and that's probably why this film got so many positive reviews. It's true that Hayes is hilarious on "Will & Grace" and a very talented artist. But here, he's saddled with a role that gives him little to do. Because the movie is too light to be a romantic drama and not funny enough to be a romantic comedy, Hayes struggles to find the right balance for his performance. Instead, he comes off as sullen and impatient, as if he can't wait for the movie to end. It's not one of Hayes finer moments, though it's not his fault. Thankfully, it didn't do any damage to his career. Brad Rowe has it no better. His role is also not easy. During the whole movie, the audience wonders, is Rowe really interested in Hayes but afraid to admit it? Or is he just friendly and not aware of how he effects his gay friend? Or is he an opportunistic jerk using Hayes to further his own career? The movie keeps all possibilities open for longer than I was able to care. Rowe is supposed to keep the audience uncertain, and wondering if his character is sexually confused. In the process he comes off as absent-minded and spacy. During most of his scenes, he acts like he's forgotten an important phone number. I regret to say that this movie is only for people who like to chase what they can never have.
Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best
Review: This film is funny, touching, well-written, well-acted and simply one of the best gay films made. In fact, one of the better films anywhere. The tone is light and it doesn't get all bogged down in itself and angsty. Sean Hayes is splendid as Billy and shows his skill as an actor beyond his new persona as "Just Jack".
If you have a library of gay cinema - this is a must have. If you have a library of cinema, this should be there as well.
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