“Another Gay Movie” — A Queer Film Review
What does Quiche Lorraine, high school seniors, and a quest to lose their anal virginity have in common — they’re all included in this spoof of comedy classic “American Pie”, albeit with quite a queer twist! But is this just another parody or does “Another Gay Movie” strong enough to stand up on its own? Let’s dig into this hysterical comedic romp!
The Quest for Anal … I mean, the Plot!
“We dunno shit about anal” says Nico (Jonah Blechman), which very easily sums up the basic plot of “Another Gay Movie.” Four high school senior boys are on a quest to lose their virginity, but with the queer twist that everyone is gay! We first meet Andy (Michael Carbonaro) sitting in the class which very quickly turns into the equivalent of a porno with his teacher, Mr Puckov (Graham Norton) while everyone shuts them out. Thankfully, it’s only a fantasy — while Andy is actually masterbating in his bedroom with a carrot! Mommie Dearest (John Epperson as Lypsinka) suddenly barges in, and after a quick gag with the wire coat hanger, a condom wrapped cucumber leads to not only dad barging in the room as well but the revelation of all the toys Andy plays with! Andy’s dad (Scott Thompson)sums it up best and sets the tone of the film as he says: “Well, I guess that’s life with a gay son!”
After that, we met the rest of the gay posse: Jarod (Jonathan Chase), Griff (Mitch Morris), and Nico (Jonah Blechman). If Andy is “Another Gay Movie’s” equivalent to “American Pie’s” Jim Levenstein, the awkward nerdy virgin, then Jarod, Griff, and Nico are respectively Oz, Kevin, and Paul Finch. Jarod is the token jock but with the new twist that he’s also the school’s valedictorian. Griff is the trusty best friend, who we later learn has a crush on Jared which leads to some comical blunders and mishaps. Nico is the campy flamboyant sidekick who has a thing for older men — but is still in the closet with his mother and dating a blind girl. While they are discussing plans for the summer and how they’re all plan to get laid, they’re interrupted by Muffler (Ashlie Atkinson), the ultra butch lesbian equivalent of Stiffler. Muffler is also the party host throughout the film and has already had sex — to the point of taunting the other boys about how they’re still booty virgins.
The story follows the boys as they deal with the ups and downs of teenage gay life while trying to lose their anal virginity. But after their first attempt at Muffler’s party falls flat for all of them, Andy spurs them all into seeking out older, experienced men as they pledge to have sex — a clear “American Pie” moment. Thus, Jarod lands a date with hunky baseball player, Beau (James Getzlaff), but after a couple of dates, he’s unable to actually go through with the sex part. Griff does everything he can to get his crush, Jarod, to notice him, even learning how to shake his booty (which he “inflates”) — but he’s unsuccessfully. Andy, when he’s not caught up in awkward “sex talks” with his dad (another “American Pie” spoof), is lusting after his teacher Mr. Puckov — and nearly gets what he during a BDSM scene which is live-streamed as the others watch! And last but not least, Nico tries his luck first with nudist Richard Hatch and later with a circuit queen off Manhunt, before his Mom (Stephanie McVay) confronts him and gives a coming out response many of us would love to have gotten. Everything culminates at another one of Muffler’s big parties where everyone ends up losing their anal virginity — and even Muffler’s Grandpa gets some action!
The Pros
For a spoof film, “Another Gay Movie” does an excellent job with its script. They follow the main storyline of “American Pie,” but add plenty of other unique bits to create its own identity and stand on its own as a comedy. There are too many films spoofed to fully list, including many other queer films, but some of the key ones include: “Edge of Seventeen,” “Mommie Dearest,” “The Broken Hearts Club,” “Get Real,” “Heathers,” “Carrie,” and many more. Befitting for a comedy, Todd Stephens & Tim Kaltenecker include many hysterical jokes and comedic bits. Yes, some of them might be a tad cheesy and make you groan, but this isn’t Pulitzer-winning script — it’s a comedic spoof.
“Another Gay Movie” also excels in it’s cinematographic elements. The theme song is cute, whimsical, and quite catchy — and that’s even without being introduced in a vibrant spectacle of rainbows and color. But the music goes deeper, because that same theme is reused over and over to underscore pivotal moments. A great example of this when Nico’s mom confronts Nico about his sexuality, in a spoof of Edge of Seventeen where his mom is playing a slow, melancholic version of the main theme on the piano as Nico enters. But music isn’t the only element that stand out. The film is designed to incorporate a very specific style: a vibrant and, dare I say it — flamboyant — colour scheme that takes us back to the 50’s & 60’s. This is most obvious at Andy’s home and his mom (played by John Epperson in drag as Lypsinka) is the iconic housewife of the time, which also plays homage to the early camp films of Queerdom.
The Cons
While I rate “Another Gay Movie” rather high on my scale and it is one of my favourites, there are a few aspects that knock it down in points. The first aspect is rather ironic, but understandable. It IS a comical spoof, so you haven’t seen the other films, the jokes can get lost. Most people under 40 will get the “American Pie” references — and there are plenty! But because the film branches out and spoofs many other films, many moments get lost. To go back to an example I used above: Nico’s Mom’s confrontation. If you haven’t seen “Edge of Seventeen” where the lead’s mother confronts him about his sexuality while playing the piano, the spoof is lost — especially because it’s quite a serious scene in “Edge of Seventeen” but made a joke in “Another Gay Movie.” Also, Nico’s Mom herself is a character spoof of Debbie from Showtime’s “Queer As Folk” — a flamboyant, red haired waitress also butting into her son’s business.
I also have a slight issue with the acting and even the casting. All of our leads are stereotypical; this is ideal for a comical spoof, but all of our male leads are skinny, six-pack ab twinks. Muffler is about as stereotypical as you can get for a butch lesbian. The casting lacks representation, and the characters that are a bit broader in representation are almost mocked, such as the Asian cheerleader who speaks in broken English but with Chinese subtitles. I understand the gag, but that one specifically wasn’t funny.
Lastly, there’s a slight flow issue over the course of the film. I get that Todd Stephens was trying to advance the storyline arc while trying to balance quadruple separate storylines, but there was a tad too much jumping around. This is most obvious during the scene where Nico is trying to seduce Richard Hatch but also cuts back and forth to Griff, Jarod, & Bo at Bodangles. I feel that it actually removes some of the comedy of Nico’s scene. Additionally while the film is gaining momentum, it all gets paused while Nico has his coming out moment with Mom. It’s a great scene, but the abrupt half in the pacing was noticeable.
In short, “Another Gay Movie” is a film I watch quite often. It’s quirky, whimsical, and rather uplifting. And as a comedy, I don’t get boggled down by a heavy script. I highly encourage you to check out “Another Gay Movie” and prepare for some great laughs!
[P.S. — there IS a sequel! So stay tuned!]
Queer Relevance of “Another Gay Movie”
I could list all of the queer elements about “Another Gay Movie” — but it’s much easier to explain what isn’t queer! From talk of anal sex, dildos, masturbation, Manhunt, gay icon Richard Hatch… it’s a Queer film!
Plot & Script: 1.0 / 1.0
Casting & Acting: 0.5 / 1.0
Directing & Editing: 0.5 / 1.0
Cinematography: 1.0 / 1.0
My Opinion: 1.0 / 1.0
My Overall Rating = 4.0 / 5.0
Originally published on HERE. If you enjoyed this queer film review, you can find many more over at QueerFilmReviews.com!