Butch Camp

I watched this film before I checked the rating here on iMDb. For that small bit of luck I am most happy.... The existing rating of 4.7 (when I checked) grossly underrates the enjoyment I got watching this film. It is a terribly cute comedy with good acting and a funny story line. It may not be the most believable story line, I will grant you, but for entertainment it certainly is just fine. As far as "gay themed" movies, I certainly rank it among the most watchable comedies that I have managed to view.

I don´t know what other ppl were expecting, a gay revolution maybe, but I don´t think movies must have that role, they must just entertain and be simple, as Butch Camp is. A light romantic comedy, and the actors they were not bad. I really liked Judy Tenuta, after seeing the film I became a fan of her style and Jason Teresi had that "thing" you know? Even if he wasn´t so beautiful I think he would still be standing tall in his acting. And of course Paul Denniston was very funny as the fragile and always temerous Matt. Those ppl bashing this movie are used to gay porn, so I guess they were frustrated not to see any - and terrified to find out gay people can actually love and desire a steady relationship, with love and everything. That´s it!

I wonder if the film ever got to the point where the characters realized they did not need to get "butched up," if they ever realized that they were fine the way they were. I wonder if the insipid main character, portrayed by an actor doing a horrible Michael J. Fox impression, ever came out at work thus ending what was unfunny workplace discrimination based on sexual identity. I have to wonder because I could not stomach watching this film to the end. I literally watched an hour thinking there would be something funny or that it would start to become redeeming. It did not.

What was the target audience here? Who would find any of these pathetic situations funny? I can only surmise that it was made for quasi-self-hating gay men who are not out in most areas of their lives and can relate to the ridiculous gyrations of the main character's attempt to become more butch. (Was there ever worst casting involved? The actors portrayal of nelly was simply not nelly, he was just nervous. An obvious straight actor portraying nervousness, prudishness, and self-righteousness but missing the nelly mark altogether.)

I give this movie half a star for being able to find funding at all.

I rented this movie from one of my local video stores and hunkered down to watch. I wanted to love it. I really, really did, but...

While I love Judy Tenuta and always will, but her performance was rather weak, and her scenes at the Butch Camp were horribly directed and boring. In fact, it didn't seem like much of a camp at all. Perhaps "camp" in the title was supposed to mean that this film was supposed to be campy (which it wasn't).

But overall, the acting was probably the best thing about this meager attempt to be funny (which it rarely was). I guess it probably broke ground as a gay film when it was originally released, but the plot was incredibly flimsy and rambled a bit. I didn't care about most of the characters. There seemed to be many good ideas, but none of the plot lines offered much of a payoff in the end.

If you choose to watch a movie called "Butch Camp" about a lesbian (pictured on the poster or DVD cover wearing leather and brandishing a whip) who runs a training course meant to toughen up wimpy gays, it might be a tad ingenuous to complain about it leaning heavily on stereotypes, as at least one reviewer did. It's a bit like watching a Marx Brothers movie entitled "A Day at the Races" and complaining that Dr. Hackenbush wasn't really a qualified physician… what did you expect? I hasten to add that I'm not implying this movie is on a par with a Marx Brothers production.

Assuming you're in the mood for a farce that employs slapstick, ridiculous characters, improbable situations and, yes, exaggerated stereotypes, this was reasonably well done. Paul Denniston, who played the lead, may have slightly overdone the clueless nature & reactions of his character, and somewhat disturbingly wore the same clothes 24/7, but he and the other central actors were likable and their performances were actually quite good given the context in which they were working.

It's a bit hard to give the movie a rating. The premise and the story development are both absurd, but the actors manage to save it from being a disaster. It's not rolling-on-the-floor funny, but it is amusing. If you enjoy this sort of thing, it's definitely watchable, but not exactly memorable.