Judas Kiss

Failed filmmaker Zachary Wells (Charlie David) returns to his alma mater to be a judge in a film competition. One of the competitors (Richard Harmon)shares his real name--Daniel Reyes--and has entered a film that carries the same name as the film Zach entered years ago! Then things get strange:)

This is one odd film. It mixes science fiction with drama, gay love (and sex) and redemption. It's hard to get a grip on at first (I considered turning it off more than once) but, if you stick with it, everything becomes clear at the end. It's well made and they use some interesting double images or lighting occasionally to push the sci-fi angle (but use it sparingly which is good). The acting varies. David is good and Sean Paul Lockhart (who once did gay porn as Brent Corrigan) is excellent. Harmon however is pretty bad and Tino Descamps (as Shane) is downright terrible. Still the story kept me watching. Also there's male nudity (back views only) and some passionate guy on guy kissing.

On one hand I do like it for its interesting plot and views. On the other hand it leaves too many questions unanswered at the end. So I can only give this a 5. Not terrible but it feels unfinished.

I saw Judas Kiss at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August, 2011. Aside from some technical issues on the festival's part, I really enjoyed this film and am looking forward to getting my copy. I can't help but believe that I will pick up on more symbolism each time I watch it! It was also great to see a piece Of work from Gay Cinema that could break the boundaries of the genre and work well in mainstream film festivals like RIIFF!

The characters were entertaining and thought provoking, and the writing made me snicker and laugh throughout while still keeping me enthralled during dramatic poignant moments. The cinematography was gorgeous, rich in color and well composed.

I'm not always a fan of magical realism, as many films don't do it justice, but Judas Kiss ranks up there with Across the Universe in my mind! Unlike the later, it was based more in reality (or perhaps alternate reality), which created a great escape without going too far outside of the boundaries as we think of them.

Great soundtrack as well!

Sometimes we wait too long before we get serious about our careers. Sometimes we start with everything and fall into a hole. What if that happened to you and you had the opportunity to go back and change something in the past that would alter your future?

While some people seem thrown by the premise, this is a fantasy and so it has it own rules which it follows scrupulously, if you watch closely enough to discover what they are.

Zack returns to his Alma Mater to judge a film festival when his close friend Topher is unable to attend. There's a shimmer on the invitation when he opens the envelope that is barely noticeable. As he pulls onto campus he looks up and the clock tower shimmers for a moment.

After settling into his digs for the weekend, a dorm room, he goes out to find the towns gay bar where he's attacked by a really cute boy, who sneaks out of his room in the morning. Later that day he is confronted by the same boy in the interview session for the film makers who are vying for this years prize.

The actors are very convincing, particularly the two young film makers, Danny and Chris, as they explore a potential romance. Chris, portrayed by Sean Paul Lockhart, is especially convincing as a former innocent who doesn't want to get involved in a possible triangle.

The underlying tension that revolves around who might win the festival and what will happen to Danny's film is particularly engaging. As the story develops we grow more concerned about the decisions Zach will have to make.

This film has been enjoyed by many audiences across the country at this point, receiving a resounding ovation at the screening I attended.

It is a reasonable exploration of a though/dream of many - to fix/solve an episode of youth, changing, in better, the life. The film use this idea in not so bad manner but not always in convincing way. A film about gray present and an occasion to save it. A film contest, an university, a night and young men. And, sure, the shadows of past. The temptation to say it deserves be better is present about many scenes. But , without be impressive, it is decent film.

Amazingly Dorothy Parker said of a young Katharine Hepburn:"She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B." Luckily Ms. Parker died before Charlie David gave acting a shot since his gamut doesn't stretch that far.

Unfortunately in this film he played the lead character, Zach Wells, and could only over-act one emotion, petulant drama queen. Most of the younger actors turned in reasonably good performances, but Charlie seemed to cast a creepy pall over every scene in which he appeared.

As another person who reviewed the movie mentioned, it was refreshing to have a film with a gay presence that didn't focus on someone coming out or coping with all the baggage of being gay in a hostile world. That saved this sophomoric effort from being a complete waste of time, but the stiff, uncomfortable performances by almost all the older actors and their constipated dialogue delivered in a preachy, robotic manner made most of the movie a painful experience.

Hopefully the actors who played Danny, Abbey, Shane and Chris will be able to build on what I assume was the start of their acting careers and hopefully Charlie David and the others, who spent the film performing like they were reading their lines for the first time, haven't given up their day jobs.