Butch Camp

An amateur production filmed in Chicago with with lots of stereotypes. From dykes with bikes, to cross dressers to bitchy queens, the fill is a complete guide to gay stereotypes. The film goes on way too long...you will find yourself looking at watch...A LOT. Bad script. Even worst editing. Lousy acting. The film half of the film is barely passable, the second half is terrible. Just turn off the DVD and go do other more important things...like ironing. Paul Denniston is a likable sort but cannot carry a film. So called comedian Judy Tenuta is embarrassing to watch. Her segments seem to have been filmed separately and inserted into the film randomly. The rest of the cast should look for a new line of work...acting is out.

Although "Butch Camp" was a weak film, it did have it's redeeming qualities. It gave light wings to a hard and over looked metal shell. When you open up that shell you find laughter and some good acting.

Paul Denniston is pretty funny as the sorry Matt who needs and learns to stand up for himself. His Michael J. Foxish performance is second to none along with his timing.

Judy Tenuda is classic Judy. What more can you say. It's her stand up on the big screen.

Jason Teresi is the "Serious and Straight" (forgive the pun), in an over the top movie. He provides a much needed "realism" that adds drama, love, tenderness, and heart to the film. He pulls the movie together from all of the crazy directions it's going and brings them into a well rounded ball with no jagged edges. His performance is outstanding, which simply means that he stands out. If you focus the plot more on Matt and Rod, This could have been a whole different story and film.

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 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!

Despite the fact that this film was inexplicably trying to tell about five stories at once, it still had about 10-15 hysterically funny moments. It could have been so much better if the stories had connected, but because whoever wrote this had an agenda or joke to make or stereotype to capture, it just went boomeranging inside a crazy box.

Judy Tenuta, who played the Butch Camp leader (and the Butch Camp was only one of the story lines in this crazy quilt of insanity), was initially funny, but ultimately, she was a one-note joke and she never got beyond screaming and yelling. I never got a sense of character. Paul Denniston, who is frequently compared to Michael J. Fox in reviews, was, on the other hand, consistently funny and although he wasn't given a deep character to portray, his comic timing, his commitment to what the character was and his great personal appeal made me an instant fan.

Again, some gut-busting lines and I might watch it again if I were in the mood to laugh, but unfortunately the disparate story lines, which the screenwriter tried (unsuccessfully) to weave together, were so distracting and unsatisfactory that the movie just doesn't cut it.

For a one-time viewing, it works... but only if you're gay and/or are familiar with enough 90s trivia to recognize the too frequent attempts to be "contemporary."