Gypsy 83

What an excellent surprise GYPSY 83 has been, especially because the first ten minutes did not begin promisingly. This is a road movie that traces the emotional growth of two unlikely best friends: A brazen and outspoken girl in her early 20's who calls herself "Gypsy 83" and her just-about-to come-out-of-the-closet male best friend named Clive, as they travel from Sandusky, Ohio to New York City to attend the NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STEVIES competition---a showcase dedicated to obsessed fans of musical superstar Stevie Nicks. Both are into the "goth" scene, and Gypsy has dreams of becoming a famous singer. The first thirty minutes of the film are deceptively low-key, and then, just as you're ready to predict the rest of the plot, Karen Black arrives as a washed-up Karaoke lounge lizard, and---WHAM!---we're off in a different direction. By the time that Gypsy and Clive pick-up an Amish hitchhiker in Pennsylvania, who's running away from home, and who may or may not be gay, you know you're in a for quite a treat. And when Gypsy and Clive finally do arrive in NYC, the last 40 minutes or so of the film are so relevatory, so heart-warming, and so well-acted... be prepared to marvel (perhaps cry) at it's finale. GYPSY 83 is a film for goth audiences, for male and female audiences of all ages, for gay and straight audiences, and for anyone who's ever been a fan of 70's music.

I had been wanting to see this movie since I first heard it was being made. Being a huge Stevie Nicks fan, I figured there'd be something in this movie for me. I even remember when they were inviting extras to come to New York City to be in the club for filming (of course I couldn't go at the time). At any rate, this DVD is actually pretty good. I wasn't really sure how I'd like it. It does kinda remind me of my younger days of trying to find some kind of acceptance in a world full of morons. I'm from the West Virginia/Ohio area, so I could relate to the idiots that were in this movie who were so clueless that you just wanna smack the hell out of them. I was bummed that they couldn't get the rights to use Stevie's music for this movie...I think that would have made a slight difference. But with or without her music, I thought the movie was really good. I wasn't so crazy about Karen Black's character, but that's just my opinion. I think the two main characters tho, Gypsy and Clive, gave a really good performance in this. Good acting.

This movie is for people of all ages and all walks of life. It is about being young and having dreams and how to handle the disappointment when you are older and your dreams haven't happened. It is about young people seeing what happens to people whose dreams didn't work out and helping them to realize that they should go for their own dreams no matter what. We get to watch the young people in this film go for their dreams, then the disappointment they have to live with when their dreams hit a bump in the road of life. The acting is excellent, the movie drew me in to the story right from the start. It made me think a lot about life and the dreams I have had to leave behind as I got older. I liked this one so much that after watching the rental I decided to buy it for my DVD collection.

Who knew that Sandusky was another Oz? Not since Sherwood Anderson made Winesburg, Ohio THE place to be FROM, has Ohio seemed such an exotic backdrop! Todd Stephens once again shows us that being different in Sandusky may be the crucible out of which our most solid character values are forged. Sara Rue and Kett Turton--with a little help from Karen Black, John Doe, and Anson Scoville ( as the sexiest Amish man since Harrison Ford)--make being different ( Goth, fat, gay, whatever)seem like redemption.

A little road picture becomes, with good writing, direction, and superb performances, a modern-day Canterbury Tales, where the "Night of a 1000 Stevies" is as important a destination as St Thomas Becket's grave.

The journey is itself the important part of the story, and each character that Gypsy ( Rue) and Clive (Turton) meet helps to change them as they, in turn, alter the lives of those they meet.

Do not expect true love and happy endings because like all journeys of self discovery, nothing is perfect and believing, opposite from the adage, is finally seeing.

Rent this DVD; see this movie. Todd Stephens gets better and better. EDGE OF SEVENTEEN was far from being just another teen movie, just another GAY teen movie; so GYPSY 83, too, is far from being another coming of age film. I think it says that we are all essential: frat boys, rednecks, broken-down karaoke singers, Stevie Nicks impersonators, fat girls, hunky Amish farmers, Mary Kay sales queens, and Foto Hut booth girls.

Sandusky, Ohio IS Oz. Todd Stephens knows it.

Oh, and don't miss Karen Black's incredible sultry jazz singing. Why the hell isn't she on Broadway?

OK I'll be honest. I watched this because it had Sara Rue topless in it but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this actually was. 2 friends go on a journey and find out who they are along the way. This is well worth the watch.