Slutty Summer

Sometimes the title of a film has connotations that put people off, preventing them from viewing a film that has a lot of good points just because the title is tacky. Such is the case for SLUTTY SUMMER. This low budget first film by writer/producer/director/actor Casper Andreas may not have the substance or finesse that other independent films have, but taken as a whole it is an entertaining outing that deserves more credit than it has received. One wonders if a different title and cover image would have resulted in a larger more attentive audience.

Summer in Manhattan and new writer Marcus (Andreas) has just terminated a relationship with unfaithful Julian (Christos Klapsis) and finds solace in his man-hungry but gay-friendly friend Marilyn (Virginia Bryan) who lands him a waiter position in a small restaurant where all waiters are various stereotypes of gay men: ex-model sleeparound Tyler (Jamie Hatchett), hopeless romantic wannabe actor Peter (Jeffrey Christopher Todd), nellie flamboyant one night stander Luke (Jesse Archer) and the obnoxious manager Kevin (Lance Werth). Through a lot of visits to bars and hangouts the crew try to soften Markus' hurt and in doing so open Markus' eyes (indeed, everyone's eyes) to the significance of relationships in the flippant world of gay Manhattan.

Yes, the story has been done before but life keeps repeating the same stories, too, and it is fine to have a different take on same sex ways of life and philosophy in the big city. For a film shot in 14 days there is a fine amount of attention paid to small details of conversations. Markus proves an economical director. The cast of mostly inexperienced actors does well, and even if they do seem to be parodies of stereotypes, they do establish understandable characters. For a first film this is a pretty successful outing. With different packaging perhaps it could have had a better chance in the theaters. Grady Harp

This was a thoroughly entertaining film that had laughs and a predictably happy ending. Yes, the characters are stereotypes, but at the same time, the guys are all real people. I know people exactly like these men, and I could see myself in various aspects of these characters. And the topics of conversation were exactly ones that I've had with my friends.

I found Casper Andreas as Markus, the protagonist, perfectly acceptable as a sensitive guy who's a bit shell-shocked after coming home to find his lover Julian making out with a trick. Julian exits, ending their four-year relationship. And Markus takes a job in a Manhattan restaurant, where his friend Marilyn works. Since Markus has been out of the cruising scene, he's taking very tentative steps to get back in circulation.

Markus is surrounded with a very believable group of gay waiters, who are, at the same time, stereotypes. Luke is the smart-talking queen, who recommends his own promiscuous lifestyle as a model for Markus to get over Julian. Tyler is a model who wants no part of relationships. Peter, an actor, is a serious young man who is holding out for Mr. Right, who just doesn't seem to be around.

The guys talk about topics that plenty of gay men talk about: can men be faithful; is a monogamous relationship possible; how many guys constitute an orgy (they agree on five); what does "sleeping with" mean (if you and another guy fellate each other in the steam room at the gym, can you then say you've slept with him), how is "sleeping with" different from "hooking up with," and so on. Thank God, this film spares us any "in-depth, darling" conversations.

The restaurant setting was very real, and the interaction of the waiters and customers plays out fantasies of what many waiters must want to do to obnoxious customers.

All of the men are good looking in their differing ways and deliver solid performances. The accents of Casper Andreas, Jamie Hatchett, and Christos Klapsis added flavor to their characters. And, yes, Jesse Archer as the smart-talking Luke, steals most of the scene, but isn't that true in just about every gay film that features a smart-talking queen? Don't overlook the extras. The deleted scenes and outtakes are entertaining, too. There's one deleted scene showing a disgruntled patron complaining to an already angry Peter that there are only two olives in his martini instead of three. Peter grabs up a handful of olives from a bowl and returns to throw them at the startled patron before Peter slams out of the restaurant. Hurrah, Peter, says every waiter in the business. There are also interesting interviews with the actors, and Jesse Archer, who plays Luke, hosts a short documentary in which he takes to the streets of Chelsea to ask various gay men there, "What is a slut"? This was a funny footnote to the film.

Most newspaper critics and more than a few commentators here have been hard on this film. But I think it's quite a remarkable achievement for a first film, made on a miniscule budget, and shot in just fourteen days. Lighten up. It's fun.

"Hey now, summer in the city, independent film looking dull and gritty..." It's no wonder that SLUTTY SUMMER is one tired film, it's creator Casper Andreas wrote the script, directed, edited the film, played the lead and provided the craft services. He's exhausted and distracted and it shows. He enlists his friends to play along, and the acting ranges from 'godawful' (Lance Werth as restaurant manager Kevin, in a turn that makes Charles Nelson Reilly look like Lord Olivier) to passable (Catherine O'Hara-like Virginia Bryan as the only female and resident fag hag). Andreas' only 'new find' is Jeffrey Christopher Todd as a prudish gay aptly named Peter (wink wink). Sadly - with the exception of Todd - most of these folks are not especially attractive (or at least not attractively photographed) which can be the saving grace of a lame film like this.

Production values are poor, at best, with horrible sound, made worse by noisy exterior locations and geographically untraceable accents from some of the principals, including Andreas. The cliché-ridden script breaks no new ground ("You can't fire me, I quit!") and contributes nothing to the genre. The tone ranges from high camp comedy to soap opera seriousness, without much success at either end of the spectrum. If viewing SLUTTY on DVD, go directly to the SPECIAL FEATURES section for a series of on the street interviews by cast member Jesse Archer. On the summer streets of New York's Greenwich Village, Archer (a hundred times more winning here than he ever is in the film) asks folks the definition of a 'slut' as well as some of the key questions the film's script clumsily throws out. Now, THIS would have made an interesting film - SLUTTY SUMMER: The Documentary.

I'd read some mixed (to bad) reviews of Slutty Summer, so I was unprepared for what a really good film it is. Of the countless gay movies I've seen, this was the first that truly made me feel that I was observing the real lives of 20something gay guys in a big city. The characters are all three-dimensional, even slutty Luke, well played by Jesse Archer, who is allowed to reveal a deeper side to his seemingly shallow character. Out actor/director Casper Andreas is very real and believable and likable as recently dumped Markus (I liked the way no attempt was made to explain his Scandinavian accent), and his developing feelings for equally effective Jamie Hatchett (as Tyler) build slowly and believably. Jeffrey Christopher Todd is adorable as hopeless romantic Peter, and I appreciated the respect with which Andreas treated this character; it would have been so easy to make fun of Peter's sincere desire to wait for Mr. Right. Virginia Bryant has many good moments as slightly ditzy Marilyn, and again Andreas has made her much more than the usual "fag hag" without a life of her own. I suppose it's possible (though doubtful) that at least some of the actors were straight (only Andreas and Archer are openly gay, as far as I know), but if so, they'd have to be quite amazing actors, because unlike far too many films, I believed that I was seeing real gay men (even down to smaller roles such as cutiepie Lex Sosa as Steven). Reading several other reviews here, I truly wonder at the cynicism and negativity of some gay viewers. This is not a bad film at all. This is not a badly made film at all. The budget may have been low, but this is clearly the work of a talented man who has surrounded himself with a talented bunch of mostly new to the screen performers. And the New York locations add to the realism of the story, and are especially interesting for an Angelino like myself (who loves New York as well). Thumbs up for Slutty Summer.

Although ambitious, this film doesn't quite pull it all together. Telling the tale of newly single, Markus complete with "homo-in-the-big-city" treatment. Every stereotype is represented, even the single and looking gal pal (played quite well by Virginia Bryan). Most scenes are acted as though everyone is aware they are making a movie rather than playing real-life characters. There are some stand-out moments where the characters come through, but overall the attempt seems self-serving. The worst acting performance hands down is Lance Werth as Kevin, the restaurant manager. I couldn't help but think how fitting this role would have been if it had been played by Mink Stole of John Waters fame. Although Werth gives it his best, it isn't enough and he embarrasses himself, and the rest of the cast with this lousy performance.