Blog from Lubbock, Texas, Author Duane Simolke.
In this charming romantic comedy, a case of mistaken identity complicates a gay man’s attempt to finally meet the right man in L.A. Can a handsome Texan end his streak of failed relationships?
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Writer/director JC Calciano presents a romantic comedy about a writer in Los Angeles who sees himself as too average and unappealing to attract the right man. Nicholas Downs—an actor with credits from Young and the Restless, Cold Case, and many other TV shows—plays the awkward and insecure Blaine. Using a pseudonym, he writes a column for the free newspaper USA To-Gay, venting his frustrations with the local gay scene and his inability to start a successful relationship.
In a chance encounter, he receives a surprising courtesy from the handsome Texan Xander. David Loren (House, Harper’s Globe, The Mentalist, etc.) avoids a stereotypical portrayal of either gay men or Texans. At the same time, his character toys with stereotypes of both and intentionally plays against them.
Blaine and Xander both have gay male roommates with good intentions. Blaine’s go-go dancer roommate (Cameron, played by Adam Huss) wants Blaine to show more nerve, and to face the obstacles he encounters. Xander’s older and lonely roommate (Ernie, played by Bruce Gray) becomes a parental figure, full of humor and good advice.
Xander and Blaine eventually begin communicating, but only online and on the phone, not realizing they previously saw each other. Unfortunately, when Xander tries to look up Blaine’s Facebook photo, Cameron is logged onto Blaine’s account. Instead of explaining the mix-up, Blaine keeps making it worse, threatening to derail a potential love story.
Blaine’s best friend (played by Michelle Laurent) provides a counterpoint to some of the bad ideas that both Blaine and Cameron come up with and reveals that heterosexuals have just as much trouble with relationships as gays. Unfortunately, she also offers some terrible guidance, and no one can fix Blaine’s problems but Blaine.
A strong cast and an engaging story help convey the universal frustrations of not only meeting but also settling down with the right person. Is It Just Me? offers humor and heart, demanding repeated viewing.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.
In a musical about a Filipina performance artist, writer/director H. P. Mendoza celebrates women who love gay man. Betheseda sings her way into the Castro and surrounds herself with gay culture.
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H.P. Mendoza—the composer, lyricist, and actor from Colma: The Musical—makes his directorial debut with the musical Fruit Fly, which he also wrote. A talented young Filipina woman named Betheseda (L.A. Renigen) moves to the Castro to continue her career as a performance artist. She also wants to find her birth mother.
Not surprisingly, she meets many gay men in the Castro and soon finds herself labeled as a fag hag by them. Though keeping a playful tone, the film tackles racism and misogyny among gay men. It also shows various sides of gay life, and of the women who love gays.
The initial number, “Public Transit,” adds nothing to the film, and delays the more interesting scenes of when Beth meets her roommates in a communal living situation. The funniest scenes and best musical numbers take place outside that setting, especially at a gay bar. Most of the songs reflect a 1980s influence and Mendoza’s playful sense of humor, adding to the overall charm of the movie.
Ultimately, Renigan makes it all work. Besides challenging racial and gender stereotypes, she makes viewers care about Betheseda’s art, her life, and her search for family. It never gets too deep, intentionally; Mendoza provides breezy escapism with the messages tucked sweetly between the lines.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.
