With his latest film, the Udo Kier-starring Swan Song, picking up rave festival reviews, it’s a risky move for director Todd Stephens to return to his 2006 release, Another Gay Movie – a controversial smutfest that’s built up a small cult following.
An unashamed attempt to cash in on the popularity of the American Pie series, the story here is basically the same, but gay, as four high school graduates make a pact to lose their anal virginity over the summer break. There’s a lot to object to – the low production values, the stereotypical characters (the nerd, the camp one, the straight-acting one…), and some frankly racist and ableist humour involving Asian and blind side characters.
Thankfully, the majority of the comedy revolves around the four boys’ mostly disastrous attempts at getting laid. With plenty of LGBTQ in-jokes, it’s the kind of anarchic, self-aware, low-budget movie that cares more about its niche audience than what Variety thinks, and if you’re in the right mood for it – that is, a mood enhanced by your intelligence-numbing substance of choice – there’s fun to be had. Highlights include an incident with an electric penis enhancement pump, a very camp pair of paramedics, and a bonkers scene involving Graham Norton and a BDSM dungeon.
This new cut is no Snyder-style four-hour extravaganza; coming in at a tight 96 minutes, it’s only a little longer than the original, with the one significant difference being the re-insertion of a deleted scene in which Mink Stole (from the John Waters films) shows up to give a bizarre anecdote in a club bathroom. It’s not a particularly great scene, and won’t change anyone’s opinion on the film, but the re-release gives newcomers a chance to freshly sample this outrageously gay, outrageously smutty madness.
Another Gay Movie (Director’s Cut) is available to stream via Apple from April 27th, and on DVD from May 4th – US only in both cases; no UK release date has been confirmed.
