The movie "Circuit"

[Guest jeffOH]

I rented "Circuit" last night. Anybody else seen it yet?

 

I thought it was definitely entertaining and a fairly accurate

portrayal of what goes on in the circuit party, stripper and escort scenes. Although, director obviously had an agenda. Circuit party=Bad

Monogamous drug-free relationships=Good.

 

Thoughts???

 

JEFF

jeff4men@hotmail.com

[taylorky]

>Monogamous drug-free relationships=Good.

 

 

 

of course they are...........duhhhhhh...taylorky@20:11-01/16/03

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

RE: The movie "Circuit"

 

'Circuit' is one of those TLA Releases (ala, 'The Fluffer') that they are currently pushing, correct?

 

 

I saw it in the theatre about 8 months ago and wasn't really impressed. It came across as a vapid piece of film that didn't do much to lend validity to gays being anything but drugged-out Chelsea boys... Please tell me that this isn't what qualifies as an 'arthouse' film these days.

 

If you're looking for something not-so-mainstream and gay in theme, i suggest 'Hedwig & The Angry Inch' w/ John Cameron Mitchell... Amazing amazing film, or even the ever-loved (or hated) 'Trick' with Christian Campbell and JP Pitok.

 

I do realize that both films mentioned above play on gay stereotypes as well, but IMO they're head-and-shoulders more intelligent than 'Circuit.' Besides, Tori Spelling's song in 'Trick' is WELL worth the price of the DVD alone

 

 

 

She's not a bad tapper either...

 

 

 

 

Warmest Regards,

 

 

 

Benjamin Nicholas

[Guest DevonSFescort]

RE: The movie "Circuit"

 

Please tell me you didn't just call 'Circuit' vapid and in the same post praise 'Trick' for being intelligent! :o

 

'Circuit' has its problems, but it's at least dealing with a significant gay subculture (one that, like it or not, has a lot of influence on much of the rest of gay culture and deserves some screen time). The filmmakers are critical of the subculture, even making a polemical point about the corporate irresponsibility of the promoters, but also treat the scene with enough sympathy and affection for much of the movie to ring true, or at least true-ish. And the guys in this movie are not all 'drugged-out Chelsea boys' but rather at varying stages of their lives vis-a-vis drug use which again, like it or not, is a part of much of gay culture that shouldn't be ignored in films (not that it has to be in every film).

You can take issue with any number of choices the director made, but I don't think he made a vapid movie.

 

And he gets some terrific performances, not so much out of the lead, who out-Clark Kents Clark Kent (though that may be part of the point) as out of the supporting players, like Andre Khabbazi (sp?) who milks a lot out of a thinly written character (the hustler, who is an LA caricature with calf and cheek implants). It's also sexy and visually stylish (it runs circles around 'Trick' in both regards) despite having been made on a shoestring. (Notwithstanding your take on it as 'mainstream,' Dirk Shafer, the director, had a lot of trouble raising money for the film because it was a subject nobody wanted to touch.)

 

'Trick,' on the other hand, was an extremely light wish-fulfillment comedy (the wish being, wouldn't it be nice if a big hunky go-go dancer fell in loved with me and liked me for me and liked to sit and listen to my musical numbers?) Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you wanna talk vapid...

 

But you're right about 'Hedwig.' I was lucky enough to know practically nothing about it when I saw it and I still remember that wonderful sense of happy shock -- that feeling of, who IS this incredible freak?? It's a much more surprising experience than the other two films.

[Guest Dan]

RE: The movie "Circuit"

 

I did not like Circuit. I found it dull to the poor direction. Also, what was the point of the main character being an ex-cop? It was never really played out. He may has well have been a glazier for all the conflict that was played out. The lousy acting didn't help.

 

Trick started out okay, but it ended up reminding me of so many lousy small plays that play in small theatres all over L.A. The problem being that they are written by people that have no life experience, so they end up quite trite and moronic.

 

Somehow, missed Hedwig which is really in a genre all by itself, but I did enjoy Fluffer. The story arc was well constructed and the acting was solid. I was able to feel empathy for the characters which was totally missing from Circuit. A gem that I've recommended to straight friends.

 

Dan Dare

http://meetlocalmen.com/mlm/dandarela.html

[woodlawn]

Am in agreement with those who found 'Circuit' lacking. Did not care for 'Trick' either, but unlike 'Circuit' at least it does not give the impression that becoming a drug addict and a slut is part of accepting one's identity as a gay man, which so many gay-themed films and shows like "Queer as Folk" do. If the films that gay men make about gay men are going to present these negative stereotypes then it becomes difficult for us to complain when the straight world accepts them as true. Remarks suggesting that taking drugs is 'an important part of gay culture' don't help either.

[Guest rizzuto]

Man from Elysian Fields?

 

Anyone see & care to comment on "The Man from Elysian Fields" it was released about a year ago and starred Andy Garcia as a (straight) escort, working for an agency that Mick Jagger ran?

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

"Man from Elysian Fields" actually opened about 3, maybe 4, months ago. You are right, however, it was an intriguing film even if it wasn't about OUR type of prostitution. And as Dan Dare said to me afterward, "The word for Mick Jagger's performance was 'delicious'". Think of his role in "Bent" but without the Drag (Mick Jagger, not Dan Dare).

 

Put me in the seriously PRO "Circuit" camp. I've never been to a Circuit party, I've made my position on drugs very clear in this forum (I hate them so much I dropped out of muscleservice.com entirely, due to the overwhelming pro Steroid-Boy stance), I don't dance, and yet I enjoyed Circuit immensely.

 

No the acting wasn't anything to trite home about, but I found the Hustler's character, if not his acting, quite interesting. And goddamn was Hector hot. When Ad Rian kicked 29-year-old Hector out of his "Presidential Suite" at the San Vicente Inn (a room I know ALL TOO WELL) because he was older than 15, my heart touched my toes then bounced back again. I have not been turned away because I was "Too Old". Not yet, but someday I will be; 30 is upon me and I truly empathized with Hector in that scene.

 

Now granted, a filmmaker should not count on all moviegoers having been hustlers in order to make part of a movie relatable, however I think all gay men have at one time been rejected because of their age (it happens to Donnie several times a day) or at least know that some day they will be.

 

There was significant character development in the two main characters, and the other stuff, drugs, danger, coming out, etc, was I felt very evenhanded (sure there was no GOOD reason why they made the main character a cop, but for some reason that didn't bother me). "FLUFFER", however, was extremely heavy handed. I especially liked (actually disliked) the finale' where we learn that the main character's become a NEW man when he tears up the letter. Whatever!

-Hagen

[bigguyinpasadena]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

I guess there are times when it IS a good thing to live in Los Angeles(or LA adjacent as it were)There are people reading these post that have no Idea what we are talking about!

Saw Circuit at the fag film festival 2 years ago(tickets were givem to me by Paul Lakakis)Thought it was OK,but it was going to appeal to such a small audience that it would go straight from festival to video.Thank you to Rod Hagen for letting us know the San Vicente Inn has a presidential suite(though I can't think of any presidents I would want to play with0well I know of one that I would love to get into an affexiation(sp?)fantasy with ;{}

Trick was fluff,I found the nerd sexier than the GO-Go dancer-but I adore nerds and don't care for body buiders.

Alysian fields had it's moments but all in all DULL DULL DULL

Hedgewig was great-It is out on DVD now.

Now about a current film SONNY.How they could take a film about Hooking(mostly straight)and make such a trogfest is beyound me.Brenda Blethyn is the only one worthy of your eyeballs.And Nicholas Cage should make it to GLAAD's Hate list for his performance(hey Nic-what was all that"research"you did with the boys from the corner pocket for???)James Franco is gorgeous and

should by cast in wax(all parts of him<g>)He is as lifeless as a rock in this film.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

RE: The movie &amp;quot;Circuit&amp;quo...

 

Haven't seen Circuit, so I cannot comment. but you guys are right on about Hedwig -- a movie with several levels: humorous, thought provoking, emotion wrentching....

[Guest pshaw]

RE: The movie Circuit

 

"Hedwig" was very good. A bit overhyped, perhaps, but certainly a cut above most of the recent gay films that I have seen.

 

The other night I viewed Rosa von Praunheim's stylized biopic of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, "The Einstein of Sex." It wasn't perfect, but it did a nice job in paying tribute to the father of gay liberation. Gay German movies generally creep me out (I still shudder at the thought of "Taxi zum Klo"), but this film had a decent sense of humor, even when dealing with Nazis. It also had some good-humored points to make regarding "macho" gays who think themselves superior to "fairies."

 

My favorite gay films are probably those by Ryosuke Hashiguchi. "Like Grains of Sand" covers the same ground later covered by films like "Edge of Seventeen" and "Beautiful Thing," but I found it much more thought-provoking. "Touch of Fever" is yet another film about hustlers, but again I found it superior to the American and British equivalents. I haven't seen his latest film "Hush!", about a gay couple who have complications when a female friend wants one of them to father a child, but it was very popular at several of last year's gay film festivals and I've ordered the DVD from Japan. None of these films are available from the usual American video sources, but can be tracked down at websites specializing in Asian video.

[Guest Dan]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

I

>can't think of any presidents I would want to play with0well I

>know of one that I would love to get into an

>affexiation(sp?)fantasy with ;{}

Now granted Jimmy Carter's a meddling holier than thou putz, but I wouldn't advocate killing him.

 

 

>Now about a current film SONNY.How they could take a film

>about Hooking(mostly straight)and make such a trogfest is

>beyound me.Brenda Blethyn is the only one worthy of your

>eyeballs.And Nicholas Cage should make it to GLAAD's Hate list

>for his performance(hey Nic-what was all that"research"you did

>with the boys from the corner pocket for???)James

 

Isn't the fact that Sonny hasn't grossed as much in its run to date as Adaptation did its opening weekend punishment enough for Cage? Actually, I can't stand Cage, but I loved him in Adaptation and his creation of two very distinct chacters.

 

 

Dan Dare

http://meetlocalmen.com/mlm/dandarela.html

[Guest Love Bubble Butt]

RE: The movie Circuit

 

> regarding "macho" gays who think themselves

> superior to "fairies."

 

But we are superior!!

 

Just kidding.

 

Sorta.

 

No, really.

 

<cuh-huh-hhuh> :+

[Flower]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

Rod, even though you called me "mean" and ruined my entire day today as a result, I'm glad to see you're posting more again.

 

I've always enjoyed your posts whether I agreed or not. Unlike so much trittened }( here, your posts are well thought out and usually entertaining.

[chrismac]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

>...(I hate them so much I dropped out of

>muscleservice.com entirely, due to the overwhelming pro

>Steroid-Boy stance), I don't dance, and yet I enjoyed Circuit

>immensely.

 

Bravo. My thoughts exactly. That place is getting way roided out. Oy, but that's for another thread.

 

I haven't seen Circuit yet either, but it was recommended to me at Church last night by the fellow sitting next to me. Somehow (God only knows) the subject of circuit parties came up. I asked, "What's a circuit party?" Hey, don't laugh. At least now I know what poppers are. Thanks to whomever explained that to me several months ago here.

 

Like Devon and Rod, even without seeing the film, I agree that the drugs/body alteration surgery/ we-have-to-look-alike-to-express-our-individuality is very much alive today in the urban gay scene. I hesitate to use culture, as I tend to think artwork, masterfully-wrought music, and a specialty local alcoholic beverage need to be present in order to call a group a "culture". I prefer "scene". It hasn't grown up to be a culture yet.

 

When I had asked what a circuit party was, the recommendation to watch Circuit included a statement that went, "If you want to know what the circuit party scene is like - that film will take you from A to Z". And the film is about circuit parties, right (which do exist), not about gay life in general?

[chrismac]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

Re-reading my message, my anal side (being a bottom, it's a big part of me I guess ), I didn't mean to imply that neither Rod nor Devon had seen the film. I know they did. I meant that even though I hadn't seen the film, I agreed with their descriptions of the elements of the gay scene that the film represented.

[Barry]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

Chris,

 

To further your education just a bit more go to http://www.partylist.com/sybfusion.cgi?templ=home.tpl

 

That's just one of the web sites providing the who, what, where and when of the "circuit".

 

Barry

[chrismac]

RE: Man from Elysian Fields?

 

Thanks Barry - I'll do some research.

[Guest jeffOH]

RE: Circuit Parties

 

My first circuit party was the Red Party(now called the Chrome Party) here in Columbus. Believe it or not, the Red Party was the first circuit party ever over 20 years ago. I've also been to Hotlanta in Atlanta and the White Party in Miami.

 

Most are held to benefit charities...White Party and Resource One(AIDS).

 

The basic recipe for a circuit party:large venue, live performances(simulated sex, dancers, etc.),DJs/dance music, lots of steroided gay men with their shirts off fucked up on(pick one or a few)GHB, cocaine,

Special K(animal tranquilizer)crystal meth and of course Ecstasy. If everybody's drugs are working right, you'll feel the love and see alot of goofy grins. You'll probably also see lots of tweaked out, annoying guys and a few overdoses...pretty. Probably one of the most decadent scenes you'll ever experience.

 

JEFF

jeff4men@hotmail.com

[LAShowbiz]

RE: Circuit Parties

 

Although some people have a really bad connotation of circuit parties, it's what you make of them. Yeah, there are some die-hard circuit boys that get tweeked out all night, but there are lots of normal guys just letting loose and dancing.

 

Circuit parties have the best music... great live performances... and the best bodies (next to a Rio beach!).

 

Some of the "boys" I've met/partied with have included emergency room surgeons, lawyers, entertainment moguls, firemen... as well as party kids, actors, porn stars, escorts.... WIDE range of people.

 

I was at the Mayan this past Sunday for "Resolution"... over a thousand hot shirtless boys just having a good time. Granted, some people might feel intimidated unless you have a six-pack, but who cares... everyone was having a good time.

 

Of course, maybe drugs have something to do with the good time (and that includes alcohol). Yeah, MANY people are on E, G, Tina, K, or Coke. Hey, it's part of the "party" scene if you want to dance from 6pm until noon the next day, BUT... you don't have to do drugs to maintain the "high". Heck, I can dance 20 hours without any "party favors".

 

I did the circuit scene when I first came out at age 21 (I actually did more Rave parties... the str8 version)... now after 10 years later, I'm back on the circuit. I am off to Chicago, NY, SF, Miami, Orlando, Columbus, Austin, Dallas, DC, New Orleans, Palm Springs, Hawaii, Toronto and Montreal later this year for circuit parties. OMG... I sound like a junkie. LOL.... but hey, you only live once... and they are WAY too much fun to stop right now.

 

Every gay man should hit one at least once in their lifetime (preferably while under 40). It's what you make of it... Have fun and party hard!!! With or without drugs.... you can do it!!!!