'johns' the movie

[+ glutes]

I just viewed this 1995 movie about 'street walkers' on Santa Monica Blvd, I found it truly sad - to the point of disturbing. Has anyone else seen this flick and offer some advice?? (I did a search on it here in Hooville, could not come up with any hits, can't imagine it hasn't been discussed before)

[Guest Tristan]

I have seen the flick. Stars Lukas Haas and David Arquette among others. Extremely depressing story, but very well acted, of street hustlers in LA. Don't know if it's been discussed on this site.

[Will]

I've seen this film several times, although not recently. It's a "classic" of its kind, and certainly the performances are wonderful. My sense is that it is a sensitive take on the demi-monde of street hustlers at a certain time -- the seventies or eighties, if I recall correctly. Much the same mood hovers over Gus Van Sant's MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO. Many people hate it, for some good reasons. But I like it a lot, primarily because of the way he uses narcolepsy as a metaphor for the isolation, loneliness, and even fantasy-life that lots of gay boys experience(d), and which becomes a major factor in how they shape their lives as adults. Sometimes that's wonderful, sometimes it's not. Like life itself. You should also check out HUSTLER WHITE and FLESH, starring the never-to-be-equaled Joe Dallesandro. As a hustler film, though, it's not as good as Warhol's MY HUSTLER, which is so hard to find that I haven't been able to see it since it changed my life one cold, gray Sunday afternoon in 1968 in an art house in New York.

[Guest random]

I dislike this film. The edting is terrible. Anyone, with the most simple minded knowledge of Los Angeles / Hollywood has to be appauld at how chopped up the geography is. We go from standing on one street to seeing a vehicle pass by the boys on a completely different street nearly half a mile away.

 

The story line is absurd. For someone who spent months paying Santa Monica Blvd hustlers $20. to talk with them to learn about their life on the street I would expect a little reality in the script. Instead we are left with a shoe fetish and an unbelieveable psycho cruiser. All who are placed randomly throughtout Hollywood in what are suppose to be continous scenes.

 

I had high hopes for this film due to the subject matter and Lukas Haas' involvement. There are far better films about street hustlers that are more involved with what these guys go through and more on target. In fact, Will mentioned a few of them in his post below. Rent / buy one or mroe of those and enjoy.

[Trixie]

RE: Hustler White

 

I think I saw Hustler White... was it sort of a black comedy, featuring a strange little german man, a mortician with a fetish for saran wrap, and a hustler who gets run over by another hustler stealing a car? It was weird, but kind of funny. But mostly weird.

Trix

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

101 Rent Boys

 

is a documentary, which is like many other such "fluff" documentaries, only as good as the subjective premises of the filmmakers, which were limited in this particular case, but it does have some interesting moments and insights.

 

As for the film Johns, I would agree that it is more sad than anything else.

[Guest Utopia]

Joe Dallesandro's films produced by Andy and/or Paul are supreme. I highly recommend them to anybody who wants to view hustling from the inside out.

===

"You realize that life goes fast

It's hard to make the good things last"

[Will]

Thanks to Netflix, which I learned about on this very site, I saw another hustler film last night, a 1999 piece by Gus Van Sant called SPEEDWAY JUNKIE. Yes, it's sad. But, yes, it's good. It's about love/friendship between two boys of about 21 years old, both gorgeous.

[Guest Kenny021]

RE: 101 Rent Boys

 

I rented "Johns" from Netflix. I hated it. If you want to see various reviews on the film, go to http://www.netflix.com and punch in "Johns".

[+ glutes]

RE: 101 Rent Boys

 

>I rented "Johns" from Netflix. I hated it.

 

Actually I didn't hate it, was just disturbed by what I think, is a accurate depiction of street hustler life in LA. I think all Hoovillites should watch this flick, it will make you think.

[VaHawk]

RE: Hustler White

 

You have the right movie La Trix. I really liked it just because it was kind of weird. Was surprised to see the local Barnes & Nobles has a whole section of gay/lesbian movies and bought this one because it was about hustlers.

[bluenix]

RE: Hustler White

 

>I think I saw Hustler White... was it sort of a black comedy,

>featuring a strange little german man, a mortician with a

>fetish for saran wrap, and a hustler who gets run over by

>another hustler stealing a car? It was weird, but kind of

>funny. But mostly weird.

 

La Trix -

 

You'll be pleased to learn that the "little German" in the limo, aka as the film's co-director, is Bruce La Bruce. He's sort of Toronto's outré fag video artiste in residence. Tony Ward, the stud, was briefly notorious as Madonnna's then fuck, or something like that. (Forgive me, I only half follow these things.)

[Trixie]

RE: Little German Fellow

 

Yes, I knew that somehow! It's all coming back to me...

There were some very funny moments. Bruce's exit off the airplane in the opening was hysterical. And the mortician's dress up scene was, well...

he was a Lady, through and through! A murderess perhaps, but always a lady.

Trix

[Trixie]

RE: Hustler White

 

Barnes and Noble can be a trip, huh? I remember coming across a little exposé written about man to man sex in the Navy, written by an ex-sailor. It had lots of "scandalous" pics, and quite a lot about the homoerotic hazing rituals involving sailors who're crossing the Equator for the first time. (None of the rituals involved tickling, I'm disappointed to say.)

I've never seen this little tome anywhere other than the B&N in Berkeley.

Trix

[Guest random]

RE: 101 Rent Boys

 

>>I rented "Johns" from Netflix. I hated it.

>

>Actually I didn't hate it, was just disturbed by what I think,

>is a accurate depiction of street hustler life in LA. I think

>all Hoovillites should watch this flick, it will make you

>think.

 

I am not a Hoovillites but I am in LA and this film doesn't show anything about life as a hustler on these city streets.

 

I have been hiring guys off the streets for years and nothing in johns is even close to being realistic, well, you could say that Lukas Hass good looks are realistic.

 

Will mentioned Speedway Junkie and I will give that a 3 star out of 10. There are a few glimpes of light in this film yet over all it's as drab and as far fetched as johns. The only redeeming value in Speedway Junkie is the very easy on the eyes JTT, YUM!

 

I would suggest Pixote and Christiane F for those looking for streetlife, coming of age, hustler type films for a good start. The latter being exceptional.

[Trixie]

I had to search my memory banks, but I have indeed seen "Johns". It was ok, focusing of course on the "weirdos" hustlers must deal with rather than the tedious average guys that make up the meat & potatoes...(liquor & drugs?) of most street hustlers' lives. I can't account for the location shots, but all in all I thought it was not all that great, if I remember correctly. I much prefered "Star Maps", for it's portrayal of the mundaneness of the hustler scene. Plus, the lead was TO DIE FOR!

Trix

[Guest random]

I agree with Trixie on Star Maps. Mostly straight hustler film based around one character who you'll find hot if you have an attraction to Latino guys.