THE GAYS

The concept of T S Slaughter's THE GAYS is that of two brothers who've been schooled since birth to grow up as homosexuals.

Alex (Mike Russnak) and his somewhat simpler sibling Tommy (Flip Jorgensen) are young men by the time we meet them. Alex meets an out-of-towner in a Hollywood gay bar one night and begins to tell his story to this new friend. Which conveniently allows for flashbacks revealing how he and Tommy were conditioned into the way they are today.

Rod (Frank Holliday) is the father of the Gay family - yes, that's their surname. He's married to Bob (Chris Tanner) - a transvestite "mother" who claims to have given birth to the boys via ectopic anal pregnancy. From the moment Alex was born, he was weaned on phallic-shaped pacifiers and cooed over his cot by Bob - who affectionately taught him every gay term under the sun ("pooh pushers", "turd burglars" etc).

We witness the parents later informing Alex and Tommy how gay babies come in the world, and doling out a bizarre punishment on teenaged Alex: having the neighbour bugger him in front of them. As a teen, Alex is also encouraged to bring school-friends home so they can fellate Rod; their Sunday family afternoons are spent "just like any other family", singing songs from Musicals while wearing pink cowboy hats.

The episodic snippets of the Gays' bizarre take on family life keep on coming. Advice on dating other boys gets predictably crude very, very quickly. Christmas is celebrated in typically camp style, the parents gifting their sons with GI Joe rim-job dolls...

Though there's no real plot as such, THE GAYS is fast-moving thanks to its sitcom-style setting and a tendency to rely on short skits as set-pieces. The whole thing is only 70 minutes long. The performances are enjoyably broad throughout, each character relishing in Slaughter's frequently obscene dialogue.

Male frontal nudity is a given, though is not as prolific as you'd maybe expect. The film isn't really about erotica - it's a comedy, and a gleefully disgusting, incorrect, early John Waters-style comedy at that. Is it funny? On occasion, yes.

More interestingly, THE GAYS is also surprisingly political in its outlook. It's not exactly overt - Slaughter never preaches over and above his below-the-belt gags - but all you need do is read between the lines and you'll find he's often taking swipes at right wing attitudes towards homosexual men. Are they really all deviant, sex-obsessed sluts intent on turning children gay and raping every male in sight? In the Gays' household, yes - Alex and Tommy are positively encouraged to behave in that manner.

You can imagine puritanical zealots stumbling across this one by accident and taking it to the masses as "proof" that gay men are evil. For the rest of us, Slaughter's piss-taking is more than wild enough to spell out the irony. Slaughter, if the name rings any bells, is also the guy who lampooned the slasher cycle gay-style with 2007's SKULL AND BONES...

Holliday has an odd delivery to his lines which makes him sound like Principal Skinner from 'The Simpsons'. Tanner looks more like a Pantomime dame than a conventional mother. Jorgensen is reduced to the role of imbecile. Russnak, arguably the film's main focal point, is the confident one - though even he has a manic laugh a la 2,000 MANIACS that renders him a little 'off'. Such quirky, mannered performances suit Slaughter's potty-mouthed script and manic direction to a tee.

Aesthetically cheap (a small cast; a couple of rudimentary locations), THE GAYS isn't looking for mass approval. I sense more so that it's a highly personal tirade against stereotypes. The dialogue is certainly baiting and acerbic enough to suggest so - though, as crude it does get, it never matches the aforementioned Waters' early efforts for imaginative vitriol or camp wit.

Bar some fleeting hardcore images on the cover magazines, the film shies away from anything too graphic. Simulated sex scenes (Alex's schoolmate giving Rod a blowjob, for example) employ the use of prosthetic cocks for effect.

If you're of a liberal mindset and up for something new, THE GAYS is definitely worth checking out. For more info and to watch the film online visit the official site here.

Review by Stuart Willis