Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss | | Cast : | Sean Hayes, Brad Rowe | | Director : | Tommy O'Haver | | Studio : | Vidmark/Trimark | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 24, 1998 | | DVD Released Date : | February 05, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 09, 2005 | | Summary | Before "Will" Sean Had Grace | Content
 | Sean P. Hayes proves his comical skill in this farce that is part camp, part love story. Hayes falls in love with Gabrielle, a man who might be gay or straight. Good ole Gabe is comfused, Hayes is in love and the world is a happy, happy place as long as you have a poloroid camera. You'll have to see the movie to get the reference. Good characters and good writing make this a comic gem. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 21, 2005 | | Summary | Boring Fluff | Content
| I recently gave this movie another shot, at the request of a friend. I was impressed, this time, with the beauty and consistency of the cinematography. It's as if every scene could be a postcard, and the use of color and characters and costumes makes for decent viewing. And the songs are great, if a little "forced" into the movie.
Unfortunately, that's all there is, except beautiful Brad Rowe, totally wasted here in this nothing piece about self-indulgence and galling disregard for everyone that loves you (while pining away for what you obviously can't have.) Add to that a generous splash of feigned concern for others (Sean P. Hayes' character) while simply pursuing your own desires. ("I want to be there for him.") Right. It's so artificial, it's about as convincing as plastic palm trees.
There are a few funny lines and nice dance numbers, but not enough to cover up the gaping holes and long, heart-felt pauses of nothing.
Someone made this picture to fulfill their dream, and did a fine job of casting and cinematography. There is little else to see here. Even as a fluff piece, it's barely worth your time. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 22, 2004 | | Summary | Inoffensive fluff, no more or less | Content
| BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS (USA 1998): An LA photographer (Sean Hayes) falls madly in lust with an aspiring model (Brad Rowe) who's been hired to pose in a series of pictures inspired by old-time Hollywood movies. But Hayes receives mixed signals from the object of his desire - is he gay, or isn't he? - which leads to complications of the heart...
Described during the closing credits as a 'trifle' by writer-director Tommy O'Haver (ELLA ENCHANTED), this unassuming confection asks little more of its audience than to enjoy the scenery (both geographical and human!) and to pine along with its luckless protagonist as he pursues the hunk of his dreams. Those familiar with Hayes' outrageous turn in TV's "Will & Grace" may be disappointed by his restraint as a bland, scatterbrained idealist who learns the hard way that the course of true love never ran smoothly, especially in LA. Spiced with dream sequences that recreate moments from Hollywood's 'golden age' (most impressively, an Astaire-Rogers dance routine between Hayes and Rowe to the strains of Petula Clark, with drag queens on backing vocals!), the film pays affectionate tribute to the movies of a bygone era, movies which inspire the leading character on his never-ending quest for perfect happiness. Watch out for the magical scene in which Hayes and Rowe share a bed for purely platonic reasons, only to end up touching each other by 'accident'...
Though fluffy and inconsequential, the film is rescued from anonymity by an excellent supporting cast, including Meredith Scott Lynn (STANDING ON FISHES) and Richard Ganoung (PARTING GLANCES) as Hayes' best friends, Paul Bartel (EATING RAOUL) as a veteran photographer who lures Rowe into his professional circle, Carmine D. Giovinazzo (IN ENEMY HANDS) as a stoner who offers Hayes and Lynn a place to stay on his yacht after they pursue Rowe to Bartel's photo-shoot in Catalina (Giovinazzo's rear-view nude scene is funny and sexy, all at the same time!), and Warhol 'superstar' Holly Woodlawn (WOMEN IN REVOLT) as a musical attraction at the gayest party in town! Filmed in vivid color and widescreen Panavision, cinematographer Mark Mervis (HELLBENT) uses every inch of the scope frame in a painterly fashion, though his beautiful panoramic compositions were resisted by the film's nervous backers, according to O'Haver's fascinating DVD audio commentary. Sadly, for his next film (GET OVER IT), the director opted for Super 35, which isn't the same thing at all...
Aside from the aforementioned commentary, Trimark's unambitious DVD offers animated menus and a heavily cropped trailer, and that's it. The main feature's lack of anamorphic encoding is a drawback, but otherwise, picture quality is OK, and the soundtrack serves its purpose.
92m 24s
2.39:1 (Panavision) / Letterboxed, without 16:9 enhancement
DVD soundtrack: Dolby Surround 2.0
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Stereo
Closed captions
All regions |
| Rating | | | Date | January 28, 2004 | | Summary | billy's hollywood screen kiss | Content
| A very enjoyable film--my husband and I loved it. Well acted, well written, great soundtrack. Great date movie boys, enjoy. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 17, 2003 | | Summary | A Big, Technicolor Tease | Content
| I had high hopes for this film, and was dissapointed. Granted, it's nice to look at. The use of technicolor is beautiful, and the locations are well-chosen and attractive. But that's the best thing about this film. This story is a collection of every gay movie cliche; the plain but idealistic, romance-starved hero, the attractive guy who's supposedly straight but possibly interested, and the usual assortment of stock charactgers (the sassy female buddy, the older mentor, the shallow lover of the moment who leaves the hero feeling empty, noisy drag queens, money-grubbing talent agents, ect). Of course, our hero (Sean Hayes) falls for a hot, blond straight guy. Of course, the hottie (Brad Rowe) seems to be awfully friendly. And of course, we spend the whole movie wondering "will he or won't he" jump in bed with our hero. And that's about it for some 90 minutes. Sean Hayes plays the main character, and that's probably why this film got so many positive reviews. It's true that Hayes is hilarious on "Will & Grace" and a very talented artist. But here, he's saddled with a role that gives him little to do. Because the movie is too light to be a romantic drama and not funny enough to be a romantic comedy, Hayes struggles to find the right balance for his performance. Instead, he comes off as sullen and impatient, as if he can't wait for the movie to end. It's not one of Hayes finer moments, though it's not his fault. Thankfully, it didn't do any damage to his career. Brad Rowe has it no better. His role is also not easy. During the whole movie, the audience wonders, is Rowe really interested in Hayes but afraid to admit it? Or is he just friendly and not aware of how he effects his gay friend? Or is he an opportunistic jerk using Hayes to further his own career? The movie keeps all possibilities open for longer than I was able to care. Rowe is supposed to keep the audience uncertain, and wondering if his character is sexually confused. In the process he comes off as absent-minded and spacy. During most of his scenes, he acts like he's forgotten an important phone number. I regret to say that this movie is only for people who like to chase what they can never have. |
|
