Out at the Movies: April 20th

We haven't run an Out at the Movies in a few weeks because ... well ... there hasn't been much gay stuff out there. There are no "gay movies" of note this weekend, either -- but there are two movies with decidedly queer sensibilities that may do in a pinch.

Hot Fuzz
Much has been made of this British action comedy (from the guys behind the brilliant Shaun of the Dead) and its admission of the inherent homoeroticism of "buddy movies" -- and I'm happy to say that it's all dead on the money. Fuzz spoofs movies like Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and Bad Boys 2 while at the same time paying them the utmost respect -- and as a result the film's two heroes, recently displaced London cop Nick Angel (Simon Pegg) and bumpkin cop Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) have what can only be described as a heterosexual love affair.

The men do everything together, including fall asleep on a couch with their heads together while watching the hilariously homoerotic Point Break. When Angel learns that it's Butterman's birthday, he literally runs out of the station to buy him a plant. There's no love interest for either of the men -- and while they're clearly not gay, they also clearly love one another and aren't ashamed of it. So while we may not have a gay film here, we have an action comedy that boasts an impressively progressive attitude toward male bonding entirely without any gay panic. Supporting turns and cameos by Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Peter Jackson, Billie Whitelaw, and Edward Woodward also don't hurt -- and while the movie works much better in the first half (which is more like an Agatha Christie mystery than an action movie), it's still a fun ride with a great sense of humor.

Smiley Face
Gay enfant terrible Gregg Araki (The Living End, Mysterious Skin) turns his attention to uncharacteristically light fare in his latest effort, a pot comedy about an actress (the always-excellent Anna Faris) who accidentally gets herself stoned into next week when she helps herself to some of her roommate's cupcakes. Soon she's got to replace the pot, make an audition, and figure out what to do with the original manuscript for the Communist Manifesto, which she's somehow picked up along the way. It doesn't look like there's much gay about the flick, but she does run into dreamy fellas like John Krasinski (The Office), Danny Masterson (That 70's Show) and Adam Brody (The O.C.) also appear in the haze. Reviews have been overall pretty positive -- and really, can you name a bad pot comedy? No? Well, that's probably because you're stoned... just watch the trailer:

The Tripper
David Arquette may not be a practicing homosexual, but he is a practicing nutjob. And in his directorial debut, a slasher movie about a Reagan-obsessed loon who stalks a group of fun-loving hippies in the Redwood Forest, he pulls out all the counterculture stops. He also enlists the help of everyone he knows in the biz, including brother-in-law (and hottie-in-practice) Thomas Jane, wife Courtney Cox, Brothers & Sisters' Balthazar Getty, Paul Reubens, and more. If you hate Reagan but love vanity projects, this one might be worth checking out.