Gay Celluloid on Out to Kill

›› Out to Kill

a film by Rob Williams.

2014 | 82 mins | US.

starring: Scott Sell / Jim Noble, Rob Moretti / Gene Sherman, Mark Strano / Vic Barnaby, Tom Goss / Justin Jaymes, Christopher Patrino / Henry Rutherford, Michael Kenneth Fahr / Ted, Nicolas Burgos / Stephen, Christopher Cutillo / Steven, Lee Williams / Steve, Aaron "Quick" Nelson / Lamar, Joey Panek / Frederico, Mark Manning / Patrick Mason, Jeffrey Klein / Mikal Birdwell and Karleigh Chase as Ann Fitzsimmons.

Adapted Synopsis: "When private investigator Jim Noble moves into a beautiful loft complex in Tampa, he never expected to find his first Florida case literally floating face down in the middle of the communal pool. Hired to solve the murder of singularly sexy, if universally reviled neighbour Justin Jaymes, Jim quickly finds the unusually close-knit group of residents scrambling for alibis, as he tries to discover the homicidal identity of a man - out to kill."

Dave says:-

Okay, it's confession time folks in that I'm kind of biased here, for when I think of a gay PI, thoughts of the one and only Donald Strachey as played with zeal by Chad Allen immediately spring to mind and here cue the films Third Man Out, Shock to the System and On the Other Hand, Death. Not overlooking the fourth and final cinematic adaptation of the books by Richard Stevenson; that is Ice Blues.

That said, it's always refreshing to see an alternative take on the seldom used gay PI scenario and sure enough writer and director Rob Williams of Role / Play, The Men Next Door and the festive favourite that is Make the Yuletide Gay fame - to name but three, here clearly relishes in the murder mystery theme, playing his feature with all of the requisite twists and turns required for a work of this nature. Having said that, there's trouble at mill sadly, in that and whilst this sounds like I'm talking about something else, trust me when I say that the big reveal, isn't that big at all. Such I dare say is indicative of the two-edged sword of the whodunnit genre, given some, like myself, will have seen the killer coming many a reel back, whilst to others their identity will arrive as a complete surprise; perhaps even here?

Hey, Justin Jaymes is dead, but were the "3 Steves" - Out to Kill?

For this is where the new PI on the block comes in, a bearded turn from cutie Scott Sell of The Last Straight Man credit, who as Jim Noble is enlisted by all-round nosy neighbour Gene Sherman, aka writer and director Rob Moretti of Truth fame, to find the man who done his friend in. Trouble is, Gene appears to have been the only friend of the self-obsessed slut of the piece, that is or rather was Justin "you don't know how hard it is to be this hot" Jaymes; an aspiring singer who made enemies as fast as he made dates and who here finds talented singer / songwriter Tom Goss, (check out his compelling song Lover on YouTube) delight in the egocentric, against type role. Indeed and like the obnoxious character that upsets everyone at the start of an Agatha Christie story, you just know that they will be meeting their Maker before the end of act one and sure enough, it isn't long before news of Justin's demise is greeted with "I never liked him anyway" glee, providing a line of transparent suspects in his wake.

Thankfully with Williams in the directorial chair, you know that this will be a gloriously proud-to-be-gay piece, even if some of the acting is at times, below par. Such however cannot be said of the films' production values, with Williams ever working wonders with a limited budget and in this case, literally pushing the boat out. Indeed with Sell, Moretti and Mark (Everybody Is Having Sex... But Ryan) Strano as Jim's lover on hand, not overlooking Goss who here proves that he's more than just a pretty face and in more ways, than one, you cannot deny that Williams has once again triumphed in his mission to entertain the boyz - God bless him, making for an enjoyable, sexy, if somewhat lightweight outing of the gay PI genre; certainly when compared to the works of Stevenson. But then, as a Donald Strachey fan I would say that, wouldn't I.

Gay Visibility - overt.
Nudity - bare-arsed cheek.
Overall - file under ... 3 stars.

contains: rear nudity from singer / songwriter Tom Goss, together with notably the manly torsos
of the "3 Steves" aka Nicolas Burgos, Christopher Cutillo and Lee Williams.

›› available on DVD as part of the Guest House Films catalogue: 9.December.2014 / US ‹‹

official website:
www.guesthousefilms.com

archive reference #2015002

›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹