›› Eroddity(s) an anthology of four short films by Steven Vasquez. 2014 | 67 mins | US. Official Synopsis: "Take a voyeuristic peek into the lives of ten gay youths as they enter a world of the odd, the erotic and the supernatural." In Forever Mine; a confused young boy seeks a relationship that will last him a lifetime. starring: Brandon Rife as Cory and Cory Tyndall as Brandon. A teen's long forgotten past leads to his short lived future in A Mind of Their Own. starring: Brandon Rife / Aaron, Addison Graham / Rod, Edward Gutierrez / Marcus Grant, Riley Ferris / Felicia and Zach Nelson as Aaron's Perfect Mate. A Christmas present in the hands of a young voyeur, leads to a holiday tale of woe in an Unsolved Christmas. starring: Edward Gutierrez / Zack, Aleksandr Dissan / Sander, Cory Tyndall / Christian, Julie Kessel / Mallory, Joshua Naranjo / Dakota, Federico Pedroni / Gangster Model and with the voice of Cheetah Gonzalez as the Narrator. The Way to a Man's Heart finds an abused lover getting tasteful revenge from beyond the grave. starring: Alderic Vitale / Stacy, Heather Paige Cohn / Shayla, Brandon Rife / Thomas, Addison Graham / Kevin, Tony Roehl / Conner and with the voice of Holgie Forrester as Mrs Helmer. Dave says:- Okay, let's cut to the chase, given this anthology of four short films from writer and director Steven Vasquez of Sideline Secrets fame has received mixed reviews, in particular when it comes to the acting credentials of its cast. So to say it like it is; most of these pretty boys simply cannot act, as much as they try and try it has to be said, they do. But then and as is obvious, these twink cuties were not cast to utter the dramatic words of William "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war" Shakespeare; rather to look good naked in front of the camera and of that, they certainly do. For with a warning on the DVD cover that this feature contains: "strong language, sex, sex references and violence", you know what to expect and sure enough Vasquez does not disappoint, with more full frontal male nudity on show here, than what you can shake a dildo at! A fun-filled sausage fest of tales from the crypt, in Eroddity(s). Indeed, in many ways this production reminds me of the catchphrase of Kenny Everett's spooneristically named character Cupid Stunt, in that "suddenly all my clothes fall off" and in the case of this cast of players - they do. In short, this is an all out gay-to-the-core production - and then some, as the cast get up close and personal with each other, seen throughout in various stages of arousal. Yet this is not hardcore sex, given Vasquez is careful as to what he shows and specifically what he does not, with the sex itself all but simulated; be it at times coming ever so close to the dividing line. Rather, this is an out 'n' proud collection of Twilight Zone inspired tales, as made by the boyz, for the boyz, given each story concludes with a twist styled ending; often macabre, if not surreal in nature. And whilst parts of the narrative could have done with a bit more work in the fine-tuning department, I add that given the intriguing set-ups of the piece, it equally has to be said that Vasquez makes effective use of green screen and special effects throughout, with the zombie fashioned make-up as applied to various characters, up to industry standard. Indeed, there's a lot of pros to this work, with the outdoor scenes clearly shot with an abundance of light 'n' shade TLC. Sure, some of the stories are weaker than others, always the way with a shorts compilation, with the opening story "Forever Mine" all but a cinematic appetizer, being over before you know it. Thankfully Vasquez saves the best, well certainly the darkest, for last, with "The Way to a Man's Heart" seeing a dead lover seek revenge from beyond the grave, a short enhanced by the acting - I did say acting, of Alderic Vitale and Heather Paige Cohn as the hetero loving couple of the piece; and yes, we have some straight sex on offer too, folks. Lightening the mood, "A Mind of Their Own" revolves around a mix tape with a difference, whilst "Unsolved Christmas" is a delightful tongue-in-cheek tale, complete with a poetic narrative that tells the story of a teenage voyeur foolishly given a camera for Christmas by his parents - so as to "straighten him out"; now what's a boy supposed to do with that? And that's the whole point of these tales, given none are meant to be taken seriously, with Vasquez even poking fun at himself, courtesy of co-star and host with the most Cory Tyndall and the line: "hey, don't look at me, I don't write these things". Hardly Shakespeare; but then it was never intended to be anything other than what it says on the box, that of a homophobic free zone full of sexy guys to thy ownselves, being true; man-on-man style. Whether or not they make it to the end of their respective story is altogether another issue, but rest assured that their pants will have dropped well before they get there. Bottom line; Vasquez has delivered on what he does best, making for one hell of a fun-filled sausage fest of tales from the crypt! Say no more. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - the copious monty.  Overall - file under ... 2+ stars.  contains: full frontal nudity from almost all cast members, copious amounts of male rear nudity, simulated sex (mainly gay, occasionally straight) throughout, topless nudity from Heather Paige Cohn and scenes of urination by Brandon Rife. ›› available on DVD as part of the TLA Releasing UK catalogue: 14.July.2014 / UK ‹‹ ›› also available on DVD as part of the TLA Releasing US catalogue: 15.July.2014 / US ‹‹ official website: erodditys.com Copyright 2015 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #2015005 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹