a film by Q Allan Brocka 2011 | 79 mins | US ›› Eating Out: The Open Weekend a bed-hopping ode to romantic bliss. Followers of the series will know what to expect in this, its fifth outing and suffice to say that EATING OUT founder Q Allan Brocka delivers the slutty goods, even if it remains a relatively Tiffani free zone. For continuing on from where the last drama left off, here we find lovers of sorts Zack and Benji enjoying the delights of an all-male resort in sun-drenched Palm Springs, alongside Zack's trans-gendered friend Lilly. Yet whilst Benji is out to sample as many of the locals as possible, Zack is having trouble with the nature of their open relationship and the fact that his boyfriend-that-was Casey is staying at the same hotel, doesn't help matters. Not that singleton Casey is over his ex either, an emotional reality that he opts to hide courtesy of his former classmate and all-round cutie Peter masquerading as his newfound lover. Add in Casey's best friend Penny and Lilly competing for the attention of resident bartender Luis; aka the sole hetero to be had and in more ways than one, given Penny is desperate to lose her cherry over the course of the weekend and the word "manhunt" springs to mind. Only who will end up with whom? In a back-to-back feature that finds its co-writer and director overdosing on lewd one-liners and a copious amount of buffered to perfection muscular man-candy, including Michael King of The Pit and the Pendulum credit, Brocka does what he does best, here delivering his now trademark sexy, comical, bed-hopping ode to romantic bliss, given it was never in any doubt as to whose arms our two ex lovers would end up wrapped around. True, some of the acting fails to make the grade and yes, the comical timing of Rebekah Kochan and Mink Stole are all too sadly seen in brief. But this is still an enjoyable ride, slightly better than its predecessor, even if you cannot help but wonder just how much energy the series has left? That the format has had more critical ups and downs than its cast of assorted characters, is all but clear. Yet it is equally crystal that this still marks gay to the core entertainment, as an ogle-fest of hunks in trunks, if not out of them, vie for your viewing pleasure amid a seductive selection of cuties getting more than tongue tied with each other. Hardly groundbreaking gay cinema, but then this lascivious meal deal was never intended to be. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - the full monty.  Overall - file under ... 3 stars.  ›› Available to buy from Amazon.com. ›› Available to buy from Amazon.co.uk. available on DVD as part of the TLA Releasing UK catalogue 26.March.2012 / UK. starring: Chris Salvatore / Zack, Daniel Skelton / Casey, Aaron Milo / Benji, Lilach Mendelovich / Penny, Harmony Santana / Lilly, Michael Vara / Peter, Alvaro Orlando / Luis, Ralph Cole Jr / Jerry, Geoffrey Dwyer / Bernard, Nicol Paone / the Pastor, Chris Puckett / the Congressman, Michael King / Jayden, William Brown / Mitch and Jennifer Elise Cox as the Hotel Clerk. cameo appearances by Mink Stole as Aunt Helen and Rebekah Kochan as Tiffani. Copyright 2012 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #472 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹