a film by Casper Andreas 2011 | 105 mins | US ›› Going Down in LA LA LAND life and love in the land of broken dreams. Official Synopsis:- Wide-eyed, hunky upstart Adam arrives in Los Angeles from New York, brimming with hope for a career in the movie business. He shacks up with his best friend Candy, who is also desperate to get a foot in the Hollywood door. Together they hit the red carpets and cocktail parties to network and score roles. Adam's drop dead gorgeous body and chiselled looks prove a rich picking to the needy and seedy agents, directors and studio executives of Hollywood Boulevard, as he begins almost instantly to climb the ladder of fame - or so it seems. Dave Says:- Enlivened by a series of choice cameos, including a turn from the ever sparkling Alec Mapa, here we find writer, director and co-star Casper Andreas deliver a telling verdict on the land of broken dreams, only to offer up a good old fashioned love story, along the way. True, in a city in which the aspirations of many can be found lying face down in the gutter of disappointment, the story of a young man's downward spiral into pornography and prostitution is hardly new, having been cinematically served up many times before. Yet that does not to detract from the myriad of spirited performances to be savoured, with Allison Lane vibrant in the part of comical Candy, an apt contrast to Andreas' vivid depiction of a photographer heavy into drugs and porno shoots, who is all but certain to take Adam's longing for a career in front of the camera, in a decidedly darker direction. Yet it is the tender, if somewhat underused work from Michael Medico that charms, here cast in the role of a closeted Rock Hudson like star, who and by no surprise falls for the pretty face and buffed to perfection body of celluloid cutie, Matthew Ludwinski. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Andy Zeffer, Andreas has once again delivered a sexy slice of gay romance for the boys. Yet this is more than just a sensual parade of man flesh, given its cutting anecdotes make for a poignant lesson on life in a city, in which the pursuit of fame and fortune has for all too many, arrived with a heavy price tag attached to it. And it is here that Andreas shines, not only as a director who time after time delivers the gay to the core goods, but in this instance, courtesy of his compelling portrayal of photographer Nick's descent into drug fuelled hell, making this his best film to date. 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 Peccadillo Pictures catalogue 23.July.2012 / UK. principal players: Matthew Ludwinski / Adam, Allison Lane / Candy, Michael Medico / John, Casper Andreas / Nick, John Schile / Ron, Jesse Archer / Matthew, Perez Hilton / Ricky, Brent Bailey / Dean, Scott DeFalco / Frank, Angelina Hong / Kim, William Jones / Robert and Tom Nobles as Wayne. cameo appearances by Bruce Vilanch as Missy, Judy Tenuta as Zinnea and Alec Mapa as himself. official website: www.embrem.com/lalaland Copyright 2012 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #510 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹