Search - FirstOUT 2 or First Out 2 on DVD

Alluvial's Annual Collection

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 01/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""First Out 2"



Alluvial's Annual Collection



Amos Lassen



Those of you have been lucky enough to see "First Out' will be glad to know that Alluvial is releasing another volume "First Out 2" in what will be an annual release of gay short films. It is so good to know that new talent will be showcased on a regular basis. This time we get six short films dealing with issues that are important to our community and the films run the gamut from black and white to silent film and everything in between. There are stories about jealousy, seduction, coming-out and coming of age.

The compilation opens with a silent film, "Connected" which deals with happiness that is just too brief and that is ruined by things that are out of control.

Temptation is the subject of the second short by Borga Sorter and should be on special interst to anyone who has ever had a crush on a teacher. When a student seduces a classics teacher, the teacher becomes overwhelmed with guilt and worry.

Friendship, loyalty and moments of crisis are the issues dealt with in "Love, Death, & Cars". This short looks at those who fall in love and are sexually incompatible. Friendship is tested by this very problem.

Meg, Ethan and Josh are three college students whose friendship takes a test when the two guys realize that there is a sexual attraction between them. "The Love Within" looks at how bonds of friendship are tested together with levels of truth.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, enemies of gay men is aging. "Sexy Grandpa" is about just that. When Rod Pike moves into the community of Hillcrest Homes, two women go wild acting like teenagers to get "Grandpa's" attention only to later realize that he is not interested in women.

Hidden love and lust is the subject of "Like a Brother", the final film in the compilation when Andy and Nick face building homoeroticism on a family picnic.

Usually it is very difficult to be able to see short films about gay life. Festivals screen them and they do very well. Some of them mat even end up on compilations available to the mass market but so many are lost after festival screenings. Alluvial Filmworks is taking a step to capture some of those shorts so that we may have a chance to see them. "First Out 2" is a natural follow-up to "First Out" but it is also bittersweet and means we have to wait a year to get "First Out 3".

"

Mixed bag of amateur/student gay shorts is better than first

Bob Lind | Phoenix, AZ United States | 04/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Alluvial's second compilation of amateur/student gay themed short films is definitely an improvement from the first such collection. As usual, I'll review each individually, with the number of stars for the collection an average of all:



"Connected" (2008) is probably the most shallow gay-themed short I have ever seen. This 9 minute silent film tells the story of two gay young men who apparently met on a subway train, are together for a time, break up (the reason isn't clear) and go their separate ways, with the closing scene hinting that, like the lines of the subway, their paths may cross again. Beautifully photographed, but rather pointless. 3 stars out of five.



Finding "The Love Within" (2006) is elusive for Ethan, Meg and Josh, three friends in college, when their friendship is threatened by surpressed sexual attractions coming to light. Each has a conflict between what they feel as opposed to not wanting to jeapordize the friendships more than necessary. Interesting fable about love and trust, nicely photographed and well paced. Four stars out of five.



"Thermopylae" (2005) tells the story about a high school teacher who sucumbs to the charms of his best student, then imagines dire consequences when he sees the boy and his father waiting to speak to the principal. Set in the 1950's, but could have easily been today. Nice concept, but no surprises. Three stars out of five.



When a "Sexy Grandpa" moves into the home for seniors, two of the women in residence compete for his attention and affections. It's not to be. Cute. Four stars out of five.



In "Love Death and Cars" (1999), Kyle and Max met in high school, instantly realized they were soulmates, and haven't found anyone else they can relate to nearly as well. The problem is that while Kyle is gay, Max is mostly straight, and in a relationship with a female doctor. Great take on the power of unrequitted love. Five stars out of five.



Nick is a pale, skinny high school freshman to whom next door neighbor Andy, a muscular varsity basketball star, has been "Like A Brother" (2002) for years. That all changes on one fateful Labor Day fishing trip, when Nick is caught up in the moment and expresses his love to Andy. A bit cringe-inducing, but realistic. Four stars out of five.

"

EXCELLENT film! Could watch it over and over!!!

The DVD Collector | 03/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know what the reviewer "Gordon Larko" is smoking. For some reason, he feels compelled to leave the EXACT SAME horrible review and 1 STAR rating for all GAY-THEMED movies. Probably a "personal problem" of his. Hopefully this review will help correct this imbalance. I can't believe AMAZON is allowing this GAY BASHER to use their website as a venue to spread his hate.

By the way, This is an absolutely WONDERFUL movie!"