With this astonishing concert film, audiences who missed this off-Broadway smash can get to see the supremely talented David Drake in his captivating one-man show. This semi-autobiographical performance piece contains seve... more »ral poignant stories about growing up gay in the '90s. From his brilliant opening monologue describing the impact playwright Larry Kramer's "The Normal Heart" had on him to his amusing riff on "Why I Go to the Gym," Drake give a fierce, full-bodied multi-character performance.« less
Maria P. (Cookielu1999) from NEWPORT BEACH, CA Reviewed on 10/8/2011...
Amazing how one man can cover so much emotion and history with such power. Before viewing it I thought it would be boring, but no way, not at all.
Movie Reviews
A Thousand Nights of Enjoyment...
James Hiller | Beaverton, OR | 07/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...for this amazing artist piece of wonder, written and acted by the amazing star himself, David Drake.I'd heard about this performance piece for years, but never had the pleasure of seeing it until it's recent release on DVD. Drake plays a multitude of gay characters through the show, from an innocent child, to lovestruck teenager, to a happy half of a couple in an long term relationship. The dexterity to which he switches roles at a moment's notice is startling and honest. He plays the range of characters, not only to make a statement, but to also include us in the piece as well. Drake is at his finest in this piece, and thankfully, forever captured on this DVD.The piece itself builds from the development of a gay man around his birthdays, to the end, which paints a lovely, if not fantastical, vision of the future. Steeped in history, honoring those who have fallen before us in the great early-ignored plague of the 80's and 90's, introspective, we see roots, and we see the wings of probably one of the most important times in our history. Such things shall not be forgotten. If anything good will come out of the turmoils we suffered and continue to suffer, it's quite possibly the wonderful quality of art that it has inspired us to produce. This DVD testifies to that.A must have for any DVD collector, I highly recommend this artsy, gutsy, wonderful piece of writing and acting for your collection. You'll watch it again and again."
Great theatre and a great DVD production.
Kevin Casey | Fishers, IN USA | 06/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As riviting on film as it was in the theatre. David Drake can, in the blink of an eye take you from a humorous moment deep into thought and retrospect. A great plus of this DVD are the two older endings that suscintly show how our lives have been changed since the beginning of this piece to the 1990's Off Broadway production and to this more current version.This piece was written as a message of hope and it certainly delivers. Thanks, David."
This IS my cup of tea
Kenneth J. Paruti | Bolton, MA USA | 05/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a gay man, this film will not only inspire you, but will get you to THINK! David Drake has written and performed this masterpiece and it should be a staple to your video collection."
Unwatchable dreck.
Chris Roberts | 01/19/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"THE BAD: Just about everything. This show is an absolute mess. One-man stage shows are tough to pull off at the best of times and "The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me" is certainly not the best of times. David Drake is grating and painful to watch. His antics on stage are like a meth addict trapped in a small room. The dialogue is ridiculous chatter that's afraid of empty space and thus repeats the same word over, over, over, over, over, over, over, over, over, over, and over again until the next pointless thought comes along (just imagine that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that being the structure of every third sentence!). The characters are just caricatures - insultingly 2-dimensional ones at that. There is no story, just a sequence of completely meaningless clips. Most tragically, there's just no heart to the performance. It's not about anything; therefore, there's nothing to care about. It's a very excruciating thing to have to sit in front of.
THE GOOD: Ummm... the ending is a tiny bit less painful than the beginning and the middle? Drake has a decent-sized package?
THE VERDICT: Stay away from this travesty. I completely hated it and I just can't imagine who could find enjoyment in it or how. 0 stars out of 5."