Plot: What’s it about?
Frankie Zito (Nick Scotti) wants to find a new home, since he found his brother porking his girlfriend back at his previous residence. Frankie is a heterosexual man who works as a pizza baker, which seems to be enough for him to get by and still have time for his social life. At the same Frankie is searching for a new place to crash, Warren (Anthony Barrile) is looking to rent out his extra room, since his former lover has left him. Warren’s ad asks for GWMs to apply, which Frankie assumes stands for Guy With Money. But in truth, it means Warren wants a White Gay Male, which is the opposite of Frankie and his very straight persona. Frankie and Warren couldn’t be much more different, but who knows in the end, they just might be able to live together.
I’ve seen a few films which deal with homosexuality and in truth, most of them are stereotypical propaganda, not even worth the time involved. Kiss Me Guido belongs with the very worst of them, as it offers little in terms of redeeming value or entertainment. I think in order for gay/lesbian films to work, you need to be able to just watch them, but usually the filmmakers have to use forceful tactics and stereotypical characters, such is the case here. If the writer/director could just shut up about how gay these people are, maybe we could have a decent movie, but he can’t do that. With a few other much better titles out there that cover this topic, I see no reason to even recommend this as a rental, as it is just plain bad. If you’re a glutton for punishment or just need to watch it, then rent and be happy you didn’t purchase this clunker.
The problem with this film lies with the cast and writer/director Tony Vitale, none of whom seem to have much talent at all. Vitale paints such paper thin and stereotypical characters here, I am shocked gay/lesbian groups were positive about this movie. I think Vitale’s work here is a testament to how Hollywood will release anything these days, no matter how bad it is. I am sure this one got a release to satisfy pressure groups who demand more gay/lesbian cinema, but let’s hope Vitale is never allowed to write another screenplay that reaches the screen. The cast seems like the leftovers from an extras convention, very little in terms of even decent performances here. Those present include Anthony Barrile (Hamburger Hill), Molly Price (Random Hearts, Pushing Tin), Craig Chester (I Shot Andy Warhol), Anthony DeSando (New Jack City, Party Girls), and Nick Scotti (Detroit Rock City).
Video: How does it look?
Kiss Me Guido is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very nice visual presentation, complete with minimal compression flaws and a very clean source print. The film’s bright color scheme is well showcased here, as the hues come off as rich and full, but never bleed or become oversaturated. The flesh tones seem natural also, while the contrast is sharp and well defined. This was a low budget production, but it looks very solid here in this new presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is included, but aside from the musical soundtrack, there isn’t much surround use. The music comes through in full and immersive form, but the rest of the audio leaves a little to be desired. The sound effects seem rather flat and even though they’re not supposed to be too powerful, I think they should be more present than this. The dialogue is pretty thin also and I also heard some harshness, which is not too cool. This track isn’t that bad in the end, but it should have been a lot better than this. The disc also includes a 2.0 surround track and English subtitles, which are always nice to have.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The sole extra here is an audio commentary with writer/director Tony Vitale, who has very little to discuss. When he speaks, he seems to concentrate on the obvious, which makes this a pretty lame commentary track. His ideas of breaking stereotypes are very primitive and safe, a real disappointment.
