Going Down in LA-LA Land (2011)

I love this movie so much

What makes it different from others?

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

With just a few deletions, this predictable non-erotic movie could play on the Hallmark Hall of Fame or the Disney Channel. Both the title and the box-cover photo of our bare-chested hero convey the unmistakable message that we'll at least enjoy some beefcake and maybe other naughty business in this independent effort. Alas, you finish watching this snooze-fest and realize that you never saw or experienced anything sensual. I'm not saying that this should have been a Falcon Studio sexcapade. But when you see major male movie stars like Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, James Franco, etc. showing complete nudity, then you would think an independent movie--free of a big studio censorship--would at least give us a brief glimpse of our hero. Turn on True Blood and Sons of Anarchy on cable and male nudity is the norm. And this is why I keep harping on the lack of eroticism that killed this movie for me. Our storyline finds the hero moving to L.A. to start a new life. He finally wounds up as the number one gay porno idol in the world, on the magazine covers and box covers of his X-rated career. Yet, you're never given any reason to think this. For instance, when he auditions for a porno role, we see him in bathing trunks. Just when he begins to slip them off, the scene cuts to another one of him fully clothed. When he's filming his first porno scene in a shower, we see him filmed from the chest up. And that's it. So much more could have made this movie exciting, arousing, hot, charming, but instead we're treated to a vanilla opus that might appeal to viewers who don't want to have a hard-on.

I have been watching gay cinema for about two years now and its really hard to find those decent movies. You have to go through tons to find those ones that really are good. This movie is absolutely one of them. Amazing acting and on screen chemistry between the actors make this a move you would want to see over and over again.The director starring in this movie was daring and works really well as I can not imagine seeing that character portrayed by anyone else. Candy, Adam and John are all amazing characters as well and they just jump off screen and its as if your watching real life and not something on the television or computer screen.

Young hunky Adam (Matthew Ludwinski) moves from New York to California to become an actor. He shares an apartment with a friend named Candy (Allison Lane) but can't find work. Finally, in desperation, he takes a job as a production assistant for gay porn movies. His good looks and muscular body catch the attention of executives in the company and he starts posing for nudes and eventually "graduates" into doing gay porn. Then he falls in love head over heels with a closeted TV performer (beautifully played by Michael Medico) but then tragedy strikes.I think director Caper Andreas is very talented. I've seen most of his other movies and have (to varying degrees) liked them. This is very good. Not his best but still good. The script is tight and moves quickly. Ludwinski is an incredibly hot man and a pretty good actor. He has frequent shirtless scenes and there's quick flashes of nudity from him. Also Andreas plays Nick--a photographer--and him and Ludwinski have some very hot guy-on-guy kissing scenes. Also there's a small role by Andreas' regular Jesse Archer and Judy Tenuta and cameos by Bruce Vilanch and Perez Hilton. Despite the porn setting there's no full frontal nudity (except for once briefly) and no explicit sex. It all ends up in a big happy ending (which is totally unrealistic) and has good acting across the board. So it's worth catching.

This is Casper's best effort to date. The film is beautifully shot and directed. While there may be a misstep here or there, they are easily ignored given the level of acting. Candy (Allison Lane) and Adam (Matthew Ludwinski) make a warmly klutzy pair of friends who met in film school and have eventually landed in Hollywood. Candy has an apartment, paid for by her boy friend, with a room Adam can crash in until he's got a job.While some the story is cliché, much of it is original, based on Andy Zeffer's semi-autobiographical novel. Again, while some of the plot points about getting involved in the porn industry aren't particularly new, the tale of a love affair gone awry, with the hope of redemption, rings true.I found the connection between Adam and John quite convincing. Judy Tenuta as Zinnea, an old friend of John's with secrets of her own, is particularly comical, if over the top in Judy's trademarked manner.This is not a heavily dramatic story, but is sufficiently entertaining that I heartily recommend it. Having Bruce Vilanch pop in for a cameo was an inspired bit of casting.