Boy Culture

Boy Culture is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Q. Allan Brocka, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Matthew Rettenmund. The film stars Derek Magyar, Darryl Stephens, Patrick Bauchau, Jonathon Trent, and Emily Brooke Hands.

Boy Culture
Theatrical release poster
Directed byQ. Allan Brocka
Produced byStephen Israel
Philip Pierce
Victor Simpkins
Phil Lobel
Screenplay byQ. Allan Brocka
Philip Pierce
Based onBoy Culture
by Matthew Rettenmund
StarringDerek Magyar
Darryl Stephens
Patrick Bauchau
Jonathon Trent
Emily Brooke Hands
Narrated byDerek Magyar
Music byRyan Beveridge
CinematographyJoshua Hess
Edited byPhillip J. Bartell
Production
company
Boy Culture LLC
NeoFight Film
Pierce Films
Distributed byTLA Releasing
Release date
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000[1]
Box office$220,409[2]

Plot

A successful escort describes in a series of confessions his entangled romantic relationships with his two roommates and an older, enigmatic client.

The story remains the same as the novel, about a man who goes by only the letter "X" to maintain his anonymity and relationships between his two roommates—one of whom he's in love with—and an enigmatic older client who challenges him to find his heart before he will consent to sex.

The film's differences from the novel include Andrew's character (now an African-American) and the location of the story in Seattle, Washington, instead of Chicago, Illinois.

Cast
  • Derek Magyar as Alex "X"
  • Darryl Stephens as Andrew
  • Patrick Bauchau as Gregory Talbot
    • Chris Bethards as young Gregory
  • Jonathon Trent as Joey
  • Emily Brooke Hands as Lucy
  • George Jonson as Blondie
  • Kyle Santler as Scooter
  • Matt Riedy as Frank
  • Clifford Harrington as Renaldo
    • Joshua Boswell as young Renaldo
  • Peyton Hinson as Jill
  • Demene Hall as Zelma
  • William Hall, Jr. as Oren
  • Molly Manago as Cheyenne
  • Laprell Nelson as Matthew
  • Q. Allan Brocka as Bruce Lee

Production

Boy Culture is based on a novel, with a few important differences found between the two. It was decided in the film to set it in Seattle rather than Chicago, and to make substantial differences to the character of Andrew, including his ethnicity. The film is also noted for the careful eye of the director, who managed to turn what was an 18-day production cycle into a fully realized film.[3]

Soundtrack
Main article: Boy Culture: The Soundtrack

Release

The film made its world premiere in the United Kingdom at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (since renamed BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival), on April 1, 2006, and made its debut in the United States at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2006. It subsequently received a very limited theatrical release in the United States on March 23, 2007.

Film festival circuit

Boy Culture was shown at the following film festivals:

Reception

Critical response

Boy Culture currently holds a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 31 reviews; the consensus states: "Eloquent one-liners and quick pacing make Boy Culture sharper than the typical gay indie flick."[4] On Metacritic, based on 12 critics, the film has a 56/100 rating, signifying "mixed or average reviews".[5] Maitland McDonagh from TV Guide wrote, "Shrewder than you'd think and not half as dumb as it looks."[3] Jeannette Catsoulis from The New York Times wrote, "A slick and absorbing drama."[3] Ronnie Scheib from Variety wrote, "A strong cast, formal visual style and cynical voiceover that propels the action help elevate this Seattle-set gay romp from the ranks of the stereotypical."[3]

Awards
YearFestivalAwardCategoryRecipients
2006L.A. OutfestGrand Jury AwardBest ScreenplayQ.Allan Brocka
Philip Pierce
2006Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film FestivalParamount Comedy AwardQ.Allan Brocka
2006Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalJury PrizeBest Film
Best Narrative Feature		Q.Allan Brocka
2006Rhode Island International Film FestivalFirst PrizeAlternative Spirit AwardQ.Allan Brocka
2007Festróia - Tróia International Film FestivalPrize of the City of SetúbalBest Film
American Independents		Q.Allan Brocka

Home media

The film was released on DVD on August 14, 2007, courtesy of TLA Video. The release includes an audio commentary from writer/director Q. Allan Brocka and writing partner Philip Pierce, interviews with Brocka and the four stars, deleted scenes, premiere footage from the Tribeca Film Festival and the film's trailer.[6]

Boy Culture:The Series

In 2017, a Kickstarter campaign was launched for "Boy Culture: The Series"[7] an episodic sequel to the original, which proposed to star Matthew Wilkas (X), Darryl Stephens (Andrew), Matthew Crawford (Chayce), as well as Stephen Guarino and singer Steve Grand. The campaign met its funding goal and the series was filmed in August 2018. It was also announced that Derek Magyar, who played the lead role “X” in the original film, is now reprising his role, taking over for Matthew Wilkas, who was originally announced to be replacing him.[8]

References
  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433350/business
  2. Boy Culture - Box Office Mojo Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  3. Alexander Ryll. "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Boy Culture". Gay Essential. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  4. "Boy Culture". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  5. "Boy Culture Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. "Buy Boy Culture".
  7. Kickstarter: Boy Culture: The Series (indie) (gay) (lgbt) (comedy)
  8. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/406738078/boy-culture-the-series/updates
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