Yes, short films are generally overlooked, but this anthology, Queer as F-k, will do little to improve on their reputation. The title, clearly meant to capitalize on the surprising success of the American version of Queer as Folk, represents six short gay-themed films, mainly from the U.S.

The best is the first, another pixillated doll animation movie from guru Todd Downing. In this, Jeffrey’s Hollywood Screen Trick, one insecure young thing, Jeffrey, falls for a well-endowed stud on the dancefloor. Jeffrey is pretty hapless, and a very funny spoof of an irritating circuit queen. Things soon get rather raunchy-and nasty-in what I found to be a pretty funny short, but this must definitely be tagged with the not-for-all-tastes warning.

Things go downhill from there. There’s one particularly non-happening short in which a teen lusts for another teen, who’s visiting from another country. They drink soda pop as one teen looks longingly at another. Titled simply Soda Pop, it’s neither funny nor erotic. A spoof of cable-access mediocrity can be found in The Trey Billings Show, in which Billings interviews “Dotie,” an ageing comedienne who’s stuck hocking skin-care products, on his low-rent show. Both roles are played by David Drake. Though cable-access programming is ripe for parody, this entry goes on way, way, way too long. Was hiring an editor out of their budgetary reach? :
-Matthew Hays

©Mirror 2002