My experience was the opposite of the previous reviewer. I also saw Sissy Boy Slap Party as part of a festival of gay short films, and giggled and laughed through the whole thing at the giddy silliness of it. It was well received by the audience. You can't take it too seriously, obviously. But the combination of the music, the silent-film style, and the vision of a bunch of hunky guys naughtily having a slap party (nobody looks like they get hurt) when their mysterious overseer leaves them unsupervised with explicit "no slapping" instructions, is strangely irresistible. If you need something literal or "meaningful," this one's probably not for you. But if you're able to get into the spirit of something creative and goofy, this can be a great laugh tonic.
... View MoreThis movie is a little slice of choreographic genius. Shot in Guy Maddin's black and white faux early-film style, it's a six-minute dance of, well, sissy boys slapping each other. They slap, they cry, they giggle, and you laugh. It's set up, timed, and concluded flawlessly. There are jungle rhythms, beautiful boys, builds and climaxes, and one-of-a-kind cinematography. If you appreciate Guy Maddin at all, if you like camp, or if you think the title "Sissy Boy Slap Party" is funny, there's no reason not to own this and stick in your DVD player whenever you need a quick pick-me-up. Sofa guests seem to love it, too.
... View MorePointless short about a bunch of half naked men slapping and punching each other. That's it. For about 5 minutes we see this. It's shot in black and white with tons of half-naked men running around slapping each other to the tune of dreadful music. It LOOKS interesting but there's no plot and really--the violence inherent in this got disturbing. Also the homo eroticism in this is played up but mixing it with violence was not a good idea. Some people who like avant garde material might like this but I found it incomprehensible, boring, stupid and (ocassionally) disturbing. Really--what is the point in all this? I saw it as part of a festival of gay shorts and the audience sat there in stunned silence. I really wish I could go lower than 1.
... View MoreThis is one funny little short directed by the contemporary Canadian auteur Guy Maddin. I found it on my copy of the DVD for "The Saddest Music in the World", along with a couple of other shorts, also both very funny. There is a joking homoerotic undercurrent in this vignette concerning a bizarre ritual between a group of super-hunky young men. There's not much more to tell, as this doesn't really tell a "story". It's just a sort of joke, meant partially as a promotion for "Saddest Music". If you get a chance to see this, I'd recommend it. Another bizarre in-joke for fans of early cinema, avant-garde films, and stupid humor from Maddin.
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