It's a pretty Eff'd up story to begin with, but it is done very well. One of the better productions that I've come across while re-watching the 'Boys On Film' series. I'm not sure I found any of them attractive, but there was something sexy in its way.
3 Reviews
A brave and beautifully rendered wake-up call
waltholden1 July 2008
I saw this film advertised in the paper as one of the shorts headlining the LGBT Festival here in San Francisco and was disturbed by the premise. A young black man who's TRYING to get HIV?? My co-worker and I took off early to go see it, and there were about 5 or 6 fairly good shorts before it, but when the Young & Evil came on the entire mood of the crowd changed. Let's just say the first scene is a bit of a showstopper. Everyone was beside themselves cheering and carrying on, and it got even more intense after that.
First of all, I go to the festival here every year and RARELY see a black gay themed film at this quality level, and overall this was one of the best I saw at the fest. Some of the shots are simply breathtaking (I really loved the one with the nude black boys standing like statues), and the young man who played the lead (who is also that Joe Boxers boy, Vaughn Lowry) was exceptionally good (and as you can imagine, not half bad to look at).
Going in my biggest concern was that the story might portray gay black men or men with HIV as evil, but it didn't. As an older man who's seen several people succumb to the disease, I feel like it dealt with the matter in an upfront but sensitive way. My friend and I were so shaken up by the way it ended that we stayed after to hear the filmmakers and actors talk. I guess it's what you'd call a "call-to-arms" piece, and as one of the ONLY black men in the audience (there were at least seven-hundred people there, mainly white) I hope more of us in the community go to see it. It's a tad controversial, but very well done. If you're like me you'll be hoping for a different ending, but I guess that was the point. We always do.
Kudos to the young people who made it and to the SF LGBT Fest for screening something like this.
First of all, I go to the festival here every year and RARELY see a black gay themed film at this quality level, and overall this was one of the best I saw at the fest. Some of the shots are simply breathtaking (I really loved the one with the nude black boys standing like statues), and the young man who played the lead (who is also that Joe Boxers boy, Vaughn Lowry) was exceptionally good (and as you can imagine, not half bad to look at).
Going in my biggest concern was that the story might portray gay black men or men with HIV as evil, but it didn't. As an older man who's seen several people succumb to the disease, I feel like it dealt with the matter in an upfront but sensitive way. My friend and I were so shaken up by the way it ended that we stayed after to hear the filmmakers and actors talk. I guess it's what you'd call a "call-to-arms" piece, and as one of the ONLY black men in the audience (there were at least seven-hundred people there, mainly white) I hope more of us in the community go to see it. It's a tad controversial, but very well done. If you're like me you'll be hoping for a different ending, but I guess that was the point. We always do.
Kudos to the young people who made it and to the SF LGBT Fest for screening something like this.
The Young and Evil... the power of the short film.
danlapratt13 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I thought The Young and Evil was a well done short film. I agree with the previous comments on message boards that Vaughn Lowery handled the role of Karel very well. Researching and knowing some of the work Lowery is known for, this was a great departure and showed strong range.
Karel is definitely on a path of self-destruction; purposely so. The film makes a strong argument for how a person can lose hope, if you will, based on circumstances surrounding his life. Taking care of his invalid mother, very few if any real friends, and receiving ridicule/homophobia in the neighborhood are all he seems to have to have going for him in his life, and he handles it with acute defiance. I'm sure the film in part is meant to specifically look at these themes within the black community, which is refreshing, but as a white person I felt I could find connections to the story as well. In some ways, it surely has universal qualities to it.
To me, and I'm sure there are varying opinions if the crowd I watched the film with is any indication, his desire and most likely successful attempt to acquire HIV/AIDS is an attempt to feel something the touch of another person, the hurt of a disease; some kind of human connection that he otherwise appears to be isolated from. There is definitely a lot of unexplored motivation, but the writer/director Julian Breece makes great use of the time within the short to provide the audience with just enough to provoke the intended thought and discussion I also like the cuts and the imagery. These both helped add to the disturbing idea of the piece as well as help to flesh out the main character. The sucker/lollipop was a great tool for this. Also, taking the film from the light into the dark shadowy house at night along with the intermixed images really helped establish the mood and atmosphere of the piece.
I certainly recommend this film, and look forward to seeing more work from both Lowery and Breece in the future.
Karel is definitely on a path of self-destruction; purposely so. The film makes a strong argument for how a person can lose hope, if you will, based on circumstances surrounding his life. Taking care of his invalid mother, very few if any real friends, and receiving ridicule/homophobia in the neighborhood are all he seems to have to have going for him in his life, and he handles it with acute defiance. I'm sure the film in part is meant to specifically look at these themes within the black community, which is refreshing, but as a white person I felt I could find connections to the story as well. In some ways, it surely has universal qualities to it.
To me, and I'm sure there are varying opinions if the crowd I watched the film with is any indication, his desire and most likely successful attempt to acquire HIV/AIDS is an attempt to feel something the touch of another person, the hurt of a disease; some kind of human connection that he otherwise appears to be isolated from. There is definitely a lot of unexplored motivation, but the writer/director Julian Breece makes great use of the time within the short to provide the audience with just enough to provoke the intended thought and discussion I also like the cuts and the imagery. These both helped add to the disturbing idea of the piece as well as help to flesh out the main character. The sucker/lollipop was a great tool for this. Also, taking the film from the light into the dark shadowy house at night along with the intermixed images really helped establish the mood and atmosphere of the piece.
I certainly recommend this film, and look forward to seeing more work from both Lowery and Breece in the future.
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