Speedway Junky and QUEER AS F**K A hustling love story and bizarre short film by Blase DiStefano

SPEEDWAY JUNKY

Johnny (Jesse Bradford) is on his way to North Carolina to become a racecar driver, when he gets sidetracked to Las Vegas, where he meets Eric (Jordan Brower), a hustler. Johnny (a tad bit homophobic) doesn’t know Eric is gay … not right away, anyway. He hooks up with Eric and his friends, one of whom is Stephen (openly gay Jonathan Taylor Thomas, here the polar opposite of his Home Improvement character). Eric does it with men, Stephen does it with men and women, and Johnny wants to do it with women only. Meanwhile, Eric falls in love with Johnny, and Johnny progresses to a deep loving friendship with Eric, all of this in a world of hustling, crime, sex, and drugs. Does Johnny make it with Eric? In fact, does he even make it to North Carolina? Find out on June 11 when the VHS and DVD make their debut.

An interesting aside: In an interview in The Advocate, the actor who plays gay Eric (Brower) came across as a tad bit homophobic, while the actor who plays straight Johnny (Bradford) appeared very gay-friendly. Good actors, both.

DVD $24.98, VHS $39.98. You can order Speedway Junky online at www.wolfevideo.com or by calling 1-800-GET-WOLFE.

QUEER AS F**K

compiled by Blase DiStefano

In the tradition of the wildly popular gay shorts anthologies like Boy’s Life and Boys in Love comes Queer as F**K, a collection of twisted gay-themed films. With the assistance of expert animator Todd Downing, First Run Features has curated a selection of award-winning hilarious and provocative films that draw upon the darker, weirder side of cinema, filled with party-loving plastic dolls, vogueing traffic cops, mad scientists, stuttering sidekicks, and adorable break-dancing foreign exchange students.

• Jeffrey’s Hollywood Screen Trick Inspired by the recent spate of gay romantic comedies, this film brings dozens of anatomically-exceptional Billy dolls to life through stop-motion animation for the most unusual date movie ever. Lust, laughs, and a shocking surprise ending have made this one of the most talked about shorts on the film festival circuit. Starring the voices of Mike Albo (author of Hornito: My Lie Life), comedienne Nora Burns, and gay icon David Drake as "The Voice of Gay Men." Directed by Todd Downing. Winner: Best Short, Philadelphia International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

• Shame No More Inspired by the U.S. Public Service announcements of the 1950s, this hilarious short satirizes ’50s conformist mentality and sexual intolerance. Set in the idyllic suburb of Cherry Creek, Shame No More warns of a disease infecting the town’s men and women: heterosexuality. This audience favorite has played in over 60 film festivals worldwide! Directed by John Krokidas. Winner: Best International Short, Rome International Film Festival.

• Soda Pop is like a cool drink of water on a hot summer day. A trio of friends try to beat the heat in a small town, but the arrival of a sexy Spanish exchange student has one boy’s temperature rising. A coming-of-age story for the yellow hankie set. Directed by Patrick McGuinn. Honorable Mention: PlanetOut Short Movie Awards.

• The Trey Billings Show From the director of Karen Black Like Me comes the ultimate late-night public-access show from hell. David Drake stars in dual roles, as both celebrity-obsessed talk-show host Trey Billings, and as guest star, the Lucy-like legendary TV icon, Dodie Day. Illusions, delusions, and egos collide in this twisted tale of celebrity worship gone wrong. Directed by David Briggs. Winner: Outstanding Achievement in Acting, David Drake, NYU’s First Run Film Festival.

Bonus Films

• Dirty Baby Does Fire Island In this animated short, poor Dirty Baby witnesses a day of decadent debauchery learning all about sex, drugs, and working out on an island "paradise" … Fire Island. Own your own copy of this infamous contemporary queer cult classic! Directed by Todd Downing. Winner: Best Animated Film, The San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and The Portland Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

• Pyongyang Robogirl It’s "Axis of Evil" chic in this illicitly-shot short! This gem presents North Korea’s fabulous alternative to traffic lights: uniformed, vogueing beauties that would give Madonna and her dancers a run for their money.

VHS $24.95, DVD $29.95. Special DVD features include director biographies, scene access, and interactive menus. Available June 11. First Run Features: toll free consumer hotline number is 1-800-488-6652, website is www.firstrunfeatures.com.