When Boys Fly

This film, like the somewhat better Circuit, purports to be an expose of the circuit party scene and the dangers therein.

Although Circuit admits to being a work of fiction and this film is meant as a documentary, I felt there was more truth in Circuit than in this film.

In both cases, the films rely heavily on the appeal of the very thing they are condemning to sell tickets. Both films show a lot of the seedier facts of the scene amid buffed bodies, fantastic costumes, sparkling glitter, pounding music and oceans of drugs, I couldn't help feeling that both were hurt by this underlying dishonesty.

The reason that I would give Circuit higher marks than this one is that in Circuit, the film-maker admits on camera that although he's condemning the scene, he loves it.

It might be a good thing that I've never seen "Circuit", which is the film that everyone seems to keep comparing this piece to. I got to see "When Boys Fly" when it appeared at the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival and really enjoyed the experience.

This is a film about a circuit party, one of those big all-night events frequented by gay die-hard participants who will travel across the country. For those of you still in the dark, a circuit party is basically a rave, except the guests are almost all gay and in a variety of age ranges and occupations. Oh yeah, and there's a LOT of sex and drugs.

I saw this movie two days before attending my first circuit party and it both excited and intimidated me. The subjects clearly explain that they attend these events despite the fact that others may think they're lame or laden with too many drugs or simply too expensive. Obviously, these are gay men, and as many of us know, gay men rarely conform to what the rest of society calls "normal", which I suppose is part of what these circuit parties are all about: the chance to express yourself through dance, partying, and hanging with friends.

It all comes out as great fun; the actors/subjects are cute, funny, and for the most part we really care about them. I came out of the theater feeling as hungover as those in film, however, as the moral of the story is crystal clear: too much of a bad thing can be destructive. One should never think one is too smart to get swallowed up by the party scene.

Everybody has an opinion about the whole Circuit Party craze, but often the films about the subject are basically made by a bunch of apologists. Apparently, none of these guys are able to really find community unless it's accompanied by drugs and sex. Oh, and being white and having a great body doesn't hurt either. This documentary (which at times seems a bit forced) aspires to be hard hitting, but it's yet another version of "Valley of the Dolls."

This documentary is mercifully short and concise. I am ambivalent about some of the characters. People like Brandon seem like a nice guy, but the documentary strives to make him look like an outsider when, with his looks and body, he's already rather clearly an object of desire. (All the forced shots of him eating alone while gazing upon the gay guys at another table and of him painting in a field are supposed to emphasize his "outside looking in" status but end up looking artificial. We KNOW the camera is there, and we know he is the subject so it's hardly a revealing shot of some candid moments.) His conversion to the circuit scene happens rather quickly although he does come across to me as the smartest of the group.

The less said about Jon and Todd the better. The filmmakers telegraphed the denouement of their relationship so far in advance that we knew exactly what would happen. How each man handled what happened was the real surprise. I found myself hoping Jon is doing well.

And then there's Tone, whom we are supposed to see as the tragic character, but instead he's incredibly annoying. Nothing about him seems real, every moment he is mugging for the camera (there is a scene with him trying to be funny while eating an apple that comes off as bizarre and very forced.) Tone is really nothing more than a real life Neely O'Hara, at least as the film wants us to believe. I wouldn't doubt that he got into a wig pulling fight with Susan Hayward in the lavatory.

No need to see this and Circuit, see one or the other. This documentary really has nothing new to say.

As a gay 20-something, watching this film was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have ever had. I never quite understood the appeal of the circuit party scene. In some ways, I still don't. What is so fun about getting so trashed you have to be taken to the hospital on a stretcher?

I always thought I was missing something - left out - by not experiencing this part of gay culture. However, this brief excursion into these boys' lives is enough experience I will ever need.

The film is engaging throughout and excellently edited, keeping the film rolling faster than its lead subjects. As shallow and confused and lonely as most of these boys appear to be, they are incredibly interesting and fun to watch.

My problem with documentaries is that frequently they use a lot of filler to make a longer film, but with the 62-minute run time of "When Boys Fly," it's just enough to set the scene, make a point, and leave the audience with a great high.

This shallow film about the gay "circuit" scene is a badly directed, filmed and edited flick about a subculture that may be interesting, but is ultimately incredibly unsympathetic.

I honestly can't stand these people, a sorry group of low-rent white trash. Toned bodies do not make a man, and the low intellect of the subjects, along with their total lack of class, make this a difficult film to watch.

The vacant eyes, moronic expressions and idiotic behavior of the "subjects" are appalling, and the fact that the "filmmakers" possibly risked the lives of some of the guys, on occasion, is quite disturbing.

And, has anyone seen a more pitiful gay man than "Todd"??????