Punks

"PUNKS" is a great little flick done on a fairly shoestring budget. It's not perfectly polished; it's not full of visual effects or innovative camera tricks; but what it does have plenty of is Character! Character and Charisma; enough to go around a few times!

These guys may not be to everyone's taste, but if you give them a chance, you'll see yourself at some point in someone in this film, and that's what movies are about, after all, right?! Seeing the truth of your own life...

Being gay in this society is tough; being gay and a person of color just compounds every aspect of living freely and truly. "Punks" has truth from start to finish, truth that affirms all of our lives and revels in our uniqueness amongst one another. Even if you don't find it easy to relate to queer folks (or even L.A. folks; and that can be a challenge in itself!), the time you invest in watching this film won't be spent in vain. You'll come away with a better understanding of a wider circle of your fellow human beings. For that alone, "Punks" is well worth the time!

I liked Punks -- from its edgy, in-your face "realness" to its touching romantic foibles. The acting and situations of the 4 main characters are believable, a modern-day "Cinderfella", in gay Black-face, a story of friendship and love. Excellent performances by the ensemble cast in general, particularly Rockmond Dunbar (Darby) Seth Gilliam (Marcus), and Dwight Ewell (Hil). Plenty of "fresh" and flesh to keep most viewers amused, while love and reconciliation blossom in a community of oft-misunderstood and marginalized gays. An eye-opener... Nice directorial debut by writer/producer Polk.

Patrick, many, many kudos to you for a wonderful piece of work. The screenplay as well as the performance of the cast was great! The story was a real adaptation of much of Black gay life in most major cities. I'm sure many of us have a close inner circle of friends that could easily be any of the four main characters in the story (me personally, I'm Marcus-smile). I also liked the fact that each of the characters had their own separate identities, without one having to stand out as more tragic than the others. Each character was able to eventually recognize, and successfully deal with his own drama, resulting in a positive outcome for all. This movie also illustrated that true friendship is rare, whereas "lovers" will come and go. I think that's a point that many people in this lifestyle overlook. We sometimes get so wrapped up in searching for love, that we sometimes sacrifice the love of our friends for a few moments of temporary happiness.

Overall, I look forward to the nationwide release of Punks, as well as it's video release-I'm definitely buying this one.

This film taken in its proper context, low budget and Patrik-Ian Polk's first film, is an extremely fun and realistic look at a segment of the population that continually gets neglected by the media (film, television, etc). The humor is specific which might make this movie hard to catch for some. I saw it in Los Angeles and the audience laughed out loud the entire time, a definite crowd pleaser. A classic fairy-tale story with a to-die-for ending, possibility the fantasy for just about anyone breathing. The movie explores complex issues, placed in a comedic context. The costumes for the "Sistas": fabulous. Rockmond Dunbar: flawless. Seth Gilliam: fantastic. Everyone should see the movie for the pure experience. Did I mention, Rockmond Dunbar?

It's good to see a film depicting non-white gay men in believable situations and of various types from drag queen to masculine, and with them not being objects of derision for the other characters or the audience. Very funny and well-made.