Susan Tyrrell

Occupation

Actor

Relax... It's Just Sex Review

By Don Willmott

Weak

If you're only going to see one West Hollywood gay ensemble dramedy in your life, it probably shouldn't be Relax... It's Just Sex. Of all the movies in this suprisingly crowded indie subgenre, the best pick is probably 2000's The Broken Hearts Club, which had a budget, some star power, and a few great laughs to help it along.

Relax... It's Just Sex, on the other hand, is a more humble affair that presents seven or eight obvious gay stereotypes--lipstick lesbians, drama queens, muscle boys--and then tries to subvert them one by one with a whole lot of turbulent plotting and endless talk, some of it bitchily amusing but most of it, well, just talk.

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Cry-Baby Review

By Don Willmott

Very Good

John Waters first went mainstream with the 1988 classic Hairspray and then defied midnight-movie fans who complained he'd gone all lame and mainstream by daring to follow it up with a full-on musical comedy. Set in late-'50s Baltimore, Cry-Baby is his delightful tribute to Elvis, juvenile delinquency, and rockabilly music. How can you resist Johnny Depp twitching and crooning like The King?

On the right side of the tracks lives the virginal Allison (Amy Locane), all blond hair and crinoline skirts. Her grandmother, Mrs. Vernon-Williams, runs a charm school and is the local dictator of good taste and deportment. Her idea of fun is to host talent shows where "square" teens sing "Mr. Sandman" in barbershop harmony.

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