A Four Letter Word

I wasn’t a fan of Casper Andreas’ first feature, Slutty Slummer, so I didn’t have very high hopes for his follow-up. I was pleasantly surprised. In this thoughtful and perceptive rom-com — a sort of sequel to Summer — Jesse Archer (who co-wrote the script) returns as Luke, a promiscuous and flamboyant adult novelty store employee (aka a “gay cliché”) who begins dating a macho hustler, Mace (Dante’s Cove’s Charlie David, doing his best Tom Cruise), who turns out to be a pathological liar. The ups and downs of their troubled courtship are thoughtfully explored, while Luke’s friends go though their own trials and tribulations making their respective relationships work. Though the film sometimes gives in to the clichés of gay cinema (overly precious dialogue, gratuitous male nudity), it is nonetheless a realistic and entertaining look at the issues that frequently plague the gay community, and is proof that Andreas is much more talented than his first movie may have indicated. Extras: A lively commentary featuring Andreas and Archer; a delightful behind-the-scenes featurette; a news report on the film’s New York premiere; interviews with the cast conducted by a very annoying Michael Buckley; a documentary spoof on David’s character’s sexuality; trailers; a music video for Adam Joseph’s “Faggoty Attention.” B+ —Ken Knox

Desperate Housewives - The Complete Fourth Season

Start with five desperate housewives; add one fake pregnancy, two real ones, a returning neighbor with a sinister past, cancer, death (both natural and unnatural), and sprinkle in more gay men than any other dramedy on network television (five) and you have the recipe that’s won over the coveted 18-49 age demographic the world over for four seasons running. Despite a Writer’s Guild strike-shortened season, Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fourth Season manages to cram predictable subplot after predictable subplot in hit-television tradition, and still manages a draw-dropping season finale—loyalists rejoice. Discerning casual viewers may want to peruse cable. Extras: Episode commentary; a beginning-to-end making-of detailing the series’ most expensive and technically complicated episode; a blooper reel; deleted scenes; an alternate ending to the season’s finale; a “Boys of Wisteria Lane" short; and creator Marc Cherry's favorite scenes of the season: There's enough here to keep DH fans riveted for an evening or two. B
—Jocelyn Loren

Ugly Betty - The Complete Second Season

The campiest (and gayest) show on TV continued to be “brighter, bolder and Bettyer,” despite a shortened season—just 18 episodes—due to the writers’ strike. Like many great shows coming off a buzzed-about first season, Ugly Betty suffered a bit of the sophomore slump, but thankfully a brief one. Some of the episodes just have too much going on in the already large cast (enough with Amanda trying to find her father!), and at points, we lose focus of the most important person: Betty. Although, Ana Ortiz’s performance of a grieving Hilda in the season opener is superb, almost allowing you to forget the fact that this comedy has suddenly turned pretty dark (Note to producers: Fewer deaths in the next season). But the post-strike material gets it right, featuring more Judith Light (out of prison and creating a new mag for women over 50, Hot Flash), new lows for Wilhelmina, genius wit and sassy lines. Not to mention the brilliantly funny cameo by Naomi Campbell in the season finale, an episode so good that it’s worth it to buy the whole set. Extras: A cute behind-the-scenes tour with Mark and Amanda; “Wilhelmina Slater: Love to Hate Her” featurette; the pros and cons of Betty’s boys; deleted scenes and a pretty funny blooper reel. B+
—Jeff Katz