Todd Verow — Playwright (7)
Goodbye Seventies (2020) [Movie] TMDB IMDb
Goodbye Seventies
director: Todd Verow actor: Ken Kaissar / Chris Rehmann
other title: 再見七十年代 / 再见七十年代
In the 1970s, the golden age of gay pornography in New York City, a promising chorus boy is injured and told he will never dance again. Distraught and unimpressed with the "art" films playing seedy Times Square theaters, he gets his friends and lovers together and they start making their own hardcore movies. Against all odds the films are wildly successful until drugs, AIDS and cheap video technology bring it all crashing down
Once & Future Queen (2000) [Movie] TMDB IMDb
Once & Future Queen
director: Todd Verow actor: Philly Abe / Lee Whittier
This film follows the life of a mentally ill street itinerant whose name is not worthy of mention. When not sleeping in the gutters of Manhattan's Lower East Side, our protagonist keeps busy juggling her schedule of drug abuse, trips to her shrink, and stealing from those misguided souls who, after taking pity on her, allow her temporary shelter in their homes.
Xx: Where Your Heart Should Be (2007) [Movie] TMDB IMDb
Xx
director: Todd Verow actor: Philly Abe / Michael Burke
other title: Xx
Todd Verow's experimental narrative feature heralding the end time. Split up into 20 short films, the film explores the fear and longing of several characters as they wait for some unspecified apocalyptic event. Some try to escape physically, emotionally or sexually while others welcome the end with open arms. A woman (PHILLY) is busy dragging her own corpse, trying to find a resting place for it, when she encounters an old lover (MICHAEL BURKE) who used to be a she but has transitioned to a man. He wants to get out of town but she wants to stay it's the end of time when nothing is a crime. Several gay men engage in more and more extreme sexual activity, they want to experience it all before the big collapse. Two gay ex-lovers try to reconnect and feel something, anything but total emptiness. Porn actors and producers make more unsafe films as fantasies grow darker and more violent. Will the world end with a whimper or a bang? Or worse will it not end at all.
Vacationland (2006) [Movie] Douban TMDB WikiData IMDb
Vacationland
director: Todd Verow actor: Charles Ard / Theodore Bouloukos
other title: 度假胜地 / 慌心旅行
The further removed from watching this film, the more chance I had to change my initial impressions of it. There was some very nice acting by Brad Hallowell--very impressive in his film debut and in the starring role,no less (and just an incredibly sexy, adorable guy). Gregory J. Lucas was also good as Andrew.
The female roles were poorly cast/poorly written/poorly acted in some combination at almost every time. Also, while the guys seemed to be able to play younger (18), the women playing the high school girls seemed way too old and the woman playing Joe's mother was RIDICULOUSLY too young.
The high school girls were caricatures -- overly silly and just didn't have real roles. The sister was also not believable--although I think it was more the writing that her acting.
Story-wise, it was enjoyable and seemed to have a nice arc. However, there were huge leaps in the plot--sometimes between scenes, sometimes right in the MIDDLE of scenes. There were also some twists/tangents that didn't really fit to the story. The script and the film could both have used some better editing and the direction seemed non-existent in stretches.
All that said, I would still recommend seeing this movie--on the strength of the acting by the leads, their on-screen chemistry, and the viewer's interest in learning what happens to them.
Between Something & Nothing (2008) [Movie] Douban TMDB IMDb
Between Something & Nothing
director: Todd Verow actor: Brad Hallowell
other title: 有和没有间 / 비트윈 썸씽 앤 낫띵
This is an odd film that is both engaging and sometimes off-putting at the same time and, perhaps because of my own art student years, also spoke to me on several levels. Tim Swain is Joe, an innocent adrift from Bangor, Maine - the home of Stephen King. During his opening narration, he remarks that his high school art teacher told him that, in addition to attending art classes, he must also experience as much of the world as possible. This he does, and more.
Tumbledown (2013) [Movie] Douban
Tumbledown
director: 托德·维罗 actor: Brad Hallowell / Brett Faulkner
other title: 摇摇欲坠
改编自真实事件,《摇摇欲坠》从三个人的迥然不同的视角描述了同一件事。夹杂着酒精、毒品与性,还有更多阴暗的纠缠待你去发掘。3P之后从3个人的角度分别讲同一件事,露肉很多。