10 Attitudes is a 2004 direct-to-video improvised comedy-romantic gay film starring Jason Stuart, who also co-produced and improvised the story with Michael O. Gallant[1] (credited as Michael Gallant), who also directed the film, and co-produced with Rob Bonet. The film was shown in film festivals and then released on home video by Ariztical Entertainment on November 23, 2004. In the film, after ending his ten-year relationship, a 30-ish gay West Hollywood caterer must either find his perfect match within ten dates or return to his hometown. The film has received mixed reviews.
10 Attitudes | |
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![]() Cover of 2004 DVD release | |
Directed by | Michael Gallant |
Story by | Michael Gallant Jason Stuart |
Produced by | Rob Bonet Michael Gallant Jason Stuart |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Michael Gallant Martin Luecke |
Edited by | Alan Roberts |
Music by | David Benoit |
Production company | Modern Artists Productions |
Distributed by | Culture Q Connection Ariztical Entertainment (DVD) |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
A gay West Hollywood caterer Josh Stevens (Jason Stuart) in his 30s ends his ten-year relationship with his partner who is cheating on him with another man. Josh's friend Brendon (Christopher Cowan) bets newly single Josh that Josh can either find his suitable mate within ten dates or, if neither of ten dates suits Josh well, return to his hometown Cleveland, Ohio.
Josh assumes his first suitor Jimmy (Michael Lee Haring) to have been using drugs[2] when Jimmy quickly returns from a restroom. His second suitor Bryce (Scott Kennedy) gives Josh a magazine filled with Bryce's writings on celebrities' faces, including Bryce's circles on heterosexual male celebrities whom Bryce admires. The third suitor Billy (David Faustino) wants Josh involved in a threesome proposed by Billy's girlfriend, which Josh rejects. The fourth suitor whom Josh briefly dates at a Los Angeles Pride parade is a US Marine soldier and a circuit boy. Josh comes into an apartment of his fifth suitor who apparently wants a one-night stand.[2][note 1]
The sixth suitor goes to gay bathhouses, which Josh does not want to experience at. The seventh suitor Steven (Hilliard Guess) angrily scolds a bartender for putting a lemon on Steven's drink instead of lime that he requested and throws a lemon on the bartender, prompting Josh to end the date. The eighth suitor "does nothing but talk about himself".[2] The ninth suitor Leo (Joey Vieira), a hustler whom Josh met at group therapy sessions, reveals his dark past to and, after their first date, then has sex with Josh against Josh's wishes to date more, making Josh feel regretful and feel like one of Leo's escorts.
The tenth and final suitor Nick (Scott Larson) at first seems to be Josh's perfect match after their several dates. However, then Nick has not shown up to the latest date with Josh, who is unaware of Nick's active marriage with his wife and affair with a drag queen. Depressed, Josh becomes intoxicated for the whole night.
The following week, after his failed ten dates, Josh decides to return to Cleveland for a while. At a train station, he encounters his former schoolmate Jack Langford (Fritz Greve), also Josh's bully back in high school, who is also heading to Cleveland and then reveals himself as gay by telling Josh that Jack ended his own relationship with his boyfriend. As both are heading to the train to Cleveland, Jack admits his guilt to the pain he caused on Josh and asks him how to make up the bad times.
The 10 Attitudes
The film's "Behind the Scenes" bonus feature, narrated by director Michael Gallant and actor Jason Stuart, revealed that the film is mostly unscripted, i.e. improvised, that Stuart would not know mostly about characters' backgrounds and what would happen next in effort to be surprised, and that some scenes were retaken. Moreover, the deleted scenes (or probably outtakes) of Josh Stevens's fifth suitor Ryan (Bryan Shyne), personal trainer at a Crunch Fitness location, display Josh explaining his own romantic background to Ryan during their training sessions, Ryan inviting him to his apartment, and Ryan massaging him on a massage table at the apartment.[3]
The film appeared in several LGBT film festivals. As part of the 2001 Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, it had one screening in the Wilma Theater on July 10, 2001.[4] It also had one September 4, 2001 screening as part of the 14th Annual Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival.[5] It also had one September 14, 2002 screening as part of the second annual Indianapolis Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, where actor Jason Stuart performed his pre-film stand-up and hosted a reception reserved "for festival pass holders."[6] The film also earned the Best Picture Award at the 2002 Barcelona International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.[7] The film was then released as direct-to-DVD on November 23, 2004.[8] It then was screened as part of the 2006 Out In Africa South African Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.[9]
Stonewall News Northwest reviewer Christopher Lawrence in December 2004 criticized the acting, the improvisation as "border[line] shallow", the audio quality, and the use of "home video camera" as part of cinematography.[10] Nevertheless, Lawrence praised the appearances of Jason Stuart, Judy Tenuta, and then-newcomer Christopher Cowan, whom Lawrence characterized as "charmingly sweet and more convincing than most of the other men."[10] Filmcritic.com writer Don Willmott in the same year rated the film three out of five stars, criticizing the film for exaggerating clichés of West Hollywood's gay dating scene and its "clunky ending".[8] Willmott also criticized the film production as rushed.[8]
The Independent Critic writer Richard Propes graded the film a "B+" and three and a half out of four stars, calling it "enjoyable" despite being one of "quirky, bad films." Propes also called the ending "refreshing and well written."[11] Pride Source writer Don Calamia in 2016 criticized the film as "predictable", writing that "the story is far too familiar" and irrelevant to those living outside West Hollywood. Calamia also criticized the main protagonist's potential suitors as "recycled jerks" already done in other films and exaggeration of West Hollywood clichés. However, he praised the ending as "'O. Henry'-ish", "the most original aspect of the story", and suitable to believers of "fairy tales."[2]
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