Luster (2002)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Everett Lewis

Writers:

Dennis Cooper (poetry)
Everett Lewis (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What Makes You Shine ?

Plot:

Luster is a refreshingly funny and sexy look at unrequited love. Jackson, a cute, lanky, blue-haired poet who works in a record store...

Plot Keywords:

Record Store | Lesbian | Orgy | S&M | Unrequited Love

Cast

Justin Herwick	...	Jackson
Shane Powers	...	Sam
B. Wyatt	...	Jed / Orgy Body
Pamela Gidley	...	Alyssa
Susannah Melvoin	...	Sandra
Jonah Blechman	...	Billy
Sean Thibodeau	...	Derek
Willie Garson	...	Sonny Spike
Gabriel Dell Jr.	...	Private Investigator
Henriette Mantel	...	Sam's Mom
Norman Reedus	...	Sextools Delivery Boy
Chris Freeman	...	Kurt Domain
JD Cullum	...	Ned Smythe (as J.D. Cullum)
Brian Grillo	...	Bartender
Michael McCraine	...	Orgy Girl (as Mikee McCraine)

Also Known As:

Muse (USA)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 | Germany:16

Company:

Film Research Unit

Movie Connections:

References "The Dating Game" (1965)

fUn,fLesH,aNd, LuST

I knew this was going to be a `cool' flick from the opening credits that just list the first names of the cast and crew, but it isn't without its flaws as well. Namely some campy acting, a customer in a record store squealing for Madonna, to numerous subplots that tend to bring down the film as well as audio that tends to be muffled in spots. But overall the more it went on the more I accepted and enjoyed these vagabonds and the flaws found within.

The story centers around a punky, skateboard, party goer, poet, named Jackson (Justin Herwick), who works at a record shop called, how appropriate, `No Life'. After waking up from the aftermath of an orgy he inquires about a boy who was there, Billy (Jonah Blechman) with whom he develops an infatuation for and decides to track down. Who wouldn't! He's a cutey but he he too has some flaws. Needless to say Billy is the boy toy of a record mogel played by Willie Garson (Sarah Jessica Parker's gay friend Stanford on Sex and the City) who gets off on getting beat up. It does get a bit ugly and some people might not like the S&M. Throw in Jackson's hunky cousin Jed(Barry Wyatt), a clean cut collegiate type customer at the store (Sean Thibodeau) who's in love with Jackson, a lesbian friend named Alyssa (Pamela Gidley) who screws around with Jed and is later found out by her lover, and you get a smorgasboard of a soap opera. The one character I really wish had been more developed and with whom I felt something towards was Jackson's supposedly straight boss and friend at the record shop, Sam (Shane Powers). He gives a real emotional performance at the end and his story only scratched the surface. The other performances are hit and miss. Sometimes they're great and then at other times it seems campy and silly. It's a real mixed bag along with the storylines. Take it for what it's worth though and you'll have fun with these characters, their loves, lusts, and losses. The DVD is stereo and the transfer is a bit grainy but it only adds to the seediness of the tale. I didn't expect much more from a low budget `indie' and it also includes a short documentary with the director and a film commentary and trailers for other TLA releases.

Note: plenty of full frontal nudity From TLA Releasing