Every gay man has talked about their "gaydar", wishing they had one so they didn't have to waste time chasing cute straight boys they have no chance with. In this movie, that wish comes true. While funny, if a little stereotypical, and complete in its own right, it leaves a some key things unanswered. The star and co-producer, Terry Ray, was at the showing, and said that one of those questions in particular would be answered in a feature length version in the planning stages. There is a cat in the movie that's almost worth the price of admission alone. I'll give it a 7, just.
10 Reviews
Short comedy about an oft held gay fantasy
Havan_IronOak29 November 2002
Two office buddies, one male, one female speculate about the sexual orientation of the hunky office boy. When the man finds a "Gaydar" gun at a local yard sale he has an opportunity to find out.
Since this is a short, one doesn't expect an intricate plot but this is one of those shorts that doesn't seem short enough. At 20 minutes this film has a few good parts but goes on about 10 minutes too long.
Since this is a short, one doesn't expect an intricate plot but this is one of those shorts that doesn't seem short enough. At 20 minutes this film has a few good parts but goes on about 10 minutes too long.
Dreadful
preppy-320 May 2004
A man wonders if his hunky co-worker is gay. At a yard sale he finds a ray gun called "Gaydar". You point it at a person, pull the trigger and it tells you how gay they are. He tries it out, it works and he sets out to find out if his coworker is gay like him...
Promising idea ruined by an unfunny script (after a promising beginning) and terrible acting. The entire cast overacts and basically SCREAM their lines at each other constantly. It gets annoying and really embarassing after a while. The saving grace is that's it is short, there's a scene stealing cat (love her fall out of the kitty bed) and Charles Nelson Reilly is hysterical in his brief bit. But none of this saves the movie. I can't recommend this at all.
Promising idea ruined by an unfunny script (after a promising beginning) and terrible acting. The entire cast overacts and basically SCREAM their lines at each other constantly. It gets annoying and really embarassing after a while. The saving grace is that's it is short, there's a scene stealing cat (love her fall out of the kitty bed) and Charles Nelson Reilly is hysterical in his brief bit. But none of this saves the movie. I can't recommend this at all.
WOW !! Big fun !!!
susanljones3 December 2002
I had the pleasure of viewing this film at the "Out on Film" festival in Atlanta and laughed till I had tears running down my face!! It is a smart and campy hetero/homo party fest!!!! It is silly campy fun with smart sophisticated humor. What a perfect combination!!! Take a "Carol Burnett Sketch" - mix it with a "Saturday Night Live" Sketch - sprinkle in some "Will and Grace" and a dash of a Laurel and Hardy short and then add some meat and you've got the "Gaydar Souffle". The script is a delight - the cast is sprinkled with campy fun actors and the whole package is 20 minutes well spent.
Unusual, but not convincing
Horst_In_Translation3 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Gaydar" is an American English-language short film from 2002, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. For several people working on this 20-minute film, it may still be their most known work as of today. They did not exactly manage great careers afterward. Writer and director is Larry LaFond and the limit for him was the casting department in kids TV shows. Other actors peaked at stuff like Days of Our Lives. Yes there is a 3-time Emmy nominee in here, but honestly he has so minimal screen time that it almost doesn't count. Having seen many gay-themed short films I can say that the ways in which they take themselves more seriously than they have any right to are frequently cringeworthy, so seeing this one here not take itself seriously at all made for a welcome change. But just until a certain point. At some point, it all gets too much over the top and shots at comedy feel truly desperate, none of the characters authentic anymore. That's a bit of a shame as sometimes the comedy's working, the music is solid and the approach is refreshing. I also liked the ending, finally no unrealistic feel-good stuff that makes you want to vomit. But nonetheless as a whole it wasn't a good film in my opinion. It may be better than most other gay-themed works, but only because the genre is packed with junk (no pun intended), not because this one here is memorable whatsoever. I suggest you watch something else instead.
Lots of fun
maitri19645 April 2003
I saw this film at the Ashland Film Festival, 2003. It was 5th in a set of 5 shorts. Out of all of them, this was clearly the most fun. Before this one came on I has been disappointed in the set. I was delighted during the entire story. The acting was great fun. Charles Nelson Reilly's presence was a great pleasure. There
were many subtle comic touches. I recommend this film to anyone!
were many subtle comic touches. I recommend this film to anyone!
Just plain campy fun!
Wanda-109 July 2004
I saw Gaydar at a film festival and I loved it--in spite of the fact I only heard about half of it because everyone was laughing so dang hard. This movie was just plain funny. The concept is funny. The execution is funny. The cast is funny. And I swear to god, even the prop is funny. They were selling DVDs and I actually bought one. I bought the DVD to a 20 minute film--and I'm happy to report that I have no buyers remorse. I've already played it about 5 times for friends. If you're in the mood to analyze and look for profound meaning--go watch "E! True Hollywood Stories". But if your skeleton contains even one tiny funny bone, well then I most definitely recommend checking out Gaydar. By the way, LOVE the theme song!
Very Funny Gay Comedy With A Moral Ending
Legion31 December 2004
With great cameos of out actors JM J. Bullock and Charles Nelson Reilly, this comedy has great pacing and hits all the right punchlines at the right time. The basic plot is a gay man finds a device that will reveal if someone is gay or straight. He uses it on several people and then gets the idea to pursue his secret crush to find out if he's gay or straight. The only problem I have with the film is that the gaydar gun has a 50% reading, but nowhere during the film did anyone register as anything other than 100% straight or 100% gay. There could've been one bisexual cameo in the film. The big surprise in the film was the casting of Bryan Dattilo of "Days of Our Lives", who played the sex object of the film.
Awesome Film!
synstar6 November 2019
Terry finds a "Gaydar" at a yard sale, and to his surprise, it works!
vinniethebutcher14 January 2009
This is an indie film, a short 30 minute film that made the rounds at smaller film festivals. Made by two friends as an initial foray into film making. It's a farce, short and simple, that aspires to nothing more than making the audience laugh. Peppered with jokes and kind-hearted, stereotypical depictions of gays, the film has fun. While not technically perfect (and occasionally overacted), it's a lot of fun and the film never takes itself too seriously.
Featuring a theme song sung by Gwen Stewart (from the original Broadway production of "Rent"). This film is silly fun; it knows what it is and doesn't aspire to be more.
Featuring a theme song sung by Gwen Stewart (from the original Broadway production of "Rent"). This film is silly fun; it knows what it is and doesn't aspire to be more.
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