BEARCITY – Romance Can Be Hairy!


BearCity - Movie Review! TOMORROW'S News - The Latest Entertainment News Today!

BearCity‘ is set in New York’s gay ‘bear’ scene. Joe Conti is aspiring to be an actor and he lives with his friend Simon (Alex Di Dio) who has a crush on him. Tyler likes Simon as a friend as he has a real craving for all things hirsute.
 

Tyler goes online to bear social networking / dating sites and chats to a few bears and picks up the courage to head down to a bear bar to meet someone offline. The shy Tyler is looking at the bears outside before crossing the street, and finally plucking up the courage, he walks in. A scene bear pays his entry and starts chatting him up just before he is whisked away by Fred. Fred (Brian Keane) was the camera man at an audition that Tyler went to earlier that day. Fred is with his gaggle of gay friends – a bit like Carrie and the girls in ‘Sex in the City‘.

Fred introduces Tyler to his partner Brent (Stephen Guarino), his friend Michael (Gregory Gunter) and his partner Carlos (James Martinez). Tyler finds out that Fred and Brent (also known as Bert n’ Ernie) are looking to rent out their spare room so he decides to move in. Randy (Jack Bethke) the barman decides to give the friend one of his shot concoctions called a “dirty jock”. They down the shot and find one is left for the illusive friend Roger (Gerald McCullouch).

Brent offers Tyler a job at the bear cafe, and this is where he first meets Roger. He embarrasses himself by spilling coffee after seeing Roger demonstrate playing with ‘sounds’ at the table.
 

BEARCITY - Film Review! TOMORROW'S NEWS - The Latest Entertainment News Today!
 
Later Tyler meets Roger in a bowling alley and they have a nice time together, with Roger appearing to be letting down his guard a little. Roger’s friends from the gay bowling league come in. Ted “TeddyBear” (Jonathan McEwan), a Muscle bear, calls Tyler a kid and Roger’s persona changes much to Tyler’s disgust. Will he star-crossed lovers ever fall in love?
 

BearCity‘ is a great film which follows a tight-knit pack of friends experiencing comical mishaps (namely the shower scene with Bert n’ Ernie and Uncle Mel), emotionally sweet yet lusty romantic encounters, and a cast of colourful, diverse characters as they gear up for a big party weekend.

The film shows the bear scene in all its glory – from the chubby bear types, to the bear chaser and the muscle bears. Having watched this with friends, some didn’t like the character of Roger as they believed he was arrogant. Gerald McCullouch is great as Roger. He is a similar character to Stuart Allen Jones from the UK ‘Queer As Folk‘ or Brian Kinney in the US version. He has the looks, different men every night, and attitude – whether right or wrong.
 

There is a sweet scene between Roger and Tyler in the bathroom of a bar, where Tyler sees through Roger’s attitude.
 

BEAR CITY - Film Review! TOMORROW'S NEWS - The Latest Entertainment News Today!
 
I know critics and others have criticised this movie as being too stereotypical, but it never pinned itself in being a true life documentary. It maybe stereotypical, however it is exactly how the gay scene is – muscle bears, fat bears, cubs, crazy sex, drugs, fun, fantastic queen bears, older with younger, handsome with ugly, sexy and sexier.
 
As independent films, and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered films go, I really liked this one and would give it 4 stars out of 5!
 
Heartfelt scenes and real issues that people deal with make this the Bear Sex in the City, like Noah’s arc was tagged as the LGBT BAME sex in the city.

This movie has comedic moments in the opening scene with Santa, the shower scene with Bert n’ Ernie and Uncle Mel (Blake Evan Sherman), along with Bert n’ Ernie on E. Sweet and tender moments between Carlos and Michael and Roger and Tyler. Simon, the bitchy twink, and a nice scene with stroller meat.
 

If you take this movie at face value you will enjoy it, but if you are expecting high-end drama then you will be thoroughly disappointed.
 

Sit back, relax and enjoy some popcorn and comedy from BearCity.

 

Don’t forget to check out our ‘BearCity 2: The Proposal‘ review here.
 

Reviewed By: Mark LEGOBear MacKenzie

 

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