10 Attitudes

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
Cover of 2004 DVD release
Directed byMichael Gallant
Produced byRob Bonet
Michael Gallant
Jason Stuart
Story byMichael Gallant
Jason Stuart
Starring
Music byDavid Benoit
CinematographyMichael Gallant
Martin Luecke
Edited byAlan Roberts
Production
company
Modern Artists Productions
Distributed byCulture Q Connection
Ariztical Entertainment (DVD)
Release date
  • November 23, 2004 (2004-11-23) (US)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States

Plot

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. When Josh ends the date, Steven splashes a drink on Josh. 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.

Cast and characters
Actor Jason Stuart (pictured in 2010), also one of film producers and one of story improvisers, portrays the film's main character Josh Stevens.
  • Jason Stuart as Josh Stevens, a gay West Hollywood caterer in his 30s who, after ending his ten-year relationship with Lyle (Rusty Updegraff) who cheats on him with a 19-year-old Todd (Ben Crowley), re-enters the dating scene and then eventually returns to his hometown Cleveland, Ohio after finding neither of his ten suitors to be his soulmates
    • Joseph Cohen as young Josh in October 1979
  • Jim J. Bullock as Tex, a store owner of a fashion retail store who helps Josh dress up more suitably for dates
  • Christopher Cowan as Brandon, Josh's best friend who bets that Josh would either meet his best suitor in West Hollywood within ten dates or return home. Brandon also attends UCLA to earn his MBA degree.
  • Fritz Greve as adult Jack Langford, who used to bully Josh in high school for his homosexuality (one scene set in October 1979 is shown) before eventually realizing his own sexuality. At present time, after ending his previous gay relationship, Jack is reunited with Josh at a train station before their trip back to their hometown, discussing their high school days and then wanting to make up to Josh for his past bullying.
    • Mat Botuchus as young Jack in October 1979
  • Sean Kanan as Craig, who is attracted to Brandon instead of Josh
  • Lydia Nicole as Claire, Josh's friend and co-caterer who attends one of Josh's group therapy sessions and sets Josh up with Jean-Luc (Attitude #6)
  • Alexandra Paul as Leslie, Josh's sister who is very supportive of Josh's sexual orientation, married to her husband and pregnant
  • Judy Tenuta as Glenda, therapist of Josh's group therapy sessions

The 10 Attitudes

  • Michael Lee Haring as Jimmy (#1), a 22-year-old unemployed actor who met Josh on internet, comes from Brooklyn, New York, likes to go to bars and partying
  • Scott Kennedy as Bryce (#2), a 37-year-old editor of Teen People magazine, who met Josh in a group therapy session and admires heterosexual male celebrities, like Blink 182, Marky Mark, and Justin Timberlake
  • David Faustino as Billy (#3), a 29-year-old film actor who met Josh at a wrap party for an upcoming film and wants Josh to participate in his girlfriend's threesome idea, which Josh rejects
  • David Scott Bayer as Chad (#4), a 25-year-old US Marine soldier and circuit boy who met Josh via online chat
  • Bryan Shyne as Ryan (#5), a 28-year-old personal trainer who met Josh at a Crunch Fitness location and apparently wants a one-night stand[2][note 1]
  • Fabrice Tasendo as Jean-Luc (#6), a 33-year-old French accountant arranged by Josh's friend Claire. Jean-Luc defines marriage as one of "heterosexual values", has casual sex with his male roommate, and goes to gay bathhouses.
  • Hilliard Guess as Steven (#7), a 23-year-old Cinema major at the University of Southern California who met Josh at a gay bar, does not like to discuss his family, angrily scolds a bartender for putting lemon instead of lime that he requested, throws a lemon on the bartender, and then splashes a drink on Josh, who ends the date for Steven's behavior.
  • Tony Rasmussen as Marty (#8), a 28-year-old casting director who met Josh at a Gelson's Markets location and "does nothing but talk about himself",[2] such as his stories about his time with well-known celebrities, like Will Smith, Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Joey Vieira as Leo (#9), a 22-year-old hustler who meets Josh at a group therapy session and asks him out. Coming from a dysfunctional family, Leo's parents were separated. He lived with his father who then became alcoholic and abused him during childhood. Leo started hustling at age 14 to combat his father's addiction and support his younger brother, two years younger. Leo then has sex with Josh after their first date, which Josh then regrets.
  • Scott Larson as Nick (#10), a 36-year-old advertising executive arranged by Josh's friend Brandon. At first, Nick seems to be Josh's perfect match but then is revealed to be married with his wife and having an affair with a drag queen.

Production

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]

Release

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]

Critical reception

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 cliches 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 cliches. However, he praised the ending as "'O. Henry'-ish", "the most original aspect of the story", and suitable to believers of "fairy tales."[2]

Notes
  1. Most of the scenes with Josh's fifth suitor did not make the final cut. See #Production.
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References
  1. "Section C: Companies and Staff". Hollywood Creative Directory (58th ed.). Fall 2006. p. 144. ISBN 1-92893-650-4.
  2. Calamia, Don (April 12, 2016). "Jason Stuart video has entertaining moments but few original thoughts". Pride Source. Retrieved September 2, 2019. Calamia does not name characters whom he describes respectively as an "unemployed cokehead" and a "self-important bore".
  3. Michael Gallant; Jason Stuart. 10 Attitudes: 'Behind the Scenes'.
  4. "Fest Shorts". Philadelphia City Paper. July 5–12, 2001. Retrieved September 2, 2019 – via My City Paper.
  5. "aGLIFF 2001 Schedule". The Austin Chronicle. August 24, 2001. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  6. Brodsy, Alyson; Brandon Morley (September 13, 2002). "Indy to host gay film festival". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  7. Crabtree, Eric A. (2002). "Jason Stuart's Back at the Capitol City Comedy Club". Ambush Magazine. 20 (23). Austin, Texas. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  8. Willmott, Don (2004). "10 Attitudes film review". Filmcritic.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  9. "Mix of mainstream, arty at gay and lesbian fest". Independent Online. South Africa. March 26, 2006.
  10. Lawrence, Christohper (December 2004). "Reviews & Previews: Music & Video – 10 Attitudes" (PDF). Stonewall News Northwest. p. 19.
  11. Propes, Richard. "10 Attitudes Review". The Independent Critic. Retrieved September 2, 2019.

Further reading
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