Search - Fun Down There on DVD

Absolutelty Horrible!

sethlox23 | 02/06/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The description on the box is the only amusing part of thewhole thing, I was so mad that I wasted money on a video with such poor actorsand everything else, I do not recomend this to anyone! This was just plain bad!"

Quirky, funny gay flick

Mr. Greenlake | New York City, NY USA | 06/01/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a strange, funny little gay flick, made on a shoestring in the late '80's. It's not at all a slick, Hollywood-style thing a la "Trick." There are long, long takes that may try your patience, except that they set a very individual tone and style. Essentially the story of a shy, but spirited, small-town guy who decides all of a sudden to head for some "Fun Down There" in Manhattan, where he aimlessly rambles through his little journey of self-fulfillment with gay sex and love. (The film is unrated due to some semi-explicit masturbatory sex.) The film's humor is almost totally deadpan, and the brainless conversations between Buddy (Michael Waite) and his family are borderline hilarious. (Buddy's parent's are played by Waite's real-life Mom & Dad.) A real homemade project, from the days when "independent" meant something. Maybe not for everyone, but worth a look for those interested in the evolution of gay subject matter in films.

Trivia: an early performance in a supporting role by Michael Imperioli of The Sopranos fame."

Personal and Full of Charm

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 05/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Fun Down There"

Personal and Full of Charm

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

There are ways to retell an old story as evidenced in "Fun Down There" from Strand Releasing. Here is that same old story of a youngster who leaves home and goes to the big city to find himself. The guy is gay but not in a state of turmoil, just curious. Buddy, a country boy, raised on a farm and knows all about dairy farming, goes to New York City. He is quick to make new friends and finds new romances perhaps due to the naiveté he projects. I can best describe him as a mouse. Michael Waite, who also co-wrote the film, is Buddy. He manages to come across as very ordinary while attracting our sympathy and it is strange for us to have a gay hero who is just ordinary. He actually knows more about how to milk a cow than about being gay. Buddy's parents are special as well. For a movie that was made almost 20 years ago (although just receiving its DVD release), we have parents who are understanding if confused about their son.
He only word I can possibly use to describe "Fun Down There" is charming. It is personal and funny as well as heartwarming. Filmed basically with a long of wide shots, the scenery is wonderful. Waite as Buddy is unselfconscious in the way he portrays Buddy and it is easy to see why he is so loveable.
The sensitivity of the script says everything about finding oneself. It depicts being gay as matter-of-fact with no frills or outlandish caricatures. As Buddy travels from upstate to New York to the big city and lands in the East Village, he matures sexually and physically and we watch as he adapts to his new lifestyle.
It is not common to have a film that s so full of hear. I found myself smiling as I watched and rooting for Buddy (even though he did just fine by himself).
If I gave out stars for film, I would give out five for this movie just because it is so sincere.
"

Low-budget flaws and charm

anamericaninstockholm | Stockholm Sweden | 07/17/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When "Fun Down There" came out, so to speak, in 1988, it was hardly your conventional gay movie. It wasn't glib, it wasn't full of histrionics or loaded with messages or trying to shock, in short it was rather unlike the way gay people are portrayed - mostly by themselves - in most media. The film quality and sound were mediocre at best, but I rather liked the film. The story of a very real and ordinary young man (in both looks and aspirations) from upstate New York coming to the city and making a life for himself despite being rather baffled by the whole gay scene, was very understated and rather charming. It may be a bit too boring and lacking in drama for some - if you want to see a movie with a lot more drama and intensity but with a gay character who is similarly realistic and outside what most think of as gay culture, check out Gus Van Sant's first movie, "Mala Noche," which is a gritty, funny and disturbing film full of a bittersweet sadness and longing."