Shampoo Horns

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Sporadically amusing and constantly confused, "Shampoo Horns" is a frothy look at the gay/transvestite/drug subculture that animates New York's younger club life. This first feature by Spanish helmer Manuel Toledano doesn't achieve either deep insight or wild fun, and will appeal mainly to fringe auds in search of easy entertainment. Lensed in English with a large cast of non-pros, many of whom play characters very close to themselves, the film concentrates on the colorful club denizens who live by night with no apparent means of support. Hero of the tale, if there is one, is terminally ill drag queen Dennis (Jason Reeves), more thoughtful and refined than his friends, who takes leave of the beautiful Cheyenne (Cheyenne Besch) to die alone in an anonymous hotel room.

Sporadically amusing and constantly confused, “Shampoo Horns” is a frothy look at the gay/transvestite/drug subculture that animates New York’s younger club life. This first feature by Spanish helmer Manuel Toledano doesn’t achieve either deep insight or wild fun, and will appeal mainly to fringe auds in search of easy entertainment.

Lensed in English with a large cast of non-pros, many of whom play characters very close to themselves, the film concentrates on the colorful club denizens who live by night with no apparent means of support. Hero of the tale, if there is one, is terminally ill drag queen Dennis (Jason Reeves), more thoughtful and refined than his friends, who takes leave of the beautiful Cheyenne (Cheyenne Besch) to die alone in an anonymous hotel room.

Dennis’ angst is contrasted with the whoop-it-up transgression of the sex ‘n’ heroin crowd as they take their boring pleasures in a couple of dank clubs. Amy and Tony (Tiffany Shepis, Andrew Gallupi), two straight college airheads, meet disaster when the girl goes sleep-walking on a drug overdose. Drugged-out, pierced, Mohawk-headed Jonathan (Jonathan Lawrence) indulges in erotic fantasies about a hunky fireman (Jason Anthony), while a Polynesian drag queen (Brie Koyanagi) mothers the comatose Tony.

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Pic’s p.o.v. is hard to determine, as the film admires the outrageousness and glamour of its characters but wags its finger at their empty lives and the perils of intoxication.

Lensing has an excited amateurishness that becomes excruciating to watch. Alfredo Mayo’s cinematography brings out the garish nightmare quality of the costumes and makeup. Cast members have little to add beyond their looks.

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Shampoo Horns

Spanish

  • Production: An Elias Querejeta PC production, in association with Esicma. Produced by Jennifer Gatien, Andrew Chiaras, Brilliant Mistake. Directed, written by Manuel Toledano
  • Crew: Camera (color), Alfredo Mayo; editor, Nacho Ruiz Capillas; music, Angel Illarramendi; art direction, Jeffrey Rathaus; costume design, Martha Gretsch; sound, Dave Powers. Reviewed at Berlin Film Festival (Panorama), Feb. 21, 1997. (Also in From Sodom to Hollywood Gay Film Festival, Turin.) Running time: 92 MIN.
  • With: Dennis ..... Jason Reeves Cheyenne ..... Cheyenne Besch Jonathan ..... Jonathan Lawrence Mark ..... Jason Anthony Tony ..... Andrew Gallupi Amy ..... Tiffany Shepis Brie ..... Brie Koyanagi (English dialogue)

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