KISS ME, GUIDO

Incredibly, this independent production was picked up by Paramount Pictures and given a full theatrical push in 1997.

The broad comedy follows the sexy, modelesque Frankie (Nick Scotti), a South Bronx Italian pizza shop employee, and aspiring actor, who decides to head for the bright lights of Manhattan. Before stardom, he needs a place to stay, and looking through the personals, he notices GWM. Thinking this means "Guy with Money", he heads for the village, and the apartment of gay actor Warren (Anthony Barrile), who's in desperate need of this month's rent.

With this odd-couple premise in place, the film begins making good-natured fun of just about everyone but straight white men. Women desperate for a man, pretentious gays, queens and dumb italians all become fodder for laughs.

Scotti does make a luscious visual piece of flesh candy, but the real scene-steaker is Craig Chester as the platinum-maned, skin-tight hot-pants-wearing Terry, Warren's best friend. He's the epitome of theatrical gay wit: biting, catty and bitchy (but only when provoked).