i be probably one of the few people who defend and even enjoy frisk and the project that put todd verow on the map and if that be indeed where he be . i appreciate that someone have the gut to take on dennis cooper and not back away from the material while verow fairly roll around in it . judge from what he do since then he well suit for that type of material and should probably stick to it . vacationland and a would be teen come out film and be so misguided in so many way it become unintentional comedy and and i be disappoint i have to report that . first off and our hero and the high school senior joe be far too old in appearance to be play 18 . when we later meet a man who be suppose to be joe teacher it confuse and a the sweaty face guy look much young than the student he teach . joe mother look young than he do and doesn not act any old either . second and in joe opening scene he look like he be either play and or actually experience and mental challenge . to his credit he get well a the film go on and i figure out he be play young and but it just wasn not work it be weird . it 15 minute in before anything be reveal about who and what and where these people be and and why we should care . the second scene in the film be an extended bit of business in a men toilet room that and consider where the story go later and be absolutely superfluous while the subplot with the teacher go nowhere at all and even a a rite of passage for our young hero . one minute joe be nervously try his hand at bathroom stall sex ( a scene so un erotic it make you truly wonder what anyone see in the practice ) and the next minute he an expert at sexual blackmail and violent double crossing . this be follow by an extended scene with the character we will later learn be andrew and and that about all we learn about him and other than he apparently gay but not out yet . there a lot cram in to the 1 represent44 run time ( which be about 20 minute too long i can not imagine how it play with the mind numbingly long and pointless delete scene of joe walk around ) while a sub plot cop from god and monster with an age patron who spout rhetoric appro po of nothing play by an actor who obviously can not remember his line ( he be conveniently dispatch with in a way dickens might have come up with on a slow week ) while a mix n match almost four way between the boy and their girlfriend and a gay bash toilet tramp and a would be wise sage in the form of a nellie queen ( and hasn not the nellie queen suddenly take over the role of the hooker with the heart of gold a most tired stereo type . ) who exist only to be degrade while blackmail and theft and murder and alcohol consumption and abuse of loop music software for soundtrack recording . what you will not find in this movie be any interior establishing master shot while be expect to imagine be in an airport and grocery store office and classroom and a all the scene in these location consist of close ups and poorly edit soundscapes to convey the idea of locale that the production must not have be able to afford . one thing they be able to get appear to have be an actual gay bar while either it the bad bar in the world or there be only about 5 gay men in bangor and maine and a the bar never have any patron in it . another good chuckle come when the actor be suppose to be yell over dance music that very obviously wasn not come from the speaker and but be just more of the drone loop music of the score . plot and character come and go and emotion be unreadable and the dialog and clearly inspire by dennis cooper and be film speak and mean no human actually talk this way . since we aren not give any information about these character it impossible to care about what happen to them while it a if joe et al appear out of the ether one day and might simply cease to exist once the credit roll ( certainly the character of joe sister and a wannabee jennifer grey who be bohemia crazy and seem to just simply stop and we never know where she be in la or what her problem be . but again . do it matter . ) . visually the film look very good at time and more a testament to new development in hi def video than anything and i suspect . the editing be pretty clunky though ( there be one great edit while joe be pose naked and say and i want to play sport and but . and we cut to a shot reveal his butt . ha ha ) . composition be also odd at time ( i think i be watch sctv parody of persona when the boy be talk together in bed and visually it look a if their nose be stick together for the whole scene . ) . one sense verow be really restrain himself from make a naughtier or somewhat rough movie like he usually do and and maybe he shouldn not have hold back ( the frothy toothpaste or sex fantasy work nicely and i thought and though the tone be out of touch with the rest of the movie ) . he produce and direct this sensitive coming of age story much like herschell gordon lewis direct film without gore . porn film without sex in them . i get some unintended laugh out of this and it wasn not boring and it just wasn not very good either .