Luster (film)
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| Luster | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Everett Lewis |
| Written by | Everett Lewis |
| Starring | Justin Herwick Shane Powers B. Wyatt Pamela Gidley Susannah Melvoin Jonah Blechman Sean Thibodeau Willie Garson |
| Editing by | Everett Lewis |
| Distributed by | TLA Releasing |
| Release date(s) | 2002 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Luster is a 2002 in film gay-themed drama film directed by Everett Lewis. The film, about the lives of a group of friends in the queer punk scene, played the film festival circuit throughout 2003 and 2004 following its theatrical release.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Luster takes place over a weekend in Los Angeles.
[edit] Friday
Jackson (Justin Herwick) is a frustrated punk poet and zine writer. After waking up in the aftermath of an orgy, he heads to his job at his friend Sam's (Shane Powers) alternative record store. At the store he gets a call from closeted gay musician Sonny Spike (Willie Garson). On his way out the door, Jackson runs into customer Derek (Sean Thibodeau), who professes his love at first sight.
Jackson meets Sonny at his hotel suite and Sonny offer him the chance to write the lyrics for Sonny's next album. Stoked, Jackson stops back at his house where he finds his cousin Jed (B. Wyatt) in the shower, which immediately inspires thoughts of incest. Jackson and Jed head back to the record store, just in time to head out to a book signing with Sam (who, sadly, leaves behind his lesbian photographer friend Alyssa (Pam Gidley)).
At the book signing, Jackson runs into Billy (Jonah Blechman), who he'd met at last night's orgy. Jackson professes his love at first sight for Billy, who agrees to have coffee but flatly informs Jackson he won't have sex with him. The author spots Jed, and, taking him as his muse, writes a piece on Jed's body.
[edit] Saturday morning
Jackson, inspired by Jed, writes several poems. Meanwhile, Jed is in the desert, serving as muse to yet a third artist, Alyssa. A bloodied Billy calls Jackson at the record store. Jackon picks him up and takes him home. Billy explains that his ex-lover sexually tortured him.
Leaving Billy to sleep, Jackson gives his poems to Sonny, who thinks they're great except for changing the sex of the subject to female. Sonny decides he must meet Jackson's inspiration. Jed returns to Jackson's place and crawls into bed next to Billy. Jackson goes back to work at the store, where Derek's hanging around outside mooning over him. Derek goes in and confesses his love again. Jackson explains he doesn't feel the same, but they kiss anyway. Jackson drives Derek home but still isn't sure about the idea of being with him.
Alyssa takes her photos of Jed to a gallery and lands a showing in New York City.
Billy wakes up next to Jed and engages in some sexual torture of his own. Sonny sends a private investigator to find Jackson's inspiration. At Jackson's place, the P.I. finds Billy and brings him to Sonny. The two of them had actually hooked up before; it was Sonny who'd tortured Billy previously. Billy tells Sonny that he tortured someone that morning and realized that he hated it, that he wanted to enslave himself to Sonny.
Sam visits his mother and surprises her with the news that he's paid off her mortgage.
Jackson returns home and finds Jed handcuffed in the shower.
[edit] Saturday night
Sam, Jackson and Jed go on a bar crawl through the city. Jackson runs into Sonny and Billy in the restroom of one of the bars and beats Billy up for what he did to Jed. Sonny gets totally turned on by it. When he leaves the bar, Sam and Jed are arguing over Sam's unrequited love for someone. Sam drops Jackson and Jed off at Jackson's. Sam gives Jed a videotape to give to Jackson. Jed goes inside and he and Jackson make love.
[edit] Sunday morning
Jackson takes Jed to the airport for his flight back to Iowa. Jed tells him about the tape. Jackson returns home to find Alyssa and her girlfriend Sandra, who tell him that Sam has killed himself. Jackson watches the tape. Sam on the tape says that he's in love with Jackson and he knows he'll never to be able to be with Jackson the way he wants to and that he has a lot of pain because of that. Distraught, Jackson runs all the way to Derek's place. He has Derek reassure him that Derek loves him. Jackson strips naked and tells Derek "I'm all yours." Jackson says he doesn't know if he loves Derek but he does think Derek's pretty special, and special is "pretty fuckin' good."
[edit] DVD release
Luster was released on Region 1 DVD on December 9, 2003.
