Fluffer, The - B
By Kage Alan

Sean McGinnis (Michael Cunio) is a 22-year-old kid interested in film classics, which he rents in abundance from the local video store. Unfortunately, someone at the store slips up and gives him a gay adult movie with a similar title. I'll bet he didn't go to Blockbuster! Sean is at first a bit turned off, mostly because it wasn't what he had hoped to watch, then finds himself mesmerized by one of the actors, Johnny Rebel (Scott Gurney, "Turbulence"). Fascination turns into obsession and Sean soon finds himself applying for a cameraman position at the studio Johnny works for. While learning all the ins and outs (absolutely no pun intended) of the porn industry, Sean begins to see the harsh realities of it as well and that nothing is ever as the videos depict. Worse yet, the stud of his dreams is someone in the industry known as "gay-for-pay".

The story progresses from a series of comic moments and situations to something much darker and more sinister. Sean knows that Johnny is straight, yet is asked to act as his "fluffer", someone who makes sure the actor stays physically erect between camera set-ups. Unfortunately, Johnny becomes increasingly dependent on drugs, Babylon (Johnny's girlfriend) discovers she's pregnant and in love with a guy who has never been good at sticking around and Sean finds himself caught in the middle between what he knows is right and his obsession for Johnny. This all adds up to a disaster in the making and "The Fluffer" soon takes off into very odd territory. If the journey is truly what the human experience is all about, then the end of the film will make sense to you in the most unusual and thought-provoking way. If you prefer a much more cut and dry happy ending, then look elsewhere.