Harrison J. Bahe | The Favor 2 / 2012

the literalist

by Douglas Messerli

 

Bogdan Korishev and Harrison J. Bahe (screenwriters), Harrison J. Bahe (director) The Favor 2 / 2012 [9 minutes]

 

In this, the second episode of Harrison Bahe’s short comic films—a series that seems like it could go on forever, Bogan is at it again.

      This time he awakens another friend—since the original character called Michael is played this time by another actor, Frank Prell, we’ll call him Frank—with a phone call, beginning his conversation: “Hey, wake up sleepyhead. 

     Understandably, Frank does not seem as open to Bog’s call as Michael was. “What’s up?” he queries, cautiously opening himself up to the challenge.

      “I was wondering if I could come over a little later.”

      “Yeah. For what?

      “Well, I don’t know. Maybe we can start off by rubbing each other down….. And afterwards we can lay together and relax. Just you and me.”

      Suddenly Bog has created some interest in the boy, Frank suggesting it truly sounds intriguing, but knowing his friend asks, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

      “I’ve always wanted to do this.” The time is now, he suggests.

      “What else are we going to do?”

      “Maybe we could get ourselves in some awkward positions and such. And I can strip.”

      “Well, that sounds nice.” Frank almost licks his lips in anticipation.

      “The time is now. What do you say?”

      “I say you better get your sweet little ass over here.”

      Hardly as Frank put on a shirt when there’s a knock at the door. Obviously, it’s Bogdan (played in this film by RJ Serra) as they move over to the couch. “I’ve got to say man, this is a little unexpected,” Frank begins. Even though Bogdan has arrived as promised, he still has his doubts.

       Bogdan touches Frank’s knee, but it’s only to pull off a bit of fluff.

       Frank can’t quite believe that it’s really happening.

     Bogdan puts his hand on his friend’s shoulder, and as suddenly pulls him up, “Come on let’s get started,” startling even the obvious horny and ready Frank.

      For a sexy few seconds after the blackout, we almost believe that something might be going on, as Frank looks up to the skies in a kind ecstasy while Bogdan lies beneath him. White liquid squirts out on Bogdan’s back.

      But the camera soon reveals that although Frank is certainly “rubbing” something, it’s merely suntan lotion on his friend’s back laying on a towel in the backyard.

      “Uhhh. When you said “rub each other down,” this isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Frank bemoans the situation yet again.

      “Whaaat?”

      “Nothing,” Frank dismisses the situation, fooled once more in to believing that Bogdan and him are speaking the same language.

       Afterwords, as Bogdan points out, the two indeed are laying down together on the grass.

     Frank tries to explain what he has thought Bogdan meant by his telephone comments, but to no avail. Once more the literalism of the Bog’s heterosexual adumbration has won out over gay double entendres. By this time, we already can guess that by “getting themselves into awkward positions,” Bog wasn’t imagining anything akin to Kama Sutra, but was referring to the game of twister, where they do indeed get into some very awkward positions which might only be relieved, this time, if Michael were to apply the literalism his foolish friend uses as a tease.

 

    Once more as they collapse onto the floor, Bogdan claims how much fun he had, as opposed to Franks’s complaints. We’ve almost forgotten Bog’s promise to strip.

       What Bogdan meant, of course, was strip poker, and it is Frank who loses his shirt once again, sitting naked with a friend who seems more engaged in winning at cards than observing his friends quite lean and shapely body.

       This time Frank more than angry, shouting out, “Are we going to fuck or something?”

       Bog is abashed, once again, to find that Frank might have somehow gotten the idea that is was gay. He’s not gay, he reiterates. “Why would you think that?”

       “O gee, I don’t know. Maybe because every time you get on the phone you sound like a desperate whore craving sex from everybody. Everybody thinks you’re gay.”

        “Well, I’m not gay.” He moves forward, “But I am curious. I’m curious about you.”

        Michael falls for it again. “Well, you know, I can help you with than,” he quietly adds, moving in even closer for what looks to be Bogdan’s first male kiss.

         But Bogdan stays true to his cluelessness: “Are you gay?”

 

Los Angeles, May 22, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (May 2024).