Shiner Jun 5, 2004

Raising the subtext of "Fight Club" into text, "Shiner" depicts a pair of amateur boxers gratified by punching each others' lights out. Theirs is among a trio of twisted love stories in the narrative feature by 29-year-old Los Angeles director Christian Calson. There's also a woman literally fighting her male lover's affections and another boxer who stalks his own shy male stalker. "Shiner" transcends sadomasochism in that no one seems aware of what he or she is doing. "I'm trying to look at desire head on," the soft-spoken Calson said by telephone. "('Shiner') is about the politics of wanting and being wanted and how people respond differently." Rife with ugly behavior, "Shiner" rejects the trend of queer filmmakers seeking straight understanding. "In L.A., we have this kind of sadness we carry around, that the only way we can make gay stories is by making more like 'Will and Grace,' " Calson said. Like the activist-filmmakers tackling the marriage issue, Calson went into "...