Besides writing these reviews for This Week in Texas, he has written the books The Acorn Stories, Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure, Holding Me Together, and New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio.

He also edited and co-wrote the spin-off The Acorn Gathering, a fund-raiser for cancer research. Visit his website, DuaneSimolke.Com for an excerpt and more information.

The Curiosity of Chance By Duane Simolke Oct 12, 2008

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Writer/Director Russell P. Marleau brings viewers back to the eighties with this comedy about Chance Marquis, an out and outlandish young man at an international high school. Marquis lives with his little sister and his military father, known as “Sir,” rather than “Dad.”  

Chris Mulkey plays Sir. He has appeared in the Showtime series Sleeper Cell, the AMC mini-series Broken Trail, and the CBS series NCIS. His performance here starts as a stereotype, but we soon discover a father who wants to be proud of his gay son, and a widow who simply wants to be a good father.

Fans of gay films will easily recognize Brett Chukerman from the short film Crush and the raucous comedy Eating Out 2. He has also appeared in various stage productions, TV shows, and the film Return to Innocence. Here he plays Chance’s next-door-neighbor, Levi Sparks. His good looks make Levi impossible for Chance not to notice him, but it soon turns out that the jock is also a likable person and aspiring musician. Unfortunately, his friendship with an out gay boy threatens his popularity, endangering their friendship.

Chance has two much more faithful friends: Hank Hudson (Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze), easily the most offbeat character in the movie, and Twyla Tiller (Aldevina da Silva), a supposedly callous and tough-as-nails outcast. Both help him take on a homophobic bully and a menacing principle. Some drag queens also befriend Chance, just in case this story needed more camp.

Of course, it all revolves around Chance. Tad Hilgenbrinck plays the title role with charm, vulnerability, and optimism. Hilgenbrinck—the star of American Pie Presents Band Camp and Lost Boys: The Tribe—brings a fresh face to teen angst and the struggle of feeling like an outsider. The Illinois native looks like he’s having fun in his role and helps some familiar ideas lead to an engaging new movie.  

Bigfoot Entertainment, the production company for The Curiosity Of Chance, is sponsoring a contest, in which a viewer will win $500 for his or her humorous coming out story. Honorable mentions will receive a DVD of The Curiosity of Chance.

Contestants can share their stories through writing or video. The contest will run until the end of October 2008, in observance of National Coming Out Day. Click here to read more.




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