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Coming Gay Attractions! Presenting Our Fall Film Preview!Movie: Privileged (December 1) What Is It About? My Best Friend’s Wedding for gays. A closeted gay teen tries to destroy the relationship between a girl and the guy he’s hot for.
Julian Morris (left) & Adam Butcher star in Privileged Why Is It Gay? In addition to the storyline, both the male leads (Adam Butcher and Julian Morris) look to be hotties. Big Budget or Indie Darling? Barely above minimum wage. Broccoli or Dessert? No one eats broccoli in the school cafeteria! Definitely lime Jell-O. Movie: Milk (December 5) What Is It About? The movie we’ve all been waiting for! Various folks have struggled for years to tell the story of the life of Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official. Out director Gus Van Sant finally has the honors, with an A-list cast that includes Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, and Josh Brolin, perfectly cast as Dan White.
Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk Why Is It Gay? A cast of mostly gay characters about one of the most important events in gay history — with a reported number of gay sex scenes, no less? Um, duh. But why is the film so important to us? This is one of Hollywood’s first big gay movies since Brokeback Mountain. If it succeeds, it can only help other gay movies get made — even if Hollywood is sure to attribute its success to everything except its subject matter. But if it fails, expect it to confirm what Hollywood already “knows” deep in its bones — that gay movies can’t ever make money. In any event, expect the right wing to shriek; two Hollywood movies about gay people in four years is waaaaaay too many, dontcha know. Big Budget or Indie Darling? Technically, this is an indie movie, produced by Focus Features, which also produced Brokeback Mountain. But Focus is just the art house arm of Universal Studios, so this is as Hollywood as gay movies get these days, at least if they don’t star Adam Sandler. Broccoli or Dessert? A rich, satisfying meal that includes broccoli and dessert!
The Milk trailer: Movie: Valkyrie (December 26) What Is It About? The story of a secret plot to assassinate Hitler.
Valkyrie trailer: Why Is It Gay: Out director Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) helms, and some folks expect him to make some wholly appropriate parallels between the rise of the Third Reich and George W. Bush’s America, 2008. Big Budget or Indie Darling? This is the latest movie that is supposedly going to make-or-break Tom Cruise’s future as a top box office draw. It’s a Very Big Deal, with a budget to match. Broccoli or Dessert? Sounds like broccoli, but Cruise needs a hit right now more than he needs an Oscar, so don’t expect Schindler’s List.
Submitted by on Wed, 2008-10-01 22:41.  Quantum SolaceSubmitted by
Will (10 points) (2 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 07:06."Um, anyone remember a little scene in the surf with Craig in a certain square-cut blue swimsuit?" I personally think that "The Chair And A Swinging Rope" scene was much more ... captivating  Um...ouch!Submitted by
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com no votes  Great Article, thanks - Now I'm Excited!Submitted by
Strepsi (521 points) (150 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 08:17.The fall looks to have some interesting movies, not just Oscar-Bait. (OK, Milk is Oscar-bait, but actually looks hot and dramatic and actually exciting). re:"Weirdly, both Long and Routh are uncredited. Is it easier to play gay that way?" No, it means they do not have to be paid their usual salaries. Uncredited actors can do a favor for a director and not undermine their own Agency fees. This has a long history -- look at any low-ish budget film studded with cameos, from Baron Munchausen to The Player, and most of the actors are uncredited!  The "Milk" trailer make me tear upSubmitted by
David Ehrenstein (7805 points) (1725 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 08:21.I'm old enough to remember the Castro in the old days and that entire period. To say I'm looking forward to this one is an understatement. I'm counting the days.
Ciao is OK but I'm not as crazy about it as others in here. Nothing wrong with it. It just didn't grab me.
Nick and Nora looks like fun. The Noah's Arc boys define babe-a-liciousness.
Zero interest in James Bond. 10-car smash-up on the I-5 interest in I Almost Killed Hitler. Could this be the end of Mr. Mapother? Let's hope so.
 Ryan on HSM3Submitted by
Glenn (870 points) (190 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 09:51.I was watching teh Disney Channel and I got to watch one of the MTVs for the movie. One of the scenes in the ontage is Ryan and Kelsie being all cute and fluttery by a piano, so there's probably no twist that he ends up with Chad. Dammit.  De-gaying RyanSubmitted by
Allyndra (465 points) (94 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 11:10.*nods* It's been rumored for months that Ryan and Kelsi were going to be a couple in HSM3, and recent spoilers support those rumors. Which makes me feel cheated, like Disney is pulling a bait-and-switch. Oh well. At least I have my Chad/Ryan fanfiction to fall back on.  is it such a drag?Submitted by
Mister 2 (749 points) (148 posts) on Sun, 2008-10-12 00:43.Also worth noting is the Graduation Ryan doll, presumably based on the upcoming movie. I think he's supposed to be wearing a kilt but Mattel made something that stopped me dead in my tracks. He looks like he's in schoolgirl drag. (Um, yeah, it's standing right by my computer- just couldn't resist)
 Are people really that ignorant?Submitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 12:02.It's sad that people apparently don't know the definition of "quantum" and the definition of "solace" and then don't know how to put the two words together in a phrase. Look, anti-education, anti-intellectualism is not a good thing--we just had an anti-intellectual in the White House for the past 8 years and look at what's happened--being stupid is not something to strive for. Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/  The thing with "Quantum ofSubmitted by
seanb (1479 points) (306 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 12:26.The thing with "Quantum of Solace" is that it's unusual to use "quantum" as a noun rather than an ajective. Also, "solace" is an odd word to use in any movie title, and even more so in a James Bond movie title. So it's a bad choice even apart from the fact that a lot of people won't know what it means.
Yes, and "Tomorrow Never Dies" makes so much senseSubmitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 13:15.Sorry, no sympathy from me here. Quantum of Solace is a fantastic title, particularly as the film deals with Bond's grief, and is the first in two decades to actually the title of a Fleming work. One thing that DOES suck is the new theme by Jack White and Alicia Keys. Since GoldenEye, each successive Bond movie has featured one increasingly dire tune after another. What I wouldn't give for even the excessive camp enjoyment of Lulu's "The Man With The Golden Gun." Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/ Good point!Submitted by
seanb (1479 points) (306 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 14:38.Yeah, "Tomorrow Never Dies" isn't any better as a title. Some of the early ones, like "From Russia With Love" were pretty good. I don't know if a title makes any difference for a high profile Bond movie. I'm sure it does for a smaller film that won't generate automatic buzz.
My favorite Bond title...Submitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 15:14....is Octopussy. I just love saying that: Octopussy. Say it twice a day for good mental health. Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/  You want camp? I'll give you camp!Submitted by
afhickman (3710 points) (769 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 13:50.afhickman "The mountain has wings." Sometimes the best songs in the Bond films are saved for the closing credits, as with "Surrender," by k. d. lang, which was heard at the end of "Tomorrow Never Dies." Another of my favorite recent Bond songs didn't make it onto the screen at all, but, luckily, is preserved on the soundtrack album: "Only Myself to Blame," from "The World is Not Enough, by the one and only Scott Walker. Some other closing credit Bond songsSubmitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 14:34.I do like the k.d. lang song--why they didn't go with that instead of the dreadful Sheryl Crow tune is a mystery. I think the producers are caught up in a vain attempt to replicate "Goldfinger," "Live and Let Die" and "A View To A Kill," forgetting that some of the most beloved Bond themes are very different: "From Russia, With Love," "You Only Live Twice," "Nobody Does It Better," and "All Time High." Strangely, they've done this before: both of the Timothy Dalton Bond epics featured closing credit tunes that were better than the main themes--"If There Was A Man" by The Pretenders for The Living Daylights and "If You Asked Me To" by Patti LaBelle for License to Kill (which of course became a big hit for Celine Dion a few years later). Pretenders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L7wqObTg0E Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/ Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang BangSubmitted by
afhickman (3710 points) (769 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-03 01:52.afhickman "The mountain has wings." Yikes! I forgot about Chrissie! My all-time favorite theme is a pseudo-Bond, Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love" from the first (unless you count the TV episode) "Casino Royale." But that was a rare instance of the soundtrack outclassing the film. Second place is a tie: "From Russia With Love," by the inimitable Matt Monro, and "You Only Live Twice," by Nancy Sinatra (I love what Robbie Williams did with this on "Millennium"). Third place is a bit more problematic, but, for sentimental reasons, it goes to Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die," with all three of Shirley Bassey's themes in fourth place. Fifth is Rita Coolidge's "All Time High." Speaking of Shirley Bassey...Submitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-03 03:02....do you have Shirley's The Remix Album: Diamonds Are Forever? It's probably the most played CD in my collection; though I find the remix of "Goldfinger" somewhat wanting, the remix of "Diamonds Are Forever" is killer, and the remix for "Moonraker" is literally out of this world. (And the remixes of other tunes, such as "Light My Fire," "Easy Thing to Do," "Big Spender," "Where Do I Begin," and "Never Never Never" are also magnificent.) Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/ Shirley is ForeverSubmitted by
afhickman (3710 points) (769 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-03 05:40.afhickman "The mountain has wings." The last I heard, she was ill and canceling concerts. I hope she's fully recovered! And, yes, I want the CD. Thanks for the heads up. I have always thought "Moonraker," another great John Barry song, was criminally underappreciated. Here's a tasteSubmitted by
Joseph (7150 points) (1457 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-03 10:12.The Remix Album is an absolute must; here's "Never Never Never": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61yD-K2Ppg And, yes, I totally agree about "Moonraker," one of my favorite Bond songs, so very different from the rest, and a jewel in an otherwise negligible film. I hope Shirley feels better soon! Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/  Nick and NoraSubmitted by
gabriel oak (481 points) (110 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 16:54.Here's a teen comedy that adults can enjoy. The gay characters are integral to the movie and they are not the butt of the jokes though they do add to the humor. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings make a smart couple and their having gay friends is no big deal. This is a pretty subversive movie for a mainstream teen film that will play in Middle America. I saw this in Toronto and loved it. Another very good gay comedy I saw there was Patrick, Age 1.5 which I hope they release soon in the US. This Swedish film concentrates on a gay couple who try to adopt a child but it doesn't hide their physical attraction to each other. The movie should play well to both gay and straight audiences.  Trans fauxpasSubmitted by
nachttaenzerin (10 points) (3 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-02 18:17.Brent, I have to say that I was a bit taken aback when I read one of your comments about The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela: "Why Is It Gay? Well, transsexual “ladyboys” ain’t exactly straight, are they?" Really?! Although transgendered people are part of the GLBT community, this does not mean they can't be 'straight' - when you identify as female and you fall in love with people who are male (or vice versa) you are heterosexual, even if your 'original' gender might suggest otherwise. Plus, I disliked the negative/somewhat amused tone underlying the whole sentence, and the pejorative term 'ladyboys.' I doubt Raquela and the others have chosen their female identity deliberately, or that they prostitute themselves for fun, so I think they should be treated with a lot more respect. With all due respect, ISubmitted by
With all due respect, I think you're looking for a reason to be offended. The whole article is written in a light tone, not just that entry, and the movie promo materials and trailer all refer to the characters as "ladyboys." And the characters in question definitely don't seem very "straight," again, at least according to the promo materials.
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com no votes Well...Submitted by
nachttaenzerin (10 points) (3 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-03 02:47.I did miss the "ladyboy"-part, so I'm taking that back. And as for the 'light tone' of the rest of the article - probably it would have been better not to use this sensitive issue to start the article, because I wasn't really in the mood to read much further afterwards. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I often get the feeling that transsexual/transgendered people are not taken too seriously, and your comments hit a sore point. I'm sorry if I misconceived what you wrote. For what it's worth...Submitted by
I thought about this as I was writing the article, how this movie, looking so intense, didn't fit in with almost all of the other movies in the piece. But unfortunately, they are in chronological order, and that just happened to be the first movie being released. I'd be curious to know what you think of the movie (if you see it), because it looks...odd.
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com no votes  Kevin SmithSubmitted by
Hephaestion (385 points) (89 posts) on Wed, 2008-10-08 19:27.So, I guess the big question about Kevin Smith's new film is "How many dozens of times will the main characters use the word 'faggot'?" 4 dozen? 8 dozen? That aside, I can't wait to see "Milk"!!! I am marking down the days til it opens! |
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Look, I despise Bush as much as the next person, but if you're going to compare him to somebody from German history it ain't Hitler; try Wilhelm II, a bumbling idiot whose saber-rattling pushed Germany into a massive war that all but destroyed his country.
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