Category Archives: Film
Going Down in La La Land Opens Friday April 20th
“Going Down in LA-LA Land”
opens in New York this Friday
Friday April 20th. 7PM (7.30PM showtime)
This will be our opening night premiere screening. Get your photograph
taken on the red carpet outside the theater, join the conversation with
writer/director Casper Andreas and stars Matthew Ludwinski and Allison
Lane after the screening. Then off to the opening night party at XL Club with open bar from 10 to 11. Get a giftbag stuffed with goodies! Tickets are still available via the Kickstarter campagin, which ends today.
Saturday April 21st. 7.30PM
This screening is presented by New York’s premiere gay film festival Newfest. Q&A to follow the screening with Casper, Matthew, and Allison. Then we are off to G Lounge where all ticket-holders will be offered an open bar from 10 to 11.
Sunday April 22nd. 3PM
This screening is presented by The Men Event. It will be followed by a Q&A with Casper, Matthew and Allison. Then we will meet up at Boxers after the screening where your ticketstub will get you a free beer.
“Ask Not”– Free documentary Screening at NY Public Library
This film exposes the political battles that led to passage of the law, and investigates the societal shifts that have occurred since then. Interviews with current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how “don’t ask, don’t tell” affects them during their tours of duty, and details the struggle they face as they live a double life.
- January 8: Vanishing of the Bees, edited by Ellen Page, this documentary examines the mysterious disappearance of entire honeybee populations across the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Called Colony Collapse Disorder, the phenomenon has far-reaching effects on the production of hundreds of fruits and vegetables. The film explores the link between human activity and the welfare of the earth.
- January 15: Scrabylon, filmed primarily during the World SCRABBLE Championships in Las Vegas, this documentary delves deep into the competitive and colorful world of tournament SCRABBLE. Interviews with players from around the globe address the timeless allure of the popular word game.
- January 22: Bag It, follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he travels the world, investigating the systematic effects of our use of plastic on our oceans, environment, and bodies. Using the ubiquitous plastic bag as a touchpoint, Berrier hones in on our role in a system which prizes convenience over thoughtfulness, and the effect this has on our oceans, environment, and bodies. This documentary comes at a great time, as Seattle just recently banned plastic bags: READ MORE
Up next month: The Films of Pedro Almodovar!
Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humor,
strong colors and glossy décor. Desire, passion, family and identity are
among Almodóvar’s most prevalent themes. His films enjoy a worldwide
following and he has become a major figure on the stage of world cinema.
Breaking Glass Pictures Celebrates the ‘Holi-gays’ With a Huge Discount on our LGBT Catalog
WHO DOESN’T LOVE A GREAT DEAL?!
For over two years, Breaking Glass Pictures and their Queer Culture Cinema label have provided the public with provocative and erotic LGBT titles. To celebrate their success in the 2011 holiday season, they are offering an exclusive discount on our already discounted prices from their official store. NEAR WHOLESALE PRICING! PERFECT for gift giving!!
To get $6.00 off the already discounted price on these and the rest of their titles, go to shop.breakingglasspictures.com and enter “BESTGAYNY” during check out.
Among some exciting LGBT titles are:
An Englishman in New York: Giving possibly the best performance of his distinguished career, two-time Academy Award nominee John Hurt (Midnight Express, The Elephant Man) gives a bravura portrayal of British gay icon Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York, an exhilarating, funny and inspiring story focusing on Crisps emigration to the United States the final years of his life. After the film version of his autobiography The Naked Civil Servant is released to great acclaim, author, artist and raconteur Crisp moves to New York City to star in a one-man off-Broadway show. What was supposed to be a month turns into decades as Crisp regales and captivates New York audiences with his wit and candor on a lifetime lived as an outsider. The film traces his theatrical successes, many friendships and controversies but always living life on his own terms. – Features a cameo by the ever adorable NICK ADAMS!!
Big Gay Musical: The film tells the tale of Paul (Daniel Robinson) and Eddie (Joey Dudding), two theater actors who have just commenced working together on their new Off-Broadway musical, a show that oddly mimics their own personal lives. Through glittery, yet comical musical numbers with provocatively dressed tap dancing angels, a retelling of Genesis, tele-evangelists, a camp that attempts to convert gay kids to straight, and numerous showtunes, both characters go through life-changing experiences.
Go Go Crazy: Welcome to Go Go Crazy: a contest where talent and ambition take a backseat to speedos and desperation. Five shameless contestants (all Broadway performers, including Mr. Broadway 2011 Michael Cusumano) with little to gain and nothing to lose take to the stage in a gay nightclub for a chance to achieve go go boy glory and a $1000 cash prize.(Hosted by Hedda Lettuce!) On the judging panel are a burned out porn star (NY-based porn star Jake Steel), a Celine Dion “embodier,” and the raunchy nightclub owner – all of whom threaten to steal the spotlight from the fame-hungry, back-stabbing contestants.
Lots more gay titles to choose from as well!
To get $6.00 off the already discounted price on these and the rest of
their titles, go to shop.breakingglasspictures.com and enter
“BESTGAYNY” during check out.
World AIDS Day Event: Spotlight on The Starlite Lounge Dec 1
World AIDS Day Event:
Spotlight on The Starlite Lounge
Recently closed Black-owned Brooklyn gay bar gets new life in this documentary screening featuring talkback with the bar’s owners and former patrons
On Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 PM, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center commemorates World AIDS Day by proudly presenting documentarians Kate Kunath and Sasha Wortzel in conversation with Dennis Parrott and Linda King, owners of the legendary Starlite Lounge.
In 1959, a decade prior to Manhattan’s Stonewall riots, the Starlite Lounge opened in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, as a non-discriminatory establishment for gay people of color.
A half-century later, the neighborhood and the gay community were shocked when the oldest, Black-owned, LGBT establishment was given notice to vacate and was ultimately forced to close in 2010.
In honor of World AIDS Day, The Center will focus on how the Starlite became a refuge and organizing point in response to the AIDS epidemic. The filmmakers will share key excerpts of their documentary-in-progress, Starlite, and talk with former resident performer Lady Jasmine and long-time patrons about what the Starlite meant to the community, especially in the early days of the epidemic.
Also featured will be the organizers of the AIDS Memorial Park and learning center currently being proposed for the triangle site opposite the former St. Vincent’s Hospital. The proposed location sits in the middle of the neighborhood, the site of significant AIDS epidemic organizing: from the first AIDS ward at St. Vincent’s Hospital to the founding of ACT UP and other advocacy organizations at the Center.
More at Queer History Alliance
Documentary Excerpt Screening & Talkback
Thursday, December 1 @ 6:30 -8:30 PM Cost $10
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street
New York City
Lane Twins Bring Hollywood to Dollywood to NYC Nov. 17
IT ALL STARTED WITH A DREAM….
AND AN RV NAMED JOLENE.
Everybody has a dream. Most of us are only willing to go so far to see it materialize and often find ourselves waiting for the right opportunity to come to us. Not so for the Lane twins -they were not content to send their screenplay Full Circle to Dolly Parton’s manager or publicist. No, they were determined to get it into the hands of their idol and on the 25th Anniversary of Dollywood, no less.
“WE grew up listening to Dolly’s music and always thought she was an amazing person. So why not write a screenplay about her, and go on a cross country roadtrip to try to put it in her hands! “ say the Lane Twins, Gary and Larry.
And that’s just what they did.
And the result is An amazing film and journey about courage and acceptance.
Now in 51 Film Festivals Around the World …They won 6 Awards so far!
“Dolly Parton herself Is 100% behind Our Movie and Gave us 15 Of Her Songs Free For the Documentary and Her Image for the Movie Poster!”
NOVEMBER 17th 7PM NYC PREMIERE of HOLLYWOOD TO DOLLYWOOD!!
LOWER MANHATTAN! 1 NIGHT ONLY!
Gary and Larry Lane will do a live Q and A after the Screening!!
Chad Allen is flying in for the premiere also.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW – SURE TO SELL OUT.
DON’T MISS IT!
Hollywood to Dollywood
Hollywood to Dollywood blog
The Lane Twins
Vin @ nyc2suburbia Meets Barbra Streisand
Vin @ nyc2suburbia
got to meet Barbra Streisand recently, and spent time with her on the set of her next movie, My Mothers Curse, filming now in Las Vegas…
“So what do you do when you finally get a chance to meet a celebrity you’ve admired your entire life? I am not a fanatic, but Barbra’s career has been important & meaningful to me ever since I can recall! Lines from her movies & songs are a part of my daily vocabulary. “Don’t tell me not to live just sit & putter…”
Read about his exciting adventure!
House of Boys Movie to Open at Cinema Village July 29
HOUSE OF BOYS has been playing the LGBT Film Festival Circuit – now it is coming to New York City July 29th!
A colorful and raw coming-of-age story set in the emerging gay dance club scene of Amsterdam 1984.
House of Boys tells the story of Frank, a high school kid who leaves home and falls into the exciting
new world of free sex, music and dance.
When Frank’s new world is suddenly turned upside down, his struggle for courage in the face the unknown gives him a new and deep understanding of the true
meaning of love.
Director Jean Claude Schlim says, “Thirty years on, the fight against AIDS is far from over:
more than 25 million people have died and an estimated 40 million people are infected. AIDS has turned out to be one of the most urgent topics that needs to be addressed in unison, worldwide, in order to avoid a major disaster for humanity.
As UNAIDS spokesmen Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton so poignantly underscored the urgency and
immensity of the crisis, in just three words: “Talk about it!“
For myself, as an artist, House of Boys became the central focus of my creative work, in order to keep fighting, but also to awaken an urgent consciousness in the younger generation. As a survivor, by all means I have to keep up the fight. The key image of House of Boys has always been this terrifying one of a young guy dying from AIDS. Images such as these are so powerful and far-reaching. I had this image of horror beyond description deep inside me, as I saw my boyfriend die in 1995 at age 27.
this experience. I had to build a story around this central image; oddly enough I turned it into a kind of fairy tale, where the only evil character would be the disease.
The ‘80s were the apex of gay culture, an historic moment in a community coming out. The music
was outrageous, extravagant fashion and night-clubbing were a way of life, born out of the hippie
generation but also completely new. We called it the New Wave: the first beats of electronic music and gay culture were completely leading the way, a period where sex was fun and fearless. It was a new beginning, a new hope, summed up by the anthem, “Welcome to the Pleasure Dome!”
In House of Boys music plays an important role in the sense that the main character was driven by night-clubbing and I wanted a mix of scenes to reflect that: clubs, concerts, cabarets, as well as some romantic tracks to underline the more intimate aspects. Some of the songs were already mentioned in the script and were expressly meant as tributes to artists that died of AIDS.
I’m very fond of the soundtrack, which I created with a mix of classic themes and new electronic music, including Klaus Nomi, DAF, Dangerous Muse, Soft Cell, Steve Harley, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Somerville, Mahalia Jackson, Laurent Garnier, and Cyril Collard.
House of Boys has been a very rewarding experience for me; I am very proud that this film is my directorial debut. It is my small contribution in talking openly about a terrible disease, that is still taboo, especially for people living with HIV who very often cannot even speak about their disease for fear of rejection and stigmatization.
The inhabitants of the House of Boys live outside society in their own little fairy tale world. They are misfits, characters outside society, yet all beautiful, strong and good as in any fairy tale.
The main character describes himself as a survivor; we all live among the adversity of tragic events, that’s life I guess, that’s what makes us strong…This is the message of my film.
The global message I think is one of hope. Tremendous medical milestones have been reached since the dark ages of the disease, as portrayed in the film. In that sense the message to young generations should be: Enjoy life, have fun, you’re entitled to have fun. Our world is full of sadness, so be proud of being gay. It’s very important for me to fight against AIDS within the gay community. It’s our duty. Our engagement must be more focused than ever as there are many urgent issues to deal with.
I dedicate this movie to all HIV positive people and to those who fight against frightening and unacceptable serophobia in our society!”
HOUSE OF BOYS TRAILER
Open Friday July 29th, Cinema Village, New York!
House of Boys on Facebook
Garrett Swann in Steve Balderson’s THE CASSEROLE CLUB June 22-26
“FASHION HOUSE ” star, Garrett Swann, co-stars alongside Kevin Richardson (former member, Back Street Boys), Daniela Sea (L Word), Susan Traylor (Greenberg) and Jane Weidlin (The Go-Go’s) in Steve Balderson’s newest film “THE CASSEROLE CLUB.”
The film will premiere at VisionFest 11, June 22-26, 2011 in New York City.
They start a recipe club, and hold dinner parties while testing out their new casseroles. But when the gatherings become increasingly focused on boozy flirtation, and more than recipes are swapped, the story moves swiftly from stylized and campy to a drama about irresponsibility, selfishness, and damaged people.
The film also stars Michael Maize, Jennifer Grace, Starina Johnson, Hunter Bodine, Pleasant Gehman and Mark Booker.
In the film, Swann plays Sterling Bloom, a closeted Suburbanite husband to a cookie cutter wife who ultimately becomes a victim of his own downfall. “It’s easy to play a gay character in a film, but when you’re gay playing a straight man who’s closeted, that’s a challenge!” “I thought ‘oh God I have to go back in the closet again…scary” said Swann.
While doing a casting search, Balderson accidentally saw Garrett’s photo (wearing his 60’s like eyeglass frames) on a fellow director’s Facebook page and immediately reached out to him. “That’s the first, getting a part via Facebook” said Garrett. A great working relationship ensued and in process Swann was invited to co-produce the film as well.
“Garrett is a great actor,” quotes Balderson, “He is the kind of actor who gives it his ALL, and for that alone he is amazing. “
The Casserole Club screening is scheduled for Friday night, June 24, at 7 PM, followed by Q&A.
The Casserole Club
Best Gay New York.com
Casper Andreas Talks With Adaumbelles Quest
He’s a performer, director, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Sweden, Casper moved to NYC at the age of 20 with dreams of being on stage and big city glamour.
After sometime Casper decided to head West to Hollywood where he wrote several screenplays, studied directing, and took seminars in filmmaking at IFP/West, but eventually came back to New York where he continued to write, direct, and produce short films as well as his first feature, the multi-award winning film “Slutty Summer” (in which Casper also starred in along with fellow “Adaumbelle’s Quest” participant Jesse Archer).
“I’ve always loved storytelling. As a kid I used to make up stories all the time, and for a long time I thought I was going to be a writer. Then I discovered acting. I moved to New York to attend acting school, and for many years I was pursuing acting in New York and Los Angeles. I found, however, that the career of an actor isn’t terribly rewarding in a creative way.” – Casper tells Adaumbelles Quest.
Other films include “A Four Letter Word” (which he co-wrote with Jesse Archer). “Between Love and Goodbye”, “Violet Tendencies ” (written by Jesse Archer and starred Jesse and Casper along with Mindy Cohn from “The Facts of Life”) is arriving on DVD May 24.
“Going Down in LA LA Land” is currently making it’s rounds at various film festivals around the world, and greating rave reviews! – And stars the very sexy Matthew Ludwinski!
Our buddy and New York blogger Adam Rothenberg of Adaumbelles Quest recently interviewed Casper about the business and his new project, LA LA LAND.
Casper Andreas talks with Adaumbelles Quest.
Check it out!
BestGayNewYork.com
Gay Cult Classic Secret of Dorian Gray Finally Available on DVD in US
WITH A CULT GAY FOLLOWING!
THE SECRET OF DORIAN GRAY IS A HARD-TO-FIND PULP GEM! Avavilable for the first time in the US MAY 17th.
RaroVideo U.S. will release THE SECRET OF DORIAN GRAY on DVD May 17. Never before released on DVD in the U.S., this is a seventies classic Italian film restored to its original splendor.
In case you don’t know the story – In London, a wealthy, god-like, young man, Dorian Gray, loves Sybil, an aspiring actress; thanks to her, he’s momentarily less self-centered. He’s also sitting, scantily clad, for a portrait painted by his ascot-wearing friend, Basil. When it’s done, Dorian complains he’ll grow old while it stays unchanged- the classic plight of the vain.
On the same night, as if he has sold his soul to the devil, exchanging vanity for morality, he ends it with Sybil, and then accepts the seductive offer of a party’s hostess to sleep with her. The next day, the painting looks slightly older. In horror and fascination, Dorian hides it away and continues a life of degradation. Over time, as the portrait becomes hideous, he’s unchanged by his ever-increasing libidinal life; finally, he and Basil face the painting. The exceptionally groovy score by Giuseppe De Luca enhances the seventies milieu.
THE SECRET OF DORIAN GRAY has been newly restored from the original 35mm negative.
You Tube has a fun tribute to the film and Helmut Berger (the star of the film). He was SO SEXY!!
AND CHECK THIS OUT!
Get ready to read The Picture of Dorian Gray — the way Oscar Wilde intended to to be read. More than 120 years after the classic’s initial release, the original version is about to be published, according to The Telegraph.
Before its serialized publication in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, Wilde’s editor made a number of changes to tone down the book’s homoerotic content. References to the protagonist’s lovers as “mistresses” and other “decadent” phrases were also removed.
One phrase from the original — “it is quite true I have worshipped you with far more romance of feeling than a man should ever give to a friend” — was changed to —”From the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence on me.”
BEST GAY NEW YORK is giving away one of these hot DVDs this week, on the 18th! Just leave us a comment, as to why you like BEST GAY NEW YORK – and one reader will be selected at random on the 18th!
Pick it up for Under $15 at AMAZON
The Secret of Dorian Gray (Il Dio Chiamato Dorian)
Best Gay New York
FLORENT Queen of the MeatMarket opens theatrically May 20th
Here is your chance to see it!
FLORENT! QUEEN OF THE MEATMARKET!
Let Julianne Moore, Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Musto and other famous (and infamous) faces take you on a fantastic voyage to New York City’s legendary Florent diner.
For 23 years, the all-night eatery in the city’s Meat Packing District was prime stomping ground for a surprising mix of A-list celebrities, tourists, families and club kids, and it played an important role in LGBT activism and culture. This wildly entertaining documentary chronicles the history and final days of this outrageous icon!
David Sigal’s docu is a paean to French expat and gay activist Florent Morellet and the restaurant he established in Gotham’s decidedly unglamorous Meatpacking District. A unique haven defined not by exclusivity but by its wholehearted embrace of diversity, Florent’s became a fabled hangout for locals, hookers, families, celebrities, performance artists, club boys and blue-haired old ladies. Exuberant pic will wow gay markets but could expand further, Morellet’s appeal being as broad-based as his clientele.
When Sigal started shooting in January 2008, little did he imagine he would be chronicling the last days of a 25-year-old Greenwich Village institution. Florent’s forced closure (caused by an astronomical rent increase) lends a nostalgic conclusiveness to the anecdotes offered by those who frequented the venue, drawn to the warm informality of Morellet and his enlightened wait staff throughout its quarter-century history. (Morellet’s ingenious five-week countdown to eviction, each week dedicated to one of the Kubler-Ross stages of grief, also supplies Sigal with a perfect story arc.)
Like the Stonewall Inn, Florent is such an important piece of our history.Get a taste on YouTube
Starts on 5/20/2011 @ Cinema Village 22 East 12th Street (212) 924-3363
GET TICKETS ONLINE
BestGayNewYork.com
PBS to show Stonewall Uprising April 25th
I talked with two people recently under the age of 25, who had no clue!
When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.
DID YOU KNOW? In the late 1960s, the American Psychiatric Association still classified homosexuality as a mental disorder, and gay men and lesbian women received almost universal moral condemnation from mainstream religions. The act of homosexual sex, even in private homes, was punishable by a light fine, 20 years in prison, or even a life sentence!!
New York City had the largest gay population in the United States. It was also the city that most aggressively upheld anti-sodomy laws. In the mid-1960s New York created police vice squads to raid gay bars and baths, and began using decoys to solicit and entrap gays. By 1966 over 100 men a week were arrested as a result of this effort. “It was a nightmare for the lesbian or gay man who was arrested and caught up in the juggernaut but it was also a nightmare for the lesbians or gay men who lived in the closet,” Yale Law School professor William Eskridge says in the film. “This produced an enormous amount of anger within the lesbian and gay community in New York City. Eventually something was bound to blow.”
STONEWALL UPRISING is a very important film we should all see! PBS and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is airing it on Monday, April 25th! Check your local listings! GET A SNEAK PEAK ONLINE.
Coming soon to DVD!
BestGayNewYork.com
Jesse Archer Has Fire Island Web Series in the Works
What better place for a gay comedy series?!
Jesse Archer and Sean Hanley.
Fire Island Pines is where the sun meets the sand—free of hesitation, oppression, or explanation! It’s the fantasy every gay man dreamed of as a child—The Island of Misfit Boys!
Check your inhibitions on the mainland and hop aboard the fairy ferry to a land where carefree men frolic in the skimpiest fashions as if the stuffy outside world didn’t exist. Stroll exclusive boardwalks where the flip-flops are fierce and the only thing stronger than the golden Adonis-like men are the cocktails at Low Tea!
Take a peek into the lives of one summer house in Half-Share. Sometimes debaucherous, usually randy, and always outrageous… When you share a house on Fire Island with six gay men, anything can happen. And often does!
We live in the Web 3.0 world, where anything is possible.
Video may have killed the radio star, but the internet is definitely reviving the careers of the TV star! When Lisa Kudrow (Friends) was unable to get the roles she wanted, she decided to co-produce the original Internet comedy Web Therapy. After three successful online seasons, Showtime was so impressed they bought it for their lineup. Similarly, the TV hospital spoof Childrens Hospital (Rob Corddry—Hot Tub Time Machine), was launched as a web-series and just made its network premiere after being snapped up by the Cartoon Network.
Today, content creators are easily able to distribute through many avenues: DVD (compilations in this case), Video On Demand, iTunes, YouTube, Netflix, and future revenue generating outlets of online streaming. Apple has iTunes and Apple TV, Microsoft has built Windows Media Center into virtually every copy of Windows 7, Google TV is on the horizon, and all of Google’s increasingly popular Android phones come with the YouTube app pre-installed.
HALF SHARE is utilizing all of these tactics, in addition to taking advantage of new media technology (when it is released) to ensure that Half-Share becomes the kind of success detailed in the examples above.
More details soon! Check out Jesse’s blog for more info~!
MEANWHILE grab Violet Tendencies
on DVD coming in May!
Written by Jesse Archer and Directed by Casper Andreas.
At 40, Violet is the racy, fun-loving belle of the ball. She spends her nights as royalty, but when the party ends, she always heads home alone. While her co-worker Riley struggles with his boyfriend Markus going baby-crazy, and her roommate Luke tackles monogo-mania, Violet’s romantic life is one big bellyflop.
Chasing love and lust at all costs, she may find them in the most unlikely of places.land a straight boyfriend.
A film festival favorite and rated 4 out 5 by many! This is a must-see if you haven’t already.
John Epperson aka Lypsinka, talks about BLACK SWAN
John writes a post for the Daily Beast this week and says, “We all have our own Black Swan, that creature inside each of us who is waiting to spring its blazing essence on the unsuspecting world. Mine is, indeed, The Fabulous Lypsinka. My White Swan self was—and to some degree still is—a shy, frightened, sensitive sissy boy from the small town of Hazlehurst, Mississippi.
I was not so shy or frightened, however, that I couldn’t work up the courage to apply for a job as rehearsal pianist at American Ballet Theatre soon after I arrived in New York City in 1978. Two years later, I was a member of the company and in the studio with Gelsey Kirkland, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anthony Dowell, Natalia Makarova, Alicia Alonso, Rudolph Nureyev, Carla Fracci, Margot Fonteyn, Cynthia Gregory, and Sir Kenneth McMillan. In her 1986 memoir, Dancing on My Grave, Gelsey did not refer to me as the Jaded Piano Player, only “the pianist” who witnessed the heart-wrenching real-life scenes in which she struggled with Baryshnikov, and—perhaps most of all—her own inner Black Swan.
Lypsinka lives the life that glamorous movie legends are supposed to live. But a bit player—even one as important as the rehearsal pianist in a film based on the balletic world—must get up at 5 a.m. in the deepest of winter and take an unglamorous subway ride to the set!
“Most of the scenes I filmed in Black Swan were shot in a very cold studio that couldn’t be warmed because the low hum of the heater was picked up too much by the boom mikes. It was so cold—and Natalie Portman, the movie’s star, was dressed in such flimsy dance clothes—one might wonder how the behind-the-scenes events that have played themselves out in the gossip mills could have come true in such a steamy fashion.”
Read more from John at Daily Beast ! and Lypsinka.com
Best Gay New York.com
BURLESQUE! Cher and Christina Deliver
likes something different. 10 people can watch the same movie and give it 10 different reviews.
I had heard rumours Christina Aguilera’s part was lack luster. I had heard that the story had some holes in it. Whatever. I just ask myself, “Was it entertaining?” – and the answer is yes! BURLESQUE
is very entertaining!
And all I can say is if Cher doesn’t make you wet, Eric Dane and Cam Gigandet WILL!
I found the story entertaining, I want to run out and get the Soundtrack, Christina’s voice is amazing, and I want to see Eric Dane or Cam Gigandet do gay porn! Which probably isn’t going to happen!
In case you don’t know the story yet…Fresh off the bus from Iowa to L.A., Ali (Christina Aguilera) boasts a great body and an even better voice, so it’s only a matter of time until the owner of the Burlesque Lounge (Cher) gives her a chance. She starts out a cocktail waitress, then becomes the lead showgirl and singer. Meanwhile, a real estate mogul (Eric Dane) tries to buy the club from Cher because she is falling in debt. Ali beocmes “roomies” with one of the club’s hot delicious bartenders (Cam Gigandet), whose fiance is 3,000 miles away and not coming back soon. I won’t spoil the ending but there are tensions and drama but it’s a happy ending for all in the end.
CHER looks great! But ahem, I suspect a little vaseline on the lens or a soft filter perhaps. But she looks great, nonetheless at 64! The sets are eye catching and Christina’s voice, well, what can you say?! Flawless.
“Ally is short for Alice.”, says Ali/Christina
“Welcome to wonderland”, says Stanley Tucci/Shaun.
Sure it is a bit corny at times, if you want to split hairs.Aguilera shows off that big voice as she transforms the Burlesque club from lip-sync lounge to a suddenly hot home to a blues shouting torch singer (her) dancing and singing with scantily clad women – ala PussyCat Dolls.
Alan Cumming also does a little variation of his Broadway Emcee from “Cabaret” and has the most overtly sexual number in this surprisingly chaste riff on the old bump and grind.
(those MEN! Cam Gigandet top – Eric Dane bottom)
Tea with Mussolini (1999) was Cher’s last film. When asked about her emotions after all these years finding herself on a sound stage again, She said, ” I was terrified. That’s the way I roll. I roll terrified in the beginning. You go scene by scene. Whatever is in front of you is the thing you do. If there had been more great movies along the way, I would have done those.”
and she revelaed, “There’s an opportunity to go on a tour and yet I’m not so sure that that’s something I want to do immediately because I’ve been working for a long time. I did like working on this film so much that I really would like to do another film. We’ll see.”
Have you been listening to all the hot Cher remixes of “You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me“?Almighty Remix
Dave Aude remix
Stonebridge Radio edit
Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes BURLESQUE !
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language and some thematic material.
William S. Burroughs A Man Within Nov. 17th
This has been and amazing and important journey to make this documentary. It will be playing in select theaters next week. I hope you can make it out to one of the screenings.
There will be several screenings a day at the IFC movie theater in NYC starting November 17th for some days. I will be there with people from the film to do Q and As on the 17th, 18th and 19th including Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Hal Willner, Penny Arcade, Eileen Myles, Regina Weinrich and other special guests for select screenings. The time should be anounced at Burroughs The Movie and IFC, Oscope sites.
You are invited to a party after the screening on the 17th at the Naked Lunch bar in Soho (Naked Lunch NYC ). We’ll be serving special drinks.
More info can be found at Oscilloscope and Burroughs The Movie
Tickets for the IFC can be found at IFC Center starting Monday.
I spent 5 years on this and it was a labor of love, so COME and Invite your friends!
Yony Leyser
IS IT JUST ME? New LGBT Film in New York City October 1st
Blaine is a typical young gay man looking for love…without much success.
Enter Xander, the man of his dreams. After meeting in an online chat room, they quickly fall for each other and start a virtual relationship. Before long, they decide to meet face-to-face for a coffee date.
But in Blaine’s world, nothing comes easy. He discovers he’s been chatting with his new online boyfriend under his roommate Cameron’s profile. The problem is, Cameron is a sexy go-go dancer – and that’s the guy Xander is expecting to see. Blaine persuades his roommate to pose as him during the date until he can win over Xander with his wit and charm. It’s Blaine’s brain versus Cameron’s brawn as love blossoms within this threesome.
IS IT JUST ME , OPENS in New York City October 1st. @ Quad Cinema
Watch the movie trailer online . Is It Just Me on Facebook .
Dzi Croquettes will screen at Tribeca Cinemas Monday July 26
The award-winning and highly acclaimed film Dzi Croquettes will screen at Tribeca Cinemas Monday July 26 AND as an added bonus directors Raphael Alvarez and Tatiana Issa (who grew up with the group via her father’s work) will be in attendance.
If you’re unfamiliar with this documentary, it follows the legendary Brazilian cabaret group often credited for revolutionizing the gay/dance/theater movements worldwide. Liza Minnelli, who appears in the film, became a personal friend of the team and played a major role in bringing them to fame.
Resembling an all-male late-20th-century version of the Ziegfeld Follies, the cabaret group Dzi Croquettes used an empowering sexuality to counter Brazil’s military dictatorship. What set the troupe apart from the average drag show was its emphasis on absolute stage professionalism. Though the men donned outrageous makeup and glittery butterfly wings, their costumes basically consisted of G-strings: retaining their chest hair and beards, they toyed with visual concepts of sexual identity by embracing both masculine and feminine elements without ever pretending to be anything other than male.
WATCH A CLIP FROM THE FILM .
Before and after each screening, the Tribeca Cinemas bar is open to Doc Series audience members.
Tickets: Admission for each film screening is $10; $8 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at Tribeca Film or at the box office immediately before each screening.
Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street (corner of Laight), New York, NY 10013.
call 212/941.2001 for further information.
Visit us on the Web at Tribeca DOC Series .
Subway: A, C, E – Canal Street/6 Avenue; 1 – Canal Street/Varick Street
Gay Blogger Nathan Manske Hits The Road with 50 State LGBT Stories Tour
New Yorker Nathan Manske,
creator of
Im From Driftwood.com
and one of The Advocate’s Forty Under 40,
recently announced a 50-state “Story Tour” to collect, publish and broadcast true LGBT stories from across the country.
The IFD team will set out in September on a 4-month tour of the U.S. with the goal of bringing IFD off the computer screen and into America. Along the way, they will meet the many faces of LGBT America, bringing their stories to the world through videos, audio stories and written word.
IFD is an award-winning website that collects true LGBT stories from all over the world–from the smallest towns to the biggest cities–to help gay youth feel not so alone.
Throughout the 50-state tour, IFD will have readings at cafes, bookstores, bars, community centers, college campuses and other venues where they will share stories from IFD and talk about the site and its purpose. Along the way, they will be filming and recording video and audio stories from LGBT people they meet across the country.
Throughout the journey, IFD will have a regular blog page chronicling their adventures. (and possibly we’ll be posting some things here as well!) Marquise Lee, IFD’s Video Editor and founder of Crush Deviant Productions will film the journey and make short YouTube videos about their progress. As the Story Tour progresses, they will publish regular video webisodes as well as written updates about their journey.
But first…they need your help.
In order to fund the story tour, IFD has launched a fundraising campaign, where they hope to raise $15,000 through small donations and fun incentives (check out their KickStarter page for more details). That won’t be enough money for the entire 4-month Tour but it will be enough to get started. They’re also hoping to make the entire experience as interactive as possible. The IFD team is taking requests of where to visit and even asking people to open up their guestroom or couches.
IFD knows LGBT people are everywhere.
You know LGBT are everywhere.
After this Road Trip, LGBT youth will know it, too.
We have been watching Nathan’s site for over year now, and this guy is going places!
Please help him out and support this project!
Nathan Manske is the creator and editor of the gay, true-stories website I’m From Driftwood. He was recently named one of The Advocate’s Forty Under 40 in 2010 for his work on the groundbreaking blog. Nathan is indeed from Driftwood, Texas, but has lived in Brooklyn, New York since 2003. Before creating I’m From Driftwood, he spent 4 years as a full-time copywriter, working first at Hanft Raboy & Partners, then Berlin Cameron & Partners, and has fortunately been able to combine his personal passions with his profession.
His Chemistry.com television commercials raised awareness as well as eyebrows by taking on eHarmony’s discriminatory policies towards gays and lesbians. eHarmony has since changed their policies. He also found a way to actually get paid for being a geek by writing the third X-Men film’s interactive website for 20th Century Fox. Find him on Facebook !
Ticked Off Trannies BUZZ Continues at Tribeca Film Festival This Weekend
TICKED OFF TRANNIES
WITH KNIVES
is playing New York City’s
TRIBECA Film Festival this weekend.
A group of transgender women are violently beaten and left for dead. After regaining their consciousness the violated vixens turn deadly divas and with their new-found confidence and courage, slice their way to vengeance.
They say any publicity is GOOD PUBLICITY! For those not paying attention, there’s been quite the firestorm in recent weeks surrounding Dallas filmmaker Israel Luna’s Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives and its inclusion in the Tribeca Film Festival.
Back in March, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation issued a “call to action” that the film be removed from the line-up because: “The film, its title and its marketing misrepresent the lives of transgender women and use grotesque, exploitative depictions of violence against transgender women.” To which Tribeca responded: GLAAD had its chance.
Luna told the Dallas Voice he was “puzzled” by the furor and that the low-budget, shot-in-Dallas-in-18-days film is nothing more than his homage to grindhouse cinema a la Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez: “We were just playing around and someone said I should do this with drag queens. That would be so much fun.”
Did GLAAD even see the film??
Krystal Summers, one of the stars of the comedy, has now weighed in on the debate. In a statement, the actor writes:
I am a transgender woman and one of the lead actors in “Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives.” Our film does not promote hate or violence against transgender women. It is not a documentary, but a work of fiction and a revenge fantasy. I would never partake in a project that made light of the appalling acts of hate that we, as transgender women, encounter nearly every day. I urge you not to judge the film based on a trailer, hearsay or the recent statements from GLAAD, which received a copy of our film in February, and for weeks, supported our filmmakers. In fact, GLAAD representatives advised our film’s producer, director and cast on how to describe our film to people. The transgender community is always asking that people not judge us by our exterior and take the time to look deeper – I hope that you will do the same with our film.
Perhaps the only marketing mistake with the film was using the real names of real victims. The complaints stem from the trailer’s mentioning by name murder victims Angie Zapata and Jorge Mercado. Says Luna in a statement, he did that to bring a “disturbing reality to my film about transgender violence.”
Q Cinema , the gay and lesbian film fest in Fort Worth, announced Ticked-Off Trannies would play there in June — its first screening down here following its Tribeca bow. But it’ll be marketed with a different trailer. The New York Times reported that Luna has deleted the names of the real-life dead: “It seems that the association between their brutal stories and the revenge/thriller content of the film in its entirety, has been difficult to connect,” he says.
I just got back from Dallas, and everyone was buzzing about the film! Israel has been busy doing interviews the last few days in New York. Everyone is New York has been buzzing about the movie!
Get a SNEAK PEAK AT YOU TUBE
Join them on FACEBOOK .
*On the eve of the world premiere of Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives at the Tribeca Film Festival, director Israel Luna announced Thursday that he would blur out some letters in the controversial film’s title treatment and many marketing materials effectively immediately, a decision reached with input from Academy Award–winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. This was done because the word TRANNY is found so offensive by many.
