Calling All Fans of A Chorus Line!
April 15, 2009
We know you’re out there: You swear “Hello Twelve” is the story of your life, you secretly sing “Dance 10, Looks 3″ to psych yourself up before going out, and sometimes you wear leotards with nude pantyhose to dance around your living room (a la “At the Ballet,” natch.)
For all of you who love A Chorus Line — or, really, any musical, the act of dancing, the strife towards stardom, documentaries about showbusiness, or just Broadway in general — you absolutely need to RUN to your local arthouse theater and see Every Little Step.
This stirring documentary follows several “triple threat” talents (those lucky people who all act, sing and dance REALLY WELL) as they work their way through the audition process for the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. To give you an idea of what odds are stacked against your average working actor in New York: Over 3,000 people auditioned for 19 slots.
Happily, Every Little Step doesn’t follow the now-ubiquitous docu-style of specifically (and sometimes, indulgently) following individuals’ backstory as we learn about mom’s cancer or growing up poor. I know there’s a time and place for those stories, but thankfully, this ain’t it. The focus is purely on the struggle for getting to do what a talented performer is best at: performing.
And meanwhile, as we’re watching countless auditions from nameless faces, viewers are treated to the sounds of the original reel-to-reel tape recordings of the initial conversations that eventually became the monologues for A Chorus Line. For the uninitiated, Michael Bennett, the production’s original creator, choreographer and director, sat down with a group of dancers and a jug of red wine in 1974 and asked them to share their stories. It is through these midnight tapes that powerful tales came forth, including the famous “Paul monologue” in which a gay dancer describes the emotional moment when his parents finally accepted him for who he was.
I’ll admit, in this American Idol-saturated world, full of get-famous-quick schemes, it was frankly a relief to sit back for 90 minutes and watch people who are really talented work so hard to achieve their dreams — and sometimes not get what they want, even if it seems they completely deserve it.
Every Little Step was a joy to watch, thanks to the unprecedented access the filmmakers, James D. Stern and Adam Del Dio, were given throughout the audition process and subsequent Broadway production.
The film opens Friday, April 17 in select cities.
Still not convinced? Watch the trailer!
Pedro Premieres Tonight!
April 1, 2009
The MTV original movie Pedro, which follows the remarkable life of Pedro Zamora, premieres tonight at 8/7c on four networks: MTV, mtvU, Logo and MTV Tr3s, where the film will be subtitled in Spanish. We urge you to watch this emotional film and remember the impact that Pedro has had on all of our lives.
Written by Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black (Milk), the movie goes beyond what viewers saw in 1994 on The Real World: San Francisco. Yes, he was the first openly gay person living with HIV regularly seen on television, but of course Pedro was so much more than that. For many, he remains a touchstone for not only the gay community, but for those living with HIV and AIDS.
President Bill Clinton, who has long credited Zamora with personalizing and humanizing the AIDS epidemic, will introduce the film when it is broadcast across four networks.
“To this day, Pedro Zamora remains an extraordinary example of what a huge impact one young person can make in our world,” President Clinton said in a statement. “I’m glad to have known him, and I’m grateful his life has been able to inspire and enrich so many others.”
“Our historic, simultaneous premiere of the film across multiple networks demonstrates the power of Pedro’s journey to reach a vast array of audiences, just as it did 15 years ago,” said Brian Graden, President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Channels and President of Logo. “His story originally ignited a national dialogue, permanently impacted our consciousness around the challenges of HIV, and gave untold millions the courage to open up about their sexual orientation. For those of us who remember him as a treasured television friend, and for a new generation coming to his story for the first time, we remain grateful for the gift of his story.”
Be sure to watch the trailer here and tune in tonight for the world premiere of Pedro.
Anne Hathaway is Over the Rainbow
March 24, 2009
Oscar-nominated actress (and amazing ally) Anne Hathaway has been selected to star as Judy Garland in the Weinstein Co.’s biopic entitled Get Happy.
The script is based on Gerald Clarke’s biography of the same title, which was published in 2001.
VP of production and development Ben Famiglietti told Daily Varitey, “You get an enhanced perspective of Judy Garland through this book, and we feel Anne can really put her own stamp on that.”
Variety’s Dade Hayes and Gordon Cox continue:
Garland was the subject of an Emmy-winning 2001 telepic produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. She also appeared as a character in Broadway’s “The Boy From Oz,” and Rufus Wainwright performed a sold-out, one-night re-creation of Garland’s famed concert at Carnegie Hall.
No release date has been set, but we know Anne’s got the pipes to perform all her own songs. Remember the opening number at this year’s Academy Awards? Impressive!
Death at a Funeral Set for U.S. Remake
March 9, 2009
The charming British film Death at a Funeral is being remade for American audiences by Screen Gems and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. Directed by Neil LaBute, the comedy takes place at a memorial service that quickly goes from bad to worse as the minutes tick by.
At the height of the family chaos, a mysterious man arrives, claiming to be the dead man’s lover, and threatens blackmail. In the British version, this character was played by American actor Peter Dinklage.
No word yet as to who will be portraying the gay character, but the announced cast is a who’s who of A-list African American talent: Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Martin Lawrence will lead the ensemble, with support from Loretta Devine, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, James Marsden, Zoe Saldana and Columbus Short.
We’ll be curious to see how the script — co-written by Rock and Ayesha Carr — translates from the dry British humor to broader U.S. appeal, and obviously, we’re intent on seeing how the gay content will pan out.
No specific release date has been set, but it looks to be a 2010 release, according to IMDB.
To get a feel for the 2007 film, check out the trailer:
Mississippi Damned
December 23, 2008
LGBT Content:
Genre: Drama
Rating: NR
Director: Tina Mabry
Writer: Tina Mabry
Starring: DB Woodside, Malcolm David Kelly, Tessa Thompson, Malcolm Goodwin
Distributor: TBA
Release Date: TBA
Synopsis: Three Southern black children struggle to escape the cycles of addiction and violence inherited from generations of their family.
Premiering at the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival
Screening Times
Friday, January 16, 6:00 pm Treasure Mountain Inn – Main
Tuesday, January 20, 10:00 am Treasure Mountain Inn – Main
Ellen Page Will Star in Freeheld Feature
December 23, 2008
Ellen Page, best known for her Academy Award-nominated turn in Juno will star in a feature film based on last year’s Oscar-winning short documentary Freeheld.
As you may recall, Freeheld follows the legal battle of Laurel Hester, an ailing lesbian New Jersey police officer who is fighting to transfer her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree. Page would play Stacie; No word yet as to who will play Laurel.
The talented and amazing Cynthia Wade directed the documentary, and according to Good As You, she will also take the helm for the feature film.
The documentary is completely and totally heartbreaking. If you missed it when it aired on Cinemax earlier this year, please watch the trailer to get a feel for the incredible story.
No release date has been set for the feature, but we certainly hope it will start production soon!
MILK milks award out of PGA
December 9, 2008
The Producers Guild of America has announced it will give Focus Features’ MILK its annual Stanley Kramer Award, which recognizes work that dramatically illuminates provocative social issues.
Producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen will accept the award at the 20th annual PGA Awards on January 24 at the Hollywood Palladium.
The PGA isn’t the only organization to sit up and take notice of MILK. Check out gay pop culture site AfterElton.com for a complete list of accolades thus far.
Still haven’t seen the film? It’s gaining momentum at the box office — join the crowds and support gay film!
Sundance Announces Even More Films!
December 8, 2008
The Sundance Film Festival announced today the list of short films that will be screening in January. This year, Sundance will show a record 96 short films from 5,632 submissions from U.S. and international filmmakers. Impressive!
Short films of gay interest include:
U.S. Dramatic Shorts
Boutonniere (Director: Coley Sohn)—A dark comedy revolving around a simple teenage girl’s attempts to survive her overbearing mother’s exuberant plans for a prom she’d rather not attend. LGBT filmmaker
Countertransference (Director: Madeleine Olnek;Screenwriters: Madeleine Olnek and Cast)—A comedy about an awkward woman with assertiveness problems who seeks the questionable help of a therapist. LGBT filmmaker
The Young and Evil (Director: Julian Breece)—A highly intelligent but troubled gay black teenager sets out to seduce an HIV-positive prevention advocate into giving him the virus. LGBT filmmaker
U.S. Documentary Shorts
575 Castro St. (Director: Jenni Olson)—Set to the original audio-cassette recorded by Harvey Milk in November 1977 to be played, ‘in the event of my death by assassination’. LGBT filmmaker
International Dramatic Shorts
A Mate/Finland (Director: Teemu Nikki; Screenwriters: Teemu Nikki and Jani Pösö)—Pera wants to try something kinky in the bathroom and he asks his straight mate to help him. However, Pera’s wife comes home a bit too soon.
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
Not going to Sundance, but dying to see 575 Castro St.? Watch it here!
575 Castro St. from FilmInFocus on Vimeo.
More Sundance Films Announced!
December 4, 2008
Sundance announced today the lineup of films screening at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in the out-of-competition sections of Premieres, Spectrum, New Frontier, and Park City at Midnight. So what’s of LGBT interest? Read on to find out!
PREMIERES
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
I Love You Philip Morris / USA (Directors and Screenwriters: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)—The true story about con artist and imposter Steven Jay Russell, a married father whose exploits land him in the Texas criminal justice system. He falls for his cellmate, Phillip Morris, after being put in prison and makes regular attempts to escape when the object of his affections is released. Based on the novel by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker. Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro.
The Informers / USA (Director: Gregor Jordan; Screenwriters: Bret Easton Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki)—A drama based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, set in the 1980s, focusing on wealthy Angelinos consumed by a decadent lifestyle. Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke. (Note: It’s Bret Easton Ellis, people. There’s usually something very queer about all of his books.)
Rudo and Cursi (Rudo y Cursi) / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Cuarón)—Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer. Cast: Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Guillermo Francella. (Note: this film is listed purely because this writer thinks Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal are always of gay interest.)
Shrink / USA (Director: Jonas Pate; Screenwriter: Thomas Moffett)—Unable to come to grips with a recent personal tragedy, Los Angeles’ top celebrity psychiatrist loses faith in his ability to help his patients. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Keke Palmer, Mark Webber, Dallas Roberts, Saffron Burrows.
Everything Strange and New / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Frazer Bradshaw)—Trapped by a life he never intended, a man struggles to navigate family, sexuality and drug addiction. Cast: Jerry McDaniel, Beth Lisick, Rigo Chacon Jr., Luis Saguar.
SPECTRUM
A tribute to the abundance of compelling new voices and the creative spirit in independent filmmaking, the Spectrum program presents out-of-competition dramatic and documentary films from some of the most promising filmmakers in the world today.
La Mission / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Peter Bratt)—A traditional, Latino father in San Francisco’s Mission District struggles to come to terms with his teenage son’s homosexuality. Cast: Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Talisa Soto Bratt, Jesse Borrego.
Lymelife / USA. (Director: Derick Martini; Screenwriters: Derick Martini and Steven Martini)—Set in the 1970s, a unique take on the dangers of the American dream seen through the innocent eyes of a fifteen-year-old boy. Cast: Alec Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Emma Roberts.
PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Park City at Midnight offers eight films that are likely to amuse, surprise, or shock the bleary-eyed viewer and offer a lively last stop in the nightly film-going circuit.
Spring Breakdown / USA (Director: Ryan Shiraki; Screenwriters: Ryan Shiraki and Rachel Dratch)—Three thirtysomething friends attempt to break the monotony of their uninspired lives by vacationing at a popular spring break getaway for college students. One of them (Dratch) is married to a gay man. Cast: Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, Will Arnett, Rachel Hamilton.
Sundance Films Announced Today!
December 3, 2008
The films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival have been announced. But glaadBLOG wants to know: How many are LGBT-inclusive?
Now this list is based on a very early release and is by no means complete, but upon quick investigation (and abbreviated film synopses), these are the following gay and gay-adjacent films set for competition at Sundance:
DOCUMENTARIES
The September Issue (Director: R.J. Cutler)—With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler and his crew shot for nine months as they captured Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the “fashion bible” for the year’s trends.
Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson)—Comedian Chris Rock turns documentary filmmaker when he sets out to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.
FEATURES
Dare (Director: Adam Salky; Screenwriter: David Brind)—Three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be. Cast: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara.
More films will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available here.
MILK Money
December 1, 2008
MILK opened in very limited release over the holiday weekend — only 36 screens — but the Harvey Milk biopic still managed to make it into the Top 10 highest-grossing films within the five-day Thanksgiving frame.
MILK averaged $52,627 per screen, grossing an estimated $1.9 million. Though this may not seem like a lot of money, let’s compare with other films that opened the same day.
The holiday romantic comedy Four Christmases brought in $46.7 million over five days, while the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia earned $20 million. Impressive, right? But if you look closer, those numbers only equal out to $3,310 and $2,642 per screen, respectively.
Now do you have perspective?
Gather your friends to join you when MILK opens wider on Friday! All you have to do is create a MILK Facebook group of 20 or more and receive a MILK Prize Pack, courtesy of Focus Features! Click here for more details.
Special TV Programming in Honor of World AIDS Day
December 1, 2008
Today is World AIDS Day, the international event designed to strengthen global efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS. In honor of this endeavor, many broadcast and cable networks will air special programming to further educate the public about the ongoing health crisis that affects us all.
Freddie Mercury
Logo is leading the pack with a full slate of programming that addresses HIV and AIDS, beginning with a Greg Louganis biopic at 6 am and closing with Angels in America at 10 pm. Peppered throughout the day is the landmark docu-series The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS, the charming romantic comedy Jeffrey, and the powerful documentary Freddie Mercury: Magic Remixed.
Don’t get Logo? Forgot to set your DVR? Most of these titles are available at your local video store, or you could check out GLAAD’s HIV & AIDS Media Resource Guide, which includes thorough lists of films, documentaries, scripted television and alternative programming that have addressed AIDS.
Movie suggestions include Parting Glances (1986), Poison (1991), It’s My Party (1996) or A Year Without Love (2006). For a complete list of films, please click here. Films inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters are in bold.
Here’s a scene from Parting Glances.
Documentaries more your thing? Check out the Academy Award-winnning doc Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), Absolutely Positive (1991), Fast Trip, Long Drop (1994) or Gay Sex in the ’70s (2005). The trailer is below…
SEE MILK THIS WEEKEND!
November 26, 2008
All studio heads will tell you that opening weekend box office matters. The amount of money a movie brings in within the opening few days can really make or break a movie. That’s why you need to support MILK, the biggest, gayest movie of the year, by seeing it in the theaters.
Yes, we know it’s Thanksgiving and you probably have family in town, but instead of checking out some animated kids’ movie guaranteed to blandly appeal to everyone’s taste, why not take the fam to learn about gay history?
If you’ve read anything about it recently, Milk is a shoo-in for at least ten Academy Award nominations, so just go ahead and see it now so that you don’t have to play catch-up, come January.
Support this movie. See it this weekend.
And bring tissues.
EW Names The 50 Sexiest Movies Ever; Ten Are LGBT
November 24, 2008
Entertainment Weekly loves its lists. The outlet has counted down the 100 Greatest Movie Moments, the 50 Smartest People in Hollywood and the 25 Most Controversial Movies Ever. So it’s about time they created a list of the sexiest films, dontcha think?
glaadBLOG wanted to know how many of those sexy films included LGBT content, especially with a list whose top five all featured opposite-sex trysts in unusual locales, including a hotel lounge (Out of Sight), a newspaper office (His Girl Friday), a dance floor (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), a beachside bar (Body Heat) and on a baseball field (Bull Durham).
But a hot kiss shared between best friends in a Mexico Hotel lead the gay pack of sexy movies, with Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) coming in at number seven. According to EW, “A drunken, boisterous celebration escalates into a sensuous threeway. As [Ana Lopez] Mercado heads south of the border, the guys unexpectedly — and passionately — kiss.” Ay caramba!
Mulholland Drive (2001) is ranked 17, because of the heat generated between stars Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring. Basically the whole movie is sexy, regardless of its enigmatic storyline.
The 18th sexiest movie is Swimming Pool (2003). Sarah (Charlotte Rampling) fantasizes about voluptuous Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), which isn’t too much of a stretch, being as Julie’s either naked or mostly naked throughout the film.
Coming in at number 21 is Basic Instinct (1992). Love it or hate it, Sharon Stone plays a hyper-sexual bad girl. The sexiest moment? EW says it best: “Duh. The interrogation.”
Number 29 is the Wachowski brothers’ Bound (1996). Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. ‘Nuf said.
Following Bound is Maurice (1987), ranked number 30. Maurice (James WiIlby) and Clive (Hugh Grant) play Cambridge school mates in 1910 whose relationship blossoms into a romance for the ages.
Cruel Intentions (1999) is ranked 32 specifically because “Vixenish Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) coaxes doe-eyed Cecile (Selma Blair) to kiss her. Their lips part to reveal a strand of saliva that lingers as they pull away. Drool never looked so enticing.”
The 39th sexiest movie is The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). “Anthony Minghella’s film is infused with old-world luster and sultry jazz, but when Tom [Matt Damon] and Dickie [Jude Law] play a simple game of chess — over a bathtub, with Law naked inside — every move is an advance and a rebuff.”
Number 47: Kissing Jessica Stein (2002). “Hoping to get lucky, two lunkheads approach the ladies at a restaurant and proceed to extol the virtues of girl-on-girl action — all while Helen [Heather Juergensen] secretly fondles Jessica’s [Jennifer Westfeldt] thigh under the table.” Check please!
Yossi & Jagger (2003) comes in at number 49. Described as “a less tormented version of Brokeback Mountain’s Jack and Ennis,” the main characters — two Israeli soldiers — keep their coupling a secret. The sexiest moment, you ask? “The guys go at it, fully clothed, on a snowy hillside. Because we see mostly close-ups of their faces as they make out, joke, and laugh, what’s sexy is their sweet delight in one another.”
Is it getting hot in here?
12 Angry MILKs
November 24, 2008
Okay, so after a full month of Harvey Milk “fun facts,” we’ll admit these posts’ titles have gotten a bit crazy, but the fact remains: only two days until MILK opens, and we’re thrilled!
As seen in San Francisco magazine, had Harvey Milk lived, some think he might have become mayor of the city, or even gone on to Sacramento.
Michael Wong (Asian American activist and early Milk supporter) says:
In 1979, George Moscone and Harvey would have been reelected; and then in 1983, George would have supported Harvey for mayor, and Harvey probably would have won. The night of the defeat of the Briggs Initiative, three weeks before the murders, I think he was the most popular elected official in the city.
Roma Guy (lesbian activist) says:
You have to be a good manager to be a good mayor. Harvey was a little bit disorganized. People run for office not becaues they have management strengths, but because they have an agenda, they have an ambition. I think he would have been a better legislator. If he had wanted to go to Sacramento, he would have gotten a lot of support there, too.
Be sure to read up on Milk in GLAAD’s Milk Resource Kit and see Milk in select theaters starting Wednesday!
And check out this special interview with Milk star Diego Luna, recorded at the world premiere last month!
