December 2006 Archives

I'm off for a few days but Out In Hollywood will return with new postings on January 2, 2007. It's been a really fast and fun six months since the lauch and the best part is hearing from you! Thanks for the comments, keep them coming, and don't drink and drive!!!

So when my friend Eddie was in town, I gave him a stack of DVD screeners of movies I wanted him to see with the condition that he return them to me before he left (he lives out of the country right now). He got through all of them over three weeks except for "East Side Story" so he decides to watch it, on a portable DVD player, in the car, as I'm driving us to Palm Springs for the weekend. Every time we pass by a big truck or drive by a mountian he'd say, "Go slower, the shade makes the picture sharper!" Fortunately, once we got to our resort, he did watch it again.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because it got me thinking about "East Side Story" and when it might be coming out in theaters or DVD. It's such a good movie, directed by Carlos Portugal, who I interviewed when the movie screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in LA a few months back when the movie was introduced by Edward James Olmos.
I sent Carlos a note the other day and he tells me that the movie should have a distributor by early this month! Hooray! AND, it is going to be playing at the Palm Springs International Film Festival next week. The dates are January 8th at 8pm and January 10th at 1pm. Both screenings are at the Camelot Theater. Last month, the movie won " Audience Favorite Award" at the International Latino FIlm Festival (San Francisco) and at the Long Island Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
"I am very proud that it's getting this type of reaction in both Latino and GLBT festivals," Carlos tells me.
Here's the synopsis of what is a very good, sweet and funny film that I hope keeps getting the attention it deserves:
Young Diego Campos (Rene Alvarado) has long felt trapped in East LA and plans to move away and open an upscale restaurant with his ultra closeted boyfriend, Pablo Morales (David Beron). But Pablo views their "down low" relationship differently - a point driven home when he starts dating Bianca Campos (Gladise Jimenez), Diego's spirited young Aunt. Meanwhile, openly gay white men like Welsey Henderson (Steve Callahan) and Jonathan Webber (Cory Schneider) are moving in, gentrifying the Latino neighborhood. The attraction between Diego and Wesley is immediate and electric, forcing both men to re-examine their state of affairs.

The film's website is: http://www.myspace.com/eastsidestorymovie

It seems that Donald Trump has gone off his meds because he surely needs some. His latest public comment relating to his feud with Rosie O'Donnell, who dared to criticize him and make fun of his ridiculous hair: "Rosie got mentally beaten up by me, because she's a mental midget, a low-life. I think she's got a death wish. It's too bad a degenerate is able to get away with things like that."

Trump said that in response to the following, which O'Donnell posted this week on her blog. Rosie has struck a nerve and Trump is flipping his wig, or combover (or is that a dead squirrel on his head?) over some comments that make a lot of sense:

so what happens
when u say the emperor has no clothes
the comb over goes ballistic
via phone to mr king

choices
every minute
every day
everyone

i imagine it is interesting
as celeb feuds tend 2 b
so here r my thoughts

didnt watch
didnt u tube
restrict

i have no time 2 make art now
i am only off friday
which is never enuf
to detox

the pipes get full
bits of sludge
clog the flow

so tiny books
now
express in torn images
my inside

i was raised reading ms magazine
i remember the burning of bras
as women demanded equality
in unison

beauty pageants
where women were paraded around
judged valuable or not
by old white men

it is always old white men

they added a talent portion
and gave away college degrees
they evolved - beauty pageants
and eventually - nearly faded away
for good

remember the seventies

a young girl in nyc
meets a pimp
he cons her into a life of illusion
she works for him

no fun - no fucking - no future
she is owned
when she sneaks out -
to party the night away
he freaks

he roughs her up a bit
shames her in front of the others
teaches her to behave
for his own benefit

and just when we lost all hope
cagney and lacey showed up
they cuff the pimp
they free the girl

marybeth and christine
would never
be friends with a pimp

this is reality tv
like it or not
same same same
as vivi says

I'm noticing that a lot of news organizations are refering to John Barrowman and Scott Gill as entering into a civil partnership and refer to it as a "marriage" with annoying quote marks around the word. That's insulting! If a straight couple gets married in any kind of civil ceremony or anywhere not in a church, you would write they were married in a civil ceremony, not "married" in a civil ceremony. I'm registering my immense irritation and just chalk it up to unchartered waters.
Anyway, my rant aside, I wanted to post a picture of this handsome couple but can't find any of them together! Maybe they are gonna sell them for big bucks to Britain's OK Magazine or Hello! magazine or whatever. If so, good for them!
Barrowman, 39, plays Captain Jack Harkness in "Dr Who" spin-off "Torchwood" and he and Gill have been together for 16 years. For the ceremony at Cardiff's St David's Hotel, Glasgow-born Barrowman sported a kilt.
Afterwards, Barrowman said it was important gay relationships were accepted. "It feels great and I think more gay men and gay women should go ahead and do it as long as they're serious about it," he said. "It's not really recognition but it's important for people to see the normality of the entire situation and it forces people who don't agree with gay men and women...to have to accept us.
"We deserve the rights like everybody else," he added. "It's been a long wait but we legitimised our relationship to each other a long time ago when we signed our mortgages together and this is just something that forces people who don't want to recognise it that they have to."
Well said John!

I don't usually write about studies but this is a new feature of the blog: a public service entry each day. KIDDING! I'll be just the same in 2007 - only better! So, my former Daily News co-worker Lisa Sodders, now with the Rand Corp., forwarded me this yesterday and I couldn't help but wonder if the results would be different if all doctors looked like Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy), or Eric Dane (McSteamy), or John Stamos (McPERFECT!):
Anyway, I digress. A survey of lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers found that 70 percent said most people they knew were aware of their sexual orientation, but only 35 percent reported that their doctor knew, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation and UCLA.
“We knew that the sample that we chose was going to be a very ‘out’ sample,� says Dr. Garth D. Meckler, lead author of the study. “We figured they would have a higher disclosure rate than most youth, and yet, despite being out to almost everyone in their lives, only 35 percent had told their doctor about their sexual orientation.�
Various medical associations, societies etc. recommend that physicians discuss sexuality with all adolescents and provide nonjudgmental communication about sexual orientation. This is important because if a physician is aware of an adolescent patient’s sexual orientation, the doctor can offer appropriate health education and counseling, identify individual risk, and perform targeted screening tests and treatment.
Ninety percent of the teens had been to see a doctor in the past two years, and nearly two-thirds had gone within the past 12 months. But despite the fact that 66 percent thought it was very or somewhat important that their doctor know their sexual orientation in order to provide the best health care possible, only 35 percent said their physician knew their sexual orientation. Of those teens whose physician knew their sexual orientation, only 21 percent said their doctor had raised the topic.
One of the authors suggests that doctors can create a safe environment by not assuming the teen is heterosexual. Rather than ask a boy if he’s dating any girls, they should be open to all possibilities.  That will send a message to a gay teen that this is a doctor who understands sexual orientation. It will also send a message to all teens that this is a doctor who will likely be comfortable talking about whatever the teen wants to discuss.
This reminds me of when i was a teen (you had to know I was gonna make it about me at some point, right?) and my doctor, who, unfortunately looked more like Dr. Marcus Welby than Dr. McDreamy, had to give me a physical so I could get cleared to play for the high school tennis team. Somehow during the exam, I don't know when or how, the doctor concluded that I was gay! I dunno, maybe I was a little overly-sensitive that day or my clothes were suspiciously too color coordinated. He didn't ask me anything about it, he musta just had great gaydar. He mentioned nothing to me but he did tell my poor mother. Can you IMAGINE? She didn't say anything to me but later, as she was crying in her room, it all came out (well, I didn't). What came out was what Dr. Welby had said. I had already been hot-and-heavy with a few boys but I thought it was a phase. So, I assured her I was not gay.
But of course I was, and am! Unlike T.R. Knight, I really do think it's the most interesting part of me!

 

So John Edwards announced yesterday that he is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. I wish the man luck. I think he's damned smart, his heart is in the right place, he gives a helluva stump speech and has more charisma in his sleep than John Kerry would even after a few martinis (or whatever he drinks). Of course, being president isn't just about charisma or good looks (Edwards is movie star handsome) and I like that this candidate is calling for an increase in community service and cuts in poverty, global warming, and troops in Iraq.
But here's the rub: Edwards didn't mention gay rights on Thursday. And further, during the 2004 campaign both he and Kerry said they opposed same-sex marriage. Edwards also said he opposed amending the U.S. constitution to ban it, arguing the issue should be left up to the states.
That is just chicken s***! You gotta take a stand on this AND on the ban on gays in the military. These things are WRONG and are a non-issue on countries like Great Britain. He's playing it safe on the hot-button gay issues. Typical. His likely rivals for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, have yet to announce. I will be waiting to see if they take any pro-gay stands.
I'm not holding my breath.

After spending too much money on Christmas presents (What can i say? I'm a giver), I'm on a bit of a budget for a few weeks. I've actually had breakfast at home the last three days instead of buying a smoothie at Jamba Juice, last night my buddy Evan and I went out for margaritas during "2 for 1" hour, and a few days a go I went to the $3 movie theater at Beverly and Fairfax to see "Shortbus." What a trippy movie! It explores the lives of several emotionally-challenged New Yorkers as they navigate sex and love in and around a modern-day underground salon called Shortbus where there is a blend of art, music, politics and most of all, SEX. The place is described by its cross-dressing proprietor (played perfectly by Justin Bond) as "like the 60s only with less hope." It's man-woman, man-man, woman-man, man-man-man, woman-man-woman and on and on. It's everything and here's the part I had heard about but couldn't quite believe until I saw if for myself: the sex is REAL! People are really having sex on screen and it's not a porno! It took me awhile to get used to it then it was cool. I read one review which described the film as something of a car wreck and yet, you can't look away.
And I was into the characters (REALLY!) like the sex therapist (Sook Yin Lee) whose never had an orgasm, the gay couple (Paul Dawson and PJ BeBoy) deciding whether to open up their relationship, and the dominatrix (Lindsay Beamish) who is looking to connect and remind herself that she is alive. Lee is wonderful, absolutely wonderful in the film. Very funny, heartbreaking and brave. As the credits roll, it says that a lot of the situations were improvised by the actors. I'm sure they didn't teach a lot of what ends up on the screen in acting school.
"Shortbus," directed by John Cameron Mitchell, is obviously not for the uptight. Hmmmm, or maybe it is? At any rate, it's just about finished its run theatrically so you'll probably have to see it on DVD. I'm glad I saw it. To think, if I hadn't been on a budget, i would have shelled out $12 to see "The Good Shepherd" at The Grove and not had near as much to talk about. I gotta go now, there's a special on 99 cent cheeseburgers at Burger King!

And now for the final awards of the week...

MAN OF THE YEAR: Chad Allen, actor, producer and activist. You won't find a more articulate and thoughtful gay man in public life. This year alone, Chad starred in the movie "Shock to the System," the second of at least three films with him as gay detective Donald Strachey. It was a real star vehicle for the 32-year-old actor who also co-stars and co-produced "Save Me," a film about a gay "rehabilitation" center co-starring Robert Gant and Judith Light. The film will premiere next month at the Sundance Film Festival. Most intriguingly, Chad made headlines with the release this year of the feature film "End of the Spear" in which he starred in the role of real-life martyred missionary Nate Saint. The casting of the openly-gay Allen raised more than a few eyebrows but Chad believes the role allowed him to reach out to Christians. "There were a lot of people on both sides that weren't particularly interested in me doing this movie.," he told InLA magazine. "This movie is about the power of love. I knew it was an opportunity to bridge these two disparate communities that are believed to be enemies- the gay and the Christian communities."

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: The oh-so-talented Jane Lynch made the cover of The Advocate last month and this made a lot of people, including me, very happy. She has been on scores of prime-time network TV shows as a guest star, had a recurring role on Showtime's "The L Word," and has had various movie roles, but it is only in the last few years that she is really breaking out in a big way. From her role as Steve Carell's overly-friendly boss in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" to playing Will Ferrell's mother in "Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby" to her part in the current release "For Your Consideration" - where she nails her role as an infotainment anchor - Jane is an out actress who for years now has been showing the someone's sexuality should not limit them when it comes to roles. At 46, she is also just about the hardest working woman in showbiz. This fall, she made several apearances on ABC's "Boston Public" and the sitcom "Help Me, Help You," was a regular on the Lifetime show "Lovespring International." She currently has three movies in post-production and is currently filming "Suffering Man's Charity" directed by Allan Cumming.

BEST GAY CHARACTER ON NETWORK TV: Kevin Walker on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters." I'm a huge fan of the show, as any regular reader knows, and the biggest reason why is because of Kevin, played wonderfully by Matthew Rhys. It's not just because he's hot and kisses hot guys, it's because Kevin is like a lot of guys I know; smart and successful but a bit of a screw-up when it comes to romantic relationships. I was disappointed that he and Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) broke up earlier in the season but it is true to his character. Kevin is smart and funny and a great gay man for people to see on screen. He's flawed, as we all are, but he's trying and one thing he is not, is a victim: thank God! I'm confident that Kevin will remain interesting and relevant on this terrific show and not become part of the furniture as Andrew Van De Kamp has on "Desperate Housewives" this season. Note to Marc Cherry: it's good to be focusing on the five women again but we like Andrew too - a lot! And you're losing us a bit because of your neglect of this once fascinating character.

BEST NEW STAR: Jennifer Hudson, welcome to bigtime showbiz! The best part of "Dreamgirls," the heart and soul of the movie, is Hudson's Effie. To be able to make a role so closely identified with Jennifer Holliday and make it completely her own takes one helluva talent. When she is singing "And I'm Tellin You, I'm Not Going," it's the birth of a superstar similar to Streisand singing "People" in "Funny Girl." It's magic. Hudson, who seems to be as gay-friendly as they come, learned about the double-edged sword of fame recently when she reportedly refered to homosexuality as a sin. But that controversy appears to have died down and seems to have been more of a misunderstanding than anything else. Now she can focus on what to wear at the Golden Globes and the plethora of other kudofests she will be a part of. I know I'm not alone but remember, ever since Thanksgiving weekend, when I first saw the movie, I have predicted Oscar.

FRIEND OF THE YEAR: Actress and activist Judith Light. A two-time Emmy winner for "One Live to Live," we know Judith best for her eight seasons on "Who's the Boss." She's kept busy since her sitcom days on stage ("Wit") and television ("Law & Order: SVU") but has always had time to be a friend to the gay community, to support LGBT films, and to speak out and raise public awareness about AIDS. At last month's 10th annual Ribbon of Hope Celebration, the love so many people feel for Judith was evident as she received a sustained, heartfelt standing ovation. Before the show, Judith told me: "You can't live in a country where you tell everybody you're compassionate and you love everybody and then treat the gay community like they don't exist and let them die. You cannot do it. I mean, you're doing it but I'm going to tell you that it's absolutely unconscionable. So I began to see how much homophobia was really layered underneath this AIDS crisis and why people weren't talking about it. You know that if this was a good ol' white boys disease, they would've been on it in a heartbeat. I'm not saying that we shouldn't take care of everybody but the point is, it was purposeful. People may say, 'Oh no, people would never really do that.' But whether it's conscious or unconscious, that was what was happening and I just didn't want to see that happening to people who I knew and loved."

Someone like Judith Light, so compassionate with her priorities in the right place, is a stark contrast to those in our final category that is filled with men who, quite simply, kind of turn my stomach. They are the LOSERS OF THE YEAR: (no pictures, puleeeze): Mitt Romney, Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Jim McGreevey, Donald Trump and, of course, the man many already regard as the worst U.S. president in history.

First of all, I don't know how I can call myself a gay man and not ever have seen a stage production of "Naked Boys Singing." So I think it's a good thing that this current off-Broadway musical hit that has also played all over the world, is being made into the full-length movie by Funny Boy Films, according to an article I just read in The Hollywood Reporter. The movie has been shooting this week at L.A.'s Hayworth Theater. A behind-the-scenes documentary of the nudity-ffilled-feature has also been filmed. The movie version of the 16-song revue is being directed by Robert Schrock, who directed the original stage production and is being produced by Kirkland Tibbles. Since opening at L.A.'s Celebration Theater in 1998 then moving to its current New York run a year later, "Naked Boys Singing" has played in more than 20 countries and tourned theaters around the U.S. But there has been controversy at times such as being shut down by the local vice squad in Milwaukee as well as in Atlanta and in Puerto Rico.
Well, now I GOTTA see it! Will keep ya posted on release dates etc.

This is such wonderful news: the multi-talented and very handsome John Barrowman, the star of the British TV series "Torchwood," married architect Scott Gill in a civil ceremony at the luxury five-star St David's Hotel and Spa in Cardiff Bay in front of 40 guests.
"It was a lovely ceremony, it went very well," .the hotel's marketing manager told The Daily Mail. "It was private event and attended by family and friends only - the couple seemed very happy."
Barrowman is a TV and stage star who has never had the success in the U.S. that he deserves. But he always finds work because he is so talented as an actor and as a singer. He's like a better-looking Tom Cruise, and far more authentic.
The couple did not issue a statement after the ceremony but Barrowman had previously told the BBC: "Our relationship was legitimate for us a long time ago. We have been spending most of our time together. The ceremony is because we have the right to be recognised as a couple. It forces people who don't want to recognise same-sex relationships as legitimate, it forces them to do so."
Since December 2005, gay couples have had the right to form a civil partnership; a public and legal recognition of their commitment to each other, in the UK.
CONGRATULATIONS to the happy couple!!!

Here are five more winners of Out in Hollywood's first-annual Outie Awards. Tomorrow comes the announcement of this blog's man and woman of the year. i know, I know, the anticipation killing you. But I gotta stretch these things out during a relatively slow news week!

MALE MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR: Daniel Craig! Does this surprise a single reader of this blog? Where has he been all my life? I love this man. (Settle down, I KNOW he's straight, I KNOW I've never met him etc.) Anyway, there are several reasons why I am so enamored with Mr. Craig aside from his very obvious hunkiness. It's not just the body (which is amazing), it's the eyes, the face, how he has a way about him. I'll get to James Bond in a minute because I think Craig's performance as a gay killer in "Infamous" has been criminally overlooked by most critics' groups. He is heartbreaking in the role as one of the killers Truman Capote wrote about in "In Cold Blood" and he shared a jailhouse kiss with the actor playing Capote in the film.
Then, there is Bond, James Bond. All the skeptics who said he was too blond, not good looking enough blah, blah, blah. He is, in my opinion, the best Bond yet and that includes Connery, Sean Connery. He was mesmerizing at times, so athletic, charming, sexy, tough, funny and best of all, real. He wasn't a cartoon and he made me a fan of the franchise all over again.

FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR: Meryl Streep! She didn't play gay this year but she has given gay men everywhere another indelible character to cherish - and some delicious dialogue to re-enact with our friends. That character is magazine editor from hell Miranda Priestly and the movie is "The Devil Wears Prada." As if seeing the movie three times in theaters wasn't enough, I've already seen in on DVD more times than I care to admit. Let's just say I know a lot of the lines, "that's all." As for Meryl, this national treasure, this woman who is the greatest actress of all-time (sorry Katherine Hepburn fans, but she is), she just keeps going and going. And this year as well, she was the best part of "A Prairie Home Companion" which was Robert Altman's final film. She got to sing in that and her scenes with Lily Tomlin were magic. I have this on DVD too.

BEST GAY-THEMED TV EPISODE: The "Forever Blue" episode of the CBS drama "Cold Case." This was an episode that got no real promotion but plenty of reaction - much of it positive. In this "Brokeback Mountain" like same-sex love story, the show's team of present day detectives who work to solve unsolved murder cases, focused on the 1968 murder of a cop named Sean Cooper (Shane Johnson). It first appears that he had been a “dirty� cop on the take from a local drug dealer but it soon become clear that he had been secretly gay and involved in a romantic relationship with his married beat partner Jimmy Bruno (Brian Hallisay, pictured). While "Cold Case" has occasionally had gay-themed episodes - and very good ones - this was notable because it contained a passionate, extended kiss between the two men. Jimmy, in a heartbreaking speech, tells Sean that they are “the lucky ones� because they know true love when most people, gay or straight, never do. The kissing scene was up on YouTube and other sites quickly but ordered down by CBS. Maybe they realize what a nerve they touched and are preparing for a heavily-promoted repeat. We'll see.

BEST GAY-THEMED MOVIE OF THE YEAR: "A Love to Hide." Set in 1942, this moving and heartbreaking drama is a movie that I recommend every gay person see so you can gain some perspecitve on what incredible lives we have now. Now on DVD, this French-made wartime epic about gay life and love in Nazi-occupied Europe was easily the best movie I saw at last summer's Outfest. In "A Love to Hide," two gay lovers, Philippe (Jeremie Renier) and Jean (Bruno Todeschini), living in Paris hide their love from their families and from the occupying Nazi army. Philippe works with the Resistance while Jean runs his family business, a dry cleaner. When Jean’s childhood sweetheart Sara shows up their door, her family murdered by the Gestapo, they take her in and nurse her back to health, it's still a struggle keeping this ragtag family safe from the Nazis. Jean’s brother is a collaborator and his dad a sympathizer. Tragedy closes in as Jean is accused of being a member of the “third sex� and having an affair with a Nazi officer. It is an important and beautifully-acted film. I cannot recommend it enough or give enough praise to the filmmakers. "A Love to Hide" is released by Picture This! Home Video.

BEST MOVIE WITH GAY CHARACTERS: "Quinceanera." Winner of both the audience award and the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival, this gem of a movie is set in Echo Park and has been scheduled for DVD release on Jan. 9, 2007. Star Jesse Garcia (pictured above) gives a very natural and believable performance as a gay Latino teen shunned by his family - except for his wonderful octenegarian ucle who takles him in as well as a pregnant 15 year old cousin whose father has disowned her. The gay couple who the uncle rents from in the Echo Park neighborhood seduce Garcia's cxharacter after a party they have at their house on the same property. All is well until one of the men, played by David W. Ross, continues his own affair with the teen. When his partner finds out, he evicts the entire family - including the uncle who has left there for 50 years. This drama, fueled by the racial, class, and sexual tensions of a Latino neighborhood in transition, is damned good. It also stars Emily Rios as the pregnant cousin and Chalo Gonzalez as the wonderful uncle.

We all have gay films that have impacted our lives, right? "Making Love" might seem a little cheesy today but when I saw it as a high school student, it was major for me to see a man (Michael Ontkean) decide to not live a lie. He leaves his wife (Kate Jackson) and ends up happily ever after with a guy. I hadn't even thought this possible. I honestly believed that you just had to marry a woman and just live that lie.
Thankfully, I learned otherwise! It's tragic that Heath Ledger's character in "Brokeback Mountain" couldn't believe that. I think that magnificant film had such a strong message about love and succeeded in showing audiences of any orientation that love, is love.
Anyway, I take this trip down memory lane as a way of letting you know about the Outfest survey that began Dec. 15 and runs through Feb. 15. Visitors fo Outfest.com are invited to nameup to five LGBT films that have changed their lives and why. Outfest will announce the top 25 films and showcase selections at Outfest 2007 and year-round at the Outfest Wednesdays Screening Series.

They have compiled a list of 120 feature films. If you’d like to name films that are not on this list there is space at the bottom of the survey. The top 25 films will be selected based on ratings and on the stories that people tell.
Among the titles on the list: Adventures of Felix, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the desert, Another Country, Beautiful Thing, Before Night Falls, Better Than Chocolate , The Birdcage, Boys Don’t Cry, The Boys in the Band, Brokeback Mountain, But I'm a Cheerleader, Capote, Chasing Amy , Chuck & Buck, Come Undone, D.E.B.S.

Desert Hearts, Edge of Seventeen, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Far From Heaven, Get Real (pictured above), Go Fish, Gods and Monsters, Happy Together, Hedwig and the angry inch, High Art,. The Hours, In & Out, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, Jeffrey, Kissing Jessica Stein, La Cage aux Folles, Latter Days, The Living End, Longtime Companion, Love and Death on Long Island, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Making Love, Maurice, My Beautiful Laundrette, My Own Private Idaho, Nico and Dani, The Opposite of Sex, Parting Glances, Personal Best, Philadelphia, Prick Up Your Ears, Querelle, Threesome, The Times of Harvey Milk, Torch Song Trilogy, Totally F***ed Up, Urbania, Velvet Goldmine, The Wedding Banquet, Yossi and Jagger.

To vote, click onto Outfest.com

I was heartened to read on Advocate.com: that President Gerald Ford, who died Tuesday night in Rancho Mirage at the age of 93, was the only former Republican president to reach out to gays and lesbians and call for their inclusion in the GOP.
In 2002, Ford joined the Republican Unity Coalition as a member of the organization's Advisory Board. The RUC is a fundraising organization dedicated to making homosexuality a "non-issue" for the Republican Party.
"I have always believed in an inclusive policy, in welcoming gays and others into the party," Ford told The Detroit News in 2001. "I think the party has to have an umbrella philosophy if it expects to win elections."
This is consistent with the unifying spirit that Ford, the 38th president of the United States, embodied. He is most remembered for restoring the nation's political stability following the resignation of President Nixon amid the Watergate scandal in 1974. At that time he was criticized for pardoning the disgraced president, a move some say cost him the White House in 1976. But the former congressman from Michigan was praised by some for ignoring his own political viability in favor of helping the nation heal and come together after Watergate.
Ford's life was saved by a gay man in 1975. Openly gay Marine Vietnam veteran Oliver "Bill'' Sipple deflected a second gunshot aimed at Ford (the first had missed) as he emerged from the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. He grabbed at the arm of the shooter, an FBI informant named Sara Jane Moore.
But according to The San Francisco Chronicle, Sipple's act of heroism also was his undoing. The paper ran a story on September 24, 1975, saying that one reason the White House had yet to thank Sipple for his potentially lifesaving gesture was that he was a gay man. It turned out that Sipple's family had not known he was gay, and the disclosure resulted in him being alienated from his relatives.
Sipple sued The Chronicle for damages, but his case was eventually dismissed. He slid into alcoholism and died in 1989 at age 47. Among his prized possessions was the letter of thanks he eventually got from the White House.

For the next three days, Out In Hollywood will be handing out the Outies: year-end awards to the best and worst of 2006 as voted on by a jury of three: me, myself and I! OK, so it's not as exciting as next month's Oscar nominations but for the week between Christmas and New Year's, it's SOMETHING!

CLASSIEST COMING OUT EVER: Neil Patrick Harris. The talented television and Broadway star was being pressured by bloggers - mainly the aggressive Perez Hilton - to come out after a publicist mistakenly said that Harris, who had never diuscussed his private life - was NOT gay. To clear matters up, the star of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" released the following statement to People.com: “I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love..." Then Harris simply got back to work on his show and also kept his obligations to host a local drama awards gala in L.A. the next week then announced the People's Choice Award nominees after that. He is in a relationship with actor David Burka but they remain low-profile with occassional pictures of them walking their dogs surfacing. This is quite a contrast to the...

CLUMSIEST COMING OUT OF 06: Sorry Lance Bass, but you struck me as a fading star who had nothing to lose and everything to gain by coming out in the cover of People magazine. I cringed when I read that first interview as Bass described himself and his circle of friends as "Straight Acting Gays" or SAGS. Since then, Bass has not really had anything very profound to say but has certainly been basking in the limelight with boyfriend Reichen Lehmkul at various events around the country. It's the most attention he's received since his days with NSYNC. Lehmkuhl, in discussing how blogger Hilton pushed Bass of the closet by posting photos of the pair wearing each other's clothes on different days, said Bass and Harris had been "lanced." It hasn't caught on. But it is nice to see Bass become more comfortable with being out and about as a gay man and I hope he will eventually have something to say or do some work of note.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Tennis star Amelie Mauresmo, who has been an openly-gay player on the women's tour for nearly a decade. She may have lost her number one ranking last month to Justine Henin-Hardine, but she beat Justine in the finals of the Australian Open then came from behind to defeat her in the Wimbledon final as well. It was glorious and her speech after the Wimbledon win showed the world just how articulate, charming and thoughtful this beautiful woman is. Winning two of her sports' biggest prizes came after years of talk that Amelie would never live up to her grand potential. But she has done so now and has always remained true to herself along the way. She had a great role model in Martina Navratilova who retired from tennis one month shy of her 50th birthday. And Martina went out a winner as she won the mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open with Bob Bryan.

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Former "Queen of nice" Rosie O'Donnell quit her popular daytime show before she publicly came out and seemed content to do things like raise her four kids with wife Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell, speak out for adoption rights for gay parents and for marriage equality, launch a gay family cruise line, and make the occasional appearance here and there on television or stage. But then came Meredith Viera's departure from "The View" and Barbara Walters' brilliant decision to replace her with the outspoken Rosie (pictured, left, doing her imitation of Donald Trump's combover and face). The show's ratings are up, the hot topics segment often makes news (and gets Rosie in hot water) and Rosie again has a platform to be Rosie - the real Rosie this time, not the Tom Cruise crush Rosie. As a very out lesbian, her presence on this show each day is really helping to change the world and to give a lot of viewers the gay friend they never thought they'd have and really like.

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Bill Condon. "Dreamgirls" is a dream come true and the openly-gay Condon is largely the reason why. He brought this stage show to the screen and made it dazzle. He deserves all credit for directing a newcomer like Jennifer Hudson to such a landmark performance and for allowing Eddie Murphy the opportunity to give the performance of his career. Musicals are always tricky but Condon masterfully pulled this off with his talented cast and crew. What a gift he has given us, a classic musical just like they used to make - one that we'll want to see again and again and again...

Stay tuned for more Outies Thursday and Friday!

This is terrific! With a new episode of "Brothers & Sisters" not airing until Jan.7, anyone who has missed any episodes of my favorite show can now catch up on ABC.com where episodes debuted online just this week. I was talking to my good friend Karen the other day and although she has been reading about the show on my blog, she hasn't seen it yet! OK Karen, time to add ABC.com to your favorites!

Now you can relive, or in Karen's case watch for the first time, the unfolding of the romance between Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) and Kevin (Matthew Rhys) from the flirtation to first kiss to second kiss to..break-up. I miss Scotty! Those two crazy kids are meant for each other! Oh well, maybe next season there will be a reconciliation.
I have a few thoughts about this Sunday night family drama which also has plenty of humor too. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I worship Sally Field. As family matriarch Nora Walker, I think this show has given her one of her best roles in a career that now spans 40-plus years and includes two Oscars ("Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart") and two Emmys ("Sybil" and "ER").
Rachel Griffiths is also operating on all cylinders as Field's daughter Sarah who is juggling motherhood with running the family business. Griffiths is such an interesting actress and her character here is so much more appealing than Brenda on "Six Feet Under." I think Calista Flockhart is still settling into her role as Kitty Walker. At first I thought she was miscast but now I can't imagine anyone else in the part and her chemistry with Field and with Rhys is excellent and very real. I'm also crazy about Dave Annable as Justin, the troubled son who is fighting his demons and making his mom cry just about every episode.
So, I love the show, absolutely. And the addition of Rob Lowe? Fantastic! But, I think maybe the cast is too big and maybe brother Thomas (Balthazar Getty) should maybe do what older brother Chuck did on "Happy Days" all those years ago: just say he's going out to play basketball and never return. No explanations needed. And his pretty wife Julia (Sarah Jane Morris) might as well go with him since she is given so little to do (Morris had far more to do as Zoey during the final season of "Felicity").
And finally, I don't like Uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin). He needs to be redeemed for deceiving his own sister (Nora) on so many levels. I don't get his character at all. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? And mostly, I don't much care.

I'm glad to see that Sports Illustrated does more than just release a swimsuit issue with a bunch of hot women in it. We gay guys want some eye candy too! So the mag has released a list of the top 20 best looking athletes. I have no complaints about any of them. I'd put tennis champ Rafael Nadal (10th place) in first place though over Kelly Slater because he is not only beautiful facially, but he has a killer body with these bulging biceps. What really makes Nadal (above) most sexy though is his passion. When he's on the court, he is all fist-pumps and acrobatics and in interviews, he is thoughtful and sweet. He won the French Open and beat number one player Roger Federer four times this year!
Since tennis is my main sport, I will remark on the other three tennis pros that made the list: James Blake (13th), Andy Roddick (17th) and Marat Safin (18th). Blake (pictured at right w/Roddick) is a real fighter who overcame a broken neck and serious illness to charge into the top five this year. He's very good looking but I prefer when he had these really cool dreadlock to the shaved head he currently has.
Roddick has those boyish looks that could land him on a show liike "Dawson's Creek" or "One Tree Hill." But instead of acting, Roddick has chosen to be a tennis star who made it to the finals of the U.S. Open this year (he won the tournament in 2003). As for Safin (pictured, left), the 2000 U.S. Open champ and 2004 Australian Open champion, he is some tall drink of water. I watched this Russian hiunk practicing, shirtless, a few years at a tournament near Palm Springs. People - mostly a lot of women of all ages - were standing there with their mouths hanging open at the site of this man. I think that next to Nadal, he is the sexiest man in the game.

Here is the SI's list in its entirety: 1. Kelly Slater (surfing), 2. David Beckham (soccer), 3. Fredrik Ljungberg (soccer), 4. Zinedine Zidane (soccer), 5. Tom Brady (football), 6. Reggie Bush (football), 7. Jesse Palmer (football), 8. Thierry Henry (soccer), 9. A.J. Feeley (football), 10. Nadal, 11. David Carr (football), 12. Jose Theodore (hockey), 13. Blake, 14. Jeremy Bloom (skiing, pictured right), 15. Matt Leinart (football), 16. Emeka Okafor (basketball), 17. Roddick, 18, Safin, 19. Justin Taylor (football), and Dwayen Wade (basketball).

I was already quite aware of the good looks of Slater, Beckham, Brady, and Bush, but I am now quite fond of Frederick Ljungberg (pictured below) and Jeremy Bloom. Where I have been ? These guys are HOT! I've suddenly become very interested in both soccer AND skiing.

I'm a real late-comer when it comes to becoming a fan of Kate Clinton. But once I met her at a Martina Navratilova tribute in October then heard her on stage, I became a HUGE fan. She is so damned funny but what makes her even funnier and really worth watching is how smart she is. So how terrific it is that Genius Product and Here! comedy are releasing on DVD on Jan. 16 this lesbian comedienne's hilarious live performance of her one-woman show "Talking A Blue Streak.� Kate offers her uproarious point of view on feminism, lesbianism, and life as she takes on the burning issues of the day: politics, marriage, sex, and pop culture. The show originally airing on here!. It's 85 minurtes long with a suggested retail price of $19.99.

Kate has been performing nationally since 1981, including several off-Broadway runs, countless live solo dates all over the country and at comedy festivals, gala fundraising events, and the most popular lesbian and gay cruise ships and resorts. Her second book, "What the L?," is currently in its 4th printing. She writes monthly columns for The Progressive and The Advocate.
Find out more about this very funny and very smart woman at www.kateclinton.com.

After months of build-up and sneak previews, "Dreamgirls" finally made its debut in theaters across the country on Christmas Day. What a gift to mankind! Paramount Pictures, which released this splendid musical starring Beyonce Knowles. Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and the astonishing Jennifer Hudson. "Dreamgirls" had a splendid first-day take of $8.7 million playing in just 852 locations - the third-highest Christmas Day debut in history. That is an even more impressive number when you compare it to Paramount's other new release, "Charlotte's Web" which grossed a total of $8 million Friday through Sunday and is playing in 3,728 theaters.
"That is a really good number," box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers,. told me this morning. "I think this movie will be an absolute crowd pleaser and it has Oscar written all over it."
Obviously, I think Paul is absolutely right. I predict this movie - which I consider to be the best Hollywood musical in ages - will make giobs of money over the next few months fueled by Golden Globe wins and Oscar nominations. I've seen it twice and figure I'll go at least a few more times. Love, love LOVE it!

It's hard not to go into a bit of a tirade over this because I have a close family member who was once a part of the Jehovah's Witness organization and I do not think highly of it - not one bit. But, I'll try and restrain myself and just report the following item.

Jacob and Joshua Miller are gay identical twins who practice the faith and who rose to a measure of fame this year on a LOGO reality show which followed their efforts to make it big with their band, Nemesis. By appearing on the show, they not only came out to the pujblic, but to their family - devout Jehovah's Witnesses. A meeting took place at a Kingdom Hall (that what the buildings where they meet are called) in their hometown of Kalispell, Montana and it was announced to all members of the Jehovah's Witness organization that they have been, as Jehovah's Witnesses would say, "disfellowshipped" (excommunicated) because of their homosexuality and their participation in "Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising," on LOGO.

According to Jehovah's Witness doctrine, being "disfellowshipped" means that the twins have been found guilty of "unrepentant gross misconduct" and their immediate family is to have limited or no contact with them and all other practicing Jehovah's Witnesses around the world are not to speak with them ever again.

Boy, can't you just feel the love? Ugh.

Here is what the twns had to say in a statement: "Although we are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, we have nothing but love for those individuals who have been asked to shun us. We will continue to be in contact with our family and those who truly love us unconditionally as long as they're willing. We find it ironic that a religion whose members are asked to knock on the doors of strangers with a message of acceptance into paradise on Earth will not accept two of its own children for who they really are. Our wish for them is one of tolerance and understanding and we send to all of them a message of peace and love."

Well said boys. Keep on singing!

BTW: The reality show wrapped up its run of original episodes early this month but, according to the twin's homepage, the entire season can be viewed on iTunes.They have a new CD coming out soon called "Rise Up" but not sure if the series will hit DVD.

After a pretty lackluster run in theaters last fall, here's hoping that "Running With Scissors" will be discovered on DVD. The film, based on the memoir of Augusten Burroughs, is most notable for the Oscar-caliber performance of Annette Benning who has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role as Burrough's narrcistic and bipolar mother who eventually gives her son to her unorthodox psychiatrist to raise.

Benning dominates the film because you are thinking about her even when she isn't on screen. She is so good and "Scissors" rates right up there with her work in "Being Julia" and "American Beauty." But there is other solid work here including that of Joseph Cross, who plays the teenaged Burroughs, and Joesph Fiennes who portrays his first lover. Brian Cox plays the manipulative doctor who takes Augusten into his eccentric and very unkept home where Valium is consumed like candy and the Christmas tree stays up all year-round. His wife (played wonderfully by Jill Clayburgh) literally snacks on dig kibble and his daughters (Gwyneth Paltrow and Evan Rachel Wood) have developed into troubled and eccentric souls. Alec Baldwin is terrific as Augusten's neglectful and alcoholic father.

"Scissors" marks the feature film directorial debut for Ryan Murphy, creator of TV's "Nip/Tuck." It will be released on DVD (and Blu-0ray disc if you are one of those early adopter types) and comes with some bonus features that sound pretty cool: "Inside Outsiders" The cast discusses how they created their extreme characters; "A Story by Augusten Burroughs" has the author talking about how he wrote the book, why he selected Ryan Murphy to adapt it, and how he worked with the cast to help them step into this very specific world; and "Creating the Cuckoo's Nest" gives the film's production designer and director the chance to discuss how they created the crazy Finch home.

I'm looking forward to adding "Scissors" to my DVD collection. Benning gives that kind of performance that you want to watch again and again and them spout the lines with your friends. (You KNOW you do that!)

 

Well, I'm heading down to The OC for a few days for family festivities which are always highlighted by a tamale dinner on Christmas Eve before tearing into a mountain of presents. I count my blessings at a time like this for having a giant family to love (and to drive me crazy!), first-rate friends, work that sometimes seems more like a really fun hobby, and an ever-growing number of loyal readers of this blog!
"Out In Hollywood" will return with new postings on Dec. 26. Get ready for the announcements throughout the week of the 1st Annual "Outies" which will honor the best and worst of 2006!
Happy Holidays!!!

Driving home from a dinner party in Echo Park tonight, I took Melrose and drove by Paramount Studios which was beautifully decorated and lit with holiday cheer (and 'Dreamgirls' posters) and it just made me think about the Academy Awards and who might be nominated next month. I can already picture Jennifer Hudson walking up to the stage to accept the best supporting actress prize...
But, you never know about the Oscars. I'm still not over Lauren Bacall's loss to Juliet Binoche in 1997 and I have no idea why Helen Hunt has as many best actress trophies as Meryl Streep. Anyway, the characters in the terrific gem of a movie, "For Your Consideration," all believe they are shoo-ins for the Oscar and watching them go through the entire award season process is very funny at times. I was going to see "Shortbus" at the $3 theater on Fairfax this afternoon but walking over there, I ran into a friend at The Grove and ended up gabbing too long. So, had to settle for "Consideration" which started 30 minutes later. It's just as well. I enjoyed the movie even though it received mostly mixed reviews.
"Consideration" is written and directed by Christopher Guest who has delighted us with "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," "Waiting fior Guffman" and "This is Spinal Tap" in the past and brings back some of his most reliable stars for his latest effort: Catherine O'Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Harry Shearer, Jim Piddock, Fred Willard, Jane Lynch and Michael McKeon, among others.
The movie within the movie, "Home for Purim" includes an estranged daughter (Parker Posey) who returns home with her girlfriend (Rachael Harris) but that's about it for queer content except for Ed Begley Jr.'s hair and make-up character who had to be gay. As far as male eye-candy, Christopher Moynihan is pretty dishy, I gotta say, and there are also plenty of diva moments to relish from the always good O'Hara.

O'Hara is the best part of a very funny movie as she goes from insecure has-been actress to superficial, collegan-lipped Oscar hopeful totally out of touch with reality. Coolidge is priceless as an idiot producer who says the most inane things but Coolidge says them with such conviction that you sorta believe this woman has no idea just how stupid she really is!
Willard and Lynch play "Entertainment Tonight" type-anchors who help perpetuate the hype around the movie. Willard asks questions even sillier than Larry King's who I think he is parodying. Lynch, the lesbian actress who has been on quite a roll this year, absolutely nails her part as a Mary Hart-Nancy O'Dell-Jann Carl-like hostess from her posture to her smile to her delivery. This woman can literally do anything on-screen.
As far as real Oscars go, I gotta think O'Hara has a shot at a nomination for her performance. It's probably the best of her career. She makes the most of a terrific script. But if she does make the final cut, she won't win. That statuette already has Jennifer Hudson's name on it.

Someone sent me a new DVD that has highlights from the first three years of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and got through it in one sitting yesterday. It's called "The Ellen DeGeneres Show: DVD-licious!" Laughed a lot. I hardly ever catch Ellen's afternoon talk show but I got a good sense of what I've been missing with this two-disc DVD set. She is a riot and clearly is enjoying what she does. During one of her monologues (disc 2 is all monologues) she says that she feels she's "right where I should be" and explains that if her ABC sitcom "Ellen" hadn't been canceled after four seasons in 1997 and its follow-up "The Ellen Show" yanked after less than a season on CBS, she wouldn't be doing her current show which, I think, fits her like a glove.
Anyway, the first disc of the DVD has all kinds of goofy things that Ellen gets herself into like visiting the See's Chocolates factory in L.A. and just getting into all kinds of mayhem; or acting as a crazy driving school teacher for a buncha teens and doing things like eating a banana split while driving ("It's dangerous to drink and drive," she says to them, "not eat and drive."); and acting as caddy for Ray Romano and Brad Garrett during a day of golf.
But my favorite segment involves Gwyneth Paltrow who appeared on the show to promote her movie "Proof." Ellen takes her on a door-to-door publicity campaign in an L.A. neighborhood, mortifying the Oscar-winning star by talking to neighbors through a bullhorn and other hijinks. It was truly funny - especially when Ellen gathers up a group of people and knocks on the door of an unsuspecting neighbor and announces that they'd like to hold a screening.
Also funny celeb bits with Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, John Travolta and especially Steve Martin but the real gems are just odds and ends stuff like really funny little kids with unique talents, her prom date from 30 years ago showing up and them taking a "now" picture wearing the same hideous clothes as their "then" pic, and then there's Ellen accidentally falling, hard, on her ass, as she is leaving the stage. The next day, she analyzes the spill for the audience with slow-motion replay.
Ellen also loves to dance and you'll never forget the sight of Justin Timberlake, dressed as a giant gingerbread cookie, doing some serious moves with Ellen who was dressed as a glass of milk.
I'm SURE you are all finished with your Christmas shopping but just in case, you might want to pick up this DVD released by Warner Home Video. But really, just buy it for yourself. Ellen is so quick-witted and reacts to and interacts with her guests so brilliantly that at times she reminds me of Carson.

Watched the first three episodes of FX's new show "Dirt" last night and I think it has some serious potential of becoming a guilty pleasure. The show debuts Jan. 2 and stars Courtney Cox as a ruthless tabloid editor who will stop at nothing to get a photo or a story. I loved Cox as wacky and endearing Monica Geller for all those years on "Friends" so it took some getting used to seeing her be such a bitch!
She fires people on the spot and expects everyone to not only work hard, but to get results. She must be having a blast. The relationship between Cox's Lucy Spiller, editor of "Drrt" magazine (that's not a typo!) and a schizo but tenecious photographer (played by Ian Hart) who she orders to do such things as crash a funeral to snap a picture of a dead movie star in her casket.
Lucy has a gay brother played by Will McCormack who kind of serves as her reality check. He is a successful interior designer to the stars and one of the homes he works on is that of handsome movie star Jack Dawson (played by Grant Show). If you want to be surprised about what happens in episode three, QUIT READING NOW. If not, here goes: Remember way back when Show was Jake on "Melrose Place," the show that wouldn't even allow a gay kiss between Jake's neighbor Matt and another guy? Well, times have changed - especially on cable! Show's character is married with kids and talks about them on TV interviews etc. But we learn that he is a big closet case when he not only gives McCormack a very sexy kiss (no dry lip-lock is this), he then sinks to his knees and well, I think you know what happens next!" (Show and McCormack are pictured, right, at the show's recent premiere party)
When I chatted with Show last month at the "Melrose Place" reunion party, he couldn't give me details about what was going to happen other than he was playing a closeted movie star. But he did tell me he would be doing some things on screen that he had never done before!
OK, now I know what he means!

Cox and her super cute husband, David Arquette, are co-exec producers of "Dirt" of which 13 hour-long episodes will air. Show is on for at least three of the episodes. I like having him around, i hope they write him into more.