The first time I ever saw Steve Callahan was when director Carlos Portugal sent me a screener of his film "East Side Story" well over a year ago. I loved the film and did a write-up on the blog and soon after, got a nice note from Steve thanking me. He got hooked on "Out In Hollywood," would send me an occasional note about an item and we got to meet a few times at various events. I had never had a sit-down interview with Steve but thought the Oct. 2 release of his other film, "Nine Lives," was a good enough to reason for an on-the-record gab. The movie marks the directorial debut of Dean Howell and was written by pioneer activist and writer Michael Kearns.
Although his character is one of many in this ensemble film, it is his sexy image that is featured on the cover of the DVD. I dunno, I think it might help sell a few more copies, don't you? Anyway, Steve and I talked so much at a Starbucks in West Hollywood that this interview will be posted in two parts with tomorrow's focus on "East Side Story" which is set for DVD release in December.
"They are so different which is great -completely different," Steve says of the two indie films. "The funny thing is, people will talk about doing two gay roles back-to-back and being typecast and it's so funny because Corey in "Nine Lives" and Wesley in "East side Story" could not be further apart. Those characters are nothing alike."
But Callahan has no reservations about playing gay since he is a gay man.
"I definitely made a choice that I never wanted to be in the closet - that was not something that ever interested me. I came out of the closet to friends when I was 18, to my family when I was in college [Ohio State University]. You come out of the closet and it's such a free feeling when you come out. I couldn't imagine moving to L.A. and then going back into the closet."
But he had plenty of people who advised him to remain private about his sexuality because to not be would cost him roles.
"I was the typical kid from Ohio, thought I was going to come out here and be a big movie star. I'd do TV for a couple of years then segue into film [laughs]. Then you come out here and you see how many people there are and you see what the competition is. But I love acting. I don't have a back-up plan, there's nothing else that I want to do. I gave up a long time ago wanting people to say, 'This is the next Tom Cruise.'The last thing I want to be really famous and lose that private part of your life. I just want to do good work. There are so few out of the closet actors out there. When I was a kid, I didn't see anyone. I thought I was alone. I thought I was the only one."
The role in "Nine Lives" came about after Steve had performed the same role in a stage production of "Complications" which the film is based on. It focuses on nine individuals whose lives intersect emotionally, sexually, and dangerously over the course of one day. His character, Corey, is living with a rich and famous television executive, Daniel (John Ganun) who is arrogant and closeted and treats his lover with increasing indifference. Things heat up when Corey gets it on with their pool boy, Carlos (Eric Turic).
"I was just so thrilled to be a part of it," Callahan says. "I thought the script was daring and edgy and I so respected Dean Howell the director and I loved his approach to the material - he just went for it. It's certainly not pornographic but the movie is about nine sexual encounters over the course of a single day in L.A. If you're going to film nine sexual encounters, you film the sex. You have sex scenes."
"With Daniel who was my lover, it was a violent sex scene and when it was over we just lay there and don't say anything to each other. And then Carlos whose the pool boy and someone I don't know at all, it's very romantic and very intimate. And afterward, there was the intimacy of touching and connecting and talking to somebody who's a complete stranger. That's what was so sad about my character - I had nothing to say to my lover of four years."
I don't want to give a major plot point away, but at one point, Callahan's character gets into a violent struggle in the pool with his lover: "That scene was so interesting to shoot. We filmed it in a pool and they had an underwater camera but they couldn't hook it up to the monitor to see what they were getting so we did a lot of stuff. You are doing take after take after take of holding somebody under water and we had to have a safe word."
"Nine Lives" played in many film festivals throughout the country and Steve was among the cast members who appeared at most of them: "We opened in North Carolina and I went to a half-dozen other ones. The reaction in different parts of the country was so amazing. In North Carolina, somebody came up to me after the festival and said, 'It is so important to show a movie like that here." When we showed it in the big cities like San Francisco, Chicago and New York, everyone's reaction was, 'Wow! The sex scenes were hot.' When we showed it in the South and other place, it became more of an issue movie - much more so than in the big city."

For those of you in Southern California, Outfest is having a special cast and crew screening to celebrate the DVD release on Tues, Oct 16 - 7:30pm at the Rigler Theater. For more information on the screening, go to http://www.outfest.org

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just got back a little while ago from San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles where a party celebrating the release of the first season of "Brothers & Sisters" on DVD. Wanted to sit right down and share with you my conversation with Matthew Rhys, the handsome Welsh actor who plays Kevin Walker on what is my favorite show.
Greg: Which episode from the first season is your favorite?
Matthew: "To me, it's the road trip [Episode 9: "Mistakes Were Made, Part 2]. I don't know if it's because I watch it and look back and remember how much I laughed or how much I laugh when I actually watch it - especially Rachel Griffiths in the bar playing pool and laughing. That episode seems to be quite real in the relationships. It's a road trip and you're forced into certain situations and as a result of that you get some great conflict."
Greg: OK, now what about this season? Have you had any scenes with Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) yet?
Matthew: Yes I have. Dear Luke MacFarlane. It's fantastic having him back foir every reason. Primarily because he's such a good actor but everything else that goes with it."
Greg: So what's going on between Kevin and Scotty?
Matthew: Well that's the thing, we don't know. We are literally on a need to know basis. I'm still waiting to see. We've just met [up again] at the moment and are still very platonic - at the moment."
Greg: Have you had any scenes with the senator's brothers [xxx xxxx]?
Matthew: Yes, I have.
Greg: Have you locked lips with anyone yet?
Matthew: I have. Well, I did with the senator's brother at the end of last season. [Kevin] was drunk. The first time we actually shot that, Ken Olin yelled 'Cut! It's like you're wrestling.' So it wasn't the greatest of starts for me and Eric."
Greg: Scotty would never wrestle with you.
Matthew. Nooooo. He's very sensitive.
Greg: So is Kevin going to get a little smarter about relationships this season?
Matthew: "I think there are external influences that challenge that. It's not necessarily his immaturity but other reasons that are out of his power.
Greg: The show has a lot of fans, you have a lot of fans. A lot of the gay viewers love your portrayal of Kevin Walker who I think is the best-written gay character on television.
Matthew: "I have had a fantastic reaction from the gay community which is so heartening.The creative and writing team set out to make [Kevin's sexuality] an issue without making an issue out of it and I think they succeeded."
Greg: OK, last question. Are you gonna take Uncle Saul out to a gay bar or anything?
Matthew: [laughs] I sincerely hope so! I think the mileage that could be had from that experience would be too good to pass up."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After almost 50 years of reruns, you would think you'd seen every single moment of footage of Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel.
You'd think.
When Paramount releases "I Love Lucy: The Complete Series Boxset" on Oct. 23, included will be the "I Love Lucy Movie." I broke the story of its existence last year in the Daily News but at that time was told the movie would be part of the set released last spring of the 13 one-hour episodes of the show that aired between 1957-60. I wasn't in that set but will be in this ultimate boxset which I won't be buying because, like any true fan, I ALREADY OWN every season.
The movie consists of three first season episodes ("The Benefit," "Breaking the Lease," and "The Ballet") combined with new footage to make a cohesive story. It gives the viewer a taste of what it would have been like to attend the filming of the show.
The movie opens with eight minutes of new footage shot on May 16, 1952 with Desi Arnaz speaking to a studio audience and introducing his costars, just as he did prior to the start of each episode's filming. The three episodes follow, with additional new scenes intermingled to link them together. Five minutes of new footage finishes the movie with Arnaz thanking the audience and calling the cast out to take their bows.
The movie was shown to a test audience and well-received but never got theatrical release because Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had made the feature film "The Long, Long Trailer" for MGM and the studio did not want the "Lucy" movie to compete with it.
According to the Everything Lucy site, the movie's not being sold separately right now. There's no word if the studio will release it as a standalone item.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The sexuality of the character of Justin on "Ugly Betty" has not been announced or anything but it's pretty clear that this fashion-loving, showtune singing dynamo is gay. When I was 13, if there was a kid like that on television, I would have felt a lot less freaky. I wasn't into fashion and showtunes then but I was into movie magazines and divas like Cher! My parents never hassled me about it but didn't exactly say, "Hey! I heard you playing the 'Take Me Home' record today. Cher is such a survivor!'"
I write this as a way of leading into my conversation Monday night with Ana Ortiz (pictured, right) at the DVD release party for "Ugly Betty" at Skybar. Ana plays Hilda, the supportive mother of Justin.
"it's really wonderful to be able to portray a single mom and the way the writers write these two characters is so brilliant and so truthful and funny," Ana says. "One of my absolute favorite character traits of Hilda is that she feels that as long as he's happy, I'm happy. I'm not going to change him, I'm not going to judge him. He's happy. How many people can say they have a happy, well-adjusted kid? Not many. So she's like, 'If it's not broke.'"
She added: "it's an actress' dream to not only be on a show that was picked up, and a show that is a success but on a show that is affecting people and making change. It's such a blessing."
Ortiz is a blushing bride, having been married in Puerto Rico this summer. Among the guests was her television son Mark Indelicato who was also at Monday's party. In the season finale, Mark is performing the lead in his school's musical 'West Side Story' (he was understudy but fed the lead some kind of nuts that he's allergic to!) when his father is shot on his way to the performance.
The father has learned, by Hilda's example, to accept his son as he is and to celebrate the bright spirit that he is.
"It was a complete honor to be put in that situation and to have the finale end on a family note. Ana did a great job in that end scene, it made us all cry," says Indelicato, who turned 13 last month.

The young actor (pictured above with fellow cast member Rebecca Romijn) had a busy summer vacationing in Puerto Rico with his family and attending Ortiz's wedding. But he no longer has the life of your typical junior high schooler. Mid-holiday, he did make a quick trip to New York to appear on the Tony Awards.
On the new season of "Betty," fashion savant Justin will begin to intern at MODE magazine where his aunt Betty works as assistant to the editor.
"It's so much fun. I love working with all the MODE people - Vanessa [Williams], Michael [Urie], Becki [Newton] and Chris [Gorham]. I love doing the family stuff, of course, which is the majority of what I do," he says. "But getting those little joy rides and going to MODE is a lot of fun."
Most delicious are his scenes with Vanessa Williams, Emmy-nominated for her performance as the scheming and ambitious Wilhelmina Slater: "Justin idolizes her, but he fears her. But she starts to respect him and he starts to ease up with her. He knows his stuff."
Indelicato is still a bit in awe of the success "Ugly Betty" has become: "A lot of shows don't even get the chance to finish a season one and we're going into season two. People might not think that that's a big deal but that's a huge deal. We're just hoping to stick around for a season three. I think we'll do OK."

Meanwhile, I don't want to forget about adorable Christopher Gorham (above), who I have been a big fan of since the WB's old "Popular" series and who was so good opposite Stockard Channing in the CBS sitcom "Out of Practice." Chris shared with me the news that John Cho ("Harold and Kumar's Trip tp White Castle") is joining the cast as a buddy of Gorham's nerdy character of Henry.
"He thinks that Henry walks on water," he says. "He's really, really funny."
Gorham, who joined the series in its fourth episode last season, is Betty's love interest but Henry broke her heart when his ex-girlfriend, Charlie, claimed to be pregnant with his child. It's not his, but he doesn't know that yet.
"I can tell you that the first scene in the first episode of season two is one of the funniest scenes that we've shot to date," he says. "It's a Betty-Henry-Charlie scene, it's subtitled and it's amazing."
So what's in store for Betty and Charlie?
"We're gonna find out who the baby daddy is before that and the Betty-Henry relationship takes a very definite step in the second season, is definitely moving along and Freddy Rodriguez ("Six Feet Under") is coming on and there's a potential conflict there."

I'll be watching...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I start a two-week vacation tomorrow (no worries, between pool time and happy hour, 'Out In Hollywood' will continue since my laptop follows me everywhere) so I might have some time to check out "Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season - The Bettyfied Edition." I've seen most of the episodes but the bonus features on this look pretty stellar.
Talked to several cast members at last night's DVD kickoff party at Skybar.
"For all those people who have that excuse and say, 'I can't stay home on Thursday nights and watch television' or 'I'm working late,' here it is and in a way it's better because you don't have to sit through commercials," Eric Mabius told me. "And you get a lot of things that I thought would never be out like the gag reel that we got shown at the wrap party. I didn't know that was going to see the light of day. Commentary, everyone does one. I did one with Salma [Hayak]. It's one of the most complete DVD boxed sets I've ever seen."

I asked Eric, who plays MODE magazine editor Daniel Meade, what the ride has been like since the show debuted a year ago and become this international sensation:"None of us could have predicted things unfolding the way they have. It's mind-boggling, totally unreal. It's a good thing we work so damned hard on set because we come to an event like this or go to the [Golden] Globes or SAG Awards and it's a totally unreal universe and surrounded by some of our biggest heroes, actors and actresses, producers and directors. We get to go back to work and sort of keep our heads screwed on straight."
Mabius, a straight but gay-friendly actor, talked about how glad he is to be on a show with heart that portrays tolerance of people of different cultures and income level and sexuality.
"Being consistently employed is one thing but being a part of a show that is truly trying to, without preaching, trying to make a difference. Acotds are always sort of at odds with themselves but to be part of something that's putting good out into the world definitely helps with one's sense of self. "
I'd never chatted with Ashley Jensen before. She plays designer Christina McKinney on "Betty" and is a very delightful and thoughtful person to interview. She agrees with Mabius about the show's messages and tone:"Betty is the heart and soul of this program, she's such a sweet central character to have. Betty is sending the message that it's good to be yourself, be unique. And kind of love yourself and be honest with yourself and she stands for family and loyalty and being trustworthy and being honest and good. These kinds of things in the last few years have been a wee bit overlooked and people have been like, 'Oh, it doesn't matter just as long as I'm a size zero."
OK, so Jensen is thoughtful and perceptive. But she is also a RIOt. Here is her account of moving from the UK to LA after landing the part on the series: "What's amazing is that this time a year ago, we had all just started. I moved over to L.A. on the first of August and I was like an alien that had landed and thought: 'Oh, the streets are too big! The cappacinos are too big! The potato chips are too big! The cars are two big and I'm just this tiny little person here and I didn't understand the city. People tried to pick me up because they thought I was a hooker because I kept trying to walk places. It was such a huge undertaking to mov e over here. I rented a big, tall Hollywood house with a huge pool because I thought, 'Well, I might be going back after four episodes. Then there it was, people were liking it. An award. And another one. And another one. And we were getting viewers then it went to Britain and it was huge over there. And here we are. People really love it. I've bought a home now."

TOMORROW: More of the "Ugly Betty" party including chats with Mark Indelicato who plays fashion-loving Justin and Ana Ortiz who plays his mother Hilda as well at Christopher Gorham who plays Betty's love, Henry.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My apologies for being so tardy in posting about what a great event there was last week at East/West Lounge in West Hollywood celebrating the DVD release of the terrific film "Boy Culture." I chatted up two of the film's three stars as well as the film's gifted director and snapped a few pictures too! Pictured above is the film's smolderingly sexy star, Derek Magyar, who plays a high-paid escort who struggles with having a real relationship. He lives with two hot gay roomates (portrayed by Jonathon Trent and Darryl Stephens, respectively). This movie was a big hit at Outfest a few summer's ago, had a modestly successful theatrical run and is now ready for all of you to rent or buy. I do highly recommend it.
"The reaction overall has been incredibly positve since the movie game out," Magyar says. "I only hope that people see it and rent it because it really is a quality film that deserves to be seen. The reviews so far have been great and I'm incredibly proud of it, we're all really proud of it. You just gotta hope for the best."
The three young leads are all quite attractive but it is Magyar who emerged as the real hearthrob with his piercing eyes and handsome face. I wondered how he felt about being something of a hearthrob: "Oh, I'm not a hearthrob. Well, obviously anything like that is incredibly flattering. Anytime I hear something like that or read something like that it's incredibly flattering and humbling."
"It was an incredible role for me. I don't know how often a role like this comes along."
Trent, who plays Joey in the film, posed next to a poster with a glowing review of the film which producer Phil Lobell told me had just come out that day so he had someone blow it up at Kinkos in time for the party!
Trent then talked up the film with me during a cigarette break outside the lounge: "I know this is a movie that reaches more than the GLBT community and hopefully a wider audience will appreciate this film. There's plenty to appreciate. I hope that people will see this film and also watch the commentary that we put on it."
He said if there is ever a "Culture" sequel, he'd leap aboard.
"[Q. Allan Brocka] is an amazing director. He was really hands on saying, 'In tis scene, this is what you're thinking, this is what you're feeling. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to get us to give him what he wanted in a very safe, professional way."
Brocka [pictured with me and 'Big Brother' alum Marcellas Reynolds] also directed the raunchy gay comedy "Eating Out" and is the creator of the animated "Happiest Gay Couple in the World" series on Logo. At 34, he has emerged as quite a force in gay film and television.
I will share our entire conversation in a future post but of "Boy Culture" he said: "It has some interesting discussions about the gay community and relationships and love - the new kinds of families that we're forming in the community...and there are cute boys in it."
I'll say.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Of COURSE I got a parking ticket tonight.
Parked on Sunset Blvd. and filled the meter with two hours worth of quarters and hoofed it down the street (I parked further away than I had thought) to Skybar where the cast of "Ugly Betty" would be for a swanky party marking the release of season one of this gem of a show on DVD.
My spot in the interview line was far, far down, after all those TV people, next to the correpondents from OK! and US Weekly. So it was taking FOREVER for Eric Mabius, Ana Ortiz, Mark Indelicato, Ashley Jensen, Tony Plana and Christopher Gorham to get to us. So I started filling in some of the other reporters who weren't familiar with the show with some plot details like some kind of "Ugly Betty" savant. I even scared myself when someone said, "I wonder if Chris Gorham is married." Without missing a beat, I said:"Yes, and he has two kids."
I'm insane.
It takes forever and a day for the stars to get to us as there was gridlock. I got kinda aggressive and motioned for Ana Ortiz to go out of order and come chat with me which she did. What a cool lady!
Then I got the adorable and talented Christopher Gorham to come over to gab with me followed by Mark Indelicato and Ashley Jensen. America Ferrera had not yet arrived and Rebecca Romijn, for some reason, only did a few interviews with the big outlets and blew the rest of us off. Maybe she had a good excuse but it was a shame since I wanted to ask her about her transgendered character of Alexis.
OK, so I know my meter is about to expire and I want to talk to Eric Mabius in the worst way. So I ask one of the publicist to please ask his rep if he can bring Eric over even tough there are about eight outlets ahead of me. Worth a try, right? It works!
Eric, who I've interviewed several times now, comes over and we do our interview, I shake his hand, say goodbye and know that if I can get to my car by 8:37 p.m., then I'm in the clear. I get to the car at 8:43 p.m. There's a ticket on the windshield.
Dammit!
I will share the interviews with you tomorrow...lotsa tape to transcribe!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What rock have I been hiding under? Hadn't seen a single second of "Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World" until Logo sent me a note about the show's DVD release on August 28. So, watched some clips (and provided one for you, below). The DVD comes just a few weeks after the series completes its run on Logo.

A single-disc includes all six episodes in the animated series, with special features straight from West Lahunga Beach, the gayest of gay ghettoes. Meet ‘The Puppet Masters’ and go behind the scenes with ‘Toys Will Be Toys: Animating Rick & Steve.’ Other extras include cast interviews, 12 digisodes, and more!
The show is created, written and directed by Q. Allan Brocka (Boy Culture") and stars the voice talent of Alan Cumming, Peter Paige, Wilson Cruz and Margaret Cho, with music from the creators of the hit Broadway musical, Avenue Q.

For free downloads, exclusive web content and video clips visit the gang from West Lahunga Beach at HappiestGayCouple.com.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Was chatting up one of the producers of the sexy drama "Boy Culture" which screened at Outfest last year then had a limited theatrical run. The DVD of the movie, out Aug. 14, will include several deleted scenes but don't expect any of them to be steamy love scenes. Those all pretty much made the original cut. The film, which I enjoyed immensly, stars Derek Magyar (pictured with co-star Darryl Stephens) as a callboy who is juggling all sorts of feelings. He lives with (and has feelings for) Stephens' character along with a young rudderless guy played by Jonathon Trent. Veteran actor Patrick Bauchau is very touching as one of Magyar's clients. The DVD includes commentary by writer/director Q. Allan Brocka and writer/producer Philip Pierce, interviews with the four stars and footage from the premiere party at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Stamos kisses a cute guy TWICE in "Wedding Wars."
Do you need any other reasons to buy this movie when it is released on DVD on June 26? OK. I'll give you another reason: Eric "Dr. McSteamy" Dane from "Grey's Anatomy" portrays Stamos' brother in this A&E romantic comedy with a message from last December.
Here is the synopsos: Shel Grandy (Stamos), a gay party planner, is asked by his straight brother Ben (Dane) to organize his wedding to Maggie Welling (Bonnie Somerville).  But when Governor Welling (James Brolin), who is Ben’s boss and Maggie’s father, speaks out against gay marriage, Ben decides to go on strike.  The wedding is almost off when Maggie sides with Shel, while Shel’s boyfriend Ted (Sean Maher) supports Ben’s position.  Shel’s stand becomes the focus of national media attention with gays across the country striking for equal rights. 
The bonus features include the featurette"Gays on Strike: The Truth Behind Wedding Wars."  The movie was nominated for a GLAAD Award as Outstanding Television Movie or Mini-Series.  Directed by Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie) and written by Stephen Mazar (Liar, Liar), the telemovie was executive produced by the multiple Emmy® nominated producing partners Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Chicago, TV’s “The Reagans”).

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I pretty much stopped watching "Wil & Grace" around season six, there will probably be a lot of episodes I haven't seen in the new DVD set for release on May 1. Even though I thought the show started to get annoying in general, there was always a terrific episode here or there that would redeem it. And let's face it, no matter how outlandish she got Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) was always a hoot and even better is Rosario (Shelly Morrison) was involved.
The boxed set will include four discs with 24 episodes total but I'm not sure of any extras yet.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With "Dreamgirls" rekindling my memories of The Supremes, I was excited to see a new DVD released of the all-time greatest girl group in various performances from 1964 to 1969. It's some great stuff with such greatest hits as "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Keep Me Hanging On," "The Happening," "I Hear A Symphony," "Reflections," "Love Child," and "Someday We'll Be Together" among others.
I watched part of it last night and the rest this morning and was surprised at how I felt after: sad. I was sad mostly for Florence Ballard who was kicked out of the group in 1967 (The "Effie" character in "Dreamgirls" is loosely based on Ballard). She never mounted much of a solo career and was dead by 1976 of a heart attack. I felt sad watching her because she was simply exquisite. She was the tallest of the three girls and the most elegant (Diana Ross and Mary Wilson are the other two original Supremes) but her smile always seemed a little sad.
Ironically, in a January 1967 performance on the DVD, Ballard is smiling broadly and looks terrific. But she would be out of the group several months later due to what I have read was a drinking problem and not showing up for gigs. Her replacement, Cindy Birdsong, was fine and a total pro but she did not have Ballard's presence. I didn't realize until watching this DVD how much her departure made the Supremes just a little less special.
And with "Dreamgirls" in my head, I noticed how the years went on, The Supremes went from three girls singing together as friends standing side-by-side to Diana Ross and The Supremes with Ross always standing way out front of the other two girls with virtually little interaction. They had become background singers instead of singing partners and this unfortunate evolution is plain to see. Ballard, I'm sure, had other issues. But if you were the original lead singer then consistently marginalized as she and Wilson seemed to be, it's no surprise there would be tension in the group.
I think Diana Ross is sensational and you can see from all the performances on this DVD that she had the presence and confidence to pull off stardom at a very young age. She deserves much of the credit for the success of The Supremes and all those songs that live on. But why couldn't she (or Berry Gordy behind the scenes) let the other girls shine more?
Diana would have been just a big a star anyway and maybe Florence Ballard would have smiled more...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The year is 1959 and a repressed English professor (Helen Shaver) goes to Reno where she spends weeks waiting for a quickie divorce at a dude ranch. There she meets Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), a beautiful and vivacious casino worker and, well, the hotel sex scene is said to be one of the most erotic this side of "The L Word."
The movie is "Desert Hearts" and is was released more than 22 years ago. On June 5, Wolfe Video will release a special two-disc Collector's Edition DVD of the film directed by Donna Deitch who has gone on to become a successful television director whose credits include the new NBC hit "Heroes."
According to Wolfe, the new DVD will feature several new interviews with Deitch and the film's stars, previously unseen footage from the infamous love scene, audio commentary and much more.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was never gonna tell ANYONE. But, here I am, blogging on at the mouth again. I was hoping you all wouldn't notice but I took a few days off from the office this week to recover from this sinus infection (much better now, thanks...) and on one of the days, I decided to check out this DVD that had been sent to me called: "So NoTORIous: The Complete Series." Yep, Tori Spelling's short-lived show that ran on VHI last year. I expected to be underwhelmed but here's the thing: I LOVED it! I planted myself on the sofa, wrapped up in a comforter, and watched all 10 half-hour episodes of this thing. Tori had the good sense to surround herself with a brilliant supporting cast which includes this hysterical publicist, a bitchy but funny best girlfriend, a gay best freind who is funny AND cute and a straight roomate who is also funny and cute. But the real hoot, the absolute hoot, is Loni Anderson as "KiKi," Tori's self-absorbed mom. This is the best stuff Anderson has had the chance to do since I don't know when. She is absolutely cluelessly self-absorbed with now idea the emotional damage she has heaped upon her poor daughter (the flashbacks are a scream!)
Anyway, this is a fictionalized version of Tori's life and so I guess we can assume her mom Candy is not anything like Kiki? Yeah, right! If you rent or buy this two-disc DVD set, the episodes that I found to be the absolute best were episode two "Whoie" (this includes the gay friend making out with another guy in a sauna), Episode four "Street" which was THE funniest of the bunch, episode 5 "Jealous" and episode 7 "Soulful" both which really give Anderson a chance to shine.
Who knew? I had a great time watching this and I'm as surprised as anyone about it. I don't know how this didn't warrant a second season.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"I Love Lucy" fans rejoice! Fox Home Entertainment is releasing the series of 13 hour-long "i Love Lucy" specials that aired from 1957 to 1960. These shows followed the successful six-year run of the half-hour "I Love Lucy" shows and have never before been released on DVD. I've seen all the episodes and I gotta say, they are not on par with the classic half-hour episodes. For one thing, and this is a big thing, the specials always featured a guest star and this took away from the wonderful chemistry of Ricky, Lucy, Fred and Ethel. For example, in the "Lucy's Summer Vacation" episode, Fred and Ethel are nothing more than glorified extras while Lucy's hijinks are all with guest star Ida Lupino instead of best pal Ethel.
But there are a handful of shows from these later years that I do like, especially "The Celebrity Next Door" with Tahllulah Bankhead who is laugh-out-loud funny in her episode. It is funny and Bankhead is a riot.
Also like "Lucy Makes Room for Danny" with guest star Danny Thomas, "Milton Berle Hides Out At the Ricardos," and the last show ever, "Lucy Meets a Mustache" with guest stars Ernie Kovaks and Edie Adams. When Edie sings "That's All" at the Ricardos after dinner, the song takes on great poignency knowing that Lucy and Desi are divorcing and will never appear together on screemn again.
"I Love Lucy: Seasons 7,8 and 9" will be released on March 12. There is some rare footage on each disc that was trimmed from various episodes and just found recently but the best bonus feature is color footage taken by an audience member during the taping of the pilot episode in 1951. It the only chance we'll ever get to see exactly how red that hair really was!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a movie that should not suffer one bit on the small screen. "The History Boys," which failed to make much of an impact at the box office as a feature film (it was a Tony Award-winning smash on Broadway), will be released on DVD on April 17. The movie stars the cast of the play and the DVD extras include two in-depth featurettes and commentary by director Nicholas Hynter and writer Alan Bennett.
This will most certainly be on my DVD shelf!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"C.R.A.Z.Y." was one of the better films that screened at Outfest 2006 and it comes out on DVD on Tuesday! Buy it! At least rent it! It is so well-acted and engrossing.
It's really a story of two love affairs. A father's love for his five sons. And one gay son's love for his father, a love so strong it compels him to live a lie. (So many of us can relate to that!) That son is Zac Beaulieu (Marc-Andre Grondin) and he is desperate to fit in with his straight brothers. During his first 20 years, life takes Zac on a surprising and unexpected journey that ultimately leads him to accept his true nature. Even more importantly, his father learns to love him for who he really is.
"C.R.A.Z.Y." was directed and co-written by Jean-Marc Vallee. It won a slew of awards on the film festival circuit including the audience award for best feature film at the 2006 AFI Fest (it tied with "Tsotsi" which went on to win the Oscar last year for best foreign film) and also won best Canadian feature film at the Toronto International Filkm Festival.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The lesson of the film "Infamous" is that when a movie with the same story ("Capote") is released only the year before and wins an Oscar for its leading man (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), you're pretty much dead in the water at the box office. And you get ignored Oscar-time. Heck, I think Toby Jones was as good as Hoffman as Capote and in some scenes, more believable. Sandra Bullock was just as good as Catherine Keener as Harper Lee.
But the real revelation was Daniel Craig as one of the killers who Capote befriends while researching "In Cold Blood." I think Craig, who is finally a superstar thanks to his role as James Bond, gives a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination - certainly more worthy than Mark Wahlberg's performance in "The Departed." Craig was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award at least.
Since the box office was pitiful for this film, I hope plenty of you will check it out for yourselves when it goes on sale as a DVD on Feb. 13. It doesn't have many extras other than commentary by filmmaker Douglas McGrath but I really do think, in this case, the movie itself is more than enough.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First "Casino Royale" and now this! John Cameron Mitchell's VERY sexuallyt explicit film "Shortbus" will be released on DVD March 13. The film revolves around a salon of the Gertrude Stein model from the early 1900s, where artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals converged to share their works and discuss new ideas in art and politics. Mitchell's version attracts an updated assortment of regulars culled from New York's burlesque and gay performing arts communities—or, as he says, the kinds of people who belonged on the "short bus" for gifted and challenged children in elementary school.
Though the cast includes actors with varying backgrounds and sexual orientations, the thing connecting them is their humorous and frustrating explorations of sexual relationships. One character, a sex therapist (Sook-Yin Lee, pictured at right), has never herself experienced an orgasm. A gay couple is thinking about opening up their relationship to include other lovers.
Be prepared: in the sex scenes, the actors are REALLY having sex with each other. The film had an NC-17 rating when it played in theaters last fall.
Here are some of the DVD extras: Deleted scenes (They must be some doozies!) with commentary from Mitchell and the cast, movie commentary, theatrical trailer, and the featurette: "How to Shoot Sex: A Docu-Primer."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I. Can't. Wait. "Casino Royale," out on DVD March 13, is already the number one movie on Amazon.com's hot sellers list based on pre-sale orders alone. The Bond movie, marking the debut of sizzling Daniel Craig as the sexiest 007 to date, is still playing in just over 1,600 theaters. Its U.S. gross is $165.3 million to date and more than double that internationally. The two-disc DVD has some extras including "Becoming Bond,": an intimate look at how Daniel Craig stepped into the role of the 6th James Bond. and "James Bond: For Real," an Inside look at action and stunts of film.
Sounds like a winner!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember when the DVD of "Brokeback Mountain" came out last spring and how underwhelmed we all were by the lack of extras? Well, welcome to Hollywood! That bare-bones disc was just an appetizer for a two-disc "Special Collector’s Edition" of the landmark film to be released Jan. 23., Universal Studios Home Entertainment said Wednesday.

Among the new bonus features
- "A Groundbreaking Success" – In a new original documentary, Brokeback Mountain’s producers and cast talk about bringing this unusual story to the screen on their terms. The film also examines the phenomenal attention garnered by the movie, including the numerous parodies that the story inspired.

- "Music From the Mountain" – Composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who won an Oscar® for Brokeback Mountain’s emotional score, takes viewers into the sounds of the movie’s unforgettable music. Includes interviews with each of the featured artists, and a trip to the studio with the legendary Willie Nelson as he records his touching version of Bob Dylan’s "He Was a Friend of Mine."

- "On Being A Cowboy" – Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal discuss their preparations for the film, including rodeo and wrangling training. Exclusive on-set interviews with the film’s stunt coordinator are also featured.

- "{Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee" – Oscar-winning director Ang Lee is profiled in this intimate behind-the-scenes look at how he led the filmmaking team in bringing the absorbing story of Brokeback Mountain to life.

- "From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana" – The writers discuss bringing Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx’s visionary short story to the screen.

- "Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain" – This featurette follows the filmmaking process from start to finish and introduces the cast and crew who brought Brokeback Mountain to life through in-depth interviews, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and more.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now here's a DVD set worth owning. Most people under the age of 30 probably only know Bea Arthur as one of the four "Golden Girls." But before her seven-year run in that classic show, Arthur spent six seasons playing the outspoken, controversial and completely liberal feminist Maude Findlay on the CBS comedy "Maude." To make the 35th anniversary of that show's 1972 debut, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced Monday that it will release the first season of "Maude" on DVD March 20.
\Maude was introduced as Edith Bunker's cousin on a few episodes of "All in the Family" and was such a smash that a show was quickly built around the character by Norman Lear. It it, Maude lived with her fourth husband Walter (William Macy) to whom she would famously say her trademark catchphrase, "God'll get you for that Walter."
I think the show was so ahead of its time and will be really interesting to see now. Provocative social issues were tackled with humor including women's liberation, pornography, political campaigning, race relations, and marijuana laws.  By far, the biggest controversy was raised by the two-part episode “Maude's Dilemma,�? which featured the 47-year-old Maude discovering she’s pregnant, and, after much debate, deciding to have an abortion (the first show to ever have the lead character make that decision). 

Adrienne Barbeau plays Maude's knockout daughter, Carol and how's this: Rue McClanahan, who went on to star with Arthur in "Golden Girls," played her sidekick Vivian during the entire run of the show. The early seasons also feature Esther Rolle as Maude's maid, Florida Evans, whose character was spun-off to the show "Good Times."
Arthur was nominated for five Emmy Awards for the part - winning once. she might have had more trophies had she not had to go up against Mary Tyler Moore year after year.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not too many people caught "The Night Listener" when it was in theaters last summer judging from its paltry box office grosses. But it's certainly worth checking out when it comes on out DVD Jan. 9. It's got Robin Williams as a gay radio host whose ex-boyfriend is played by Bobby Cannavale who was Will's boyfriend on "Will & Grace." But the best performance comes from the immensely talented Toni Collette who elevates any movie she is in.

The film follows Gabriel Noone (Williams), a celebrated writer and late-night radio show host who develops an intense phone relationship with a young listener named Pete (Rory Culkin) and his adopted mother (Colette). When troubling questions arise regarding the boy's identity, it causes Gabriel's ordered existence to spin wildly out of control at he sets out on a harrowing journey to find the truth.

Bonus features include a deleted scene (no idea what it is yet) as well as "The Night Listener Revealed:" an in-depth look at the movie’s plot twists.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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!)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I remember being very excited about seeing the movie "54" when it was released into theaters eight years ago. It starred Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Breckin Meyer and an unrecognizable Mike Myers as Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell. The movie, written and directed by Mark Christopher, chronicled the rise and fall of the famed NYC hotspot of the 1970s where the likes of Liza Minneli, Bianca Jagger, Andy Warhol, and other A-listers could be seen partying night after night (a far more interesting crowd than this Britney-Paris-Lohan nonsense we seem to be consumed with currently.
I found the movie to be, at 93 minutes, underwhelming - like something was missing.
It turns out there was a lot missing - about an hour worth of footage - that included a love scene between Phillippee and Meyer. How could THAT be left on the cutting room floor? Somehow, I think this film would have grossed far more than $16.6 million at the domestic box office if it had felt more complete and been more satisfying.
It was made with a production budget of just $13 million and was released by Miramax Films which seemed to be more than a little queasy about the racier content and especially about the gay content. The real Studio 54 was more than just a little gay so if you are going to release a movie about it, I would think you'd have to go for it. Instead, this watered-down version came out and was most memorable for the absolute transformation of Mike Myers who was NOTHING like Austin Powers or Linda Richmond in this flick!
Since 2008 is only a little more than a year away, I personally think that would be the perfect time for Disney, which owns the rights the Miramax library, to release some kind of a restored version - or directors cut - of the movie with all of these juicy scenes intact. My guess is, they could make a lot of MONEY off of it. I know a complete version of the movie would sell a lot more DVDs than just a 10th anniversary release of the shorter version.
And if Ryan and Brecken getting cozy weren't enough to attract major gay interest, get this: "All My Children" leading man Cameron Mathison, one of THE hunkiest men in the acting profession, would have far more screen time in a longer version of the movie. And it is said that gay fans of this impossibly gorgeous man would be very pleased to see what was left of Cameron on the cutting room floor.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sometimes, movies can really give you some much-needed perspective. While gay rights in this country still have a ways to go, I am so glad to be an American gay man in 2006 (and actually writing a gay-themed blog) and not a French gay man in 1942. That is the year in which the moving period drama, "A Love to Hide" is set. I recommend that every gay person see this film, released on DVD Dec. 5. In French with English subtitles, this sweeping and unforgettable wartime epic about gay life and love in Nazi-occupied Europe was easily the best movie I saw at last summer's Outfest, the one movie that made me cry. See it and you will understand why. You will understand what it was like to be gay in another time and place and feel grateful for what we have even as gays and lesbians continue to fight for full equality in this country.

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. Philippe gets her a fake ID and Jean obtains her a job at the cleaners.

Even though Sara still loves the handsome and sweet Phillipe, she accepts his relationship with Jean. But it's still quite a struggle keeping their 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, beautifully-acted and heart-breaking film. I cannot recommend it enough or give enough praise to the filmmakers who provide such strong attention to details as the Nazi occupation of France from scenes in a ‘40s gay bar to the papable anxiety everyone was forced to live under.

"A Love to Hide" is released by Picture This! Home Video.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here come the grooms…and their mothers! The movie screened on closing night of this year's Outfest film festival in LA was the wonderful comic romp "Queens." It maybe be a Spanish-language movie but trust me, nothing is lost in translation. The mother and gay son comedy will be out on DVD on Dec. 5 and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Here is the plot: As Spain prepares for its first-ever mass gay wedding, so must five mothers. Over the course of one weekend, these uncompromising women must learn to cope with a variety of family conflicts surrounding the marriages of each of their sons. While these very different mothers learn to deal with their own desires and prejudices, a clash of sex, bigotry and love ensues. Amongst the hilarious chaos, all five women must find the strength and love they need in order to give their sons away.

Released by Genius Products and here! Films, the movie stars five of Spain's most beloved actresses: Carmen Maura (star of Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Matador, Law of Desire), Marisa Paredes (All About My Mother), Mercedes Sampietro (Common Ground), Verónica Forqué and Betiana Blum. Directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira, the film also stars Raul Garcia, Gustavo Salmeron and Daniel Hendler.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stopped by the Falcon Restaurant in Hollywood last night for the DVD launch party of "Boys Life: The Complete Collection." The drinks were flowing at this very lively bash (I had Diet Coke) and it was fun to catch up with friends and to scarf down some Tuna Tartar every time the waiter would walk by with some on a tray. Finally he said: "Why don't you just take two?" Well, if you insist.
OK, so about the DVD. No one even talked about it! But there were little cards around advertising it and some posters on the walls here and there. Maybe it's because you don't really have to promote the "Boys Life" shorts to an L.A. crowd. They are classics. I still remember seeing the first collection in the mid-1990s at the Sunset 5 and enjoying them so much that any time a new collection was playing, I was right there. Those first films were
POOL DAYS by Brian Sloan, A FRIEND OF DOROTHY by Raoul O'Connell, THE DISCO YEARS by Robert Lee King.

The DVD set includes the entire BOYS LIFE Series, volumes 1 through 5 - Twenty short films about love, life, and liberation. It features short films by critically acclaimed and award-winning directors such as Michael Burke (THE MUDGE BOY), Robert Lee King (PSYCHO BEACH PARTY), Lane Janger (JUST ONE TIME), Brian Sloan (I THINK I DO), Phillip J. Bartell (EATING OUT 2: SLOPPY SECONDS), Eric Mueller (WORLD AND TIME ENOUGH), and Eytan Fox (YOSSI & JAGGER, WALK ON WATER).

The boxed set can be purchased through its distributor, Strand Releasing as well as Amazon.com.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another DVD title to place on my Christmas wish list is "Little Miss Sunshine" whic