Planet Homo

Art House Film: Dalí and Lorca Love Affair

In a stroke of brilliant casting, Twilight's Robert Pattinson was cast as painter Salvador Dali in "Little Ashes". Ok, Pattinson does look just silly with the signature Dali moustache, but any movie about the 1922 meeting of three soon-to-be-renowned Spanish artists — filmmaker Luis Buñuel, painter Salvador Dalí and the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca — at the Residencia de Estudiantes, a Madrid arts institute has to be interesting; And, it’s a love story! In one of those only-in-the-movie plots, Dali and Garcia Lorca, in particular, shared a tortured romance (of which Bunuel was aware) that didn’t become known until after Dali’s death in 1989, or so the story goes. The past is always negotiable in film. At least it looks good.

Religulous Reviewed

Out now on DVD is Bill Maher's documentary "Religulous" which was released in late 2008. The doc takes on religion in all forms, Jews, Christians and Muslims are given the Bill treatment, which is where the fun and also the shortcomings of this film begin. Bill Maher doesn't believe in religion, which is clear from the beginning. He clearly dupes people into interviews only to casually debate and usually ridicule them. With a running time of one hour and 42 minutes, it is about the hour point that, one grows a little tired. Bill's points are nothing, if not simple: These are stories written by men, subject to context, faith, and propaganda. Maher simply can't resist belittling them. One encounter, with the actor who plays Jesus in "The Holy Land Experience" debates Maher and it is one of the few moments where someone actually articulate stumps Maher in his quest to make fun. Otherwise, we are treated to many people who take it all very seriously, while Maher does not.
In some ways a quest with the end already known, Religulous fails to engage a serious conversation about matters that could be easily debated. There is a lot of discussion of gay matters; in one instance Maher interviews two gay Muslims in an empty gay bar and jokingly says" I hope you're attracted to one another". On gay matters, Maher is clearly pro-gay, but one suspects that he doesn't really quite get it: It's a political issue, not a social issue.
Maher could have been better prepared to meet the people he interviewed. Instead of knowledge, he always returns to that slightly condescending, " how could you?" tone that in the end, reveals little about the truth, but isn't even all that funny.

Outrage Trailer

Plot: From Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated) comes OUTRAGE, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with appalling gay rights voting records who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Boldly revealing the hidden lives of some of the United States most powerful policymakers, OUTRAGE takes a comprehensive look at the harm theyve inflicted on millions of Americans, and examines the medias complicity in keeping their secrets. With analysis from prominent members of the gay community such as Congressman Barney Frank, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, activist Larry Kramer, radio personality Michelangelo Signorile, and openly gay congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Representative, Wisconsin 2nd district), OUTRAGE probes deeply into the psychology of this double lifestyle, the ethics of outing closeted politicians, the double standards that the media upholds in its coverage of the sex lives of gay public figures, and much more.

Big Blue Uncut Penis

This Halloween quite a few people will endeavor to emulate superhero Doctor Manhattan from the new film, "Watchmen". Sporting a ten-pack, hairless and with a rather large, uncut appendage, one must either be blessed down below or like actor Billy Crudup, have some CGI help.
Frankly, it was a little shocking. For nearly every scene that features Doctor Manhattan in the film, he is completely, unabashedly, naked. There is no hiding behind objects or shots above the waist—he is simply walking around with a large, uncut blue penis, without pubic hair.
Released last Friday, the film collected over 55 million in box office receipts over the weekend. It is a hit.
Based on the 1986-1987 comic book limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the film adaptation stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matt Frewer, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen McHattie, Laura Mennell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson. Set in an alternate-history 1985, Watchmen follows a group of former vigilantes as tensions heighten between the United States and the Soviet Union while an investigation of an apparent conspiracy against them uncovers something even more grandiose and sinister.
The special effects are good, the plot is fairly complex and the acting, especially Jackie Earle Haley, is quite convincing. Directed by Zack Snyder, one can only believe that this man has a fascination with bigger-than-life-men. He directed the macho extravaganza 300 in 2007, which also featured more than its fair share of manly flesh. In Watchmen, that manliness is proudly displayed. There was widespread speculation about Doc Manhattan's nudity—in the original book, he was indeed naked, but of moderate size—leave it to Hollywood and CGI to add a few inches.

Report from Iowa

Intrepid reporter Todd Schultz braved the cold of Iowa to file this report:
Wednesday nights in Iowa City, Iowa tend to drag. Or rather, is it the queens who are dragging?
At Studio 13, a gay bar about half the size of an Olympic size swimming pool, Queen bee Drag Queen, and Iowan Gay Icon Dena Cass is a riot. A comedienne, a hell of a dancer, and tits that would put Pam Anderson in her glory days to shame.
 People might not expect this class of drag fervor in a “small town” like Iowa City. But the boys in Iowa know how to get down.
 In fact, Iowa City is said to be among the highest per capita gay cities in the nation. And on Wednesday nights Studio 13 is packed to the brim. Hot men everywhere, drinks are flowing, and the lovely ladies of Wednesday Night’s Drag show parade in their glamour gowns.
 When I decided to cover the drag show, I was a little bit shy about taking pictures, but I was obviously naïve about Drag Queens. Dena was anything but shy. She flaunted her long lashes, and her luscious fun bags, only getting wilder for the camera.
 Iowa may not be your idea of the ideal vacation, but for all of you guys out there who have that corn-fed farm boy fantasy, it just might be the perfect spot.
 And know this: When you come to Studio 13, on a Wednesday Night, you know you’re going to have a good time, Dena will make sure of that.

The Advocate: This is news?

The Advocate is a self proclaimed news magazine and their website is "The Award-Winning LGBT News Site" so it’s a little strange when you see on their pages yesterday this "news" story about the former lover of  Portland mayor, Sam Adams accepting to pose, naked of course for, you guessed it, Unzipped magazine. Cross pollination is nothing new, but rarely this shameless.

The Academy Award of Tricks

It was bound to happen: we live in a digital era, where dating is nothing less than getting online and demanding your particular pleasure and expecting it. It's a nasty playground to be sure. People lie. Many people are bored and assuming a personality and image has never been easier. The "trick" is to never never follow through. If you do, you might find yourself on rateurtrick.com. Started in November 2008, RYT currently has 12,000 members. Started for noble reasons as creator Robert Hallman revealed in a recent interview:  I was living in Seattle in 2000 and a friend of mine and I knew someone named JonPaul who was constantly going off on this guy and that guy and after a while, just listening to him gave me the idea of doing the site. My friend John, however, decided it was a bad idea because of the potential of slander, etc.—but then we hadn’t done our research and we knew nothing about the CDA Act of 1996, so it never happened. I finally made the decision to do it when two things occurred: a friend of mine—who used drugs—was hung and overdosed by some guy while he was in their playroom, while his boyfriend was in the office area in the same house. All my friend remembers is the guy his lover was playing with walk by with this five-year-old laptop and leave the house and then he heard kicking sounds coming from the playroom and found his lover hanging by a noose, frothing at the mouth."
While most encounters are less dramatic, the sheer drama of finding out about next week's trick can be titillating. There will always be the potential for revenge—less than happy tricksters for a litany of reasons, discarding the truth for sexual fictions or other innuendo. ("Tweaker Tweaker Sunny Day, OMG it Sun, girl STAY AWAY....what a mess!") Or in an era of shameless self-promotion, you can always write yourself up in glowing terms. ("Hook up with this guy if you can") . The current listings are surprisingly kind: most men tell it like it is. People may lie about their age a few years, or a few inches, but it seems like most people are out there, having a lot of sex, and enjoying it. Check it out.

Happy Valentine's

Yes it is.

http://www.obviousmag.com/

How the Economy Works

 

The Fall

To begin with a synopsis seems almost like a betrayal in reviewing Tarsem Singh Dhandwar's film, "The Fall". But at its most basic storyline the plot involves a 5-year-old girl, a paralyzed stuntman and a cast of characters, some imagined, some real that drift in and out of epic dramas. The film stars the pleasantly handsome Lee Pace and the most remarkable young actress, Catinca Untaru. Like the Wizard of Oz, the characters, both real and imagined are given double roles; the ice man (it's 1915; there's no fridge) becomes a slave/warrior (pictured), nurses become princesses, x ray technicians become dark ominous characters.
Directed by Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, a veteran music video and commercial director who uses Tarsem as his professional name, The Fall leaps in a visual direction that has never been seen before, and without special effects. While it may sound operatic, this is film making and cinematography that enters a new dimension of the imagination. From the opening black and white montage, director of photography Colin Watkinson pushes the depth of field and saturates the screen with beauty, the breathtaking beauty that is magically, still our world. The costumes are by legendary designer Eiko Ishioka (Mishima, Bram Stroker's Dracula). Clearly it is the mind of Tarsem (he directed "The Cell" with Jennifer Lopez, and the famous "Losing My Religion" video for REM) that manages to distill all the events and images into a coherent, magical story.
The movie seems to come and gone quickly. Made in 2006, it is one of those films that not everyone loves. Nathan Lee of The New York Times, wrote that the film "is a genuine labor of love — and a real bore." Roger Ebert on the other hand  gave it his highest blessing: "You might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it." 

While Batman may break records this summer, The Fall will likely be constrained to art houses and film festivals, which is unfortunate. Both films share the priviledge of being directed by visionaries. The Fall is not nearly as dark (literally) but its story manages to touch on suicide and hopelessness.

While is certainly not the same as seeing the film, the stills from the film itself are ample evidence of the astonishing imagery and they can be seen here.

Holy Batman

It's scary, I think I used to dress like the Joker. A fondness for vests and ties would eventually lead to the socks, and they would be just as dapper and odd. The Joker, who dresses like a dandy is anything but. With all the hype and hoopla, it was interesting to see a film that has such high expectations. After all, we are talking about a comic book character, Batman. From a television series in 1966, where Batman and sidekick, Robin, were dressed in Technicolor hues accompanied with bang! splash! graphics.
In the thirty years since then, we have seen various evolutions of the character. Most notable was Christopher Nolan's 2005 "Batman Begins" where we begin to take the character of Batman seriously. What happens in the new film, "The Dark Knight" is that we transcend most of the comic book affectations and head into what can only be called Joseph Campbell country. To the thousands of unsuspecting teenagers watching the film, basking in its cinematic glory, they are also being treated to some insights on the nature of anarchy, terrorism, and most complicated, heroism. Nolan is smart to never sway too far the action, but nestled in between the violence and the explosions, in some brilliant dialog, some serious questions are asked. And this Joker is not funny. Some have suggested that it was this very role, that Heath Ledger so inhabits that drove him to drug abuse, and it is evident on screen with the multitude of ticks, lip licking and other physical curiosities, that he was on drugs while filming. It may be. All that is known is that Ledger should certainly be nominated for an Academy Award, not so much in sentiment, but it is an extraordinary performance. Human nature is always about putting order to things (hello, God?) and Ledger's Joker is about ignoring order, which is why the character is so troubling. We don't know what to make of it. Batman on the other gloved hand, is seeking perfect order, resolution and a way to retire. Not so fast.
There are flaws, which may have been necessary to keep the action moving, but the Gotham Police Department in particular seem inexplicably stupid. We are left dangling, quite literally with the fate of the Joker, where one senses the audience really whats to see retribution. A good portion of this movie centers around numbness. The Joker is devoid of being physically hurt, and Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent/Two- Face manages to cancel any pain associated with third degree burns. It is Batman who carries all the emotional weight, who is vulnerable, beaten and ultimately sacrificed. It all ends with one of those,"see you next film!" endings that promises that Batman, like all heroes has more challenges to face.

Dark Knight inspiration was a Homo?

The current hit, The Dark Knight, has people talking about Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Many suspect that the portrayal is based on a 1928 classic, "The Man Who Laughed" which starred Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, a man who has a permanent smile carved into his face in revenge for his fathers treachery (with good reason, Batman creator Bob Kane attributes the Joker character to this film). Indeed, a viewing at youtube.com reveals a curious portrait of man who shockingly looks like Christopher Walken after a facelift..but even more curious is why in this silent film, the above dialog appears?

Gay is Ubiquitous

It helps to see films with gay themes or suggestions in geographical areas where there are gay people; none of that nervous feet shuffling, throat clearing or the occasional,"what the f!" So watching Stardust in the Disney-esque Grove proved to be a family affair. While the film, which is quite loud, is delightful in so many turns, it is in particular the role of Captain Shakespeare, played with aplomb by Robert De Niro that draws the most laughter. SPOILER AHEAD: While Johnny Depp's pirate character might only suggest that he is anything less a heterosexual, De Niro's extremely likable Captain Shakespeare proves that all pirates are not alike. Leaving the need to use a British accent to less confident actors, De Niro, tackles the complex role with his Brooklyn accent and a lot of make up. What proves to be most enjoyable is the fact that his shipmates knowingly approve.
On the other side, the far side of the fence is Rush Hour. I have never seen any of the Rush Hour series, so popping in on the third installment may have left me fuzzy on some of the plot details. But the gay panic jokes, as well as almost every racist insinuation were not lost. And, they are funny. Chris Tucker, who plays Detective James Carter seems modeled after Little Richard. He is effeminate. So while the litany of racial, sexual and cultural jokes merrily slide by (as well as an anal finger insertion segment that seems totally misplaced though played by a not often seen on screen Roman Polanski), one cannot help but wonder if they are in some ways defensive. Director, Brett Ratner recently confessed to the Advocate that his first blow job was from a man. Just as a scene in which the astonishingly beautiful Noémie Lenoir, pulls off a wig that seems to mystify and send Detective Carter into a "Crying Game" rant, it too is misplaced. Why would a beautiful bald woman make us think its a man? The jokes seem created in a "Jeopardy" style, write the answers first and then ask the question. The saving grace of the film is that nothing is nasty. It's not meant to hurt, but the jokes seem born out of the every racial cliche, every cultural cliche (The French hate Americans until they get to become one) and of course, gender.

Out Today

Available today is the the deluxe "extra frills" edition of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The frills include deleted scenes, outtakes and an audio commentary by director Stephan Elliot, all sinfully packaged in pink.

"They came. They conquered. They looked fabulous. This wonderfully inventive, visually stunning and incomparably funny Australian import about three drag performers braving the vast, rugged outback won the 1994 Academy Award for Costume Design. Veteran actor Terence Stamp (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) all give hilarious and heartfelt performances in a three-fishes-outta-water story that's "one of the wildest movies ever made" (Rex Reed, New York Observer)! With a contract to perform a drag show way out in the Australian desert, Tick (Weaving), Adam (Pearce) and Ralph (Stamp) each has his own reason for wanting to leave the safety of Sydney. Christening their battered pink tour bus "Priscilla," this wickedly funny and high-drama trio head for the Outback...and into crazy adventures in even crazier outfits."

Available at amazon.com

Screen In

June is the gayest month, we have a month of pride to prove it. And this June, Pride Month promises to be perhaps one of the richest celebrations in recent memory, beginning with the groundbreaking Turner Classic Movies broadcast of Screened Out: Gay Images In Film, a month-long 44-film tribute inspired by the Richard Barrios book Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall, moderated by Barrios with Robert Osborne and interstitial commentary by Michael Musto, Ron Nyswaner, Charles Busch, Tab Hunter, Alan Cumming and Don Murray. TCM is airing the series every Monday and Wednesday in June at 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific.
The range of films is astounding. Beginning with Algie, the Miner (1912), the series explores the various periods of film including the pre-metaphorical films made before the oppressive Motion Picture Production Code in 1934, with such gems as Queen Christina, which featured Greta Garbo in a love affair, with shock, another woman.
The series ends with the homo-rampant period of the late sixties, where films like Boys in the Band, The Killing of Sister George, and Staircase, made their way on the screen.

Bookwrapcentral offers up a great sampling of video clips of Barrios discussing his book. (Alas, not for mac users).

Festive Friday

This Friday the Miami Gay & Lesbian Festival kicks off with Duncan Roy's updated version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which described in the words of one over-arching copywriter: "Banish all notions of Merchant Ivory from your heads, and experience the true spirit of Oscar Wilde: erotic and distinctly dangerous."

Leni Riefenstahl

The Men's Style section of the New York Times last Sunday had a fashion story photographed by Camilla Akrans that can only be called an homage to filmmaker/photographer Leni Riefenstahl. Among her better known films is Olympia, photographed in 1938, and it is not without controversy. What the film did reveal was a sensual, sexy slow motion and camera tracking style that has become commonplace. Riefenstahl, who lived to be 101 (she died in 2003) was a fascinating and extremely talented woman ahead of her time, and why no one has bothered to make a film of her life (starring Uma Thurman) is strange. To see more video of her works and a better version of the Diving sequence visit http://www.riefenstahl.org/downloads/video-riefenstahl.html.

And You Thought You Had Seen Everything...

Filmthreat has published a list of the top 10 Lost Films, films that have either completely disappeared or cannot be found. Among that list is No.3, a film called "Him", a gay porno movie about Jesus made in 1974.

“Him” (1974). The title character of this gay porn flick is none other than the Man from Galilee, whose interest in hanging out with the all-male disciples is supposedly more than mere fraternalism. Parallel to this is a contemporary story of a young gay male who finds new spiritualism by plumbing the gayer aspects of the Gospels for his own notion of loving thy neighbor (particularly if he’s a good looking hunky neighbor).

WHY IS IT LOST? The film would have probably been forgotten had it not been detailed in the 1980 book “The Golden Turkey Awards” by the Medved Brothers. Despite an Internet debate that insists the film never existed, poster art from the movie’s original New York run has turned up to verify it did exist. The film itself, however, is believed to be lost (how the Medveds learned of the film is not clear, though the idea of Michael Medved watching gay porno for "research" is mind-boggling).

If you have ever seen this film or have a copy, please let us know.

25 Groundbreaking Films

Afterelton.com has released its list of the 25 most groundbreaking gay films. Any list will have its detractors; opinions will certainly differ on the order. Noticeably missing (in my opinion) are films by Gregg Araki, Making Love (maybe you had to be gay to make the films considered), and some very offbeat films out of San Francisco, circa 1970, such as Pornografollies by Curt McDowell and the films of Mike and Kurt Kuchar. Here is the list:
1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
2. Teorema
3. Pink Flamingos
4. Brokeback Mountain
5. Paris is Burning
6. My Own Private Idaho
7. Fireworks
8. Tongues Untied
9. The complete works of Bruce LaBruce
10. Silverlake Life: The View From Here
11. Sunday Bloody Sunday
12. Law of Desire
13. Boys in the Band
14. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
15. Parting Glances
16. La Cage aux Folles
17. Beautiful Thing
18. The Living End
19. Victim
20. Querelle

Now Casting

here! The gay television network has announced plans to develop a new original film, “The Way Out” in association with David Duchovny and Mythgarden, a production company run by Chad Allen, Robert Gant, Christopher Racster, and Craig Doughtery.
“The Way Out” is scripted by Jordan Budde (Northern Exposure, Beverly Hills 90210)  and is based on an original idea from David Duchovny. The film delves into the little-explored world of the elderly gay community.
The Way Out centers on Dalt Farrington, a 75-year-old East Texan forced to move into a retirement home after a failed suicide attempt. Having lost his partner of 35 years and the home they shared, Dalt heads to the rest home determined to keep to himself. Once there, however, he meets the handsome and vibrant Charlie Lomax, with whom he begins a romantic relationship. They are soon forced back into the closet as they face discrimination from the staff and other residents.
"This project falls squarely into here!'s mandate to provide authentic images of our community. Gay seniors and important issues they face have received little visibility from the media – we intend to help change that with this project," says Meredith Kadlec, here!'s Vice President of Original Programming.
Dates and casting have yet to be released.

SAG announces nominees

The Screen Actor Guilds nominees for 2006 are in:

Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland

Actress
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet - Little Children

Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed
Jackie Earle Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls

Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

SAG award winners will be named on Jan. 28 in a ceremony in Los Angeles. The Oscars are handed out on Feb. 25.