Oscar Nominee Sufjan Stevens Drops New Music For Pride Month

Sufjan Stevens

Singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released two new songs for Pride month - “Love Yourself” and “With My Whole Heart.”

Stevens is probably most famous today for his songs he contributed to last year’s queer coming-of-age movie, Call Me By Your Name. The track “Mystery of Love” garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award nod as well.

The new tracks are available now on all digital platforms and will be released in late June as a limited-edition vinyl.

The 43-year-old artist says “Love Yourself,” a euphoric synth-pop bop, is based on a musical sketch he wrote 20 years ago. Stevens plans on including the 1996 demo on the vinyl release as well as a short reprise.

“With My Whole Heart” is an entirely new song that came from a personal challenge: “to write an upbeat and sincere love song without conflict, anxiety, or self-deprecation.” Definitely more bouncy, the track is a retro, lo-fi affair with lots of layered vocals leading to a vibe-y, chill guitar solo.

In addition to the two tracks, Stevens has also designed a limited edition t-shirt for Pride month.

In addition to buying music you enjoy, purchasing the tracks will also aid two organizations that help LGBTQ homeless youth. A portion of the proceeds will go to both the Ali Forney Center in New York City and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, Michigan.

View this post on Instagram

#SufjanStevens #LoveYourself 🏳️‍🌈

A post shared by M A R I A N A 🌊 (@marianbuschmann) on May 29, 2019 at 6:40am PDT

Book Sequel Announced, But Will There Be A Film Sequel To 'Call Me By Your Name?'

Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer

While fans may be jonesing for a sequel to the 2017 hit movie Call Me By Your Name, one of the stars of the film isn’t so sure the same magic can be recreated.

In a wide-ranging interview with Vulture, Armie Hammer says he’s “coming around to the idea that the first one was so special for everyone who made it, and so many people who watched it felt like it really touched them, or spoke to them.”

Calling the coming-of-age film “a really perfect storm,” Hammer wonders if a sequel is “setting ourselves up for disappointment.”

He added, “I don’t know that anything will match up to the first, you know?”

The talk of a sequel has continued for some time now.

Back in March, director Luca Guadagnino told USA Today the sequel to Call Me By Your Name was being developed with the two stars in mind, but the new film would broaden the setting to a global adventure.

“I’m already conceiving the story with (original novel author) André Aciman, and it’s gonna happen five or six years afterwards,” said Guadagnino.“It’s gonna be a new movie, a different tone.”

Aciman tweeted in December that he’s was in the process of penning a sequel to his original book ahead of a sequel to the critically-acclaimed film.

“I would actually love a sequel to Call Me by Your Name. In fact I am writing one.”

I would actually love a sequel to Call Me by Your Name. In fact I am writing one.

— André Aciman (@aaciman) December 4, 2018

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aciman's follow-up novel will be titled, Find Me, and will be released October 29 this year.

The sequel, titled Find Me, will pick up after Elio's father, Samuel, has divorced. He travels from Florence to Rome to visit Elio, who has become a respected classical pianist. (Viewers of the first film will recall Michael Stuhlbarg's Samuel delivering an emotional speech that suggested he had "come close" to a relationship like Elio and Oliver's.) The book will see Samuel have a "chance encounter" on a train that provokes changes in his life, Elio moving to Paris and having a "consequential affair" and Oliver, now a professor in New England, considering returning to Europe after his sons are grown.

In the Vulture interview, though, Hammer makes a point to say he wouldn’t shut the door completely on the idea of returning to the world of CMBYN.

“If we end up with an incredible script, and Timmy’s in, and Luca’s in, I’d be an asshole to say no,” said the 32-year-old actor. “But at the same time, I’m like, That was such a special thing, why don’t we just leave that alone?”

Will young Elio and Oliver ever find peaches and true happiness together? We shall see.

"Call Me By Your Name" Director Says Sequel Is In The Works

Timothée Chalamet (L) and Armie Hammer (R) in Call Me By Your Name

USA Today is reporting that Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino is already planning the film's sequel.

"I'm already conceiving the story with André Aciman, and it's gonna happen five or six years afterwards," Guadagnino told reporter Carly Mallenbaum. "It's gonna be a new movie, a different tone."

The director also revealed the sequel will star Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet but will have a different backdrop. "They're gonna go around the world," he said.

In January, Guadagnino told The Hollywood Reporter the sequel would also find the AIDS epidemic central to the new storyline.

The disease, however, will be tackled head-on in the sequel, says Guadagnino, who hopes the awards contender is the first installment of a decades-long Before Sunrise-like series. "I think it's going to be a very relevant part of the story," he told THR at Jan. 13's Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

"I think Elio [Timothee Chalamet] will be a cinephile, and I'd like him to be in a movie theater watching Paul Vecchiali's Once More," a 1988 film about a man who falls in love with a man after he leaves his wife, which was the first French movie to deal with AIDS. "That," said Guadagnino, "could be the first scene [in the sequel]."

"The novel has 40 pages at the end that goes through the next 20 years of the lives of Elio and Oliver, so there is some sort of indication through the intention of author Andre Aciman that the story can continue," Guadagnino added.

Maybe it's just me, but sometimes you find lightning in a bottle. My take on CMBYN is that the delicate, thoughtful exploration of first love made the film so charming.

Two words: Grease 2.

BAFTA Nominations Have Good News For LGBT-Themed Films

The British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) released its list of nominees today and there's good news for several LGBT-themed films.

• Call Me By Your Name received 4 nominations (Best Film, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actor for Timothée Chalamet). Chalamet was also nominated for the public-voted EE Rising Star Award.

• God's Own Country received a nod for Best British film. Last month, the gay rural romance was a big winner at the British Independent Film Awards taking home best British independent film, best actor for Josh O’Connor, and best debut screenwiter for Francis Lee, who also directed the England-set gay romance.

• Lady Bird earned three nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Saoirse Ronan, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Laurie Metcalf and Best Original Screenplay. (Call Me By Your Name's Timothée Chalamet also co-stars as "Kyle Scheible.")

The awards will be held on February 18 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

News Round-Up: January 5, 2018

Joss Mooney (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Shoutout/woof to total thirst trap Joss Mooney who recently joined MTV's The Challenge. The former Ex on the Beach star and online trainer is giving you his best moody-muscle gaze via Instagram.    #Dang

• Twitter says they don't want to block the tweets of world leaders (we're looking at you, Donald Trump) because "people should be able to see and debate" important information those leaders may share.

• A transgender cab driver in the UK, who was snubbed by her kids when she came out, will not be sharing her $5.4 million lottery winnings with the hideous offspring.

• The groundbreaking Freeform (formerly ABC Family) series The Fosters will come to an end this Spring. The series, about a lesbian couple raising their adopted and biological children, will see the beginning of the end when the current season picks up January 9.

• Washington state has added a third gender option - "X" - to birth certificates. Additionally, the state has streamlined the process of updating gender identity on state-issued documents.

• Colorado prison guards "smiled" as a gay prisoner begged not to be housed with a rapist. Over the course of three days, the 21-year-old was repeatedly raped and beaten. He has filed suit against the federal government.

• Check out the new music video for “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens from the soundtrack for the acclaimed feature film, Call Me By Your Name, featuring footage from the film.

I'm thinking Oscar nomination for "Best Song" here.

Podcast: SCOTUS Refuses Houston Same-Sex Marriage Benefits Review; "Call Me By Your Name" Racks Up More Awards; Tom Goss Has A Musical Message For Christmas

In this week’s podcast:

• The US Supreme Court denied the city of Houston’s request to review a court decision saying marriage equality doesn’t mean equal benefits.

• Bermuda is the first nation to legalize then repeal marriage equality.

• Gay coming of age movie "Call Me By Your Name" continues to rack up awards and nominations

• My suggestions for end of the year charitable donations.

• New music from Tom Goss "Gay Christmas"

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

ELLEN: "Call Me By Your Name" Stars Share Backstory Of Their First Kiss

Call Me by Your Name stars Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet sat down with Ellen DeGeneres today sharing behind-the-scenes stories of making the award-winning film including their first rehearsal which apparently consisted of rolling around in the grass making out.

Chalamet also noted the new-found dangers of "razor burn" making out with the handsome Hammer.

"That's a real thing that people deal with," shared Chalamet.

Ellen concurred, "Oh yes. Yes. I don't anymore, but I did...."

Hilarity ensues.

The two actors clearly have great chemistry together. Can't wait to see the film.

Watch the interview below.

Queer Cinema: "Call Me By Your Name" Wins At Gotham Independent Film Awards

Timothée Chalamet (L) and Armie Hammer (R) in Call Me By Your Name

Acclaimed gay coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name had a great start on the awards season last night at the Gotham Independent Film Awards picking up "Best Feature" and "Breakthrough Actor."

I predict it's going to be a fun couple of months for Timothée Chalamet, who plays the young male lead in the highly anticipated film.

Click over to The Hollywood Reporter for a full list of winners.

Podcast: Chile Begins Debate On Marriage Equality; Pink & Channing Tatum Challenge Gender-Norms In "Beautiful Trauma;" LGBT Hate Crimes Double In Russia

In this week's podcast:

• Chile begins debate on same-sex marriage

• Hate crimes against LGBTs have doubled in five years in Russia

• Democratic senators introduce the LGBT Elder Americans Act

• A growing number of millennial men are more prone to identify as the more fluid “mostly straight” than use the term “bisexual"

• The highly anticipated gay-themed film, "Call Me By Your Name," leads the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards with six nominations and does great box office in its first week in domestic release.

• Pink and Channing Tatum challenge gender-norms in her new music video, "Beautiful Trauma."

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report.

Listen below.

Gay-Themed "Call Me By Your Name" Opens To Highest Per Theater Average Of The Year

It was an awesome opening weekend for gay-themed indie film, Call Me by Your Name.

Not only did the movie receive 6 Independent Spirit Award nominations, but the film racked up about $404,000 in its opening weekend for the domestic box office.

Screening in only 4 theaters (Los Angeles and New York), Call Me By Your Name averaged $101,219, reports Deadline.

That means the flick has this year's highest per theater average in the United States.

Based on the coming-of-age novel by André Aciman, the highly anticipated Call Me by Your Name follows Timothée Chalamet as "Elio," a young man who falls in love with American exchange student "Oliver" (Armie Hammer) at his family's home in the Italian countryside.

Reviews for the film have been almost universally glowing with a 98% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and there's serious Oscar buzz around the movie.

Sony Pictures UK Attempts To Straight-Wash Upcoming Gay Romance "Call Me By Your Name"

The Twitter feed for Sony Pictures UK was shamed into deleting a tweet that appeared to "straight-wash" the upcoming gay-themed indie film, Call Me By Your Name.

Pairing an image of two of the film's young actors with the quote, “It’s a romance overwhelming in its intensity, a heart that swells until it has to burst,” you would have thought this was a movie about budding young heterosexual romance.

Of course, being one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, movie fans know it's actually a coming of age story centered on a burgeoning gay romance between a young college professor and a male teenager.

Boo, Sony Pictures UK...

Call Me By Your Name is in theaters November 24.

Podcast: White House Preps Trans Military Phase Out; Will & Grace Already Renewed For 2nd Season; Gay Short Film Charms Millions

In this week’s podcast:

• The White House has approved guidance for booting transgender service members out of the U.S. military

• NBC not only adds four more episodes to the Will & Grace reboot, but has already renewed the iconic sitcom for a second season

• Animated queer short film In A Heartbeat charms millions in only four minutes

• The acclaimed film Call Me By Your Name gets first official trailer

• Matt Joyce of the Oakland A's suspended for shouting anti-gay slur at fan

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

Trailer: "Call Me By Your Name"

When the film adaptation of André Aciman’s acclaimed book, Call Me by Your Name, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the response was immediate rapturous, critical approval.

The flick was a strong presence at several other major film festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival.

Vulture declared the film "feels like a landmark."

Directed by Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash, I Am Love) and set in the Italian region of Lombardy during the early 1980s, Call Me by Your Name follows young Elio (breakout Timothée Chalamet), on the cusp of college and the child of two brainy aesthetes. During the summer we meet Elio, he finds himself bewitched by Oliver (Armie Hammer), a strapping American student who has come to assist Elio’s professor father (Michael Stuhlbarg) for several weeks.

At first, Elio doesn’t quite know what to make of Oliver: Though Elio offers to show the older man around, he lightly mocks Oliver’s casual brashness behind his back. Book-smart and steeped in culture, Elio thinks he knows just about everything already, but as he finds himself increasingly drawn to Oliver — culminating in a romance that’s teased in this trailer — he soon finds out how much there is to learn about love, sex, and the life he’s going to lead.

In addition to the top-shelf work of the two leads, the film's romantic cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom has been hailed by many as a sure Oscar contender.

Due in theaters November 24.