Check out the U.S. trailer for the upcoming Tom of Finland.
Synoposis:
Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer, returns home after a harrowing and heroic experience serving his country in World War II, but life in Finland during peacetime proves equally distressing. He finds peace-time Helsinki rampant with persecution of the homosexual men around him, even being pressured to marry women and have children. Touko finds refuge in his liberating art, specializing in homoerotic drawings of muscular men, free of inhibitions. His work - made famous by his signature 'Tom of Finland' - became the emblem of a generation of men and fanned the flames of a gay revolution.
The film has been extremely well received at film festivals all over the world (official selection at Tribeca International Film Festival and Outfest 2017) and is Finland's official submission for 2018 Academy Awards.
Opens theatrically in NYC on October 13 and in LA/SF on October 20 with a national release to follow.
Nick Jonas and James Franco star in the upcoming Goat, a drama that follows two brothers who pledge the same fraternity and face the experiences of brutal hazing and "hell week" which tests the limits of loyalty to each other.
The very nature of hyper-masculine fraternities makes queer undertones unavoidable in the trailer.
Official Synopsis:
Reeling from a terrifying assault over the summer, 19-year-old Brad Land (Ben Schnetzer) starts college determined to get his life back to normal.
His brother, Brett (Nick Jonas), is already established on campus and with a fraternity that allures Brad with its promise of protection, popularity, and life-long friendships.
Brad is desperate to belong but as he sets out to join the fraternity his brother exhibits reservations, a sentiment that threatens to divide them. As the pledging ritual moves into hell week, a rite that promises to usher these unproven boys into manhood, the stakes violently increase with a series of torturous and humiliating events.
What occurs in the name of ‘brotherhood’ tests both boys and their relationship in brutal ways.
I will mention I was a brother in my university's Sigma Chi chapter back in the day. While the pledging/"hell week" period was tough, it was actually the period of time when becoming a brother felt like I was joining something meaningful because you had to take part in activities, and the ideals of the fraternity were so front and center.
But, to be honest, after I became a brother there really wasn't much "there" there for me. I'm certain in part because they picked up on my being gay before I did. There was clear and present homophobia constantly.
That's not to say my entire Sigma Chi experience was bullshit. Some of the guys were really good, good guys. And god knows, I enjoyed the partying at the time.
I'm sure some of my brothers from back then ended up coming out eventually. I'd love to know who and what their thoughts were on the experience.
Oh, and practically none of my chapter's brothers looked like Nick Jonas. But then, neither did I.
In essence, Sausage Party uses the Pixar formula as its starting point and finishes somewhere around Lars Von Trier’s The Idiots. The premise is simple: What if food could feel? No, that’s not quite it. It’s more like What if food could feel, and swear, and be racist and have sex? It stars Seth Rogen as Frank, a hot dog, and Kristen Wiig as Bun, his girlfriend. The pair live in their respective packages along with every other item in a fictional grocery store (“Shopwell”) where all items of food belong to a religion that worships the human shoppers as gods who they pray will select them and take them into “the great beyond,” the food version of heaven.
Obviously, the truth is that when they’re “chosen,” the food is taken from the comfort and ease of their grocery store to their doom. What happens when Frank, Bun and several of their new and old friends discover that horrifying truth forms the meat of the story.
Gay themed play-turned-feature-film DADDY, starring BearCity star (hottie) Gerald McCullouch, will world premiere today at prestigious Montreal World Film Festival.
DADDY chronicles the intergenerational tale of an older gay male (played by McCullouch) falling for a younger man played by Jaime Cepero, from the NBC show Smash. McCullouch not only stars in the flick but also directed.
Montreal Gazette talked with the handsome McCullouch about whether being out has affected his acting career:
I get asked that question a lot. And I really don’t know how it’s affected my career. I only have the career I have.
I’ve never been one to hide who I am or what I think. And I’ve never understood people’s belief that my eye color, or shoe size, or sexual orientation limits my imaginative capacity to pretend to be someone different.
Mind you, I’ve also appeared in many non-gay-themed shows like Bones and House and Law & Order and many others where I have a wife and kids and no affinity for dudes at all.
And I think the terrain is changing daily of opportunities for out actors and artists. But I’ve been “out” since before it was in fashion. Never really considered being “in.” Not sure what my life would have been. Or my career. Only know the life I have.
DADDY screens at Cinema Quartier Latin at the Montreal World Film Festival:
Aug. 30 at 4:10 p.m.
Aug. 31 at 9 p.m.
So, it appears if you can't make it with the world famous Chippendales, you might end up in a male revue touring Romania.
Of course, there's always that pesky vampire problem there.
Here's the synopsis for the over-the-top comedy flick from the project's Indiegogo page:
While the Chips perform in London, Paris, and Milan, the men of OVERNIGHT MALE are stuck playing low rent beer bars in Bulgaria. And after six weeks on tour, everyone is getting cranky. The straight strippers and the gay strippers are ready to kill each other, and the only thing holding the group together is their geeky and resourceful tour manager, Jake. No matter what Eastern Europe throws at them, Jake's been able to handle it: aggressive fans, thieving bar owners, broken buses, and even the occasional need for bail money.
Vampires, though? That's a new one...
Vampire Strippers Must Die! is a zany comedy about a group of American male strippers on tour in Eastern Europe who are forced to battle an army of bloodsucking undead. It features great dance numbers, epic fight scenes, and lots of funny character moments.
As silly as it all may seem, the project has real talent lined up: the script for Vampire Strippers Must Die! won first place at the New York Gay & Lesbian Film Festival's screenplay competition.
Additionally, this will be the third feature film from writer-director, Keith Hartman. His first two flicks, You Should Meet My Son! and Real Heroes, won "Best Picture" at nine film festivals, as well as awards for "Best Director", "Best Screenplay', and several "Best Actor" awards for members of the cast.
Oh - and a costume designer who's won "Best in Show" at the San Diego Comic Con Masquerade - four times.
Based on the true story of a New Jersey lesbian couple who fought for same-sex couples rights
Clip description:
Based on the Oscar®-winning short documentary and adapted by the writer of Philadelphia, Freeheld is the true love story of Laurel Hester [Julianne Moore] and Stacie Andree [Ellen Page] and their fight for justice.
A decorated New Jersey police detective, Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and wants to leave her hard earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie.
However the county officials, Freeholders, conspire to prevent Laurel from doing this.
Hard-nosed detective Dane Wells [Michael Shannon], and activist Steven Goldstein [Steve Carell], unite in Laurel and Stacie’s defense, rallying police officers and ordinary citizens to support their struggle for equality.
In his last dramatic role on film, Academy Award winner Robin Williams stars in "Boulevard," which follows a married but closeted 60 year old bank employee who finds his life upended when he meets and befriends a male hustler.
In reviewing the film, Variety wrote, "Tapping into that same loneliness felt in “One Hour Photo” and “Good Will Hunting,” the actor projects a regret so deep and identifiable, viewers should have no trouble connecting it to whatever is missing in their own lives — whether those regrets are romantic, sexual, professional or spiritual."
Although the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival weeks before the actor's passing last year, it finally hits theaters July 17th.
Joanna Lumley as "Patsy" (L) and Jennifer Saunders as "Edina"
Fans of AbFab rejoice! Jennifer Saunders shares the news that she has finished writing a movie of Absolutely Fabulous – 20 years after starting it.
Plus, Saunders says she is determined it will be made by the end of 2015.
The project currently has a working title of Edina and Patsy, derived from the sitcom’s main characters, played by Jennifer and Joanna Lumley.
Jen tells the Sunday People: “I’ve finished the first draft. I’m feeling euphoric. My proper New Year’s resolution is to do the film, otherwise it’ll be a pointless year of procrastination.”
She also joked she would like to see Angelina Jolie, replace Lumley as Patsy and an orangutan playing her part.
“That would be funny, Angelina Jolie and an orangutan.”
The last taste of AbFab came in 2012 , when Saunders wrote three episodes to mark the 20th anniversary of the hilarious series.
A rare misstep for the comedian was in writing the now closed Viva Forever!, a musical based on the songs of the Spice Girls, which only lasted 6 months.
Winner of the Queer Palm at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Pride tells the true story of a group of gay and lesbian activists who rallied together to raise money for struggling families affected by the U.K. miners strike' in 1984.
The film was directed by Matthew Warchus, who also directed the first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, which was my last Broadway appearance :)
Via press release:
PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families.
Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.
Released this week in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this weekend.
Watch the trailer below, and check out the official website here.
Criterion is releasing a new, restored BLU-RAY/DVD release of Bob Fosse's 1979 musical masterpiece, All That Jazz.
Roy Scheider plays Fosse alter-ego "Joe Gideon," a sex and drugs prone workaholic balancing career (a new Broadway show while editing a new movie) with personal life. P.s. - the personal life sees less success than the professional.
Criterion’s amazing 4K restoration includes several new features:
New 4K digital restoration, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary featuring editor Alan Heim
Selected-scene audio commentary by actor Roy Scheider
New interviews with Heim and Fosse biographer Sam Wasson
New conversation between actors Ann Reinking and Erzsebet Foldi
Episode of the talk show Tomorrow from 1980, featuring director Bob Fosse and choreographer Agnes de Mille
Interviews with Fosse from 1981 and 1986
On-set footage
Portrait of a Choreographer, a 2007 documentary on Fosse
The Soundtrack: Perverting the Standards, a 2007 documentary about the film’s music
Interview with George Benson from 2007, about his song “On Broadway,” which opens the film
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Hilton Als
In what looks to be a reimagining of "I, Robot," Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and Dylan McDermott star in this sic-fi film due to hit theaters October 10th.
Fifty Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon. Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.
Currently scheduled for a Valentine's Day 2015 release.
I have to say, Jamie Dornan is a handsome guy. I could look at him for a few minutes.
Will the movie live up to the hype of the book (which I never read)?
The creators of an upcoming sci-fi film ask the question: "Ever wondered what it might look like if a science fiction film presented LGBT people the way it should be done? Credence will be the first Sci-Fi of its kind to challenge the way gay characters are portrayed in film."
Synopsis:
Credence tells the story of a family torn apart during the last evacuation on earth after violent storms have made survival impossible.
Hope has been found in the form of new worlds that support human life, however due to limited rocket capacity and life expectancy only children are permitted to evacuate, and even then - only the rich have ended up getting tickets.
Credence follows 2 fathers' decision to make the ultimate sacrifice to give up all their possessions to ensure the survival of their daughter, and the entire human race.
You can help support the making of Credence at Indiegogo.
Directed by Ira Sachs (Keep The Lights On, Forty Shades of Blue), Love is Strange follows Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) who, after 4 decades together, finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan.
But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and - victims of the relentless New York City real estate market - temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home.
While George moves in with two cops (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew (Darren Burrows), his wife (Marisa Tomei), and their temperamental teenage son (Charlie Tahan), with whom Ben shares a bedroom.
While struggling with the pain of separation, Ben and George are further challenged by the intergenerational tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements.
Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of the smash Broadway show Jersey Boys is projected to only bring in a low $13.5M this weekend at a cost around $40M. That estimate has already been revised down.
The studio wanted the summer release, not Clint, who made more of a drama than a musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons based on the Broadway production nearing a decade-long run based on the original book written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice who also wrote this screenplay.
Unfortunately the knocks against the pic are that it’s slow, lacked a musical background (seriously), and didn’t come alive until the last 15 minutes including credits. Biggest mistake might have been not using more artists’ music to set the feel for the time period.
Obviously disappointing news for Broadway fans. The stage production, directed by Des McAnuff, is supremely entertaining, and the use of the Four Seasons music to tell their story is clever but never heavy-handed.
The Broadway production is still doing great business, as well as the touring companies world-wide.
Drawn from the author’s own life, BURNING BLUE explores the concepts of love, friendship and honor in the U.S. Navy when a routine accident investigation turns into a modern-day Witch Hunt.
Synopsis: Following two fatal mishaps involving F-18 jets aboard an aircraft carrier a government agent is placed aboard the ship to determine what may be at the root of these accidents. His mission abruptly changes course when a young sailor reports seeing one of the fleets' top-ranking fighter pilots in a gay club. The suspected aviator and three of his squadron mates and their spouses become the subjects of a deadly investigation entangling them in a web of jealousy and deceit changing their lives forever.
Revolving around a robbery at a Hollywood gay sex party, this comedic beefcake detective story is the directorial debut of Spearman (best known for his role as Chance on the Logo series Noah’s Arc). The titular hot guys — Marc Samuel and Brian McArdle — co-star as the crime-solving duo who are thrown together to investigate the case. Adding an extra layer of fun to the story, they also happen to be ex-boyfriends. The film’s glowing Variety review calls them “a sort of West Hollywood Nick and Nora Charles!”
Hot Guys with Guns is available now on digital and coming to DVD May 6th.
Actor Ben Stiller is currently in discussions to play openly gay choreographer "Nick DeNoia" in director Alan Ball’s I Am Chippendales, a film that follows the rise of Chippendales becoming the most famous male revues of all time.
If Magic Mike has taught us anything, it's that there's an audience for movies about male strippers. But it sounds like I Am Chippendales will go beyond the stage to dig into the founding and expansion of the Chippendales night club and the eventual controversy related to attempted arson, racketeering and murder-for-hire, linked co-owner Somen "Steve" Banerjee.
Variety says Ben Stiller (Keeping the Faith), is in negotiations to play the role of Nick DeNoia, "the former choreographer/partner who helped conceive the idea for the dance troupe with Banerjee and attorney Brian Nahin." He also played a big part in expanding the act on a global level.
Ball — who is set to direct, produce and adapt the script based on Rodney Sheldon’s book — is one of the minds behind the TV shows Six Feet Under, True Blood and the Oscar-winning film American Beauty.
You don't have to wait for the movie, though, folks. Chippendales currently has two companies of the fun and flirty male revue - one permanent company at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and a second company that tours the world.
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