SWEENEY TODD FILM CLIP: Not While I'm Around

Don’t miss "The Making Of Sweeney Todd" on air this weekend only!

Sunday, December 2nd
12:05 – 12:35am PT on KABC
10-10:30am PT on KNBC

LGBT Parties and Events this Week 11/24

Dear god, I am so busy, but I would be remiss if I did not alert y'all to some fantastic things happening this week that I'm sure will enrich your LGBT existence. This week at least.

TONIGHT!!!

2007 JGYC Final HOLIDAY PARTY PLANNING MEETING

TONIGHT, Thursday, November 29, 7:30 PM AT THE VILLAGE
1125 NORTH MCCADDEN PLACE, LOS ANGELES

You are invited to join us to plan this year’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center Holiday Party, which will be held on December 15. Free parking is available in the two lots across the street for this meeting and everyone is welcome to participate in the planning and preparation of our most popular and rewarding volunteer event.

Not to be missed this weekend - THE MINI FALL OUTFEST!!!!


Once a year is not enough for what I consider the BEST LGBT cultural event of Southern California, OUTFEST.

Opening night is Friday night and it continues through Sunday with wonderful films, panels, a conference and parties. It's the people of color film festival, so as you know, that pretty much includes everyone but gay white men - but maybe some will show up!
CLICK HERE FOR FULL SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFO

Fusion Toy Drive!
We are collecting toys for a great organization called Friends Without Barriers (www.amigosonline.org), who provide services to families living with HIV/AIDS in the South Bay area. They are hosting a special holiday event with food and toys for their families. Please bring an unwrapped toy to Fusion on November 30th or December 1st and drop it in the collection bin the the Egyptian Theatre lobby.


Saturday Night, RIBBON OF HOPE awards and party to be recorded for broadcast on here! at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

RSVP NOW!!! ribbonofhopersvp@yahoo.com



It's for a good cause and not only is it free to attend but there will be a complimentary bar hosted by Grey Goose & BV Vinyards, a celebrity red carpet, entertaining musical performances and dessert & coffee after the show.

The Ribbon of Hope Awards (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and here! Networks) honors programming excellence in AIDS awareness, education and action, paying tribute to and promoting “television with conscience”. This year we will be honoring HBO's Life Support (starring Queen Latifa and Gloria Ruben) as well as TLC's Ashley Judd & Youth AIDS: Confronting the Pandemic (among others). This year we are featuring Roseanna Arquette (Desperately Seeking Susan, The L Word), Alexis Arquette (Lords of Dogown, Spun), Bruce Vilanch (Hollywood Squares), Judith Light (Ugly Betty, Who's the Boss), Thea Gill (Queer as Folk, Dantes Cove) Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp (original cast of RENT), Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives, Girl Positve), Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life, Party Monster) and Bruce Vilanch (Hollywood Squares). Past Special Award honorees, presenters and supporters include President Bill Clinton; Sharon Stone; Dick Clark; Deborah Gibson, Peter Gallagher and The L Word.

Here's a link with clips and pics from last year:

http://www.heretv.com/ROH/

Please RSVP to ribbonofhopersvp@yahoo.com


The Lily Tomlin Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
and Dennis Hensley Present

A VERY MERRY
MISMATCH GAME
With Your Host, Dennis Hensley, an All-Star Cast
and special holiday surprises!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 - 8 PM
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 - 8 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 - 7 PM

SCHEDULED TO APPEAR:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 – 8:00 PM
Miss Coco Peru ( Girls Will Be Girls ) as her fabulous self!
Tony Tripoli ( Fashion House ) as Charles Nelson Reilly
Danny Casillas ( Chica's Angels ) as Herve Villechaize
Madeline Long ( The Phacts of Life ) as Shelley Winters
Kali Rocha ( Grey's Anatomy ) as Goldie Hawn
Jack Plotnick (Girls Will Be Girls) as Evie Harris


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 – 8:00 PM
Ted Biaselli ( Puppetmeister Extraordinaire ) as Miss Piggy
Tony Tripoli ( Fashion House ) as Charles Nelson Reilly
Felix Pire ( 12 Monkeys ) as Ricardo Montalban
Jack Plotnick ( Girls Will Be Girls ) as Evie Harris
Tom Lenk ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer ) as Heidi Klum
Melissa Peterman (Reba) as You'll See

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 – 7:00 PM
Tony Tripoli ( Fashion House ) as Charles Nelson Reilly
Julie Brown ( Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful ) as Paula Abdul
Danny Casillas ( Chica's Angels ) as Herve Villechaize
Madeline Long (The Phacts of Life) as Shelley Winters
Patrick Bristow (Ellen) as The Virgin Mary
Kate Flannery (The Office) as Patty Duke

For clips and more, visit: myspace.com/mismatchgame

The Renberg Theatre
1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood
(One block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.)

Tickets $15
Call 323-860-7300
By tickets online at:
http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/c.mvI4IhNZJwE/b.1032399/

WE LOVE PRIZES!
The MisMatch Game is always looking for items for our contestant prize bags.
If you have a swag hook-up or other offering, drop Dennis a line at dhensley@aol.com
WWW.DENNISHENSLEY.COM

Cracked Xmas 10

Venue
The Wiltern Theatre
3790 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Date : Sunday, December 2, 2007
Honoring: ELLEN!

Details
3:30pm - VIP Pre-show Reception & Silent Auction

5:00pm – Cracked Xmas Show and Live Auction
7:00pm – VIP After Party Dessert Bash

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!!!!

Sweeney Todd Clip: A LITTLE PRIEST

More SWEENEY clips!!

Here's a clip of the musical number, A LITTLE PRIEST with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

SWEENEY TODD Sneak Peak!!!

Sorry darlings, I haven't written in a while, but mama's gotta work. I got cats to feed, ya know!

Next week, stay tuned for a list of local Hollywood Gay Holiday parties, my Vegan/Green Shopping Guide and the year's wrap up of the best in LGBT film and television.

"til then, here's the "making of" video for SWEENEY TODD, followed by a scene. Check in each day for another scene.

Center Gala and Eleven Fun

An estimated 900 folks turned out Saturday night for the LA Gay & Lesbian Center's ANNIVERSARY GALA at the Hyat Regency in Century City.

The Silent Auction was just massive! Here are some CHER/Bob Mackie dolls:


Shirley MacLaine, Shirley MacLaine - oh my god -Shirley MacLaine!!!

Separated at birth?

Me and Paul C, the studio CEO that greenlit and financed my last film, SHELTER.



Lori Jean, the ED of The Center, gave a wonderful speech, as always. She is probably the best LGBT speaker in this country.
There was also a fantastic video about the work of the Center, which had the entire audience entranced, proud and cheering.

If you'd like to watch that same video, here it is:

ED, Lori Jean, on right.
Jane Lynch








Our LA Gay and Lesbian Center needs our support, especially in these times when gltb folks are being so discriminated against, with our freedoms challenged every day.
Click here to visit their web site, learn how to get involved and/or make a donation



As promised, both Jenifer Lewis and Shirley MacLaine were off the hook.

First Shirley:


Then Jenifer:


The "filth" she says she is forced to follow is of course, Mr Alec Mapa.

Alec was a fantastic host, coming out to stage each time in a different "outfit", mainly those worn by the Village People and roman gladiators.
My favorite joke of his was when he talked about the staff of Rosie's cruiseship racing around in nervous anticipation of her entrance...he called her "The Devil Wears KMart".

The Gay Men's Chorus not only performed, but received an award for their years of community service.

The head of the chorus gave a fantastic speech - Mentioning that recently whilst applying for a corporate grant, they had to check a box that asked to confirm that they were not a terrorist organization. He mentioned that in some Southern States, gay orgs are actually listed on city web sites as terrorist organizations.

This may sound funny, but please remember that Bush pulled us out of the Geneva Convention just prior to the Iraq war, so he got congress to reverse our stance on arresting, detaining and torturing anyone considered to be a terrorist. The only other countries in the world that don't abide by the Geneva convention are Iraq and China. If you follow the dots, that means that if they chose to arrest and detain members of a terrorist organization, they could.

That's all I'm saying.

To remind you of another time when the gays roamed free - singing, dancing and drinking champ (and prairie oysters) -whilst a facist regime rose to power, watch this:



And once again, if you'd like to be part of the solution:
Click here to visit the Center web site. Learn how to get involved and/or make a donation

If you need more motivation, go ahead and look at the comments left on The California Catholic Press on their article about my film SHELTER screening to teens. Lovely words from our Catholic brothers:

Click here to read Catholic News Article on SHELTER

Here I am with Tony Miros - Mr Gay Hollywood.


In keeping with the theme of raucous gay partying whilst a facist regime rises to power, after the gala I stopped by ELEVEN for 2 Degrees, the big lesbian night. It was so loud and crowded, I almost just turned around and left but then suddenly...a bottle of Moet appeared.

So I stayed! Mama can't say "no" to champ.





With Michelle Clunie from QUEER AS FOLK

(Eleven Photos by photography Faye Sadou. Thank you for sending, darling!)

Sweeney Todd Opens Christmas Day

Johnny Depp's recording session for SWEENEY:


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To seek revenge may lead to hell, but everyone does it and seldom as well....

Here is the new INTERNATIONAL trailer with extended scenes:



US Trailer



SWEENEY TODD US Television Spot: "Never Forgive"

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Best. Musical. Ever. (along with PORGY AND BESS and WEST SIDE STORY)

And thank you thank you thank you so much again Martini Cindy for sending me the SWEENEY TODD poster!!!

Upcoming Events in LA...good stuff!!!

Actress and author Shirley MacLaine will present the Center’s highest individual honor to Jenifer Lewis at the 36th Anniversary Gala and Auction this Saturday. Like Lewis, whose show “Bipolar, Bath & Beyond” this year raised $40,000 for the Center, MacLaine is a longtime supporter of equality for LGBT people.

Get your tickets now, this will sell out!!!
LAGLC Anniversary Gala Purchase Tickets Here

I am particularly excited about this because...well, several reasons. I've been going to the gala for about 7 years now and I'm a big supporter of our Center. Also, I fucking adore La MacLaine and La Lewis. Not only because they are so crazy talented, but for their fierce, outspoken stance on issues that pertain to our humanity.

The following video I took a few months ago at the Project Angel Food Awards. Ms MacLaine was hysterical and captivating in her speech. She made brownie points by bashing George Bush in the first five seconds of her speech. Really, really bashing Bush.


This following video I took of Jennifer Lewis just TEARING THE FUCKING ROOF OFF just a few weeks ago. I dare you not to get goosebumps here as she sings I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, I KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN at last month's POINT FOUNDATION COURAGE AWARDS. The boys could not jump to their feet fast enough towards the end.



So I'm already wondering..."what will I wear? what will I wear?" this Saturday night.

Another great happening in town that I highly recommend is the stellar lgbt stand up night at the Improv. As I wrote in my review two months ago, it's really better than narcotics.


By the way, Ms Erin Folley, you and your super talented dyke friends can come back to karaoke any time. Drinks on me!

Also, think about giving back this Thanksgiving, and having some fun with it:

SHELTER screens for Gay/Straight Alliance Teens

The cast and filmmakers from SHELTER screened the gay surf film to an audience of teenagers from Gay/Straight Alliance groups from local high schools at Crossroads School in Santa Monica on Wednesday night.

Here's some music from SHELTER by the talented songwriter/performer SHANE MACK. Push play and listen while you read along. I think this guy is just sensational - I mean, crazy talented - and this is one of the songs from the film.

http://www.myspace.com/shanemackmusic

So the following cast and filmmakers drove down to Santa Monica to screen the film and have a chat with the youths.


And of course, our wonderful here! Studio Exec Matt Freeman was there as well.

This photo is from the first day of shooting. Look how much fun we're having unleashing our homosexual agenda!!

Of course, a local Catholic Web Site picked up on the screening and wrote a piece about how we were "unleashing our homosexual agenda on our youth". This spawned a heated comment roll on that site (and on other Christian sites that picked up the story) basically just slamming gays.

The article headline reads: "A sexy, sensory treat -
Parents pay Santa Monica school up to $26,000 a year so their children can see films romanticizing teen homosexuality"

Click here to read Catholic News Article on SHELTER

Needless to say, we all drove down to Santa Monica to screen the film and chat with the kids.


I videotaped the q and a, which was outstanding, but I could not broadcast it because of "rules". Meanwhile, several of the kids came up to me afterwards and told me to post it anyway (god, I love them! Out, proud and defying authority! My type of kids!)

The best of of it was when the moderator asked the kids what they thought of the Catholic press and comments, and if they felt they needed to be protected from this film. The answer was, "Duh, no!" No, actually there were so many wonderful, insightful and well spoken comments about this.

But anyway, sans the video, I still vlogged about it:


And I can put up the q and a of the cast, so here's some of that.

Here's Brad Rowe answering a question about being straight, but playing a gay role and also reflecting on his role in another gay film, BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS.



If you like Brad, here's a snippet from a radio interview he did on the Frank DeCaro Show a few months back.



When asked about his personal experience with friends that have come out, Ross had this to say about an incident in his college fraternity:


Thank you again so much, Katie, Ross, Brad, Shane (I HEART SHANE MACK!!!!) and of course, writer/director Jonah Markowitz for sharing their time by coming down to talk to the kids. And for being part of this film. Making this film was, for me, why I got into the business and why I love making movies. Thank you all for lending your incredible talents and hard work to this project.

As always, I'll see you all at the gay movies!!!

Catholics up in arms over SHELTER school screening

They say there's no such thing as bad press. But when it's right wing Christian hate press....

"this is the perverts, also known as homosexuals fostering their satanic culture on our children..."

"This is another example of the blatant homosexual agenda attacking vulnerable children."

What are they talking about? Well, my film of course.

My film SHELTER will screen at Crossroads School as part of their Gay Straight Alliance Program. Of course, the idea of showing a GAY film to high school and middle students to some people... you can imagine the comments. Actually you don't have to, because I'll post them here.

SHELTER is the perfect film to show kids because it depicts gay men as having a healthy relationship which includes family and kids. And it's not some LIFETIME movie, it's a HOT SURFER FLICK.

A common response we get from the film is tears. Literally. Gay men have been so moved by the mere images shown of a happy, healthy, drug free, loving family which includes two men.

I don't think I need to tell anyone on my blog roll how important that is to get these images to people that feel shame, are fearful and are feeling pressure from their family or communities around being gay.

And I will tell you... the intent of myself and the studio, here! films, was exactly that. We wanted to make an entertaining gay film without drugs, hustlers, death and/or suicide.

Studies have confirmed that up to 50% of all LGBT youth have attempted suicide. 30% have succeeded. This is brought on by fear, loneliness and isolation. As gays that have gone on to college and moved out into the real world with success, we owe it to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to show them it's okay. This is a common experience we all share as part of the LGBT community. We all once lived in that moment...knowing we were different, wondering if it was okay, and finally coming out.

Anyway, here's a link to the article. Feel free to launch an attack in the comments. I'll include two choice ones.

Click here to read Catholic News Article on SHELTER

Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 10:46 AM By Mike
And we wonder why sexual abuse cases are increasing in staggering numbers. This is another example of the blatant homosexual agenda attacking vulnerable children. I am saddened that the homosexual community uses schools for such young children as a breeding ground to increase its numbers. Our culture of death has created an environment that makes it impossible for children to understand their sexuality in a way other than a means to a self-fulfilling end. These children become more confused and vulnerable to homosexual tendencies as there is an increase in sexual stimuli around them, and the homosexual community is taking full advantage of this vulnerability. As Christians, we need to be diligent in creating a culture of life and help foster purity in these children. Sexual abuse, rape and homosexuality will continue to increase until we become a culture of purity, not a culture of pleasure seekers. If we continue to feed our disordered sexual desire, our disordered appetite will grow and never be satisfied until we realize that our true satisfaction comes from God. God has given us such a wonderful gift in our sexuality as a means to love Him and we have used it as a means to love ourselves. Our sexuality has become apple Adam and Eve could not resist and is the tool used by the devil to remove us from the grace of God. Homosexuality is merely a byproduct of our sexual transgressions. Please check out christopherwest.com to find some great insights into JPII’s Theology of the Body. God Bless.

Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:36 PM By Daniel
I have a very open mind, my mind tells me this is the perverts, also known as homosexuals fostering their satanic culture on our children. Do they have a nice movie showing the children the ravages of AIDS that cut the kindom of gaydom admirers life span to about 44 years, compared to 78 for those who do not wallow in the sewers of this pathetic life style. I thought lying and spinning the truth was just a Hilarious Clinton sickness, apparently she has really rubbed of the the gay community. Tell the truth to the children, show them your suffering from this disease, show them the suicides, show them the degenerate side of gaydom. MAY GOD BLESS YOU

HRC Garden Party and the hottest man in Gay Film

Hello darlings.

Okay, back the gay scene in Los Angeles. This Saturday I attended the HRC Women's Garden Party. Before I lose all the boys, I'll enclose some hot photos of a man later in the post, k? Although, isn't it more rare than Haley's to see JD in a large group of lesbians as opposed to a large group of gay men and aren't you curious to see how it went?

If you aren't familiar with HRC, shame on you. HRC is the Human Rights Campaign. They are a national non-profit advocacy group that works on LGBT rights on the political and legal playground.

Click here to go to HRC's Web Site

As a superficial aside, I have to mention the only time I have met gay icons Barbra Streisand and Liza Minelli... in the same night...was at an HRC event about four years ago. If Stephen Sondheim and Liz Taylor had also been there, the planets would have alligned for me and I would have exploded into a million tiny pieces, but alas, since you enjoy reading my blog, it's fortunate that didn't happen, eh?

Anyway, the Garden Party was an opportunity to bring fabulous lesbians from our local community together to get them interested in getting involved with HRC to some capacity. Kudos, by the way, since HRC is tradionally a billionaire's boys club. It's about time the lesbians got chique and started infiltrating the LGBT rights activism groups to unleash their power dykedom.

So first of all, here were my two dates for the night:


Make note: Three - how shall I put this? - wild and crazy lesbians should really not go anywhere without adult supervision.
We shoulda had at least one guardian around to keep us from either starting a conga line, flashing our breasts, encouraging women to do tequila shots, and kissing strangers. Especially since this was a "classy" event.

Okay, I didn't pick up these women at a local strip joint. Mariah is the producer of the infamous Dinah Shore Weekend, and Lisa Dickey is now #3 on the New York Times best seller list for non fiction with the book she helped Cathie Black to write, BASIC BLACK. Visit her web site at: http://www.lisadickey.com/

But I hang out with them because, you know, they're cute and they always fondle me when they've had too much to drink.

On the ride up the windy roads of the Hollywood Hills, I have to say, if silence was oxygen, we woulda died of asphyxiation . We all talked and talked like junior high school girls.

Anyway, when we got there we donned-we-now-our-gay but appropriate party behavior.


Mariah and Lisa with the two hostesses of the evening, Nancy Haag and Wendy Alexander.

They opened up their lovely Hollywood home to host this event, which had a hardy attendance.



I posed with the other two that were classy and sophisticated enough to have the "IT HAIR"...gray. Silver foxes, baby!

"Dontcha wish your hairdo was gray like mine? Dontcha wish your hairdo was gray like mine? Dontcha?"


Todd! The first and one of like 3 gay men at the event. I clung to him for a while at the beginning, scared of being released into the wild with my own kind after having been raised by gay men in domesticity.*



Leslie Barclay. Every body's friend at every gay event!!! "I'd like a whiskey. And don't be stingy, baby".**

My friend Carrie and Tracy, from Gay Wired (which is owned by here! the company that also produced my film SHELTER, which recently won 5 audience awards at Tampa Int'l. I KNEW IT! I KNEW I COULD WORK IT IN HERE SOMEWHERE!!!)


The ladies listenened to Hilary Rosen's talk.


Sisters? The woman on the right is wearing my exact same jacket (camel hair from Brooks Brothers). I told her how my friends always tease me about looking like a college professor, but us east girls girls....

Here I am wearing the same jacket last week at The Point Foundation.


Jane Lynch and a man I did not meet so I don't know his name.

When you are so passionate about LGBT rights and political talk, it may actually look like you're just flirting.
That's Hilary Rosen on the right, who now runs OUR CHART. She gave a wonderful speech at the event regarding the work of HRC and why now more than ever it is important to get involved with political issues to further the rights and freedoms of LGBT folks.

The cop and the lawyer. I loved these girls! After I snapped the photo, one said to the other, "I hope your girlfriend doesn't see this." SO L WORD!


Katherine and Angela.

Katherine earned uber brownie points with me by getting my somewhat obscure and really-really GAY joke I made in the valet line. A friend asked me, "So, JD, what is your job-job? I mean, other than blogging and going to a lot of parties."
"Well," I said, "In addition to developing oscar-worthy, gay positive feature films, I also ....." Okay, not telling everyone! But I continued to say, "But don't tell anyone. I like to have the allure that I am being kept by an filthy rich, 80 year old washed up actress high in the Hollywood Hills. In fact, I have to hurry home now to write another batch of fan letters that she thinks she's still getting." To which Katherine leaned over and uttered, "Do you live on Sunset Boulevard?" I nodded and said, "Yes, and we just had a funeral for a monkey in the backyard yesterday."

Okay, enough iconic Hollywood humour, back to the party at hand.


Jean and Karen.



Lisa did get Mariah up on the podium overlooking the pool, but they did not start singing "I got the world on a string"


HRC has chapters all over the United States and there is a list of these parties, which occur in every major city on their web site:
Click here to go to HRC's Web Site


*If you haven't been following along, I'm a gay man. Don't know why, really, but it has to do with my love of old Hollywood, camp tv shows, the works of Truman Capote and Christopher Isherwood and my ridiculous connection to anything musical theatre. Well, not anything. I hate Lloyd Weber and Love Sondheim.

**And if you were a gay man you'd get that as the reference to the first words ever spoken on screen by the diva Greta Garbo in her first talkie, ANNA CHRISTIE.

Okay, okay, you hungry-like-the-wolf gay men. If you made it this far, here's some eye candy.

Here's one of my favorite actors (okay, you people, you know if you've worked with me you are all my favorites, k?) from the film I produced a few years back, EATING OUT 2, Marco Dapper.

We had cocktails together oceanside at sunset two weeks ago during the AFM Film Market and Conference.

He was there with an exciting new film project, as was I, and we had a wonderful time comparing notes and cheering each other on in our new cinematic endevours.


Here he is when he is not being photographed with a gray haired old lady by a consumer digital camera:

By the way, Adam Bouska, the photographer....don't even get me started. Aside from La Liebowitz, my favorite living celebrity photographer.

Check out his stuff at: http://www.adambouska.com/

And if you'd like to see Marco Dapper completely naked, get EATING OUT 2. The film which has been called, "Voltaire meets Porky's" and "American Pie if Preston Sturges wrote it."*

CHECK OUT EATING OUT 2

*Okay, okay I said that. But it's in print and I really mean it!

Tune in tomorrow for the Bill O Reilly celebrity smack down competition.