Monday, August 31, 2009

Time Lapse Video of Los Angeles Fire

For those of you outside of Los Angeles, we here are in the midst of fire season, and are currently under seige by this bad ass:

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Drag Show, Cocktails, and Gay Professionals in WeHo!


Tonight is TheSmokingCocktail.com mixer at O Bar, where we can all get together to chilax, schmooze, mingle, gossip, network or just hang with some cool LGBT folks in a professional environment.

This week we'll be raffling off free tickets to this fantastic show, care of All Out Films.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Meryl Streep gets it on with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

There's a saying in Hollywood that states there are no roles for women over 40.  Another Hollywood "rule" is that chick-flicks don't open a film (ie, hit big the first weekend at the box office).

Personally I hate these "Hollywood Rules" and love it when the movie industry is forced to go against the standard, generally bent-over by the mighty dollar.  (A few other rules:  A lesbian period piece will never get made; you don't hire a new screenwriter over 40; Gay films won't sell; movies about the industry don't sell; you have to appeal to the male 14-24 demographic).

Well someone is currently breaking the woman-0ver-40-hot-roles-and-bigBO rule:  Enter Meryl Streep

Streep has this one in the bag after a triumphant series of films including DOUBT, MAMA MIA, JULIE AND JULIA and of course the gay favorite and the film that kicked it off for her lately, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.

As long as we keep lining up at the Box Office, Hollywood will make vehicles for Streep.  

Here's a trailer for her upcoming film, IT'S COMPLICATED, which costars Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.



IT'S COMPLICATED follows Streep's character after she is dumped by her husband (Alec Baldwin), who runs off with a younger woman. She finally gets on the dating horse and finds a sensible fellow (Steve Martin), when her ex husband returns to woo her (cheating on his new, younger wife).

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Are You Ready for MAD MEN tonight? Your Primer, cocktail recipes and more...


Are you ready for the season premier of MAD MEN tonight on AMC?

To get you ready, I've pulled together some must haves. One is a gigantic HD tv. The second is your favorite group of smokers and drinkers.

And then there's the cocktails!

Visit this AMC MAD MEN SITE to get your cocktail recipes.

Or just following the recipe suggested in the photo at left.

MAD MEN has had a large gay following mainly because of the glorious costumes, tasty-yummy production design, the high drama and the decadence of smoking & drinking at work. There's even a Clark Kent/Superman hidden-identity factor with the main character Donald Draper not being what he seems. The idea of living one's life as one thing in the public, yet knowing you are something else inside is familiar ground for LGBT people.

If you haven't seen this show yet, take a gander at this teaser trailer - and if you're gay, tell me this doesn't seem like just another Friday night at a gay bar - only with better production design and set in 1960.


The show also boasts a strong supporting female cast of women who had to endure "a man's world". These women get ahead - or try to - living in a man's world, where they are considered second class citizens and sex objects.




The show even has it's own closeted character, Sal, played by out-actor Bryan Bratt.

Here's a deliciously lesbian moment from Season One:

It's so A CHILDREN'S HOUR!!!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

This Wednesday....

Did anyone else have a "mercury in retrograde" week? You know what I mean, when annoying little things go wrong in a high volume? Like twitter and blogger go down, and there are an unusual amount of accidents on the roads, and you pick the wrong line at the grocery store, and basic electronic equipment crashes, and people are just cranky in general?

Since Mercury doesn't go into retrograde until next month, I figured out this has to be from all the bad energy in this country being generated by those "town hall meetings". Way too many bad, negative vibes out there. What the world needs now, God Damnit, is fucking love, sweet love, mother fuckers!

That being said, if you're in LA, come out to my monthly mixer this upcoming Wednesday night and we can all attempt to add some positive, happy energy back into the world.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Watch Video: Jon Stewart on Angry Mobs and Healthcare

If anyone's seen Fritz Lang's FURY, that film would give you a fairly accurate assessment of the current rage at America's Town Hall Meetings regarding the President's Health Care Reform plans.


The news coverage of these have been rivaling reality shows on VH-1 lately for embarrassing outbursts that depict a prehistoric brain function and screaming that hasn't been seen since Jerry Springer.



The Town Halls were originally planned to assuage citizen's concerns with the transition by the government to a new health care system.  The wrench got tossed into the plot by Republican pundits like Glenn Beck, who incited his base into crashing local town halls with their souls enraged by fear and a good measure of pressure on racist nerves to boot.

Here's some clips and Stewart's take - which is humorous and accurate.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Watch Video: Channing Tatum takes it all off at Florida Strip Show

Hottie beefcake Channing Tatum - star of this past weekend's box office winner GI JOE - just had a rather lovely video of himself in a Chippendale-Esque male strip review published by that pinnacle of long, in-depth, journalistic articles US WEEKLY (remember when their articles were a few pages, then all the articles were only a page, then now just a box?).

In this video, Tatum dances, takes off his clothes and shows his ass.

All things his gay audience applauds and respects.

I'm just going to put up the video now since the minute I said "shows his ass", you probably lost all interest in reading any more type.


First of all, explain to me the big deal about a person having a job and earning an honest living? 
Another question I have is: why do all the famous people with pasts in strip shows happen in Florida (note: Anna Nicole Smith). 

Also, isn't this a G rated version of getting publicity, as opposed to all the "sex tapes" going around? 

Also, he has a nice ass, right?  So hard to tell with boys.

If you've ever been to one of these male strip shows (as I have since I have lived in Florida, clearly the hallmark of strip joints and not just poor presidential voting processes), they are so innocuous, a shaker of salt is more provocative.



US Weekly notes Tatum was in this male review called ENCOUNTERS in 1999. He was 18 at the time and worked there a year. Us also reports he was discovered by a casting director at this review and cast in the Ricky Martin SHE BANGS music video.

Tatum went on to model in campaigns for Dolce and Gabana, Abercrombie and Nautica.


I'm a fan of Tatum's and predict/hope he goes on to big screen stardom. I've been forced to watch his work under my own work circumstances and found that he is not only very handsome, he can also dance (I was shocked) and he can also act (also shocked). If you'd like to see his hoof action, check out STEP UP, and if you'd like to see some acting chops, check out A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS and STOP-LOSS (from the director of BOYS DON'T CRY).

Other famous models that have gone successfully into acting include the obvious comparison Mark aka Markie Mark Walhberg, along with Milla Jovovich, Lauren Hutton, Josh Holloway, Brooke Shields, Liv Tyler, Andie McDowell, Famke Jansen and Ashton Kutcher.


A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS is really an interesting film and although not spectacular, worth a watch. It includes stellar performances by Shia LaBouf, Robert Downey Jr, Rosario Dawson, Melonie Diaz and Dianne Weist.

Tatum can be seen in the following films:

GI JOE
Step Up
Stop-Loss
Battle in Seattle
Fighting
She's the Man
Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Trailer for A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Harry Potter Becomes Major Donor at The Trevor Project: LGBT Suicide Hotline


The Trevor Project announced today that actor Daniel Radcliffe - who stars as Harry Potter in the popular film franchise - has recently become a major donor to the organization.

"I am very pleased to begin my support of The Trevor Project, which saves lives every day through its critical work," said Daniel Radcliffe. "It's extremely distressing to consider that in 2009 suicide is a top three killer of young people, and it's truly devastating to learn that LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. I deeply hope my support can raise the organization's visibility so even more despondent youth become aware of The Trevor Helpline's highly trained counselors and Trevor's many other resources. It's vitally important that young people understand they are not alone and, perhaps even more important, that their young lives have real value."

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Watch Video: The GAY Breakfast Club

Iconic writer/director John Hughes has passed away at the age of 59 of a heart attack.  He had his finger on the pulse of teenagers in my generation - the 1980's - and helmed classic of teenage angst and romance including Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club,  and Ferris Bueller's Day Off as well as the hits Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Home Alone and Christmas Vacation.

I pulled this clip out from my short film GAY PROPAGANDA made back in 2002 where I took famous and iconic scenes from Hollywood movies and made them gay.  The Breakfast Club clip video Molly Ringwald

Here's a scene from the Breakfast Club, only all gay and lesbian. The Gay Breakfast Club.



You Cannot Change Your Sexual Orientation

Jesus, finally.

The recent report from the American Psychiatric Society definitively states that it is not possible to change your sexual orientation.

Oh my god, what was that I just heard? Progress?! This is the same organization that pre 1975 classified homosexuality as a mental disorder.

The study was created as a response to the religious right demanding a report on programs such as exodus, since a large portion of strict religions preach negativity towards homosexuality.

The important facts that emerged included

> a recommendation to psychiatrists not to prescribe change to homosexuals
> proof that homosexuals who attempt to become hetero through programs suffer low self worth and negative affects
> proof that religious standards are what causes the harm to the psyche of homosexuals

From CNN:
  The task force noted that some people attempt to change their sexual orientation because it conflicts with their religious beliefs, and recommended that their mental health care providers help them "explore possible life paths that address the reality of their sexual orientation, reduce the stigma associated with homosexuality, respect the client's religious beliefs, and consider possibilities for a religiously and spiritually meaningful and rewarding life."

You can read all about it here on the CNN web site.