The Smoking Cocktail: JD's Picks: Outfest 2011

Hello kitty cats.

Well you've all been bugging, and finally I'm compiling my list of MUST SEES for Outfest. I had to confer with a few other filmphiles to make sure to recommend the best.

I'll cover this weekend and get to the rest by Monday. Promise.

Tonight, Friday July 8th, you will find me at the DGA Atrium for happy hour, then I"ll be at the screenings of LONGHORNS and JAMIE AND JESSE ARE NOT TOGETHER at the Sunset 5.

LONGHORNS is set in 1982 Texas and boasts Beers, Steers and a couple of Queers.

Trailer looks fun until all the male nudity, so I may bring a copy of Vanity Fair to read during those gay boy sex scenes.

LONGHORNS is from TLA Video and the director of the award winning Redwoods. It co stars the hunky Dylan Vox from here! tv's The Lair (who is the only porn star I know who got a law degree from Pepperdine). The after party will be at ELEVEN in WeHo.

If you've never seen TODD HAYNE's film Poison - it's playing at the Director's Guild tonight as part of a retro screening series. This film blew me away when it first came out. I bet it's still a provocative movie experience today, so I recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Then onto Saturday, July 9th.

THE WISE KIDS from director Stephen Cone is at the DGA at 1:45 pm.

THE WISE KIDS Trailer from Stephen Cone on Vimeo.

Then you must... I repeat MUST GO SEE.... We Were Here at 4:15 pm at the DGA.

This film was a big hit at The Sundance Film Festival as well as at Berlin.

If you enjoyed the popular and award winning Fat Girls, writer/director Ash Christian is back with the quirky comedy MANGUS costarring Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse), Leslie Jordan and Jennifer Coolidge.

Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? Remember when Verizon spokesman Paul Marcarelli came out as gay?

Well now the former cell phone spokesman has written and produced a gay film, THE GREEN, and it stars Cheyenne Jackson, Julia Ormond, Illeana Douglas and it's GOOD. Check it out Saturday night at the DGA.

Then, if you like quirky indies, you have to check out another hit from The Sundance Film Festival, HAPPY HAPPY at the DGA at 9:30.

This is a dark, interesting comedy that pushes the boundaries of political correctness. It was a audience favorite in Utah last January, where it received the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. Yeah, that's BIG.

Then at 9:45 at the DGA, Casper Andreas's new film GOING DOWN IN LALA LAND.

Andreas is certainly prolific, his previous films being Violet Tendencies, A Four Letter Word, The Big Gay Musical, and Slutty Summer.

His oft collaborator, hotty Jesse Archer costars.

Then, more great faire on Sunday.

Starting with the sparse, yet compelling grief/regret tone poem WITHOUT at the Sunset 5 at 2:30.

If you like sweeping BBC lesbian flicks like Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith, and The Diary of Miss Anne Lister, then you'll enjoy THE NIGHT WATCH, playing at 4:45 at the DGA.

The film takes place post WWII in England and involves several seemingly disparate people all recovering from the wounds of war. If you enjoy Sarah Waters, you'll love this latest adaptation.

Then it's Sophie's Choice - as with all years - Sunday night with two big hits playing against each other at the DGA.

One is the bio-doc BECOMING CHAZ, which was bought at Sundance this year by the Queen of the Universe Oprah for her new channel. The film chronicles Chastity Bono through his transition to Chaz.