 |
Entertainment
News Flash
by Jed Ryan
November
5, 2001
Current
and Upcoming Gay and Gay-Friendly Movies on VHS and DVD!
NOW
AVAILABLE!
 "I'm
the One That I Want" (2000)
Margaret Cho, supremely talented comedienne and self-professed
fag hag, turns her experiences with her ill-fated TV show,
weight, drugs, sexual escapades, and Korean-American family
into a hilarious night of fun! Filmed from a live concert
in San Francisco. If you missed her live show in New York
City a while back, this is the next best thing! Priced to
own on VHS and DVD.
 "Aimee
& Jaguar" (1999) This romantic, highly praised
film played at the Cinema
Arts Centre upon its theatrical release. Set in World
War II Germany, it's a story of lesbian love against all odds.
Lilly is married to a Nazi officer. Felice is an out lesbian
and is Jewish as well. What happens when they fall in love?
An important look at the way gays and lesbians were treated
in Nazi Germany, a subject worthy of greater cinematic exploration.
In German with English subtitles. For rental or priced to
own on DVD.
 "Bridget
Jones's Diary" (2001) It's no mystery why this
British comedy was a favorite among gay men-- it's a camp
delight! Voluptuous Bridget Jones (played by Renee Zellweger)
has the wedding bell blues, but she doesn't seem to have much
luck with men. The audience, on the other hand, sure has fun
watching her assorted love adventures. Hugh Grant plays Bridget's
undeserving love interest whose personality doesn't quite
match his mannered good looks. Bridget's neurotic tendencies
and romantic escapades are something that so many of us can
(sigh!) relate to. The perfect movie for a gay man and his
straight female friend to watch together. Available for rental
or priced to own on DVD. If you missed "Blood
and Roses," "My Left Breast,"
"Wolves
of Kromer," or "Scout's
Honor" at the Long
Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, then you can see
these movies on video and/or DVD. See the article
on the Film Festival!
COMING
SOON!
 "Hedwig
and the Angry Inch" (2001)
Based on the hugely successful off-Broadway rock musical,
this critically acclaimed, transcendent rock-and-roll epic
is loud, colorful, flashy, and campy-- yet when all the glitter
is washed away, there's actually a tender and provocative
story underneath as well. "Hedwig" is a young gay
man from Cold War-era East Germany who, in an effort to escape
to America, agrees to a sex-change operation so that he can
marry his American GI lover. Unfortunately, things go horribly
awry when the operation gets botched, leaving Hedwig with
an "angry inch" for a penis. "Hedwig and the
Angry Inch," the play and the movie, also caused controversy
due to the story's overwhelming resemblance to the real-life
story of gender-bending rock queen Jayne County, which "Hedwig's"
creators won't comment on. See the movie-- and learn about
Jayne County's life. Then, decide for yourself! Available
on video and DVD on December 11th.
 "Queer
as Folk: The Complete First Season"
(American version) (2001) If you don't have Showtime, now
you can catch up with a phenomenal SIXTEEN AND A HALF HOURS
(!) of the landmark, wildly popular gay and lesbian soap
opera that shattered taboos for American TV. Can't you just
picture a "Queer As Folk" marathon at a friend's
house? This boxed set will cost $99.99 on VHS or DVD-- a bargain
for an unlimited serving of Brian, Michael, Justin, and the
others! Available January 8th. The Film Festival crowd-pleasers
"All
Over the Guy" and "Lost
And Delirious" will be available on VHS and DVD
on December 18th!
UPCOMING
THEATRICAL RELEASES (...To avoid!)
 Oh,
boy! Joey Fatone and Lance Bass from N'SYNC are going to be
in a new movie! And it's going to feature all new songs from
the omnipresent boy band. Of course, we all know that pop
stars make great actors! (Gasp!) Promotion for this youth-market
oriented flick, called "On the Line," is
assaulting us everywhere-- billboards at the mall, ads in
magazines, etc. I know that many younger gay guys are fans
of N'SYNC and other boy bands, but I can't help but wonder
what kind of movie is going to result from this misguided
effort to turn these two youngsters into actors. Even staring
at their unblemished faces and (presumably) cute costumes
for 90 minutes won't be enough to make "On the Line"
bearable. This movie sounds like a faded-pop-star-of-the-moment
vehicle/camp classic in the making! "On the Line"
is coming to theaters soon-- beware!
September
6, 2001
 I've
got good news about upcoming TV, video/DVD, and cinematic
releases!
1. AB FAB is back! Yes, there will be all new episodes
of "Absolutely
Fabulous," starting Monday, November 12, on Comedy
Central. If you miss this deliciously decadent Britcom
like I do, just the news of a Patsy and Edina reunion is enough
to bring on a spontaneous orgasm! If you've never seen the
series, it is MANDATORY viewing for gay men! All
the old episodes are available on boxed set on video or DVD.
Never before have cheap booze, chain-smoking, and tacky fashion
trends looked so chic!
2. FEMALE
TROUBLE, directed by John Waters and starring the
late great 300-pound transvestite Divine, will be re-released
on video for $14.99 on October 2nd by popular demand! (You
can finally throw away that scratchy bootleg copy you own!)
Long before  John
Waters went mainstream with "Serial
Mom" and "Pecker,"
his subversive underground comedies were delighting audiences
at midnight film festivals in urban art movie houses all over
America. "Female
Trouble" is John Waters at his over-the-top, outrageous,
sick-minded, politically incorrect, "I-can't-believe-I-saw-that!"
best! Who can resist Divine spouting out lines like "I'M SO
FUCKING BEAUTIFUL I CAN BARELY STAND IT MYSELF!" Plus, there
will also be a DVD
release with BOTH "Female Trouble" AND John
Waters' other underground cult classic, "Pink Flamingoes,"
the movie where Divine ACTUALLY EATS DOG SHIT! I'm not kidding!
If you appreciate gay cinema that's definitely out to break
all the rules, check out some of John Waters' classics. If
not, stick with the dainty behavior of "In
and Out" or "To
Wong Foo..."
 3.
For "So Bad It's Good Cinema," fallen singer Mariah Carey
will be making her feature film appearance in "Glitter"
-- a movie that's bound to join Diana Ross' "Mahogany"
on the video shelf under the "Washed Up Diva Camp Classics"
category. Mariah, who incidentally was just readmitted back
to the psych ward this morning, stars in a drama about a singer
who struggles to find success, only to discover that it';s
lonely at the top. Gee, what a stretch! At Wigstock
this past Sunday, a trailer for "Glitter" was shown,
which was greeted by snickers and boos from the audience,
and people throwing things at the screen. This movie looks
REALLY bad... and I can't wait to see it! It sounds
like the perfect night to gather a well-inebriated group of
friends to go see "Glitter," followed by a Mariah CD-burning
party... no, I don't mean copying the CD's, I mean REALLY
burning them.
Enjoy!
|
|
