Movie Dearest

Reverend's Reviews: Boyfriends, Beats and a Beautiful Darling

2012-02-03T06:00:00.015-06:00

Tales of romance fittingly dominate this month's new releases on home video, but a documentary about a transgender member of Andy Warhol's "Factory" and a Bollywood-inspired comedy are also worth noting.

Now available on DVDand Video On Demand from TLA is the sexy Finding Me: Truth. A sequel to 2009's Finding Me, it continues to chronicle the romantic successes and failures of a tight-knit group of African-American men and women in New York. The players include Faybien (Raymartell Moore), a young gay man pining for his ex-boyfriend, Lonnie (Derrick L. Briggs); the bisexual Greg, who is carrying on simultaneous relationships with a man and Tammy, the cousin of bf Amera. Attention-hogging Amera, meanwhile, suspects her boyfriend Gabe of cheating on her. And then there is Jay (the late Maurice Murrell, to whom the film is dedicated), Greg's effeminate but buff roommate who is romantically involved with a drug-dealing, bisexual gangbanger.

Filmmaker Roger S. Omeus's technique (he wrote, directed and edited both Finding Me films) has definitely improved, but with such a tight focus on a relatively small cast of characters the drama remains insular and fairly predictable. Still, the characters are likable and well-played, and the cast members attractive. Reverend's Rating : B

What Happens Next, being released on DVDFebruary 7th by Wolfe Video, is a romantic-comedy that explores the budding relationship between two very different men who meet on a park bench. Paul (played by Jon Lindstrom of the long-running soap opera As the World Turns) is a wealthy man in his mid-50's who has just sold his business and retired. Believing himself to be straight but never married, Paul is surprised to find himself attracted to the openly gay and much younger Andy (cute newcomer Chris Murrah). They gradually fall in love, much to the chagrin of Paul's overbearing sister, Elise. Elise is played by the always enjoyable Wendie Malick from TV's Hot in Cleveland and Just Shoot Me.

While the script of What Happens Next -- written and directed by Jay Arnold -- has a pleasing retro sensibility, it is often hard to swallow Paul's plight from today's gay perspective. He is so unaware of his homosexuality initially that Andy seems to be wasting his and the audience's time for the first half of the movie. The performances are good but Paul's too-cute puppy steals the show whenever she appears. Reverend's Rating: B-

Candy Darling, a popular devotee of artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol during his late-1960's heyday, was born James L. Slattery and was known as "Jimmy" to his family and childhood friends. It wasn't long after Slattery became an adult that he underwent hormone therapy and emerged as the first trans superstar. She inspired Lou Reed's popular songs "(Take a) Walk on the Wild Side" and "Candy Says," and gay great Tennessee Williams created a leading role for her in one of his final plays, Small Craft Warnings.

James Rasin's new documentary Beautiful Darling, out this week from Corinth Films, is an eye-opening account of Darling's unique life and career. It incorporates considerable archival footage of Darling and Warhol as well as Jane Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Kim Novak, plus modern-day interviews with such offbeat luminaries as John Waters, Julie Newmar, Holly Woodlawn and Fran Lebowitz. Actress Chloe Sevigny is also on hand to read excerpts from Darling's diary and other writings.

Unfortunately, the film includes a little too much of Darling's friend and confidante, Jeremiah Newton, who also served as one of the doc's producers. While undeniably caring toward Darling and her legacy, the movie threatens to become more about him than its main subject whenever he appears. Despite this flaw, Beautiful Darling is well worth watching. Reverend's Rating: B+

I love the genre of fun and funky Indian musicals dubbed "Bollywood." Bollywood Beats, available on DVDthis week, is an enjoyable homage courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures. It is written, directed and partly choreographed by out filmmaker Mehul Shah, who also plays a gay teenager in the movie.

While primarily the story of Raj (dreamy Sachin Bhatt), an aspiring professional dancer, Bollywood Beats features a supporting team of housewives, science geeks and retired women whom Raj helps to discover their own dance abilities. Raj also takes Vincent (Shah) under his wings when the young gay man is kicked out of his home by his homophobic father. This ragtag bunch starts performing at weddings and community events, and soon find themselves contestants in a major dance competition.

The highly enjoyable movie features some great dance numbers, especially its climactic, stylistically impressive "Bollywood through the Ages" sequence. Shah is still developing as a filmmaker and it shows in the film's rough edges but he is definitely a talent to watch, gay or otherwise. Reverend's Rating: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Monthly Wallpaper - February 2012: Best Supporting Actor

2012-02-01T12:00:00.019-06:00

With less than a month to go until Oscar night, this month's Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper takes a look back at the Best Supporting Actors, the sidekicks, scene stealers and super villains who took home the Academy's gold man in years past.

These iconic performances of unforgettable characters include Joel as the Emcee, Heath as the Joker, Robert as the Don, and more.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Reverend's Reviews: Grey Matters

2012-01-30T06:00:00.033-06:00

If it takes intense trailers and commercials highlighting ravenous wolves, plane crashes and a sharp-shooting Liam Neeson to pack audiences into what turns out to be a meditation on faith and atonement, then so be it. Such is the case with this weekend's big release, The Grey.

Neeson gives one of his best performances to date as John Ottway, a petroleum refinery worker in Alaska. It's a great role that allows Neeson to display both the bad-ass persona popular in past films Taken and The A-Team with his more sympathetic traits previously seen in Schindler's List and Michael Collins (and heard as Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia films). Ottway finds himself one of only seven survivors after the jet taking his crew home goes down in the frigid wilderness. The cold becomes the least of their worries, as the men soon become prey to a pack of vicious, possibly metaphysical/metaphorical wolves.

As the gradually dwindling group makes its way toward what they hope is civilization, each man's past is laid bare. Most of them are guilty of sin in how they have mistreated their wives, children and/or neighbors. The film begins with Ottway reflecting "I don't know why I did half the things I've done," and wondering whether he's been "damned" or "cursed" as the result of his misdeeds. Increasingly, the men's plight takes on the semblance of a communal judgment day. Some come to greater faith in God, a few have the chance to make their peace before the wolves or the elements take them, and Ottway downright puts God to the test (against scriptural advice) before all is said and done.

The Grey was directed by Joe Carnahan, veteran of the similar morality thriller Narc as well as the big-screen version of The A-Team, in which he previously teamed with Neeson. Carnahan co-adapted his latest from a short story, The Ghost Walker. While the script is rife with now standard, profanity-laden macho dialogue, it isn't without humor or -- more significantly -- compassion. Poetry and even prayer figure in the mix too, with one survivor saying to God in all humility: "Thank you for sparing us and helping us. Keep that up if you can."

A classic theological theme of light vs. darkness becomes gradually pronounced, and is dramatized in particular through Masanobu Takayanagi's superb cinematography that utilizes a variety of styles: verite, handheld, standard and spectacular widescreen nature shots. The film's production company and press rep were kind to let me watch The Grey via streaming download since I was unable to attend press screenings, but this is a film that truly should be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated.

And then there are the fearsome wolves, brought to life through a combination of real animals, animatronics and CGI. Religious-minded viewers can debate whether the movie's lupine adversaries are demonic agents of Satan or are a justice-seeking force of God. It is intriguing that the wolves kill those unfortunate humans who cross their path but don't eat them, and that they maraud but also seem to police the men. I think it may have been more effective on Carnahan's part to show less of the wolves, a la Spielberg's handling of the infamous shark in Jaws, and leave their existence even more to the characters' and viewers' imaginations.

Different people will no doubt draw different conclusions from The Grey, depending on one's spiritual/religious background, physical endurance, emotional temperament, and admiration of or aversion to wolves. I look forward to hearing and reading viewers' reactions here and elsewhere. As far as filmmaking expertise goes, though, The Grey may ultimately emerge as one of this new year's better films.

Click here to access a special "film companion"/discussion guide prepared by Allied Faith & Family.

Reverend's Rating: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Report: The Year in GLBT Film Begins

2012-01-28T06:00:00.078-06:00

Each January, the eyes of everyone in Hollywood turn toward remote Park City, Utah. While skiing may be on the agenda for some, most film industry insiders are curious about the offerings at this year's Sundance and Slamdance film festivals. The concurrent events ending this weekend provide a sneak preview of independent movies that GLBT audiences can look forward to later in 2012. After all, such popular queer-interest films as Pariah, Circumstance, Contracorriente (Undertow) and Quinceniera all debuted at Sundance in the past.

Some of this year's most intriguing GLBT indies that just had their world or US premieres in Park City include:

Unconditional: From British director Bryn Higgins comes this dark, psycho-sexual tale about bored teenage twins, Kristen and Owen, who meet an older man promising them endless love and good times... if Owen becomes his sister.

Love Free or Die: The bluntly-titled biography of openly gay Episcopalian bishop Gene Robinson, this documentary provides considerable insight into the many obstacles he has endured as he has tried to serve God's people (including death threats) as well as into his longtime relationship with his devoted partner.

Heavy Girls: A poignant German comedy, in which an overweight "mama's boy" teams with his elderly mother's male caregiver to find her when she goes missing. The two men soon discover an unexpected affection for each other. Heavy Girls won two special awards at Slamdance: a Special Jury Award for Bold Originality and the Spirit of Slamdance "Sparky" Award.

The Invisible War: Not specifically GLBT but nonetheless of interest is the latest eye-opening documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (Twist of Faith, This Film Is Not Yet Rated). He details how an estimated 30% of women and at least 1% of men serving in the US military have been sexually assaulted by their trusted comrades.

Kelly: A young transgender prostitute searches for love and acceptance in a landscape of broken Hollywood dreams in this powerful documentary.

Keep the Lights On: Documentarian Ira Sachs helmed this fictionalized but no less personal account of a gay relationship fueled as much by addiction as attraction. This film was among the finalists in the Sundance Film Festival's US Dramatic Competition.

How to Survive a Plague: A bracing expose of mostly HIV-positive young men and women who took on the medical establishment during the AIDS epidemic's early years. Not unlike last year's We Were Here, this is a revealing and inspiring documentary.

In addition to features, both Slamdance and Sundance showcased a number of GLBT-interest short films. Notable among these were 33 Teeth, about a hormonal boy who becomes fixated on the comb of his hunky neighbor; The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, the moving true story of two men who forged a 54-year romance against tremendous odds; Park, in which a teenage girl living in a trailer park begins a relationship with an older woman; The Thing, by trans filmmaker Rhys Ernst, finds a trans man, his girlfriend and their pee-shy cat on a road trip to see the title oddity; and Andrew Ahn's intuitive, telling Dol, which focuses on a gay Korean-American man's coming of age through the occasion of his nephew's first birthday.

I can't conclude without mentioning the Slamdance Audience Award winner for Best Feature Narrative, Bindlestiffs. It is directed by Andrew Edison, who has the distinction not only of being the youngest filmmaker at this year's fests but of being the grand-nephew of cinema pioneer Thomas Edison (curiously, both Edisons are deaf in their right ears). Tom Cruise's Joel in 1983's Risky Business didn't have anything on the three degenerate youths (one of them played by the director) desperate to lose their virginity in Bindlestiffs. It is crude, gay-ish, bound to offend some and absolutely hilarious. Watch for it and all the great features and shorts showcased in the Mormon capitol this year.

UPDATE: Congratulations to the makers of Love Free or Die and The Invisible War, who are among the award winners of this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reaction: 2011 Oscar Nominations

2012-01-25T06:00:00.025-06:00

Nostalgia will reign supreme at this year's Academy Awards, judging by the number of backwards-glancing movies announced Tuesday as nominees. The World War I boy-and-his-steed epic War Horse, the valentines to cinema's early years Hugo and The Artist, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (itself a tribute to/critique of nostalgia), and historical dramas The Help, My Week With Marilyn, Albert Nobbs and The Iron Lady fairly predictably dominated the nominations.

I was disappointed that Tilda Swinton's powerful turn in We Need to Talk About Kevin wasn't recognized, as well as by the Academy's neglect of Leonardo DiCaprio's closet-case incarnation of J. Edgar, which was shut out completely. I'm delighted that Terrence Malick trumped both Steven Spielberg and Stephen Daldry among Best Director finalists for his masterful The Tree of Life. Other pleasant surprises for me included the multiple nods for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Best Actor, Screenplay and Score), the phenomenal Jessica Chastain's nomination for The Help, Nick Nolte's inclusion in the Supporting Actor category for the criminally under-seen Warrior, the recognition of J.C. Chandor's smart Margin Call screenplay, and the wonderful Animated Feature nominee Chico & Rita.

But the biggest surprise out of this year's nominations for pretty much everyone is the incredibly weak Original Song category, which consists of a whopping two contenders. For the past six years, best song submissions have to score above a certain percentage as rated by the music branch's members in order to be nominated. Out of more than 80 songs from 2011 releases considered, only "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets and a song from the animated Rio passed muster. What about the delightful, instantly memorable "Life's a Happy Song" from the Muppets' big-screen revival, or the Glenn Close-penned lullaby "Lay Your Head Down" from the genderbending Nobbs, or -- perhaps the most egregious omission -- "The Living Proof" from The Help. With apparently so few qualifying songs in recent years, I believe the time has come for this Academy branch to either relax its criteria somewhat or (gasp) do away with the category altogether.

If the Academy is truly about quality and justice, The Tree of Life, Moneyball or The Descendants will win the Oscar for Best Picture over enjoyable but overrated front runner, The Artist. Well, maybe they'll get it right when next year's 85th annual Academy Awards roll around.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards will be held and televised on Sunday, February 26th.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Boys and Balls

2012-01-24T06:00:00.023-06:00

Most gay men I know tend to avoid sports-themed movies like… well, like sports themselves. We may all be for athletes in their prime but athletics hold appeal for relatively few of us. That being said, Kickoff is a must-see. It is now available on DVDand digital download from Wolfe Video.

This comedy-drama is written and directed by out British filmmaker Rikki Beadle-Blair, who previously helmed such acclaimed GLBT-themed productions as Stonewall, Metrosexuality and Fit. Kickoff takes place entirely on a football (or soccer, to us Yanks) field. It is there that the all-gay Platoon meets an all-straight rival team, the Reapers, for a Sunday competition.

Things quickly devolve into, as one character states, “total non-stop drama-rama.” The issue of gay vs. straight soon becomes secondary, however, to conflicts amongst each team’s members. Among other things, Platoon team captain Archie (the yummy Ian Sharp) freaks out over the fuchsia shorts selected by his partner for the players to wear, and a black male couple discovers they’ve both been having sex on the down low with the same... woman. Meanwhile, the Reapers have to contend with two sparring brothers, one of them a drug addict, and an overly aggressive player who is hooked on steroids.

Very little football is actually played before Kickoff’s finale but that doesn’t stop most of the in-shape, multi-ethnic cast from spending much of the movie shirtless. The script is chock full of Beadle-Blair’s trademark great, snarky dialogue that plays on clichés and stereotypes. While it doesn’t overcome them all, Kickoff could still help advance dialogue between sports-playing members of the gay and straight communities. Sports has probably made stranger bedfellows in the past.

Reverend's Rating: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Bala to Ballet

2012-01-23T06:00:00.040-06:00

Drug trafficking is estimated to be a $40 billion a year industry in Mexico, where most people live on the equivalent of only $2 in US currency per day. No one is immune -- not even children -- from being victimized by the country's pervasive and violent drug cartels, which have seemingly infiltrated the Mexican government itself.

Gerardo Naranjo's hard-hitting Miss Bala, now playing in Los Angeles and New York, provides a discomfortingly intimate glimpse into the complexities of the Mexico-US drug trade. Inspired by a true story, the film focuses on the unfortunate Laura (Stephanie Sigman), a young woman who yearns for beauty pageant victory but becomes the unwitting pawn of a vicious drug lord, Lino (the very impressive Noe Hernandez, previously seen in Sin Nombre and the Mexican HBO series Capadocia).

The scary yet protective Lino initially spares Laura's life during a dance club massacre. Laura feels compelled, however, to find out what happened to her best friend, who was at the disco but is missing post-attack. This brings Laura back into Lino's path. He exacts increasingly dangerous, degrading demands from her even as he works to help Laura achieve her dream of being crowned Miss Bala during a nationally-televised broadcast.

Laura serves as the naive lens through which viewers get an inside look into a dark, all too realistic world. As a character, I found Laura's cluelessness frustrating at times but Sigman's performance can't be faulted. Also worth noting in a brief role is James Russo, memorable as Axel Foley's loving but doomed best friend in 1984's Beverly Hills Cop. Naranjo stages the initial dance club attack, as well as a showdown between police and Lino's cartel in a freeway underpass and the assassination of a federal agent, with effective intensity.

Miss Bala was produced by Y Tu Mama Tambien acting duo Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. It is Mexico's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film in this year's Academy Awards but was excluded from the list of finalists in the category announced last week. Although I can't say I'm surprised by its absence, Miss Bala shouldn't be written off by adventurous moviegoers. It gives new meaning to the term "fashion victim."

From Bala to ballet, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is a revealing documentary about the groundbreaking dance troupe. It is having its sold-out world premiere this Friday, January 27th, as the opening night selection of NYC's Dance on Camera film festival and will make its West Coast debut on February 1st at LA's Colburn School. Whether one is a dance fan or not, gay or straight, it shouldn't be missed.

Narrated by Mandy Patinkin and produced, intriguingly, by Harold Ramis of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day fame, the doc relates the biographies of dancer-choreographer Robert Joffrey and his longtime partner, Gerald Arpino, as well as the history of the company they founded. Though their romantic relationship had ended by the time of Joffrey's death from AIDS-related complications in 1987, the two men continued living together and remained virtually inseparable. The film incorporates considerable vintage footage of Joffrey at work in addition to interviews with former members of the company who trained under him. As one of them says of the closeted early years of Joffrey's and Arpino's love affair, "Everyone knew they weren't cousins."

And then there are the fantastic dance segments, past and present, through which the evolution of the Joffrey Ballet's unique mix of classical and modern dance styles are chronicled. They include "The Green Table," an anti-war composition that cemented Joffrey's reputation for daring excellence in the 1960's, and several scenes from the blockbuster, Prince-inspired "Billboards."

The company went through an inevitable period of decline in the wake of Joffrey's death and with the rise of modern masters Alvin Ailey and Twyla Tharp, but it has more recently rebounded following a move from New York to Chicago and under new leadership. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance serves as a fitting if arguably too brief testament to an art form and its founders.

For more information about these and future US screenings of Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, visit the film's official website.

Reverend's Ratings:
Miss Bala: B-
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Dearie Awards 2011: Movie of the Year - WEEKEND

2012-01-21T06:00:00.030-06:00

While most awards-givers are heaping praise on more mainstream titles, we at Movie Dearest like to take a queerer look at film. Andrew Haigh’s intimate romance Weekend, while every bit as moving as, say, The Descendants or The Artist, is the film that will resonate much more with the GLBT community. Although some found the accents hard to decipher, those who could understand the handsome blokes in Weekend were rewarded with a sweet, sexy, moving romance with a keen understanding of how gay men interact and the walls they put up while seeking companionship. Tom Cullen was a gorgeous teddy bear and Chris New was a purposely abrasive party boy at first, who then dropped his façade when confronted with Cullen’s innate sweetness and lack of pretense. A bittersweet ending was the perfect way to complete this enthralling Weekend.

Honorable Mentions:
In a year overflowing with marvelous female performances on screen, what other film had the amazing collection of women as The Help? Based on the bestseller, The Help is a moving story of the strong African-American women who worked tirelessly for their often-abusive Southern employers in Civil Rights-era Mississippi. Drama and comedy meld effortlessly in this chick flick extraordinaire! Meanwhile, in the amazing French import Tomboy, Zoé Héran plays a young girl who moves to a new town and is mistaken for a boy by the neighborhood kids. This gives her the freedom to live her life the way she wants, at least for the summer. Tomboy showed a deep understanding of gender identity issues and its hopeful ending demonstrates the saying about “Out of the mouths of babes.”

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Dearie Awards 2011: Man of the Year - CHAZ BONO

2012-01-20T06:00:00.088-06:00

2011 was a big year for Chaz Bono. His acclaimed documentary Becoming Chaz, which detailed an important time period in his transition from Sonny and Cher's daughter to the man he is today, aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network and was nominated for an Emmy Award. And if that wasn't enough, he became the most famous transgender person in the world with his much-watched stint on Dancing with the Stars. Chaz's appearances on the hit series may have been controversial too some, but proved far more inspirational and enlightening to many.

Honorable Mentions:
Ever since The Sound of Music, Christopher Plummer has had a special place in the hearts of many a gay fan. But his performance as a newly-out elderly man in Beginners has sealed the deal; multiple awards, including the Golden Globe and a strong chance at the Oscar, only makes it sweeter. This past year, Zachary Quinto completed an acclaimed Off-Broadway run in Angels in America, both starred in and produced the underappreciated Margin Call, and guest starred on the cult creepfest American Horror Story. And, oh yeah, became the biggest star since Neil Patrick Harris to come out as a gay man.

Dearie Awards 2011: Women of the Year - GLENN CLOSE & JANET MCTEER

2012-01-18T06:00:00.035-06:00

Our Woman of the Year couldn’t go to just one actress after we saw the pair of sublime performances by Glenn Close and Janet McTeer in the flawed but moving period piece Albert Nobbs. Close’s Albert is a tightly-wound manservant with a secret: he is really a woman who has hidden her gender for thirty years in order to work and live as a man. Spoiler Alert: McTeer plays a fellow who discovers Albert’s deception and reveals that he is a woman as well, but one who has a life with a wife that opens Albert’s eyes to what life could be for him. Close is amazing, playing a passive closed-off person, but showing Albert’s inner life very subtly. McTeer’s forceful and energetic performance was even better, and the two actresses formed one of the most touching relationship of the year.

Honorable Mentions:
A powerhouse collection of actresses led by Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek and Cicely Tyson brought the best-selling novel The Help (about Mississippi maids gaining their voice in the civil rights era) to entertaining life on screen. Davis, Spencer and Chastain are generating some much-deserved Oscar talk.

As Glee's Coach Beiste, Dot-Marie Jones has become an unconventional hero and challenged stereotypes and cliches. She showed audiences how not to judge a butch by her cover, since Coach is just a big-hearted gal looking for her Mr. Right.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Dearie Awards 2011: New Star of the Year - MICHAEL FASSBENDER

2012-01-16T06:00:00.042-06:00

Michael Fassbender and first runner-up Jessica Chastain had a year like no other new or veteran actor, appearing in no less than five films each in 2011. While we predict lengthy big-screen careers for both of them, Fassbender gained a slight edge in our eyes not only thanks to his chiseled good looks (on ample display as Rochester in Jane Eyre as well as Magneto in X-Men: First Class) but through his no-holds-barred lead performance as a struggling sex addict in Shame. Such fearlessness is what stars are made of.

Honorable Mentions:
Out of a slew of great turns this year (including The Debt, Take Shelter and The Tree of Life), Chastain delighted audiences most as a naive but well-intentioned Southern belle in The Help. And not to be ignored, Chris Hemsworth is well worth mentioning honorably for carrying the superhero epic Thor and its bigger-name stars on his beefy but ultimately down-to-earth (literally) shoulders.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Addicted to Dolly

2012-01-15T06:00:00.048-06:00

My partner, Jim, is the world's biggest Dolly Parton fan... well, after Gary and Larry Lane, those adorable gay twins at the center of last year's documentary, Hollywood to Dollywood. Therefore, Jim and I had to go see Dolly's first big-screen movie in nearly 20 years -- Joyful Noise, co-starring the formidable Queen Latifah -- on opening day this past Friday. While some critics are dismissing this gospel-tinged dramedy as "fluff" and "cheese," I found it to have considerably more substance than they are giving it credit for.

Parton plays G.G. Sparrow, the bankrolling widow of recently-deceased church choir director Bernard Sparrow (a briefly-shown but effective Kris Kristofferson). When G.G. is passed over by the church's council to lead the choir in favor of single mom Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), tensions in their tight-knit, recession-ravaged Georgia town begin to rise. A budding romance between G.G.'s grandson, Randy (cute and charismatic Jeremy Jordan), and Vi Rose's teenage daughter (Keke Palmer, a lovely and gifted singer) only adds fuel to the fire.

A number of conflicts come to their head as the choir preps for the high-profile "Joyful Noise" gospel music competition, including Vi Rose's separation from her re-enlisted military husband (a nice turn by Jesse L. Martin of Rent fame). Vi Rose also has to deal with her son, who has Asperger's Syndrome but also could be gay based on an exchange he has with Randy. At minimum, the boy's medical condition can be read as a metaphor for homosexuality, and a conversation with Vi Rose in which he reveals his anger at God for his disability will ring true for any GLBT viewers.

Writer-director Todd Graff, best known for the indie hit Camp, is no stranger to plots where music, sexuality and faith collide. In Joyful Noise, Graff also raises the timely issues of economic instability and the challenges faced by military families. It's a busy, somewhat overstuffed and frequently predictable script but it incorporates a number of serious, affecting moments as well as some enjoyably quirky humor. There's no doubt, though, that the main draw for audiences is the promise of cat fights and musical performances by Parton and Latifah, and the film doesn't disappoint. While Latifah has the showier role (she also serves as one of the producers), Parton's trademark brand of corn-pone, self-effacing humor shines through. Parton also contributes a number of memorable new songs to the score, including "He's Everything," "Not Enough" and "From Here to the Moon and Back," the latter of which could easily snag her another Oscar nomination for Best Song next year.

Dr. Victor DeNoble probably wouldn't consider an addiction to Dolly Parton life-threatening, but he definitely feels otherwise about tobacco. As a strapping young doctoral student in 1980, DeNoble was recruited by cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, ostensibly to research ways to make tobacco less toxic. In the process, DeNoble discovered a previously-unknown, secondary chemical in cigarettes that actually made them more addictive. He soon found himself out of a job, while Philip Morris covered up his research and went on to market an even more dangerous product while continuing to deny publicly that tobacco was addictive.

DeNoble's story is recounted, primarily by the good doctor himself, in Addiction Incorporated (now playing in Los Angeles and opening January 20th in San Francisco). Charles Evans, Jr. makes an impressive directorial debut (he previously produced such acclaimed films as Johnny Depp's The Brave and Martin Scorsese's The Aviator) and utilizes animation, interviews with DeNoble's co-workers and footage from the 1994 Congressional hearings that ultimately doomed "big Tobacco." Philip Morris and other cigarette manufacturers were ultimately found guilty in a federal racketeering case, a decision upheld by the US Supreme Court.

While entertainingly constructed, Addiction Incorporated suffers at times from a too-comical approach. DeNoble and other commentators also sound excessively rehearsed, though this makes sense once it is revealed later in the film that DeNoble routinely gives his anti-tobacco spiel to school students. I also noticed (and I'm probably being too picky here) that some of the on-camera speakers have unsightly blemishes and/or shaving cuts that appear dramatically vivid in hi-def on the big screen. It wouldn't hurt documentarians from using make-up even while striving for naturalism.

Dolly Parton likely wouldn't hesitate to tell the Addiction Incorporated crew that the more make-up used, the better. Despite their flaws, I recommend both it and Joyful Noise for the valuable, even life-saving messages they have to offer.

Reverend's Ratings:
Joyful Noise: B
Addiction Incorporated: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Editor's note: The 2011 Movie Dearest Awards will continue tomorrow.

Dearie Awards 2011: Television Show of the Year - MILDRED PIERCE

2012-01-14T06:00:00.012-06:00

Who would have thought that a 5 1/2 hour-long remake of a campy 1945 Joan Crawford classic could become compelling television in 2011? Or that Kate Winslet would make the title mother struggling with class issues and a demanding daughter as memorable as Crawford did in her original Oscar-winning turn? While more faithful to James M. Cain's original novel, gay writer-director Todd Haynes made this Mildred Pierce uniquely his own, as well as funnier, sexier and surprisingly relevant to our own class-torn times.

Honorable Mentions:
Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story, meanwhile, was also successful at updating the time-honored haunted house story by adding generous heapings of gore, nudity and Jessica Lange. Our second honorable mention, HBO's Cinema Verite, starred Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as the heads of TV's first reality-show family, the Louds, with Thomas Dekker as their son, Lance, likely the most famous out gay person of the time.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Dearie Awards 2011: Foreign Film of the Year - THE ARTIST

2012-01-12T06:00:00.017-06:00

You’ll be forgiven if you didn’t realize that The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius’ brilliantly beautiful ode to old Hollywood and silent movies, is really a foreign film. That’s because this homage to silent cinema is almost completely silent itself, and you won’t miss the chatter at all. Jean Dujardin, a beloved French actor known for his campy OSS117 spy spoofs, perfectly plays George Valentin, a 20’s matinee idol unwilling and unable to make the leap to talkies, and beautiful Bérénice Bejo played the captivating Peppy Miller, who becomes a star while George’s career fades. No other film better celebrated the magic and hope that movies can bring than this seemingly un-French French import, making it our Foreign Film of the Year... and a probable Best Picture Winner come Oscar time!

Honorable Mentions:
Potiche, another fantastic French film, proved that sixty-eight year-old Catherine Deneuve is still a sexy screen presence as a trophy wife who powerfully takes the reins of her husband’s company when he is taken hostage by his striking employees. Out director Francois Ozon recreated 1977 in all of its disco glory as he showed us an 'Iron Lady' we can all root for.

Andrew Haigh’s British-based romance Weekend couldn’t have been simpler in story or more profound in how it peeled away the layers of two different men who meet, have sex, and then decide to spend the weekend building a romance. Sexy bear cub Tom Cullen and gym-toned party boy Chris New made perfect surrogates for anyone who has met Mr. Right-Now, only to realize they might have found Mr. Right.

By Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Dearie Awards 2011: Documentary of the Year - WE WERE HERE

2012-01-10T06:00:00.022-06:00

There have been numerous documentaries and feature films made during the 30 years since AIDS first raised its ugly head, but few have captured the virus's initial, devastating impact as well as David Weissman and Bill Weber's We Were Here. Focusing on San Francisco's unsuspecting gay community in the late 1970's-early 80's, it captures the personal losses suffered by the survivors like no other movie I remember. A must-see... though not without a box of Kleenex handy.

Honorable Mentions:
Becoming Chaz is the revealing and inspiring story of Cher's little girl turned trans activist (not to mention a great 2011 Dancing with the Stars contestant), and Carol Channing: Larger Than Life serves as a lovely testament not only to the legendary performer but to her late-life husband, who sadly just passed away last mont.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Dearie Awards 2011: Stage Show of the Year - THE NORMAL HEART

2012-01-08T06:00:00.053-06:00

We now present The 5th Annual Movie Dearest Awards!

The 2011 "Dearies", chosen by myself and my fellow Men on Film, Chris Carpenter and Neil Cohen, honor the best and brightest of film, television and theater as covered here on Movie Dearest.

To kick off the festivities, we turn our attention to the stage...

26 years after its debut, Larry Kramer's controversial, landmark drama The Normal Heart finally made it to Broadway, and with all its power still intact. One of the first plays to tackle the subject of the AIDS crisis, the new production featured a stellar cast (including the Broadway debuts of such gay faves as Ellen Barkin, Luke Macfarlane, Lee Pace and Jim Parsons) and drew critical raves and numerous awards, including three Tonys.

Honorable Mentions:
Daniel Radcliffe proved there's life after Hogwarts with his crowd-pleasing turn in the hit revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, now starring Glee's Blaine, Darren Criss. And on the high heels of La Cage aux Folles came another glitzy drage musical based on an international blockbuster, this time from down under: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Reel Thoughts: The Neelys 2012

2012-01-06T06:00:00.128-06:00

Every year, critics start looking for award-worthy films as early as March, but 2011 kept chugging along with no clear candidates. As the year closed, still no runaway winners emerged, even though a lot of strong films were released. This leaves the Oscar for Best Picture wide open, and the acting awards are sure to be the most competitive in years.

Even though 2011 lacked the amazing films of years past, The Neelys (named for Neely O’Hara, the starlet in Valley of the Dolls) still manage to recognize ten great films and ten specimens best left at the vet’s office to be tested for worms.

Best Pictures:

Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen hasn’t been this effortlessly hilarious in years. Owen Wilson plays a blocked writer who travels to Paris with his shrewish fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and magically finds himself transported back in time to meet literary giants like Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates)... and maybe true love. A brilliant and intelligently comic romance.

The Artist: The most gorgeous film of the year is also the most unusual. The Artist is an authentic silent film starring a pair of French actors who capture the magic of old-time Hollywood better than most American performers. George Dujardin plays a dashing silent film star who laughs at the idea of talking pictures, only to watch a young fan, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), become a huge star in the new medium. Director Michel Hazanavicius’ obvious love for classic movies shows in every frame of this amazing film.

Crazy, Stupid, Love: – The overlooked comedy highpoint of the year came from the crazy but far from stupid guys who made I Love You Phillip Morris last year. Steve Carrell plays a sad-sack dad who gets dumped by his unfulfilled wife (the luminous Julianne Moore) but “gets his groove back” when coached by a super-hot player played by Ryan Gosling with seemingly Photoshopped abs. Twists and hilarity abound as good girl Emma Stone decides to see if Gosling is worth the hype. Believe me, he is!

Hugo: Martin Scorcese isn’t known for children's films, but Hugo is going to change that. Like The Artist, Hugo is a gorgeously-filmed love letter to the history and magic of filmmaking. Hugo, portrayed by the talented Asa Butterfield, is a young boy who lives in a Paris train station, caring for the clocks while trying to solve a mystery his dead father left him. Hugo should be seen in stunning 3D, and it is the best use of the medium I’ve seen.

Win Win: Thomas McCarthy hit another home run with this funny and humane comedy-drama about a downtrodden New Jersey lawyer who discovers a star athlete under his nose and gets everything he wants... as long as no one finds out his secret. Paul Giamatti gives a great, understated performance along with the sexy Bobby Canavale as his brash best friend.

Sarah’s Key: Criminally overlooked, Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s moving adaptation of the best-selling novel was one of the best dramas of the year. Kristin Scott Thomas played an American journalist whose investigation of the brutal 1942 Vel d’Hiv Roundup of French Jews by the French Vichy Government uncovers a tragic tale that hits very close to home.

The Help: This all-star women’s film was a tribute to the strong African-American women who kept Southern households running in the 60’s. Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Cicely Tyson gave unrestrained and powerful performances as the maids, while Emma Stone, Sissy Spacek, Allison Janney and especially Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain bring the white women they serve to delicious life. Some decried the film’s reliance on a white protagonist to spur the maids to rebel, but one thing is for sure: you’ll never look at chocolate pie the same way again.

Weekend: Love stories are a dime a dozen, even gay ones, but Weekend upended the genre. Writer/director Andrew Haigh and his stars Tom Cullen and Chris New did this by keeping the budding weekend relationship of two British men so real, you feel like you’re a voyeur into their lives. The two men are distinctive characters who are not the type of gay men usually shown in movies, the kind who aren’t comfortable with labels and stereotypes. One of the most romantic films of the year.

Final Destination 5: Every diet needs a little cheese in it, and Final Destination 5 was Grade A 3D fromage that reinvigorated the campy series. A group of generically beautiful actors survive a suspension bridge disaster only to be stalked by Death in creative ways. Death by acupuncture? Check. Death by laser eye surgery? Ick! From its insane 3D-on-steroids opening to its jaw-droppingly brilliant twist ending, FD5 wins the Neely for Best Thrill Ride of the year.

Source Code: David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones followed up his acclaimed sci-fi drama Moon with this time-tripping suspense film. Jake Gyllenhaal was the perfect action hero who has to unmask a terrorist bomber in a fateful eight minute period through a scientific breakthrough. What sets Source Code apart is the intricate human drama that anchors the action. Tough questions about military service and our treatment of veterans, the nature of fate and free will, and the threat of homegrown extremists elevates the film beyond typical sci-fi fare like In Time. I am still haunted by the powerful image when Gyllenhaal’s real status is revealed.

Bombs Away!

2011 was unusual in the number of high-minded duds it produced. Rather than just pick on dreck like the one where Adam Sandler plays his own screechy matron of a sister, my Worst Neelys go to the biggest disappointments of the year. Some people might even have a few of these titles on their Best Ten lists. Those people are wrong.

The Change You Can’t Believe In Award goes to The Change-Up: – Like last year’s Dinner for Schmucks, The Change-Up takes a curdled premise and stews it in the worst R-rated “funny” bodily fluid gross-outs to the point that stars Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman better have awesomely follow-up films to get the rancid taste of this turkey out of audiences’ mouths. No wonder Scarlett Johansson dumped Reynolds; a character like his would turn off a nymphomaniac.

The Jack Kevorkian Award goes to Melancholia: Those people looking for an alternative to the late doctor’s assisted suicide machine now have their option. Insufferable Danish “enfant terrible” Lars von Trier praised Hitler at Cannes, but this piece of pretentious “serious drama” is even more offensive than his comments. Kirsten Dunst plays a hyper-depressed bride who finds peace only when a rogue planet shows up to destroy Earth. Then, she just becomes bitchy. Armageddon can’t happen soon enough to spare you.

The Cheap Sentiment Award goes to Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: I was shocked that this piece of abrasively phony 9/11 exploitation was directed by Stephen Daldry, of The Hours and Billy Elliot fame. Thomas Horn the actor seems like a smart and engaging kid, but within five minutes of this drama about a boy who may have Asperger’s Syndrome seeking meaning for his dad Tom Hanks’ death in the Twin Towers, you may want to join the father to escape listening to him. Sandra Bullock has the thankless role of shut-out mom, and only Max von Sydow as a mute WWII survivor shines. The premise of a boy searching to make sense of his father’s death was already done right in Hugo.

The Is That All There Is? Award goes to Cowboys & Aliens: If you have the mash-up of cowboys and aliens and you have Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, you’d think the script would write itself into something pretty entertaining. Sadly, it doesn’t even feel like the script was written, only cobbled together from every other alien invasion film of the last five years. All that was missing was Bill Pullman as the mayor of Absolution, Arizona.

The Dim Bulb Award goes to Green Lantern: It takes a pretty bad movie to make Ryan Reynolds in a body suit boring, but this by-the-numbers superhero dud managed to succeed. It has the added humor of making Peter Sarsgaard even more repulsive than he already is, but that isn’t enough to recommend the film.

The Grimm’s Fairy Trash Award goes to Red Riding Hood: Fairytale characters are everywhere this year, from Grimm to Once Upon A Time to competing Snow White films coming out soon, but Red Riding Hood was the howler of the bunch. Amanda Seyfried leads a cast of Twilight wannabes through a pointless retread of The Village. Poor Julie Christie as grandmother probably wishes the Big Bad Wolf had eaten her to save her embarrassment.

The Bad Romance Award goes to Like Crazy: Mimicking last year’s sullen Blue Valentine, this much-improvised drama expected us to go, like, crazy over two deadly-dull leads (Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones) and their uninteresting romantic trials as they dealt with love and immigration woes. Sundance voters must have been drunk when they gave the film the Grand Jury Prize for drama.

The Animal Cruelty Award goes to The Future: To say that Miranda July is an acquired taste is like saying that ipecac is an acquired taste... and both will make you want to throw up. July’s latest expose of the insignificant troubles of vapid hipsters upped the nausea level by couching it in the story of a sickly pound cat named Paw Paw, who proceeds to narrate this nightmare in July’s scratchy baby-talk voice. Sarah Mclachlan should do a PSA against this inhumane treatment of fictional cats... and the audience.

The Mr. Ed is Weeping Award goes to War Horse (or Bore Horse, as I like to call it): Given the powerful theatrics of the stage version, one would have expected the film adaptation of the Youth Lit bestseller War Horse to be spectacular. It is… spectacularly dull, filled with forgettable characters and manufactured sentiment Stephen Spielberg can do in his sleep. While The Black Stallion was thrilling, War Horse should be put out to pasture.

Finally, the Neely for Worst Film is titled The Real American Horror Story Award and it goes to Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: If you thought the murder house on American Horror Story was bad real estate, it is nothing compared to the devil-vermin-infested mansion starring in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Guy Pearce is the worst father on earth, Katie Holmes the most oblivious caretaker and young Bailee Madison the stupidest child in the world; why would someone stay in a house after unleashing killer tooth fairy goblins? This pointless remake of a 1973 TV movie had every element in place and squashed them like the trolls in the movie.

This year’s coveted Chloe Sevigny Award for Acting Beneath the Call of Duty goes to Ashton Kutcher and Sarah Palin. Kutcher deserves the award for basically playing the same character in every film, TV show and Nikon ad, and New Year’s Eve didn’t change the tradition. Palin, on the other hand, has been doing a terrible impression of a compassionate politician for years. This year, though, she attacked a teeny number of multiplexes as the dull-witted star of The Undefeated. As John Gielgud proclaimed in Arthur, “Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.”

By Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

It's New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T12:00:00.001-06:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Don't be like them... have a happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Monthly Wallpaper - January 2012 - 2011: The Year in Movies

2011-12-30T06:00:00.020-06:00

As 2011 comes to a close, it is time to look back on the year in film, and what better way then with the Movie Dearest calendar wallpaper for next month!

Several of 2011's most popular movies make up the collage, so you can spend all of January gazing at the likes of Albert, Cap, Kermit, Marilyn, Rango, Russell & Glen, Skeeter, Thor and the rest. What a way to start off a new year!

Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.

Reverend's Reviews: A Film Forest through the Trees

2011-12-28T06:00:00.071-06:00

2011 was a good year for both mainstream and GLBT-oriented movies. I saw so many great films that I actually felt the need to break my best list into three parts: narrative, documentary and GLBT-themed. Without further ado, my selections as the finest the big screen had to offer in 2011 are:

BEST NARRATIVE FILMS:
1) The Tree of Life and The Tree (tie). These two extraordinary movies, one American and the other Australian, share more than their titular flora. Both explore the great mysteries of life, death, love and family.

2) Moneyball. Set in the world of major league baseball but far from a generic sports story, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give inspiring performances as underdog team managers who restored virtue and ethics to professional athletics.

3) The Descendants. George Clooney does his best work to date as a wounded husband and father struggling with multiple challenges amongst his character's ancestral Hawaiian islands. Beautifully made and extremely moving.

4) Take Shelter. Suspense movies are often referred to as "Hitchcockian" after the genre's master, but this one is the real deal. Michael Shannon stars as a farmer whose apocalyptic visions may be premonitions or the early stages of psychosis. Keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

5) Win Win. A troubled teenage wrestler ingratiates himself into the lives of a reluctant coach (a typically great Paul Giamatti) and his wife. A warm comedy-drama from the talented writer-director of the equally humane The Station Agent and The Visitor.

6) We Need to Talk About Kevin. Superbly crafted if deeply disturbing tale of a mother (the ever-fearless Tilda Swinton, in an award-worthy performance) grappling with her sociopathic son. The Bad Seed for the 21st century.

7) Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The year's best popcorn movie boasts a smart screenplay, great performances and amazing special effects. It is also the second-best "reboot" of a movie series, following James Bond's 2006 Casino Royale.

8) Hugo. Martin Scorsese's opulent valentine to classic cinema (and the works of Georges Melies in particular) is gorgeously designed and photographed, and is a touching, kid-friendly story at heart of "broken" people who are magically drawn together.

9) Carnage. A superior adaptation of the popular but overrated play God of Carnage, masterfully streamlined and directed by Roman Polanski and starring the powerhouse cast of Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and, best of all, Christoph Waltz.

10) Hanna. Exciting, fairy-tale inspired adventure of a teenage girl with superhuman abilities who takes on evil "wicked witch" Cate Blanchett. It also features an adrenaline-pumping music score by the Chemical Brothers.

BEST GLBT-THEMED NARRATIVE FILMS:
1) Tomboy. A compassionate, beautifully-made drama about a young girl's coming of age.
2) Pariah. Another fine film focusing on a lesbian teenager's coming out.
3) J. Edgar. Provocative historical epic with a very impressive, Oscar-worthy Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role.
4) Weekend. Nice and sexy British film that authentically depicts two gay men bonding over 72 hours.
5) Beginners. Mike Mills' heartfelt and amusing tribute to his gay father, enjoyably played by Christopher Plummer.

BEST DOCUMENTARIES:
1) Bill Cunningham New York. The celebrated New York Times photographer has the camera turned on himself, with revelatory results.
2) Make Believe. A fascinating and inspiring look at aspiring magicians.
3) Semper Fi: Always Faithful. Shocking but moving expose about a military coverup and one father's quest to hold those responsible accountable.
4) Project Nim. Informative if often heartbreaking account of the life of a chimpanzee used in a failed social experiment.
5) The Last Mountain. A community rallies against the greedy corporation destroying its environment in this excellent doc.

AND THE WORST FILMS OF 2011:
1) The Rite. This film needs an exorcism.
2) Horrible Bosses. Horrible movie.
3) One Day. Contrived, calendar-hopping romantic clap-trap.
4) X-Men: First Class. Inexplicably acclaimed, incredibly dumb.
5) The Thing. Pointless prequel to the 1982 sci-fi/horror classic.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: A Most Happy Fela!

2011-12-26T06:00:00.017-06:00

When the planned early-2012 revival of Funny Girl at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre was abruptly cancelled last month, it left an unexpected hole in the theatre's schedule. Fortunately, Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have ridden to the rescue by moving the tour dates of their acclaimed musical Fela! around. It is now playing at the Ahmanson through January 22nd.

One wouldn't think of this biographical portrait of the Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who died of AIDS in 1997, as typical holiday fare. It is undeniably festive, though, especially during its more upbeat first act. Sahr Ngaujah -- who created the title role on Broadway and was subsequently nominated for a Tony Award -- reprised his performance opening night and immediately, impressively had the audience in his hand. (At some performances, Adesola Osakalumi will play Fela). Director-choreographer Bill T. Jones and the book by Jones and Jim Lewis incorporate considerable opportunities for audience interaction, and we were all too willing to shout back, get on our feet and even dance along with Ngaujah and other members of the show's multi-talented cast.

The musical's action is set within and around a re-creation of the Shrine, a massive dance hall that Fela founded in Lagos, Nigeria. He informs the audience at the start that this is to be his last appearance at the Shrine, as Fela is becoming increasingly involved politically in the wake of his mother's brutal death at the hands of the police several months earlier. Moving back and forth in time, key moments in Fela's musical and political awakening are presented. The show's more surreal second half culminates in a metaphysical reunion between Fela and his mother, Funmilayo (a vocally impressive and suitably ethereal Melanie Marshall). The mostly riveting songs throughout are Fela's own, with occasional additional lyrics contributed by co-book writer Lewis.

Gay audiences will likely eat Fela! up thanks to its endlessly engaging theatricality, high-energy dance numbers, and considerable display of Ngaujah's and the male dancers' toned physiques. To its detriment, though, Fela! fails to acknowledge the activist's AIDS-related death. This is especially odd given how contemporary the musical's other social concerns are, including the current Occupy Movement. Fela himself somewhat understandably kept his illness a secret, however he may have contracted it, but his brother revealed the cause of Fela's death shortly after. The musical's unwillingness to mention AIDS while admiringly noting Fela's "harem" of wives, which in reality numbered more than a dozen, struck me as especially egregious.

Though imperfect, Fela! remains political, sensual and challenging, as the best theatre always is. Click here for tickets or additional information about the LA run of Fela!

Reverend's Rating: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Up on the House Top...

2011-12-25T06:00:00.004-06:00

From the Movie Dearest family to yours,Merry Christmas!

Reverend's Interview: Keeping It Real in Pariah

2011-12-22T06:00:00.021-06:00

One of the most acclaimed films from this year's Sundance Film Festival, Pariah, will finally be making it to theaters this month. The semi-autobiographical drama about the coming of age of a lesbian teenager is scheduled to open in Los Angeles and New York on December 28th and will open nationwide in January.

I first heard of Pariah two years ago. It was initially a well-received short film, and producer Nekisa Cooper was then working hard to raise the funds necessary to expand it into a feature. Cooper and writer-director Dee Rees had an impressive endorsement letter from no less than Spike Lee, for whom Rees had worked on When the Levees Broke and Inside Man. Lee serves as one of the feature's executive producers.

Their hard work has paid off. The finished film is an authentic and moving exploration of a young woman trying to integrate her identity. Confident that "God doesn't make mistakes," 17-year old Alike (pronounced "Ah-lee-kay" and sometimes referred to as "Lee" for short) has to contend with her conservative-Christian mother as well as with other teens not yet as comfortable in their own shoes as Alike. Adepero Oduye gives a breakthrough performance in the lead role, and Kim Wayans (perhaps best remembered as Benita Butrell and other wacky characters from the 1990's TV sketch series In Living Color) is a revelation as Alike's conflicted mother.

Rees recently spoke with me from New York. "It's been a labor of love," Rees said of her six-year odyssey to make Pariah, first as a short and then as a feature. "Our audience reactions have been overwhelmingly positive; (the film) has universal appeal and has been shown not only at LGBT film festivals but at mainstream festivals." LGBT-friendly Focus Features, which has also released such popular movies as Brokeback Mountain and Milk, quickly snapped up the rights to Pariah following its Sundance screening. "It's every filmmaker's dream to have their film released by a major company," according to Rees. "Focus has been incredibly supportive."

Spirituality plays a major role in Alike's journey. Both Rees and Cooper were raised in devout Christian families, and Cooper's father serves as a Catholic deacon. "If anything, it's my spirituality that got me through the past six years," Rees reflects. "My spirituality and spiritual practice have actually gotten stronger than they were before going through this." While their parents will be invited to the official premiere of Pariah, Rees isn't sure how they will respond. "Hopefully," Rees said, "they will respond well so they can witness to other parents" of LGBT children.

With her profile on the rise in the industry, Rees just finished writing a new script for a thriller and is working with HBO on developing a TV series. She speaks appreciatively of all the support she has received, especially from two-time Oscar nominee Spike Lee. Rees calls Lee her mentor and states "He's been a great guiding hand."

"I'm not running, I'm choosing," Alike says in Pariah of a life-changing, climactic decision she makes. It's a statement Rees wholeheartedly agrees with. "I think questioning and affirming your identity is a universal theme, and I definitely want gay teens to connect with the film and see that it's ok to be them."

She concluded, "If you strip away race and sexuality, we are all searching for the same things when it comes to identity. That's what this film is about."

Reverend's Rating: A-

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Close Call

2011-12-20T06:00:00.018-06:00

Actress Glenn Close has been nominated for the Academy Award five times for her memorable turns in such films as Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction and The World According to Garp but she has yet to bring home the gold. That could soon change, given her current performance as a woman passing herself off as a man in Albert Nobbs. It is scheduled to open in theaters everywhere on January 27th.

Based on a short story that Close adapted into a play nearly 20 years ago, the movie's title character is the head servant in an upper-class, Irish guest house during the 19th century. Nobbs is respected by the headmistress (played by Brenda Fricker) and admired by the hotel's clientele, but Nobbs has a secret: he is really a she. Having begun cross-dressing as a young woman in the wake of a brutal attack, Nobbs has effectively led a male life for 30 years and dreams of one day opening "his" own tobacco shop.

Things begin to unravel, however, once Nobbs crosses paths with a hired handyman who also turns out to be a woman (Janet McTeer, giving a great, Oscar-worthy performance of her own). As Nobbs gets to know her and increasingly admires her marriage to another woman, Nobbs feels inspired to make romantic overtures to another servant in his household, the lovely young Helen (Mia Wasikowska). Alas, Helen only has eyes for attractive, impetuous Joe (Aaron Johnson), who soon gets her pregnant. Trouble for Nobbs and all concerned follows.

Close is startlingly convincing in terms of her physical appearance, voice and mannerisms. Though Nobbs is considered less than masculine by many of his co-workers, no one questions his/her gender. Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) also appears as a closeted gay man who frequents the hotel. As good as the performances are, I found the screenplay and Rodrigo Garcia's direction tonally inconsistent. The unusual premise seems to be played at some moments for laughs and at other times with heavy-handed solemnity. This kept me from admiring Albert Nobbs completely.

This year's Oscar race for Best Actress is shaping up to be a tough one, with Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) and Viola Davis (The Help) likely among Close's competitors. As Albert Nobbs would probably say, "May the best man (woman) win!"

Reverend's Rating: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reel Thoughts Interview: Showgirls Gone Wild!

2011-12-18T06:00:00.058-06:00

If you want something done right, do it yourself. Just ask Rena Riffel, who co-starred in the priceless 1995 gay favorite Showgirls, as well as Demi Moore’s Striptease and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. In Showgirls, Riffel played Penny, Nomi Malone’s (Elizabeth Berkley) fellow dancer at “The Cheetah who ends up with Nomi’s pseudo-boyfriend James (Glenn Plummer). Riffel says that director Paul Verhoeven mentioned that her character Penny could star in a sequel where she goes to Hollywood, and the thought stayed with Riffel for years.

Seeing how popular Showgirls became after its inauspicious debut, Riffel decided to produce the film, titled Showgirls 2: Penny’s from Heaven, herself. As detailed in Entertainment Weekly, German director Marc Volander attempted to make a competing sequel, called Showgirls: Exposed, that has scored a laughable 1.3 rating on IMDB to date. Unlike Vorlander’s brain-crushing monstrosity, Riffel has written a loving homage/send-up of the original that includes tons of memorable quotes that will tickle Showgirls fans. Riffel also laughs about a drinking game that viewers can play, taking a swig whenever the word “whore” is uttered.

Riffel, who has been self-promoting her film and enjoying the wild responses it is getting, approached Verhoeven with her script, but “he doesn’t like to do sequels or similar films. But he gave me his blessing, so I just kept moving forward with it.”

In Showgirls, Riffel and Gina Gershon are the two actresses who most seemed to “get” the material, so that their humor is all intentional. About the original film’s success, Riffel said, “Part of me thinks it was a happy accident, like a beautiful train wreck that happened, but then another part of me thinks that Paul Verhoeven definitely veered it in a direction to make it more exciting. I think that he got the film he wanted. I don’t think that some of the actors realized that it was going to be a ‘forced motivation’ in certain scenes. That’s what gave it that special magic On Striptease, everyone was playing it for comedy and on Showgirls everyone was playing it thinking that we were making Basic Instinct. At the end of the day, Showgirls turned out to funnier than Striptease.”

Riffel’s work in Mulholland Drive and a pilot called Land’s End with Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) gave her a break from being offered parts with nudity, but she says that if the part demands it, “you have to be a trouper” and go with it. “I don’t think you can be an actress and refuse to do nudity. You have to be uninhibited.”

“I want the audience to be in that (Showgirls) world again,” she said about Showgirls 2.”So I included what I thought were the most loved parts and lines from Showgirls, but we say them in a different way. It speaks in a secret Showgirls language.” She laughed about a scene where the women toast each other with hot dogs in honor of the infamous Spago scene where Nomi and Cristal clink tortilla chips together. “That’s what dancers do, toast each other with food.”

In Penny’s from Heaven, Riffel’s Penny leaves Las Vegas in the hopes of scoring a part on a low budget Hollywood dance program. Along the way, she runs into a crazed Marilyn Monroe impersonator and lands in a gothic love triangle right out of Sunset Boulevard. “Valley of the Dolls was probably my biggest influence. I’ve watched it a million times. I watched a lot of old movies from the 40s and 50s because I wanted it to have that melodramatic feel.”

Showgirls fans will be happy to see Glenn Plummer return as her Alvin Ailey-trained boyfriend, as well as other Showgirls alumni like Greg Travis and Dewey Weber. Ungela Brockman, who played ill-fated dancer Annie, wanted to take part but wasn’t able to. Riffel is hoping to use her in another sequel, which she is now developing pending the success of Showgirls 2.

When the movie Black Swan opened to so much acclaim, Riffel was pleased, since her film already contained a similar ballet-based rivalry between Penny and the aging prima ballerina Katya.

In closing, Riffel stressed how important her causes are to her. "I support GLAAD and the LGBT community and issues. I support the NOH8 campaign. I have lived in West Hollywood for most of my life – twenty years – and am part of the community and encourage donations to Out of the Closet (AHF) which offers the most fabulous "second-hand everything" and also offers free AIDS Testing. Also, I was honored to be a Celebrity Presenter at the We Ho Awards for three years, and look forward to more involvement. I support our US Troops. I am planning to do a USO tour, and would love to bring Showgirls 2: Penny's from Heaven to our Troops, or do a hand shake tour, or anything I can do to let all our Troops know we appreciate their service. I support the Rescue Animal Corp. Animal Rescue Corps supports the rescue of any animals who are suffering.”

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: London Ladies

2011-12-16T06:00:00.027-06:00

The stage musical Billy Elliot includes the showstopping song "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher," a satiric ode to the long-reigning, conservative British Prime Minister. Appropriately, a new film biography of Thatcher, The Iron Lady, is arriving in US theaters this Christmas holiday season. Meryl Streep stars in the title role and gives yet another amazing, award-worthy performance (La Meryl has already won the New York Film Critics' award for Best Actress and been nominated for SAG and Golden Globe honors for her work here). If only the movie that surrounds her was as good.

The Iron Lady charts Thatcher's rise to power from her humble beginnings as daughter of a provincial grocer to becoming the first and only woman to date to serve as Prime Minister. It also explores her current and -- if the film is to be believed -- fairly demented status, conversing with her beloved late husband (wonderfully played by Jim Broadbent), bemoaning the high price of milk and saying things (not so dementedly) like "It used to be about trying to do something; Now it's about trying to be someone." Whether this is an accurate representation or not, Streep is especially good depicting Thatcher's later years and embodying an elderly woman in general.

As erratically written by Abi Morgan and chaotically directed by Phyllida Lloyd (who previously paired with Streep in bringing Mamma Mia! to the screen), the film is oddly constructed and shifts back and forth in time not only within minutes but sometimes within the same minute. It is at once convoluted and simplistic. To the filmmakers' and Streep's credit, though, The Iron Lady is never boring. I even wonder if it would work better as a musical, given Streep's and Lloyd's last joint success. Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I is even referenced at several points, with Thatcher and husband Dennis joyfully dancing together. Maybe Elton John and Lee Hall, who co-wrote Billy Elliot for the stage, can take The Iron Lady on as their next project.

Years after Thatcher's leadership ended, things aren't looking so good in London. Despite this year's lavish royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, London has been subjected to political and economic unrest, violent riots and terrorist attacks. One devastating act of terrorism in 2005 has inspired the powerful new drama London River, which is already playing in New York City and opens this weekend in Los Angeles.

Brenda Blethyn (perhaps best remembered for her high-strung "Sweetie Darling" turn in 1996's Secrets & Lies) plays Elizabeth, the rural mother of a London-based daughter. When her daughter fails to return her phone calls in the wake of coordinated bombings that killed 52 people and injured more than 700, Elizabeth goes to London to see what's going on. Once there, she learns that her daughter had been taking classes in Arabic and fallen in with a group of possibly radical Muslims. Elizabeth also meets Ousmane (the late Sotigui Kouyate, who won the Berlin Film Festival's Silver Bear for Best Actor), a French arborist searching for his son.

As they interview police, teachers and friends, Elizabeth and Ousmane must confront the growing reality that their children aren't the people they thought they knew and, worse, may have been at least partly responsible for the terrorist attack. Director Rachid Bouchareb (who helmed the Oscar-nominated Days of Glory and Outside the Law) draws excellent, haunting performances from Blethyn and Kouyate. Ultimately moving and cautionary, London River shouldn't be missed.

Reverend's Ratings:
The Iron Lady: B-
London River: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reel Thoughts: GLBT DVDs for X-mas

2011-12-10T06:00:00.046-06:00

If you haven’t yet found the perfect stocking stuffer for your better half, a number of gay and lesbian-themed DVDs have come out that will make your choice easier. These are all films that had little to no public release yet, so you are sure to look impressive for finding them. It’s okay, we won’t tell!

Into the Lion’s Den(QC Cinema /Breaking Glass Pictures):
Into the Lion’s Den is a gripping and graphic gay take on exploitation horror films like Hostel and Vacancy where unsuspecting travelers are lured into a deadly trap. Bored by the West Hollywood gay scene, three buddies, jaded Johnny (Jesse Archer), sweet Michael (Ronnie Kroell) and naïve Ted (Kristen-Alexzander Griffith) decide to drive cross country to New York City. Johnny uses the latest technology on his phone to arrange sex hook-ups, like one with a sexy gas station attendant (porn star Jake Steel), much to Michael and Ted’s annoyance. Reaching Amish country, nerves are getting frayed and the boys end up at a sleazy motel that Norman Bates would love. Even in the middle of nowhere, however, as soon as Johnny gets a signal, he gets another instant message from a man with a hot torso photo inviting Johnny to a bar called The Lion’s Den. After convincing his unsuspecting pals to go with him, they find that the ominously-named bar is a redneck haven with no sign of a gay nightlife.

What happens next plunges the trio into a depraved scene right out of a Saw movie with a sexual twist. Director Dan Lantz pulls no punches either in the sexy early scene at the gas station or in the dungeon scenes later in the film. This approach gives the film a realistic feeling that will make you think twice before meeting someone over the internet. Archer gives another good performance as a past-his-prime party boy, and the handsome Kroell (Eating Out: Drama Camp) is suitably hunky. Griffith is the weak link in the cast, and his monologue at the end of the film is unintentionally funny. Despite some cheesy acting and low budget production values, Into the Lion’s Den is a taut and entertaining thriller for any fans of exploitation movies.

Trigger(Wolfe Video):
Envisioned as a My Dinner With Andre-style film about two estranged band members reuniting after many years, Trigger turned out to be female lead Tracy Wright’s brave final film before she succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Wright and Molly Parker play the two former members of Trigger, a popular Canadian alternative rock band. After a dramatic fight the band broke up, but now the two women will have to reunite for a benefit concert. Vic (Wright) and Kat (Parker) meet in a restaurant and, like My Dinner With Andre, the two spend the evening talking and confronting old demons. If you are not up for a film rooted in dialogue instead of action, you won’t want to pull this Trigger.

Hold Your Peace(QC Cinema):
The bad thing about LGBT films is that because they are for a niche audience, sometimes bad acting and even worse writing pops up without warning, ruining an otherwise great premise. As far as a gift goes, Hold Your Peace is the perfect lump of coal to drop in some deserving ex’s stocking!

Riding a wave of films dealing with same-sex marriage, Hold Your Peace tells the story of Aiden (Chad Ford), a hapless single guy who is invited to be the best man at his ex-boyfriend’s commitment ceremony. What’s a guy to do? Why, bring his gal pal’s vacuous twink friend and pass him off as your boyfriend, of course. But, what could have been an entertaining premise full of great potential is done in by poor casting and a ridiculous ending that has to be seen to be believed. Despite its shortcomings, Hold Your Peace manages to raise a lot of interesting conflicts that everyone can relate to, such as how to deal with unresolved feelings for your ex, and what to do when his new boyfriend is gorgeous and apparently perfect.

Of the cast, only Blair Dickens as Forrest, the new beau, comes off as natural and engaging. Ford has no charisma and looks constipated throughout of the film, and handsome Tyler Brockington as Max the ex is so wooden, IKEA could build a bookshelf out of him. Scott Higgins, as the flamboyant Lance a.k.a. Brick, is the worst actor of all, taking a stereotypical role and making it worse with terrible line readings and a smarmy presence. You will wonder if writer/director Wade McDonald ran out of film when, after a long lead up to the nuptials, the film is wrapped up in a jaw-dropping ten seconds at the end. Hold Your Peace will definitely make you hold your nose.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reel Thoughts: Look Back in Anguish

2011-12-09T06:00:00.022-06:00

In the 30 years since the AIDS crisis first reared its ugly head, it seems some people have forgotten what it was all about, how the LGBT community reacted then and how it changed the way we live and are more accepted today. In the moving documentary We Were Here (now in select theaters and premiering today on Pay-Per-View and Video on Demand), filmmaker David Weissman and the four people who are interviewed on camera insist that people remember.

We Were Here pieces together what life was like in the Castro District of San Francisco in the '80s and early '90s as people first became terrified of the nameless afflictions that were killing formerly healthy men so quickly, then became angry as the government seemed content to let the disease run its course unabated through the gay community. It was before many people can remember, but there was a time when people like Lyndon LaRouche and Jerry Falwell were pushing legislation to quarantine people with AIDS and fought to stigmatize them at their most vulnerable time. Mostly, We Were Here shows how the LGBT community came together to help one another and fight for a cure.

People like nurse Eileen Glutzer, who is featured in the film, were among the few who would go into the rooms of AIDS patients and offer them care and love, when even her coworkers refused to do so out of fear of the disease. The other three people interviewed are men who lived through the disease and watched as more than 15,000 people died in San Francisco alone.

Despite its somber subject matter, We Were Here (which was recently named a finalist for next year's Academy Awards) is must-see viewing for everyone in the LGBT community. It is a powerful rallying cry to fight for the rights and protections we deserve. It also shows how different groups in our community can pull together in times of need, like the women's community, which provided life-saving blood drives in the Castro when gay men were prohibited from donating when the need was so great.

Times have changed and HIV is no longer a death sentence, but it is vital to remember the past so that it isn't repeated.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Off the Shelf: Holiday Gift Guide 2011

2011-12-07T06:00:00.136-06:00

With the holidays fast approaching, here are some new books that would make great gifts for all the cinematically inclined on your list... or yourself!

For the sci-fi fan: Filled with enough facts and figures on the creation of one of the most popular science fiction movies of all time to weigh down the Nostromo, Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film(Ian Nathan, Voyageur Press) is a must have for all Alien aficiandos. The weighty tome features director Ridley Scott’s own annotated storyboards, Polaroids and script pages; the elegant but disturbing concept artwork of H.R. Giger; costume designs by Moebius; and ten meticulously reproduced artifacts, enclosed in vellum envelopes, for readers to remove and examine more closely.

For the Twi-hard: Blood-suckers on screen are all the rage of late, so it's not surprising that a fourth edition of Alain Silver and James Ursini's The Vampire Film(Limelight Editions) was unearthed earlier this year. Now subtitled "From Nosferatu to True Blood", this newly updated and expanded volume contains an enclycopedic listing of vampire movies and television programs and is chock-full of full color (mostly red) photos. The book is structured thematically, incorporating vampire films of all eras into chapters on vampire lore, male and female vampires, Dracula, and more.

For the aspiring screenwriter: If you think Hollywood films can be formulaic, screenwriter and film fanatic Todd Klick proves it in his new book Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know(Michael Wiese Productions). A "how to" guide on how to write the next great screenplay, Klick does a minute-by-minute breakdown of classic and contemporary films to reveal the story telling technique that drives great movies, from Star Wars to Tootsie to The Six Sense to The Godfather. "Good movies do the exact same thing, across the board, in succession, during each and every minute. Doesn't matter if it's minute 1 or minute 101. Even if one movie ends at minute 85 and the next ends at 120, they still abide by this strict, minute-by-minute blueprint," says Klick.

For the classics connoisseur: Chronicling the 50 newest titles added to the National Film Registry in the past two years, Daniel Eagan's Americas Film Legacy: 2009-2010(Continuum Books) shines the spotlight on such favorites as Dog Day Afternoon, Grey Gardens, The Muppet Movie and Pillow Talk, as well as such lesser-known gems as Lonesome, Precious Images and Quasi at the Quackadero.

And speaking of the NFR, their 2012 Movie Poster Wall Calendar(Universe Publishing) is also available. Next year's edition includes poster art for such classics as It's a Wonderful Life, The Invisible Man, The Maltese Falcon, North by Northwest, Singin' in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz.

Click on the links above to order these books from Amazon.com.

Reel Thoughts Interview: Dreaming of a White Christmas

2011-12-05T06:00:00.026-06:00

Let yourself go, relax. You aren’t going to have to solve math logarithms when you see Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, now on national tour. All you have to do is dream of a snowy holiday in Vermont where two Broadway hoofers woo a couple of sisters and try to save a old friend’s Inn. You won’t see Bing Crosby, but then again, why would you want to? No one can replace Bing, so the makers of this seasonal hit don’t even try. What they do try to do is recreate the 1954 classic film on stage complete with its great music like “Let Yourself Go”, “Blue Skies”, “Sisters” and of course the title song. If we are lucky, the inimitable Ruth Williamson (Nip/Tuck, La Cage Aux Folles) will recreate her Broadway role, since she is one of Broadway’s true divas.

Brandon Davidson is happy to be a part of the show for the fourth year in a row. “It’s like an old family getting together and we’re going to do this Christmas show,” he explained. The youngest of six kids, Davidson grew up in beautiful San Diego. “I’m the only one who moved away,” he laughed. He received his BFA in Musical Theatre from Boston Conservatory, which then presented an annual showcase for New York casting directors. “So the program basically dumps you right into Times Square,” he joked. He’s lived in New York City since 2005.

“The reason I love this show so much is the choreography and the music. The second show I saw in New York was 42nd Street which was choreographed by Randy Skinner, who is the choreographer for White Christmas, and his style is inspired by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and that old world musical theater style. I grew up listening to jazz and the show is set in the fifties, so to be able to live in that world and dance that style again... I have a real passion for that style. It’s very American and rooted in jazz.”

Since the show is set in a Broadway milieu where two friends try to save their commanding general’s inn by putting on a show, the ensemble has lots of opportunities to shine. “The opening number, “Let Yourself Go” is a blast. It’s like being shot out of a cannon. It’s about seven minutes long and it’s a tap number. My favorite number in the show is when Betty sings, “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me”. It’s her “eleven o’clock number” and it is set in a Broadway cabaret, so it has that mood about it. She has three dancers who partner her one-by-one, and I am one of those dancers. It’s very emotionally based because she’s just been through sort of a break-up, and I think that Randy’s work and his intuition as a choreographer really shines in this number. “

Davidson also works as a house manager for Broadway shows, including the New York Musical Theater Festival, the showcase that launched [title of show], Altar Boyz, Next To Normal, Yank! and The Great American Trailer Park Musical. The show that he expects to see share that kind of success is Kiki Baby. Starring Broadway favorite Jenn Colella as the title character, a four year old who is gifted with an angelic voice, Kiki Baby tells the story of how she is exploited by her mother and needy neighbors in 1931 Germany.

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Toon Talk: Of Muppets and Men

2011-12-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

The past twelve years haven’t been kind to the fluffy, felty band of misfit marionettes known collectively as the Muppets. In the dozen or so years since their last big screen outing (the underrated Muppets from Space), they have been relegated to fast food commercials and shoddy made-for-TV movies (Muppetphiles were hard-pressed to decide which was worse, It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie or The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz).

All that can now be forgotten (if not quite forgiven) with this past weekend’s release of their new hit movie, simply titled The Muppets. And while it doesn’t reach the Muppetational greatness of The Muppet Movie or The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets does serve as an entertaining reintroduction of Kermit and Company to today’s audiences...

Click here to continue reading my Toon Talk review of The Muppets at LaughingPlace.com.

Reverend's Review: A Fiennes Bromance

2011-12-02T06:00:00.023-06:00

Oscar nominated actor Ralph Fiennes, best known as the villainous Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, makes an impressive directorial debut with Coriolanus (opening today in Los Angeles and New York City for awards consideration and going wide in January). This modernized adaptation of one of Shakespeare's least-known plays is nothing if not timely for its provocative examination of how those in power manipulate the masses, at least until the masses get wise to them.

Fiennes also stars and gives a fierce, award-worthy performance as the title Roman general. In the wake of his military victory over the Volscians, led by sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (300's Gerard Butler), Caius Martius "Coriolanus" is promoted by Rome's Senate to the powerful position of Consul. He initially secures the required consent of the Roman populace despite his prickly personality and thinly-veiled contempt for "the rabble." But when Coriolanus's political enemies expose and inflame his absolutist convictions, the public not only withdraws its support but votes for Coriolanus's banishment.

The enraged, humiliated general subsequently seeks out the Volscians and their leader and proposes an alliance against Rome. Surprisingly, Tullus Aufidius receives his former enemy warmly and something of a bromance begins between them. Alas, things don't end so well for the pair; Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's tragedies, after all.

Not unlike other works by the Bard, Coriolanus contains its share of homoerotic elements. This is especially apparent in the devotion the Volscian troops show their new co-leader, shaving their heads to appear like him, toning their bodies and stripping down to tank tops. Fiennes and Butler make a potent combination physically as well as in their mastery of Shakespeare's prose, although Butler's Scottish brogue sometimes makes his lines difficult to understand.

Otherwise, screenwriter John Logan's savvy, streamlined approach to the source material makes Coriolanus easily accessible to movie audiences. The story largely plays out on big-screen televisions, cell phones and the Internet, and the military hardware employed is decidedly Bush-era. Those who have been following the "Occupy" movement will easily find relevant the rallying cry of those opposed to Coriolanus and the Senate: "The people are the city!" As the 99% continue to rise up today against the power-wielding minority, Shakespeare's work proves to be not only poetic but prophetic.

Fiennes' amazing supporting cast includes Vanessa Redgrave (giving her best film performance in years as the general's ruthless mother), Brian Cox and actress-of-the-moment Jessica Chastain, who won the New York Film Critics award for Best Supporting Actress earlier this week for her turns in The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter. Director of Photography Barry Ackroyd effectively utilizes the same combination of hand-held cameras and sweeping vista shots he did in The Hurt Locker.

Coriolanus is challenging, as all Shakespeare is nowadays to increasingly untrained ears. It likely won't be a big hit at the box office but could reap some significant nominations if not awards and go down as one of the better modern interpretations of his work.

Reverend's Rating: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Monthly Wallpaper - December 2011: Nun's Stories

2011-11-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

Just in time for the holidays, this month's Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper salutes cinematic sisterhood with a December dose of Nun's Stories.

As you can see, there's nothing like the role of a nun to attract the attention of our favorite movie actresses, from Ingrid Bergman and Rosalind Russell to Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews to Whoopi Goldberg and Meryl Streep. In everything from dramas to comedies to musicals, it's hard to break the habit of a good nun's story.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Reverend's Reviews: Here Comes Santa Claus

2011-11-29T06:00:00.018-06:00

Who knew your average shopping mall Santa has to risk so much? From crying, inconsolable toddlers to sick children vomiting on their freshly-laundered suits and the "post-Christmas depression" that sets in for many of them come December 26th, it isn't easy being the North Pole's jolliest inhabitant. The illuminating, highly enjoyable new documentary Becoming Santa (now available on DVDjust in time for the holidays from Cinema Libre Studio) reveals all these perils of the trade as well as its many joys.

"It's not a job; it's a calling, a destiny," according to one interviewee in the film who annually dons the familiar red and white. Director Jeff Myers primarily follows the journey of Los Angeles resident Jack Sanderson, who found Christmas had lost much of its value and meaning following the deaths of his parents. The funny, well-spoken Sanderson decided to try to re-discover the holiday spirit by growing out his beard, dyeing it white and attending one of several schools for professional Santas scattered across the US. Myers' camera tracks Sanderson as he learns such valuable lessons as never refer to children as "kids," never add an additional exclamation to Santa's traditionally triune "Ho, ho, ho," and to always assure the children sitting on his lap that he will do everything possible to satisfy their Christmas wish lists. "In essence," Sanderson confesses, "I've been given a license to lie to children, and to lie big."

As a lifelong devotee of the pleasantly-plump mascot of gift giving, I was impressed not just by the caliber of character(s) depicted in Becoming Santa but by the documentary's incorporation of historical facts behind the contemporary legend. The source tale of St. Nicholas -- a 3rd-century benefactor known for his secret support of the poor and needy in what is now known as southern Turkey -- is given considerable time, as are the Civil War-era innovations to the tradition. These included the first American artistic illustration of Santa (which would later be appropriated by the Coca-Cola Company to even greater effect), the first Christmas tree sales in the US, and the introduction of Christmas greeting cards. The first "live" Santa, personified by James Edgar, debuted in a Boston department store in 1890.

I wish Myers would have focused less on Sanderson, entertaining though he be, and given some of his supporting Santas a little more screen time. Each has a fascinating back story, and most unselfishly volunteer their considerable time spent as Santa each year in malls, parades and at parties. But Myers succeeds, movingly so, at showing the great good done each year in the name of Santa Claus via considerable fund-raising efforts and gift donations that support underprivileged children, men and women worldwide.

Although I've become increasingly horrified by the greed and commercialism that drive "Black Friday" and the holiday shopping season, I will always believe in Santa and the overly-generous devotion to humankind's good that he represents. If there is anyone out there who needs your Christmas spirit renewed, rent Becoming Santa today. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Reverend's Rating: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reel Thoughts: Trouble in Paradise

2011-11-28T06:00:00.041-06:00

Director Alexander Payne has been making great films since Citizen Ruth and Election, but chances are most people are more familiar with Sideways or About Schmidt due to their Oscar nominations. His new film, The Descendants, shares a tone and subtlety with those latter films, to the point where those with shorter attention spans may flee the theater for the latest Twilight saga. I prefer to think of it as playing on Hawaii time, since the film is set completely among the non-tourists of that laid-back paradise.

The Descendants is gorgeously shot and deceptively subversive in the way that it confronts non-native people's co-opting of sacred lands. It won't make you feel bad as you sip a pina colada at a Hawaiian resort, but then again, it might.

George Clooney plays Matt King, a rich lawyer who is a direct descendent of Hawaiian royalty, which makes him executor of a trust that includes hundreds of acres of pristine Hawaiian land that he must sell before the laws dissolve the agreement. Unlike his family of Jimmy Buffett-like cousins, he hasn't lived off the great wealth the trust provided, and he is more than a little conflicted about selling the land for development.
All of this is just a backdrop to what is happening in his life. His wife, Barbara, bored by his lack of attention, began "seizing life" and ended up in a coma from a speedboat accident. Now forced to be a full-time father, Matt doesn't know how to communicate with his younger daughter and has no idea that his older daughter is getting drunk at the pricey boarding school where he sent her to straighten up.

The majority of the film deals with Barbara's imminent death and how to prepare the family and friends, while Clooney's character must additionally deal with a shattering betrayal by his now-comatose wife. Clooney gives a terrific, nuanced performance that is especially heartbreaking when he is left alone in the hospital room with his duplicitous wife and has to make peace with her. He gradually learns through tragic and uplifting events how to reconnect with his daughters and with the great land with which he has been entrusted.

Actress Shailene Woodley, who is best known for her role in The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family, plays the a tough, wounded daughter who becomes privy to her mother's less-than-admirable behavior in The Descendants. I recently visited with the 20-year-old actress to discuss her breakout role.

About how she got into character: "I'm not one of those actors who approaches it and thinks too much about it. I don't think about ‘the character' and ‘her arc' and what her life is like. I just try to approach it and be as present and truthful in the moment. I really responded to this screenplay because it was so real and raw and truthful and human. And it's so rare, especially in scripts that I read that are geared toward my age range. They're usually glamorized and not quite truthful."

On the screenplay: "The screenplay was so brilliantly written that there was no improvising. Emotion naturally came up and I was so fortunate to work with such phenomenal actors who gave me so much to work off of."

On director Alexander Payne, who she didn't know before she auditioned, and co-star George Clooney: "Alexander Payne is one of my top five favorite human beings on a personal level, and George Clooney is a superhuman. Every positive thing that you've read about him is true and every negative thing is hilarious because that man doesn't have a mean bone in his body.

On the time she spent on location in Hawaii: "These were the four months that shaped my young adult life. It was magical. Being there on set, it was such a comfortable environment. George was never in his trailer, he was always there hanging out with us. No one was better than anyone else and Alexander is such a happy human being, he created such a happy environment, there were never any fights or any disputes."

On the films serious and funny moments: "Everyone in some way or another has to deal with death, whether it's someone close or a family member, and at the same time, this movie is very funny. Life is funny, and we as human beings are hilarious. My friends who are gay always seem more open and comfortable with life and with mistakes. I took one of my friends to see the film and he was crying through half the film and laughing through the other half. Afterwards, he said, ‘That's just like real life: you laugh, you cry and you don't realize how funny life can be until you remove yourself from the bubble and look back on it.'"

Review and interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Report: Returns to Oz

2011-11-27T06:00:00.034-06:00

Wicked, the lavish stage production based on a 1995 novel by gay author Gregory Maguire and featuring songs by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz, remains the top-grossing musical on Broadway eight years after its opening and has been a massive hit on tour. It returns to the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles in late November for a month-long run.

Author L. Frank Baum originally introduced us to the magical world of Oz in 1900. His initial novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the first of 14 books set in Oz that he penned), was subsequently turned into a 1902 stage musical as well as the classic film of 1939 starring Judy Garland. A non-musical (and underrated, in my opinion) movie sequel, Return to Oz, was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1985 and quickly flopped at the box office. Now, Disney is trying again with a new film, Oz: The Great and Powerful, scheduled for release in 2013. It stars gay-friendly "it" boy James Franco in the title role and is being directed by Sam Raimi of the Evil Dead and Spider-Man series.

Despite attempts by Disney and others to put Oz's ruling wizard front and center, it has long been the saga's women who have captured the public imagination. Whether they be the young Kansas farm girl Dorothy, unexpectedly transported to the land "over the rainbow" by a powerful tornado, or an assortment of witches both good and bad (played by the unforgettable Margaret Hamilton and Billie Burke in The Wizard of Oz as well as Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis in the new production), the women of Oz continue to command attention.

Wicked is no exception. The stage musical, which is also slated for eventual adaptation into a movie by Universal Studios, recounts the story of how the prickly, green-skinned Elphaba first met and befriended the vacuous but saintly Galinda. Whereas the former would become best known in Oz as "the Wicked Witch of the West," Galinda (nee "Glinda") ultimately became identified along with Dorothy as its savior. Maguire's novel and the theatrical interpretation of it serve as potent political commentary, in which Elphaba is revealed as having good intentions while the Wizard plots to subjugate the citizens of Oz to his self-serving will.

The Oz books, movies and musicals have long held special relevance for GLBT people. I believe this is because we identify with the heroic journeys undertaken by Elphaba and Dorothy in leaving home, discovering their self worth and special/magical attributes, and ultimately helping others with the wisdom they have gained. As we mature in the GLBT community, our personal journeys often undergo a similar process.

In addition to the return of Wicked, two new books have recently been published that continue to explore the lessons we can gain from Oz and its inhabitants. Now available is And Toto Too: The Wizard of Oz - A Spiritual Journey.Written by Nathan Castle, a Dominican priest, it has been recommended by Rabbi Barton G. Lee as "of interest to all who ponder questions about God, ethics, and life's meaning(s) whatever their own religious background." And Maguire's fourth and final novel in his popular Wicked series, Out of Oz,was also released recently.

Clearly, the land of Oz continues to cast a magic spell through a variety of media more than a century since L. Frank Baum dreamed it up.

Report by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Tomboy Joy

2011-11-25T06:00:00.008-06:00

One of the best films of the year, GLBT-interest or otherwise, is Celine Sciamma's exquisite Tomboy. After winning raves and awards at various film festivals, it is being released theatrically today in Los Angeles and New York by Rocket Releasing.

Young lead actress Zoe Haran gives one of several beautifully nuanced performances in this sensitive, compassionate movie about a girl's efforts to fit into a new community by presenting herself as a boy. This naturally leads to complications. Both the central character and the film resist easy categorization but Tomboy provides many rewards. Despite its subtitles, even older children and teenagers may appreciate this French import.

Reverend's Rating: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Turkey Day Greetings

2011-11-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

Reverend’s Reviews: Full Frontal Fassbender

2011-11-23T12:00:00.024-06:00

2011 is proving to be Irish-born actor Michael Fassbender’s breakout year. After playing the romantic lead opposite Mia Wasikowska in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s take on Jane Eyre and his fine turn as the younger incarnation of chief villain Magneto in the otherwise shockingly overrated X-Men: First Class, Fassbender is ending the year with an even bigger bang… and I do mean that in a euphemistic, sexual sense.

Most immediately, Fassbender co-stars beginning today in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method from Sony Pictures Classics. He portrays the pioneering early 20th-century psychiatrist Carl Jung, who falls in with both a miscast Viggo Mortensen (Cronenberg’s go-to guy of late, having previously starred in the director’s Eastern Promises and A History of Violence) as Sigmund Freud, Jung’s mentor, and a deeply disturbed mental patient played by a Russian-accented Keira Knightley.

Fassbender is excellent, and Knightley could end up with an Academy Award nomination for her initially over-the-top but ultimately affecting turn. Although their sex scenes (which primarily involve clothed spanking) are more silly than scandalous, both seem to invest their hearts as well as their bodies in them. I enjoyed Mortensen’s livelier than usual performance as Freud but can’t help but feel busy Oscar winner Christoph Waltz would have been a better, more authentically European choice.

While A Dangerous Method is handsomely-produced and -designed, what should have been an intriguing story fell pretty flat for me. Cronenberg directs with no particular flair, and Christopher Hampton’s talky screenplay doesn’t delve enough into Jung’s hinted-at devotion to mysticism or the Jewish Freud’s cultural/religious insecurities (“Put not your trust in Aryans,” Freud warns cryptically at one point.) The film is now playing in Los Angeles and New York City and will expand nationally soon.

Fassbender also headlines and bares all in Fox Searchlight’s Shame, scheduled to open in select cities on December 2nd. The actor won the prestigious Best Actor award at this year’s Venice Film Festival for his fully-committed performance as Brandon, a contemporary NYC sex addict. All seems to be going well for Brandon both at his day job and with his indiscriminate nightly escapades. Once his rootless sister (Carey Mulligan) enters the picture, however, all hell truly breaks loose.

Screenwriters Steve McQueen (who also directs) and Abi Morgan heavily imply all manner of sexual abuse and incest in Brandon’s and Sissy’s pasts but hesitate from revealing anything definitive. As a result, Shame tends to wallow in its graphic sexual scenes (both heterosexual and homosexual, and far from arousing) rather than provide any illumination or redemption. I still can’t believe that the prospect of Brandon’s participation in a 12-step group for those suffering from sexual addiction is never raised, despite Shame being set in a city as chock-full of fellow addicts and support groups as Manhattan.

Fassbender and Mulligan may deservedly be honored with year-end critics groups’ citations for their arresting work here, even though Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) and George Clooney (The Descendants) are the current front runners for the Best Actor Oscar. The strong-stomached will likely consider Shame worthwhile viewing based exclusively on Fassbender’s performance and/or his frequently displayed, admittedly impressive physical endowment. No offense, Michael, but I have every confidence you are made of stronger stuff and look forward to even finer, predominantly clothed performances from you in the future.

Reverend’s Ratings:
A Dangerous Method: C+
Shame: C-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Love Bites

2011-11-20T06:00:00.002-06:00

The latest entry in the Twilight vampire saga, Breaking Dawn, Part 1, is currently burning up the box office. But despite the involvement of an openly gay director, Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls), the blockbuster is disappointingly low on gay content. And no, Taylor Lautner's frequent shirtlessness doesn't count.

If it's gay vampires one is after, look no further than Bite Marks. It is newly available on DVDfrom QC Cinema. While I wish I could report Bite Marks was as expertly made and lavishly produced as Breaking Dawn, first-time director Mark Bessenger gets some points for his use of slapstick and adding a new twist or two to a pretty tired genre.

Benjamin Lutz (easy on the eyes if not the best actor) stars as a sexually confused trucker hired to transport a shipment of coffins. Along the way, he picks up a pair of gay hitchhiker-boyfriends played by Windham Beacham and sexy former porn star David Alanson. The three soon discover that the truck's hold is full of bloodsuckers, who break free and go after them.

Gay actor Stephen Geoffreys, who memorably played a newly-turned vampire in the 1985 version of Fright Night, has a fun cameo in Bite Marks but the cast's performances are otherwise pretty weak. Despite a promising, animated opening titles sequence and a very good music score by Rossano Galante, the movie is recommended only for die-hard fans of "creatures of the night."

Love and death often go hand in hand, at least at the movies. The Tree is a beautiful Australian family drama that illustrates this expertly. The film was released on DVDNovember 15 following a theatrical run earlier this year. It could well end up on my top ten list for 2011. Charlotte Gainsbourg (who can currently be seen on the big screen as Kirsten Dunst's sister in Melancholia) stars as a wife grieving the sudden death of her husband. While her performance is excellent, the real focus here is on the young actors playing her four children. Precocious, eight-year old daughter Simone (played by charming newcomer Morgana Davies) becomes convinced her late father is speaking to her via the massive fig tree next to the family's home, and she soon convinces her mother of this as well.

The Tree takes a metaphysical approach to be sure (it is adapted from an amusingly-titled book, Our Father Who Art in the Tree), but it really scores in capturing the various experiences and stages of grief. While observant screenwriter-director Julie Bertuccelli (Since Otar Left) explores how we can ascribe meaning to seemingly random events in the wake of a loved one's death, she doesn't rule out the possibility that our loved ones can indeed communicate with us from the other side. Also to Bertuccelli's credit, there isn't a single sentimental moment in The Tree. This is rarely the case in movies dealing with children and death, likely including the upcoming Hugo and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for the perfect holiday gift for a gay friend or classic-film lover, the new home video release everyone will appreciate finding under their tree this year is the Oscar-winning musical classic West Side Story, on Blu-rayfor the first time. The film was restored earlier this year to commemorate its 50th anniversary, and the results are even more stunning in high definition. Sing along to Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein's memorable score, marvel at Jerome Robbins' choreography, and weep with your main squeeze at the end of this 1950's street-gang adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Nothing says "Happy Holidays" better than that.

Reverend's Ratings:
Bite Marks: C-
The Tree: A
West Side Story: A

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Cheer Desperation

2011-11-16T12:00:00.028-06:00

It will probably surprise no one to learn that Bring It On: The Musical, as a piece of theatre inspired by a pre-existing work, is no My Fair Lady. Heck, it doesn't even rank with Legally Blonde: The Musical in terms of quality. The cavalcade of hit movies being adapted for the stage rolls on with this multi-million dollar cheerleader tuner, now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles through December 10th before embarking on a national tour.

The 2000 movie Bring It On was an unexpectedly well-written sleeper hit about dueling cheer squads from opposite sides of the socio-ethnic tracks. It made a star of Kirsten Dunst and helped launch the careers of actors Gabrielle Union, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and director Peyton Reed (Down With Love). Amusingly campy, it introduced such terms as "spirit fingers" and "cheer-tatorship" to viewers of the time.

Alas, there are few such references to be found in the generally way-too-serious Bring It On: The Musical. While it features an increasingly-unhinged novice cheerleader (a game Elle McLemore) out to demote squad leader Campbell (Taylor Louderman) in an obvious spin on the cinema classic All About Eve as well as a transgender character (Gregory Haney as the sassy La Cienega), the stage version features little of the knowing wit that made its film source memorable.

Of course, a musical is ultimately made or broken by its songs, and the score is where Bring It On: The Musical falls short most significantly. Tony Award winners Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) composed the serviceable, hip-hop heavy music, but the lyrics by Miranda and Amanda Green (High Fidelity) are more often than not just plain awful. The few good numbers -- opener "What I Was Born to Do," Act 1 closer "Bring It On" and the 11th hour "Cross the Line" -- may be more memorable for their gymnastic staging than their words, but at least they didn't make me cringe as so many other songs did. And as much as the musical's core audience will probably be 15-year old girls, the lyrics and dialogue penned by Avenue Q's Jeff Whitty contain enough mentions of "stiffies" and even cruder terms for female genitalia that parents should beware.

There is a palpable air of desperation around Bring It On: The Musical. It's producers are desperate for a hit, director-choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (also a veteran of In the Heights) seems desperate to prove he can helm a production and not just stage its musical numbers, and Kitt, Miranda and Whitty may all be anxious to show they are still hip after achieving theatrical respectability. The show needs less desperation and, as any cheerleader will surely agree, more spirit.

Reverend's Rating: C-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: A Harvest of New Releases

2011-11-14T12:00:00.034-06:00

Beginners, last summer's hit starring Christopher Plummer as an older gay man who comes out to his unsuspecting son (Ewan McGregor), may be this month's highest-profile GLBT release on home video (November 15) but at least two other new DVDs command attention as well.

Out Late (now availablefrom First Run Features) serves as a fascinating documentary companion piece to Beginners. Declared "brilliant" by Phil Donahue, it profiles five men and women who came out as either gay, lesbian or transgender between the ages of 57-79. Their stories vividly illustrate how much cultural attitudes around GLBT issues have progressed since the 1950's. In the case of one participant, however, Out Late shows how far we still have to go regarding marriage equality. Cathy and her partner live in Kansas next door to a straight couple with whom they have been best friends for over 20 years. Sadly, Cathy's neighbors don't support a right for civil marriage for GLBT couples. That the couples remain friends, though, is inspiring, as are all the journeys recounted here. Out Late, co-directed by Beatrice Alda and Jennifer Brooke, is not to be missed.

At the opposite end of the age spectrum, Harvest (being released on DVDNovember 15 by TLA Releasing) beautifully details the coming of age of two young German men. Benjamin Cantu's gay drama won the Audience Award at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Blonde, insecure Marko (Lukas Steltner) meets the darker, more comfortable-in-his-shoes Jakob (Kai-Michael Muller) at the cattle farm where they are both working summer internships. They gradually realize there is more to learn about than birthing cows and harvesting carrots; namely, their growing attraction to one another.

Cantu and director of photography Alexander Gheorghiu take a naturalistic, almost lyrical approach to their story. While the lead actors are undeniably attractive, I appreciated the fact that there is no nudity or graphic sex shown. Rather, the focus is more often than not on the silences and unnoticed glances between the two. Harvest's nice, subdued but romantic ending works perfectly in light of the film's overall tone.

Meanwhile, another gay-interest November release, Phantom Images (also out on on DVDthe 15th courtesy of Ariztical Entertainment), is a woefully self-important tale about a terminally-ill theatre director coming to terms with his past. High on pain medication, alcohol and regret, Darwin King (played flatly by Rob Moretti) reminisces about his past using the actors of his latest project as stand-ins. Matthew Doyle's screenplay features occasional flashes of insight, such as when King exclaims "the highjacking of the gay movement came when we chose emulation (of straight people) instead of assimilation," but they are rare indeed.

One should probably beware in general of a movie that opens with a quote by Albert Camus and ends with another by Jean-Paul Sartre. Existentialism can too easily become pretentious in the wrong hands. Phantom Images can't help but evoke Lars von Trier's provocative 2003 film Dogville, as both are played out on black box stages with minimal scenery. While Dogville often threatened to cross the line into pretentiousness, it never did thanks to the quality of the writing and acting by such pros as Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall and James Caan. Doyle's cast is not untalented, and the several African-American actors involved make a particularly strong impression, but the material ultimately fails them as well as the audience.

Reverend's Ratings:
Out Late: A
Harvest: B+
Phantom Images: D

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Best of AFI Fest 2011

2011-11-11T18:00:00.043-06:00

Though my time at this year's AFI Fest presented by Audi (which ran November 3-10 in Los Angeles) was cut short by the untimely death of a close friend that required me to travel, I was able to see what are shaping up to be several of this year's major awards contenders. I missed screenings of a few other ballyhooed upcoming releases including Shame, My Week with Marilyn and Luc Besson's The Lady, but the following gems I was able to catch at their LA premieres were more than satisfying.

Carnage: I despised the Broadway/LA production of the award-winning play, God of Carnage, upon which Roman Polanski's star-studded movie is based and approached it with trepidation. Imagine my surprise, then, to find the film a vast improvement over its source material. The movie is tighter (it runs a lean 80 minutes), less literal/pretentious in its staging, and -- most importantly for a comedy -- funnier. Polanski wisely adds an opening depiction of the playground violence that instigates the initially-civilized meeting of two sets of parents played by Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz (a particular standout) and Kate Winslet, as well as a delightful denouement featuring a much-discussed hamster. Carnage is scheduled for release in LA and New York on December 16 and will expand nationally in January.

Melancholia: From controversial writer-director Lars Von Trier (Dancer in the Dark, Antichrist) comes what is probably his most hopeful film to date, despite the fact it culminates in the apocalypse. Kirsten Dunst, who was honored as Best Actress at this year's Cannes Film Festival for her performance here, stars as a woman suffering from clinical depression so inconsolably that not even her lavish wedding to True Blood's Alexander Skarsgaard brings relief. She does however find an unusually comforting emotional (and possibly even sexual) connection to a recently discovered planet, Melancholia, that may be on a collision course with Earth. Von Trier employs an all-star cast (including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt and a chilling Charlotte Rampling), evocative imagery and Wagner's prelude to his opera Tristan und Isolde to spectacular, haunting effect. The movie is now playing in Los Angeles and is available through Video on Demand, although it should be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated.

We Need to Talk About Kevin: The fearless Tilda Swinton plays grieving, persecuted mother to a teenaged son who slaughtered several schoolmates in Lynne Ramsay's superbly crafted, deeply unsettling adaptation of Lionel Shriver's novel. A Bad Seed for the 21st century, it raises provocative questions about nature vs. nurture when it comes to the development of sociopathic children. As Swinton said at a post-screening Q&A session, We Need to Talk About Kevin is "the play Euripides didn't have the balls to write." I consider Swinton a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination as the searching Eva, with her fellow nominees likely to include Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis in The Help, and either Kiera Knightley in A Dangerous Method or Dunst. Swinton's co-star Ezra Miller is also a potential nominee for his frightening performance as Kevin. The film will open theatrically in December.

The final day of AFI Fest 2011 featured the North American premiere of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's motion-capture epic, The Adventures of Tintin, as well as award presentations. The Audience Award for best film in the festival's Breakthrough section went to the lesbian-themed With Every Heartbeat, which I reviewed here last week. It is encouraging to see many mainstream film festivals this year honoring GLBT films, with Weekend serving as another example. Our congratulations go out to Alexandra-Therese Keining, writer-director of With Every Heartbeat, and all the filmmakers spotlighted at this year's AFI Fest.

Reverend's Ratings:
Carnage: A-
Melancholia: B+
We Need to Talk About Kevin: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Papa Don't Preach

2011-11-04T06:00:00.015-05:00

As a professional preacher, I could appreciate The Catechism Cataclysm to some degree as a satiric take on storytelling in both religious and secular circles. Sorry to say, that's about as far as my appreciation goes. This horror-comedy with cult aspirations opens today in Los Angeles, having premiered earlier this year as an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.

Steve Little (The Ugly Truth) stars as a thoroughly obnoxious Catholic priest, Fr. Billy. His bishop and pastor send him off on a sabbatical after Fr. Billy tells one inappropriate parable too many to his parishioners. Fr. Billy decides to take an extensive canoe trip, but not before tracking down his high-school musical idol, Robbie (Robert Longstreet, who can also be seen currently in the excellent Take Shelter), and bribing him into coming along for the ride.

Before this Catholic campfire story run amok draws to a close, a bible is dropped into a diarrhea-filled toilet, Fr. Billy and Robbie cross paths with a pair of wacky Asian girls and their sinister driver, and someone's head explodes. Fr. Billy, however, learns valuable lessons in effective preaching.

I once had an assistant priest named Fr. Billy, and I once had a man as uncomfortably close to me on his knees during confession as depicted in one scene of The Catechism Cataclysm. That's where any similarities to reality end. The movie has a film school vibe to it even though writer-director Todd Rohal and his producers and actors are fairly accomplished. Perhaps most detrimentally, it only runs 81 minutes but feels much longer.

The Catechism Cataclysm could potentially catch on as a midnight movie event, with attendees wearing Fr. Billy's signature clergy shirt and bike helmet. God knows, stranger things have happened.

Reverend's Rating: C-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Preview: AFI Fest 2011

2011-11-03T06:00:00.059-05:00

The trailer for Clint Eastwood's latest epic, J. Edgar, shows Leonardo DiCaprio as the equally respected and reviled founder of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, holding the hand of his #2 and confidante, Clyde Tolson (handsome Armie Hammer), in the backseat of their limousine. While historical evidence of a long-rumored romance between the two men is scant, the new film clearly entertains the rumors. The truth may be revealed in Hollywood tonight, when J. Edgar has its world premiere during the opening night gala for AFI Fest 2011, presented by Audi. It will open in theaters nationwide on November 11.

J. Edgar won't be the first movie to at least allude to questions about Hoover's sexuality. In 1991, Oliver Stone's JFK featured Tommy Lee Jones giving a mincingly-gay performance as Clay Shaw (a.k.a. Clay Bertrand), a New Orleans businessman accused of taking part in a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy that involved Hoover's FBI and the CIA. The film also alleged that a ring of early-1960's call boys existed to discreetly serve political power players, including Hoover.

The new movie was written by openly gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who won an Academy Award for his excellent script of 2008's Milk. Black has been a busy boy lately, having also penned the stage play 8, about the continuing battle in California over marriage equality. 8 had its world premiere in September at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre. In a recent Out magazine interview, Black said of his work on J. Edgar: "To the conservative right, Hoover was a hero. Of course, in the gay community, you hear he was gay and a cross-dresser. I was curious about where the truth lies. Here is a guy who was arguably the most powerful man in the United States in the 20th century... The truth was often more heartbreaking, more horrible than what people think."

Judi Dench, as Hoover's seemingly manipulative mother, and Naomi Watts also headline the film's all-star cast. DiCaprio may seem an unusual choice to play the title character, even with prosthetic make-up. Black defended the casting, saying "Hoover was a pretty good-looking guy in 1919! He was very fit... they called him 'Speedy.' It's not a huge stretch."

What is known about Hoover's relationship with Tolson is that the unmarried Hoover named the man he described as his "alter ego" as recipient of his estate upon Hoover's death in 1972. Tolson also received the American flag that draped the casket at the end of Hoover's funeral, and is now buried near Hoover at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. Whether Eastwood and Black's J. Edgar reveals anything more remains to be seen. Still, it may emerge as one of the biggest gay-interest movies of 2011, if only due to the pairing of photogenic DiCaprio and Hammer.

Now in its 25th year, the AFI Fest annually spotlights several GLBT-interest films and/or filmmakers. Other screenings in this vein between now and November 10 will include the world premiere of With Every Heartbeat (a.k.a. Kyss Mig), a lovely, sincere domestic drama from Sweden about two women (one of them engaged to a man) who unexpectedly fall in love with each other during a family gathering; an evening with gay auteur Pedro Almodovar, this year's guest artistic director, which will include a screening of his Law of Desire as well as conversation with Almodovar and a yet-to-be-revealed "special guest" (could it be Antonio Banderas?); and Wim Wenders' 3D dance spectacle Pina.

Though I'm not a fan of its source material, I am looking forward to the fest's screening of Carnage. Based on the excessive, inexplicably acclaimed play God of Carnage, the usually-restrained Roman Polanski directs a dream cast (Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly) in the film. I'm also excited about the Los Angeles premieres of We Need to Talk About Kevin, starring GLBT fave Tilda Swinton as mother to a sociopathic son, and Lars von Trier's apocalyptic Melancholia. Watch for my reviews of these awards contenders in my festival wrap-up report here next week.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Horrorscope

2011-11-02T06:00:00.021-05:00

From the three magi who visited little baby Jesus to Miss Cleo and her contemporary ilk, astrology has fascinated human beings for millennia. 75% of newspapers run a daily horoscope column and 29% of Americans say they believe in astrology, according to statistics cited in the new rom-com 5 Star Day. The film opens theatrically in Los Angeles today after serving as the closing night film of last week's Beverly Hills Film, New Media & TV Festival.

Easy-on-the-eyes rising star Cam Gigandet (Twilight, Burlesque) plays his first lead role as Jake, a Berkeley philosophy student who sets out to document the fallacy of trusting in horoscopes. Jake becomes disillusioned after his birthday message promising a "5 star day" proves decidedly inaccurate: he loses his job, catches his girlfriend cheating on him, has his car stolen and must evacuate his apartment, which floods following a water break. Happy birthday!

To support his thesis, Jake identifies three other people who were born within five minutes of himself in the same Chicago hospital. He tracks each of them down across the US and interviews them about their birthday experiences to see if all four shared similar misfortune. The first he meets is Sarah Reynolds (Jena Malone, now nicely grown up), a bartender with a young daughter and a druggie ex-boyfriend. Jake's interest in Sarah quickly becomes more than academic.

5 Star Day, written and directed by Danny Buday, has its charms but is more often than not overly talky and serious. The screenplay crams way too many philosophical lessons learned, many of them cliches, into its final ten minutes. A lighter touch on Buday's part would have likely made the film more entertaining as well as more endearing. Gigandet carries the film well on his shapely shoulders, and it is beautifully lit and shot.

Given the enduring appeal of astrology, 5 Star Day may well find an appreciative audience despite its shortcomings.

Reverend's Rating: C+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Monthly Wallpaper - November 2011: Steven Spielberg

2011-11-01T06:00:00.035-05:00

With not one but two eagerly-awaited films (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and War Horse) coming out later this year, this month's Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper salutes their creator, Academy Award-winning director and producer Steven Spielberg.

From such certified cinematic classics as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler's List to more recent favorites like Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can, November will be filled with all the fantasy, adventure and drama of the films of Spielberg.

Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.

Bewitching Greetings

2011-10-31T06:00:00.006-05:00

Have a happy and safe Halloween!
-- from Movie Dearest

MD Poll: Naked Treat

2011-10-29T12:00:00.026-05:00

When it came to Halloween costume ideas, MD Poll takers opted for the simple this year. After all, to "dress up" like Ryan Gosling a la Crazy, Stupid, Love, all one has to do is wrap a towel around their neck, put on a womanizing smirk and show off their little gosling.

Other top vote-getters were a little more innocent, such as a Harry Potter Hogwarts grad (second place) and a Glee Dalton Academy Warbler (tied for third with a Black Swan ballerina). For the complete results, see the comments section below.

Trick or treat!

Reel Thoughts: They Called Him the Streak

2011-10-28T06:00:00.037-05:00

Talk about a streak of fame! Robert Opel made Academy Award history when he famously ran naked past presenter David Niven at the 1974 Oscars, which led Niven to quip, “Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" To show how far we haven’t come, this streaking stunt was decades before Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl “Nipplegate,” which seems almost quaint in comparison, yet Jackson’s areola ignited much more rabid Right Wing mouth-foaming than Opel’s penis. Opel even got invited to The Mike Douglas Show where the host serenaded him alongside Bea Arthur.

Uncle Bob (available on DVDthis week), as you might guess from the title, is a tribute to the man who gained national fame in an instant, made by his namesake and nephew Robert Oppel. The film is a fascinating look at a man who was a pioneer in gay rights political action, as well as an erotic photographer who created images as controversial as Robert Mapplethorpe’s. Sadly, Uncle Bob was murdered in 1979 in his San Francisco gallery called the Fey-Way Studios by thugs demanding drugs and money. The younger Oppel spends the film trying to make sense of how and why his uncle was gunned down in front of witnesses.

Oppel mixes archival footage with recreations of events where he plays his uncle, including his murder, and the effect is sometimes effective and sometimes too over-the-top and badly acted. Opel’s death occurred shortly after he staged an “execution” of Harvey Milk’s Twinkie-loving killer Dan White while dressed as “Gay Justice.” Director Oppel (seen, like his namesake in archival photos, frequently full frontal during the course of Uncle Bob) uses a heavy hand to explore the possibility that this act of performance art enraged the San Francisco Police Department, and that they somehow orchestrated his uncle’s murder.

This tangent, with scenes of cops yelling “Kill! Kill!” into the killer’s ear in a jail cell, isn’t necessary, though, because Uncle Bob was a fascinating man who interviewed and worked with the likes of Divine and the infamous Cockettes. The interviews with those close to Opel provide an engrossing look at life in the 1970’s Castro District of San Francisco, and more specifically a moving portrait of a man who led a radical and trail blazing life who was cut down in his prime.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Partying at the DGA & Eating Out

2011-10-25T06:00:00.053-05:00

Gay Hollywood and its supporters were out in force the night of October 20th at the Director's Guild of America. With free cocktails provided by Absolut (who also generously donated $30,000 to the night's beneficiary, the Outfest Legacy Project), director-choreographer Adam Shankman (Hairspray, the upcoming Rock of Ages) and cable TV network Lifetime being honored, and such celebs as Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and full-throated diva/hostess Jenifer Lewis in the house, there was no way not to have a good time.

In accepting his award and reflecting on his successful career, Shankman proudly declared that he was able to coax Tom Cruise into wearing both butt-revealing chaps and a codpiece for his role as a "hair metal" rocker in next summer's Rock of Ages. The openly gay, Jewish Shankman also brought down the house by sharing a letter he received from Crystal Cathedral pastor Robert Schuller when Shankman's adaptation of the pro-Christian novel A Walk to Remember was released. Schuller commended Shankman as the new leading face of Christianity in the US. Shankman was tempted to invite Schuller to meet him at the West Hollywood club Rage to discuss it... "and on Passover."

The Outfest Legacy Project is dedicated to LGBT film preservation and restoration in partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive. During her presentation, Outfest's Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer revealed three recently-restored films and announced that the project was a third of the way through its most ambitious undertaking to date: restoration of the 1919 German film Different from the Others. Believed to be the first cinematic depiction of a gay man's life, most prints had been destroyed by the Nazis. To make a contribution toward this and the Legacy Project's other worthy efforts, visit their official website.

Outfest is primarily known for premiering more contemporary LGBT movies during its annual summer festival in Los Angeles. Among these has been the ongoing Eating Out film series created by Q. Allan Brocka (who also serves as an Outfest board member). The latest installment, Eating Out: Drama Camp, is being released on DVD today by Ariztical Entertainment. Brocka returns as writer-director after sitting out the last two films, and Drama Camp is all the better as a result.

An enduring, funny-sexy plot involving confused relationships and secret motives among gay and straight people has here been moved to a summer camp for aspiring actors. Additionally, Drama Camp throws the series' first trans character (played by trans actress Harmony Santana, who recently made an impressive film debut in Gun Hill Road) into the mix. Chris Salvatore and Daniel Skelton return as Zack and Casey from the last Eating Out entry, but their relationship has grown stagnant. Once at Dick Dickey's Drama Camp, whose namesake is played by the hilarious Drew Droege of YouTube's Chloe fame, the partners find themselves tempted by several classmates. Unfortunately for them all, Dickey has forbidden sex at his camp under threat of expulsion.

The Eating Out series isn't known for comedic or sexual subtlety, but what Drama Camp lacks in restraint it makes up for with good humor and hot guys. Brocka gets game performances from his cast, which also includes Mink Stole as Casey's liberated Aunt Helen (who at one point says -- hilariously -- to her much younger lover, "You make me feel like Demi Moore!") and a cameo by fan fave Rebekah Kochan. Brocka also fills the screenplay with witty jabs at pop culture behemoths including Facebook, Betty White, Glee, Neil Patrick Harris, Black Swan and, of course, Lindsay Lohan.

It likely won't be of such lasting, historical value that the Legacy Project will feel compelled to preserve it, but gay viewers today can do a lot worse than Eating Out.

Reverend's Rating:
Eating Out: Drama Camp: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Elmo and the Electric Car

2011-10-22T06:00:00.031-05:00

Sesame Street, which debuted on PBS in 1969, has introduced many memorable Muppets to pop culture: Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, and my personal favorite, the Count. However, the little red monster Elmo has made a bigger impact over the last 15 years or so than any of the others. With his high-pitched voice and unconditionally loving attitude, Elmo became a media sensation, sparked a "Tickle Me" toy craze and, most importantly, continues to touch the lives of children around the world.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, which opens this weekend in New York and November 4 in Los Angeles before expanding nationally, is a totally enjoyable documentary as sweet-natured as Elmo himself. It primarily explores the life of Elmo's operator and spokesman, Kevin Clash, but also features the Muppets' late creator Jim Henson as well as commentators Frank Oz and Rosie O'Donnell, plus Whoopi Goldberg as narrator.

Inspired by Henson, Clash began making his own puppets while still a boy growing up in Baltimore. He was teased by his siblings and schoolmates for his eccentric hobby, but Clash had the last laugh when he was hired right out of high school to perform on a local TV series. This led to gigs on Captain Kangaroo and The Great Space Coaster. Clash worked with Muppets designer Kermit Love on Coaster, and Love eventually introduced Clash to Henson.

Clash recounts how thrilled he was when Henson subsequently offered him a job on his and Oz's revolutionary big-screen epic The Dark Crystal, as well as how conflicted he felt when Clash couldn't take the cut in pay he would have if he left his two popular TV shows to work on the film. By 1985, though, Clash's series had both been cancelled and he was all too happy to accept Henson's invitation to work on Labyrinth.

Destiny united Clash with Elmo once another Muppet performer, Richard L. Hunt, couldn't figure out what to do with their workshop's latest creation. Following Oz's advice to "find one special hook" for each character, Clash decided Elmo should personify love. Elmo's voice and propensity to hug and kiss whomever he meets quickly emerged. The rest is history.

Clash and Being Elmo are absolutely inspiring. The film becomes unexpectedly moving when Clash fulfills a terminally-ill child's wish to meet Elmo, and also when Clash speaks about his struggle to be a good father to his daughter given the demands of Elmo's success. Previously unseen footage included from Jim Henson's private memorial service likewise doesn't fail to touch viewers.

I was riveted by Chris Paine's expose Who Killed the Electric Car? while watching it at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Using a murder-investigation approach, Paine revealed that the nearly 5,000 initial models of an environmentally-safe, exceptionally fuel-efficient electric car were recalled by their manufacturers. Most of them were destroyed, while others were left to rust in a remote area outside a Phoenix suburb. A perceived loss of profits, not safety concerns, was the motivation behind the publicly well received cars' demise.

Five years later, sales of more recent models of electric cars are surging and Paine is back with a new documentary: Revenge of the Electric Car, opening today in LA and NYC. Though not as engrossing as the first film, Revenge pulls back the cover on the major car manufacturers' more recent efforts to create and sell electric cars without hurting their financial bottom line. These include Tesla Motors, Nissan and GM, and their CEOs (Elon Musk, Carlos Ghosn and Bob Lutz, respectively) are observed and interviewed in depth about both their past missteps and current strategies.

As Paine states in his latest film's press notes, "Sometimes change, like a train in the old West, gets stopped dead in its tracks... so it's a rare privilege to be able to tell the story of how sometimes change has too much momentum to be stopped." His documentaries have certainly made me a believer in the electric car. Now if they'll just get a little more affordable for us middle-class folks, that will be real progress.

Reverend's Ratings:
Being Elmo: B+
Revenge of the Electric Car: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Reviews: Family Affair

2011-10-20T06:00:00.020-05:00

While it is being advertised as a real-life version of The Kids Are All Right, last year's Oscar-nominated movie about a lesbian couple raising two teenagers conceived with the help of an initially anonymous sperm donor, it may disappoint some prospective viewers to learn that Donor Unknown only briefly acknowledges the two pairs of same-sex parents included. The documentary will premiere tonight on the PBS series Independent Lens (check local listings for time and channel).

Rather, the focus is on young JoEllen Marsh and her search for the man she knows only as "Donor 150" via the California Cryobank. Once she learns his true identity is Jeffrey Harrison (a former Playgirl model and dancer in a male revue who now lives in an RV with his dogs and a pet pigeon), his biography and JoEllen's effort to meet him fuel the film's narrative drive. Along the way, JoEllen and viewers meet 14 known people fathered by Harrison, who made contributions to the Cryobank as many as four times a week during the 1980's. Theoretically, thousands of young people living today may owe their conception to Harrison and he may still be fathering children through the donations he made 30 years ago. (An amusing mention is made that the California Cryobank is today the 6th largest user of Fed Ex in the Golden State.)

Donor Unknown offers insight into a fascinating, ongoing saga, even if Harrison strikes one as a less-than-desirable father in many respects. The documentary raises the enduringly pertinent question, "What is the importance/meaning of a father?" As some of JoEllen's half-siblings conclude once they connected with Harrison, he represented "the death of a dream" as a result of both their idealized notions and the sad state of his life.

Harrison, however, doesn't seem to regret his free-spirited past or present. He refers to himself as "a fringe monkey" who, like some wild primates, is alienated from the rest of the tribe but ultimately serves as its protector and warns the others when danger is approaching. While I don't see Harrison fulfilling that responsibility as well as he thinks he does, his analogy nonetheless provides an interesting consideration of the roles outsiders like him play in our society.

Directed with a truly objective eye by Jerry Rothwell, Donor Unknown is a glimpse into another dimension of the ever-evolving institution we call "family."

Reverend's Rating: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Report: A Harry Situation

2011-10-18T12:00:00.016-05:00

After nine months of coordinating schedules, five hours of coast-to-coast flying time, and several hundred dollars in ticket, hotel and rental car fees, my mother, cousin and I finally found ourselves last week on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But the year-old attraction inspired by the Harry Potter book and movie series -- built to awe-inspiring scale as part of Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida -- initially disappointed more than it delighted.

Upon our early morning arrival at the park's centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, we were informed that it was shut down after having been operating only intermittently the two days prior and might not be functioning at all that day. The best we could do, we were told, was to continue checking back. To be greeted with such news following our lengthy personal journey to get there was discouraging. As a slight consolation, everyone was invited to tour the imposing Hogwarts Castle. The 30-minute walkthrough included glimpses of the edifice's famed living portraits as well as very realistic virtual appearances by headmaster Albus Dumbledore (played as in the more recent films by Michael Gambon) and the movies' starring trifecta of Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron). Alas, the tour ended just short of the still-closed Forbidden Journey boarding area.

We entertained ourselves while waiting hopefully for the ride to open by exploring the rest of Hogsmeade, the magical town ordinarily inaccessible to us "Muggles." The entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter (as the attraction is officially called) was meticulously re-created by a team led by the film series' Oscar-winning production designer, Stuart Craig. It is visually amazing, and the various shops and eateries within Hogsmeade contain as many fine details within as they do on the outside. These include audio-animatronic owls in the Owl Post Office, moving shadow figures that play on the tavern's walls, and a disturbingly vocal plant/baby being pulled from its pot.

To slake our thirst in the humid Florida heat, we drank signature drinks Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice. The former tastes like cream soda with a dollop of butterscotch, and is a bit tastier as well as creamier in its frozen incarnation. We also rode the tame, family-friendly roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff, which features a very cool robotic rendition of the title creature. Every 20-30 minutes, I checked back to see if any progress had been made on reopening the Forbidden Journey ride. By the time I discovered it was indeed running, the line was 75 minutes long. Not to be dissuaded after already having waited approximately two hours, we joined the crowd.

My cousin and I are happy to report that the thrilling adventure was indeed worth the wait. My mother found the ride quite intense, as younger children are also likely to do, and barely opened her eyes once our enchanted bench began to fly. Those who do keep their eyes open will experience a mix of film footage; oversized, actual figures of a fire-breathing dragon, giant spiders and the evil Dementors; and an assortment of other dazzling special effects. The four-seat benches soar, swoop, and threaten at times to turn over backwards (a truly unsettling feeling) in synch with the visuals.

While Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has been acclaimed by many since its debut as the most advanced and thrilling theme park ride in the world, I'm still partial to another pioneering attraction at Universal's Islands of Adventure, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which features the added benefit of being in 3D. It is absolutely not to be missed when visiting the park and we were able to walk right onto it, which was a massive relief after our morning ordeal in Hogwarts. Three other attractions were either suffering momentary disruptions in their operation (Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges) or were closed for refurbishment (Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat), leading me to question the overall efficiency of Islands of Adventure's tech and maintenance departments. By the end of the day, however, a good time was had by all.

My cousin, visiting Florida for the first time, was anxious to compare Walt Disney World to the more familiar Disneyland, so day two of our trip found us in the Magic Kingdom. It provided us a great opportunity to compare and contrast not only Disney's most famed attractions but the operational differences between the Universal and Disney parks. Unlike Islands of Adventure, no attractions were closed nor seemed to suffer the slightest delay. In addition, the longest line we had to brave for a ride was less than 30 minutes, although Disney's Fastpass system further simplified the wait for a few major attractions.

If in the end the Magic Kingdom proved to be a bit more magical than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, both parks and their assortment of impressive attractions (even more impressive when they are all working) deserve to be visited often.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reel Thoughts Interview: My Weekend Visit

2011-10-17T06:00:00.006-05:00

Andrew Haigh is enjoying the kind of buzz over his film Weekend that most Hollywood directors would kill to receive. The low-key romance about two guys who hook up and then turn it into something more has captured the imaginations of gay and straight filmgoers alike. No one is more pleased than out British writer/director Haigh. “I’ve been completely surprised. I mean, you make something and you have no idea if anyone is going to see it, apart from my mum. The fact that it’s got a good reception and people are talking about it and the press seems interested is amazing... it’s incredible,” Haigh explained via phone.

Weekend tells the subtle love story of Russell (swarthy Tom Cullen), a fairly closeted man, and Glen (sexy Chris New), and an out-and-proud provocateur. They meet in a bar, spend the night together and then decide to spend the better part of the weekend together before Glen takes off for school in Portland, Oregon. Neither man is who they seem to each other at first, and the beauty of Weekend is the often wordless ways Haigh shows the guys dropping their guards and falling in love. Cullen is marvelous, sweet yet masculine, while the out New has more of a gym-toned appeal.

Haigh, who worked from 2000 to 2008 as an assistant editor on films like Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and Mona Lisa Smile for directors like Ridley Scott and Mike Newell, strived to be honest in his portrayal of the two men and to be honest in their depictions, flaws and all. The men do a bit of drugs together, and at first, Glen, who goads the sweet Russell into telling about himself into a recorder, is rather condescending about the seemingly closeted man he assumes Russell is. It takes a while for the men to realize how much they mean to each other, framed by the sadness that Glen is leaving soon.

“To me, that was my most important goal,” Haigh explained. “To make it feel really authentic, and you believed that these two people were into each other and were falling in love with each other, basically. And that they were seen as well-rounded, flawed characters. The characters that interest me are the ones who are flawed and have those sorts of struggles.”

“When I was writing the story, I didn’t want to ever shy away from the fact that they were gay,” he explained, but he feels that straight audiences are embracing the film because of the honest way he depicts the characters. “There’s more to these boys’ lives than just their sexuality. I’m more than just a gay person. There are lots of things in my life that define who I am, and that’s what I tried to get across.”

Haigh decided from the beginning that he would shoot the film in sequence, to capture the men’s relationship realistically, and he had nothing but praise for his two leads. “They were so committed to that way we were going to make the film, and I always tried to keep it like it was a relationship between the three of us.” The three men became close, and it helped the actors develop their characters and develop their chemistry together. “They sort of fell in love with their own characters, which I think is so important.”

Regarding the film’s frank sex scenes, Haigh explained, “I knew that I wanted it to feel real, as if you’re there watching these two guys, almost like you’re spying on them. But I knew that I didn’t want it to be really explicit. We need to feel that these two people are into each other. It’s bizarre, it was actually some of the easiest stuff we shot.”

“I don’t think Russell fits in to the gay world or the straight world, and I think that Glen’s kind of the same. They’re both just trying to find their place. That’s like a lot of us. We’re just trying to work out where we fit in and how we fit in. Russell’s problem isn’t that he’s facing discrimination every day. It’s that he’s fearful of a world that he thinks still doesn’t accept him. That’s what’s interesting to me, that you carry around homophobia with you, even if it’s perceived rather than real. I think that’s quite a pressure on a gay person’s shoulders.”

Haigh’s first film was the documentary-styled film Greek Pete, about the year in the life of a handsome London escort. The subject fascinated Haigh because it was a world he didn’t even knew existed. “What was interesting was that working in that documentary format sort of inspired a lot of things that are in Weekend. It taught me that you’ve got to have faith in the ability just to watch and listen to people.”

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Erasure and Tori Amos Are Back

2011-10-12T06:00:00.030-05:00

How could I forget my first exposure to Erasure back in 1986? They were opening for Duran Duran, and Andy Bell pranced out onto stage wearing a tank top and tutu. I was smitten. Their music wasn't bad either, as millions of listeners gay and straight have discovered.

Hard to believe it's been 25 years between then and the techno duo's new album, Tomorrow's World, now available this week. Erasure is also currently wrapping up a world tour. While I can't say Tomorrow's World offers much new stylistically, it does reflect how Bell and co-writer/performer Vince Clarke have grown lyrically and musically. The first single from the album, "When I Start To (Break It All Down)," has been available for a while and is a more subdued song than one would think would be helpful in stoking public interest. Most of the tunes on the new effort share this air of melancholy.

That being said, there are several that will no doubt inspire Erasure's fans to hit the dance floor. "Fill Us With Fire," "A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot" and "Then I Go Twisting" are fun, and "You've Got to Save Me Right Now" has an interesting revival-meeting sound to it. While perhaps more low-key than we are used to from Bell & Clarke, Tomorrow's World suits a social and musical scene that is decidedly less frivolous than those happy-go-lucky mid-80's.

Meanwhile, pop chanteuse Tori Amos has definitely taken a more experimental turn on her new release, Night of Hunters. Now available on the classical label Deutsche Grammophon, it is a bold work that deserves to be applauded even though it may alienate her longtime supporters.

Drawing from post-renaissance texts and music styles, Amos has created a 21st century song cycle rooted in a 400-year classical tradition. She explores a primary theme of the hunter and the hunted, and explores it romantically, psychologically and existentially. The CD demands close listening more than once to even begin to appreciate its tracks. The compositions are frequently gorgeous, with the title song and "Your Ghost" particularly haunting (no pun intended) pieces.

Night of Hunters is a welcome, intriguing break from the norm for Amos. It will be interesting to see how it goes over critically and commercially.

Reverend's Ratings:
Tomorrow's World: B-
Night of Hunters: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reel Thoughts Interview: Bebe, It’s You!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.072-05:00

Bebe Neuwirth won television audiences hearts as the stiff and repressed but always lovable Lilith Sternin on Cheers, but she had been dancing ballet and acting on Broadway for years before that. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has enlisted the versatile singer/actress/dancer to open their terrific 2011/2012 Season. I had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Neuwirth the day after 9/11; we talked about her career, and where she wants to take it in the future.

Neuwirth was honored to be one of a huge group of Broadway stars who gathered on Times Square to sing “New York, New York” as part of “Broadway Remembers 9/11”, which was a recreation of a performance done right after the attacks to help Broadway and New Yorkers gain some comfort and be able to return to normalcy. At the time, Neuwirth remembered, “I had just started rehearsing a play for Lincoln Center and when it happened, I thought, “I can’t go back to the play, I mean, what’s the point? I should be down there on the piles helping the guys and feeding people. Then, I realized through the wisdom of the people at Lincoln Center who were saying, “No this is exactly what you should be doing.” It was really (a) pretty awful (time).”

Stories With Piano is the name of the show that Neuwirth is bringing to Scottsdale with pianist Scott Cady, which she hesitates to call a cabaret performance. “It’s sort of hard to describe, because some of the songs are from Broadway shows, but some of them are from Tom Waits and there’s a Beatles song in there and there’s an Edith Piaf song in there. It’s such a broad range that I don’t really know what category it falls into. They are a group of songs that either tell a story in a narrative way or they are a moment in a person’s life that is so compelling or so emotional or so deep that you know there’s a big story behind it,” she explained.

“It’s an interesting thing to stand on stage as yourself and not be a character like Jenny in Threepenny Opera or (Chicago’s) Velma or Morticia (from The Addams Family), I’m just me. I don’t want to stand onstage and tell you all about myself because I just think that’s far too narcissistic and boring an exercise for me. There are some people I want to go and hear exactly who they are. I want to hear Elaine Stritch’s show, I want to hear those stories, but it’s not for me to do. I do think that there’s a reason that I choose the songs that I choose. There’s something about them that I can relate to, so there is something that you might know about me (after the show)… maybe,” she said, laughing.

Born in the country outside Princeton, New Jersey, Neuwirth developed a love of ballet at an early age. “I’ve been in ballet classes since I was five and been on stage since I was seven (in ballet), so it’s really when I’m dancing that I feel most comfortable and most at home. I enjoy television and film a lot and I enjoy being in a play or singing in these concerts that I do immensely, but there’s something a little bit different when I am dancing onstage. It’s been the one constant in my life. It’s the one thing that I’ve always done, and I mean always!”

Her first Broadway role was quite a coup, playing Sheila in A Chorus Line at age nineteen in 1978. The show was a phenomenon in the pre-Phantom of the Opera days. “The show was only three years old at the time. Picture a Broadway without helicopters landing onstage or chandeliers rising up or people dressed up as cats so much that you don’t even see the person anymore. It was a different time, maybe a more human time on Broadway. It was just thrilling beyond words. I got to work with (creator) Michael Bennett a lot.” Neuwirth started in the tour, then graduated to the Broadway production, where she got to work with more experienced dancers who had done shows with legendary choreographers like Gower Champion and Bob Fosse. “They had amazing stories and if I paid attention to what they were doing and how they worked, I could learn a lot. It was a gift. It was a real blessing in my life.”

Neuwirth went on to work with Fosse, winning Tony Awards for revivals of Sweet Charity and Chicago. With two Emmys for Cheers and a new album called Porcelain coming out in October, can a Grammy be far behind? The title refers not to Neuwirth’s ivory complexion, but rather to porcelain’s strength and fragility. “It has an interesting duality,” she concluded, referring to both the ceramic and her CD.

Her biggest Broadway triumph was the result of a concert version of Kander & Ebb’s 1975 Chicago at Encores! At City Center. No one thought it would go further, but the audience response “blew the roof off of the theater. It was like seeing an old friend that you just love so much when we gave the audiences Chicago again.” Ten years after blowing audiences away as merry murderess Velma Kelly in the sleek Chicago revival that followed and after hip replacement surgery in 2006, Neuwirth returned to Chicago playing the other killer, foxy Roxie Hart. It was a great experience, both because she got to see the show from a different angle, but also because it set aside any worries that she wouldn’t dance again.

“There were two things going on,” she explained. “One was the absolute exalting feeling of being able to dance again after excruciating pain and going through an operation and all the physical therapy and being able to dance on Broadway again. I can’t come up with words to tell you how happy that made me. And the other thing was being able to experience the show from a different perspective made me appreciate it all the more.”

“I’m so grateful and humbled by that,” Neuwirth responded when reminded of her iconic status in the GLBT community, from playing so many strong and empowering women. “That’s inspiring to me.” She is very happy about New York approving marriage equality. “Sometimes, when (same sex) couples come and tell me that they just got married and that they wanted to come see me in a show, I find that extremely moving, because marriage for anyone is a big deal. To be included in the celebration of that means a lot to me.”

One of Neuwirth’s favorite causes is animal rights. “I love animals and they can’t speak for themselves, they can’t do anything for themselves. It’s like children, you have to stand up for people and creatures who can’t speak for themselves. There are people who do so much more greater work than I do, but I help out when I can.” Before coming to Scottsdale, she will be doing a benefit for Equine Advocates and the Henry Street Settlement. “They have an equine sanctuary in upstate New York and they bring kids and women (who’ve been abused) up to the farm to visit with the horses. Horses are mystical creatures and if you’re in the presence of a horse, something happens to you. Some of these city folks are a little scared at first by this big animal and then something just opens up inside of them and there is this healing that takes place. They learn the stories of these horses that had suffered abuse in their past but were rescued and brought to this farm. It’s a really interesting link between the two groups and they’re helping each other right now.” She also praised Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore for a huge pet adoption event called Broadway Barks. “They’re a couple of heroes, and I help them out when I can.”

When asked what she’d tell aspiring GLBT youth who want to follow in her footsteps. “When kids want to be what they want to be, it might feel unattainable,” she responded. “I got bullied by a girl in school also, not to compare myself to anyone, and everyone has their own story to tell. Bullying is lousy no matter the degree, but there was a girl who made my life hell in the fifth grade, really horrible, and you know, I hate her to this day. I think to myself, if I ever saw her on the street at the age of fifty-two, what would I say to her? Here’s what I think, and I don’t know that I have any qualification to give out any advice on this because I understand that the bullying that you’re talking about is really profound and ultimately sometimes tragic. I would say, be yourself and believe in yourself. You are a gift to the world and acknowledge that because that is the truth. It used to be upsetting to me that I wasn’t like ‘that person’ or ‘that person’ and maybe I should change. It took me a while to realize, “No, exactly who I am is exactly who I should be. That’s the best I can do.”

Bebe Neuwirth: Stories With Piano will be performed at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts this Saturday, October 15. Click here for more information and tickets.

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Cooking with Pride

2011-10-07T06:00:00.044-05:00

Nigel Slater is hardly a household name in the US. In the UK, however, the chef, food writer and host of the BBC series A Taste of My Life is the equivalent of our Wolfgang Puck or Emeril Lagasse. Unlike them, Slater is openly gay. He is also so popular that a movie has been made from his memoirs, Toast, which opens today for a limited engagement at Landmark's Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. Fans of gay coming of age stories, British cinema and/or Helena Bonham Carter shouldn't miss it.

Nigel was only nine years old when his beloved mother died and he began to cook for his more distant, widowed father (Mum and Dad are memorably played in Toast by Victoria Hamilton and Ken Stott). Soon after, his father hired a housekeeper, Mrs. Potter (no relation to Harry though amusingly portrayed by Bonham Carter, last seen as Bellatrix LaStrange in the boy wizard's movie finale). Mrs. Potter, a seductive vision in blonde wig and red high heels, began fighting with Nigel for the elder Slater's affections. She initially won and found herself the second Mrs. Slater. But once Nigel began to hone his cooking skills in a high school Domestic Science class, the gloves came off and the war commenced.

Young actors Oscar Kennedy (making his film debut) and Freddie Highmore (best known to American audiences as Johnny Depp's young co-star in both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland) give fantastic performances as Nigel's juvenile and adolescent selves. From the film's cute opening titles emblazoned on grocery store signs and products to its scenes of Nigel exploring his homosexual attractions, first to the family's hunky groundskeeper and later to a male ballet dancer, Toast serves as a wistful reminder of the battles we all fought to become who we are today. As Nigel says in the film, "When you're deprived of something, it just makes you more hungry for it." Amen to that.

Food also plays a role in the climactic drag ball documented in The Sons of Tennessee Williams (First Run Features), opening today in New York City and October 14 in LA. Director Tim Wolff uncovers the vibrant history of gay life in New Orleans via the famous "krewes" that participate in each year's Mardi Gras festivities. As a 1950's newsreel report declares at the film's start, "Gay celebrations usher in Lent!" Needless to say, "gay" meant something else to most folks back then.

One participant who has been involved all along states, "You didn't put your lifestyle on the street the way they do today." Indeed, doing so would almost immediately get one arrested. Since Mardi Gras (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday each year) was the only day men could legally cross-dress in New Orleans, it became the city's de facto gay pride celebration at an early point in its history. Many decades later, in the wake of such devastating adversities as AIDS and Hurricane Katrina, the annual balls thrown by long-lived gay groups such as the Krewe of KY(!) and the Krewe of Armeinius are not only hot tickets but have won the respect of the local Black and White, moneyed, straight communities.

Amazing, elaborate costumes are in abundance throughout The Sons of Tennessee Williams but the film's finale -- shot during the Krewe of Armeinius's 40th anniversary ball, at which the theme was "desserts" -- is spectacular. Decoupage patterned on gingerbread, petit fours and New York cheesecake will not only make viewers hungry but are guaranteed to take one's breath away.

Reverend's Ratings:
Toast: B+
The Sons of Tennessee Williams: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Toon Talk: Lions Share

2011-10-05T18:00:00.002-05:00

On the heels of its record-making 3D theatrical re-release (which cemented its box office standing as the most successful traditional animated movie of all time), The Lion King roars back on to home video this week with its high definition debut on Disney Blu-ray. The Academy Award-winning King, along with another Disney “jewel-in-the-crown” Beauty and the Beast, also makes its 3D Blu-raythis week. And joining them for the first time on DVD shelves is the Disney Blu-ray and DVDpremieres of Disney Nature’s latest “true life adventure” documentary African Cats. Talk about “lions and cheetahs and beasts, oh my...!"

Click here to continue reading my Toon Talk review of The Lion King: Diamond Edition Blu-ray at LaughingPlace.com.

Reverend's Reviews: Tricks & Treats on DVD

2011-10-04T06:00:00.030-05:00

'Tis the season for all things creepy and costumed, and several gay-geared home video releases this month are hoping to cash in. Only one of them is a true horror movie, though, and it disappointingly turns out to be the weakest of the bunch.

Unhappy Birthday, out October 25 from Wolfe Video, draws inspiration from such classic chillers as The Wicker Man (the 1973 original, not the dreadful Nicolas Cage remake) and Children of the Corn but adds a gay twist. Rick (David Paisley) and Jonny (Jonathan Keane) are secret lovers who decide to surprise their girlfriend, Sadie (Christina DeVallee), with a birthday getaway to the mysterious isle of Amen. Separated from the mainland at night by the high tide, the town's inhabitants are gradually revealed to have nefarious plans for their three visitors.

Written and directed by Mark Harriett and Mike Matthews, Unhappy Birthday is stylishly shot and features nice chemistry between Paisley and Keane. Unfortunately, anyone who has seen The Wicker Man or other movies in this genre will find the plot predictable, and the bloody make-up effects look fake. Better to rent a horror classic such as The Exorcist if you want to get truly spooked this Halloween.

Meanwhile, Breaking Glass Pictures' QC Cinema is bringing out two new releases in which "tricks" play a central role. The Cost of Love(now available) is a British drama focusing on a successful hustler, Dale (Christopher Kelham), who finds himself in crisis as both his 30th birthday and his best friend's wedding draw near. Although he is able to confide in and receive support from his drag performer friend Sean (Michael Joyce, who sadly passed away shortly after filming this), Dale is drawn to increasingly dangerous sex scenes in a misguided effort to deal with his conflicted feelings. It is an engrossing, often sexy -- though occasionally disturbing -- character study.

The label's other new DVD is Rent Boys, a well-made German documentary (available today) about hustler culture past and present as situated at West Berlin's Bahnhof Zoo train station. Both frank and sympathetic, it offers considerable insight into the motivations, struggles and relationships between young male prostitutes and the men who love (or at least employ) them.

Also available today on DVD and Blu-ray is the one undisputed "treat" among this month's new releases. Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On(Image Entertainment) is the Emmy-nominated record of the brassy singer-comedian's Vegas show, which ran for nearly three years. "These are such strange and polarizing times," Midler declares to her audience at the start, "but at least we all agree on one thing: We love me!"

Midler sings her greatest hits, acknowledges her gay fans and leads her backup performers, the Staggering Harlettes and the Caesar Salad Girls, in extravagant production numbers. With a reported budget of $10 million, there is also no shortage of lavish costumes in the show. And what says "Halloween" better than that?

Reverend's Ratings:
Unhappy Birthday: C-
The Cost of Love: B-
Rent Boys: B
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Off the Shelf: Grease: Music on Film

2011-10-03T06:00:00.077-05:00

Whether you're a T-Bird or a Pink Lady, the latest edition of Limelight Editions' Music on Film book series spotlighting the ultimate 50's musical Grease is the word. This compact tome, written by Stephen Tropiano (author of Music on Film: Cabaret and The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on Television) packs a whole lot of facts and trivia on the making of the #1 movie musical of all time into its 128 pages.

For example, did you know the Grease movie was almost an animated one directed by Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat)? Or that original casting ideas included Elvis as Danny, Ann-Margret as Sandy and Lucie Arnaz as Rizzo? Or that the film's famed Rydell High was actually three separate Los Angeles-area high school locations? Or how infamous porn star Harry Reems came this close to playing the school's athletics coach?

A quick read, Grease: Music on Film also delves into the creation of the original stage musical, through its three Broadway productions all the way up to its recent Chicago revival that returned to the show's raunchier, R-rated roots. In addition to insights from Grease creators Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, quotes and anecdotes from the filmmakers -- including infamous producer Allan Carr, first-time feature director Randal Kleiser and members of the cast -- are also featured.

Beyond the stage and screen Greases, the book also covers its less-than-successful (but still beloved in certain circles) sequel Grease 2 as well as its presence on television, like the You're the One That I Want reality competition series that cast its last New York revival. I particularly got a kick out of the list of promotional tie-ins, like the "Grease Hustle", that were attempted around the time of the film's 1978 premiere. Alas, they didn't include some of the various merchandise, such as the Grease Barbie line,that have sprung up over the past 30+ years.

Although scant on pictures, Grease: Music on Film will definitely be the "one that you want" for every Grease fan. Click hereto purchase the book from Amazon.com.

Monthly Wallpaper - October 2011: Werewolves

2011-10-01T06:00:00.035-05:00

The full moon is on the rise this October as the Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper for the month salutes our favorite movie Werewolves.

From Lon Chaney Jr. to Benicio Del Toro, Michael Landon to Jack Nicholson, Teen Wolf to Twilight's wolf pack, the lycanthropes are on the ramapage this month as we count down the days to Halloween.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Reverend's Reviews: Myths & Nightmares

2011-09-30T06:00:00.046-05:00

During my time in a Roman Catholic seminary twenty years ago, the late philosopher-professor Joseph Campbell was revered for having situated Christianity within what he termed the "monomyth," a millennia-spanning heroic adventure found in every human culture. Today, Campbell -- who was raised Catholic -- would likely be condemned as an apostate given the Church's current, conservative climate.

For the uninitiated, the new documentary Finding Joe (opening today in Los Angeles and soon to rollout nationally) serves as a crash course in Campbell's life work involving myths, slaying and/or befriending figurative dragons, and the ultimate encouragement, drawn from Hindu tradition, to "follow one's bliss." Utilizing interviews with such diverse personalities as Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood and Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) as well as a number of clips from movie classics including the Star Wars saga, The Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz, Finding Joe provides considerable insight into Campbell's writings if not necessarily the man. (To learn more about Campbell himself, check out Bill Moyers' late 1980's PBS series, The Power of Myth.)

The film -- written, produced and directed by Patrick Takaya Solomon -- is nicely shot and edited but generally employs a standard "talking heads" approach and lectures more than it engages. It is strongest whenever it quotes Campbell directly, with such reflections as "Many of us are metaphorically-impaired" (referring to the equation of mythology with metaphor) and "I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive" among the stand outs. There are also some charming vignettes sprinkled throughout in which children dramatize chapters from Campbell's seminal work, A Hero with a Thousand Faces.

There is also wisdom to be found in Campbell's conclusion that true power results when each of us learns to "love and accept yourself as you are." Finding Joe may not be the most accomplished piece of cinema, especially when compared to some of the Campbell-inspired films it spotlights, but its subject remains undeniably inspiring.

What might ultimately emerge as one of the best movies of 2011 also opens today in LA and New York City: Jeff Nichols' excellent suspense-drama Take Shelter. Frightening, moving and thought-provoking by turns, it stars Michael Shannon (an Academy Award nominee for 2008's Revolution Road and soon to be seen as the villainous General Zod in the Superman epic, Man of Steel) as Curtis LaForche, an unassuming Ohio sand miner with a loving wife (Jessica Chastain, current belle of the cineplex ball in the wake her eye-opening turns in The Tree of Life, The Help and The Debt) and deaf daughter.

Curtis is well respected at work and in their community. However, just when the LaForches are prepping their daughter for a cochlear implant that will, if successful, enable her to hear, Curtis begins to have apocalyptic visions and nightmares involving a devastating storm, flocks of angry crows and a pack of seemingly-escaped mental patients out to get his little girl. He subsequently becomes obsessed with expanding and fortifying the family's storm cellar, much to his friends' and neighbors' consternation. Are Curtis's dreams prophetic, or is he succumbing to the same paranoid schizophrenia that struck his mother (a cameo by the always welcome Kathy Baker, of Picket Fences and Edward Scissorhands fame) when she was the same age as Curtis is now?

I think master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock would have approved of Take Shelter, especially with its visual allusions to The Birds and its beautifully ironic finale (which will likely polarize audiences). Shannon deftly balances the stoic and the terrified, and Chastain gives another, now seemingly expected great performance. Also fine are the movie's eerie storm effects and other effective scares dished up by Nichols along with visual effects supervisor Chris Wells (Avatar, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and editor Parke Gregg.

In the end, Take Shelter powerfully illustrates that the only real safety to be found when disaster looms -- whether real or imagined -- is with the one(s) we love.

Reverend's Ratings:
Finding Joe: B
Take Shelter: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend's Preview: Seeing Red at Gay Days Anaheim 2011

2011-09-29T06:00:00.073-05:00

It’s once again time for GLBT fun-seekers to get out those red T-shirts and head to the Disneyland Resort. Gay Days Anaheim will be held this weekend, September 30-October 2.

Gay Days was established in 1997 by a small group of gay fans of all things Disney. A similar "unofficial" event is held each spring at Walt Disney World in Florida. The California event has grown to attract more than 30,000 GLBT people annually from throughout the state and the US. Attendees traditionally wear red shirts to identify themselves as GLBT, since Disneyland and its neighboring theme park — Disney’s California Adventure — will remain open to the general public during the weekend.

Besides all the fun the parks have to offer, two major dance parties are held during the weekend. "Wonderland" will be held the night of September 30 at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, with all proceeds from the event benefitting the Trevor Project. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk and the upcoming J.Edgar) will preside over the VIP room. On Saturday night, DJ Kimberly S and The Voice's Frenchie Davis will headline "Kingdom", Gay Days’ signature dance party at Downtown Disney’s House of Blues.

Recognizing the growing participation by lesbian women in Gay Days events, a Saturday ladies' night starring comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer will be held for the very first time. The weekend will also feature a first-ever lesbian lounge at the Anabella Hotel across the street from Disneyland.

Other special events planned include "An Intimate Conversation with Carol Channing", in which the 90-year-old Broadway legend will talk about her life and career at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel on Sunday. Glee star and 2011 Emmy-nominee Dot Marie Jones (Coach Beiste) will also be on hand, hosting the VIP cocktail party on Saturday with Gay Days regular Bruce Vilanch. Plus, both days in the parks will feature gatherings only available over Gay Days weekend, including a group photo, a PFLAG luncheon, group meet ups at varying attractions, and many more events targeted to youth, bears, couples and Mouseketeers of every ilk.

Gays Days Anaheim are fun for all ages, and many GLBT couples with children attend. The weekend is filled with ice cream socials, scavenger hunts and other family-friendly events, not to mention the rides, parades and shows for which the Disney parks are famous. A new Little Mermaid ride at California Adventure will no doubt be a popular draw, as will the recently-revamped Star Tours attraction in Disneyland. Other highlights of the weekend include free gift bags at the Gay Days Welcome Center (located inside the Trillium Room of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel), and a Gay Days Pin Trading event on Sunday.

A complete schedule of Gay Days events as well as tickets, discounted park passes and hotel rooms and, yes, official red T-shirts can all be accessed through Gay Days Anaheim website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Folk Icons

2011-09-27T06:00:00.098-05:00

Like every American gay man in 2000, I was glued to the TV for the premiere of Queer as Folk, the US version of the critically-acclaimed yet controversial British series of the same name. I had heard about the "no-holds-barred" show from across the pond, with its frank depictions of gay life in Manchester and all its notorious scenes of sex, drugs and house music, but was still floored by what I saw onscreen. Was this really on TV? (To paraphrase their competitor's slogan, no "it's Showtime".)

I became an instant fan of the US QAF, even if the writing tended to be over-the-top and the acting was questionable at times. Naturally, as with most "Americanized" adaptations of British television (from The Office to Being Human), there were plenty of cries of "the original is better", yet I was never able to actually watch the UK QAF to see if all the nay sayers were right... until now.

Available today on DVDfrom Acorn Media is Queer as Folk: The Complete UK Collection, a three-disc set that includes all ten episodes of the original QAF (series one, originally aired as eight half-hours, is presented here as four one-hour episodes). Even though it has been 12 years since the series' faithful debut on England's Channel 4, QAF UK still feels fresh and vibrant and equally daring, and far from just a curiosity piece for those who have only seen QAF US.

For those viewers there will be plenty of deja vu moments while watching the original, as the US version borrowed heavily from it during its first year. And the basics are the same: Stuart (Brian in the US/played by Aiden Gillen) is the king stud of Canal Street (Liberty Avenue), always accompanied by his put-upon best friend Vince (Michael/Craig Kelly) and followed by the "one-night stand that wouldn't go away", 15-year-old newbie Nathan (Justin/Charlie Hunnam). Other familiar characters, such as Vince's overly-supportive mom Hazel (Debbie/Denise Black) and flamboyant fashionista Alexander (Emmett/Antony Cotton), are also on hand, but here the stories focus mainly on the three points of the dysfunctional love triangle at its center.

Minus the glitzy sheen that permeated America's, this QAF is grittier and more down-to-earth. This realism is no more so apparent than with episode three's tragic end to sad sack Phil (Jason Merrells), known as Ted in the US. Even so, the original still feels less cynical than its American counterpart, at least until its infamous final episode, where series creator Russell T. Davies seemingly gives up on any semblance of reality and logical character motivations half-way through and starts blowing stuff up.

Davies supplies a lengthy essay on QAF's origins for the set, which also features a healthy selection of bonus materials, including cast and creator interviews, photo galleries, deleted and extended scenes, trailers and the "making of" feature What the Folk?

Click hereto purchase Queer as Folk: The Complete UK Collection from Amazon.com.

Reel Thoughts Interview: West Side Stephen

2011-09-26T06:00:00.059-05:00

“You are speaking indeed to the legend himself!”

With an introduction like that, you know that you are in for a great interview. Stephen DeRosa, a talented Broadway veteran and television actor, did not disappoint. The New York City native will be coming to a town near you in the West Side Story tour in the role of Gladhand, the male authority figure who tries to pacify the warring student gangs at the high school dance. “If you blink, you’ll miss me,” DeRosa joked. “I’m on for three minutes but I try to chew as much scenery as I possibly can.”

DeRosa, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, was born and raised in Queens. “Don’t say it,” he exclaimed. “The joke’s already built in!” He went to school at Georgetown for politics, “but it involved too much acting.” Recently, DeRosa became an indelible part of the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire, playing the role of comedian Eddie Cantor for director Martin Scorcese and Sopranos writer Terry Winter. He feels very fortunate to have parlayed a one-time role into three appearances, since the real Eddie Cantor was a friend of lead character Nucky Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi.

West Side Story is celebrating more than fifty years of exciting audiences with the battle between the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks in New York’s Upper East Side. Most of the songs have become standards that everyone knows, such as “Tonight”, “I Feel Pretty” and the satirical immigrant anthem “America”. This latest revival directed by David Saint, based on Tony Winner Arthur Laurents’ original work, is innovative in that the Spanish-speaking characters do speak in Spanish much of the time. DeRosa loves the production, and says that you will not have any trouble understanding the scenes where this happens. “That’s part of the fun of my character, he tries to speak Spanish.”

“(Stephen) Sondheim and Laurents always hoped that the show could be a little more authentic. You need to read the book Original Story by Arthur Laurents, because it’s delicious. It’s his autobiography. It is such a good read for anyone who’s gay and anyone who loves the theater. You will devour it. It’s about being gay in the 40s and 50s, it’s about the creative process, it’s about trying to have integrity in Hollywood and all of the crazy backstage drama that happened on Broadway.” DeRosa explained that Laurents and Sondheim got the chance to tinker with the show’s book and lyrics, and that audiences will enjoy it. “It’s a very timely piece, and Arthur wanted it to be even more timeless. He wanted it to be about “Us vs. Them”. There’s always an “Us vs. Them” mentality and usually one of the main things that gets in the way is language, communication. “

“David (Saint) has given the show a real pace, he’s really infused the show with younger actors who have more passion and more energy. And there’s a playfulness, too. The “Officer Krupke” number’s just going to blow your mind, it’s so much fun. And it’s surprisingly homoerotic, which came from the text and from giving the actors the freedom to be as stupid as they wanted to be. It’s amazing how when you get a bunch of (mostly straight) boys together to fool around, inevitably, weird gayish, fratty kind of shit comes up. It’s very interesting.”

Based on the immortal story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Leonard Bernstein, Sondheim and Laurents moved the action to the disaffected youth in the Big Apple, where rival gangs of immigrants and those who used to be immigrants battle each other for turf, and a boy and a girl from opposite sides have little chance of finding love. Tony and Maria give it their best shot, even as all of their friends and relatives try to tear them apart.

DeRosa made his first big Off-Broadway splash in a historic revival of Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep, playing opposite Everett Quinton (Devil Boys from Beyond) in the multiple roles that Quinton had originated. DeRosa also played opposite Vanessa Williams as the Baker in the revival of Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

“It’s a great job, this job,” DeRosa exclaimed. “I got to work with the late, great Arthur Laurents who was so loving and generous and who rewrote some of my role, to try and bring a little more humor. It’s a great show and audiences love it. Plus, you get to go to work and be surrounded by gorgeous men in various states of undress. It’s a good job, I’m lucky. I’ll take it,” he said laughing.

“The bottom line is, it’s West Side Story. The score just blows your mind how beautiful it is, and the dancing... these kids are doing the original choreography and they’re all in their early twenties and strong enough and agile enough to (do it). It’s really exciting.”

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Toon Talk: Blu Elephants on Parade

2011-09-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago, I began writing my Toon Talk film and DVD reviews for LaughingPlace.com, and one of the first year’s reviews was for the 60th anniversary DVD edition of Dumbo. Now, a decade later, Dumbo is back in a new high definition Blu-ray make-over in honor of its 70th anniversary. My, how time flies like an elephant when you’re having fun, especially when it comes to watching this beloved Disney classic!

Whether you and your family are seeing it for the first time or (like me) rewatching it for the umpteenth time, one will marvel at the simplicity and joy of this tale of a pint-sized pachyderm with super-sized ears who overcomes hardships to become a star. A pure delight for every minute of its brief 64-minute running time, Dumbo is sure to delight audiences for at least another 70 years...

Click here to continue reading my Toon Talk review of the new Dumbo Blu-ray at LaughingPlace.com.

MD Poll: Trick or Treat, 2011 Style

2011-09-24T17:22:00.001-05:00

Halloween is just around the corner, which brings up the annual question, "What am I going to wear?" Well, we here at Movie Dearest have you covered with ten of the hottest pop culture inspired costume ideas for 2011 ... and not one of them is Lady Gaga.

Take your pick for your favorite 2011 Halloween costume idea in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar, and tune back Saturday October 29 for the final results.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

MD Poll: God Bless America

2011-09-24T06:00:00.034-05:00

In a summer showdown between superhero vs. supervillain, good triumphed over evil in the end when Chris Evans (a.k.a. Captain American of First Avenger fame) overcame Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class's Magneto) to win the title of Movie Dearest's Hottest Summer Movie Hunk of 2011.

Cap's fellow future Avenger Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had his back in third, followed by mortals Dominic Cooper (The Devil's Double) and Ryan Gosling (Crazy, Stupid, Love) rounding out the top five. See the complete results in the comments section below and stay tuned for the next MD Poll later today.

Reverend's Interview: A Weekend to Remember

2011-09-23T06:00:00.028-05:00

Weekend, which won the 2011 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature, is getting a great reception among gay men wherever it shows. Interestingly, this unapologetic queer romance is also being embraced by straight viewers, who bestowed Audience Awards upon it at the hetero-dominated South by Southwest and Nashville film festivals. Weekend will be gradually released in theaters in NYC and throughout the U.S. beginning September 23.

Written, directed and even edited by British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Greek Pete), Weekend follows two gay men over the course of 48 hours following their initial, Friday night meeting. Insightful and sexy, I don't think we've seen a gay-themed film this purely romantic and ultimately affecting since Brokeback Mountain. Lead actors Tom Cullen and Chris New have undeniable chemistry and give great, vulnerable performances.

Haigh called recently from "across the pond" to speak about Weekend. "More than anything," Haigh said, "I just wanted to tell a story about two people falling in love with each other. I wanted to make it as realistic and honest as possible. I've seen a lot of gay films but none of them really reflected my life."

The filmmaker started out as an editor on such popular mainstream movies as Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and Mona Lisa Smile. In 2008, he was named as one of Screen International's "Stars of Tomorrow." Haigh shared: "I've always wanted to direct; I didn't necessarily set out to be a writer-director but it just kind of happened." He counts Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) as a mentor and independent American directors including Joe Swannberg (Autoerotic, Blackmail Boys) as inspirations.

Haigh is thrilled by the awards and positive reactions Weekend has been receiving in the US since his film has yet to open in the UK "It's been fascinating to me, especially now that with the Internet and Twitter you can get people's immediate reaction. Not just gay people but lots of straight people have said (my movie) really resonates with them."

He has a theory as to why Weekend is finding more universal acceptance than most gay-themed films. "I've always felt that if you're honest with your story, people will go along with it." Haigh also believes his movie's take on the challenge of finding and keeping Mister or Miss Right is striking a chord. "It's hard!" he laughed. "Finding someone you connect with is very difficult; It's a bit of a battle."

Haigh has nothing but praise for his lead actors, especially when it comes to the film's graphic sex scenes. "Tom and Chris made the whole process surprisingly easy, although it is always daunting filming such scenes. We just tried to make things as comfortable as possible by shooting with minimal crew and doing only a couple of takes. Alcohol helps too."

I have to admit I was put off by the characters' considerable drug use in the film. While getting high on marijuana and cocaine during the early stages of courting seems to me a far from healthy foundation for a long-lasting relationship, I can respect Haigh's choice in this regard to the degree it reflects his observations. This is the only aspect in which Weekend felt false to me in light of my life experience.

So what can we expect next from this talented gay filmmaker? "I'm trying to write," Haigh said, "which is very difficult while you're going to festivals and traveling around. Writing takes a long, long time." I expect his next project will be worth the wait.

Reverend's Rating: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.