The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

Liberace and Scott Thorson c. 1979

If you were alive during the 60's, 70's and 80's you know who Liberace was. At one time, the highest paid performer in the world, the flamboyant (though closeted) pianist was known for his feathered capes, fur-lined costumes and mirror-encrusted piano. He was also famously sued by former "driver" Scott Thorson for palimony. Liberace died of AIDS in 1987, denying his sexuality to the very end. Director Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies and Videotape; Magic Mike) has turned Thorson's memoir into an HBO movie called Behind the Candelabra. 

The movie stars Michael Douglas as Lee and Matt Damon as Thorson (who claims Lee made him have plastic surgery to make him look more like his employer/lover - though from the photo above, it's obvious Thorson wasn't exactly a 'buttahface' to begin with). I know I've talked about this movie before, but HBO just released a behind-the-scenes making-of video and I though I should share (via):

So, here are a few thoughts:

While I never need to see what Q calls "Michael Douglas' raggedy ass" again, I think he looks pretty good in the clips I've seen. And Damon looks amazing. But... why the need to cast straight actors in these roles? I would have much preferred to see unknown gay actors playing gay characters. Sure, they're both larger-than-life people. But when will actually gay actors (other than the self-loathing Rupert Everett) get to play gay roles in major films (even if they're just on cable)? Critics will undoubtedly plaud Douglas and Damon for being 'brave.' I call BS. While Debbie Reynolds is nearly unrecognizable in her makeup as Lee's Polish mother and Rob Lowe looks like a disco diva pothead, it all smells rather... fake. Yes, the design team seems to have gone out of their way to recreate Liberace's homes, furnishings and costumes. And the script is based on the memoirs of a man who was actually there. But the only other person who knows the whole truth is dead and can't defend himself against any of Thorson's claims.

"But Uncle P, everything about Liberace was fake." Well... on the surface, yes. But underneath there was a real human being who struggled and lied about himself to the world for his entire life. Liberace may have been all glitz and glamor both on and off stage, but I can't help but feel that a glitzy, glamorous movie about him can only do disservice to the real and ultimately tortured man underneath all the rhinestones and fur.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope Soderbergh and company manage to find a way to delve beneath the Swarovski crystals and etched mirrors and give us a real glimpse into the tortured soul of one of the most famous closeted gay men ever. But nothing I've seen so far indicates anything to that effect. I don't subscribe to HBO (I gave up on them after "Six Feet Under" ended), I have several friends who do and I plan on watching at one of their houses. 

Behind the Candelabra premieres on HBO May 26th.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in Behind the Candelabra

It's been a while since I've done a "Gayest Thing" post, but I think this movie warrants one. 

I'm still not sure how I feel about HBO's upcoming film Behind the Candelabra. When I was kid in the 60's and 70's (I keep telling you I'm old), Liberace was a huge star, as famous for his diamond-encrusted pianos and feathered capes as he was for his prodigious talent as a pianist. He loved performing and loved his fans, most of whom were middle-aged straight ladies who imagined the fairly attractive son of Polish immigrants could be theirs for the asking. Liberace was so popular, he even appeared on "Batman" as concert pianist Chandell and his evil twin, Harry who goaded Chandell into becoming the villain "Fingers." In real life, Liberace was born with a twin brother who didn't survive and parodies of him often refer to his brother 'George.' His flamboyant life of excess came to an end in 1987 when he died of AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 67. Though he was sued for palimony by former chauffeur and alleged lover Scott Thorson in 1982, Liberace denied his homosexuality up until his death. Thorson settled out of court for $95K. At one time the highest paid performer in the world, Liberace supposedly made Thorson have cosmetic surgery in order to make him look like a younger version of himself. 

Director Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike; Contagion) and HBO have teamed up to bring us Behind the Candelabra, screenwriter Richard LaGravense's take on the tumultuous three-year relationship between Lee (as Liberace's friends knew him) and Thorson. Michael Douglas plays Liberace and Matt Damon is Thorson. As seen in the trailer below, Douglas went out of his way to study and emulate Liberace's iconic vocal patterns, while Damon obviously buffed up to play the flamboyant entertainer's boy-toy:

Rob Lowe; Dan Ackroyd; Cheyenne Jackson; Debbie Reynolds; Scott Bakula and Paul Reiser all have supporting roles (all of whom may well prove far more interesting to see than Douglas and Damon) in what promises to be an exploitative and over-the-top movie from one of the most innovative directors in Hollywood. Uncle P is actually considering subscribing to HBO just to see this film, though in all honestly, I'll probably wait until it's on Netflix or available on DVD. 

Honestly, does it get any gayer than this?

More, anon.
Prospero

Guest Blogger Michael Offutt on "Gays in 'Game of Thrones' Season 2"

Gethin Anthony as Renly Baratheon

With the return of Season Two of George R.R. Martin’s HBO series, A Game of Thrones, I wanted to examine the gay connection.  The first three books in the series, A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords are masterpieces.  George writes them borrowing a page from Faulkner in much the way Absalom, Absalom! is written using its four narrators.  George starts with a point-of-view character and goes from narrator to narrator, chapter by chapter and unfolds an epic tale of deceit, magic, terror, and the rise and fall of kingdoms.

 

The first gay character we encounter is Renly Baratheon. He’s played by very handsome Gethin Anthony. His lover is Ser Loras Tyrell, also known as the knight of the flowers.  And yes, I think Ser Loras is absolutely beautiful. 

Gay tropes that George falls back on in the novelizations: 

1. Renly's personal host of men that surround him are known as 'The Rainbow Guard.' George knows full well that the rainbow is the symbol of gay culture. I feel that this is a nod toward gays and how they have been under-represented in mainstream fantasy.

2. Renly Baratheon takes a "beard." In other words, he is married to Ser Loras' sister (who is young and beautiful) but there is much talk that the marriage was not consummated. This use of a beard seems pretty standard in a culture (much like our own) that frowns on open outright homosexuality from men in the position of role model.

3. Ser Loras is the Knight of Flowers. This in itself is a kind of stereotype, but whatever. I still like him.

Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell

Where George bursts through the boundaries and breaks stereotypes:

1. Renly is a king and a powerful one at that. He raises a huge army and people love him. They literally flock to his banner, making him a serious contender for the Iron Throne

2. Ser Loras is the bravest and teh best knight in the realm. No one can out-do him. It is questionable if Jaime Lannister can even best him in single combat. This is frickin' awesome.

3. We saw in Season 1 that Renly and Ser Loras fled as soon as King Robert died. That tells me that the gays are the smart ones. Poor Hand of the King, Ned Stark stayed and got his head chopped off. He should have listened to the gays.

Sean Bean as Ned Stark

Thanks for letting me guest post I hope all of you are watching "Game of Thrones" on HBO.

1)     Uncle P, here. I don't have HBO and have never seen "Game of Thrones," so I have no idea what the heck Micheal's talking about here, but I trust him. His first novel, Slipstream is now available at Amazon. I'll be reviewing it after Hairspray closes. You can read Micheal's blog here.                                                          

 

Don't Stop Making Sense

I don't have HBO, mostly because I think it's outrageous to charge for movies I've already seen at least twice before they even reach the cable channel. And while I may not be able to see their original series in first run (and they honestly haven't had a great one since "Six Feet Under"), I know that I'll be able to see them eventually on DVD. Such is the case with Allen Ball's "True Blood."

Now, you may not find a bigger fan of the vampire genre than your Uncle P, but given the recent flood of "sparkling" vampires (oh, how I hate Stephanie Meyers), I have become rather disenchanted. But from what I have read and heard about "True Blood," I would probably enjoy it.

I'll probably rent the DVDs, eventually. I must admit that I am intrigued by both the concept and the apparently endless parade of naked male flesh on display, especially the beautiful Alexander Skarsgard, pictured to the right.

Skarsgard (son of Exorcist: The Beginning star, Stellan Skarsgard) recently gave an interview to People magazine, regarding his role on the show:

"Not only is Skarsgard spontaneous, he's also comfortable in his own skin – a good thing, considering the amount of nudity on True Blood. The actor says he doesn't mind removing his clothes, despite being teased about it occasionally by his five brothers and one sister. 'I'm not a prude at all,' he says. 'I shot a very, very graphic scene two days ago with a man. I am from Sweden, and it's different there. If it makes sense, I'll just do it. And to me, so far, it's made sense every single time I've got naked or made out on the show.'"

Wow! How many actors do you know who are comfortable enough in their own skins to make a statement like that? I know of one - my Dear D. In four of the six shows in which he has acted for me, D has played gay characters. He's taken abuse for it from both friends and co-workers, but has never wavered in his dedication to the roles. He's made out with two of his best friends on stage for me (The Altruists; Psycho Beach Party and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told) and even been naked for me (Most Fabulous) on stage. Much like Mr. Skarsgard, he knows that homosexuality is not abnormal, but just another facet of the human the Human Condition. His talents as an actor are nearly as extraordinary as his trust in me as a director and if I had my way, he'd be in every show I ever directed, for the rest of my life.

While we briefly appeared together in A View from the Bridge, we haven't had the opportunity to actually perform together on stage in a substantial way. I certainly hope we get the chance to do so, someday. He's an exceptionally talented and beautiful person, and while he's much younger than me, I still consider him among my best friends.

So what does all this rambling mean? Simply that I am happy to note that there are plenty of people out there who know that "gay" does NOT equal "evil" and that art is not only reflective of real life, but that it can also change people's minds about what is right and wrong. Honestly, I'm tired and coming off of a three-day sinus headache, so what do I know?

Watch for more Sordid Lives updates here, on the JTMF website and the JTMF blog. As for me, I'm tired!

Anyway, here's a sneak peak at the upcoming season of "True Blood:"

More, anon.
Prospero

Brad Pitt, Gay Marriage, Rom-Coms and Horror

If the title didn't get your attention, then I know the picture did.

Lots to talk about tonight, so let's get started, shall we? First (via) comes a video clip from Brad's recent appearance on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Now Pitt and Jolie may be pure products of the publicity machine and maybe even more than a bit of the fuel for Society's sad and bizarre (though if nothing else, consistent) obsession with celebrity. Granted, both of them are are fine actors. Ms. Jolie has even won and Academy Award for her performance in Girl, Interrupted (something I'm sure makes Winona Rider want to go out and steal from Bergdorf's). Pitt can be alternately hilarious (Kalifornia; Burn After Reading); devastatingly gorgeous (Interview with the Vampire; Thelma and Louise) or just plain crazy (12 Monkeys; Fight Club).

But here's the thing: Pitt honestly wants to use his celebrity to not just further his own agenda, but to speak out for the disenfranchised. His continuing work in New Orleans after Katrina and his stance on LGBT rights and Marriage Equality, as well the sense to know that the legalization and taxation of marijuana would go a long way towards solving much of the economic problems America's struggling to overcome make him one of the sanest voices out there. So, with this single appearance on the nation's highest-rated Premium Cable channel, Brad Pitt becomes my first ever Man of the Week. Enjoy:

P.S. - The next Man of the Week will get his own post, but I'm sure Brad doesn't mind sharing his.

Okay - now that that's out of the way, let's talk about upcoming movies, shall we? So, those of you know me and/or read me regularly, know that I am a Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action guy who can also appreciate a fine indie comedy or off-the-wall arthouse mindf**k flick. However I rarely, if ever, find myself wanting to see, let alone endorsing a Chick Flick. Especially when said Chick Flick is a Rom-Com, unarguably the worst kind of Chick Flick to be found in your local cineplex. That having been said, (via) comes the trailer for When in Rome, starring Kristen Bell; Josh Duhamel (sorry, guys and gals, I just don't get him. Fine bod and face, spoiled by a GIGANTIC B.F. Skinner forehead); Will Arnett(!); Danny Devito; Angelica Huston(!!); Jon Heder; Lee Pace and Don Johnson. Talk about a diverse and talented cast! But that doesn't mean a thing if the script and direction suck. Screenwriter David Diamond makes his directorial debut and I have to be honest, the trailer made me laugh out loud more than once. Enjoy:

Speaking of Horror and Sci-Fi, here's the trailer for Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale. I must admit, I'm not fan of her films. Most of them are pretty terrible; the Underworld films are simply dreadful and Van Helsing is just unwatchable, though I will say that I liked Vacancy, though I suspect that has more to do with Luke Wilson more than anything. And doesn't it more than just remind you a little of a certain John Carpenter classic? I'll let you decide:

Finally, this teaser trailer (via) for the indie horror flick Bitter Feast, which apparently does to Food Critics what the Vincent Price classic Theatre of Blood did to Theatre Critics, though much, much nastier. Here's to the secret (or maybe not-so-secret) foodie in all of us:

Tasty, no?

More, anon.

Prospero