The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week: Etc. Version

I love these "Literal Music Videos," where people re-write the lyrics to songs so they are about what's happening on screen, rather than the song's original intent. Some are really hilarious. I love Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." It was written by Jim Sharman, who wrote several songs for Bonnie (uh... and a little album called "Bat Out of Hell" for some guy named Meatloaf - seriously one of the defining albums of my youth). Anyway, I never quite realized how homoerotic the video for that song really is, until (thank goodness) this version pointed it out for me. Enjoy!

Then I was bipping (yes, I actually typed the word "bipping") around, looking for amusements, when I came across a video of something called "The Headphones Sketch" on funnyordie (for some reason, funnyordie's videos won't embed for me properly, so I've just linked to it for you). It made me smile and it's set at a bus stop, which made me think of "City of Strangers,"one of my all time favorite sketches from "The Tracey Ullman Show" on Fox:

I hope that's the first time you've ever seen that sketch, so you are as shocked and delighted by the surprise ending as much as was, the first time I saw it. Man, I love Tracey! I wish she would make more movies. And of course, we do have her to thank for this.

On (slightly) less gay issues, I have to say that I am hating the end of this weekend, as it was just fabulous - both literally and figuratively. I found two major props for the show over the weekend. The first was purely by accident, while in pursuit of the second. The second was just a matter of figuring out the right place to go. So, in addition to an amazingly fun night at the movies on Friday; prepping and opening my pool on Saturday and Sunday, I had a delicious and delightful Sunday breakfast with an exceptionally special group of many of my dearest friends: Janet; her husband, Dale (who is NOT "my dear D," but is as dear a friend); K; Walter (my Puppet Master for The Skin of Our Teeth); his lovely wife, Kelly and their gorgeous, well-behaved and completely hilarious children, Ben and baby sister, Kasey. Kasey may well be the most beautiful child alive and Ben is just wise beyond his years. Dad just read him a children's version of Moby Dick. Could you die? And almost 3 year-old Ben knew the whole story. "Captain Ahab had a... a peg-leg! 'Cause Moby Dick bit off his real leg!" Ben's "Why-Is-This-Child-Not-On-Baby-Magazine-Covers?" gorgeous sister has the most amazingly big, clear and delightfully blue eyes you could even dream of losing yourself in. Both Ben and Kasey are going to be quite the catches when they grow up.

Oh - and bonus points for taking my mother to Walmart on Sunday afternoon. You honestly have no idea...

And how was your weekend?

More, anon.

Prosero

Dogs and Cats, Living Together...

So, this has been floating around:

Thanks to my friend James, who first linked it to me on Facebook.

Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci sing a pro-gay marriage song in response to a Pat Robertson quote that legalizing gay marriage would lead to legalizing sex with ducks. Why doesn't some demon drag Pat Robertson to hell, already? You and I both know there's an especially hot and painful seat waiting for him. Which kind of reminds of the otherwise deplorable Little Nicky, an awful Adam Sandler film. In the funniest scene, Hitler's condemnation includes a having a pineapple shoved up his rectum everyday. I hope Pat will someday be right alongside him. But it's agave instead of pineapple. Flaming agave. Covered in habeneros.

Don't forget to wear your white ribbons, folks!

More, anon.

Prospero

Review: "Drag Me to Hell."

I have three words for you: "Ho Lee Crap!" Sam Raimi (and co-writer, brother Ivan) is at the pinnacle of his game with his triumphant return to horror, Drag Me to Hell. I kid you not when I say Drag Me to Hell is certainly the best horror movie of the last 20 years, and quite possibly the best since The Exorcist. And all of it without a single profanity or exposed nipple.

In case you haven't already read anything about it, Alison Lohman (Big Fish) plays Christine Brown, a sweet, farm-raised gal working as a loan officer in a big city bank. Looking to win a promotion - against an egotistic tool named Stu (Star Trek's Reggie Lee) - Christine decides that playing hardball is the way to go and denies a mortgage extension to a creepy old gypsy woman (wide-ranged character actress Lorna Raver). The inevitable curse ensues and Christine has three days before she is dragged away to eternal damnation by a goatish demon named Lamia. Apple commercials' cutie Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers; Live Free, Die Hard) is Clay, Christine's skeptical, albeit adoring and supportive boyfriend, who thinks she's suffering from post-traumatic stress. Newcomer Dileep Rao plays the seer Christine consults for help and Spanish Language TV veteran Adrianna Barraza plays the medium who has faced the demon before, and lost.

Within the first five minutes of the film, Raimi grabs you by the balls and never lets go. Loaded with Raimi's eye-popping visuals, extreme gross-outs and cartoonish violence, Drag Me to Hell is what Evil Dead II would have been with a Hollywood budget. Raimi's infamous and fantastically weird tracking shots and trademark outlandish physical effects (Christine takes as bad a beating as Ash ever got) all help make Drag Me... quite possibly a perfect horror movie. Hilariously funny, exceptionally gross and over-loaded with shocks which, even though you know they are coming, are still really shocking; Drag Me to Hell is the work of a master artist, rediscovering what made him love what he does in the first place. Raimi's eye for detail and ability to build tension have never been on better display, and his cast of mostly unknowns are more than willing to go along for an amazing rollercoaster dark-ride. The score by Christopher Young (Hellraiser) is brilliantly deceptive and adds tension in unexpected places. The effects are top notch and I was pleased to see a small homage to Poltergeist, near the end (hint: "The swimming pool! The swimming pool!!!!").

I saw it with my my cast, all of whom loved it as much as I did. We screamed, cringed, laughed and carried on the way every good horror movie should make it's audience do. I think it is important to note that like every terrific movie, no matter what the genre, Drag Me to Hell is meant to be seen on a big screen with a great sound system and an audience filled with screamers, cringers and laughers. Do NOT wait for Blu-ray. Get your butt (and a load of your friends' butts) down to the local Cineplex and see this movie! See it now! See it, see it, see it! And take someone you want to jump into your arms. They will! The most fun I've had at the movies in a ages. This is the movie Horror fans have been waiting for, for a very long time. Thank you, Mr. Raimi, for finally giving it to us. The only thing I missed? The obligatory cameo from the legendary Bruce Campbell (unless some slyer fox than I caught a glimpse of him, somewhere).

***** (Five Stars). Rated PG-13 for 'Intense Horror.'

Drag Me to the Movies

Seeing Drag Me to Hell tonight with my cast and I couldn't be more excited. I've been waiting for this since they announced it. It is currently at 95% on RottenTomatoes and I don't remember the last time a horror movie (one rated PG-13, no less) was so universally praised. This jaded, practically unscareable horror fan is trying to keep his expectations low, just in case, but I have a feeling I'll be adding to the raves come 1:00 AM. Plus, I get to hang out with people I'm very much in love with right now. Double-Plus Good!

We'll be going for drinks and carousing afterwards, I'm sure. But I will post my review as soon as I get home.

More, anon.
Prospero

How the Mormon Stole Everything

You may want to file this under "Prospero's Philosophy," though I will leave it up to you. Suffice it to say, I think this is the first time I have shared my personal views on philosophy and religion (other than the "Religious Right's" role in the passing of Prop 8) on this blog.

From The Big Gay Sketch Comedy Show on Logo (via) comes this hilarious animated parody.

More Gay & Lesbian Videos At LogoOnline.com

I don't hate members of the CLDS. They're only doing and saying what has been ingrained in them since childhood. I don't hate anyone, actually. Well, maybe Brad Pitt. And whoever is sleeping with Brandon Routh. And Goldie Hawn. Oh... and for a while, Meg Ryan.

What I hate is the perpetuation of the misunderstandings and outright lies of nearly every religious doctrine in the world. Why, in 2009, do we still hold on to mythology? The answer, of course, lies in our unending quest to know why.

The teachings of Zen tell us we need to learn to accept life as it is; savor it and revel in the joy of existence. Hinduism espouses multiple incarnations toward the ultimate goal of enlightenment. Valhalla is accessible only through valour in life and death in combat; eternity with Ra requires the careful preservation of of the body and the accompaniment of all that is earthly, while Wiccans pray to goddesses of the Earth and Moon, long thought dead. As Paul Rudnick says about members of the LDS, "If he'd told (his wife) the truth, you'd all be worshipping a waitress."

And I'm certainly not saying you should not believe in God (or the deity of your choice). Personally, I consider myself an 'Agnostic Secular Humanist with Leanings Toward Buddhism. ' Does that mean I don't believe in a Higher Power? No. What I believe is that the Higher Power is unknowable (that's the actual definition of Agnostic., by the way).

In fact, some important scientific minds agree that there must be something intelligent in the design of the complex mathematics and physics which seem to guide the Universe (even if the more we know, the less much of it makes sense), though they offer no truly rational explanations for their beliefs.

Since the dawn of civilization, man has struggled with the same philosophical questions.

There are more theories; superstitions; legends; mythologies and religions, than I can count on hands, fingers and other appendages (wink-wink). With so many things from which to choose, how can there possibky be One way; One answer? How can only one religion be the "true" religion? Obviously, it can't. Which then implies that all religions are false. And in a way, they are. I honestly believe that some questions will be forever left unanswered. And I'm OK with that. Because I am having a grand time while I'm here. Not all of it is wonderful, but most of it is amazing!

Of course, a lot of what I am saying is directly influenced by my current theatrical project, which I am sure you sick of hearing about, by now.

Alright. I know, I know. You didn't stop by for a lesson in esoterica. Honestly, I didn't expect to give one. It's just that kind of night.

'

Thank you for reading. I love that you do. Comment away.

More, anon.

Prospero

Disappointment Mixed with Joy

What an oddly dichotic day.

First, as I am sure you know by now, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8. I don't understand why they would do this. This is the same court that ruled it Unconstitutional to deny same-sex marriage in the first place. I cried when I read the decision. Then I heard some activist say something on the evening news that made me feel a little better: "No civil rights issue has ever been defeated, before. No civil rights issue will ever be defeated." As our President continues to back peddle on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the idiots in CA fall to pressure from the religious right, I am comforted by the fact that at least 5 states now allow same-sex marriage. That's 10%. And that's what the LGBT community is estimated to be (though I think it's probably a low-ball estimate). So this year it's 10%. Next year, it may be 12% or 15%. Soon, maybe not today or tomorrow, it will be 100%.

Then, I went to rehearsal for "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," our first since the holiday weekend break. There I was pleasantly surprised to see that my cast had not only actually worked on trying to memorize (they have until Monday to be off-book), but were ready to play, experiment and grow in their roles. It's always a joy to work with fearless actors who are willing to take the extra step and invent business and shtick on the fly, and I am lucky enough to have found 9 who are not only willing to do so, but more than capable of it.

So - a dichotomy of a day. Bad news, supplanted by a good rehearsal. If this show opens just one pair of eyes; if it opens up one heart; if it lessens one person's misunderstanding, then I will consider it a job well-done. If my cast keeps going in the same direction, I can't see us not doing that.

Once again, tickets to the James Tolin Memorial Fund's 7th Annual AIDS Fundraiser featuring Paul Rudnick's "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" are available by visiting http://www.jtmf.org/; http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/ or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333. If you cannot attend, but want to help, you secure donation via PayPal can be made at http://www.jtmf.org/. Or your Silent Auction donation can be sent by contacting Event Coordinator Tracy Antozesski at jtmf@verizon.net. Past Silent Auction donors have included the Home Shopping Network; Comcast; Mr. Robin Williams; the cast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives;" Miele Appliances; Simon and Schuster; Ms. Carol Burnett and Broadway Cares.

More, anon.

Prospero

Lego Madness

The good folks over at BoingBoing have posted this amazing clip of a clockwork pirate play that's just incredible and I had to share. It's short and amusing, but more importantly - it's all made out of Lego blocks. Talk about labor intensive! Watch to the end to see backstage and the mechanisms at work.

Fun, no?

More, anon.
Prospero