Random Thoughts: Justice League United

With the just released group image (minus Superman of course) of the Justice League, some Random Thoughts... 

... With the two big guys, Ben Affleck's Batman and Jason Momoa's Aquaman, on each end it's more of a beefcake sandwich than a hero...

... Why does Ezra Miller's Flash look like he's been eviscerated? I don't get these superhero costume deconstructions of late...

... Somewhere on the internet right this very minute, somebody is bitching that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is the least-clad. I only agree because I want Aquaman to look like this through the whole movie:

There's a lot that Warner hasn't got right about transferring the DC universe to the big screen, but you gotta give 'em props for turning some of the dorkiest comic characters into some tasty eye candy (see also: Jai Courtney in Suicide Squad).

Just think, it could have been "and starring Chuck Barris as Captain Boomerang".

 ... And is it just me, or do they look like they have just landed on a Star Trek planet of the week? Which makes the Flash the red shirt...

All will be revealed when Justice League opens (finally) on November 17.

Reverend's Preview: That Fascinating Danish Girl

An impressive cast and crew of Academy Award winners have teamed to bring a little-known chapter of LGBTQ history to the big screen this month. The Danish Girl, scheduled to open this Friday, relates the challenging personal journey undertaken by acclaimed painter Einar Wegener in the 1920’s to transition from male to female. Wegener adopted the name Lili Elbe and hers became one of the first documented cases of gender reassignment or confirmation surgery.

Eddie Redmayne, who won the Oscar last year for his turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, stars as Wegener. He will surely be nominated again for his excellent, beautifully nuanced and authentic performance here. If he should win, Redmayne will become the first back-to-back Best Actor winner since Tom Hanks over 20 years ago.

The Danish Girl is directed by Tom Hooper, who won an Academy Award for directing The King’s Speech. Hooper followed that historical hit with the 2012 musical Les Miserables, in which Redmayne played the French revolutionary Marius.

“I was at the Les Miserables barricades and Tom said, ‘I would like you to read something,” Redmayne recalls. “Tom then got me the script (for The Danish Girl) and I sat down to read it, knowing nothing about it. I was profoundly moved, it blew my mind. I found it extraordinarily passionate and deeply felt.”

Lucinda Coxon’s revelatory screenplay was adapted from a 2000 novel by David Ebershoff. The book won the Lambda Literary Award and was immediately optioned for a movie, but it has taken 15 years and numerous false starts to finally bring it to fruition. Producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner — whose Working Title productions, including Billy Elliot, Dead Man Walking and Fargo, have been honored with 11 Oscars and even more nominations — saw The Danish Girl through to completion.

“When I read (the book), I realized that Lili’s remarkable story had been swept away by the tide of history,” Coxon said. “What I was particularly struck by was that this was the story of a marriage, a love between two artists of courage and imagination.”

Einar/Lili was happily married to Gerda, at least until his gender issues emerged. Initially, Gerda (played in the film by rising star Alicia Vikander) treats Lili playfully and even uses Lili as the model for Gerda’s own well-received paintings. They are both forced to grapple with the reality that Einar considers himself a woman accidentally born into a male body. Anxious to have a child together but ultimately unable to do so, the movie powerfully depicts the couple as “giving birth” to Lili through Einar’s transition.

The Danish Girl, both Ebershoff’s novel and the new motion picture, takes some dramatic license in detailing the relationship between Lili and Gerda. Gerda is shown standing by her spouse throughout the gender-confirmation surgeries and being at least partly responsible for having Einar’s/Lili’s journals published in 1933 as the book Man Into Woman. In reality, though, their marriage was annulled and Gerda married another man while Lili was still alive. The movie holds a more romanticized view but, in doing so, delves more deeply into the challenges and risks associated with Lili’s pioneering decision than it might have otherwise.

According to Coxon, “Hers was an incredibly important moment, and one I’d not heard about at all. And I suppose what appealed to me (while writing the script) was telling a universal story through something highly particular.”

I similarly found Lili’s a fascinating story about which I knew nothing. The Danish Girl is beautifully shot by Danny Cohen (who also shot The King’s Speech and Les Miserables) using painterly compositions appropriate to the film’s artistic lead characters. Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel) provides a lovely music score too. On the negative side, a gay character played by out actor Ben Whishaw, who can also currently be seen as Q in the new James Bond epic Spectre, is awkwardly under-developed. The film's depiction of transgender issues might also be considered dated by some, although I was able to accept this within the context of its 90-year old true story.

“When I read a script, I go on an instinctive, emotional reaction,” Whishaw shared. “I read this script in one sitting, barely catching my breath. On reflection, I realized that it was about something that’s rarely dealt with in a mainstream film but the themes are universal: it’s about a relationship, and about a person who is trying to be authentic to themselves. (The script) shows kindness, hopefulness and sensitivity, but also how it’s not a walk in the park.”

The finished film shows Einar and Lili undergoing considerable hardships in addition to negotiating their marriage to Gerda. As Einar attempts initially to disassociate himself from his true self, he experiences nosebleeds and painful headaches. In one memorable scene, he pays to watch a private dancer in order to study her movements and sensuality only to have her reciprocate unexpectedly. Once Lili embraces her identity, she is beaten by two men and left for dead before submitting to gender-confirmation surgery while the risky procedures involved were in their infancy.

“Was I daunted by it?” Redmayne reflected on his decision to accept the role. “Yes, I was, but I’m daunted by everything! But I have begun to realize that fear of not doing a character or a story justice is a galvanizing thing — it pushes me forward and makes me work harder.” The actor met with numerous people in the trans community and researched their lives in his effort to make Lili as realistic as possible. Director Tom Hooper also cast transgender actors in background roles. Despite this, The Danish Girl is being met by some criticism that a trans actress wasn’t cast as Lili.

No one can fault Redmayne’s sincere dedication to the role, which also required full-frontal nudity from him. “If you are lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play Lili Elbe and tell her story,” the actor said, “you should be giving every ounce of yourself. It’s a great privilege, and a great responsibility.”

Don’t miss The Danish Girl and the opportunity it presents to learn about Lili’s remarkable life.

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Preview: Summer Movies Especially for Us

 

Hollywood’s mega-budget summer movie season is underway with the blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk and company take on a seemingly invincible artificial intelligence (played by the ever-quirky James Spader) out to wipe humankind off the map. It might not be every gay man’s cup of tea but those of us with a fondness for men in leather, latex and/or tights likely lined up this past weekend to check out these superheroes in action.

Studio execs historically skew their summer offerings toward kids and teens out of school but they also know that reaching the widest possible audience, including LGBT viewers, can only make them more money. In light of this, I’ve taken the liberty of classifying a number of promising upcoming releases within several gay sub-genres. Please note release dates are subject to change.

Good Guys vs. Naughty Boys:
Several other heroes will be on screen battling adversaries of various stripes. Dreamy Paul Rudd stars as Ant-Man (July 17), who is able to become more powerful as he shrinks to the size of an insect. Marvel’s Fantastic Four (August 7) return to the big screen with an all new, ethnically diverse cast. The D Train (May 8) caused a stir at Sundance earlier this year with its depiction of a hookup between a bisexual movie star played by James Marsden and the nebbishy former high school classmate (Jack Black) desperate to lure him back for their class’s 20th reunion. And although they are rivals, there are hints of bromance in the big screen version of TV’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (August 14) between hunks Henry Cavill as CIA agent Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as Russian spy Ilya Kuryakin. Iconic, post-apocalyptic 80’s antihero Mad Max returns in Mad Max: Fury Road (May 15), with Tom Hardy taking over from Mel Gibson against not only freaky mutants but a fierce femme fatale played by Charlize Theron. And George Clooney goes back to the future in Disney's Tomorrowland.

Bears and Other Critters:
The walking, trash-talking teddy bear (voiced by Seth McFarlane) and best bud Mark Wahlberg return for Ted 2 (June 26), in which Ted must fight the legal system in order to have a baby with his human wife. If you prefer your beasts tall and scaly, Jurassic World (June 12) looks to be a spectacular reboot of the dinosaur series starring buff Chris Pratt as their overwhelmed keeper. Max (June 26), meanwhile, is the true, tear-jerking story of a heroic military dog who is adopted by a family grieving the loss of their son in Afghanistan. Aardman Animation returns to the silver screen with Shaun the Sheep Movie (August 7), and those wacky yellow whatsits from Despicable Me get their own movie, appropriately titled Minions (July 10).

Funny Girls:
Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15) will mark the musical-comedy return of the Barden Bellas, the a cappella singing sensation that includes cast members Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit). Melissa McCarthy headlines the hilarious-looking Spy (June 5) as a dowdy CIA secretary who is tasked with taking down a villain after more experienced agents fail. Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck (July 17) has a lot of buzz from early screenings and stars Amy Schumer as a commitment-averse writer who finds herself falling for the subject of one of her articles, played by SNL vet Bill Hader. Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon and Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara are the odd couple at the center of Hot Pursuit (May 8) in which they play, respectively, an uptight police officer and a drug lord’s wife who find themselves on the run from said drug lord. Last but not least, Lily Tomlin is the title character of Grandma (August 21), who happens to be a lesbian enlisted by her unexpectedly pregnant granddaughter to help raise money for an abortion.

Drama Queens:
We all know them and this summer’s releases are chock full of ‘em. Inside Out (June 19) is the latest Disney-Pixar production and features the animated embodiments of an 11-year old girl’s rampant emotions in the wake of her family’s move to a new city. The film’s great voice cast includes Amy Poehler, Kyle MacLachlan, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader (he’s everywhere). The more serious but crowd-pleasing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (June 12) won both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award at January’s Sundance Film Festival for its sensitive yet funny take on the plight of a terminally-ill teenager. Infinitely Polar Bear (June 19) stars cuddly gay fave Mark Ruffalo as a man with bipolar disorder who suddenly gets custody of his two daughters. Ruffalo could well garner another Oscar nomination for his performance in this reality-based drama. Out writer-director François Ozon’s new film The New Girlfriend (August 8) focuses on a woman dealing with the death of her best friend, which takes an unusual turn when she discovers her late friend’s husband is transsexual. And an entire family confronts supernatural drama galore when their young daughter is kidnapped by vengeful spirits in Poltergeist (May 22), a high-tech revisioning of the 1982 hit. They’re baa-aack!

Classic Queens:
The movie with the greatest gay cred this summer may be Mr. Holmes (July 17), which stars the out and knighted Ian McKellen as 93-year old Sherlock, out to solve one final mystery. It is helmed by gay writer-director Bill Condon, who made the terrific Dreamgirls and previously collaborated with McKellen on 1998’s Gods and Monsters. Right behind it is Saint Laurent (May 8), a biopic about the late, gay fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent during his 1960’s-1970’s heyday. Do I Sound Gay? (July 10) is an acclaimed documentary that explores whether or not there really is a “gay voice” with the help of George Takei and Margaret Cho, among others. And while Blythe Danner isn’t exactly a queen, the veteran actress’s performance as a widow who starts dating again in I’ll See You in My Dreams (May 15) is being talked about as Danner’s potential ticket to her first Oscar nomination.

Man Flesh:
What’s summer without scantily-clad men? Magic Mike XXL (July 1) will mark the return of Channing Tatum and his stripper pals, who are promising to show even more skin than they did in their 2012 predecessor. Time travel still requires nudity in Terminator Genisys (also July 1), with Jai Courtney the latest hottie to arrive from the future in an effort to stop judgment day. Adam Scott and Jason Schwartzman reportedly go full frontal as they compare their endowments in the marital comedy The Overnight (June 19), while the still toned Tom Cruise gets shirtless and tied up in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (July 31). And though I don’t know if Dwayne Johnson goes topless in the disaster epic San Andreas (May 29), he seems to sport a form-fitting fire department t-shirt throughout.

No matter how you categorize them, this summer’s movies promise to be hot!

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Preview: Happy Holi-gays at the Cineplex

There are still 50-some shopping days til Christmas, but Hollywood's holiday season starts this Friday with the release of Disney’s animated Big Hero 6 and the sci-fi epic Interstellar. A number of these end-of-year releases are of particular interest to LGBT moviegoers.

The most prominent of these is The Imitation Game, which is scheduled to open in Los Angeles on November 28th and in other cities in mid-December. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch of the BBC’s Sherlock as Alan Turing, one of the 20th century’s greatest unsung heroes. Turing succeeded in cracking Nazi Germany’s seemingly-unbreakable Enigma machine codes by creating the world’s first computer. As a result, he is credited with shortening World War II by at least two years and saving millions of lives.

Turing was also gay during a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in Great Britain. He was arrested in 1952, convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to hormone therapy that basically served as chemical castration. Tragically, Turing ended up committing suicide at the age of 41. He received a posthumous pardon from Queen Elizabeth II just last year.

Cumberbatch gives a superb, ultimately heartbreaking performance and is considered a front runner for the Best Actor Academy Award along with fellow Brit Eddie Redmayne, who plays physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (opening November 7th), and Birdman’s Michael Keaton. Through an excellent inter-cutting of time periods in The Imitation Game, we learn about Turing’s doomed first love with a fellow student in his all-boys boarding school.

Although Cumberbatch will be heard and not seen, his fans will also want to line up for both Penguins of Madagascar (out November 26th) and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (out December 17th). In the second, the actor reprises the voice of ferocious dragon Smaug in this final chapter of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the classic J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy. Returning with him are out master thespian Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf and gay faves Cate Blanchett, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Manu Bennett and Stephen Fry.

We gays love our movie musicals, and Santa is bringing not one but two for Christmas this year. Into the Woods, the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s take on classic fairy tales, will arrive on December 25th. Helmed by openly gay director-choreographer Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine), the film’s all-star roster includes Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine. Christine Baranski will likely be bitchy fun as Cinderella’s wicked stepmother.

Meanwhile, the beloved stage tuner Annie will be receiving its second big-screen treatment on December 19th. The tale of the little orphan who gradually warms a wealthy power broker’s heart has been updated from the Great Depression to modern-day NYC by Easy A writer-director Will Gluck, with contemporary covers of the original Tony Award-winning score that includes “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life.” This new version also boasts a multi-ethnic cast headed by Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) with Jamie Foxx, Bobby Cannavale and Cameron Diaz as nasty Miss Hannigan.

An abundance of men in togas, loincloths and eye-liner will be on full display in Exodus: Gods and Kings, opening December 12th. Cinematic stylist Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) directs this latest telling of the biblical epic in which Moses (Christian Bale) leads his fellow Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. Joel Edgerton plays the ruling pharaoh, Rameses, while Scott semi-regular Sigourney Weaver plays Rameses’ calculating mother. If nothing else, the film’s costumes and art direction are sure to be top-notch.

A final holiday offering with a predominantly male cast and likely gay appeal is Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, out on Christmas Day. It recounts the inspiring, true-life adventure of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who served in the US Air Force during World War II. He became a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down by the Japanese and endured several years of torture by a sadistic prison camp officer. Eventually liberated, Zamperini was a popular speaker until his death just this past summer at the age of 97. Relative newcomer Jack O’Connell is receiving awards buzz for his performance as the hero.

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Reviews: Monster Mash

Godzilla may be the biggest monster on movie screens this weekend, both in terms of its title creature’s size and box office projections, but he won’t be alone among resurrected classics in Los Angeles. An even older movie monster is making a special appearance May 16th -22nd at LA’s Cinefamily, namely Nosferatu, aka Count Dracula in Werner Herzog’s well-regarded 1979 remake of F.W. Murnau’s silent horror film.

1979 marked a cinematic resurgence of vampire stories. In addition to Herzog’s Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht (“Phantom of the Night”), that summer saw the release of John Badham’s sexed-up version of Dracula starring Frank Langella, the George Hamilton spoof Love at First Bite and, to a lesser extent, the bat-attack horror movie Nightwing. The Herzog production was easily the best received critically and, 35 years later, remains the best remembered.

Its limited run at the Cinefamily will spotlight a new 35 mm print of the German-language version of Nosferatu. Herzog shot two different films simultaneously, one in English and the other in his native German. Only the English-language cut was exhibited in the United States, so this weekend in LA presents a rare opportunity to see the version most personal to Herzog and many of the cast members on the big screen. Herzog will also be in attendance at Friday’s opening night screening.

Heading the cast is the great (if by most accounts eccentric and unpredictable) Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula. Despite a love-hate relationship between the two men, Kinski and Herzog made several films together including Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) and my personal favorite of all Herzog’s films, Fitzcarraldo (1982). Nosferatu marked their third collaboration. Kinski endured four hours of makeup application each day in order to resemble Murnau’s original, rat-like vision of the character, who was famously portrayed in the 1922 version by Max Schreck. While remaining strong and seductive (to both women and men), Kinski makes the king of vampires both more comical and more genuinely pathetic than in any other Dracula movie to date. Kinski’s world-weary take may evoke tears from viewers, especially when he says things like “Cruel is when you can’t die even when you want to.”

Bruno Ganz and Isabelle Adjani, who both went on to become big names, play hero Jonathan Harker and his beloved wife, Lucy. The lovely Adjani possesses a beauty that proves ultimately necessary to transfix and destroy the vampire. Other standouts in Herzog’s cast include Roland Topor as Dracula’s insane manservant, Renfield, and Walter Ladengast as Dr. Van Helsing, who is much more devoted to science here than in other film versions of the Bram Stoker’s story.

Herzog, cinematographer Jorg Schmidt-Reitwein and production designer Henning von Gierke conjure a near-endless stream of arresting images: bats flying in slo-mo and scaling draperies; Dracula’s rat-infested ship arriving in the city of Wismar (actually Delft and Schiedam, Netherlands); the amazing Czech mountains that fill in for Transylvania; processions of coffins through the city square; not to mention a fabulous wine glass and skeleton-laden cuckoo clock during Harker’s dinner at Castle Dracula.

The film’s ending will likely prove unexpected to viewers more accustomed to the classic Bela Lugosi Dracula or Francis Ford Coppola’s florid 1992 version. I also had difficulty with the at times confusing time frame or continuity in Herzog’s Nosferatu, possibly the result of his fairly limited budget. Given the option though of Nosferatu’s brief LA re-release or the new, sure to be around awhile Godzilla, I’d go with the first monster.

Reverend’s Rating:
Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht: B+

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Interview: From Val to Sal

It is rare for a rising male star, married to a woman, to readily admit he has watched gay porn as well as observed two men having sex live. The latter incident is preserved on screen in James Franco’s Interior. Leather Bar., wherein actor Val Lauren is clearly seen during one of the film’s most buzzed-about sequences.

“I don’t know if anything could have prepared me for Interior. Leather Bar.,” Lauren said with a laugh during a recent interview. It is only one of two daring movies he has made recently with longtime friend Franco. The other is Sal, an excellent, intimate look at gay 1950’s matinee idol Sal Mineo. It will be available from Tribeca Film on VOD starting October 22nd and in select theaters on November 1st.

“Playing Sal Mineo was the first time I had to play someone who wasn’t from my imagination but was a real-life guy,” Lauren reflected. “It was a definite responsibility to his memory, his family, his legacy and not something I took lightly.”

Mineo was only 16 when he starred alongside James Dean and Natalie Wood in the now-classic Rebel Without a Cause. He received an Oscar nomination for his turn as Plato, a shy high schooler smitten with an attractive, braver fellow student played by Dean. Mineo received a second Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe a few years later for the epic Exodus. In the 1960’s, he became one of the first major Hollywood actors to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality. He was tragically murdered outside his West Hollywood apartment in 1976 at the age of 37.

“Sal said something about his homosexuality that I really dug: ‘I’m a human being first and an artist,’ according to Lauren. “He refused labels, either on himself or others. He didn’t let his sexuality define him. I’d never played a homosexual or bisexual character before but I learned what Sal believed, that we are all first and foremost human beings.”

Lauren, a member of LA’s repertory theatre company Playhouse West as well as a veteran of numerous TV shows and indie movies, and the notoriously gay-friendly Franco made Sal in 2011, prior to this year’s Interior. Leather Bar. “Sal was good preparation for Leather Bar in terms of being the first time I collaborated with James on a film,” Lauren said, “and we established ways of working together and communicating that would serve us well on Leather Bar.”

The actor, who will next be seen opposite Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman in the big-budget adventure The Last Knights, has nothing but praise for his friend and recent director. “I’ve got to say that (working with Franco) has been the most rewarding on-camera creative relationship I’ve ever had; I’d be happy working with James for the rest of my life.”

Playing Mineo involved considerable “interior and exterior preparation” on Lauren’s part. “I was fortunate to have a few months to prepare for Sal. I had a lot of challenges to face: I had to capture his distinct voice; I had to lose about 20 pounds to gain his lean physique and grow my hair out; I had to do a lot of voice and physical work.”

He continued: “On the inside, our personalities were very, very different so I really had to minimize my own personal mannerisms and feelings. Sal had a very innocent, childlike spirit, which I am really trying to live today. I watched all his movies (in addition to the aforementioned non-Mineo gay porn, for research purposes) and read the fantastic biography about him by Michael Gregg Michaud.” With Michaud as his guide, Lauren visited various places Mineo frequented and met people who knew the star.

Sal is, both to this writer and to Lauren, “a very unconventional approach to a biography.” The entire movie is set on the last day of Mineo’s life. “What I like about Sal,” Lauren shared, “is that it doesn’t capture all the major moments or accomplishments of his life. It allows the viewer to have a very intimate encounter with the soul of the man rather than the facts of his life.”

I asked Lauren about the impact his other current James Franco movie, Interior. Leather Bar., has had on him. “It’s been surprising,” he replied. “I had no preconceptions about what kind of impact that film would have. That being said, it has been so positive and I like the varying responses the film has gotten in terms of what people think it is about.” It is scheduled for theatrical release in early 2014.

“Interior. Leather Bar. definitely taught me a couple of things. I got to observe a great moment between this great couple; it was really nice watching them have sex, it made sense,” Lauren said of one of the movie’s standout scenes. “I felt like I was intruding a little bit, like I would if I was watching a man and a woman, but they were so cute!” Lauren is married to actress Eva Lauren, who has a small role as a clinic nurse in Sal. Together, they have “a gorgeous little girl,” a Shih Tzu named Bella, who also appears in Sal as Mineo’s neighbor’s dog.

Lauren shared the second thing he learned while shooting Interior. Leather Bar. “At the end of the day, we’re all human and we all want the same thing: to be loved.” This also seems to echo the message of Sal, the man and the movie.

I asked Lauren whether he has discerned a method to James Franco’s “madness” in making several films now on gay subjects. “James always has had since I’ve known him a very specific lens or paradigm through which he views the world,” he replied. “He is very complex as a man and an artist on one hand and yet very simple on the other. Do I know always where he is coming from? Absolutely not, but I enjoy viewing the result. He invites us to join him on his endeavors, not knowing where things will end up. I love that.”

Since Lauren has now personified two well-known, real-life actors on screen — Al Pacino (in Leather Bar) and Sal Mineo — I asked him if hunky young Marlon Brando would be next. “Oh man, I wish I could do that,” he replied. “I don’t think anyone can though; there’s only one Brando.”

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Report: A Gay Day at Disney's D23 Expo

Though many GLBT locals may have been unable to attend the D23 Expo on Saturday, August 10th due to the conflicting Orange County Pride celebration, it didn’t stop other GLBT Disney fans from turning out and helping to make it a sell-out day.

The third D23 Expo in four years (it is currently a bi-annual event) actually saw tickets sell out on Friday as well. With Disney’s recent acquisition of the Star Wars universe, the 2013 event also resembled Comic-Con International more than ever before. While a relatively small number of attendees were dressed as iconic characters from Disney films and attractions — the best I saw was a woman attired and coiffed as the voluptuous red-headed “wench” being auctioned off during the Pirates of the Caribbean ride — many more stormtroopers, Boba Fetts and Princess Leias were on display.

A gaggle of gays, myself included, were to be found in the Expo’s now-traditional Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibition. This year’s display wasn’t as extensive as in years past, but it featured a rare collection of items detailing the Disney Studios’ efforts over seven decades to bring L. Frank Baum’s Oz books to the screen. These included costumes and props from an aborted 1950’s TV production, the underrated 1985 flop Return to Oz and this year’s smash hit Oz The Great and Powerful. The remainder of the archives exhibit was dedicated to next year’s 50th anniversary of Disney’s musical masterpiece, Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews’ carpet bag, two of the actual carousel horses used during the standout live action-animation sequence, and some of the written correspondence between Walt Disney and Poppins author P.L. Travers were just a few of the displayed gems. Finally, costumes worn by Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson in the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks, about Walt’s battle to secure the movie rights to Mary Poppins from Travers, could be viewed.

Saving Mr. Banks was also trumpeted during Saturday’s preview of upcoming live-action films from Disney and its related entities, chiefly Marvel Studios. Actors Jason Schwartzmann and B.J. Novak, who play Poppins’ brother-composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman respectively in Saving Mr. Banks, were joined by Richard M. himself for a climactic rendition of the classic song, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” (Robert B. passed away, sadly, just last year). It truly was a magical moment at the end of a lengthy presentation that also featured appearances by Angelina Jolie, star of next year’s Sleeping Beauty-inspired Maleficent; Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins from this fall’s Thor sequel, Thor: The Dark World; hunky Chris Evans repping next spring’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier; and Ty Burrell of TV’s Modern Family, arriving onstage in a tiny European auto, who co-stars in the upcoming Muppets Most Wanted. Also, some additional casting was announced for Disney’s 2014 adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods, which will be helmed by gay director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine). Joining previously confirmed Meryl Streep (as the Witch) and Johnny Depp (as the Wolf) will be Star Trek’s Chris Pine as one of the Princes, Emily Blunt as the Baker’s Wife, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella and Tracey Ullman as Jack’s mother. Attendees were rewarded as they left the preview with their own pair of strap-on Maleficent horns!

The expo’s centerpiece pavilion was “Journey Into Imagineering,” a terrific, in-depth but overcrowded exhibit spotlighting the work of Disney’s famous Imagineers when it comes to designing theme park attractions. They are striving to make not only future rides but the typically lengthy queues in which riders wait as immersive and interactive as possible. One of the first major achievements in this is the newly-opened Mystic Manor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. It’s time to save up for a trip to China.

Despite the larger crowds and longer wait times for presentations and exhibits since its last incarnation, the 2013 D23 Expo was a typically well-organized, supercalifragilistic experience. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that it will return in 2015. Start getting your costume — whether inspired by Disney, Marvel or Star Wars — together.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Preview: D23 Expo Returns Just in Time

The global Disney conglomerate could use a boost right about now. Sure, Cars Land at Disney California Adventure and the movie prequel Monsters University are big hits. The company is reeling, however, from the box office failure of this summer’s The Lone Ranger (Disney execs are predicting a loss of nearly $200 million) as well as less-than-spectacular ratings for its various non-ESPN television shows.

Fortunately, the third bi-annual D23 Expo arrives in Anaheim this weekend to celebrate all things Disney and reassure fans that all will be well in the Magic Kingdom. Tickets are completely sold out for this Saturday’s Expo events, which will feature previews and panels in support of Disney’s animated holiday film Frozen as well as an all-star sneak peek at upcoming live action movies including the Angelina Jolie-headed Maleficent, Saving Mr. Banks (starring Tom Hanks as none other than Walt Disney himself), next year’s sequel Muppets Most Wanted and Brad Bird’s shrouded-in-secrecy Tomorrowland. The various Marvel superhero adventures in the works will also be spotlighted, and there could well be casting or other news announced in regard to the upcoming Star Wars VII-IX trilogy. For better or worse, Johnny Depp will not be making an appearance as Tonto.

LA fixture Charles Phoenix, a humorist who regularly provides retro explorations of kitschy pop culture icons lost to history, will make his D23 Expo debut on Saturday with a time-travel tour of Disneyland that is guaranteed to be hilarious. The traditional Disney Legends Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday afternoon and honors such big names as Billy Crystal and John Goodman in addition to the late Dick Clark, Steve Jobs and actor Ed Wynn, among others. Saturday’s noteworthy closing event is a rare concert performed by two generations of Oscar-winning Disney songwriters: Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Jungle Book, et al) and Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.).

A full day of events is planned for both Friday and Sunday, and numerous Disney-related exhibitors will be displaying their wares and giving away goodies all weekend long. An advance screening of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot, inspired by Marvel’s The Avengers and directed by the movies’ shepherd Joss Whedon, will also occur on Sunday. For the full D23 Expo schedule and to purchase tickets for Friday and/or Sunday, visit the D23 website.

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Preview: Hangovers, Heroes & Hunks

The heat is on, not only outdoors but on the big screen as Hollywood rolls out its biggest, priciest and most heavily-hyped movies over the next three months.  While Iron Man 3 may have gotten a jump start at the cineplex, there is plenty more to look forward to below.  Note: All release dates are subject to change.

The Hangover Part III - Opens May 24:

The “Wolfpack” comprised of stars Bradley Cooper (fresh off his Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook), Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis take a road trip this time around.  Their numerous adversaries, inadvertent victims and/or allies are played by Heather Graham (returning from the first Hangover), Melissa McCarthy, John Goodman and The New Normal’s Justin Bartha.  And, of course, Ken Jeong is once again on hand as the oft-naked Mr. Chow.

Fast & Furious 6 - Opens May 24:

Musclemen Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson (who seems to be in every other movie nowadays), Tyrese Gibson and Jason Statham and their muscle cars once again crash onto the big screen.  Michelle Rodriguez also returns as tough yet sensitive car thief Letty.  Few fans likely go to the Fast & Furious films for their plots, but are instead drawn by the admittedly cool spectacle of flying, rolling, cartwheeling roadster mayhem. This one definitely looks like it will fulfill their expectations.

The Kings of Summer - Opens May 31:

A big hit at January’s Sundance Film Festival.  Three teenaged boys, seeking to escape their repressive home lives, decide to build a house in the woods for themselves and live off the land.  They face unexpected environmental and relational challenges along their coming-of-age path.  Karen Walker herself, Megan Mullally, appears as the mother of one of the boys.

This Is the End - Opens June 12:

James Franco, the hardest-working man in movies after Dwayne Johnson, teams up with funny guys Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Jason Segel.  They and a host of other celebs play themselves, who unfortunately have to confront the end of the world while attending a party hosted by Franco.  Reportedly, the gay-curious Franco (see his recent turns in Milk, Howl, The Broken Tower and Interior. Leather Bar; no, Oz The Great and Powerful doesn’t count) is raked over the coals about his sexuality in this comedy.

Man of Steel - Opens June 14:

Super-stylish director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch) teams up with the Dark Knight producer-writer team of Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer for this new, darker take on Superman’s origin and exploits.  Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals) stars in the title role, with Oscar nominee Michael Shannon opposite him as evil General Zod.  The all-star supporting cast includes Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Pa and Ma Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Laurence Fishburne, in colorblind casting, as news editor Perry White.  Gay fave Christopher Meloni (Oz) also appears as a military bigwig.

World War Z - Opens June 21:

Brangelina’s male half, Brad Pitt, produced and stars in this apocalyptic chiller.  He plays a United Nations worker and family man who races around the world in order to stop an unknown virus that is rapidly turning humanity into flesh-craving zombies.  The film’s trailer showing the creatures literally crawling over themselves like ants to scale walls and catch their prey is truly unsettling.  These aren’t your traditional, slo-mo walking dead.  Lost hottie Matthew Fox co-stars.

I’m So Excited - Opens June 28:

Pedro Almodóvar’s latest looks like a return to all-out comedy form after the gay filmmaker’s more serious, recent endeavors such as The Skin I Live In and Broken Embraces.  Almost entirely set on a passenger jet forced to keep circling Mexico City due to a malfunction, it sounds like a delirious spoof of the old Airport disaster movies.  A healthy dose of bisexuality, a drug-fueled orgy and Pointer Sisters songs are reportedly thrown into the mix.  Almodovar regulars Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz head the cast. 

The Heat - Opens June 28:

The potentially hilarious teaming of Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy has definitely piqued my interest.  Here, they play a mismatched FBI agent and a Boston cop assigned to work together in order to take down a ruthless drug lord.  Directed by Paul Feig, whose last film was the estrogen-powered monster hit Bridesmaids.

White House Down - Opens June 28:

Gay director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla, 2012) is not one to be outdone when it comes to large-scale destruction on screen.  Although the similarly-plotted Olympus Has Fallen beat it to theaters, this action-thriller about bad guys attacking 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and attempting to kidnap the President (played by Jamie Foxx) will probably leave the earlier movie in the dust.  Channing Tatum (Magic Mike) stars as the Commander-in-Chief’s studly, tank top-clad bodyguard.

The Lone Ranger - Opens July 3:

Armie Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) stars as the masked do-gooder of radio, TV and a flop 1981 big-screen take on the legend.  Johnny Depp is at his side as devoted Native American partner Tonto.  The new version recounts the hero’s beginnings while pitting him against arch-enemy Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) and other miscreants played by Oscar nominees Tom Wilkinson and Helena Bonham Carter.  Hi-yo, Silver, away!

Pacific Rim - Opens July 12:

In what may well be this summer’s most original adventure, the human race is forced to battle massive monsters from another dimension who invade Earth by creating giant robot warriors.  Charlie Hunnam, who played the original twink Nathan on the British Queer as Folk and now appears on Sons of Anarchy, has his first lead action movie role as the robots’ chief pilot.  Written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth fame.

The Hot Flashes - Opens July 12:

I've actually already seen this sports-tinged comedy, which could emerge as the sleeper hit of the summer.  The stellar, menopausal quintet of Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah (in a lesbian role), Camryn Manheim, out comedian Wanda Sykes and Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen are former high school athletes who re-group to save their deceased friend's mobile breast cancer clinic.  It is hilarious, heartfelt and, most significantly during a special effects-dominated season, human. 

The Wolverine - Opens July 26:

Our favorite adamantium-clawed hero returns, once again played by one of our favorite leading men of screen and stage, Hugh Jackman.  His latest adventure, which reportedly takes place after the events of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, finds Logan in Japan fighting ninjas, gangsters and the villainous female mutant, Viper.  Famke Janssen is also slated to make a re-appearance as Jean Grey/Phoenix.  Of course, the main draw for many will be Hugh taking his shirt off.

The Smurfs 2 - Opens July 31:

Oh no!  Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) has been abducted by that nasty Gargamel (Hank Azaria).  The Smurfs’ human friend, gay poster boy Neil Patrick Harris, must come to their aid.  Other gay actors or community favorites in this sequel’s voice cast include AlanCumming, Christina Ricci, Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara and the late, great Jonathan Winters.  With so much GLBT energy in these family films, I’m surprised the Smurfs don’t change colors from blue to rainbow!

Elysium - Opens August 9:

Matt Damon and out actress Jodie Foster (she did finally come out at the Golden Globes, didn’t she?) headline this sci-fi opus from the writer-director of the terrific District 9.  Set in the year 2159, Damon plays a lower-class, earthbound worker who becomes contaminated by radiation and must break into the space station community of the wealthy to find a cure.  Foster is the amoral Corporate Authority out to stop him.  It sounds like it will play with class issues the way District 9 potently did with race.

Lovelace - Opens August 9:

A big-screen biography of 1970’s porn star Linda Lovelace.  Though she suffered greatly, Lovelace’s popularity helped legitimize the adult industry and arguably helped to empower women at the height of the sexual revolution.  Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables) takes on the title role, with Peter Sarsgaard as her abusive husband and James Franco (again!) making a cameo as Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner.  Co-directed by gay filmmakers Rob Epstein and JeffreyFriedman (The Celluloid Closet, Howl).

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest, Rage Monthly Magazine and Echo Magazine.