Au Revoir, Albin

Michel Serrault, the French actor who created the role of Albin in the original film version of La Cage aux Folles, has died.

Serrault's outrageous performance of Albin and his flamboyant drag diva alter ego Zaza won him his first César Award (France's Oscar). He reprised the role in two sequels as well. La Cage (based on the play by Jean Poiret, which Serrault also starred in) was recreated on Broadway as a splashy Jerry Herman musical and was remade in America as The Birdcage.

In addition to the La Cage trilogy, Serrault appeared in more then 130 films, including two more César Award-winning roles in Garde à Vue and Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud (co-starring Emmanuelle Béart).

Links via Imdb.com and Advocate.com.

Comic-Con '07: That's a Wrap!

This year's Comic-Con is history and let me tell you, if all the geeks who dressed up looked like this Spartan 300 dude, then the joint would have been even more crowded. (No offense to geeks, of course ... the whole pot/kettle/black thing.)

To wrap things up, some odds and ends from around the web:
- For a lot of blood, a little skin and a few choice four-letter words, check out the R-rated trailers for 30 Days of Night, Beowulf and Shoot 'Em Up. That last one looks like a hoot and a half, with a badass Clive Owen, a homicidally wacky Paul Giamatti, a baby and a carrot.

- On the G-rated front, WALL·E was not the only Pixar-related news: a collection of their award-winning shorts will hit DVDthis November 6 (which will reportedly also see the release of Ratatouille). In addition to such favorites as Geri's Game, For the Birds and Boundin', a documentary on the creation of the animation powerhouse, The Pixar Story, will also be included on the disc, which will be released both in standard and Blu-Ray formats.

I expect there will also be some kind of sneak preview of WALL·E as well; in the meantime, take a look-see at the collectable WALL·E postcards that were handed out at the Con.

- As for the superhero franchises (this was Comic-Con, after all): Check out the super-cool Hellboy 2 poster; Sam Raimi talks Spider-Man 4 (you knew that was coming); Seth Green talks Green Hornet (not a comedy); and get this - Edward Norton wrote the script for The Incredible Hulk.

Hope you caught that Iron Man footage on YouTube earlier this week, 'cause it ain't there no more. In addition, Jon Favreau discusses the possibility of a whole mess of heroes hitting the big screen in a Marvel Universe movie ... and that sound you heard was millions of fanboys' heads exploding in anticipation.

And sure, Tony Stark may have an awesome ride, but he uses the john just like the rest of us.

- My sources say that J.J. Abrams' mystery project (a.ka. 01.18.08 and/or Cloverfield) will be titled ... Monstrous. Or it could be Furious or Overnight depending on who you talk to ...

- Bond 22 does not have a title yet either, but it may have a new Bond girl.

- And finally, in all things Indiana Jones: Frank Darabont talks about his script (that wasn't used); co-star John Hurt doesn't say much about his secret role; and take a look at the Con exclusive poster ... and a plot synopsis. Turns out Marion is not the only aspect of the Raiders of the Lost Ark to return for the fourth film after all.

Links via Cinematical.com, ComingSoon.net, ObsessedWithFilm.com, UpcomingPixar.blogspot.com, Amazon.com, Variety.com, KungFuRodeo.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com and IGN.com.

Women We Love: Judy Garland

"What's more boring than a queen doing a Judy Garland imitation?"

As you can see by that quote from the seminal play The Boys in the Band, even by 1968 the gay icon status of Judy Garland had become clichéd.

What it is about Garland that makes her so appealing to gays of every generation has been discussed and dissected almost as long as she has been deified. Quite simply, her tragically public - or publicly tragic - life, so beautifully conveyed - or unconsciously betrayed - in every nuance of her film and song performances, is so intrinsically, immediately relatable to not just gays, but anyone who has felt they were given a raw deal in life.

At some point, we have all wanted to be Dorothy, wishing for a better world "over the rainbow". We have all pined away for "the boy next door" and then mourned when he grew up to become "the man that got away". And who amongst us doesn't want to just "forget your troubles" and "get happy"?

While watching Judy sparkle and yearn her way through her many movies, it sure is easy to do just that.

Link via Imdb.com.

Tale as Old as Time

After 13 years on the Great White Way, Disney's first foray into legitimate theater, Beauty and the Beast, has closed. Although still raking it in at the box office, the show packed up its dancing silverware and magical roses to make way for the next Disney fairy tale extravaganza, The Little Mermaid, currently playing in Denver in preparation for a November New York debut.

I actually saw this show twice (both on tour, once in Phoenix and again in Orlando) and I have always felt that it was a very good adaptation of the movie (one of my all-time favorites). The stage version successfully built off the original film, deepening the characters (especially, with "Human Again", the enchanted objects) without going too far down the dark side (reportedly why Mary Poppins has not been well received). Originally faced with lackluster notices and little Tony love (which I chalk up to typical New York snobbishness), the production endured its many critics to become the sixth longest-running show in Broadway history.

To celebrate the beauty that was this Beast, many online tributes sprang up recently.

• BroadwayWorld.com has a video retrospective of Beauty through the years.
• Another video feature, Broadway.com says 'goodbye' to the Beast. Also on that site: a host of pictures from the last performance.
• LaughingPlace.com gives us all the (fun) facts behind the show.
• Playbill.com, in addition to a "where are they now" feature on cast members past and present, was there on closing night.
• And for a unique perspective on treading the boards for a living, plus lots of backstage photos, head over to DailyKos.com.

As Mrs. Potts would say: "Goodnight, luv."

Click here to purchase Beauty and the Beaston DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via BroadwayWorld.com, Broadway.com, LaughingPlace.com, Playbill.com and DailyKos.com.