Theater, Movies, Art and Literature

https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2022/06/26/sundre-parade-float-racist/ This happened in Canada this weekend. A racist float in a rodeo parade in the heartland of Conservative party support. I post it here because these are the same people who tear down rainbow flags and deface rainbow street crosswalks by peeling out with their trucks. Those kinds of incidents have been on the rise and I believe are an offshoot of the anti-vaccine movement which has given these creeps a newfound boldness. The Conservative party, which says it's not racist or homophobic anymore and won't revoke a women's right to choose, is still as right wing Christian and redneck as it's even been. But…

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Netflix has a new documentary, The Martha Mitchell Effect. It's an easy watch and pretty straightforward and also prophetic. She would shake her head at today's politicians.

Queer as Folk Reboot Is a Go, Will Take Place in the South Queer as Folk American cast courtesy Showtime First Manchester, then Pittsburgh, and now the Crescent City. Groundbreaking gay television show Queer as Folk is coming back to TV in a brand new way. Peacock, the streaming service from NBC and its sister channels, has given creator Stephen Dunn (Little America) a straight-to-series eight-episode order for a new take on Queer as Folk. The new version of the classic show will "explore a diverse group of friends in New Orleans whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a traged…

My friend accidentally purchased 2 tickets on the wrong date: Sunday, May 29, 3 PM. 2 tickets, Orchestra Row G. The tickets are $128 each. Several are selling on StubHub for $400. My friend is not interested in upselling. $128 each is what he paid. This award-winning revival play features full-frontal male nudity. It's a limited run. PM me if you are interested in buying these tickets. https://2st.com/shows/take-me-out

OK. This is not great acting. But, it is fun. I read the books (OK OK I LOVE graphic novels). And, I really enjoyed this new series and the characters. Plus, I saw so much of my own struggles of coming out inside of this. I wish I had had gay friends when I was young.

During Tsarist times in Russia, being known as gay was tantamount to career-ending, no matter who you were. Arguably Russia's most famous composer and later to become known as one of its most tormented gay men was the composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ironically his brother Modest was also gay - but then he was not nearly as famous. Tchaikovsky was lauded throughout the country partly for his music to three of what have become the most popular ballets in the repertoire - Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, but equally for his seven symphonies, violin concerto, two piano concertos and the opera Eugene Onegin. Even today Tchaikovsky being gay is very much played…

I've seen Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and have to say, if you're going to see one "multiverse" movie this year... SEE Everything Everywhere All At Once! Preferably in theater if you still can! I have never laughed that hard in a movie.

I am sure we have all seen movies that for one reason or another become totally fixed in our minds. Of the most lighthearted ones, I will never forget the first times I saw Cabaret and Victor Victoria. Both remain almost crystal clear in my mind as I have aged. I have been interested to realise over the years that when showing these movies to a younger generation of Thais, they too have enjoyed them - sometimes hugely. I write as I have just seen another on one of the TrueVisions channels. The Reader, with a screenplay by the masterly David Hare and excellently directed by Stephen Daldry, was one of two movies for which the incomparable Kate Winslett was nominated fo…

I grew up reading her Vampire novels and loved each and every one. Queen of the Damned is special to me for many reasons. She lived a long and fruitful life and I loved following her on Facebook.

In what has quickly become one of my favorite TV shows this season, the Max Original show is simply delightful. It is as tasty as my mother's Pecan Pie. I love the cast, the plot, and each episode. The last episode with the drag queen undercurrents of San Francisco was delightful. Sarah Lancashire as Julia is perfect and I love seeing David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. Judith Light is also a breath of fresh air in her role. If you have not see this, take a gander.

From National Public Radio Filmmaker and author John Waters at his home in Baltimore. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his landmark film, Pink Flamingos, and he's releasing his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. Jared Soares for NPR By Andrew Limbong You tell people you're going to John Waters' house in Baltimore to interview him and suddenly people are falling over themselves to be like, "Oh, you gotta tell me what his house is like." Sure, if you know his work, it's reasonable to assume the man's got all sorts of homages to grotesque and filthy ideas around his house. Which he does... in the sense that hi…

Last week we learned that Netflix has been losing subscribers for the first time in about 10 (?) years. If you had one, have you given up your subscription? I joined less than 2 years ago. At first I really enjoyed a few of the movies and especially binging on several of the multi-episode series during lockdowns. I still subscribe but apart from one movie I have not even checked the site for months. It's not that TrueVisions has much to offer, although I am a junkie for some of the news, current affairs and sports programmes. Its movies channels are a disaster as they now churn out repeat after repeat of mostly old films. Not long ago, two separate channels were both…

Great Freedom is a film about a gay man who is imprisoned for being gay by the Nazis during WWII & then, repeatedly, by the post-war German government for the same reason. In prison, he finds friendship & (maybe) love from an unlikely source. The trailer:

#1 did not surprise me. But, #2 did! I love it and have read it countless times (as I did with number 1). But, shocked with number 2. #4 and #5 is also at the top of my all time favorites. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/28/books/best-book-winners.html

Of all the new shows coming out this year, I am most looking forward to this. I watched it religiously back when it was running and love they are doing a reboot. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/l-a-law-sequel-blair-underwood-abc-1235026101/

It has been getting pretty bad reviews but I have really enjoyed Sex in the City's return. Picking up where the girls left off many years later and seeing how they are in their 50's has been fun. Admittedly, when the original was on, I was living in NYC and Sunday night at my Times Square apartment was filled with sexy guys who all came over for a sex in the city party. I would usually cook pasta or some southern delight and we would eat, drink and watch Sex in the City together. That tiny living room was small but easily fix 15 or 20 of the sexiest lads I had ever seen. @marcanthonycan attest to the small size and the hot lads. So, I am not so sure that my enjoyment…

Is anyone watching Yellowstone? It is with Kevin Costner. It is interesting if you like western and cowboy shows.

If you get bored during your self-isolation, Ozark staring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney is excellent. Each season gets better and Season three just popped on Netflix and I would not stop watching it. Great acting and great story. They really do develop these characters and it is enjoyable to watch the family struggle through so many roadblocks.

I just posted about The Last Picture Show. Sad to hear his passing. Such a good movie. Never you mind honey, never you mind.

Introduced in Season 4 of Yellowstone, this will be another spin off from Yellowstone. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a35742540/yellowstone-spinoff-6666-ranch-show-cast-release-date-spoilers/

So far, 3 episodes and love it.

It's one of the iconic movies of the 1960s - the Robert Wise recreation of the smash hit Broadway musical by the gay quartet of Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins. An entire generation grew up knowing many of its main songs and its updating of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" play. Yet the movie was of a time for its time. Nowadays, classic though it is, it does seem dated. So it was perhaps not surprising when Spielberg announced a couple of years ago that he would remake the movie for today's generation. Many were shocked. How would Spielberg update the story? Would it become the disaster that was his attempt at the Peter Pan st…

Fair Haven was released 5 years ago. A good, gay flick. Now streaming on YouTube.

As an avid concert goer I have had the joy of hearing many of the world' great pianists, and many who are not quite at that level. Rarely do I come across one of whom I have never heard. But one who just recently came to my attention and whose pianism I find riveting is this young man who prefers to be called Cateen instead of his real name, Hayato Sumino. He's 26, has been playing the instrument since he was three and never had any formal training apart from lessons from his mother. Never went to a Conservatory or Music Academy, although he does now study classical music and jazz with some notable teachers. In Japan he is best known as a jazz pianist. Go to one of t…