Hot summer movies: get the gay scoop on the season's biggest blockbusters. We give you 20 good reasons to go to the movies this summer.1 Hairspray (NEW LINE CINEMA) JULY 20 There are few people more familiar with Hairspray than composer Marc Shaiman--after all, he spent years of his life turning the John Waters classic into a Broadway musical. Still, as he scored music for the upcoming movie version, even he found moments that surprised him. "At one point I just suddenly stopped and stared at the screen on my computer and I said, 'That's John Travolta in a dress, and he's singing a lyric about Christmas ham!'" laughs Shaiman, one of Hairspray's many out behind-the-scenes talents. "It's just surreal." Surreal doesn't begin to describe the image of this erstwhile Wild Hog donning latex and a wig to play a role previously inhabited by such actors as Divine, Harvey Fierstein, and Bruce Vilanch. Though the idea of Travolta as full-figured housewife Edna Tumblad seems unlikely, director Adam Shankman says the actor was more concerned with overcoming the specter of Grease. "He starred in the biggest musical film in history--Danny Zuko is this iconic figure--and he didn't know how he was going to top that," says Shankman, who's also gay. "So I said,' I know how you're going to top that: You play a woman.' And I think that appealed to him as an actor." "He's done a lot of things that nobodys done before with the role, insofar in·so·far adv. To such an extent. Adv. 1. insofar - to the degree or extent that; "insofar as it can be ascertained, the horse lung is comparable to that of man"; "so far as it is reasonably practical he should practice as his conception of her as being a real woman with some sort of sexuality as opposed to the shapelessness shape·less adj. 1. Lacking a definite shape. 2. Lacking symmetrical or attractive form; not shapely. shape of the Ednas prior," says producer Neil Meron [see sidebar]. "They were in caftans and muumuus, and John specifically said, 'I want cleavage; I want to show a waist; I want to show that this woman still has some sense of womanliness wom·an·ly adj. wom·an·li·er, wom·an·li·est 1. Having qualities generally attributed to a woman. 2. Belonging to or representative of a woman; feminine: womanly attire. left in her.'" "Even when we weren't in front of the camera, it was interesting to see how he'd transformed himself into this woman," says actor James Marsden, who plays TV dance-show host Corny corn·y adj. corn·i·er, corn·i·est Trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental. [From corn1. Collins. "He wasn't playing a drag queen--he was playing a woman. We were all sort of mouths agape agape In the New Testament, the fatherly love of God for humans and their reciprocal love for God. The term extends to the love of one's fellow humans. The Church Fathers used the Greek term to designate both a rite using bread and wine and a meal of fellowship that included when we first saw him." Travolta also affected a distinctive Baltimore accent, something no previous Edna had attempted. 'When he started with [the accent], a lot of us on the movie said, 'Uh-oh,'" recalls Shaiman. "But he just said, 'Trust me, this is my Edna.' He said that Quentin Tarantino sat him down when they started filming Pulp Fiction and said, 'I'm not sure exactly about how you're playing this.' And John said, 'Believe me, when you cut it all together, it'll be right: He said the same thing to us, and he was completely right." While Travolta's elaborate latex make-up hews closer to Eddie Murphy than to Divine, "it has to be believable in a close-up," says Scott Wittman, another of Hairspray's gay talents, who collaborated with Shaiman on the lyrics. "Most of the people who played this role did it in 2,000-seat theatres." Producer Craig Zadan [see sidebar] maintains that this Edna, despite her differences, still falls in line with John Waters's original vision. "He was thrilled that it wasn't going to be the Edna from his movie," Zadan says, "and he was thrilled that it wasn't going to be the Edna from Broadway. As John Waters said, it's great that each person who played Edna has played it in their own, different way." In addition to Travolta, the film features established stars like Queen Latifah (as music maven-activist Motormouth Mo´tor`mouth n. 1. a person who talks excessively. Noun 1. motormouth - someone who talks incessantly; "I wish that motormouth would shut up" Maybelle) and Michelle Pfeiffer (as snooty mom Velma Von Tussle) as well as emerging actors like High School Musicals Zac Efron, who plays teen heartthrob Link Larkin. Latifah, Travolta, and Efron declined to speak with The Advocate. However, Hairspray's biggest asset may be its most unknown: newcomer Nikki Blonsky, who was just 17 when she nabbed the starring role of Tracy Tumblad. "I saw the musical for my 15th birthday," she says, "and I remember sitting there with my mom in the theater and the minute Tracy Tumblad came onstage, I said, 'Oh, my God, that's me. I can do that and I have to play that part sometime in my life.'" 'What a thing that this 17-year-old girl, who was scooping ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery Cold Stone Creamery is an ice cream parlor chain based in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States.[1] History The company was co-founded in 1988 by Susan and Donald Sutherland (unrelated to actor Donald Sutherland), who sought ice cream that was neither hard-packed , would be carrying a movie with John Travolta and Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer and on and on and on!" enthuses Meron. 'You do have a little bit of trepidation right up until the first day of principal photography, but as soon as she stepped on the set, it was like, You're born to this, babe.'" According to Shankman, the role was an easy fit for Blonsky. "She's the fat girl who loves everything about who she is," he says. "And she really is! She is exactly what she is in the movie." Shankman felt similarly suited to his role--though he's best known as the director of comedies like The Pacifier and Bringing Down the House, he started his career as a choreographer. Whether it's Mark Wahlberg dancing in Boogie Nights or Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Michelle Gellar (born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as the fictional character Buffy Summers in the acclaimed television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. pirouetting in a musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Shankman had something to do with it--and Hairspray allowed him to finally use every part of his skill set. "For better or for worse, I've been making the same movie over and over again," Shankman admits. "This just let me cut loose and do what I actually do. That's me all over that screen, and when people are mean to the movie, they're going to be mean to me." "Adam was just so passionate," says Brittany Snow, who costars as bad girl Amber Von Tussle. "I think that's what made the actors come to work excited, because he was so in love with what he was doing." Shankman confirms it, saying, "Every day in that rehearsal room was the happiest day of my life." As for gay audiences: "I said this movie is going to be like gay Scanners," says Shankman. "When the lights go up, every 10th person will still be alive because every gay person's head will have exploded, they're so happy. But it's not that it's just gay--it's subversive. It's an amazing story about beauty and equality, but wrapped in crazy, crazy wrapping paper. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if you can outgay John Waters, but I did a pretty good job." 2 28 Weeks Later (FOX ATOMIC) MAY 11 American soldiers arrive in a London devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. by the zombie-like virus spread in the first film (28 Days Later) and attempt to get the city up and running again. What do you want to bet things don't go as planned? WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: The original introduced a very hot--and very naked--Cillian Murphy. No word yet on whether the sequel can boast the same sort of achievement. 3 Fay Grim (MAGNOLIA) MAY 18 Hal Hartley's sequel to Henry Fool picks up a decade later as Henry's estranged es·trange tr.v. es·tranged, es·trang·ing, es·trang·es 1. To make hostile, unsympathetic, or indifferent; alienate. 2. To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations. ex, Fay Grim (Parker Posey), finds herself drawn into a web of global intrigue. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Posey is a gay favorite, and the fizzy first hour gives her ample time to shine. Just don't forget to leave before things get bogged down in the film's lugubrious lu·gu·bri·ous adj. Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree. [From Latin l conclusion. 4 Pirates of the Caribbean This article is about the franchise. For other, more specific uses, see Pirates of the Caribbean (disambiguation). For real pirates, see Piracy in the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End (BUENA VISTA) MAY 25 More pirates, more sword fights, and more special effects as Johnny Depp and crew sail to the ends of the earth To the Ends of the Earth is a trilogy of novels by William Golding, consisting of Rites of Passage (1980), Close Quarters (1987), and Fire Down Below (1989). before a final battle with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley return, and Chow Yun-Fat is new character Captain Sao Feng. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack is so fey it gave Disney execs a heart attack when they saw the first film's dailies. Two films and billions of dollars later, Depp's allowed to slather slath·er tr.v. slath·ered, slath·er·ing, slath·ers Informal 1. To use or give great amounts of; lavish: slathered gifts and attention on their only child. 2. a. on all the eye shadow he wants. 5 Knocked Up (UNIVERSAL) JUNE 1 Schlubby Ben (Seth Rogen) and ambitious Alison (Katherine Heigl) have nothing in common but the one-night stand they shared after too many drinks. However, when Alison discovers that she's pregnant as a result of the assignation ASSIGNATION, Scotch law. The ceding or yielding a thing to another of which intimation must be made. , both parties attempt to bridge their differences and get to know each other. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Writer-director Judd Apatow may have brought us the 'You know how I know you're gay?" scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but he tends to err on the side of sweetness. Also, Heigl's declarations of support for Grey's Anatomy costar T.R. Knight (she threatened to "throw down" if anyone crossed the out actor) made her a gay BFF BFF Best Friends Forever (chat) BFF Best Foot Forward BFF Ben Folds Five (band) BFF Born Free Foundation BFF Binary File Format BFF Boston Film Festival BFF Biotech Finance Forum overnight. 6 Gracie (PICTUREHOUSE) JUNE 1 How does director Davis Guggenheim follow up his Academy Award win for the Al Gore doc An inconvenient Truth? With this family film, inspired by producers Elisabeth and Andrew Shue, about a 16-year-old girl who fights for the right to play competitive soccer. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Trailblazing trail·blaz·ing adj. Suggestive of one that blazes a trail; setting out in a promising new direction; pioneering or innovative: trailblazing research; a trailblazing new technique. women in sports? That's a topic we know a thing or two about. 7 Hostel: Part II (LIONS GATE) JUNE 8 In a distaff take on the first film, three female college students stumble on the titular tit·u·lar adj. 1. Relating to, having the nature of, or constituting a title. 2. a. Existing in name only; nominal: the titular head of the family. b. hostel while studying abroad. Impromptu anatomy lessons occur. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: The presence of out actor Heather Matarazzo [see profile on page 45] as one of the three leads as well as Tony-winner Roger Bart (best known as Bree's pharmacist suitor on Desperate Housewives). 8 Fantastic Four: Rise Silver Surfer (2OTH OTH Over-The-Horizon (usually radar) OTH Other (on overtime forms) OTH One Tree Hill (band and TV show) OTH Other Than Honorable CENTURY FOX) JUNE 15 The Fantastic Four come up against their most fearsome threat yet in the mysterious Silver Surfer. For filmaker Tim Story, the Surfer presented a different challenge: namely, how to obscure his front-and-center nether regions. "Sometimes we shadow it a certain way so it doesn't set in your face," he says. "At the end of the day, though, it's a big naked man on screen." WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Devotees of the hunky hun·ky 1 n. pl. hun·kies Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person, especially a laborer, from east-central Europe. Human Torch, don't despair--the Silver Surfer isn't the only superhero su·per·he·ro n. pl. su·per·he·roes A figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. stripping down. "We find a way to set Chris Evans shirtless at some point," laughs Story. "I couldn't let the fans down." 9 The Martian Child (NEW LINE) JUNE 29 Based on the book by gay author David Gerrold, The Martian Child follows a writer (John Cusack) who attempts to cope with his fiancee's death by adopting a 5-year-old boy. The only problem is that boy keeps insisting that he's from Mars. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: A lot less, now that filmmakers have changed the protagonist's sexuality from gay to straight. For a story that hinges on questions of identity, that's a dispiriting dis·pir·it tr.v. dis·pir·it·ed, dis·pir·it·ing, dis·pir·its To lower in or deprive of spirit; dishearten. See Synonyms at discourage. [di(s)- + spirit.] Adj. way to go. 10 Death at a Funeral (MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. ) JUNE 29 In this comedy from In & Out director Frank Oz, two brothers must think fast when a blackmailer shows up at their fathers funeral and claims to be the deceased's gay lover. WHATS GAY ABOUT IT: Not only do you have Peter Dinklage playing queer, you've got Alan Tudyk with no clothes on for a great deal of the movie. 11 Transformers (DREAMWORKS/PARAMOUNT) JULY 4 Attack of the '80s: The old-school cartoon-toy line gets a massive upgrade in this tale of killer robots sent to Earth to fight each other--and the cast of human hardbodies who are simply trying not to get squished. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: "There is a lot in Transformers for the gay audience besides Josh Duhamel and Tyrese," says producer Tom DeSanto, adding, "Every Transformers fan knows that Starscream is the gay transformer." 12 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (WARNER BROS.) JULY 13 It's the fifth year for the Hogwarts crew, and Harry's adventures have taken a dark turn. By turns angry and withdrawn, he must thwart a ministry that mocks his sightings of Voldemort and put together his own army with the help of friends Ron and Hermione. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: The prim, pink, and ferocious new teacher Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) is like a fierce drag queen drag queen Female impersonator, gynemimetic Sexology A ♂ with ♀ affect–often 'overplayed'; a ♂ homosexual and ♀ wannabe, with ♂ genitalia; DQs may take hormones to ↑ breasts, and thus are hormonally, but not surgically in '50s housewife mode. Expect to see her in your Halloween parades this year. 13 The Simpsons Movie (20TH CENTURY FOX) JULY 27 It has taken almost 20 years for the small-screen family to star in their own film. Ratings may not be what they once were, but who among us has not been a Simpsons fan at some point? The folks at Fox are banking on that to lure audiences to theaters. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: The movie's trailer promises a sprawling cast of Springfielders that will no doubt include gay toady Smithers Smithers is a surname, and may refer to: People People with the surname Smithers
14 Smiley Face (FIRST LOOK) JULY 27 She has won notice for her work in the Scary Movie series and Lost in Translation, but Anna Faris is prepared for Smiley Face--in which she stars as a pot-addled actor--to bring her an entirely new breed of fans. "I would love it if the stoner ston·er n. 1. One that stones. 2. Slang a. One who is habitually intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. b. One who is a delinquent or failure. community embraced me with open arms," she raves. Those new fans might come in handy Verb 1. come in handy - be useful for a certain purpose be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" , to judge from the salacious sa·la·cious adj. 1. Appealing to or stimulating sexual desire; lascivious. 2. Lustful; bawdy. [From Latin sal topics currently posted on her IMDB See in-memory database. bulletin board. "The Advocate can be the first to publish my denial of my porn past," Faris tells us. "At least it's something so outlandish that my parents won't get mad at me." WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: This is queer director Gregg Araki's first film since the well-received Mysterious Skin, plus its eclectic cast features lesbian funnywoman Jane Lynch. 15 Becoming Jane (MIRAMAX) AUGUST 3 It's time to see if Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen practiced what she preached, as this is a story of prefame Jane (Anne Hathaway) and her romance with Irishman Tom Lefroy. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: After starring roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway is well on her way to becoming a big gay favorite. The presence of cute Scotsman James McAvoy (in one of his many film roles this year) won't hurt either. 16 Ultimatum (UNIVERSAL) AUGUST 3 After third helpings of Shrek, Spider-Man, and the Ocean's franchise, you may have tired of summer threequels--then again, can one ever really tire of vulnerable superspy Matt Damon saving the world? WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Matt in a tight T-shirt is about as queer as it gets. 17 Hot Rod (PARAMOUNT) AUGUST 3 Andy Samberg's digital shorts made him a breakout star on Saturday Night Live This article is about the American television series. For the show related to Big Brother (UK), see Saturday Night Live (UK). Saturday Night Live (SNL , and now he's teamed up with the Lonely Island comedy troupe to star in his first feature, the story of a young stuntman stunt·man n. A man who substitutes for a performer in scenes requiring physical daring or involving physical risk. stuntman n → especialista m stuntman whose boasts are bigger than his talent. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: He has dedicated several columns to his crush, but sex columnist Dan Savage isn't the only gay man infatuated in·fat·u·at·ed adj. Possessed by an unreasoning passion or attraction. in·fat  u·at with the shaggy-haired Samberg.
18 Bratz: The Movie (LIONS GATE) AUGUST 10 The big-headed, pillow-lipped dolls make their live-action debut, with costumes contributed by Project Runways season 3 winner Jeffrey Sebelia. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: Done right, this could be the next Bring It On. Done wrong, it'll be hilarious. Since the movie's biggest name is Paula Abdul, we're betting on the latter. 19 Virgin Territory (MGM) SEPTEMBER 21 The black plague may be raging, but young Lorenzo (Hayden Christensen) and Pampinea (Mischa Barton) only have eyes for each other in picturesque Florence. WHAT'S GAY ABOUT IT: We'll refrain from mentioning the obvious star connection and instead celebrate the camp value sure to result from pitting these two romantically wooden thespians against each other. 20 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (UNIVERSAL) JULY 20 A big summer comedy about same-sex marriage? Well, sort of. Universal's I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry features the titular firemen (Adam Sandler and Kevin James getting hitched, but there's one catch: They're actually straight, and they're just doing it for the domestic-partner benefits. Whether or not they can keep up the ruse in the face of sexy case worker Jessica Biel is another problem entirely. Originally green-lit during the Clinton administration, Chuck and Larry was supposed to star Will Smith and Nicolas Cage as firemen who head to Hawaii which was then expected to be the first state to put same-sex marriage on the books. As development dragged on: issues both real-world (a Hawaii state constitutional amendment nixed the gay marriage plan) and Hollywood (Cage was briefly replaced by James Gandolfini, then both he and Smith left the project) kept Chuck and Larry in a permanent state of flux Noun 1. state of flux - a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) preceding the establishment of a new direction of action; "the flux following the death of the emperor" flux . After a 2006 draft by Election helmers Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor finally snagged a commitment from Adam Sandler, the project was back on the fast track with Dennis Dugan (The Benchwarmers, Happy Gilmore) directing. The fact that Universal couldn't provide a single person from the film for comment raises questions; but hopefully Sandler's gay-friendly track record (he added a well-adjusted gay couple to Dugan's lowbrow film Big Daddy) will produce a wedding worth our attendance. Musical men Hairspray's out producers Craig Zadan and Neil Heron have the golden touch when it comes to musicals, With their knack for pop casting and delivering "big" on a budget, these savvy entertainers have made show tunes hip for both TV and movie fans. What's more, they've used their clout to green-light a formidable slate of gay projects. ANNIE ANNIE Application of Neural Networks for Industry in Europe (1999) The spunky spunk·y adj. spunk·i·er, spunk·i·est Informal Spirited; plucky. spunk i·ly adv. orphan mixes it up with Kathy Bates Bates , Katherine Lee 1859-1929.American educator and writer best known for her poem "America the Beautiful," written in 1893 and revised in 1904 and 1911. , Alan Cummin Cum´min n. 1. Same as Cumin. Ye pay tithe of mint, and cummin. - Matt. xxiii. 23. & and the awesome Audra McDonald. CHICAGO (2002) The Oscar-winning juggernaut was helmed by Rob Marshall ... who directed Annie! CINDERELLA (1997) Brandy gave the quaint musical new life. And yes, that's Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. GYPSY (1993) The divine Bette Midler's turn as Mama Rose proved that TV audiences would cheer for musicals. THE MUSIC MAN (2003) Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth; you them from Wicked and The Producers. LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND (2001) Judy Davis soared as that other Judy in this take on daughter Lorna's memoir. |
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