Movies
Gay is the ‘New Black’
LGBT storylines threaded through a wide bounty of returning shows
Netflixās hit original series āOrange is the New Blackā continues to be a popular choice for subscribers and was renewed for a second season. Set in a womenās prison, it features many lesbian relationships and a richly developed transgender character played by Laverne Cox.
The ā65th Primetime Emmy Awardsā airs Sept. 22 on CBS at 8 p.m. with host Neil Patrick Harris. Top acting award nominees include Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Zachary Quinto. ā30 Rockā is the most nominated series for its final season.
āMasters of Sex,ā starring Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen, premieres on Showtime on Sept. 29 at 10 p.m. The two play Virginia Johnson and Dr. William Masters, researchers who pioneered the field of human sexuality from the 1950s to the 1990s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqwahKjI2bg
Toni Collette stars in āHostagesā as a surgeon ordered by terrorists to kill the president during surgery in order to save her family. The show airs on Mondays at 10 p.m. on CBS and premieres Sept. 23.
ABC premieres āTrophy Wifeā on Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. on ABC. Malin Ć ckerman stars as the new wife of Bradley Whitfordās character. She raises her new stepchildren and deals with her husbandās ex-wives, played by Marcia Gay Harden and Michaela Watkins.
On Sept. 10, āAmerican Mastersā profiled Billie Jean King, the first time an athlete was the subject of the biographical series. Sept. 20 marks the 40th anniversary of Kingās victory in the āBattle of the Sexesā match.
Anna Faris and Allison Janney star in āMom,ā a CBS sitcom airing Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. Faris plays a single, alcoholic mom who moves to Napa Valley to rebuild her life. Janney plays Farisās mother.
āProject Runwayā is just a few episodes away from its season 12 finale on Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. This season features mentor Tim Gunn in a more active role in the judging process.
āThe Newsroomā wraps up its sophomore season this Sunday. Will, Mackenzie and the rest of the news team face the aftermath of āGenoaāĀ as General David Petraeusās affair comes to light during election night coverage. The season finale airs at 10 p.m. on HBO.
Lil Mama, KeKe Palmer and Drew Sidora star in āCrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,ā on VH1. The film premieres on Oct. 21 at 9 p.m. Surviving TLC members T-Boz and Chilli served as consultants and executive producers of the biopic.
LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian will star in a new VH1 reality show to premiere in December. āLeAnn & Eddieā will explore their marriage and tabloid presence.
Sean Hayes stars in a new NBC sitcom, āSean Saves the World.ā Hayes plays a divorced gay dad whose teenage daughter moves in with him full-time. Megan Hilty also stars in the show as Seanās best friend. Linda Lavin (āAliceā) also has a role.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QqNLDrJGB4
Season three of ABCās āRevenge,ā starring Emily VanCamp and Madeline Stowe, premieres Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. Season three will see Gabriel Mannās character Nolan Ross in another same-sex relationship.
Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan return for the final season of āHow I Met Your Motherā on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Cristin Milioti joins the cast as āThe Mother.ā
āThe Amazing Raceā began its 23rd season on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. on CBS. The show consistently features a diverse cast. This season includes Shane Partlow and Rowan Joseph, the duo behind āThe Queen of Bingo,ā a comedic drag show.
āGleeā returns Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. on Fox. The first two episodes of the season will pay tribute to The Beatles while the third episode will address Cory Monteithās passing.
āModern Familyā will kick off season five with a nod to the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in California. The hour-long premiere airs on Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
Ryan Murphyās āAmerican Horror Story: Covenā premieres on Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. on FX. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and other series regulars return and welcome newcomers Angela Bassett, Patti LuPone and Leslie Jordan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkPwDPt4JOA
Andy Sambergās āBrooklyn Nine-Nineā premieres Tuesday 17 at 8:30 p.m. on Fox. The series will feature Andre Braugher as the openly gay captain of the 99th Precinct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1UzmW77F30
Season 39 of āSaturday Night Liveā airs on Sept. 28 at 11:30 p.m. on NBC with Tina Fey hosting. The cast includes rising star Kate McKinnon, the third openly gay actor in the showās history. One episode will feature Lady Gaga performing double duty as host and musical guest.
Maggie Lawson stars in āBack In The Gameā on ABC with the series premiere on Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m. The series features child actor J.J. Totah as a gay adolescent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf3ttSBq09g
āWeb Therapy,ā starring Lisa Kudrow, wraps up its third season with guest stars Lily Tomlin and Alan Cumming. The show was created by Kudrow and married couple Dan Bucatinsky and Don Roos. Episodes air Tuesdays at 11 p.m. on Showtime with the season finale on Sept. 24.
Lisa Kudrow will also guest star in an arc on season three of āScandal.ā Star Kerry Washington is nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, which could make her the first African-American to win in the category. The season premieres Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. on ABC.
āGreyās Anatomyā kicks off its 10th season with a two-hour premiere Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. Season nine ended with the birth of Meredithās baby, Arizona and Callieās marriage rocked by infidelity and an unconscious Richardās fate unknown.
āOld Dogs & New Tricksā is a web series that explores the sex lives of older gay men in West Hollywood. The series returns next year for a third season and current episodes can be found online at OldDogsNewTricksTheSeries.com.
āHusbandsā has been picked up by CW Seed for its third season. Originally an independent web series by Brad Bell and Jane Espenson, it stars Bell and Sean Hemeon as gay celebrities facing life together after drunkenly marrying in Las Vegas. New episodes can be found on CWSeed.com.
Movies
Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells want to adopt baby in ‘I Don’t Understand You’
Film premiered at SXSW in Austin
Editor’s note: Jack Morningstar attended SXSW in Austin, Texas.
“I Don’t Understand You” focuses on a couple whose romantic Italian getaway devolves into bloody chaos while they prepare to adopt their first child.Ā
The film, while veering into hilariously gruesome hijinks, tells the story of a gay couple who is willing to kill for a chance at fatherhood. It sheds light on the hurdles that same-sex couples often go through in the adoption process: Financial burdens, time constraints, fraud, and in this case, a rural Italian family.
The film premiered last weekend at SXSW in Austin and stars Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells along with Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector and Eleonora Romandini. It was written and directed by Brian Crano and David Craig, who are married. They sourced inspiration from their own adoption struggles and an Italian vacay gone wrong.
āWe were about to leave for Italy when we found out that we had matched with a birth mother and our son would be born in about six weeks,ā said Crano.
According to Craig, the trip was tense and it culminated in their car getting stuck in a ditch on their way to an anniversary dinner.
āWe ended up at an old ladyās house after she rescued us in her Fiat. Her family cooked us a meal and we stayed up drinking with them until 3 a.m., not understanding a word they were saying,ā he said.
Without spoiling anything, the couple in the movie go to absurd lengths to ensure that their adoption goes through. Craig explained that the theme of the movie was “what would you do for your kid.”Ā
“We were three years into our own journey at the time and realized we would literally do anything to make that dream a reality. Itās really a love letter to our son,ā he said.
The film is hard to relegate to a single genre.
āWhen conceiving the story, we saw it as different parts ā romantic comedy, horror movie, murder play ā but I think by bringing in Nick and Andrew that blend actually became much more of an organic mix where the comedy sustained throughout. They elevated it in a more elegant fashion,ā said Craig.
“I Donāt Understand You”was produced by Pinky Promise, a women-led production company with the mission to elevate diverse voices in their storytelling. Kara Durrett, Pinky Promiseās current president was a champion of this script from the beginning. Founder Jessamine Burgum recounts that when Durrett was onboarding, she said āIf you donāt get [“I Donāt Understand You”] I donāt know if this is going to work.ā
It ultimately became one of the first projects Burgum and Durrett collaborated on.Ā
Kroll and Rannellsā chemistry carried the film.
āThere was a desire to work with each of them because they had both separately been in such amazing comedian teams ā like Andrew with Josh Gad and Nick with John Mulaney. Nick and Andrewās characters are in almost every scene of the movie together, so they needed to be adept to basically doing a shared performance. There was no one more well-positioned to do this as naturally as possible,ā said Crano.
Their characters are easy to root for, yet also deeply flawed.
āA big thing we wanted to do with this movie, and with all of our work in telling stories, is avoid telling a cliched gay trauma film. Weāve never ascribed to the idea that there is a subcategory to film that is LGBTQ, rather ā movies are for everyone. We want to make a movie where gay characters are flawed, not for being gay, but because of who they are. They can be villains, but they are our protagonists,ā said Craig.
Movies
Previewing queer movie and TV highlights for spring
New options coming despite recent Hollywood strikes
The Hollywood awards season has come to an end at last, which means we can finally look forward to some fresh new movies hitting screens over the next few weeks. And although the actorsā strike of 2023 has led to inevitable delays in bringing new content to our televisions for the spring, there are a few titles to watch for there, as well.
Girls 5Eva: Season 3 (March 14, Netflix)
The under-the-radar cult hit musical comedy series from Peacock, following a Y2K-era girl group that reunites to take advantage of a wave of millennial nostalgia, returns for a third season after being resurrected by Netflix. Lauded for its sharp and funny skewering of pop culture and the music industry and cut from the same zany, absurd cloth as āThe Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtā (much of its creative team are veterans of that hit show), itās the kind of giddy-but-smart, rapid-fire comedy that begs to be binged. Starring Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, RenĆ©e Elise Goldsberry, and Paula Pell as a divorced lesbian dentist, fans will surely be logging on to watch as soon as it drops, but new viewers are encouraged to jump on board for this one, too.
Love Lies Bleeding (March 15, theaters)
Rumbling into theaters after an auspicious premiere at this yearās Sundance Festival, this pulpy 1980s-set lesbian-themed thriller from director Rose Glass (āSaint Maudā) is touted as āan electric new love storyā and promises to take viewers on a wild ride with its story of a reclusive gym manager (Kristen Stewart) from a criminal family who falls in love with an aspiring bodybuilder (Katy OāBrian) on her way to Las Vegas to follow her dreams; unfortunately, their romance sparks unexpected violence, dragging the new lovers deep into a dangerous web of crime and intrigue. Though it was given limited release in New York and Los Angeles on March 8, it expands wide on March 15. Also starringJena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, and Dave Franco, with Ed Harris as Stewartās crime boss father. Consider it a must-see.
Femme (March 22/29, limited theaters with national expansion to follow)
From the UK comes this taut noir-ish thriller about a prominent London drag artist (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who, while stepping out one night after a show to buy cigarettes, is brutally attacked by a man (George MacKay) and his gang of friends. Left traumatized by the experience, he retreats into isolation ā but when he recognizes his attacker in a chance meeting at a gay sauna, he begins an affair with the closeted bully, hoping to enact a plan of revenge. Co-writer/directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping developed the film as an expansion of their award-winning 2021 short film of the same name, and the resulting debut feature premiered to enthusiastic acclaim at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival. Also starring Aaron Heffernan, John McCrea, and Asha Reid.
Ripley (April 4, Netflix)
This long-awaited eight-episode limited series adapts lesbian literary icon Patricia Highsmithās novel āThe Talented Mr. Ripleyā for yet another screen incarnation ā there have been at least four so far, most famously the 1999 feature film version starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow ā and stars queer Irish actor Andrew Scott (BBCās āSherlockā, āPrideā, āAll of Us Strangersā) as the title character, who is sent by a wealthy man to persuade his son to return home from an extended trip to Italy. Once there, however, the ambitious Ripley finds himself irresistibly drawn into the privileged life of leisure led by young Dickie (Johnny Flynn) and his girlfriend Marge (Dakota Fanning), and he embarks into āa complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.ā Shot in an elegant black and white that evokes its early 1960s setting, show creator/writer/director Steve Zaillian says his adaptation was crafted to provide an interpretation more faithful to the story and closer in tone to Highsmithās novel than has been seen before, which is great news for fans of the original Ripley, whose adventures were continued by the late author throughout three further books after the success of the first, perhaps paving the way for follow-ups to this adaptation should it live up to the high expectations that accompany it. Eliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, and John Malkovich also star.
Housekeeping for Beginners (April 5, limited theaters)
Another festival darling, this Macedonian film won the Queer Lion prize at Venice in 2023, and was submitted as an official selection for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards. While it didnāt make the cut for Oscar, itās hitting US screens for a limited release next month ā no doubt on the strength of writer/director Goran Stolevskiās previous feature, āOf An Ageā, an Australian coming-of-age romance between two young men that made multiple āBest of the yearā lists (including ours) in 2023. Revolving around a woman finds herself raising her girlfriendās two troublemaking daughters despite having no interest in being a mother, the synopsis describes it as an exploration of āthe universal truths of family,ā framed in a āheartwarming storyā of clashing wills āabout an unlikely familyās struggle to stay together.ā The pedigree alone is enough for us to suggest catching this one, if you can, when it hits theaters. Starring Anamaria Marinca, Alina Čerban, Samson Selim, Vladimir Tintor, Mia Mustafa, Džada Selim, Sara Klimoska, RozafĆ« Ćelaj, Ajse Useini.
Glitter & Doom (April 9, digital)
Billed as āa fantastical queer romance set to the hit music of the Indigo Girls,ā this indie oddball made a theatrical debut earlier this month, but heads to digital and VOD on April 9. Itās the ālove at first sight journeyā of its title characters, two young dreamers ā an aspiring circus performer (Alex Diaz) and a struggling musician (Alan Cammish) ā who embark on āan epic summer romanceā until they find their love threatened by āthe realities of pursuing their dreams.ā Though we havenāt yet seen it ourselves, the buzz promises a campy yet uplifting and exuberant good time, and a star-studded queer-centric cast that includes Tig Notaro, Missi Pyle, Ming Na-Wen, Lea DeLaria, B-52s diva Kate Pierson, āDrag Raceā alum Peppermint, Broadway star Beth Malone, and yes, even the Indigo Girls themselves.
Challengers (April 26, theaters)
From āCall Me By Your Nameā director Luca Guadagnino comes this buzzy romantic triangle starring āEuphoriaā and āDuneā star Zendaya as a former tennis prodigy turned coach whose husband ā a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist, āWest Side Storyā) ā must face off against a washed-up former best friend (Josh OāConnor, āThe Crown,ā āGodās Own Countryā) that also happens to be his wifeās former boyfriend. According to the synopsis, āpasts and presents collide and tensions run high,ā and though details are scarce beyond the basics weāve already shared, rumors (as well as a few not-so-subtle hints in the trailers) suggest that things might take a decidedly bisexual turn. Whether or not that should turn out to be true, Guadagninoās name on the credits is enough reason to make this a queer must-see ā especially with a cast as vibrant and talented as the one he has assembled.
I Saw the TV Glow (May 5, limited theaters)
Also coming from Sundance is this horror thriller from writer/director Jane Schoenbrun, produced by recent Oscar-winner Emma Stone (with husband Dave McCary) and starring queer actor Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine as two troubled teens who bond over a fantasy TV series and find their realities starting to blur after its cancellation. Praised by reviewers for its surreal style and its exploration of queer and trans themes within its mind-bending, darkly disorienting framework, itās likely not the kind of movie that will resonate with all viewers ā but itās probably a great match for those who enjoy their horror on the abstract side.
In addition to all these, though their premiere dates are still not set, three much-loved TV series are set to return this spring. Streaming network Max will debut the third seasons of both Hacks and The Sex Lives of College Girls, two popular shows with heavy queer appeal. The former, starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, is a multi-award-winning comedy about the unlikely creative partnership between an old-school stand-up legend and an edgy young comedy writer who loathe each other – or at least did in the beginning. After two seasons of alternately awkward, bittersweet, and hilarious misadventures together, they might have warmed up to each other a bit, but weāre betting that wonāt keep them from locking horns.
The latter, starring RenĆ©e Rapp, Pauline Chalamet, Alyah Chanelle, and Amrit Kaur, is also a comedy, following four freshman roommates at a fictional college as they explore love and friendship, financial stability and personal independence, and ā of course ā sex. It would have a draw for queer audiences even without the sapphic subplots, and for its enthusiastic fans, queer or otherwise, it will surely be a must watch.
Finally, the venerable UK sci-fi adventure series Dr. Who is set to return to the BBC sometime in May, when out queer actor of color Ncuti Gutwa (āSex Educationā, āBarbieā) officially becomes the 15th incarnation of the shape-shifting titular time lord ā a role he already previewed to much fan approval in a Christmas special late last year. While the charms of this long-running fan franchise may escape viewers without an appreciation for the kind of campy intellectual fantasy that is its trademark appeal, Gutwaās charmingly fabulous persona might be just the thing to bring a whole new army of queer converts into the fandom.
Movies
No problem with āProblemistaā
Julio Torresās debut film hints at greater achievements to come
Confronted with the title of queer SNL alumnus Julio Torresās debut feature film, the first question that comes to mind for many people might be, āWhatās a āProblemistaā?ā
For the millions of retail workers, reception staffers, and hospitality clerks, however, or anyone else whose job it is to interface with the public, the label ā coined by Torres to describe the particular kind of driven personality embodied in his movie by headliner Tilda Swinton ā may be, if not familiar, at least evocative enough to convey its meaning.
Weāve all encountered them, actually; entitled, self-righteous, demanding, aggressively impatient, and unwilling to accept anything less than complete capitulation for an answer, they are the people every cashier dreads to see (and every customer loathes to be behind) in line. They seem to thrive on drama, and they donāt care how much it inconveniences or disturbs anyone in their radius. In fact, they seem at times to relish doing so, as if they were striking a blow against social injustice by bullying a grocery clerk into honoring an expired coupon. In short, they might be described as a sort of contemporary urban warrior whose response to a problem is to become a problem until they get the solution they want. But by legions of waiters and customer service reps, they are typically just described as āthe customer from hell.ā
The central character in Torresās stylish, smart, and surrealistically infused contemporary New York fairy tale ā Alejandro (played by Torres himself) ā is not such a person, at least not when we meet him. His creative imagination nurtured by his artist mother (Catalina Saavedra) in El Salvador, heās now a young immigrant on a work visa in the U.S., getting by in his daily life by making as few waves as possible while dreaming of being a toy designer for Hasbro. But when a minor flub gets him fired from the cryogenic company where he works, he inadvertently finds himself drawn into the never-peaceful orbit of the titular āproblemistaā herself: Elizabeth (Swinton), an outcast art-world maven and wife of a terminally ill eccentric painter (Wu Tang Clan founder RZA) that has frozen himself in hope of being revived when a cure is available to save his life.
Tasked with tending to her not-quite-late husbandās legacy and estate, she is harried from her efforts to enforce her husbandās wishes via a campaign of unreasonable requests and non-negotiable demands, and sorely in need of someone to help manage the burden ā and with his future in America now hanging by a thread, Alejandro takes on the challenge, hoping this terrifying woman whose path he has crossed can keep him from deportation until he can land the career opportunity heās been waiting for.
Itās at once a familiar and an oddball conceit, a tale of toxic mentorship with shades of āThe Devil Wears Pradaā that weaves a strangely heartwarming sense of unexpected but perfectly matched kinship into the mix and takes us past tropes and clichĆ© to discover a perspective that illuminates the extremes instead of reinforcing the bland status quo of our lives. While most audiences may not have experience within the elite cultural circle in which Swintonās Elizabeth asserts her presence, the core essence of her persona is instantly recognizable to us all. And although Torresās screenplay gets a lot of mileage ā and indeed, the movie gets a lot of its appeal, thanks to Swintonās masterful performance ā out of parodying that āhigh-maintenanceā image, it also takes us slyly past our easy judgments to reveal all the easily relatable human qualities behind the stereotype. By the time itās over, we might still see her as a āmonster,ā but perhaps no more so than any of the rest of us. We might even, like Alejandro, start to see her seemingly insufferable approach to life as something a little less clueless and a lot more justifiable than we want to assume ā and recognize that, even if it makes people cringe when they see her, it might sometimes be the only way to get by in a world bent on maintaining a veneer of calm banality. It might even be the only appropriate response to ā and best rebellion against ā the indifference of a system whose first priority is always the preservation of a placid status quo.
That, of course, is the joy of āProblemista,ā a movie that successfully gets a load of intelligent laughs from the eccentricities of both its unorthodox lead characters ā a non-specifically but unmistakably queer protagonist and a ferociously uncompromising ādifficult womanā ā yet somehow manages to turn them both into aspirational figures. It successfully pokes a savvy kind of fun at the rarified cultural niche in which it takes place ā as well as at the not-so-subtly delusional constructs which govern the lives of anyone who fits within its boundaries ā without diminishing or degrading its characters or making their individual pursuits feel foolish; it accomplishes this because, even in its unabashedly satirical milieu, it places the greatest emphasis on the humanity of its characters. Alejandro and Elizabeth, in almost any other film, would be supporting players ā comic relief, perhaps ā in a story about people whose lives were more comfortably mainstream; here, they take center stage, allowing us to laugh at their eccentricities but never letting us lose sight of the real human impulses behind them.
For that, we can thank the deeply committed performances of Swinton, an actress of legendary caliber whose background in underground and counter-cultural theater and film brings a considerable layer of stature to Torresā freshman effort, and Torres himself, who comes across as a fully confident and seasoned performer capable of holding his own onscreen with someone of his co-starās stature. RZAās amusing but somehow sweet performance in flashbacks as Elizabethās husband also has a humanizing effect, and acclaimed Chilean actress Saavedra casts a luminous glow in her limited screen time that nevertheless seems like a keystone element of the filmās delicate balance of magical realism and absurdist comedy.
To be fair, defining āProblemistaā within a label is a problematic undertaking from the start; neither comedy nor drama, fantasy nor surrealist ephemera, it combines all these elements to approach something more profound, perhaps, or at least more useful for audiences looking for a new perspective on the sometimes-soul-crushing sea of obstacles that seems to govern our daily lives. At any rate, far more important than any of these esoteric themes, it confronts ā gently, if with considerable cynicism ā the existential rattlesnake of navigating the immigration system of the US, straddling multiple agendas and managing to succeed with all of them.
Torres, whose stint on āSNLā led to a successful stand-up special and a gig as the creator and star of HBOās critically acclaimed Spanish-language series āLos Espookys,ā has managed an impressive debut as a filmmaker; itās the kind of movie that hints at greater achievements to come, and we are eagerly on board to watch them unfold in years to come. No small feat for a first-time filmmaker, especially considering the number of ambitious sociocritical comedies that have tried and failed to pull off the same delicate balancing act ā and even more especially because itās also a lot of fun.
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