Amazon Strips Sales Ranks of Gay Books

Amazon.com has apparently been pulling the Sales Rankings of books with gay content. The books have been labeled to have "Adult" content and removed from searches too. Though some Young Adult novels, like Alex Sanchez's "Rainbow Boys", have been involved, others like David Levithan's "Boy Meets Boy" have not. I just checked my books on Amazon and I have not been part of the purge....yet.

The #amazonfail came to light this weekend but has been going on for months apparently. This whole relabeling of gay books as "Adult" seems not only crazy but is apparently pretty half-assed as well. Jezebel.com has a current listing of titles that have had their rankings purged (like "Ellen Degeneres: A Biography") and some that have not ("A Parents Guide To Preventing Homosexuality"?!). So far the response from Amazon has been pretty BS boilerplate-y:

In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature.
Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back to us.
Best regards,
Ashlyn D, Member Services
Amazon.com Advantage

Sorry Amazon...but that is lame. I do have some further questions. I have even been invited to join two "Boycott Amazon" groups on Facebook. So if Jeff Bezos doesn't get on The Rachel Maddow Show to explain this whole mess soon, they are going to have a serious problem with their customers....namely me!

NetPix: In Bruges

This brilliant little movie is now my second NetPix which I nearly didn't see due to a really crappy trailer. The preview made this film look ridiculous. However, after hearing from a few friends that it was actually great, I put it on my queue and, like more than a few of the characters in this story of hit men run amok, I was blown away.

The first-time director, Martin Mcdonagh is a well-known playwright ("The Lieutenant of Inishmore", "Beauty Queen of Linane") but he's soon going to be a very well-known filmmaker. Black comedy is not the easiest of genres to master but his script makes it look easy, crackling with sharp repartee while peppered with some shocking acts of violence. McDonagh makes it all work and leaves you guessing up until the very last shot how this is all going to play out.

Colin Farrell turns in his best performance in years as a rookie hit man who's made a terrible mistake. He's not only somewhat insane in this role, going from puppy dog looks to berserk outbursts of mayhem in a split second, but actually manages to have a heart too. You actually care about the bastard which, given what he's up to, really is saying something. The other actors are excellent as well, especially Brendan Gleeson as Colin's world-weary partner and Clemence Poesy as a bright, shiny romantic interest. Ralph Fiennes turns in another badder-than bad guy turn as The Boss.  Remember when Ralph was more romantic leading man? I miss that guy, but have to say, his dark side is effective and used to excellent effect here.  

There are many jokes and fantastic one-liners in this grimly hilarious movie, many of which I'd like to quote right now. I've been repeating two of them with my roommate since we watched the film last night.  But I am going to restrain myself. However, I offer a small warning; try not to be in the act of drinking anything during the scene with the midget, the drugs and the Belgian prostitutes. If you do, it'll be one big spittake.

Young Girls Talking About Themselves--The Song

A friend who knows my musical taste (or lack thereof) sent me this kicky pop song about girls who talk about themselves on video blogs. It is awesome! I don't know where to find the full song but I want it...now!

To Go Where No Sequel Has Gone Before

Down in Austin last night, Paramount switched out a print of "Wrath of Kahn" with the new "Star Trek" reboot, courtesy of JJ Abrams. And if you want to believe the fanboys who saw this super secret sneak preview, the response was ecstatic. I have to say, since I saw the trailer earlier this year, it's been my most anticipated film of the early summer (it's out May 8). I was a little concerned about the release date, as I think May is traditionally reserved for summer stinkers ("Indiana Jones" anyone?) But who knows--maybe with this sexy cast and retro approach, they just might bring the franchise back the dead.

Looking Up, Looking Back

A few weeks ago, I posted about my habit of looking up on my daily rounds in NYC. Even after being here almost 20 years, I'm still fascinated by the things I see walking around town. Like today--I was walking to the gym and, on 38th Street between Seventh Ave and Broadway, I spotted this old painted advertisement for the Horn and Hardart Automat.

The original fast food, the Automat originated in Philadelphia in 1902, opened in Times Square in 1912 and closed for good in 1991. My best guesstimate would put the age of this sign at about 40-50 years, which is remarkable considering the speed at which things change in Manhattan.

However, this sign is only one of many I've noticed over the years that still cover walls long after the businesses have closed. Some even advertise things like "haberdashery" and "carriage services" and have old school phone numbers like CHelsea3-7188. The Forgotten-NY website here has a great catalog of old painted signs in all five boroughs. And, if you keep looking up, you may discover a new one today.

Fast & Furious & Funny As Hell

OK--so I saw "Fast & Furious" on Friday and, unfortunately, it was neither. Frankly, it was sort of a dud. But SNL did a hilarious spoof of it this weekend with Seth Rogen. To say more would ruin the fun. Just check it out!

Dick Flick

We've all heard of Chick Flicks. Well today, a classic example of a Dick Flick is out; the fourth of the Fast/Furious series, cleverly titled "Fast & Furious". Actually, I thought that was the title of the first one but apparently that was "The Fast & The Furious". Hmmmm...this could be confusing to future film historians, don't u think? :)

Anyway, much to the surprise of some people, I actually enjoy a good Dick Flick. They have a lot of things I like in my mindless entertainment....crazy car chases, rockin' musical montages, hot tough guys, vintage muscle cars and very large explosions. The NY TIMES' Nathan Lee doesn't enjoy them quite so much. Mr. Lee's review, however, did have one clever line describing this car wreck (whoa!) of a movie: "This inoffensive if uninspired example of presummer pop diversion will be best appreciated by future audiences flabbergasted by its unabashed revelry in fossil-fuel consumption." Nice.

The big news for FF4 is that Paul Walker and above-pictured Vin Diesel are back for the first time since the original, along with semi-lesbian mess Michelle Rodriguez. So with all that potential mano a mano and maybe even some girl-on-girl action, not to mention all those car chases, I will be there for opening night. Vroom vroom.....

Traffic Signs Go !@#?*! Nuts

The latest trend in hi-tech geek pranks is hacking traffic signs. I'd recently read about this happening out in the suburbs and on rural highways so I was pretty surprised to see the phenomenon on my own street right here in the heart of NYC. My friend Mark Sam took this pic a couple days ago with his phone at the intersection of Houston and Broadway. It's a bit profane and somewhat absurdist, which suits Soho's quasi-artsy sensibility. But mainly, it made me laugh and that was all I needed to share it with you.

I Am A Gay American Idol

For the first time in maybe 5 years, I joined the rest of the country and watched "American Idol" last night. The reason? There is a gay on the show! Alright--I guess that's not exactly news. There have been some gays in the past, like Jim Verranos and Clay Aiken. But now there's Adam Lambert, currently in the final 9, who has been "outed" by pictures of him making out with guys, performing in drag and (here's the clincher) recordings of him in the cast of "Wicked".

So I decided to check him out and see what all the fuss was about. Well the fuss is not so much about being gay as about him blowing the competition out of the water. He looks like a Pete Wentz/Zac Efron mash-up and is clearly the one to beat on the show....and that is saying something given that most of the remaining finalists are all seriously talented, except maybe that blonde girl who did an ill-advised cover of Bob Marley. Not that Adam's song selection was that much better---"Play That Funky Music White Boy"? Really? A bit literal but then again "American Idol" is not exactly known for nuanced performances. However, it didn't really matter because the song could have been "Up With People" and he would have turned it into some crazy, sexy and rockin' shake down of a performance. With his screaming voice and sexy strut, I thought he could be a young Steven Tyler...which was exactly what that new judge said! I like her. :)

Apparently, there is some controversy that Adam has not actually stated publicly he is gay. Yeah...and neither did Little Richard, or Elton John, or George Michael (and then only when he had to). I mean it's, uh, kinda obvious people. The refreshing thing is that there seems to be a sort of "who cares" attitude about his sexuality. Besides, as a friend of mine put it, are the straight contestants declaring their heterosexuality? Good point. I just hope that when he wins he brings his boyfriend on stage and gives him a big nationally televised kiss.

NetPix: Lars & The Real Girl

Ever since I was in film school, people have been asking me what movies they should see. Lately this question has evolved into friends looking for films for their NetFlix queue. Thus...one of the semi-regular features I'll be doing is "NetPix", where I tell you what you should see and, hopefully, you heed my advice and love my recommendations. If not, it's Netflix so it's not like you're out 12 bucks or anything!

My inaugural "NetPix" is a movie that ended up on my own queue reluctantly; "Lars And The Real Girl". I had heard about when it was released as it received some pretty decent notices and awards nominations. Still,I was wary of "Lars" premise, about a guy in a small town who starts dating a full-size, human sex doll. The whole thing sounded a little twee. (Does anyone use that word anymore?)

Well, I was completely wrong. "Lars" is a total trifecta hit; gorgeously shot, beautifully acted,and sharply written. It's a sweet and quirky story that is actually a bit more complicated than I expected it to be, probably due to the lightweight impression created by its TV commercials. (I think that, as a rule, good movies do not boil down into good 30-second TV ads.) "Lars" works so well because it takes its premise, that Ryan Gosling has fallen for a fake girlfriend, quite seriously. There is some real psychology in the movie explaining this phenomenon,presented credibly by Patricia Clarkson's smokey-voiced local doctor. But "Lars" does have a sense of humor too. In fact, it is quite funny as it delicately walks that very fine line between silly and sad.

I'm surprised the film did not get some more serious juice around awards time. Maybe if "Juno" (which gave quirky a bad name) hadn't taken up all the awards oxygen in '08, this lovely little movie could have breathed a bit more and taken home some honors. But, in the end it's still a damn good movie. And if it doesn't make you a little weepy (in a good way!), your tear ducts may need to be checked.