Kathy Griffin Hearts Levi Johnston

Kathy Griffin was guest hosting Larry King Live last night, "interviewing" her new red carpet-boyfriend Levi Johnston, America's top baby-daddy. They attended the Teen Choice awards together earlier this week, with Kathy claiming Levi is the new love of her life. She also mentioned that the finale of her TV show was airing on Bravo the same night, saying "coincidence? I don't think so!" LOL--she kills me! I have to admit, they make a pretty unlikely though interesting comedy team...not exactly Burns & Allen as Levi is a little nervous and slow picking up his cues. But with some more rehearsal, who knows? Maybe it could be the start of something bigger than Sarah Palin :)

Don't You Forget About Him

There have been many appreciations and tributes to filmmaker John Hughes over the last few days since his death in NYC Friday. The NY Times (where I found this great pic--doesn't he look like James Spader?) ran a lengthy love letter to Hughes courtesy of reviewer A.O. Scott which was quite effective in hitting all the Hughes bases. What's most interesting is that it's easily the kindest thing the paper has ever written about him, as the TIMES reviews for his films when they were originally released were decidedly mixed. In the recent appreciation, Scott actually uses the "A" word, as in "auteur", to describe Hughes' body of directorial work. There was even a comparison to the work of Lubitsch and Sturges which is not surprising and IMHO long overdue.

As my film school friends know, I've been a champion of Hughes work for many years. I was a huge fan when the films first came out. But then, as I became a director myself, I began to see the artist lurking behind the commercial filmmaker and admired the way he was able to make smart comedies with a very broad appeal. In fact, my NYU thesis film "Pool Days" which became part of the BOYS LIFE shorts package, was my own version of a John Hughes movie with a gay kid at the center of the action instead of a nerd. Currently, the film I'm working on now, a high school comedy called PROM QUEENS, is practically a homage to the Hughes world with a personal twist. But the main thing I've learned from his work as a filmmaker is a lesson that I hope will guide me on this project; keep it funny but make it real. I believe the reason his films resonate is that, despite all the slapstick and silliness, there are real characters with real emotions at the heart of his stories. And this is not something you see coming out of the Hollywood teen mill these days, with the possible exception of the pilot episode for GLEE.

Finally, the most curious aspect of Hughes directing career was its abrupt end. The TIMES piece doesn't discuss this at all but, oddly enough, a group of filmmakers had been tying to solve this mystery for the last year. They were making a documentary trying to track down the elusive Hughes, interviewing actors like Justin Henry (Sams' annoying brother in SIXTEEN CANDLES) and Mia Sara (Sloane, darling, in FERRIS BUELLER) when his death gave their doc a new, unexpected ending. Their blog, dontyouforgetaboutme, has been updated with some tributes and new video over the weekend. The interview clips are very fun to watch. Mia Sara looks amazing!

Also worth checking out is a blog by a woman who was a teenage pen pal with the reclusive director at the height of his powers in the mid-80's. Fascinating stuff....and all in John Hughes' very own penmanship! She offers her theory to the mystery of Hughes decampment from H'wood; she claims he blamed the biz on the early death of friend and star John Candy and, concurrently, didn't want to raise his kids in La La Land. Interesting theory. However, the story I'd usually heard was that Hughes was notorious for demanding control of all aspects of not just creating his films, but marketing them as well. (As a filmmaker, I understand this urge all too well!) Apparently as he became more successful, Hughes continued stamping on bigger and bigger studio toes until no one in Tinseltown wanted to play footsie anymore, as Walter Winchell might say. It certainly didn't help that his last directorial effort, the oddity CURLY SUE, was a commercial and critical flop.

Regardless of all that, John Hughes leaves us with three...maybe four classic films (if you count WEIRD SCIENCE, which I do) that have stood the test of time. They are just as watchable today as when they were made more than two decades ago. Like Michael Jackson, he defined an era but transcended it as well and will forever live on in the cinema firmament, a bright and clever star that faded out too soon.

How To Have A Good Time For Free

On Fridays, I often try to post about fun things to do on the weekend here in NYC. There are lots of free events like concerts, theatre and movies in some of the city's lovely outdoor spaces. Last night, I was out at Prospect Park's bandshell for a sing-a-long screening of PURPLE RAIN. That was awesome! Well, a friend recently alerted me to a freebie that sounded too good to be true; free drinks every night! There's an amazing website called myopenbar.com that creates a daily listing of open bars throughout New York City for each day of the week. And, of course, there's an App that puts all this info on your phone with a map of the bar locations. So even though unemployment is down today by one-tenths of a percent, the recession is still on and this might just be the perfect tool for trying times. Have a great weekend and cheers!

Web Site Story

From CollegeHumor.com....a "West Side Story" spoof all about The Internets. The lyrics are genius but I have to wonder, given the fancy production values, is this a parody masquerading as an ad for Facebook, Twitter, E-Harmony, Pandora, GoogleEarth and Evite? If it is, it's still damn funny. As Tony and Maria sing (to the tune of "Tonight"), "E-vite....E-vite...did you get my E-vite".

NetPix: Sweet Charity

What is it about the 1960's? 40 years later and counting, the Mod Decade somehow remains a cultural touchstone of cool with shows like "Mad Men" and looks like Gladiator sandals all the rage this summer. Other decades haven't aged so well; the 50's seem silly, the 70's ridiculous, the 80's embarrassing and the 90's smirk-worthy. Yet still, when you look back at the 60's, from fashion to music to science to theatre to politics to movies to design, that decade had it going on.

Lately, the films of the 60's have been popping up on my queue. Some have been interesting, but none have really been NetPix-worthy until this week when Bob Fosse's directorial debut "Sweet Charity" arrived in my mailbox. Based on a Broadway musical, it's the story of a dance hall girl with a heart of gold, played by a bubbly Shirley McClaine, who struggles through some odd romances as she tries to pull herself out of the gutter and into respectability...and even marriage. Whether or not she succeeds is something you'll have to find out when you watch the movie. All I can say is that the DVD has two endings, one which is featured as an "alternate ending" on the DVD extras. You can be the judge as to which one really works.

As an adaptation of a stage musical that was already an adaption of a movie (Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria"), the movie is a bit clunky in terms of plot and story. But as a movie musical, it is totally hot! The numbers are the thing here and, as a first-time filmmaker, Bob Fosse makes them his own. The fingerprints from his infamous jazz hands are all over the screen. Fosse's inimitable style is stamped onto each dance sequence, each one of them somewhat stretched out to fabulous effect. There's some dazzling location lensing in 1960's NYC, including a crazy marching band dance number on Wall Street. And no, that is not a typo.

The film also boasts a wonderful performance from Shirley McClaine, who sings and dances and high kicks her way through the movie with sheer charisma. There are some notable co-stars and cameos too; Chita Rivera playing a saucy dance hostess in her first screen role, Ricardo Montalban as an Italian(?!) cad, Ben Vereen making his big screen debut in the "Rich Man's Frug" and the legendary Sammy Davis Jr. as Big Daddy Brubeck in the "Rhythm of Life" number, which is worth re-watching, oh, at least 3 times. Set in a parking garage as the cars headlights somehow provide flashing psychedelic illumination, it's a brilliantly staged song and cleverly shot sequence that seems like one big outtake from "Hair" (though it would be 10 years before that made it to the screen).

In the end, "Sweet Charity" is not exactly a classic musical, like "Sound of Music" or "Singing In The Rain". The sum of its parts don't exactly add up, no matter which ending you prefer. But it is a highly entertaining and a very fun movie to watch, especially with a group of friends. And completely filled with glam 60's styles. With costumes by Edith Head to marvel at (oh the hats!) not to mention camp-kitsch anthems like "Hey Big Spender", I'd advise having a group of The Gays over and the evening will be a guaranteed gas. Dig?

Ulster County Fair: Slide Show

As promised, here's some of my photos from the Ulster County Fair in New Paltz last weekend. It was a little rainy the day we attended which made for some interesting shots since the place was practically empty. We even chatted with some of the "carnys" who didn't have too much do (like the guy in the ice cream truck, a Polish student on his summer abroad). Later on, a dense fog rolled in making for some otherworldly shots of the fair at night.

Ulster County Fair: Pig Races

I've always had a thing for county fairs. It started back in high school when a group of my theater friends would make our annual trek to the Montgomery County Fair in Gaithersburg, MD where we would check out the freakshow ("Headless Model Kept Alive By Medical Miracle!"), watch the tractor pull (before it was even that ironic) and hit all the spinny rides (which usually ended with someone throwing up). Ah...good times!

This weekend, I attended the Ulster County Fair up near New Paltz and got to see one of my old fair favorites; The Pig Races. When I've tried to explain this in the past, I usually get blank stares so this year I took some video. I recorded the second heat of the 8:30pm race and the winner was Tammy Faye Bacon, with Arnold Schwarzenhogger a close second and Hilary Rodham Clintham in third. The prize was a trough of feed which is just visible behind the starting gate. And some Oreos if the pigs really gave it their all. Tomorrow....I'll be posting my fair slide show!

Mad About The "Mad Men"

I'm still tearing through Season 2 of MAD MEN on DVD and loving every booze soaked, cigarette smoke filled minute of it. In fact, I'm so into the world of MAD MEN that I MAD MEN-ed myself today. Yep, that's me above, circa 1962, heading into my copy writing job at Sterling & Cooper with my morning doughnut, of course. I think I really got my hair just right too, though it took more than a dab of Brylcreme. Behind me is Joan in one her classic bombshell dresses, either waving hello or giving me a sassy WTF look regarding my casual Friday attire which is about 3 decades too early. God, I love Joan...especially when she gets all bitchy!

Anyway, you can create your own MAD MEN avatar online at www.madmenyourself.com. I think it's the perfect way to waste some time and/or procrastinate on a summer Friday morning. Hey--it worked for me!

Someone Wants To Ban My Book

You would think in 2009 that talk of actually banning books would be a thing of the past. Well, not in West Bend, Wisconsin where local Christians are in an uproar about books promoting the "gay lifestyle" at their local library. The big difference now is that they are not using the word "ban" but instead, asking for the books to be "not carried', "recategorized for adults" or placed in the "Reference section". These people are getting smarter...and scarier too.

Recently, CNN reported on this story which actually started back in February when West Bend couple Jim and Ginny Maziarka left a letter in the library's overnight book drop containing a list of 38 books (including my first novel "A Really Nice Prom Mess") which they wanted removed from the Young Adult section of the West Bend Library due to the portrayal of gay characters and so-called "pornographic" situations. Additionally, they asked the library to remove a page from their website which listed 58 LGBT YA titles. In early June, after a contentious public meeting and circulated petitions, the library's board voted not to remove the webpage or the YA titles putting the issue to rest...for now.

Yesterday, I got in touch with West Bend's wonderful YA Librarian Kristin Pekoll, who informed me that there are currently no challenges to these books and all the listed books remain availble in the teen section. Which is where they belong. I mean, can you imagine someone looking for a book about a gay dude going to prom in the Reference section?! They'd never find it...which was exactly the point. However, the Maziarka's have promised to continue their efforts to rid the library of these books and have even suggested a list of other titles the library should add to their collection; charming books like "The Battle for Normality" and "Homosexual No More"(!).

All this is to say that the fight goes on. Personally, I'm thankful for librarians and staff like the group at West Bend who fought and won their skirmish in this ongoing battle. Each year there are more than 500 book challenges at libraries across the US. In fact, earlier this month the American Library Association celebreated it's annual Banned Book Week as a way to keep people vigilant about this persistent and insidious threat. As Oscar Wilde put it so well, "“There is no such thing as a moral book or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.”

She Bust The Windows Out Your Car

A great new clip from FOX's new high school show "GLEE" has been posted online...along with news that the series will start up again on September 9, a week earlier than originally planned. FOX aired the pilot for this unique musical comedy after the "American Idol" finale in May leaving fans hanging for four months for the next episode. A lucky few saw episode 2 at Outfest in LA and there were raves--GregInHollywood has some details and great pix.

Anyway, if you haven't seen GLEE, it's on HULU and it's amazing. One of the best pilot episodes for a series I've seen in years. But then again, as a gay man who writes teen novels/movies, I just might be their target audience. ;)