Year in Review: Music Videos a.k.a. Short Movie Musicals

I couldn't be happier that the music video has regained its cultural capital in the age of YouTube. There's something about the form that is just magical. Or maybe it's just that it's been the most reliable fix for movie-musical lovers during the past 30 years. You can pretend these 3 to 5 minute show stoppers are but one scene in a larger movie musical, can't you? At least that's what I do with

Links: True Grit, Spidey, Gay Rugby, and "Original" Films

Movie|Line celebrates a year of "The Verge," their great up-and-coming actor series.Cinema Blend goosing the sales of True Grit (the novel) Today One of the Fantastic Four will die in the comic's #587th issue. Does anyone still believe in these marketing ploys? I'm sure they'll come back to life within 3 years. That's how comics do.MUBI The great Michel Piccoli is 85 today. Has anyone seen La

Year in Review: Best LGBT Characters

year in review part 3 of severalWith 2010 about to wrap, let's do a top ten list albeit a very specific one. Let's make like Barbara Walters and choose The Most Fascinating (Fictional, LGBT) People. Barbara obviously uses a different criteria than "fascinating" in her annual roundup. Hers seems closer to "constantly in the news /has overworked publicist"  and our choices are also debatable.

Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs

Glenn Close got back in front of movie cameras two days ago. Albert Nobbs has just started filming. She plays a cross dressing woman in 1890's Ireland.[photo src]Barring the movie going to cable (these things happen) of failing to get distribution (these things happen, too) will Glenn Close finally be back in the Oscar race next year at this time? She was last nominated for 1988's Dangerous

Interview: Javier Fuentes-León and the Oscar Submission "Undertow"

I meet first-time feature director, US based Javier Fuentes-León in a tasty Puerto Rican restaurant called Sazon. We're there to chat up his Peruvian/Colombian movie "Undertow" (also known as Contracorriente), a romantic gay drama which is also a portrait of a rural community and also a ghost story. But the 'where from?',  'what kind?' and 'why this?' of it are surface details. Javier

Anne Hathaway, 'Next' Cover Girl

This is a gay rag here in NYC. Anne was on the holiday weekend cover promoting Love and Other Drugs, and though the inside article is dependably slim, she once again proves herself not just a wonderful celeb but a cool person and major friend of the gays."I was at the Empire State Pride Agenda dinner a few years ago," she recalls. "And Margaret Cho put it perfectly. She said, 'I can't believe

Off Screen Break. What's Going On?

Because sometimes, taking a wee break from the silver screen, helps you appreciate the movies more. EW Lady Gaga is insane. Promises "Born This Way" is 'best album of the decade'. So no sophomore slump then, Gaga?YouTube Madonna opening her Hard Candy gym in Mexico. I wish I could work out there. I obviously need some sort of dominatrix to push me if I'm ever going to get in shape. (sigh)AV Club

Kiss The Girl, Win an Oscar?

random Oscar thought of the day If the Best Actress race really narrows down to The Bening (The Kids Are All Right) vs. Natalie Portman (Black Swan) than we have a seriously sapphic situation going on this year."♪ I Kissed a Girl just to try it, I know Oscar won't mind it. ♫ "Hey, it worked last year for the ladies in this category.P.S. Does this mean that The Oscars are basically like frat

This Link Goes to 11

Live Feed Glee inspired political attack ad. Who knew an attack ad could be cute?Kenneth in the (212) my friend Kenneth will be seen briefly in the new Mindy Cohn gay flick Violet Tendencies. When was the last time you heard "new Mindy Cohn flick"... let alone a gay one?Pop Justice "Bad Romance" is one year old today. Kinda. Still love it.This Leonardo TotallyLooksLike double gotsaved on my

First and Last, Far Away

first and last puzzles. Can you guess the movie?first image: last line:"You'll see. You'll see how far away we'll be."This one took a while for people to guess. It's such a good movie. The answer is [highlight the invisible text] BURNT MONEY (2000) from Argentina. Really intense crime drama about "the twins" who aren't twins but gay lovers. You should rent it.*

Catherine Deneuve and The Terrified Naked Model

Yesterday was the 67th birthday of the one and only Catherine Deneuve. As some of you know, she's one of my top ten actresses of all time. I didn't celebrate because I was too busy tinkering with blog coding. (Lots of good changes coming. Cross your fingers)<-- Deneuve with foxy François on the Potiche promotional trail.Here in the USA when people talk about 60something actresses, it's almost

LFF 2010: And It Hurts With Every... Cannon

David from Victim of the Time, reporting from the 54th BFI London Film Festival.I've been engrossed in this festival for so long now, it already feels like it's winding down; in fact, there's another week to go, with Danny Boyle's 127 Hours the closing night gala next Thursday evening. Perhaps my feeling comes from the fact that my most anticipated film is just around the corner: yes, I too fell

Links: Michelle, Naomi, Anderson, Marilyn, Pepé

I wanna be loved by you, just you... and nobody else but you. i wanna be loved by you a-loh-oh-oh-ooooone. boopboopadoo. Witness: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. Me likey.Michelle Williams is really on fire these days, isn't she? Whether she's causing NC-17 ratings by being such a brutally honest actor (the MPAA can blow me when they're done gagging about Ryan going down on her in Blue

All Good Links

Before we get to today's link roundup -- I went a little crazy as I sometimes do -- enjoy the heat sensor-like photography of the All Good Things poster. Perhaps Ryan and Kiki were a bit jealous of the ruckus Jake & Annie's nude poster caused online.P.S. Jake Gyllenhaal is obsessed with Ryan Gosling. Just saying. I would try to quote his answer from Saturday night when the audience question 'who

Foreign Film Race: Ricardo Darín... Again. And More...

First comes Oscar. If you follow my charts and this race each year it's impossible to escape Argentinian movie star Ricardo Darín. Not only is he continually employed but whichever body chooses Argentina's Oscar submission each year has a huge crush. He's the star of their 2001 nominee Son of the Bride and their 2009 winner The Secret in Their Eyes and he's also principle cast in their submission

We all go a little link sometimes

Antenna looks at the year in Bollywood box office. Not a pretty storyPussy Goes Grrrr on loving Julianne MooreMr Hipp "we all go a little mad sometimes"If Charlie Parker... Sir Ian McKellen before and after.popbytes Clint Eastwood wants Joaquin Phoenix and Leonardo DiCaprio as lovers for the Hoover biopic.Twitch a teaser poster for Wong Kar Wai's The Grand Masterpopbytes Kate Winslet's new

I Link to Link

Salon on the "Magical Negro," the offensive movie cliche that just won't die.pullquote the Cinetrix appreciates the mise-en-scene of a unique triple feature: Pee Wee's Big Adventure, In the Mood for Love and Metropolis. Three great disparate movies. If I lived in Boston I would surely love the Brattle.IMDB Penélope Cruz' rep makes it official: She's pregnant. The world will get the genetically

Venice Awards: Somewhere, Black Swan, Barney's Version, Miral

Festivals tend to have more than one jury so let's deal with the sidebar prizes first, before we get to the main competition jury, headed by Quentin Tarantino. But a little preview: Natalie Portman went home empty-handed for Black Swank but Mila Kunis didn't. Interesssssssting.Various SidebarsEuropa Cinema Award: This honor comes from the Venice Days sidebar and the winning film was Bertrand

Foreign Film Oscar Submissions: Alexander Skarsgård's Little Brother

We haven't heard quite yet if Norway will submit A Somewhat Gentle Man for Oscar consideration but if they do the Skarsgård clan could take up two spots in the Academy's foreign film competition.The Skarsgårds are totally taking over movies and television! Father Stellan has been in everything for decades now from blockbusters (Pirates of the Caribbean, Mamma Mia) to arthouse favorites and beyond