NATHANIEL ROGERS
Nathaniel would live inside the movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience.

YOUR FEATURE PRESENTATIONS
Given Towleroad’s generous coverage of all things Twilight (all things equalling shirtless wolf boys and wild haired Pattisons) I had hoped to share a few thoughts on NEW MOON for today’s movie column. No can do. I wasn’t invited. Curiously I had been invited to the press screenings of Twilight. Perhaps I’ve been too openly disdainful of sparkle-in-the-sunshine vampires or creator Stephenie Meyers’ retrograde sexual politics (I had quite enough of that in my own Mormon years, thank you). So, it’s not for me. If it’s for you, no judgments, enjoy with the millions of screaming girls and moms.

For the second flick I predict: better special effects, more flesh to make up for the pro-abstinence agenda and better acting. The latter is nothing like a risky prediction since the only way is up. Plus, Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen have joined the cast.
 
BROKEN EMBRACES, the latest film from the amazing Pedro Almodóvar and his current muse Pénelope Cruz is also opening. This is their fourth collaboration. May they make many more together.

The plot is a spiralling labyrinth of violent accidents, flashbacks, long-held secrets and films within films. The characters are typically Almodóvarian: a disabled filmmaker, a minor actress, a rejected gay son, an older abusive lover, a woman with too many secrets. Pedro Shows exquisitely but he can't stop Telling this time. But even if it's "minor" Almodóvar, his worst are better than some director's best. Few can touch him for memorable images and actress worship. And speaking of.... Penélope Cruz is still at the top of her game. This last run of performances (Volver, Elegy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Nine and Broken Embraces) is just one triumph after another. How long can she maintain la perfección, anyway? 

MORE on Tony & Takeshi, Angelina Jolie, and A Single Man, AFTER THE JUMP...

Also New in Theaters: Nicolas Cage sees iguanas in Werner Herzog's outre Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and Sandra Bullock sees Oscar buzz (or hopes too), adopting a grown black football player son in The Blind Side and Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams see each other in Mammoth, the first English language feature from acclaimed Swede Lukas Moodyson (Show Me Love, Lilya 4Ever)

Finally, a whole army of Asian stars do epic battle in John Woo's Red Cliff. The war sequences are well choreographed and enjoyably showy but the real special effect is all the closeups of two of the most beautiful men on the planet, Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro (pictured right with their director). They got so close towards the finale I half expected them to make out. Personal space guys, look into it. Or better yet, don't.

BONUS SCENES

Mangelina! You've probably heard that next summer's action hopeful Salt was originally written for a man. Will we see any tell tale signs of gender reassignment in the movie? Is it too much too hope that Jolie's previous omnisexuality will return and she'll lip locks with a woman again. We miss you, Gia!

You've probably heard that Harvey Weinstein, who used to be nicknamed "Harvey Scissorhands" for chopping up Miramax movies back in the day, is now hacking away at gay content over at the Weinstein Co. Not so much within the movies, mind you but the marketing. And we're not just talking about  A Single (No Longer Gay) Man.

With Precious adding hundreds of screens this weekend, many more people will get to see it. I highly suggest reading fourfour's astute take in response to the small but forceful backlash against the movie as "emotional pornography". But read it after you've seen the movie.

The Oscars have narrowed down this year's Best Documentary list. Fifteen films have been named as finalists a third of which will live on to become Oscar nominees. As per usual many of the bigger doc hits of the year were ignored (including Capitalism: A Love Story and The September Issue) but some high profile entries survived including the Chorus Line documentary Every Little Step (reviewed here at Towleroad) and Valentino: The Last Emperor.

The ten stupidest homemade Twilight items. They forgot those underwear with Edward's face on them. I figured we had to come full circle to wrap up.

Prop 8 defenders still haven't handed over documents even after third order from judge?

Oprah show finished in 2011.

The abs and poetry of hot NJ Guidos.

NJ Democrats search for spine on marriage equality as state senator says economy takes precedence.

Judge orders OPM to offer health benefits to lesbian employee and family: "It was the second order from a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in two days rebuking the Office of Personnel Management for denying insurance coverage to the same-sex spouses of court-supervised employees. The agency, whose director was appointed by President Obama, intervened in both cases in February and invoked the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that bars federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples."

Rallies: Activists rallied in front of NYC's Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Office yesterday in response to the horrific murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. They also rallied in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There are more vigils and rallies happening this weekend.

Uganda: Rallies in response to Uganda's proposal to make "aggravated homosexuality" punishable by death took place in New York and D.C. yesterday.

Coelacanth: Baby specimens of living fossil photographed for first time.

Boy George to join Celebrity Big Brother in UK.

Senator Arlen Specter likes Barney Frank's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" suggestion: “I think the better strategy would be the one that Frank suggested. If you have it as a stand-alone bill, it’s going to be filibustered for sure. But if you attach it as an amendment — that’s what was successful with the hate-crimes amendment — I think that’d be best.”

NOM spent $112,736.75 on losing NY candidate Doug Hoffman.

New Yorkers looking for something to do this weekend might want to try Anti-Twink.

90210's Trevor Donovan shows off.

Meet the Season 2 cast of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Wrap-artist Jeanne-Claude dies of complications from brain aneurysm at 74: "Recognizable by her orange-dyed hair, Jeanne-Claude was a fixture of the international art scene and was a highly visible New York personality. Along with Christo, she created 'The Gates,' a 2005 public art project consisting of 7,503 orange rectangular structures draped with fabric and erected throughout Central Park."

Window Media publications South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine will continue to publish, under new owners.

"Ex-gays" setting up shop in Palm Beach this weekend.

Yikes: "A medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the nation's largest movie chain pack the nutritional equivalent of three Quarter Pounders topped with 12 pats of butter, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest."

Playgirl writer: Levi Johnston saved us. "Playgirl pulled out all the stops to make this shoot a media circus -- overexerting itself financially to compensate Levi and bring on board new and old staff members to see the project through (including wunderkind party promoter Nardicio and myself, Playgirl's editor-in-chief from 2006 to 2008); and marketing the hell out of all things Levi (an ironic Levi Johnston line of Playgirl condoms due out in the spring, a Levi Johnston poster complete with signature). The 36-year-old magazine miraculously rose from the ashes of the Phoenix to become in recent months a relevant brand name once again."

Jake Gyllenhaal offers up his  bedroom eyes in a new image from Prince of Persia. It's the basis for the film's latest teaser poster, AFTER THE JUMP...

(source)

 “My burden is not to show that originalism is perfect but to show that it beats the other available alternatives. Did any provision of the Constitution guarantee a right to abortion? No one thought so for almost two centuries after the founding. Did any provision in the Constitution guarantee a right to homosexual sodomy? Same answer.”

Photographer Jeff Sheng is seeking as many participants as possible for a new photo project:

“Jess,  Bend, Oregon,  2009” is part of my newest photography project, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a series of photographs of closeted men and women in the United States military. For each image, I have asked the individual to wear their uniform, while staging the photoshoot in the bedroom or local hotel room where that person is currently stationed.  The reason for this is that I am most interested in the intersections between public and private space, and the government’s policing of our private spaces – the bedroom being the most representative space of this.  I have purposely shot each image in a way that obscures to some degree the identity of the individuals, and the final image that is released to the public is first approved by the subject, and is in many ways, their expression of their closeted-ness and lack of identity.  The name and location is also fictional: I have asked the subject to give me a first name and a location that is significant to them, but does not actually refer to the true name and location of who is in the photograph. My aim in this project is to use photography to create a visual record of the numerous individuals currently serving our country that are unjustly forced to hide an integral part of who they are."

You can contact Sheng via his website.

James Franco's guest stint on General Hospital began with a mysterious opening tease yesterday.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Those of you Twilight fans with a cool $3.3 million to drop can buy the Cullen home just outside of Vancouver:

"The five-bedroom home in West Vancouver was designed by Arthur Erickson and was totally renovated in 2001. It has a great room with 20-foot ceilings, massive picture windows and lots of blonde wood. The modern kitchen has a curved fireplace and gleaming countertops. The master suite includes a bathroom with a soaking tub and glass cabinet shower. For warmer weather there is a pool outdoors."

Don't try sleeping in it though.

First Clifford Stanley's hearing. Stanley has been nominated to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the Department of Defense and oversee "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", among other things.

HRC Backstory reports on the questions regarding the military gay ban, following John McCain's assertion that the ban was "Working successfully":

"Senator Levin followed McCain’s pro-DADT position by asking simply if Dr. Stanley would provide his best objective opinion over the repeal of DADT, to which Dr. Stanley responded with a simple yes.  An opportunity to elaborate was provided with Senator Udall (D-CO), who asked – while noting gays and lesbians already serve in the armed services, and that thousands of gays and lesbians are civilian employees working with military personnel – if Dr. Stanley was prepared to support a push by the White House to include repeal of DADT in policy recommendations in the defense budget next year. Dr. Stanley didn’t quite answer the question, recognizing this is a sensitive issue and that he would be seeking input from all sources, particularly the service chiefs and military personnel “from deck plate to squad level,” and provide a recommendation to Secretary Gates.  Dr. Stanley admitted he did not know what that recommendation would be, and will bear no preconceived notions as to the direction he will go in recommending action on DADT. Senator Burris (D-IL) asked what Dr. Stanley would do about pending discharge cases immediately upon confirmation.  Dr. Stanley – correctly – responded that the pending cases would fall under existing statute, and that he was unaware that he would have any role in these pending discharge cases (he wouldn’t)."

The Servicemember's Legal Defense Network (SLDN) expressed disappointment that Stanley "punted". Said Aubrey Sarvis: "When given the opportunity by Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) to support his commander in chief’s position to overturn the ban, Dr. Stanley did not do so. However, as is the case with most nominees, Dr. Stanley did not delve into any of the policy issues in his portfolio. We look forward to Dr. Stanley becoming fully aligned with President Obama on repeal."

A question about polygamy was the highlight of Feldblum's testimony, according to Law Dork, with regard to a petition the nominee had signed called “Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: A New Strategic Vision for All Our Families & Relationships” which mentioned polygamous families as an "alternative" relationship:

Feldblum began, initially, by stating unambiguously, “I do not support polygamy.”  She went on to say that it was a “mistake” to sign the petition and told the Committee that it was for that reason that she asked for her name to be removed from it.  Ben Smith at Politico reported on Wednesday that Feldblum had sent a letter to the petition organizers asking that her name be removed.

Harkin pushed further, asking her to explain why she had signed on to the statement in the first place.  Feldblum stated that she had been asked to sign on to the petition by “another academic from Columbia.”  She said, “I agreed with the general thrust of the statement,” and that her work at the time was very focused on efforts to “support the range of caregiving relationships.”  It was for that reason, she said, that she signed on in support of the petition.

She concluded, though, “However, the statement goes beyond what I would have said.  That’s why it was a mistake to sign it and why I asked for my name to be removed.”

More at HRC Backstory and Law Dork.

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance is meant to raise awareness about those who are killed in anti-transgender hate crimes. Events marking this day are occurring around the world today.

In related news, Tampa passed a transgender anti-discrimination ordinance yesterday:

"After two hours of testimony, the ordinance passed by a 5-1 vote with Charlie Miranda voting no and Linda Saul-Sena absent. Miranda repeatedly raised concerns about disruptions caused by people who come to work one day dressed as one gender, and the next day as the other. The new rules prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on 'gender identity and expression,' with that defined as someone who has an 'inner sense of being a specific gender' regardless of their 'assigned sex at birth.' Tampa's human rights ordinance already protects people from discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and other factors."

Hey, if Fox News can edit footage to fit its narrative, I guess YouTubers can too.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via boy culture)

The Miss California USA pageant has offered Equality California and Carrie Prejean airtime during this year's pageant, which takes place on Sunday. Equality California has accepted the offer, and will air an ad featuring Mary Kate and her two moms, Frances & Cynthia.

No word yet on whether Prejean will accept the offer, which was sent by pageant director Keith Lewis, although this might be a good opportunity to start hawking her sex tapes. The offer:

Dear Carrie,

You may have heard that MISS CALIFORNIA USA 2010 will be broadcast for the first time in more than fifteen years. Although you and I are involved in litigation, I feel that offering you the opportunity to pre-tape a brief message is in keeping with my desire all along to deal fairly in spite of the situation. Please let me know by Wednesday October 21, 2009 if you would like to do so and I will attempt to make suitable arrangements.

Best regards,

Keith Lewis

Watch Equality California's ad, AFTER THE JUMP...

Last night, Jon Stewart discussed Peter Vadala, the dude who said he got fired from Brookstone because he didn't agree with his colleague's views on same-sex marriage, and Will Phillips, the 10-year-old who refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance until gay people have equality.

Stewart thinks Phillips needs protection, so he's brought in wrestler Mick Foley.

Says Foley: "I was touched by young Will's plight so I'll tell you what I'm going to do: If I find out that anybody has hassled this young man or teased him or called him a wad of any sort, I and perhaps a few of my friends will come to his school and bring a world of pain. Teachers, faculty, students be ware because the eyes of Mick Foley are upon you."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

The NYT reports: "The manifesto, to be released on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during the administration of President George W. Bush. The signers include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America. They want to signal to the Obama administration and to Congress that they are still a formidable force that will not compromise on abortion, stem-cell research or gay marriage. They hope to influence current debates over health care reform, the same-sex marriage bill in Washington, D.C., and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation."

The document was reportedly written by evangelical Charles Colson, Catholic Princeton professor Robert P. George, and the Rev. Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School in Alabama.

Part of the goal is to reach younger Christians who may have more progressive notions about gays and remind them that the church thinks gays are bad.

The 4,700-word document is called the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience," according to the NYT.

Says the document: "We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other antilife act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent...We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence."

Here's some more vintage Lady Gaga footage, shot in 2006 at The Cutting Room in NYC, shortly after she had signed to Island Def Jam. And shortly after she changed her name to Lady Gaga.

In this clip, she performs the songs "Wonderful" and "Fever". Adam Lambert recorded "Fever" for For Your Entertainment.

"Fever" begins at about 5:38.

Listen to both Gaga and Lambert, AFTER THE JUMP...

Here's Adam Lambert's version:

"The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade’s work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city. It’s been a tough week for us, but we are buoyed by the outpouring of support from people all over the city and beyond. We welcome and need your help and will respond to each offer as soon as possible. Thank you to all who have pledged to stick with us, especially our advertisers. Please visit savetheblade.com for updated information on DC Agenda or to make a gift to support the new venture."