Woo! The second season of web series BJ Fletcher Private Eye has begun.
If you're new to the show, definitely check out Season 1 first. You'll meet Fletch, a quirky struggling detective with a penchant for obsolete technology, and Georgia, her friend-turned-assistant who, we eventually realize, secretly has more-than-friendly feelings for Fletch. A cop friend, a rival PI team, and Fletch's ex-girlfriend round out the cast of characters. The show is funny and the unresolved romantic tension adds depth. My only caveat is that the pacing is sometimes a little off, but it's by no means unbearable.
The new season finds George and Fletch on a new case, working out of an actual office, but more importantly, there's serious tension between them over George's girlfriend Jenna. New episodes will be posted every Tuesday on AfterEllen.com.
December 2, 2008
November 27, 2008
Yes, they are
I don't have a lot of content here yet, so I find that most of my traffic comes from people who are searching for dirt on celesbians. Are Jill Bennett and Cathy DeBuono a couple? Yes, they are. Are Karman Kregloe and Bridget McManus married? Yes, they are.
I guess the amount of joy or sorrow those answers bring you depends on your personal level of creepy stalkerdom and/or deluded jealousy.
I hope to have actual movie- and/or TV-related posts in the near future.
I guess the amount of joy or sorrow those answers bring you depends on your personal level of creepy stalkerdom and/or deluded jealousy.
I hope to have actual movie- and/or TV-related posts in the near future.
November 16, 2008
Wanda Sykes
This weekend, Wanda Sykes officially joined the ranks of out lesbian comedians. So in celebration, I present to you... her thoughts on titties.
November 8, 2008
Relax, It's Just Sex
When I set out to write about Relax, It's Just Sex (P.J. Castellaneta, 1998), I was going to describe it as a comedy. I laugh out loud whenever I watch it, and the title and box art certainly have a humourous flavour. Then I remembered that it deals with some pretty heavy stuff-- AIDS, gay bashing, death -- and a pivotal scene involves sexual violence. There goes my easy label. Still, it's the funny parts that I enjoy, more than the dark or maudlin parts, so I guess in the end I'll still call it a comedy, but with a caveat: be prepared for some difficult patches.
And another warning -- if you don't care for films in which the low budget is obvious in the sets and lighting (most of this one was shot at the producers' and crews' homes), or if rougher acting puts you off, this may not be for you. On the indie continuum I'd say it's closer to High Art than Go Fish.
That doesn't bother me personally. I'm more inclined to bitch about the heavy-handed ending (seeing a pattern yet?) and the way the main character disappears for a big chunk of time, late in the film, and then is never really reintegrated back into the story. But usually I'm too busy cracking up to work up much disappointment, and besides, it's not Vincey the frustrated gay man I'm interested in.
The other characters include a straight couple, two gay male couples, and a lesbian love triangle. Early on we learn (via flashbacks) that Sarina and Megan, who had been together a million years, have just split up because Megan is dating a man.
For comfort, Sarina turns to her pal Robin, who just so happens to have been pining after her in secret. Robin also happens to be the primary reason I love this movie. Characters I can relate to, really identify with, are few and far between (something I'm sure I'll go on and on about in a couple weeks when I review the new movie Butch Jamie). But here we have a genuine butch dyke, flannel shirts and sports jerseys and all. (Although I have a problem with her bedroom -- what self-respected butch has a freakin' canopy bed?)
"I know I'm not girly girly like Megan," Robin says at one point. "I'm not even girly girly like RuPaul. Shit, next to me, Janet Reno looks femme."
Anyways, Sarina and Robin get together, but Robin doesn't quite get everything she's been hoping for, and Megan's not entirely out of the picture either. The storyline feels very real to me and it's the only one in the film that comes to any kind of satisfying conclusion.
It's also the source of some of the most hilarious moments, like when Megan's mother expresses her extreme disappointment at the fact that her daughter is no longer a lesbian: "What are we going to tell our friends at PFLAG?"
The ensemble cast includes Lori Petty as Robin, Mitchell Anderson (If These Walls Could Talk 2) as Vincey, and Jennifer Tilly (Bound) as Tara, the fag-hag heart of the group of friends. The writer/director uses a very effective confessional-type device that helps weave all the storylines and characters together: we see "videotaped" clips of each character talking about things that have happened to them, and eventually we realize that one of them has been interviewing the others with a camcorder.
And another warning -- if you don't care for films in which the low budget is obvious in the sets and lighting (most of this one was shot at the producers' and crews' homes), or if rougher acting puts you off, this may not be for you. On the indie continuum I'd say it's closer to High Art than Go Fish.
That doesn't bother me personally. I'm more inclined to bitch about the heavy-handed ending (seeing a pattern yet?) and the way the main character disappears for a big chunk of time, late in the film, and then is never really reintegrated back into the story. But usually I'm too busy cracking up to work up much disappointment, and besides, it's not Vincey the frustrated gay man I'm interested in.
The other characters include a straight couple, two gay male couples, and a lesbian love triangle. Early on we learn (via flashbacks) that Sarina and Megan, who had been together a million years, have just split up because Megan is dating a man.
For comfort, Sarina turns to her pal Robin, who just so happens to have been pining after her in secret. Robin also happens to be the primary reason I love this movie. Characters I can relate to, really identify with, are few and far between (something I'm sure I'll go on and on about in a couple weeks when I review the new movie Butch Jamie). But here we have a genuine butch dyke, flannel shirts and sports jerseys and all. (Although I have a problem with her bedroom -- what self-respected butch has a freakin' canopy bed?)
"I know I'm not girly girly like Megan," Robin says at one point. "I'm not even girly girly like RuPaul. Shit, next to me, Janet Reno looks femme."
Anyways, Sarina and Robin get together, but Robin doesn't quite get everything she's been hoping for, and Megan's not entirely out of the picture either. The storyline feels very real to me and it's the only one in the film that comes to any kind of satisfying conclusion.
It's also the source of some of the most hilarious moments, like when Megan's mother expresses her extreme disappointment at the fact that her daughter is no longer a lesbian: "What are we going to tell our friends at PFLAG?"
The ensemble cast includes Lori Petty as Robin, Mitchell Anderson (If These Walls Could Talk 2) as Vincey, and Jennifer Tilly (Bound) as Tara, the fag-hag heart of the group of friends. The writer/director uses a very effective confessional-type device that helps weave all the storylines and characters together: we see "videotaped" clips of each character talking about things that have happened to them, and eventually we realize that one of them has been interviewing the others with a camcorder.
Maybe the reason I struggled to categorize Relax, It's Just Sex is that it's really one of a kind. Its plot is not one we've seen over and over again. Its characters are individuals rather than types. Its style is its own. I mean, how many movies can crack jokes about AIDS without stooping to a South Park level of crassness?
Anyway, I bought a copy because I've seen it a dozen times and I'm still laughing and still cheering for Robin. And, if I'm honest, still wishing there was more scenes of the girls getting down and dirty. On the DVD commentary, Tilly and Petty joke about filming extra sex scenes to help sell more copies. My answer to that? Yes please!
November 5, 2008
Desert Hearts sequel(s)
Director Donna Deitch talked about potential sequels to Desert Hearts in an interview with Andrea Meyerson posted yesterday on AfterEllen. Yes, you read that right -- sequels, plural. She says she wants to make a series of films "about the world of Desert Hearts -- and that may sound a bit vague, and that's a little bit intentional."
The first of these will feature Cay and Vivian, the main characters from the original, but they'll be supporting characters this time around. The film will be set "in the heart of the second wave of the women's movement in New York," which, according to Deitch, was "a time when more women in history came out than any other time." It'll have an ensemble cast and tell the stories of "numerous women":
There's a combination of phrases I never thought I'd hear, but I have to tell you, I'm intrigued. I adore sci-fi. There aren't any gay sci-fi films -- none that I can think of, anyway. It's definitely a concept worth exploring.
Deitch says she doesn't have "a precise timeline" for production or release, but then Meyerson didn't ask for even a vague estimate. It sounds like the first of the sequels is in the writing stage and the rest is pure speculation.
The first of these will feature Cay and Vivian, the main characters from the original, but they'll be supporting characters this time around. The film will be set "in the heart of the second wave of the women's movement in New York," which, according to Deitch, was "a time when more women in history came out than any other time." It'll have an ensemble cast and tell the stories of "numerous women":
Desert Hearts will begin to collect more characters, and so then in the next sequel, there'll be new characters and the older characters from the one before. . . . I'm thinking about making a few of them and in the end of it, I'm contemplating doing a sci-fi Desert Hearts.
There's a combination of phrases I never thought I'd hear, but I have to tell you, I'm intrigued. I adore sci-fi. There aren't any gay sci-fi films -- none that I can think of, anyway. It's definitely a concept worth exploring.
Deitch says she doesn't have "a precise timeline" for production or release, but then Meyerson didn't ask for even a vague estimate. It sounds like the first of the sequels is in the writing stage and the rest is pure speculation.
November 2, 2008
Sandra Valls
This week's Brunch With Bridget features out comedian Sandra Valls, who is featured along with Bridget in this month's Curve magazine (note to self: pick up a copy already!).
Actually, this whole post is kind of a note to self to check out more of Sandra's standup, since I had never heard of her before today.
Here's the first performance that pops up on YouTube.
October 24, 2008
TV coulda-beens
In the latest Cat on the Prowl, Cat Davis and her guest Andy Goldblatt brought up one of my favourite subjects: TV characters who seemed gay (but never came out). Oddly enough, both their picks were children... Penny from Inspector Gadget and Punky Brewster... but there are tons more to talk about (and plenty of non-animated, non-minor, non-icky ones).
So here, in no particular order, are five characters I think should have been gay.
1. Jo Polniaczek, The Facts of Life
If this show were on today (instead of 1979-88), Jo would have to be a dyke. No two ways about it. Television producers could not get away with a motorcycle-driving, trash-talking, dress-shunning teenage tomboy and not have her come out. All that bickering with roommate Blair was so obviously a result of unresolved sexual tension.
The writers threw a bevy of boyfriends Jo's way to convince us she was straight -- she was even married off in the final season -- and her butcher qualities were written off as the "unfortunate" consequence of a lower-class upbringing, but discerning fans weren't fooled. Many a lesbian in her 30s or 40s cites Jo as one of her first girl crushes.
2. Deb Morgan, Dexter
Here's a more contemporary example. Debra Morgan, sister to the title character, found herself involved with a serial killer in Season One (before he kidnapped her and tried to get Dexter to kill her) and a much older man in Season Two (clearly the expression of some serious daddy issues). I think she'd have much better luck with women. She's a total catch -- she's a cop, she works out, she's unbelievably loyal to her brother -- and she clearly has good taste. After all, she described Dexter's girlfriend Rita (played by Julie Benz) as "fuckin' perfect."
3. Ash and Scribbs, Murder in Suburbia
Emma Scribbins and Kate Ashford are detectives and partners. No, not in the good way. But they should be and here's why. They're perennially dumping or being dumped by bastard men, and yet are perfectly happy in each other's company. They often bicker a la Jo and Blair (see above), and yet are loyal friends who'd probably take a bullet for each other. They see themselves ending up in an old age home together in fifty years, and yet they don't see that they should just forget about the bastard men altogether and shack up now.
4. Sarah Connor, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Another Sarah, this one younger and much more concerned with social pressure. Sarah is the teenage daughter of polygamists Bill and Barb (and Nicolette and Margene), so she's no stranger to keeping secrets. Plus, she's the only one on my list who's actually had a (sort-of) brush with lesbianism. In Season One, Sarah befriended Heather, a baby dyke in denial (although that's not explicitly stated or shown) who pined for her big time. In Season Two, their perceptive frenemy Rhonda tried to blackmail Heather by threatening to tell Sarah about her feelings.
So here, in no particular order, are five characters I think should have been gay.
1. Jo Polniaczek, The Facts of Life
If this show were on today (instead of 1979-88), Jo would have to be a dyke. No two ways about it. Television producers could not get away with a motorcycle-driving, trash-talking, dress-shunning teenage tomboy and not have her come out. All that bickering with roommate Blair was so obviously a result of unresolved sexual tension.
The writers threw a bevy of boyfriends Jo's way to convince us she was straight -- she was even married off in the final season -- and her butcher qualities were written off as the "unfortunate" consequence of a lower-class upbringing, but discerning fans weren't fooled. Many a lesbian in her 30s or 40s cites Jo as one of her first girl crushes.
2. Deb Morgan, Dexter
Here's a more contemporary example. Debra Morgan, sister to the title character, found herself involved with a serial killer in Season One (before he kidnapped her and tried to get Dexter to kill her) and a much older man in Season Two (clearly the expression of some serious daddy issues). I think she'd have much better luck with women. She's a total catch -- she's a cop, she works out, she's unbelievably loyal to her brother -- and she clearly has good taste. After all, she described Dexter's girlfriend Rita (played by Julie Benz) as "fuckin' perfect."
3. Ash and Scribbs, Murder in Suburbia
Emma Scribbins and Kate Ashford are detectives and partners. No, not in the good way. But they should be and here's why. They're perennially dumping or being dumped by bastard men, and yet are perfectly happy in each other's company. They often bicker a la Jo and Blair (see above), and yet are loyal friends who'd probably take a bullet for each other. They see themselves ending up in an old age home together in fifty years, and yet they don't see that they should just forget about the bastard men altogether and shack up now.
4. Sarah Connor, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
I'll admit I've never seen this show. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of my all-time favourite movies and Sarah Connor, as played by Linda Hamilton, one of my favourite characters. Lena Headey's take looks good too, but I just can't get past the teen-boy angst factor. I'll tell you what would make me watch it, though -- if Sarah were gay.
Think about it: Lena's already played gay more than once, so we know she can do the job. Sarah, with her buff bod and hard-edged personality, would attract dykes in droves. Being all too aware of how short life is (having personally altered the future to buy humanity a little more time), she wouldn't get bogged down by questioning or worrying about what people would think --- she'd just go for it.
Another Sarah, this one younger and much more concerned with social pressure. Sarah is the teenage daughter of polygamists Bill and Barb (and Nicolette and Margene), so she's no stranger to keeping secrets. Plus, she's the only one on my list who's actually had a (sort-of) brush with lesbianism. In Season One, Sarah befriended Heather, a baby dyke in denial (although that's not explicitly stated or shown) who pined for her big time. In Season Two, their perceptive frenemy Rhonda tried to blackmail Heather by threatening to tell Sarah about her feelings.
Sarah rebels against her family's unconventional way of life, but not quite enough for my liking. I'd rather see her throw off the burden of their beliefs altogether and confront Heather about her crush. As it stands, whatever it is between them hasn't been resolved, so it's entirely possible something more will happen in upcoming seasons. Fingers crossed.
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