Who's Cruising Who?

A lot of movies are talked about long after they come out, but those are usually good ones. Cruising, the notorious gay killer thriller written and directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino, is not a good movie by any means. Yet, here we are, 27 years later, still talking about it.

The controversy surrounding the making of the film places it in a unique place in gay history. However, aside from occasional airings on pay cable or dusty VHS tapes, it has mostly stayed buried since its box office failure back in 1980. More people have heard about Cruising then have actually seen it, and the coverage the book and film The Celluloid Closetgave it pretty much damned it in the eyes of most, sight unseen. Friedkin rarely discussed it, and as far as Pacino was concerned, he never made it (for example, it was conspicuously absent from his recent AFI tribute).

Nevertheless, the film did develop a sort of "cult" following through the years, largely due to its scarcity. It was even unofficially "remade" as a comedy, two years after it was first released, as the even more dreadful Partners. (If you really want a laugh though, skip that one and watch Boy Toys, a scene-for-scene "remake" of Cruising ... using Ken dolls. Warning: lots of gratuitous fashion doll nudity and violence.)

So now that Cruising is making its long-delayed DVD debut this Tuesday, a lot of people have been talking about it even more; Friedkin himself is particularly chatty about it. Some say it's worth another look, while others naively wonder what all the fuss was about; this being the internet, there are diverse opinions ranging from the clinical and balanced to the superficial and dismissive.

However, if you read one article about Cruising, make sure it is this superlative piece from Entertainment Weekly contributing writer Mark Harris. Harris covers all the bases regarding the film's infamous makings and deconstructs it with not just a critical eye, but with the eye of a gay man. He also calls to task Friedkin and producer Jerry Weintraub, who (in the DVD extras) try to frame the movie as "a work of art ahead of its time". Yeah, right. If anything, Cruising was a product of its time, not a victim of it.

UPDATE: For his typically laugh-out-loud take on something other then Top Chef, be sure to check out Steven Frank's irreverent look at Cruising over at After.Elton.com.

Click here to pre-order Cruisingon DVD from Amazon.com. Click here to buy Cruisingposters from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, AFI.com, YouTube.com, eBAR.com, Cinematical.com, NYBlade.com, SFBayTimes.com, VillageVoice.com, BrightLightsFilm.com, SFBG.com, NewNowNext.com, AfterElton.com and EW.com.

Attention All Hairhoppers! November 20 is D-Day!

D-day as in DVD day!

Hairspray, this summer's smash musical hit, is hitting DVD November 20 in a big way with four different versions: a single-disc version, a two-disc "Shake & Shimmy" edition in both standard DVD and Blu-ray, plus a special goodies-packed gift set. (An HD-DVD will be released sometime next year.)

The "Shake & Shimmy" edition will come with one of those funky covers that changes pictures when you tilt it (like the Transamerica DVD), in this case from the teens to the adults, as pictured above.

I hardly ever listen to audio commentaries or watch deleted scenes unless I have to, but in this case, I can't wait to devour everything they give me. In addition to that, the two-discer will include a "making of" doc, featurettes on all the dancing, a sing along option (oh yeah) and, most intriguingly, an all new musical number called "I Can Wait". I have no clue what this song is, but personally, I can't wait to hear it.

The two-disc version is included in the deluxe gift pack, which comes in a mini-metal locker (in either "Link Lime" or "Penny Pink"! Cute! But where's the Tracy Turquoise or Edna Eggplant?) that you can decorate with the stickers and photos included, plus a nifty Hairspray tote bag (Big Edie will like that).

And if that isn't enough Hairspray for you for one day, a special two-disc deluxe edition of the now Certified Gold soundtrack will also be released on November 20th! This limited run CD will include "karaoke versions of Hairspray hits, non-soundtrack songs, never-before-heard outtakes, demo recordings, trading cards and more in a special gift set package!"

So start saving your allowance, Hairhoppers! The DVDs and new CD are not yet available for pre-order on Amazon.com yet, but I'll post the links when they are.

And don't forget to vote for your favorite Hairspray song in the MD Poll! You can find it in the sidebar at right, below my profile.

Links via HairsprayMovie.com.

Movie Music: Toot Toot, Tootsie

Warners' 1927 production of The Jazz Singer was not, as most people assume, the first feature film to use synchronized sound, but it was the first to contain synchronized dialogue sequences. The very first line of spoken dialogue ever heard in a feature was the ad-libbed "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet!" (#71 on AFI's list of the top 100 movie quotes of all time), exclaimed by an excited Al Jolson before he launches in to his spirited rendition of "Toot Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye".

Another memorable musical moment from the film (pictured) is when Jolson, visiting his mother (Eugenie Besserer), serenades her with Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies", followed by the first conversation ever heard on film. But the most well known song from The Jazz Singer was Jolson's signature number, "My Mammy", sung (in black face) at the film's finale. This song was so popular, it was often used as a punchline in many movies of or set in the era, such as seemingly every cartoon made at the time, as well as in Singin' in the Rain, set during the dawn of the "talkies".

The Jazz Singer is finally making its debut on DVD October 16, and it looks like it was well worth the wait. Warner Home Video is going all out with a deluxe, three-disc edition, which includes an all-new digital transfer and refurbished soundtrack for the film itself, plus a host of bonus material: commentary from film historians, a slew of cartoon and live action short subjects, the new feature-length documentary The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk, plus such goodies as lobby card reproductions and a recreation of the original souvenir program book.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to pre-order The Jazz Singerfrom Amazon.com now!

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet!": In conjunction with the film's DVD release, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be holding a special, 80th anniversary screening of The Jazz Singer October 5 at their Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The restored version of the film will be seen for the first time in public at this event, hosted by Leonard Maltin.

Click here to purchase The Jazz Singer soundtrackfrom Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, Wikipedia.org, AFI.com and Oscars.org.

Back to School

The leaves are changing, signaling the arrival of autumn, which means a return to school for students of all ages.

However, for those of us who's school days are but a distant memory, we are left to await the imminent arrival of High School Musical 2 on DVD (and Blu-ray!) and pray that Zac and Vanessa will return for the big screen sequel.

High School Musical 3 will reportedly show all the events of the East High Wildcats' senior year, such as prom and graduation and ... maybe even the actual high school musical! In the meantime, we can bide our time with our favorite pastime: looking at pictures of Zac Efron! (UPDATE: And here's some more!)

Or if you like your high school movies with more of a retro feel, head over to Moviefone to peruse their list of the best in the genre, topped by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which may actually be getting that long-rumored sequel after all these years. "Save Ferris" indeed.

Click here to pre-order High School Musical 2on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.
Links via TVGuideOnline.com, MSNBC.msn.com, DotSpotter.com, Televisionista.blogspot.com, Movies.AOL.com and Blogs.TampaBay.com.

There's No Business Like Show Business

Rounding up the latest scoop on exciting DVDs coming your way soon:

Show Business: The Road to Broadway- This documentary takes a rare look at the creation of a Broadway show. Focusing on the 2003-2004 season, the film covers such gay-friendly shows as Avenue Q, Taboo and Wicked. Available October 16.

Warner Directors Series - Stanley Kubrick- What Kubrick fans have been waiting for: two-disc special editions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and Full Metal Jacket. No official word though if never-before-seen deleted scenes will be included. Available October 23.

Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Five- Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the whole Warner Brothers gang are back with even more classic cartoons. Visit TV Shows on DVD for a full contents list. Available October 30.

John Waters: This Filthy World- A candid look at the sultan of trash cinema, John Waters. Includes dishy bits on Kathleen Turner, Tab Hunter and Divine. Available October 30.

Cruising- This controversial film's long-delayed DVD release will be preceded by a special screening at the Castro Theatre this Friday. Meanwhile, fans of the movie can find a like-minded soul over at Film4, or you can head over to Slate to find out how Cruising star Al Pacino got typecast as ... Al Pacino. Available September 18.

All the DVDs covered here are currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Click on the individual titles to purchase them now.

Links via Playbill.com, Cinematical.com, FilmBabble.blogspot.com, TVShowsOnDVD.com, SGN.org, SFGate.com, CastroTheatre.com, Channel4.com and Slate.com.

Replicants and Reprobates

All the latest on notable films coming soon to DVD:

Blade Runner- I have never been a member of the "Church of Blade Runner". Sure, it's a great sci fi flick, but all those alternate versions (real or rumored) is too much to keep track of, and now the so-called definitive "final cut" is making its way to DVD in a myriad of editions. Now, can we put to rest all those "Is Deckard a replicant" debates?

Caligula- If all those Blade Runners make your head spin, then get ready for not one, not two, but three different versions of this notorious historical epic. The presence of Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and Gore Vidal should make the bonus features interesting.

Mala Noche- Finally making its DVD debut is Gus Van Sant's first feature film, a tale of one man's obsessive lust for the unattainable object of his desire.

Surf's Up- I really have no desire to see more animated penguins, but this upcoming DVD may get a look-see if only for the return of the ChubbChubbs.
Nick Name and the Normals- An ex-Mormon-turned-gay-punk-rock-singer is the star of this documentary.

Twilight Zone: The Movie- "You wanna see something really scary?" How about the long-delayed DVD of this infamous film adaptation of the classic TV series? Another Spielberg-related film on the DVD horizon: a Poltergeist special edition.

Cruising- For all you ever wanted to know about Cruising (the movie, finally surfacing on DVD this fall) but were afraid to ask, head over to Nightcharm (warning: site contains pictures and content soooo NSFW).

Twin Peaks- Cult TV fans start saving for this 10-disc Definitive Gold Box Edition, which, unlike the first season set already available, will actually include the first episode.

Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934- The National Film Preservation Foundation does it again with an upcoming four-DVD box set collecting rare and forgotten films from the dawn of cinema. The collection will include 48 films, all new to DVD, dealing with such hot topics as birth control, homelessness and immigration. Ah, the more things change, the more things stay the same ...

Planet Terrorand Death Proof- And finally: All you fans of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse, prepare to be double-dipped. Not only are the two parts (Planet Terror, Death Proof) that made up the full Grindhouse film being released on DVD separately, but all the fake trailers that made the original theatrical version so much fun will be MIA. One need only to read between the lines to figure out that a complete "ultimate Grindhouse experience" set will be unleashed sometime down the line.

Click on the individual titles to pre-order the DVDs from Amazon.com.

Links via ObsesseedWithFilm.com, TheDigitalBits.com, MovieWeb.com, Criterion.com, AWN.com, HotInHollywood.tv, Nightcharm.com and FilmPreservation.org.

Trick or Treat ... or Both?

My pal Robrt Pela (Monica Breedlove’s second cousin) sent me the link to this news with the subject line "Mother of GOD!", and boy, was he right.

TVShowsOnDVD reports that S'more Entertainment is releasing The Paul Lynde Halloween Special on DVD October 2nd. The 1976 television special has not been seen since it originally aired, yet it has attained over the years a sort-of cult-like status for those who remember it.

This venture, which makes you wonder what TV execs were smokin' back then, not only stars everyone's favorite gay warlock uncle (pictured), but also features a plethora of gay faves such as Betty White, Florence Henderson, Roz "Pinkie Tuscadero" Kelly and both Margaret Hamilton as "the Wicked Witch of the West" from The Wizard of Oz and Billie Hayes as "Witchiepoo" from H.R. Pufnstuf.

Wait, there's more: the special not only had wholesome Donny and Marie as well, but it also marked the "primetime television debut" of rock band KISS, a full two years before their equally craptastic KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.

Yeah, I know, my head just exploded too from the thought of all this queer pop culture colliding at once in one space and time. It is amazing that the medium of television didn't just stop existing at that point, for this ... this was surely nirvana.

Now, there are a lot of scary things about this show, not the least of which is that it is all set in a circus, but the scariest is this: I think actually I saw it.

I would have been eight-years-old at the time, and my two older brothers (who couldn't have been more different from me) were very into KISS (see, I told you), so I'm sure we watched it. I have a vague memory of Lynde doing some sort of interview with the rockers and, when asking them how they came up with the name of the band, he said something along the lines of "What, did your mothers tell you to kiss and make up?" (Yep, that was the level of the humor in it.) Again, I'm not entirely sure if it was Lynde who asked that question, but really; who else could it have been?

Any one out there who can confirm this exchange from the show in the comments section below will be greatly exalted. If not, I guess I'll just have to wait until October 2nd to see for myself. As I'm sure you will too.

Come on, how can you resist it?

UPDATE: Turns out, my memories were correct, and here's the proof.

Click here to pre-order The Paul Lynde Halloween Specialon DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via PhoenixNewTimes.com, TVShowsOnDVD.com and Imdb.com.

Women We Love: Myrna Loy

Myrna Loy was the epitome of class.

During her long, amazing career she starred in everything from melodramas (The Rains Came) to screwball comedies (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) to social commentaries (The Best Years of Our Lives) to extravagant musicals (The Great Ziegfeld) to all-star blockbusters (Airport 1975) to a long-running series of romantic who-done-its (The Thin Man, et al).

Yet, in all that time and with all those performances, Loy was never once nominated for an Oscar (the Academy made up for it with an honorary award in 1991), nor has she ever been as canonized as such peers as Davis, Crawford and Hepburn.

However, all one has to do is watch one of her pictures on TCM or on DVD (such as the upcoming box set collecting her non-Nick and Nora movies with frequent co-star William Powell, available August 7) to see how graceful, how witty, how classy she truly is; if you do, I guarantee she will be elevated to your own list of favorite screen actresses.

Click here to pre-order Myrna Loy and William Powell Collectionon DVD from Amazon.com.

Link via Imdb.com.

Coming Soon: An Introduction

Amy Adams in Enchanted

News on upcoming movies, TV shows and DVDs to watch for, including the always fun game of "Armchair Casting".

Link via Imdb.com.