Gay Republicans at Disney!

Back in 1941.



Of course this was back when a Pink Elephant merely suggested drunkenness.

It gets kind of creepy...

How have I missed him?

Today I saw Hairspray (really liked it), and just fell in love with Zac Efron. I watched the movie and the whole time was thinking "who is this man? I want to be cowboys with him" (a reference to The Best Little Boy in the World). Luckily, the credits to Hairspray are fun to watch so I didn't look like a weirdo staying in the theater long after the movie ended just to learn his name.

I get home, ready to do my internet "research" on this previously unknown (to me) dreamboat. Turns he's a freaking IT boy right now! I feel so behind the times. That's what I get for not seeing High School Musical when everybody else did.

P.S. Even though it's meant to be kitschy, I like him with the Hairspray hair better than the shaggy HSM do. If I liked long hair, I'd be straight. (yes, I am aware there is more than hair at issue here).

The Military

How come every time I watch a Jack Ryan movie I want go out and join the Armed Forces?

If I did, it might postpose the ugliness of coming out (it'll be for AMERICA!).

Of course, the idea of Hills as my Commandrix in Chief makes me physically ill. Nonetheless, I feel kind of disingenuous for not serving--like I use DADT as an excuse (as if I'm out and proud anyway).

Frivolity

I have apparently become a master of procrastination. I Found these recut trailers on youtube, and just had to share them.





And to round things out, I present my favorite:



Who knew that nanny movies could be so creepy :)

5 Political Movies I Love

# 5) Primary Colors. Though no fan of Clinton, I do love this thinly veiled fictionalization of Clinton on the campaign trail. We see how political ambition can turn a flawed though likable man to The Dark Side, so to speak. Kathy Bates' idealistic Libby Holden kills herself when she sees that Jack Stanton is not the same man she though he was; Jack's numerous infidelities kills the soul of his wife until she only concerned with his career; Larry Hagman's Fred Picker is a straight-shooting golden boy whose past catches up to him in an unjust way. In all, it is a picture of how ugly politics can be even when those involved aren't ugly to begin with.

# 4) A Face in the Crowd. This film was Andy Griffith's first big screen appearance, in which he played Lonesome Rhodes. Lonesome goes from a jail house interview to a down-home country radio personality. As he gains popularity Lonesome gains power, even attempting to manipulate a presidential election. Though Lonesome was corrupt to begin with, power only makes him worse until his very public downfall. This film explores very candidly the influence of media.

# 3) The Manchurian Candidate (1962 Version). Angela Lansbury's ambitious and calculating Mrs. Iselin still sends chills up my spine (especially when one compares Mrs. Iselin to grandmotherly amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher). Apart from cold war thriller contrivances such as brain washing, The Manchurian Candidate shows that for some power is the only principle. It explores how the politics of fear can lead us right into the arms of those we fear most--a lesson we oughtn't forget.

# 2) V for Vendetta. I saw this film in the theater and last night re-watched it. Although when it came out, I really enjoyed the film, it somehow seems to have even more meaning to me now. The dystopic, totalitarian and homophobic UK depicted in the film is my worst nightmare. V attempts to remind the masses that governments can only oppress when its citizens are complacent. Now that I am accepting my sexuality and no longer turning a blind eye to the theocrats, this film about fighting for freedom is very poignant indeed.

and my all-time favorite...

# 1) Mister Smith Goes To Washington. Jimmy Stewart plays idealistic Jefferson Smith, a man accidentally thrust into a political world that is entirely alien to him. Corrupt political machines manipulate not only politicians but also entire constituencies. Eventually Jeff Smith must stand alone for what he believes in while his enemies perpetrate a character assassination. In the end, when Jeff collapses from exhaustion, we see finally that truth triumphs over evil. Perhaps Claude Rains' confession is a bit contrived, but sometimes it's nice just to feel good about things.

A Bit of Frivolity

I do like this movie! I've been a fan of Bond since I was in elementary school, but in college I read Ian Fleming's original novels and instantly preferred the tougher, more human literary Bond to his almost unbelievable cinematic counterpart. So imagine my delight when the movie franchise decides to re-start with a bond movie that actually remains faithful to its original source material!

The movie works too. The screenwriters were deftly able to update the story from the Cold War Era to the War on Terror Era while retaining the integrity of the story. We see a Bond that is vulnerable. After being tortured by Le Chiffre, we see Bond in a wheelchair during a recuperative session of a type that occasionally appeared in the books but was absent from the movies. The evil plot was not an outlandish Dr. Evil style super plot, and did not require the suspension of disbelief that had become so common in the franchise.

Let us not forget the obvious, however: Daniel Craig. I'll admit I had been pulling for Clive Owen, and when the announcement came out I was gave the same "huh?" that everyone else did. I am pleased with the choice now. Craig ably balanced the look (despite being blond!), the toughness, the coldness, the vulnerability, the arrogance. Plus, any scene where Craig is shirtless and you can see those sculpted shoulders is pretty hot.

I hope the franchise can keep this new direction for the next few movies. Much of the plot from Fleming's You Only Live Twice was discarded by the film bearing the same title. I'd like to see that one done well. Even if the next Bond movies have entirely original plots, so long as they retain the feel of Casino Royale, I will be at the theaters on opening day.