Flight of the Conchords

TELEVISION If you’re not familiar with "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk-parody duo", then do yourself a favor and check out the cutting-edge 12-part musical-comedy series airing on HBO Flight of the Conchords. It makes my ears feel good and is soaring to the top of my must-see list. Yeah, Conchords. Not grapes, but these two guys, Jemaine and Bret, who create beautiful music together and are always looking for a gig. And it’s odd they don’t get more work because they have a wide variety of songs and sounds that comment on things from "Inner City Pressure" (reminiscent of the philosophical Pet Shop Boys) to a sweet serenade, singing "you’re the most beautiful girl in the whole wide room…you could be a part-time model…"
Now living in New York City, these dudes share a small apartment, give new meaning to the word chaperone, and are pretty much joined at the hip. Not literally joined at the hip, like Siamese twins, because they aren’t twins, or from Siam. Or Thailand. And I don’t even know if they like Thai food. But they fill my belly with laughs just like Pad Thai noodles.
The duo’s only and biggest fan is Mel, a young woman who seems to have eyes for Bret. Murray is the manager always working hard for their success and thinking outside the box, like when he sets up the two with a musical card manufacturer. But things don’t go well when Bret’s idol David Bowie appears in a dream (sounding a bit like James Mason) suggesting flashing the guy to help get the job. And Bret even painted lightning bolts on his member.
Always creative and expanding their repertoire, Bret and Jemaine even do some gangsta folk and pick rap names, like Rhymenoceros and Hiphopopotamus. But nothing is more touching than when they sing the reflective words: "Brown paper, white paper, sticking together with the tape – the tape of love… the sticky stuff."

Check out my favorite foreplay song "It’s Business Time" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

“Inner City Pressure“: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUiM1Ixp6K4&mode

“Tape of Love”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgh4B-SeV44

Rescue Dawn

FLICK Adept at directing both documentaries and fiction, Werner Herzog has dramatized his real-life story Little Dieter Needs to Fly, about navy fighter pilot Dieter Dengler who was shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War and held captive in a prison camp.
Herzog transcends typical war clichés about survival to focus this compelling movie on bonding and camaraderie. That doesn’t mean he shies away from the nightmare of torture. Christian Bale excels as Dengler, appearing to do his own dangerous stunts as when we see him close to drowning in a well, having a Fear Factor moment at meal time and being dragged while having his hands and feet tied to the back of a cow. Apparently on the same diet as when he starred in The Machinist, Bale, along with an intensely gaunt Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies, not only create the physically emaciated look of POWs, but present a convincing range of emotions that match the naturalness of their surroundings. Bale exudes an unexpected but appropriate calmness and confidence as Dengler concocts an escape plan not knowing where they are or what they will encounter on their trek. There are no unnecessarily contrived moments nor the conspicuous use of special effects. You’re always aware that they are really in the middle of the jungle, which, like a documentary, lends realness to the hunted evading the hunters but here involves the survival of the fittest using their wits.
Though there is an unavoidable urge to relate it to the current war in Iraq, Herzog distinguishes Rescue Dawn by keeping the focus on the empathy and humanity of the captives. This is particularly true of Dengler (Bale) and Duane (Zahn) holding onto hope and their commitment to watching each other’s backs in order to get out alive in the midst of a hell zone. My Score: 9 out of 10.

TOP CHEF – Watch What Happens

TELEVISION I watched, but what happened wasn’t quite as much fun as the competition episodes. Though a lot of the info “revealed” can be found at the BravoTV.com blogs and message boards, the main reason to catch this episode is see some familiar and friendly faces.
But there were a few clips and tidbits that were worth sticking around for...

• First, Ilan might have thought it was fun to wear the tux but it was not pretty, between the oversized tie and wearing no socks with the pant legs rising up above his calves.
• Harold’s restaurant Perilla has opened.
• Padma said she gained a lot of weight during season two. Where? In her thumb?
• It was noted that Tom Colicchio eats precisely like a surgeon.
• Regarding boyfriends and girlfriends, Hung said it could go either way. If only I could get Fan Favorite Sam over here, I’d overlook doing it in duck fat!
• Three of the Top Chef Fights shown naturally involved Marcel. But my favorite of all time was Mia laying into Cliff, telling him to put his dick away, in front of the judge’s table.
• The funniest moment of the night was a clip with the last five season two chef-testants recreating a Quckfire Challenge in their hotel room, with Elia doing a spot-on impersonation of Padma. I cracked up when she asked why the steak tasted like steak.
• Dale’s response to the fact that the chef-testants have to give up cell phones, computers, TV and radio was all that’s left to do is “eat, sleep, drink, smoke – that’s about it.”
• Regarding Padma’s outfits, Tim Gunn said that he loves them and Sandee responded that after looking at the chefs all day, Padma brightened up the kitchen! I'll bet she does.
• Also loved hearing Padma say: "we're missing a spatula that I use for a mirror!
• And we found out that Chef Tom is an icon of the Bear community. Ted summed up the description nicely, saying bears are burly gay men and find Tom delicious!

If Sam is the Fan Favorite (that’s such a no-brainer) then check out another contender, the evening’s hot and handsome host, Andy Cohen. http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andysblog/bio.html

Hairspray

FLICK Borrowing a line from the finale, like the motion of the ocean, you can’t stop the beat – or the toe-tapping – once Tracy Turnblad leaves her home for school singing "Good Morning, Baltimore," in the new version of John Walters’ Hairspray. Set in the early 1960’s, open-minded and fun-loving teenager Tracy follows her dream to dance with the kids on the Corny Collins Show. With Negro Day happening only once a month on the locally produced program, Tracy challenges the forces of discrimination to promote integration so the world will live, and Twist, as one. With its celebratory tone and joyfully detailed choreography, this crowd-pleaser has lots of showstoppers that will put a smile on your face and make you feel as if you’ve used a relaxant all over your body.
Like the recent production of The Producers, Hairspray is the film adaptation of a Tony award-winning Broadway musical that was reinvented from a movie. The original film had an assortment of B-listers like singers Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry, Ricki Lake and most notably, the infamous cross-dresser Divine. This eclectic mix maintained director Waters’ subversive style while adding familiarity to an inventive script, nudging him into the mainstream. This new version ups the ante with notable A-listers and familiar faces to appeal to just about everyone. Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and Queen Latifah work their magic along with newcomer Nikki Blonsky who easily carries her weight, and the film, as Tracy.
Keeping his personal beliefs aside, John Travolta is still the elephant in the room as housewife Edna Turnblad, a female character always played with a wink to the audience by a plus-sized man. With Divine in the film, and Harvey Fierstein and Bruce Vilanch alternately in the stage versions, there was never the need to feminize Edna, only to let a natural fabulousness emerge. Choosing not to mimic his predecessors, Travolta works hard doing the opposite, coming off ultra dainty and sweet, and the only one using a Baltimore accent. It takes a while to adjust to all of this, not to mention his physical appearance, as the obvious padded fat suit and makeup set Travolta apart, replicating one of the animated hippos in Disney’s Fantasia. But those hippos swayed gracefully when they danced, and so does Travolta, particularly in a backyard pas de deux with his devoted onscreen husband Walken.
With all the aerosol around, the younger cast members, including Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Elijah Kelley and Brittany Snow, gel and are never stiff, gliding smoothly in their beautifully appropriate period costumes.
For added dimension and contrast, check out the 1988 version. If you flip for the original, you won’t be teased by the remake. My Score: 9 out of 10.

Mommie Dearest

FLICK From comedy to drama and Hollywood Royalty to Box Office Poison, Joan Crawford did it all. And so does Faye Dunaway playing Crawford in Mommie Dearest screening Saturday July 21, at 11:15PM at the Jamaican Jerk Hut as part of PIGLFF.

Though it’s been reported that Dunaway feels the film, based on Christina Crawford’s best-selling memoir, may have dismantled her career, she is no less than mesmerizing as the Oscar winner – from calm and reserved star to over-the-top maniac in kabuki-like makeup. The film tries to play it straight but veers out of control to become a camp classic. I get sucked in every time it’s on. But half the fun of watching the movie is repeating the memorable quotes. Listed below are my favorites. How many can you add? (1981, 129 minutes)

• Joan (to the housekeeper, finding dirt under a planter): I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at the dirt!
• Joan: Tear down that bitch of a bearing wall and put a window where it ought to be.
• Joan: Don't fuck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.
• Christina: There's a liquor store to the right. Joan: I should've known you'd know where to find the boys and the booze.
• Christina: Yes, Mommie Dearest.
  Joan: When I asked you to call me that, I wanted you to mean it.
• Joan: Tina! Bring me the axe!
• Joan: Why can't you give me the respect that I'm entitled to? Why can't you treat me like I would be treated by any stranger on the street? Christina: Because I am NOT one of your fans.
• Joan: No wire hangers, ever!
• Christina (racing Joan in the swimming pool): It's not fair to win twice.
  Joan: Nobody ever said life was fair, Tina. I'm bigger and I'm faster. I will always beat you.
• Joan (referring to a bloody steak on Christina’s plate): You haven't touched your lunch. Christina: It's raw. Joan: It's not raw, Tina, it’s rare.
• Joan (on Oscar night): I would rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world. You, all of you here and everywhere, gave me this award tonight. And I accept it from you and only you. I love all of you. Now please forgive me, good night.

TOP CHEF – Latin Lunch

TELEVISION: First the news: Congratulations on the first of many Emmy nominations! According to bloggingtopchef, the Top Chef Miami finale will air live, raising the cloche on the winner to both the audience and the cheftestants at the same time. Bravo also announced that season four’s location will be Chicago. Information on casting, which begins this month, can be found at BravoTV.com/casting.
But most importantly, according to viewers who answered the text poll, the sexiest judge is, without a doubt, Tom Colicchio, with 48% of the votes. Padma came in second with 38% and Gail, with the sparkling personality, came in third with only 14%. She can still come to my place for lunch.
Before the Quickfire Challenge begins, Joey states he’s the gray horse and no one sees him coming while Hung tells us the competition is all about finesse, style, grace and elegance. Are their comments spot-on? Tonight’s QFC has the flavor of Dale’s debacle from last week: create a dish using the widely used, timesaving innovation, the frozen piecrust. Serving as guest judge tonight is top pastry chef Maria Frumkin, owner of Miami’s Duo Café.
With only 90 minutes to roll them out, this challenge offers more range as the options can swing from sweet to savory. The least favorite dishes included mad man Hung’s runny Banana Rum and Chocolate Cream Pie that didn’t set properly. Dales was told the saffron was overwhelming in the Spinach and Salmon en Croute accompanied with Strawberry, Pear and Saffron Tart with Vanilla Goat Cheese Cream. (I’d love to taste his tart!) And Lia was told the flavors in her Artichoke Chorizo and Pork Tart with Fennel Pear Salad didn’t marry well together.
Best of the bunch was Sara M’s Rabbit Stew and Tre’s Apple Tarte Tatin but topping the tarts was gray horse Joey’s Tart Trio, guaranteeing he won’t be cut from tonight’s competition.
The Elimination Challenge required catering a Latin lunch for Latinos – 20 people from Telemundo’s popular telenovela "Dame Chocolate." Everyone went shopping for 30 minutes then returned to cook for three hours – until Chef Tom announced that lunch had been pushed up and they now have half the prep time! First there is dead silence then it’s fast-forward motion, especially for Hung, who is already cranked up and nearly slices Casey with a cleaver. Guess his earlier comment can go down the garbage disposal.
The luncheon seemed jovial and the guests were good critics but had to return to the set, leaving the judges at the chopping block. There was the good, the bad and the ugly, but nary a sign of what Brian prepared. Did I miss something?
The top two were new best buds Joey and Howie who couldn’t quit lapping up each other’s meals. Joey, who is now on a winning streak, created a Bean Stew with Lobster, Shrimp, Chicken, and Chorizo. But Howie won, again using Braised Pork Shoulder but adding Yucca Sour Orange Mojo. His prize was "a very, very nice" bottle of wine from Argentina that he shared with Joey. All the tension from the past seems to be released and hopefully they got a private room to sip the sweet stuff.
At the bottom of the barrel was Sara N, whose Avocado, Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche was more like a guacamole dip, and not a meal. You’d think if you couldn’t master basics like rice and chicken, it would be enough to get axed. Hung’s Arroz con Pollo was dry and under seasoned as was Casey’s, but her Coffee Molasses Glaze, which was supposed to be a variation on mole and sounded good, was called bitter. I was surprised that it was last week’s champion, Lia who was sent packing. Perhaps her Smoked Rainbow Trout with Pablano Polenta was the least Latin. Told it lacked flavor and was mushy, Padma said it was inedible but Tom said just wasn’t good.
This season, the chef’s seem more helpful and supportive, hugging and applauding each other. And given the name of the telenovela, it’s interesting that no one incorporated into his or her dish, known for euphoric and aphrodisiac qualities, chocolate…

Longtime Companion

With a successful film and stage career, Craig Lucas has written six plays that were performed on Broadway and Off Broadway, including the Pulitzer Prize-nominated "Prelude to a Kiss," and most recently "The Light in the Piazza." He also adapted and directed his play "The Dying Gaul" for film. Lucas’ collaborator and Longtime Companion’s director, Norman René, died of AIDS in 1996.
FLICK Longtime Companion takes it title from the term that was used in obituaries to refer to the deceased's gay spouse, partner or lover. It's the portrait of a group of friends in NYC and Fire Island that we see for one day a year from 1980 over the span of 10 years, who are affected by AIDS, or the "gay cancer" as it was originally referred to in the New York Times. For having such a serious topic and several incredibly moving and memorable scenes (think of Bruce Davison, in an Oscar nominated performance, saying, "just let go…"), this film is insightful and lovingly told with humor.
The opening song, "The Tide Is High," sets the tone that something is about to overtake these characters but they won't let it hold them back. ("The tide is high but I'm moving on...I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that.") The ensemble cast is outstanding all around, with notable and enduring actors like Davison, Dermot Mulroney, Campbell Scott and Mary-Louise Parker.
There is no other scene in the movies that moves me more than the one on the beach, when three friends imagine all of their friends and other who’ve passed away returning for one last reunion. The song by Zane Campbell is appropriately titled "Post-Mortem Bar" and begins after the line "I want to be there if they ever find a cure..."
I've always wondered why there were two posters for this movie. The first one I saw has a close-up of Willy (Scott) and John (Mulroney) hugging. The second poster has a long shot of Willy , Fuzzy (Stephen Caffrey) and Lisa (Parker) walking on the beach. Was this second poster created so as not to be in your face with two men, and to include a woman in order to appeal to a wider audience and appear that this is not just a film for gays? Also, Fuzzy is wearing a white t-shirt in the second poster, but in the film, he is wearing a black t-shirt with two sailors kissing with the caption, "Read my lips."
Film historian Vito Russo stated in The Advocate: "It is the first major movie to deal with gay men and AIDS; it doesn't try to explain gay life to a mainstream audience; and it contains more affection and intimacy between men than virtually any other film in recent memory."
(1990) My Score: 10 out of 10.

Craig Lucas is receiving an Artistic Achievement Award at the 13th annual Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this Saturday, July 21 at 5pm at the Arts Bank followed by a screening of Longtime Companion.

Times Have Been Better

Boy, you can say that title again, especially after spending 90 minutes with distraught heterosexuals.
On a visit home, successful businessman Jérémy (Arnaud Binard, from 2004’s Grand Ecole) decides it’s time to come out of the closet and tell his family that he is gay. Though it was difficult for him, it becomes all about them. While his college-bound brother, Robin, has kept Jérémy’s secret for a long time, the reaction of his parents makes him realize that he will always be son numéro deux. While their parents are very liberal and lean to the left, when it comes to Jérémy’s sexuality they feel he isn’t right. When Jérémy explains that he is in a stable and loving relationship with Marc, he has created a situation for his parents to examine themselves and the state of their own connection. This would be fine in itself, but the rest of the film focuses on what a problem it is for Guy, his father, and how this has ruined his life and his virility is challenged. It gets worse when Guy must dissect and imagine exactly what it is that his son does in bed with his life-partner. Mon dieu!
When Jérémy’s mother, Rosine (A Love to Hide's Charlotte de Turckheim), seeks out the advice of her co-worker Yvan, he thinks that being a bitchy queen won’t help her but actually assists with her self-discovery.
For all of the frustrating plot points, this 2006 French made-for-TV movie has top-notch acting and great production values, particularly the soundtrack, which helps to keep the tone light and move beyond the downbeat straights and their supposed dilemma. (AKA Le Ciel sur la tête -- literally The Sky Above Your Head.) My Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Currently screening at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF): http://www.phillyfests.com/piglff/home.cfm

PIGLesbianFF

Over the weekend I was lucky to screen four strong and diverse films with a lesbian focus at the 13th annual Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF), continuing through July 24. If you haven’t seen any of the following achievements, keep your eyes open as they could pop up as a Festival Favorite at the end of next week. Hopefully they’ll get a theatrical release before landing on DVD. Each is unique in tone and point of view.
One of the great benefits about a film festival is having guests on hand. Two of the stars from Out at the Wedding, Cathy DeBuono and Andrea Marcellus, were mingling at the XXX at XIX party on Saturday night and seemed to make fast-friends with everyone they met. Their cheerful personalities are easily translated in the hilarious romantic-comedy, about a straight woman, Alex (Marcellus) pegged as a lesbian at her sister’s wedding. The laughs are non-stop, as the cast elevates the script about identity, perception and puts a new twist on staying in the closet. Instead of a gay person who is typically portrayed as uncomfortable with being out, it’s Alex who hides and keeps secrets from loved ones.
Also on hand this weekend were co-directors Dominque Cardona and Laurie Colbert who presented their impressive feature Finn’s Girl, about a lesbian mother juggling the troubles of raising a rebellious daughter while getting death threats from pro-life fanatics. This alternately touching and gripping drama takes a controversial topic and adds a ripped-from-the-headlines conclusion that challenges traditional thinking. I wasn’t familiar with the progressive theory but now have something new to read up on.
Radical feminist politics and patriarchy gets skewered in the satire Itty Bitty Titty Committee about a punk guerrilla group that influences a shy Latina working for a plastic surgeon. When Anna realizes that a chest size is unimportant and it’s the surgeon who is a boob, she joins the C(I)A (or Clits in Action) and helps the subversive sisters make political statements and raise consciousness. Some of the bois might like this one, but the target audience is definitely for the grrls.
Probably the most beautiful film at the festival is The Chinese Botanist’s Daughter, about a woman who goes to study herbal medicine and falls in love with the professor’s daughter. The stunning filmmaking accents the story from moments like a rainstorm seeping through the cracks in the bedroom ceiling that parallels a woman’s breaking heart to the general surroundings of the lush gardens that reflect the growth and beauty of two women in love.

Love and Other Disasters

FLICK Did you ever think anyone would compare Brittany Murphy and Audrey Hepburn, let alone put them together in a sentence? A similarity becomes apparent after watching Love and Other Disasters, a light-hearted comedy channeling Breakfast at Tiffany’s, written and directed by Alek Keshishian, best known for directing Madonna’s Truth or Dare.
Murphy plays Emily, better known as Jacks to her friends, and works at UK Vogue wearing trendy clothes that Hepburn drool over. Though Jacks is in a dysfunctional relationship, she is ever the romantic and fixes up her gay roommate Peter (Matthew Rhys) on a date with coworker Paolo (Santiago Cabrera), not knowing Paolo is straight and interested in her.
The setup may seem familiar but the execution is fresh and the dialogue is crisp. Keshishian spins the Truman Capote classic into a modern-day tale without too much fluff. Obvious references to the movie and even a soundtrack that includes "Moon River" add to the lyrical tone.
Anyone currently watching "Brothers & Sisters", will recognize Rhys as Kevin Walker, the gay lawyer on the TV show. The contrast of the two characters is slightly obvious: where Kevin is more tightly wound, Peter is not quite as stressed out. Rhys gives a comfortable and commanding performance, perhaps due to speaking in his native British accent or just an astute observation of locale differences. Another actor on an American show from this past year is Cabrera who played the telepathic painter Isaac on "Heroes." In the film, sexy Cabrera gets to show a little more charm and, though the sparks could really fly with him and Rhys, he only has starry eyes for Murphy’s Jacks. Cameos by Dawn French, Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom only up the ante for a winning full house.
We’re all after the same rainbow’s end, and any huckleberry friend or heartbreaker will find this enchanting and breezy film a dream maker. My Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Currently screening at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF): http://www.phillyfests.com/piglff/home.cfm

PIGLFF – Opening Night

It was full house at the Prince Music Theater last night for the opening of the 13th Annual Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The effervescent duo of PIGLFF Executive Director Rosemary Connors and Development Director Thom Cardwell kicked things off, introducing Greater Philadelphia Tourism spokesman Jeff Guarcino and a well-received Democratic Mayoral candidate Michael Nutter, who got a standing ovation. Also on stage was Jesse Archer, star and screenwriter of the lite rom-com A Four Letter Word, which was the opening night film. Preceding the film was the festival trailer exposing an assortment of attractive, barely-clad men and women at a photo shoot using strips of film to strategically cover their itty bitty titties. This was certainly no bear bash!
At the after-party held at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing, most people were pretty in P.I.N.K., swigging the premium imported vodka from Holland. Injecting more energy into the evening, the complimentary drink, P.I.N.K., is infused with caffeine and guarana, which is an extract from a Brazilian plant and a natural form of caffeine that is 2 ½ times stronger than the caffeine found in coffee or tea. For the health conscious, it’s billed as having no added flavor, sugar, color or carbs. So it’s sorta like an alcoholic Red Bull without the syrupy sweetness, though the fruity stuff can certainly be added to sweeten your buzz. (Apparently the acronym is for the secret formula that makes up the libation.) Better drinking through balanced chemistry!
The groove was in my heart as DJ Lady Miss Kier was on hand to spin earthly Deee-Lites. (Actually, I didn’t hear anything by Deee-Lite so I couldn’t wait to go home and pull out my “World Clique” CD!) I also met one of the sweetest guys, actor Rex Lee, who plays Lloyd, Jeremy Piven's assistant on HBO's "Entourage." Rex will be part of the staged reading of Another Gay Movie 2: Gays Gone Wild! at the Wilma theater on Saturday night at 7pm.
Other guests I’m looking forward to meeting in the next 12 days are Hollywood legend Farley Granger, director Craig Lucas, Supermodel to the World RuPaul, RENT-boy Anthony Rapp, Rising Star Award recipient Charlie David, cutie-pie Michael Carbonaro, and dozens more that I probably don’t even know that I’m dying to meet!
The festival brings out familiar and fresh faces and is always a summer treat. If you haven’t yet picked up a catalogue to map out your screenings, check out the festival website below. See you at the movies.

PIGLFF Website: http://www.phillyfests.com/piglff/home.cfm

TOP CHEF – Cooking by Numbers

TELEVISION The chef-testants woke up, got out of bed, and barely had enough time to drag a comb across their head when bam! It’s time for another Quickfire Challenge. The guest judge calling the shots was Global Ambassador to Bombay Sapphire gin Jamie Walker. I would love to have assisted him as a judge tasting the pairings of cool cocktails (made from this gem of a sponsor) with an appetizer accompaniment. Walker stated that many top restaurants now have a master mixologist marrying flavors to present a balanced dining experience.
While many of the cocktails sounded delicious, some of the dishes didn’t cut the mustard. Hung chose a raspberry and mint martini for which he created a Sour Cream and Meyer Lemon Balsamic Sauce with Salmon that sounds good but was told needed stronger flavors was too sweet. Not missing a chance to displace blame, Hung said Walker was confused (and said he called him out – but on what? Did we miss something?) Joey was also on the bottom trying to unite a roasted pineapple and vanilla martini with Caramelized Diver Sea Scallops and Jasmine Rice Risotto that was too heavy and unbalanced.
How convenient was it that Dale’s last consulting job was mixology and food pairing. His experience paid off as he landed in the top three, choosing Foie Gras with Candied Parsnips and Rice Wine Vinegar Gastrique to cut through the intense alcohol in his Sapphire sherry. Tre’s Sumac and Black Pepper Seared Halibut combined with the strawberry and basil martini made my mouth salivate. But Casey, who didn’t know exactly what a strawberry balsamic rickey was, presented a French Toast Baguette with Pecan-crusted Foie Gras and Raspberry Sauce to win the QFC and immunity.
This Elimination Challenge was the first team challenge of the season, and the chefs pulled names out of a hat to divide into four groups of three. They were to serve a tasting menu consisting of a trio of items per course to 10 members of Chaine des Rôtisseurs, an elite culinary group who love to wear sashes, as well as second guest judge of the evening, Barton G. Weiss.
Sensing potential problems, Dale was the first to switch teams, thinking QFC winner Casey (who looks like Jennifer Anniston) wouldn’t try hard and would combust next to explosive Howie. He chose Team Four, which Hung felt had problems wanting to serve dessert so he wisely bailed out going to Team One.
Team One’s Trio of Shrimp was the winner, and it was pretty much downhill afterwards. Brian dished up Pink Shrimp in Ceviche Marinade while Hung evoked the memory of Season 2’s Marcel with his Sauteed Shrimp with Corn Pudding and Shrimp Foam, which didn’t impress Barton G. But Lia took top prize with her Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Avocado, Cucumber, Lime and Pepper Salad. She was invited to be the guest chef in the Hamptons for a charity event.
Team Two had problems with their Trio of Tuna. Casey was the weakest link and probably would have gone home without her immunity. Upset and crying, she drew the sympathy of bulldogs Howie and Joey and turned them into puppies.
Team Three had many compliments from the judges for CJ’s Cigar Tuile that sat atop Carpaccio with Sherry Viniagrette, Tre’s Seared Tenderloin with Mushroom Risotto, and Sara N’s Butter Braised Beef with White Truffle Sauce.
Since none are pastry chefs, Team Four took the biggest risk, doling out Trio of Pineapple desserts then was criticized for not doing something they could do well. Dale was pleased with the flavors for his Macadamia Pastry with Vanilla Coconut Cream and Roasted Pineapple but because of its appearance would rather have served it to “blind people”! Chef Tom said Sara M should have read the box when she mis-used powered gelatin for a frozen pannacotta that had to be transformed into a Semifreddo, and still didn’t work. (I read that the enzymes in fresh pineapple break down the gelatin.) But Camille, who couldn’t articulate her work, was criticized for using corn meal in her Upside Down Cake with Ginger Sabayon. That ingredient left the pastry dry instead of moist, and therefore was sent packing and went home.
I thoroughly enjoy watching this show (can you tell by this run-on summary?) and like the thoughtfulness of the judges, particularly tonight when Chef Tom said this challenge was about creating harmonies. This also reflects the supportive nature of this group of chefs. Though there is tension at times, they rise above for a collective cheer at the start of the show or a hug for who is leaving. Or could they literally be watching their backs when the loser packs their knives to go?

For more dish, check out Ted and Gail’s blogs at Bravo: http://www.bravotv.com/blog/

Michael Tolliver Lives

READING If you don’t already know him, you should meet Michael Tolliver. He’s a great guy who lives in San Francisco and I was introduced to him over twenty-three years ago. We’ve never actually met face to face since he’s a fictional character, but he’s still very near and dear to my heart.
I was very happy to hear that the title of the new novel by Armistead Maupin, author of the "Tales of the City" series is "Michael Tolliver Lives." It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard about Michael and I was eager to find out what he’s been up to.
The first time I read any of the six TOTC books was when I was living in Pittsburgh and only the first four books were available. Somehow I got hold of two sets and shared them with three friends. As my friend West and I finished reading the same title, we passed them onto Beth and Kevin, until we had read all four. This shared reading event was incredibly fun, literally awesome, and an experience that has never been duplicated.
Reading about Michael in the new book is like visiting and catching up with my real life friends. And I couldn’t wait to hear every word he had to say. As we’ve all grown, seeking out adventures like those of the past is substituted with a comfort level in dishing about the details of our new loves, open-relationships and the lives and deaths of friends and family. When that kind of closeness and trust is developed, whom else would you freely talk about manginas and frankenpeckers with? As Michael would say, these people are part of my "logical" family.
The structure of this book is different in that there are no mysteries to be solved, and everything is from Michael’s point of view. We meet some nice new people in his life, like Jake, Patreese and his husband Ben, and hear about familiar ones, like Brian, Mona and Anna Madrigal. There are still some scars felt towards Mary Ann, who is initially referenced only as Brian’s ex-wife while he is on painkillers. But she is still family, and the mention of her was enough to put a big smile on my face, just like hearing the nicknames Mouse and babycakes again.
Everything’s up to date in San Francisco and there are many topics that will resonate with the gay community – and straight people too. Maupin gets a few humorous political digs in here and there, like when Michael’s ill mother, who lives in Florida, is dragged to the polls to vote for George Bush while carrying an oxygen tank. But Maupin is best at mixing wit with emotion, as when Michael asks himself if he could trade the happiness he has with his husband and says: "Not while love is still something I can taste and touch and nurture and pull down the pants of…"
Since it is not a sequel, anyone can jump in and read this book without having read the amazing "Tales of the City" books. But when you’re done with "Michael Tolliver Lives," you’ll want to know more.

Armistead Maupin’s website: http://www.armisteadmaupin.com/

P International GLFF

The 13th annual Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF) gets started this Thursday night (July 12-24) and there looks to be a lot of great movies, parties, and special guests to keep everyone entertained in Philly for 13 days and nights straight. There are a growing number of new filmmakers every year pushing limits with original concepts and experimenting with newer formats like digital video.
What is notable about this annual festival, the largest on the East Coast, is how it makes use of the International part of its name. There are 34 features from 19 countries outside the US (plus a large number of shorts) listed in the catalogue and on the festival website (posted below).
While American films generally reflect what's happening here, what I like about the foreign films is that they may give us insight as to what’s going on artistically and politically in other societies, while touching on common emotions. You could also be exposed to fashion trends or music that hasn’t made its way to the States yet.
Plus, there are a lot of hot looking people in the world, so why to limit yourself to checking out dudes and dykes in one city – or country? Expose yourself. And those foreign accents can drive you wild with desire!
Don’t worry about the subtitles because after a while you won’t notice them. You might just find that you’re learning a new language. But as a precaution, when you attend the festival and need a translation, get out your glasses and read what they’re talking about.

For tickets and general information, check the festival website: http://www.phillyfests.com/piglff/home.cfm

Centerpiece films:
The Witnesses, directed by André Téchiné, Wild Reeds (1994), Strayed (2003), Changing Times (2004), Nominated for a Golden Bear award at this year's Berlin Film Festival
The Bubble, directed by Eyan Fox, Walk on Water, Yossi & Jagger

Notables
Anger Me, doc about filmmaker and "Hollywood Babylon" author Kenneth Anger
Here’s Looking at You, Boy doc on the history of gay and lesbian film with lots of familiar faces
One to Another, co-director Jean-Marc Barr was a featured actor in 2005 festival favorite Côte d’Azur, also acted in Le Divorce, 2003
The Picture of Dorian Gray Duncan Roy directed AKA, which played at PIGLFF 2002
Times Have Been Better was the recent winner of Best Foreign Narrative Feature Award at New Fest in NY and features Arnaud Binard from Grande École (2004)
Two Homelands: Cuba and the Night, doc about the gay community in Havana, features poetry by oppressed Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas, subject of Before Night Falls

· ARGENTINA Glue
· AUSTRALIA 2:37
· BRAZIL The Daughters of Chiquita
· CANADA 533 Statements (L); Finn’s Girl (L); Lonely Child
· CHINA, CANADA, FRANCE The Chinese Botanist’s Daughters (L)
· FRANCE One Night Stand; One to Another; Times Have Been Better; The Witnesses
· GERMANY Four Minutes (L); Here’s Looking at You, Boy; Two Homelands: Cuba and the Night
· GREAT BRITAIN Anger Me; Love and Other Disasters; Nina’s Heavenly Delights (L); The Picture of Dorian Gray; Rag Tag (Great Britain, Nigeria); Tick Tock Lullaby (L)
· HUNGARY Men in the Nude
· ISRAEL The Bubble
· ITALY Cover-Boy The Last Revolution; Shelter Me (L)
· JAPAN Boy’s Love
· PHILIPPINES Pantasya
· ROMANIA Love Sick (L)
· SOUTH AFRICA Black Beulahs
· SOUTH KOREA No Regret
· SPAIN The Two Sides of the Bed
· TAIWAN Eternal Summer; Spider Lilies
· Thailand The Victim
(L) = Lesbian focus

The Astronaut Farmer

FLICK Hey, let's build a rocket from scratch in our backyard and then ride it into space! Sound reasonable? I didn't think so either. One has to totally suspend disbelief from the outset to buy into this overly sentimental family-fantasy film.
It’s tough not to like Billy Bob Thornton in The Astronaut Farmer, as he plays the former astronaut and friendly farmer Charles Farmer who has fantasized of going into space since he was a child. As someone who has built a rocket of his own, (don’t ask how, just believe) Thornton creates a solid foundation for his character that could come off as delirious and wacky. Posing a threat to his dream is the US government, which seriously considers the consequences if everyone wanted to build a rocket to the moon. And why wouldn’t you want to escape and orbit the earth when the bank is threatening foreclosure and news stations from around the country are invading the peaceful countryside to interview you?
Virginia Madsen overplays her part as Thornton’s devoted wife staring at him like one of those squeezable dolls with the eyes that bug out. The two daughters (real-life daughters of co-director Michael Polish) are incredibly sweet, but Max Thieriot playing the teenage son shows some promise adding just the right amount of emotional depth while keeping his feet on the ground.
Written by the Polish brothers, Michael and Mark (and directed by Michael), the film has a polished look but is lackluster from tired cliches and a far-fetched premise. But your heart might go out to the Farmers if you’re a fan of sappy dialogue and syrupy situations that salute families who rally around the one who wants to take a tour of the world – from the heavens. By the time this is all over there will be tears running down your face. Whether they're from joy or disgust will depend on your degree of lunacy. (2007) My Score: 5 out of 10.

DVD Release Date: July 10, 2007

After the Wedding

FLICK Before the wedding, we see Jacob, an aid worker at a struggling orphanage in India, prepare to travel to Copenhagen for a meeting with Jorgen, an affluent businessman considering making a large donation to the institution. While there, alone and waiting for a decision, Jacob accepts Jorgen’s invitation to attend the wedding of his daughter. Things appear to go well but, as the title suggests, it’s after the wedding where the shit hits the fan.
The seemingly random events and plot twists that follow in After the Wedding (Efter Bryllupet) would appear conveniently coincidental and melodramatic in a lesser film but detailed direction and strong performances elevate the material to justify its Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language film.
Director Susanne Bier effectively marries jolting jump cuts with extreme close-ups to heighten the tension during intimate moments and to poetically expose inner conflicts. The animal motif, both living and stuffed, may suggest nobility and triumph but also signifies that there is no escaping a life-and-death situation.
Contrasting the extravagantly wealthy with the poor, as well as parental responsibility, is central and clashes not only when Jacob’s bond extends to and beyond one of the orphan boys, but when posed with a financial ultimatum. As Jacob, Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) has a strong screen presence that is softened with the ill-fitted earth-toned suit he wears. He provides layers of emotions and is perfectly cast as someone having left the past behind, escaping to better the lives of others and fill a void within. Rolf Lassgard, as the initially unsympathetic and heavy drinking Jorgen, gives a multi-dimensional performance that clarifies but not necessarily justifies his actions and arrogance.
The film exceeds expectations as difficult choices are made and lives are altered … after the wedding. (Denmark, 2006) My Score: 8.5 out of 10.

DVD Release Date: July 10, 2007

Transformers

FLICK Hey, wanna come out and play? That’s what Michael Bay must have asked the cast and crew when he signed them up to make the summer action film Transformers, about good aliens, Autobots, fighting against the evil Decepticons. Since movies these days are conceived from anything that’s popular, like rides at Disneyland, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the inspiration for this film is based on a line of Hasbro toy robots that shape-shift into cars. In the film, the brothers from another planet have transferred their battle to Earth looking for the Cube, and it seems they get the most mileage out of turning into motor vehicles. Looking slightly older than the 11th grade teen he’s playing, Shia LeBeouf stars as dorky Sam, whose father buys him a used yellow Camaro that becomes his protector, the towering good robot, Bumblebee. John Turturro is a government agent with a bizarre gaze in his eyes, looking as if he’s about to turn into a freak from outer space in the film Men in Black. And Josh Duhamel leads a group of soldiers in Qatar who, and I never know why they bother, fire their little guns at the metallic automatons that are the size of tall buildings and virtually indestructible.
Though the set pieces and CGI toys look very cool when they crouch and hide and morph into assorted shapes and sizes, director Bay gets carried away with images of non-stop action combined with non-stop camera movement that many times creates UFO swirls of color onscreen. The spin-art affect is particularly noticeable in the last 25 minutes. Overall it’s a simple story of good versus evil with even simpler dialogue. There isn’t time to develop characters so the writers use many cliches and visual shortcuts. And you can count on the music to substitute for human emotions, particularly for the overly affected moments imposed on a dented and banged up Bumblebee. But, of course, it’s based on toys and the extraterrestrial machines are meant to be the focus, with people just getting in the way.
The target audience was certainly won over as there was much applause at my screening whenever Autobot leader Optimus Prime appeared. With all of the attention Transformers is getting, it’s likely there will be a new amusement park ride created and perhaps a sequel inspired by the sentimental favorite returning home, titled "Flight of the Bumblebee." (2007, 144 minutes) My Score: 6 out of 10.

SiCKO

FLICK Who’s a sicko? That would be anyone who can’t see that there’s a better prescription for the health-care system than is currently in the USA. Michael Moore examines this subject in his documentary Sicko and there is no debating the fact that his heart is in the right place.
Some may consider his presentation biased since Moore interviews few who work for the US health insurance companies. He did locate a man whose job it was to find excuses not to provide coverage and a woman who had to turn down claims. But the higher-ups probably wouldn’t want to talk with him anyway, especially when they would have to explain numerous Americans who’ve been victims of the system, like the woman whose baby daughter needed immediate attention and died because the hospital she took her to insisted she take her to another one covered under her plan. Moore exposes a few more horror stories then juxtaposes them with the uncomplicated and free national health care systems in England, France and Canada. In addition to many of these perceived humorous but powerful comparisons, he pulls the plug when he takes a group of chronically ill 9/11 rescue workers, who can’t get government help because they were volunteers, to Cuba (oh my God!) for treatment.
In a taped conversation, it seems our downward spiral began in 1971 when Richard Nixon approved a proposal to offer less care by maximizing profits. Wanting to reverse this should seem a no-brainer, especially when you consider that this country, one of the richest in the world, offers free public education and police protection but makes the physical and mental well-being of its people expensive, if not difficult to obtain. At least Bill Clinton tried to make changes when he appointed Hillary to oversee system reformation, only to be shot down by opposing forces that prefer to see their First Lady host Easter egg hunts. It’s a long shot but perhaps the current administration could watch the film and take advice from the former British MP, Tony Benn, when he says, "If we have the money to kill people (with war), we've got the money to help people."
I receive spam e-mails every day offering to save me hundreds and thousands of dollars on health-care insurance. So, it’s no secret that we're spending tons of money and even going into debt to maintain our bodies. And just like good Americans, these companies hope to profit and make more money from the deficient system.
You may not like the way Moore operates, but you can’t deny his desire to heal parts of this country that require repair. Anyone who isn’t moved by what happens in Sicko must be psycho. My Score: 9 out of 10.

The movie is making a big impact and obviously there are many stories out there about people losing their life savings just to cover an operation, not to mention their lives by avoiding treatment. Here is a story about a family that Aetna was forcing to pay a $65,000 hospital bill that the insurance company was supposed to cover! And there are more stories at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz7uRmMUSZM

Visit Michael Moore and check out the facts at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/