RuPaul's Drag Race 3: Who Will Be America's Next Drag Superstar?

Mark Blankenship, who writes the fabulous pop culture blog, The Critical Condition, recently contacted me about having a cross-blog conversation about the contestants in the upcoming third season of RuPaul's Drag Race. This sounded like a fun idea, so we both watched all of LOGO's preview videos featuring the 12 lovely competitors and then discussed via email the queens we loved and loathed the most. Of course, these snap judgments could easily change once the show begins airing in January, but for now, here are our initial opinions for your reading enjoyment:

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

Every Tuesday I post five trivia questions relating to television, film or theater, and the first person who sends me the correct answers wins the highly coveted Auntie Mame Award.

Please send your answers for this week's questions to deepdishdrama@aol.com or via a private Facebook message (DO NOT post your answers on here where everyone can see them or they will be deleted).

To celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, I will be featuring holiday movies and TV specials for the next four weeks. This week's theme is the 1965 animated TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas:

1) Who suffers from pantophobia, the fear of everything?

2) Who kisses Lucy?

3) What Christmas song does Schroeder play on his piano with only one finger?

4) What does Lucy charge for her psychiatric services?

5) What Christmas carol do all the kids sing during the closing credits?

Dish of the Day #542: Thanksgiving Leftovers

Since there were so many delicious Dishes to be thankful for last week, I'm featuring a few more this week.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Remembering Leslie Nielsen 1926 - 2010

Leslie Nielsen, who died Sunday at age 84, should be an inspiration to us all. He was mainly a serious actor until 1980 when he appeared as Dr. Alan Rumack in the disaster film spoof, Airplane!, and uttered the following classic line in response to "Surely you can't be serious":

"I am serious...and don't call me Shirley."

This comedic role was a turning point in his career, but he didn't become a major movie star and leading man until 1988 when he played Lt. Frank Drebin in the critical and box office hit, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! So the man achieved his greatest success at the age of 62, which should make all of us younger than that believe that the best years of our lives are still to come.

Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party #19: Who are you inviting?

Here are the final results for last week's Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party, which received 205 votes:

John F. Kennedy, Jr. 28
Jon Stewart 27
Tina Turner 24
Jamie Lee Curtis 21
Mark Ruffalo 20
Geraldine Page 17
Christina Applegate 11
Maxwell Caulfield 11
Bruce Vilanch 10
Harpo Marx 9
Ed Harris 6
Gloria Grahame 5
Scarlett Johansson 4
Hope Lange 4
David Merrick 3
Ricardo Montalban 3
Robert Goulet 2

And now here are this week's contenders. So which three of these past/present celebrities (whose birthdays are this week) would you invite to your dinner party? You can vote for your favorites below.

Dish of the Day #541: Thanksgiving Leftovers

Since there were so many delicious Dishes to be thankful for last week, I'm featuring a few more this week.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Web Series Worth Watching: Tired Old Queen at the Movies Gets Moist

With the exception of my favorite movie critic, most web series took the holiday week off, so I thought it would be the perfect time to plug Moisty the Snowman Saves Christmas, an Off-Off-Broadway show featuring the fabulous Steve Hayes (aka Tired Old Queen) as Tranny Claus. Written by Bradford Scobie, this naughty but nice musical tells the story of how one gay little snowman can make a difference of Christmas proportions.

Dish of the Day #540: Vote for your Favorite

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day will be featured, and beginning today you can vote for your favorite Dish this week in the sidebar poll. Today's Dish is Tommy Tucker.



Last week's big winner was #531 with an impressive 49.0% of the 153 votes cast. Coming in second was #534 with 20.3%, followed by #532 (11.8%), #535 (11.1%) and #533 (7.8%).

Happy Thanksgiving: It's Turkey Lurkey Time!

Deep Dish wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with the song, "Turkey Lurkey Time", from the 1968 Broadway musical, Promises, Promises. Although the number takes place during an office Christmas party, I always think of Thanksgiving whenever I hear it (the clip is from the 1969 Tony Awards, in which the audience appears to be in a coma as they politely applaud at the end - I would've given them a standing ovation). Enjoy!

Dish of the Day #539: Thanksgiving Dishes

In honor of the holiday, this week I'm featuring Dishes to be thankful for.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Of 'Glee' I Sing: Two Weddings and a Carol

A very special wedding episode with Carol Burnett singing a Broadway show tune - what more can you want? I enjoyed last night's Glee - and here's my review to prove it:

Favorite character runner-up: It was a good Finn episode, giving Cory Monteith a chance to shine - and sing - as the character dealt with his mother's marriage to Kurt's father and became closer to his new stepbrother.

Favorite character: I gotta go with Sue, who definitely showed her human side this week as she expelled Kurt's bully, Dave Karofsky, and later resigned as principal when the school board allowed the guy to return to school. I was just beginning to warm up to her being in charge - and I must confess that I didn't miss Figgins, who is one of my least favorite characters. But I guess Ms. Sylvester needs to get back to doing what she does best - coaching the Cheerios.

Dish of the Day #538: Thanksgiving Dishes

In honor of the holiday, this week I'm featuring Dishes to be thankful for. Today's Dish is Chase Hostler.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

DWTS #10: (Valerie Cherish's) Last Dance, Part Two

At last it's finally over. Dancing With the Stars crowned actress Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough the season's winning couple tonight - and they certainly deserved it. But I doubt that we'll be seeing Jennifer out on the dance floor again anytime soon since her poor aching body has suffered quite a bit.

I was surprised - and very pleased - to see Kyle Massey and his lovely partner, Lacey Schwimmer, come in second. They were the most fun couple of the season, and it was a delight to watch them dance.

And last but certainly least was Bristol "The Pistol" Palin and her cute and talented partner, Mark Ballas, who certainly earned his paycheck this season. The classy girl actually said on camera Monday night that winning the competition "would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me." Fortunately, the Teapublicans were unable to vote their favorite gal's daughter to the top - or even to second place - and I'm sure there is another nice receptionist job waiting for Bristol back in Alaska. I don't hate the girl, but I couldn't stand watching her dance. As for her mother, well, it's best that we don't go there right now. I'm in a happy place and I'd like to stay there for awhile.

Burlesque: A Gay Man's Wet Dream

Here are a few reasons why I think the new movie, Burlesque, is a gay man's wet dream:

• Cher: In her first film since 2003's Stuck on You, the Oscar-winning actress is terrific as Tess, the owner of the Burlesque Lounge where most of the movie takes place. She's funny and dramatic - and she gets to sing "Welcome to Burlesque", which I was humming on my way out of the theater.

• Christina Aguilera: In her first feature film, the 29-year-old singer gives a decent acting performance - and a fabulous singing one - as Ali Rose, a small-town girl who moves to Los Angeles to become a star. I seriously doubt that Aguilera will ever win a Best Actress Academy Award, but she is far better than I expected her to be. With eight musical numbers on the film's soundtrack, Burlesque is her movie - and, fortunately, she has a likable screen presence.

• Stanley Tucci: This guy is a scene-stealer as Sean, Tess's gay best friend and Burlesque's witty stage manager. He even gets a brief love interest (played by the handsome David Walton).

DWTS #10: Last Dance, Part One

Here's what Conrad Green, executive producer of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, had to say about Bristol Palin in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview:

"What I think is annoying people is that maybe she’s not as vivid a performer as some of the other dancers on the show. Kyle is quite a performer, but Bristol is probably in terms of technique a better dancer than Kyle. But she’ll never get credit for that."

This leads me to a curious question: What has Mr. Green been smoking? Or is the man just a delusional idiot - or simply trying to cover his ass as his show jumps the proverbial shark? To state that Bristol is technically a better dancer than Kyle is the biggest bunch of bullshit I've heard lately - and let me tell you I've heard PLENTY. I'm just so relieved that this ridiculous Sarah Palin commercial is almost finally over. It's been extremely difficult in recent weeks to motivate myself to even watch the show - let alone blog about it. But since I said back in August that I would continue to review the series as long as Florence, Margaret or Jennifer were still dancing, I've forced myself to tune in to this politically incorrect show that obviously has very little to do with how well someone does the cha-cha-cha. It's all about the votes, people - and the scary individuals who are out there casting them. I guess for them a Palin winning Dancing With the Stars is the next best thing to having one move into the White House - which will NEVER happen except maybe in their pathetic dreams.

And now here is my review of last night's episode:

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be 'Valley of the Dolls'

Every Tuesday I post five trivia questions relating to television, film or theater, and the first person who sends me the correct answers wins the highly coveted Auntie Mame Award.

Please send your answers for this week's questions to deepdishdrama@aol.com or via a private Facebook message at www.facebook.com/marcharshbarger (DO NOT post your answers on here where everyone can see them or they will be deleted).

This past Saturday actress Patty Duke came to Chicago for a screening of her infamous 1967 film, Valley of the Dolls, and she and the event were both fabulous. It was so much fun to watch the movie with an adoring audience - and host Richard Knight of Chicago's Queer Film Society, David Cerda (as Jacqueline Susann) and Ed Jones (as Helen Lawson) only added to the afternoon delight. Below you can watch Duke being introduced before the film and her interview afterwards in videos taken by Marc Moder. So this week's trivia theme is, of course, Dolls:

1) Who plays Neely's first husband Mel? And on what TV police drama did he later star?

2) Who finds work in French "art films" to pay the bills?

3) Who says, "Boobies, boobies, boobies"?

4) What does Neely disinfect her "contaminated" swimming pool with?

5) What TV sitcom did Anne's Aunt Amy (actress Judith Lowry) later appear on as "Mother Dexter"?

Dish of the Day #537: Thanksgiving Dishes

In honor of the holiday, this week I'm featuring Dishes to be thankful for.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Deeper Dish with Sally Mayes

I first became a fan of actress Sally Mayes back in May of 1993 during a trip to New York.  My partner and I went our separate ways on a Sunday afternoon - he to a matinee of Forbidden Broadway, while I decided to see the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the 1963 musical, She Loves Me. It was choreographed by Rob Marshall and starred Boyd Gaines, Judy Kuhn, Howard McGillin and Ms. Mayes, whom I wasn't familiar with. I quickly realized I'd made the right choice as I fell in love with the delightful production and the terrific score. And Sally stole the show as the amusing Ilona, whose second act number, "A Trip to the Library", I will fondly remember forever. Later when I delivered my glowing review, my partner was extremely jealous. However, the following November, he finally got to see the show himself as it transferred to Broadway - and I enjoyed it and Sally just as much the second time around.

Born and raised in Texas, Sally made her Broadway debut as Winona Shook in Cy Coleman's 1989 musical, Welcome to the Club. Frank Rich of The New York Times described her as "the most charming surprise" in the show, and she won a Theatre World Award for her performance. She then appeared in the hit 1989 Off-Broadway production of Maltby and Shire's Closer Than Ever, in which she got to croon the fabulous tune, "Miss Byrd". After being nominated for a Tony Award for She Loves Me, the actress went on to star in other musicals, including Das Barbecü (1994), Pete 'n' Keely (2000) and Urban Cowboy (2003). She also played Mrs. MacAfee opposite George Wendt in the 1995 TV adaptation of the musical, Bye Bye Birdie, and a nurse in a 2001 episode of Sex and the City.

I've also been lucky enough to see Sally perform in an intimate cabaret setting twice.  She's been nominated for 12 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) awards, won two Back Stage Bistros for excellence in cabaret and recording, and released six solo albums (my personal favorite is Our Private World, on which she sings the songs of Comden & Green). Sally's latest theatrical project is the musical, Woody Guthrie's American Song, which she'll be performing in Tucson (Nov. 27-Dec. 18) and Phoenix (Dec. 30-Jan. 16). I am so thrilled to have the fabulous Ms. Mayes here on the Dish to discuss her career and answer a few pop culture questions.

Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party #18: Who are you inviting?

Last week's Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party received 212 votes, and I'm happy to see that Kaye Ballard ranked high on many party guest lists. I'm also not surprised that everyone wants a piece of the Rock. Here are the final results:

Rock Hudson 31
Goldie Hawn 19
Marlo Thomas 19
Kaye Ballard 18
RuPaul 16
Jodie Foster 15
Maggie Gyllenhaal 11
Allison Janney 11
Petula Clark 10
Estelle Parsons 9
Brenda Vaccaro 9
Martin Scorsese 8
Linda Evans 6
Juliet Mills 6
Gene Tierney 6
Bo Derek 3
Donna McKechnie 3
Elizabeth Perkins 3
Meg Ryan 3
Diana Krall 2
Andrea Marcovicci 2
Chloë Sevigny 2

And now here are this week's contenders. So which three of these past/present celebrities (whose birthdays are this week) would you invite to your dinner party? You can vote for your favorites below.

Dish of the Day #536: Thanksgiving Dishes

In honor of the holiday, this week I'm featuring Dishes to be thankful for.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Web Series Worth Watching: Josh Buscher in '16th & 8th'

Web Series of the Week: 16th & 8th
Written by Athena Reich and Stephen Schulman, this sexy new soap opera stars the gorgeous Josh Buscher, who is currently appearing in the Broadway-bound musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, in Toronto.  He plays Luke, an innocent Midwestern boy who moves into an apartment building on 16th & 8th in the heart of Chelsea, New York's gay mecca. Judging from the trailer and opening credits below, this web series looks like it could be a lot of fun, and I'll be sure to post the first episode when it debuts (the above photo of Josh is from this year's Broadway Bares).

The Social Network: Winklevoss Me

"They weren't played by twins."
"You're kidding me. They looked identical - except for their hairstyles."

So my partner and I finally saw the Facebook movie, The Social Network, this week - and during its closing credits, we had the above exchange about those gorgeous and mysterious Winklevoss twins. It turns out that 24-year-old Armie Hammer (the great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer) plays Cameron Winklevoss and the face of his brother, Tyler (actor Josh Pence plays him from the neck down). Gotta love Hollywood special effects - but for a brief time I was amazed that they found two look-alike actors to portray the characters.

Now that that mystery is resolved, let's discuss the film. Directed by David Fincher (Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and written by Aaron Sorkin (TV's The West Wing), the movie tells the engrossing tale of how the social networking website, Facebook, was created by Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg in 2003. However, it seems pretty apparent that he stole the idea from his fellow classmates, the Winklevoss twins and their business partner, Divya Narendra. I didn't care much for Zuckerberg in the film as he is portrayed as a rather lonely and unpleasant individual - but I guess he now gets the last laugh since he's become the world's youngest billionaire.

Groovy Gay Short: Non-Love-Song

I love short films - especially groovy gay ones - so I'm hoping to feature more of them in the future. Today's movie is Non-Love-Song, which was one of my favorite shorts at Chicago's LGBT film festival last year. Written and directed by Chicago filmmaker Erik Gernand, it tells the story of two high school best friends on their last day of summer before heading off to college. Non-Love-Song has played more than 45 film festivals, including the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival where it was named Best International Short Film. For more information on the talented Mr. Gernand, check out his website at www.erikgernand.com.

Dish of the Day #535: Vote for your Favorite

This week I'm featuring the work of photographer Scott Barnes, and today's Dish is Mel. You can see more of Scott's groovy pics at www.sbarnesphotography.com, check out his blog at www.scottbblog.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day will be featured, and beginning today you can vote for your favorite Dish this week in the sidebar poll.





Last week's big winner was #526 with an impressive 41.6% of the 154 votes cast. Coming in second was #530 with 26.6%, followed by #528 (13.6%), #529 (10.4%) and #527 (7.8%).

Groovy Duo: Jake and Anne

Look what I got in the mail today. It certainly put a big smile on my face - and don't they make a lovely couple? Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway's photo session for the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly produced three separate covers, which, of course, I immediately felt like sharing. The attractive duo's new film, Love & Other Drugs, opens on November 24.

In addition to the EW pics, below is a trailer for the comedic drama as well as Gyllenhaal's appearance on David Letterman last night, in which the actor reveals that he and Hathaway don't have any clothes on for about 65 percent of the movie. Now if that doesn't sound enticing, I don't know what does.

Groovy Music: Tom Goss's "Lover" Video

It's always a great day when gay singer/songwriter Tom Goss releases a brand new music video. The latest one is for his song, "Lover", and it tells a story very rarely told - of the loss endured by partners of gay servicemembers who are killed in battle.

Dish of the Day #534: The Photography of Scott Barnes

This week I'm featuring the work of photographer Scott Barnes, and today's Dish is David. You can see more of Scott's groovy pics at www.sbarnesphotography.com, check out his blog at www.scottbblog.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Of 'Glee' I Sing: "Conjunction Junction" Makes English Fun!

I miss the days when an episode of Glee was simply just a fun show to watch. You might not have liked every song or guest star, but overall you were sufficiently entertained. Unfortunately, this season it seems that EVERY episode has divided its fickle fans into two camps - LOVE IT or HATE IT - with so much endless bitching about the show that you would think they're watching Dancing With the Stars (now there's a series that deserves to be raked over the coals). Except for the painful Britney episode, I've enjoyed this season of Glee for the most part. Oh sure, occasionally there's a tune that isn't my cup of tea, but it's still one of the best - and most creative - shows currently on television. I guess the series has just become too popular and now everyone is expecting nothing less than perfection every week. But it's still the same show that it was a year ago when Finn sang "(You're) Having My Baby" in front of Quinn's parents and Rachel developed a crush on Will. Glee remains a weird and wonderful musical mixture of the good, the bad and the campy - and we should all be thankful (especially at this time of year) to have such a unique show that tries to be something different than the boring norm. I will now step down off my soapbox and give you my review of the series' 29th episode, "The Substitute":

Dish of the Day #533: The Photography of Scott Barnes

This week I'm featuring the work of photographer Scott Barnes, and today's Dish is Mike. You can see more of Scott's groovy pics at www.sbarnesphotography.com, check out his blog at www.scottbblog.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

DWTS #9: Doggone It, I Blame John McCain

I haven't written this much about politics since I first began this blog two years ago during the final stretch of the presidential campaign - just as Mama Grizzly first arrived on the scene from Alaska. So I must blame John McCain for Dancing With the Stars' "jump the shark" season - he introduced this woman and her family to us and that's how "Bristol the Pistol" became a "star" worthy of appearing on a reality TV series. But don't get me started on McCain and his flip-flopping wife, whose disappointing true colors recently reappeared. I need to stay focused on what truly matters - who will win the coveted mirror ball trophy next week? As long as it isn't Miss Tea Party of 2010, I'll be happy - and I will be so relieved that the whole blasted thing is finally over. And on that delightful note, here is my review of last night's episode:

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Krystle & Alexis

Every Tuesday I post five trivia questions relating to television, film or theater, and the first person who sends me the correct answers wins the highly coveted Auntie Mame Award.

Please send your answers for this week's questions to deepdishdrama@aol.com or via a private Facebook message at www.facebook.com/marcharshbarger (DO NOT post your answers on here where everyone can see them or they will be deleted).

In honor of actress Linda Evans' 68th birthday on Thursday, this week's theme is the 1981-89 TV drama, Dynasty:

1) Who went on trial for the murder of Ted Dinard? And who was Ted's former lover?

2) What was Michael Culhane's job during the first season?

3) Who had a heart attack while in bed with Alexis and then married her on his deathbed?

4) Who revealed that she was pregnant with Dex Dexter's baby near the end of the series?

5) Who became romantically involved with a Catholic priest named Tanner?

Last week Fred Sawyers answered the following questions correctly about the TV series, Dallas:

1) What was the name of Ray Krebbs' first wife? Donna

2) What was the name of Ray's second wife who gave birth to Bobby's son? Jenna

3) Who played J.R.'s bitter ex-lover, Lee Ann De La Vega, during the show's final season? And on what TV sitcom did the actress previously appear with "J.R."? Barbara Eden, I Dream of Jeannie

4) Whose psychiatrist was named Dr. Ellby? Sue Ellen's

5) Who crashed her car into an oil tanker and was severely burned? Pam

Dish of the Day #532: The Photography of Scott Barnes

This week I'm featuring the work of photographer Scott Barnes, and today's Dish is Adam. You can see more of Scott's groovy pics at www.sbarnesphotography.com, check out his blog at www.scottbblog.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party #17: Who are you inviting?

Last week's Celebrity Birthday Dinner Party received 239 votes, and I would have to agree that Whoopi, Megan and Stanley would be a fabulous trio to dine with. Here are the final results:

Whoopi Goldberg 36
Megan Mullally 28
Stanley Tucci 27
Gerard Butler 25
Eric Dane 22
Grace Kelly 21
Parker Posey 17
Ryan Gosling 14
Leonardo DiCaprio 9
Anne Hathaway 8
Jimmy Kimmel 8
Calista Flockhart 6
Chris Noth 5
Alain Delon 4
Veronica Lake 4
Ann Reinking 3
Demi Moore 2

And now here are this week's contenders. So which three of these past/present celebrities (whose birthdays are this week) would you invite to your dinner party? You can vote for your favorites below.

Dish of the Day #531: The Photography of Scott Barnes

This week I'm featuring the work of photographer Scott Barnes, and today's Dish is Matt. You can see more of Scott's groovy pics at www.sbarnesphotography.com, check out his blog at www.scottbblog.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man in the sidebar poll.

Groovy LGBT Film Festival: Best of the Fest

Reeling 2010: The 29th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival ended last night after featuring many fabulous LGBTQ films over 10 days. I was able to see quite a few of them, and I must once again thank Angelique Smith, Reeling's Director of Marketing and Public Relations, for allowing me to promote the festival here on Deep Dish. I hope everyone enjoyed reading my reviews - and for my final festival post, here are my own Best of the Fest awards:

Best Film: Leading Ladies directed by Daniel Beahm and Erika Randall Beahm
Runner-up: Strapped directed by Joseph Graham
Honorable Mention: The Four-Faced Liar directed by Jacob Chase

Best Documentary: Holding Hands directed by Tonnette Stanford and Katherine Wilkinson
Runner-up: JoJo Baby directed by Mark Danforth and Dana Buning
Honorable Mention: The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls directed by Leanne Pooley

Web Series Worth Watching: Tired Old Queen's Shower Buddy

Web Series of the Week: Tired Old Queen at the Movies
Of course, I couldn't resist posting this pic of the fabulous Steve Hayes and his dear friend, Max Emerson. The handsome actor/model makes a cameo appearance in this week's episode, in which our favorite movie critic reviews Pride and Prejudice (1940), starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. For more TOQ, subscribe to his YouTube Channel or become a fan on Facebook.

My Saturday Night Fever: Naked Porn Stars Singing

Okay, so they're only lip-synching shirtless - but there's still plenty of man candy on display in Randy Blue's tribute to Kylie Minogue's "Get Outta My Way". Makes you just want to run down to your local video store and rent some porn, doesn't it? I guess that's what Randy Blue is hoping we will all do after watching their hot guys shake their groove thing.

Groovy LGBT Film Festival #20: Holding Hands

I've watched a lot of LGBT movies during the last month - many of them sad, emotional dramas - but the one that came closest to making me reach for a tissue is Holding Hands, an Australian documentary about a gay bashing and its devastating aftermath. On December 3, 2007, a young couple, Craig Gee and Shane Brennen, were attacked by two guys while holding hands on Oxford Street in Sydney's gay district. Craig ended up with a broken leg, a fractured eye socket and a shattered jaw. And when the police did nothing to help find their assailants, the hate crime became front page news in the local paper and led to a protest by Sydney's LGBT community. To make matters even worse, Craig's deeply religious Catholic family refused to visit him during his recovery because he and his homosexuality were an embarrassment. Real nice folks. Fortunately, Shane's family were willing to lend their love and support to the couple, whom directors Tonnette Stanford and Katherine Wilkinson followed for a year as they dealt with the emotional fallout from that one horrible night.

Groovy LGBT Film Festival #19: Undertow

Directed by Javier Fuentes-León, Undertow is a romantic ghost story about Miguel (Cristian Mercado), a young married fisherman who's having a secret affair with Santiago (Manolo Cardona), a handsome painter whom everyone in their village correctly suspects is gay. Sadly, Santiago drowns, but he returns as a ghost whom only Miguel can see and touch (they're now able to hold hands out in public). However, Miguel is soon faced with a difficult decision - will he come out of the closet and bury Santiago's body in order to help his sexy spirit find peace in the afterlife? The movie reminded me a little of 1990's Ghost - but with a gay twist and no Whoopi.

Groovy LGBT Film Festival #18: 'The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls'

I had never heard of the Topp Twins before seeing this fascinating new documentary about them - but now I consider myself a fan. Directed by Leanne Pooley, The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls tells the story of twin sisters Jools and Lynda Topp, the world's only country and folk music-singing lesbian comedy duo. The native New Zealanders have been performing together for over 30 years, and their singing and songwriting talents led to their induction into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2008. However, its the many amusing characters that they portray during their act (and on their 1996-2000 TV series, Do Not Adjust Your Twinset) that I especially enjoyed watching - their wacky sense of humor reminds me a lot of the British comedians, French and Saunders. The Topp Twins are absolutely delightful - and so is their film, which I highly recommend.