The Witches of Oz

Someone on writer/director Leigh Scott's PR crew needs to be fired.

I just stumbled upon the info the other day that a movie entitled The Witches of Oz is coming out with one of my all-time favorites, Christopher Lloyd, portraying the Wizard of Oz himself!

This news lead me to the Official Witches of Oz website, whereupon I learned that this film is set to be released on April 16th!

WHAT?! How have I not heard about this film at all?!

Upon inspection of the website and cast, and viewing the teaser trailer and mini-making-of, I am so excited to see how this movie comes out. It's quite an ambitious undertaking for a budding director and a small independent studio, which means it could be the underdog victorious or it could be "pursed lips"... Catastrophe.

I'm a longtime fan of both The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Disney's cult classic Return to Oz (1985), so I have my fingers crossed that I can add this little gem to the Oz film lineup of favorites.

Along with Christopher Lloyd, the cast also includes Mia Sara, Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Ethan Embry, and LOTR alumni Sean Astin and Billy Boyd! Newcomer Paulie Rojas will be portraying our heroine Dorothy Gale who, in this rendition, is all grown up and living as an author in New York City. But old familiar faces (and some new ones) from her childhood visit to the Land of Oz start popping up! Some of them friendly. Others... not so much.

Click the key above to view the trailer and see the making-of featurette!

Follow the yellow brick road, betchez!

Ellen DeGeneres: The Comic Book

Ellen DeGeneres is now a comic book hero! Okay, not exactly. Though she is the subject of the latest issue of Bluewater Productions' "Female Force," who will be telling her life story (thus far) in a comic book style.

The comic will apparently revisit big moments in her life from the episode of her sitcom in which she came out to her invitation to join the "American Idol" judging panel. The book hits the shelves today so any die-hard fans can run out immediately to get their copy. I might get it if there's a single cell that just has her yelling "The bangs!"

The issue will also explore her gay advocacy. Issue writer Sanda C. Ruckdeschel says, "It is part of who she is and any telling of her story without acknowledging the importance she places on her identity would be disrespectful to her accomplishments."

Previous subjects of FF include Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Now I think they should've made that a joint issue and told their stories in a Spy vs. Spy way. I'm not gonna lie, the mental picture of Clinton and Palin standing back-to-back, wearing huge-brimmed hats, and holding bombs tickles me pink.

The comic should be an interesting read and visual, even if it is sans Ellen wearing a mask and having the ability to fly.

Ghostbusters III

There has been talk about a third Ghostbusters film probably since the interwebz first came crashing into living rooms around the globe. Though whenever asked about it, most of the parties who were originally involved would react nonchalantly at best.

In the case of the films' lead, Bill Murray, it would often be met with an eye roll and has been referred to as his "nightmare."

However, the release of the film looks to finally be making some headway, though Murray may not be far off from referring to this as his nightmare.

Columbia has made an official announcement and the film is set for a 2011 release. Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson have signed on, while my platonic celebrity crushes Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts are presumably going to be joining in on the reunion as well. Ivan Reitman stated in an interview that Rick Moranis is considering coming out of retirement to reprise his role as super-nerd Louis Tully, though no confirmation as of yet.

Also no word on whether Annie Potts will be reviving her outrageously stellar glasses and hair from Ghostbusters 2.

The film's story was written by Aykroyd, though the final screenplay has been penned by Lee Eisenberg (of "The Office" fame).

Veteran director and producer Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two Ghostie films, is all fired up to direct this one as well... Here's where some of that aforementioned nightmare comes into play.

Apparently the studio is trying to oust Reitman from the director's chair in the hopes of getting a new, hot, young, sexy director in his place. As the old coot has already signed on to romantic comedy Friends With Benefits the studio thought he would relinquish his duties on Ghostbusters. No dice! Reitman has stated he intends to do both, which has also allegedly created some friction between the producers and the stars.

There are also stories flying around that the real holdup on this project is Bill Murray himself. Rumor has it that Dan Aykroyd had to put his foot down with Murray who has script approval in his contract and had requested that his character be killed off early on.

However, in an interview on "The Morning Show," Murray stated for the first time that he considered the story and script promising and met the question with as positive an air as the notoriously deadpan actor could muster.

Provided all the stars align, the juices flow, and the shit gets cleaned off the fan, I think this could potentially be one amazing sequel. I am excited to see what happens. It could also be the biggest disaster of the 21st century. Oh the suspense!

Personally, I just wish they could get Harris Yulin back to play Judge Wexler. His was probably my favorite scene out of both Ghostbusters films.

Toy Story 3

My level of excitement over the Summer release of Toy Story 3 is about on par with a kitten receiving his first dose of catnip.

Typically I'm vocally anti when it comes to Disney sequels, but I absolutely loved the first two Toy Story films and the third installment is shaping up to be no let down!

There are no less than fourteen new characters in this epic comedy from Disney/Pixar! Not to mention a slew of additions to the voice cast that have me near orgasm.

Aside from nearly the entire original voice cast returning, we've also got Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Whoopi Goldberg, Kristen Schaal, Ned Beatty, Charles Adler, Gilbert Gottfried, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Jeff Garlin, and Frank Welker (who is probably the busiest voice actor in the history of everything)!

The only actor not returning to voice his character is of course Jim Varney (famous for his creation of the character Ernest P. Worrell) who died in 2000 of lung cancer at the age of 50.

Although, at this time there is no confirmation as to whether or not Annie Potts will be bringing her sultry sass back to the character of Bo Peep. I sincerely hope she is. Annie, don't ruin the magic!

Click the image above to see the trailer and check out Pixar's Facebook page to see images of all the new characters!

EPIC!!!

Get a "Clue" Remake

The Remake has been unleashed and running amok. And the beast is not slowing its roll one bit.

Now, thanks to a contract signed between Hasbro and Universal Studios, the brilliant piece of film comedy gold known as Clue is at risk of being overshadowed by a new film which Blind Wink Productions VP Jonathan Strauss describes as "A global thriller and transmedia event that uses deductive reasoning as its storytelling engine." ... Gross.

Universal has attached Gore Verbinski (of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring fame) to direct and produce under his Universal-based Blind Wink Productions banner, according to Variety.com. The film is set to be released in 2011 and no other official details have yet been revealed.

Clue, the 1985 comedy from Paramount, has been one of my favorite movies since I was about six years old. The brilliant ensemble cast they assembled were complete comedic dynamite.

Who could forget Madeline Kahn's famous "flames on the sides of my face" routine, which is still quoted constantly? Or Michael McKean slapping Eileen Brennan in the face to stop her screaming? Or Tim Curry's whirlwind recap of the night's events, sprinting from one end of the mansion to the other? Or even our beloved Singing Telegram Girl?

Kahn, McKean, Brennan, Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and Colleen Camp, under the direction of Jonathan Lynn, made this film a classic.

I shall delete Universal from my Facebook friends for this! Unlike! Veto, Veto, Veto!

Sigh... Whatever, I'm getting cheese fries.

Glenn Beck Is On To You!

Case closed! He knows who you are!

OH NO!

Click the link below. Watch the video. Thank me later. You'll need to input your Facebook info to view. I've done it, it's totally safe. It's the same process as when you "allow" an application on FB.


Glenn Beck: On the Attack!


You can also thank the progressive forces at MoveOn.org who funded this video and all of its pursuant hilarity. MoveOn.org is "a way for busy but concerned citizens to find their political voice in a system dominated by big money and big media."

Whatevs, the point is this shit's hilarious.

"Jesus wrote the constitution...!"

Gaga Telephone Murder Death Kill!

Just in case anyone else hasn't already seen this yet, click on the photo of Sasha Fierce there to see Lady Gaga's "Telephone" music video in HD!

It's bizarre, dirty, gritty, plot driven, and I LOVE IT!

Also note Gaga's lovely product placement with the Polaroid camera. For anyone not aware, our Lady is the new creative director for Polaroid. And keep your eyes peeled for my boy Jai Rodriguez who makes a fun little cameo toward the end.

I also like how she tackles the hermaphrodite rumors. Well played.

Telephone Music Video

So I think I'm a little too excited for tonight's official premier of Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone." I mean, how can I possibly be expected to not be creaming my jeans over this? I practically permeate glitter when I walk down the street, and this video has all the elements that a nelly 'mo like myself craves. Lady Gaga. Beyonce. Crazy elaborate costumes. And there's even an appearance by my pretend-lover Jai Rodriguez.

Can. Not. Wait.

Candy Land: The Movie?

When I was a kid, I was rather in love with the Candy Land board game. So much so in fact, that I not only made up my own character to add to it but also imagined it as an animated movie for which I cast every character.

What seemed genius as a child, I have long since recognized as ultimate nerdy lameness. The character I made up was named Larry Strawberry and he simply lived in a field of sugar-coated strawberries. Wow, Kasey. Brilliant.

Although I will give myself a gold star for my imaginary voice-over cast which featured Christina Ricci, Wilford Brimley, Frank Welker, Tim Curry, and the now-deceased John Ritter and Maureen Stapleton, among others. Hey, not too shabby of a casting job considering I was about ten years old!

But apparently Universal Studios decided not to hire me as casting director even though they have officially announced that the Candy Land film is underway!

According to Variety.com, this is the first film to emerge from the deal Universal made last February with Hasbro, whose properties are the basis for the summer tent-pole films G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Now when I first heard about this project, I was immediately dreamy-eyed and hopeful that the plan was to take the characters and plot, and give them a dark, American McGee-esque twist.

I envisioned Jolly of the Gumdrop Mountains to be a dirty, red-eyed goblin!

Queen Frostine turned into the tyrannical goddess of the ice cream sea, complete with iridescent skin and solid white eyes!

I saw the villainous Lord Licorice as a cloaked, monocled, sunken-faced pedophile!

But once again Universal and I are at odds. The director attached to this project is not Tim Burton. Nor is it Terry Gilliam. Nor any other director who would keep my dream of a dark and twisted land alive. The director shall be none other than Kevin Lima, whose directing history includes Disney's Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians, and his biggest success of all: Enchanted.

But perhaps Lima will be taking things in a darker direction since he is now under the helm of Universal instead of Disney? I'm gonna guess not so much. For whom does the studio have writing the screenplay? Etan Cohen, whose major film credits include Tropic Thunder, Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa, as well as what I'm sure was a tremendously insightful and poignant film entitled My Wife is Retarded.

So while I am still likely to go see Candy Land when it's released in 2011, it would've been nice to keep that macabre dream alive at least a little bit longer.

Alas... Parting is such sweet sorrow. (Pun unabashedly intended).



But who knows? Perhaps Lima and Cohen will yet surprise me. The tiny optimist inside me apparently endures.

Teddy Thompson

So Teddy Thompson is not exactly what you'd call fresh on the scene (he released his first album in 2000), but sometimes I'm not exactly quick on the uptake when it comes to current music.

I'm sorry, I mostly listened to the Carpenters and musicals when I was growing up... And occasionally still do. Ahem.

Anyway, I first heard Thompson in 2005 when he recorded a track with his close friend Rufus Wainwright for the soundtrack of Brokeback Mountain ("King of the Road"). And being the least curious cat in the alley, it wasn't until today that I bothered to check him out.

Not only did I learn that this 33-year-old British musician is completely dreamy, but I also love his 2008 album A Piece of What You Need.

He is the son of British folk-rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and moved from England to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to pursue his music career. His first album, Teddy Thompson, was released in 2000 and achieved great critical success, but minimal commercial success. This album was followed by Separate Ways (2005) and Upfront & Down Low (2007).

A Piece of What You Need is considered by many critics and fans to be his greatest album to date. The album ranked #10 after its first week on the UK Charts during August 2008.

I have also unwittingly been listening to him sing backup and guest vocals for years on Rufus Wainwright's Want albums. Thompson is good friends with both Rufus and Martha Wainwright. The three have toured and recorded together multiple times.

Thompson's song "Love Her for That," from his debut album, was featured in the 2002 film 40 Days and 40 Nights. He currently resides in New York City.

Thompson is a great musician and a gay-friendly British babe to boot. In an interview with GaydarRadio.com he was asked who he would date if he were to be gay for one weekend. Thompson responded "Who is to say I’m not gay? It’s tempting to say something obvious like James McAvoy but everyone fancies him, so probably Johnny Depp as it seems I could have fun with him."

Thompson went on to say that his ideal woman would be Johnny Depp with tits, so who can say?

The point is he delights me and I sincerely hope that he continues to delight more people as time rolls along.

Below is the official music video for what is probably his most popular song to date, "In My Arms." The song is sweet, the video is adorable, Thompson is a cutie patootie, and the video features a cameo by Rufus Wainwright who inexplicably spazzes out on a pair of roller skates and then plays the organ. I love it.

Unhappy Hipsters

Unhappy Hipsters: It's Lonely in the Modern World

This site has had me legitimately LOL-ing for about the past hour and I intend to get back to it as soon as possible.

The blog author of Unhappy Hipsters has taken photos from other credited sources which show seemingly tortured and lonely individuals living in exceedingly trendy and modern homes. They have added their own supremely witty captions to accompany them and the combination is an unmatched chuckle fest.

At this time, I am not sure who the author of this blog is, but I offer him or her a tremendous number of the kudos I currently have in stock.

Suffice it to say, "The octopus was full of judgment" is only one of the many phrases which had me giggling uncontrollably. I encourage everyone to take a look! Truly priceless stuff.




The Octopus was full of judgment.

DJ Earworm: United State of Pop 2009

I've been a fan of mash-up king DJ Earworm for several years now. I don't remember what song it was that first turned me on to his fantastic remixes, but some of my favorites are the pieces entitled "Promiscuous Lola" (Sarah Vaughan vs. Nelly Furtado) and what I refer to as the Gayest Mash-Up in History "Believe Somebody" (Whitney Houston vs. Cher vs. Madonna).

For the last several years, Earworm has brought us the United State of Pop, an annual year-end mash-up of all of the Billboard Top 25 for the year! No easy task!

Well the United State of Pop 2009, entitled "Blame It On the Pop", is nothing short of staggering. He has brilliantly intertwined these fantastic songs to bring us a piece that is both celebratory and heartwarming.

This amazing mash-up features the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Jason Mraz, Justin Timberlake, The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, and many others!

You can listen to the song and watch the accompanying video below. If you love it anywhere near as much as I do, you can download the mp3 completely free by Clicking Here!

United State of Pop 2009 ("Blame It On the Pop")

Pee-Wee Returns

Comedic actor Paul Reubens has resurrected his wacky, childlike alter ego and will be unleashing him full force in 2010!

Pee-Wee Herman, a character Reubens first developed as a routine with The Groundlings, is back! Herman was catapulted to national fame in the 1980s with performances across the U.S. as well as multiple appearances on late night shows. The character's vast success was taken even further by films such as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-Wee as well as the smash hit series "Pee-Wee's Playhouse".

The Pee-Wee Herman Show will officially begin its four week run at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater on January 12th, 2010.

Director Alex Timbers states that this is not just a comedy show, but a "90 minute theatrical extravaganza." An extravaganza, no less! Timbers went on to state that the show is based on the five-season run of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and will feature "eleven actors, 20 puppets, 7 puppeteers, and Broadway scale production values throughout."

There has already been talk surrounding this project in regards to a tour of the show and a new Pee-Wee's Playhouse film is already in pre-production.

Sign me up!

R.I.P. Brittany Murphy

Born: November 10, 1977
Died: December 20, 2009

5'5" actress Brittany Anne Murphy died today in her West Hollywood home just a little over a month after her 32nd birthday.

Thus far authorities and reports state that Murphy died of "cardiac arrest" and even "natural causes". Natural causes at age 32? I find that hard to believe. A good friend of mine summarized my thoughts pretty concisely: "Anyone ever hear of Karen Carpenter?"

Time will tell what the official cause of death was. An autopsy is scheduled for the next couple days.

However, what is official is that audiences have lost a great entertainer with a lot of talent, energy, and charm. Another great talent lost far too soon.

Moving with her mother to California, Murphy started her career in the early 1990s appearing on shows such as "Blossom", "Murphy Brown", "Kids Incorporated", "Frasier", and "Party of Five".

Her major breakthrough came with the role as Tai in the hit comedy Clueless alongside Alicia Silverstone. From there, Murphy went on to gain major audience and critical acclaim with her appearances in films such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Riding in Cars With Boys, Just Married, 8 Mile, and Uptown Girls, among many others.

Two of my personal favorite film appearances of Brittany Murphy's were as Daisy Randone in Girl, Interrupted and as Shellie in Sin City.

Murphy also had a busy voice over career having voiced Luane Platter in 231 episodes of "King of the Hill", for which she won an Annie Award in 2005. She also provided voice over work for Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs and Happy Feet.

This well-loved actress who stated that "home is where my Mom is" will be greatly missed by many.

Below is a scene with Brittany, Angelina Jolie, and Winona Ryder from Girl, Interrupted.

Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking"

Anyone living in NYC should do all they can to see Carrie Fisher in the Broadway run of her one woman show (based on her book) entitled Wishful Drinking. The woman is a riot and I am amazed at not only her fantastic stage presence, but also her unabashed honesty and willingness to laugh at herself. Not to mention her memory! The woman dishes out for two hours on that stage! And nearly every moment is dynamite. She is, at heart, a true entertainer and enviously intelligent.

I had the great fortune of being taken to this show (which is playing at the iconic Studio 54) by a dear friend of mine. I was completely elated from the first moment, when Fisher saunters out on stage in pajamas and a silk robe, singing "Happy Days Are Here Again", while pelting front row audience members with confetti.

The woman is crazy. And I love her all the more for it!

I have long been a fan of Fisher's, not just for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy (which she talks about in depth on stage), but also for her fantastic comedic performances in films such as The 'burbs, When Harry Met Sally, and Soap Dish. She was also recently nominated for an Emmy for her memorable guest appearance on Tina Fey's "30 Rock".

Her show is endlessly entertaining. Go see it!

Click Here for tickets!

Official Trailer for Doctor Parnassus

I have been anticipating the U.S. release of this film for ages! The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, after a long period of turmoil and the possibility of no U.S. theatrical release, will be in theaters October 16, 2009!

Directed by the brilliant Terry Gilliam, the film not only boasts the final performance of Heath Ledger, but also features an all-star cast including Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, and Tom Waits!



Below is the official trailer. My excitement over this film is almost sinful.

La Coacha - "Gaydar"

This is a hilarious parody of the Britney Spears song "Radar" brought about by Latina comedienne and gossip blogger La Coacha. The video was executive produced by Perez Hilton and, I have to confess, legitimately made me LOL.

Some of the jokes and references made in the lyrics may not make sense to those who have not lived or spent time in Los Angeles / West Hollywood, but nonetheless, it's still highly entertaining in my opinion.

Pogo vs. Sony

I was going to share something new here, but apparently my Australian lover Pogo hit a snag with his latest (and ultimately fantastic) track entitled "Bangarang". The piece and the accompanying video, made using clips from the film Hook, have been pulled from the web at the insistence from Sony Pictures Entertainment that he is violating copyright laws.

While Pogo proclaims that he simply wants freedom of creative expression, others argue that Sony should embrace his work since similar YouTube videos have proven profitable for other studios and artists by which the pieces were inspired. Most notably, the forces behind Monty Python encouraged clips and segments on YouTube, noticing a significant sales increase in their DVD's thereafter.

Pogo and his fans also argue that Sony is ignoring the United States Fair Use policy which "allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders".

Fans are making continual attempts to re-upload the video, but each gets taken down with the same copyright claim. If you go to YouTube you might just be able to find one posted that's yet to be sniffed out and taken down.

Hopefully this pans out in favor of my honorary Aussie boyfriend. Meantime, here's another favorite of mine entitled "Scrumdiddlyumptious" which uses bits from the classic movie musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Dirty Sanchez - Give Head

The music video for Dirty Sanchez's fantastic song "Give Head" is arguably one of the best videos in the history of all mankind. I love it.

If you haven't already seen it, here it is. Headless go-go dancers. The detached heads of band members Jackie Beat, Mario Diaz, and Barbeau all singing from a mantle. It's magic. Give head.

Unforeseen Obsession: Pogo

In previous posts, I have mentioned both Pogo's "Alice" track which I loved as well as my enjoyment of the main theme from the classic film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Well, this little genius Pogo has brought the twain together! And I couldn't be happier about it.

Below you can watch the video made by a fan to accompany his track (titled "Drunk in the Mat Mobile") using excerpts from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I have been listening to this track on my iPod obsessively the last several days. Along with his piece entitled "Scrumdiddlyumptious" which was made with sound clips from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Pogo's work brings me endless delight. You can hear more of his music and download it by Clicking Here!

Enjoy!