OCT. 15 - 28, 2015 | VOL. 34, NO. 13
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COSTUMES
PERFECT FOR THE BEDROOM
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LOCAL HAUNTS TO SCARE YOUR PANTS OFF
ROCKY HORROR: A 40-YEAR PHENOMENON WHAT’S WITH WEHO’S OUTDATED LIQUOR LAWS?
Plus
Sina Grace is Self-Obsessed • Shaving in the 21st Century • The Season’s Smartest Slasher Film • 3 New Must-Have Apps
BOULET BROTHERS Meet the duo bringing polysexual perversion to L.A. nightlife
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Contents
OCTOBER 15 - 28, 2015
FEATURES
48
13 Local Scare Attractions
52
Sina Grace is Self-Obsessed
44
L.A.'s Naughty Nightlife Duo
ON THE COVER Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet, The Boulet Brothers, photographed by Magnus Hastings, magnushastingsphotography.com
OCTOBER 28, 2015
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Contents
Download our interactive digital edition with videos, expanded editorial, behind-the-scenes photos and more. Search for Frontiers magazine on
OCTOBER 15 - 28, 2015
DEPARTMENTS NEWSBOX 11 12 14 16
16 18
A WeHo Watering Hole Closed Flashbulb Watercooler Republicans Make House 'Ungovernable' Roberta Kaplan Revealed DateBook
THE GAY AGENDA 21
22 24 24
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A 40-Year Phenomenon Bringing Leather Outside the Bedroom 3 New Must-Have Apps Shaving in the 21st Century
11 31
HEALTH
A Workout Routine for Halloween Ditch the Diet and Lose Weight Fornication Fantasies Halloween Costumes for the Role-Playing Gay
CALENDAR 31 32 33 35 37
Bianca Del Rio's Rolodex of Hate Le Bal Comes to The Ace Theatre David Arquette in Sherlock Holmes Bonkerz, a New DTLA Party 3 New L.A. Restaurants
ENTERTAINMENT 39
40 41 43 42
The Final Girls: Inside the Season's Smartest Slasher Film Film Reviews Music Reviews Coming to TV Theater Reviews
COLUMNS 56 57 58 64
21 39
Billy Masters Gossip Gay Palm Springs Gaydar
27 58 Frontiers magazine is published by New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC, 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 470, Los Angeles, CA. 90036, and distributed throughout Southern California. Up to the first three copies of any single issue are free; additional copies are $10 each. Violators caught stealing or destroying issues will be prosecuted under California Penal Code 484. For magazine subscriptions, please call (323) 930- 3220. The contents of Frontiers may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Letters to the editor, artwork, photography, manuscripts and other correspondence may be submitted to Frontiers at the above address. We cannot acknowledge or return material unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Allow at least three months for processing. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Frontiers is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or the HIV/AIDS status of such person or organization. Copyright Š 2015, New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC.
PEOPLE INDEX Jackie Beat 35 Karen Black 39 Candis Cayne 32 Kate Clinton 58 2
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Taissa Farmiga 39, 42 David Hockney 18 Tab Hunter 40 Nick Jonas 37, 43
Carlos PenaVega 56 Sheryl Lee Ralph 56 Seth Rudetsky 22 Edie Windsor 17
BIANCA DEL RIO: MAGNUS HASTINGS; ALEX NEWELL: RICKY MIDDLESWORTH
27 28 29 29
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Bar None West Hollywood nightclub Micky’s has been closed following allegations of lewd conduct, but is the city’s real problem its outdated liquor laws? By Patrick Rosenquist
1967 The year Silver Lake’s Black Cat Tavern was raided for “lewd conduct,” sparking a protest two years before New York’s Stonewall Riots
SPEAK OUT
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n Oct. 1, Micky’s in West Hollywood was closed for 30 days by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The closure, the result of a yearslong investigation by the board, has brought back memories for some of raids by the board and law enforcement on gay bars, a form of harassment that haunted patrons and bar owners for decades. The charges stem from 2012, when Micky’s was accused of allowing customers to touch go-go dancers, which is against state law. According to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Micky’s also offered patrons free drinks as part of a social media campaign, which is also illegal. “I try to be compliant,” says Michael Niemeyer, the owner of Micky’s, “but the law is so strict. You could have a statue of David in your bar, and if you serve alcohol, that’s a violation.” Niemeyer believes that vagueness of California’s liquor laws gives the board too much discretion, allowing them to target certain bars while overlooking others that are, technically, also breaking the board’s regulations. John Carr, Public Media Officer at the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, says the case was decided fairly and with a commitment to due process. “We confirmed there was illegal activity by sending an undercover officer, and the ABC filed an accusation,” he says. “They had an opportunity to challenge it, they did, and an administrative law judge upheld the decision.” The decision to close the bar for 30 days—a more punitive measure than fining the owner, which is much more common—was also upheld by an appeals board. “They can go to the State Supreme Court,” says Carr. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and gay bars
have a fraught history in California, dating back to the 1960s when it was illegal for a gay person to hold a liquor license. In 1967, two years before similar crackdowns sparked the Stonewall riots in New York City, the Black Cat Tavern in Silver Lake was raided for “lewd conduct.” A protest in response to the closure erupted, drawing hundreds of people, cited as one of the first gay rights demonstrations in modern America. (In 2008, the Black Cat was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city before being remodeled into a restaurant in 2012.) Even after the protest, raids—conducted by the Board and local law enforcement—were common, and accusations of discrimination were happening as recently as the 1990s. In 1996, a group of gay bars in Silver Lake and West Hollywood accused the LAPD and ABC Board of harassment after a string of raids. The California Business and Tavern Guild, a group of about 20 bar owners, said that agents and police officers were unfairly targeting gay establishments. According to the Los Angeles Times, the LAPD said that enforcement of liquor laws was increasing
“In the Vatican, I experienced the number of gay men to be ... around half [of the men working there].” David Berger, an openly gay academic who worked at the Vatican prior to coming out, speaking with Germany’s Stern magazine.
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in general, and that gay bars were not being singled out. As recently as December 2013, Here Lounge, also in West Hollywood, had its liquor license suspended for a month. The ABC Board accused a bartender of offering a patron a free drink. Similar to Micky’s, the bar was also accused of “lewd conduct” in regard to go-go dancers. Carr, echoing past statements, is adamant that gay bars today are not being unfairly targeted. He insists that the Board takes up cases as they’re reported. “Sexual orientation does not come into consideration when we do an investigation,” he says. One of Niemeyer’s complaints is that California’s liquor laws have not appreciatively changed since the 1970s and don’t reflect current norms or the culture of West Hollywood. “It’s hard to stick to the law when it’s so outdated,” he says. In California, among other stipulations, it’s illegal for entertainers to perform acts that simulate “masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation or any sexual acts which are prohibited by law.” It’s also illegal for entertainers to display “breast, buttocks, anus or genitals” unless the performer is at least 18 inches off the ground and six feet away from patrons—a stipulation that, in essence, allows strip clubs to operate. Carr states that while the law hasn’t been updated, it’s the Board’s duty to enforce it as written. “We carry out the law as the legislature made it, and if it’s going to change, that’s up to them to do it. They can push through a new law if they want to,” he says. Micky’s will reopen on Oct. 31, the day its liquor license will be reinstated. “We plan on opening at midnight, and we’re going to go until 5 a.m.,” Niemeyer says. Still, the month-long suspension has Niemeyer worried about his employees. “The bartenders can get work elsewhere, so they’re not as strained,” he says, “but we’ve had to give financial support to some of our security and other employees.” Niemeyer tried to ease the burden on employees by appealing to state Assemblyman Richard Bloom, who represents West Hollywood, asking for a 60-day delay in closing. Bloom’s office rejected the idea, and an assistant to Bloom told Niemeyer that due process had been observed and the ABC Board’s punishment would happen as scheduled. “They’re supposed to step in and help their constituents in moments like this,” says Niemeyer, adding, “That’s his job as a state official. There were 50 jobs involved.” He stresses that he wasn’t trying to nullify the board’s ruling, but hoped to give the bar and its employees time to plan for closure. “The state was going to get its pound of flesh no matter what,” he says.
VOICES ON POINT, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Oct. 3—Point Foundation’s fourth annual event supported higher education opportunities for LGBTQ students. Top: Amy Landecker with Bradley Whitford, Greg Louganis with presenter Caitlyn Jenner, Our Lady J, Joey McIntyre. Bottom: Point Horizon Award recipient Zach Zyskowski, Point Foundation CEO Jorge Valencia with Hayden Byerly, Point Horizon Award recipient Rhys Ernst
“I feel li not bein
Rapper Kan faced trying BEST IN DRAG SHOW 2015, Orpheum Theatre, Oct. 4—The Alliance for Housing and Healing, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing homelessness and hunger, held its annual beauty pageant spoof. From left: Wendie Malick, Boris Kodjoe, Dot Marie Jones, Kathy Griffin, Kay Sedia with Kathy Kinney, Candis Cayne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Nicole Ari Parker
David Berge to coming o
“I do no played m not any it’s abou why it’s
Actor Ben W playing stra show Londo
SPEAK OUT “I feel like I got discriminated in fashion for not being gay.” Rapper Kanye West speaks with SHOWStudio about the difficulty he’s faced trying to break into the fashion industry
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“In the of gay m working
PALM SPRINGS EQUALITY AWARDS, Riviera Resort & Spa, Oct. 10—Equality California held its annual Palm Springs event, this year honoring former executive director Geoff Kors with the first-ever award in his name. From left: EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur with State Farm Good Neighbor Award Honoree Darrell Tucci, Sen. Mark Leno with Vanguard Leadership Award Honoree Dolores Huerta and Geoff Kors, EQCA Board President Andreas Meyer with Ally Leadership Award Honoree Lisa Vanderpump
OCTOBER 28, 2015
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WATERCOOLER
Your cheat sheet for intelligent conversation — By Peter DelVecchio
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Obama Still Reviewing Act Biden and Clinton Support
Perhaps because “talk is cheap,” at an HRC event Oct. 3, Vice President Joe Biden and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton both came out in support of the proposed federal “Equality Act,” a sweeping anti-discrimination measure. The law is more controversial than might appear, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act, enacted to ensure racial equality. With Republican control of Congress and the Supreme Court’s evisceration of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, some civil rights groups, including the NAACP, fear that any tinkering with that law could end disastrously. Obama appears to share these fears. During the Oct. 6 daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, “We applaud the efforts of members of Congress to try to advance that goal [of LGBT equality], but when it comes to this specific piece of legislation, it’s something that is still under review by the administration.
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EQCA and TLC Raise Funds for Trans Education Campaign
Equality California and the Transgender Law Center have raised roughly $900,000 to fund a campaign to educate both the LGBT community and the public regarding transgender issues. The timing coincides with anti-trans group Privacy for All collecting signatures for its “Personal Privacy Protection Act,” which would require people use restrooms consistent with their biological gender in government buildings. “This is really about educating the broader community that what they’re after is laws that allow harassment of the transgender community and pretty much anyone else who is not sufficiently masculine or feminine from the point of view of a particular individual,” says ECQA Executive Director Rick Zbur.
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HIV Diagnoses 3X Higher Among Latinos, CDC Says
While the rate of HIV diagnoses among Latinos decreased slightly between 2008 and 2013, that rate remained almost three times higher than that of whites, according to a new report from the CDC. Additionally, during the same period, “the number of diagnoses among [Latino] males with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact increased 16%,” but the CDC is unsure whether this jump reflects an actual increase in infections, better rate of HIV testing, or both. Most infections among Latino men were attributable to male-to-male sex. “Much work still needs to be done to reach Hispanics or Latinos at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection,” the CDC says, adding that it is applying “a high-impact prevention approach to maximize the effectiveness of current HIV prevention methods.”
L.A. Center Takes Anti-Bullying Program National
It’s been five years since Tyler Clementi leapt to his death from the George Washington Bridge, and LGBT bullying and suicides remain a huge problem nationwide. So the L.A. LGBT Center is expanding its OUT for Safe Schools program, coordinated with the Los Angeles Unified School District, into nine districts across the nation. At the heart of the program is the “rainbow badge” identifying LGBT allies and protectors. Two years after the program’s inception, more than 30,000 of LAUSD’s roughly 60,000 employees sport the badges. The program will launch in New York and Chicago. “Wherever students look, they’re sure to see adults who proudly identify themselves as LGBTQ allies,” says Center CEO Lorri Jean.
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Baldwin Urges Probe of Cold War Suicide
Sometimes there’s no statute of limitations on ferreting out the truth. Out U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., is asking Attorney General Loretta Lynch to launch an investigation into one such case. In 1954, Democratic Wyoming Sen. Lester Hunt shot himself to death with a rifle in his office after his son was arrested for soliciting sex from a male police officer. A recent documentary intimates that Hunt’s suicide might have resulted from alleged blackmail by two senators aligned with Sen. Joe McCarthy, whose crusade to eliminate supposed communists and homosexuals from government and Hollywood destroyed countless lives in the ‘50s. “While decades have passed since this tragic incident,” Baldwin wrote in her letter, “it remains a troubling example of the misdeeds of the McCarthy era and the role homophobia and bigotry has played in the history of our nation, including at the highest levels of the federal government.”
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Schiff, Others Propose TSA Reforms
In the wake of humiliating treatment endured by Shadi Petosky at an Orlando airport checkpoint last month, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and 30 other lawmakers are calling for changes in how the TSA screens transgender passengers. In a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger, the representatives “urge the TSA to adopt a screening protocol that does not rely on officers making often-subjective decisions about an individual’s gender identity,” and provide officers with training regarding gender identity issues. “The experiences of many transgender airline passengers ... demonstrate that more must be done to ensure transgender individuals are able to travel without fear of facing humiliation or degradation at security checkpoints,” the letter stated.
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Republicans Make House ‘Ungovernable’
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Ohio Rep. John Boehner announced he would resign as Speaker of the House on Sept. 25
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ROBERTA KAPLAN REVEALED The DOMA-defeater explains choosing Thea Spyer and Edie Windsor over the LGBT movement in her new book By Karen Ocamb
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JOE TABACCA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
epublican candidates told voters in 2010, Give us the House and we’ll refuse to work with President Obama and bring change. The GOP won, and in 2013 shut down the government for two weeks, with nothing to show for it. In 2014, Republicans told voters, Give us the Senate and we’ll refuse to compromise and change everything. They won, and Congress crashed into ideologically based dysfunction. On Oct. 8, 40 hardcore right-wingers in the House Freedom Caucus forced Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to withdraw his name from the race to replace retiring Speaker John Boehner, prompting chaos in the GOP as the 247 House Republicans couldn’t find a suitable candidate for Speaker, the person third in line for the presidency. Asked if the House is still “governable,” McCarthy told the National Review, “I don’t know. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom.” New York Rep. Peter King told reporters that the House Republican conference has descended into a “banana republic.” A major effort is underway to draft policy wonk Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who has repeatedly declined. California conservative Rep. Darrell Issa announced his interest if Ryan doesn’t run. But the hardliners oppose Ryan, too. “Paul Ryan represents one of the absolute worst outcomes for conservatives,” wrote Daniel Horowitz on conservative Breitbart.com. His election “would serve nothing more than putting the prettiest face on the ugliest policies,” including LGBT legislation. “Despite being widely acclaimed as a social conservative and a devout Catholic, Ryan was one of only 35 House Republicans to vote for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,” Horowitz wrote. “This bill infringed upon religious liberties and promoted liberal values, including the sexual identity agenda.” According to Politico, a Freedom Caucus questionnaire wants candidates to pledge to tie any increase in the debt ceiling on Nov. 5 to cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. If the debt limit is not raised before that, the United States could default, having disasterous effects domestically and around the world. Before a similar debate in the Treasury Department reported that “default could result in a recession comparable to or worse than the 2008 financial crisis.” With no end game in sight, Boehner has agreed to stay on until a new Speaker is elected. Everyone but the hardliners are hoping he can avert a shut down when the government runs out of money on Dec. 11. —K.O.
Kaplan (right), seen here with Edie Windsor at New York’s LGBT Center, celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional
JOE TABACCA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
W
e know how the story ends. It’s a bursting flashbulb on the timeline of LGBT history, though to some it started out as a tiny blip. On Nov. 9, 2010, brilliant Paul, Weiss attorney Roberta Kaplan filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of suave elderly client Edie Windsor seeking a refund of the $363,053 Windsor was forced to pay in estate taxes after the death of her legal spouse, Thea Spyer. Windsor had been denied the usual federal tax exemption for surviving spouses because of the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA. By the time the case reached the United States Supreme Court, the world knew about the little old lesbian’s tax case—and more importantly, people grew enamored with the love story of the deeply closeted IBM math whiz and the psychologist, who lived a life together from 1965 to 2009 when Spyer died of MS in the comfortable Greenwich Village apartment the couple shared. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional. Kaplan and Windsor had pulled the rug out from under harmful “traditional” arguments against same-sex marriage, and within two years, marriage equality was the law of the land. But there is so much more to this gripping historic story. In Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA (336 pp., $28, W. W. Norton &
1996 The year DOMA passed Congress before being signed by President Bill Clinton. The Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations all defended it against legal challenges before Obama reversed course in 2011.
Co.), Kaplan and Lisa Dickey reveal scores of behind-thescenes struggles, including with LGBT movement leaders over legal strategy. When she first decided to fight for her legal marriage to be recognized, Windsor approached Lambda Legal, an organization to which she and Spyer had contributed. “They had a junior guy who was an attorney,” Windsor told Kaplan, “and he said to me, ‘I’m sorry, Edie. It’s the wrong time for the movement.’” Kaplan writes that Lambda and the ACLU took the position that GLAD’s Mary Bonauto, winner of the first marriage equality case in Massachusetts in May 2004, was also “moving to fast” in filing her March 2009 challenge to DOMA. That did not sit well. But, Kaplan writes, she had a law firm supporting her pro bono work and one client with an incredibly moving story. Indeed, Kaplan says, she originally wanted to write about “how we won the case strategically and what happened from step to step.” But soon she realized it was a larger, more encompassing human story. “We won this case not only by changing the law but we won this case by changing hearts and minds,” Kaplan tells Frontiers in a phone interview. “It’s a book about the personal journey that we’ve been on, both Edie and myself, our own stories, our own coming out stories, our relationship together, our family relationship together. I think that’s the only way to tell this story globally, because that’s how we created this revolution—by changing our own lives personally and by changing the views of Americans and the way that they feel.” Absolutely astounding are the moments of profound kismet, of the cosmic intersection between the lives of Kaplan and Spyer that invariably led Kaplan to Windsor and created in her the deep personal commitment to defeat DOMA. It was a commitment that soon became rooted in Kaplan’s own family life with her wife Rachel Lavine and their son, Jacob. Kaplan was 24 in the summer of 1991, a new graduate from Columbia Law School who was just coming out and was “seriously depressed and anxious.” On the last weekend in June, gay Pride weekend in New York City, her parents flew out from Cleveland. Kaplan fumed when her mother kept criticizing the gays, and she finally burst out with her secret. “My mother did not say a word. She simply walked to the edge of the room and started banging her head against the wall. Bang. Bang. Bang,” Kaplan writes. Her worst fears were realized. “The consequences seemed clear: Being gay meant losing the love and support of your family.” Her mother’s reaction sent her into a downward spiral. “And then I went to see Thea Spyer.” In two therapy sessions before she left for Boston, Kaplan told Spyer of her deepest fears—“that I would never have a normal life, a successful relationship, close ties with my family or a family of my own. ... I had never felt so alone, and I saw no way to make it better.” But Spyer told Kaplan about her 25-year relationship with Windsor. “It is unusual for a psychologist to talk so much about herself or her spouse during a therapy session,” Kaplan writes, “but Thea’s message to me was clear: it was possible to have a fulfilling relationship and a happy life, even if you happen to be a lesbian. She and Edie were the proof.”
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Eighteen years later, after Windor’s little tax case had been rejected by Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign gave her the cold shoulder, Kaplan walked the four blocks from her West Village apartment to the apartment where Spyer had given her so much hope. That April morning in 2009, all Kaplan could think was, “I will do this for Thea.” Kismet. Or, as Kaplan explains, “In Yiddish (which I had grown up with since my maternal grandmother, Belle, was fluent), the word bashert means, in its most basic sense, “it was meant to be.” In other words, it was as if God had dropped this case in my lap as a way to pay Thea back for helping me so much through some of my darkest days.” But after so many disappointments, Kaplan had to audition for Windsor, which she did by showing a tape of her arguing before the New York Court of Appeals in Hernandez v. Robles, the state marriage equality case she lost in 2006. Interestingly, because of that loss, Kaplan found out later, Spyer and Windsor decided to fly to Canada to get officially married, bringing along friends to help with the cumbersome wheelchair and other medical necessities that had become a part of “until death do us part.” Intersecting moments like that pop up like sparklers throughout the story. And moments of sheer intuition under pressure turn into fireworks, such as when Kaplan— without previous discussion with peers— decided to “flip” the accepted traditional anti-gay phrase ”moral disapproval.” During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts quizzed Kaplan, the only gay person arguing marriage before the Supreme Court, about where the “sea change” came from in people’s understanding since DOMA was enacted in 1996. “To flip the language of the House Report [defending DOMA after the Obama administration refused], Mr. Chief Justice, I think it comes from a moral understanding today that gay people are no different, that gay married couples’ relationships are not significantly different from the relationships of straight married people,” Kaplan said.
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“I think that one of the most incredible things about what’s happened in the last couple years, if you look at this going back— and certainly from the time I got involved, even from the second parent adoption case in New York, which was in 1995—the arguments in these cases, and certainly in the marriage equality cases, haven’t really changed. The same arguments that Mary Bonauto made in 2003 in Massachusetts are the exact same arguments that were made in Obergefell in 2015,” says Kaplan. “ S o w h a t ’s c h a n g e d i s n o t t h e arguments, and, frankly, the constitutional principles here aren’t all that complicated. What’s changed is the ability of judges, the American people and, ultimately, the Supreme Court Justices, to hear them. And that’s a function, I think, of this change. I called it in Windsor a ‘change in moral understanding.’ This incredible revolution in moral understanding of who gay people are and who we love and what our lives mean. There’s just no question about that, that that is what’s created the change here.” The victory for equality here is simply having the choice to marry. “Marriage is hard. And as a married person, you know, I feel perfectly qualified to say that marriage is hard,” Kaplan says. “But from a legal perspective, the way that our society and our legal system recognizes the lifetime commitment bet ween t wo people is through marriage. And what distinguishes gay and lesbians from everyone else is who we love, who we choose to make a lifetime commitment with. So in order for our legal system to recognize fundamentally the equality of gay men and lesbians under the law, the legal system has to recognize marriage equality. It’s the crucial foundation block for achieving equality under the law. ... And in our system, if you’re a gay person and you want to be equal under the law, then you have to be able to have equality in marriage. You have to have the choice to get married.” To read the extended version of our interview with Kaplan, in which she discusses Prop. 8, go to FrontiersMedia.com
“I do not understand what the problem is. I’ve played murderers, journalists and kings—I’m not any of them. I’m baffled to why it’s such a big thing.” Actor Ben Whishaw speaks on the controversy surrounding gays playing straight characters and vice versa at a screening of his new show, London Spy
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DATEBOOK FRI. | OCT. 23
GLSEN RESPECT AWARDS
The leading education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students will honor Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake with its Inspiration Award at the Beverly Wilshire. Past honorees return as co-chairs to help celebrate this 25th anniversary. glsen.org
SUN. | OCT. 25
FRANK GEHRY HONORED
The Museum of California Design will bestow the 2015 Henry Award for outstanding contributions to American design to illustrious architect and designer Frank Gehry. The 12th annual red carpet benefit will include the first survey exhibition of his furniture, jewelry and lighting designs. mocad.org
WED. | OCT. 28
CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME
LGBT artist David Hockney will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame by Gov. Jerry Brown and Sacramento’s California Museum—along with Robert Downey Jr., Bruce Lee, Charles M. Schulz, Kristi Yamaguchi and others—joining the ranks of celebrated LGBT Californians like Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk . californiamuseum.org
THU. | NOV. 5
OUTFEST LEGACY AWARDS
Outfest will honor two-time Oscar–winning actor, director and producer Tom Hanks and Oscar–nominated writer-director Lisa Cholodenko at its annual awards, held at DTLA venue Vibiana with support by Louis Vuitton. outfest.org
SAT. | NOV. 7
VANGUARD AWARDS
The L.A. LGBT Center holds its 46th anniversary gala at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, where Lily Tomlin will present Jane Fonda with this year’s National Vanguard Award. The night will also feature sets by DJ Asha and Alex Newell. lgbtvanguardawards.org
OCTOBER 28, 2015
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Emily, Upper West Side, NYC
THE
GAY AGENDA
Cult Classic A brand-new book examines the 40-year phenomenon of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, whose midnight screenings have been a safe haven for LGBTs the world over By Lydia Siriprakorn
T
he Rocky Horror Picture Show turned the big 4-0 last month, and even in Los Angeles, where 40 is the new 30, no one expected it to look this good. Few cult films can stand up to its success. After tanking at the box office back in 1975, 40 years later it continues to hold the record for longest theatrical release, and there are no signs of slowing down. With midnight screenings on any given night of the week at theaters across the country, it’s a longstanding tradition that’s been kept alive by “shadow cast” performers—tight-knit communities of dedicated fans who perform their favorite movie alongside the silver screen. To Los Angeles-born photographer Lauren Everett,
author of People Like Us: The Cult of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (139 pp., $25, Croatoan), these cast members are the unheralded heroes of the film’s phenomenon. Without any sort of funding or help from the theaters or film studios, shadow cast members volunteer their time and talents to creating a show and upholding a tradition, but also to building a community based on support and acceptance. “In the ‘70s, obviously the climate was really different politically and socially,” says Everett. “I think the screenings were really a place where people could express themselves and be out if they were LGBT—kind of a confederacy of like-minded people. Nowadays, in places like L.A. or New York, there are plenty of OCTOBER 28, 2015
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THE
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James, Houston, TX
AGENDA
THE GREAT WRITE WAY Stories from Seth Rudetsky on Broadway shows and stars
A
Chelsea, Saugus, CA
compilation of his hilarious columns for Playbill.com c h r o n i c li n g h i s u n i q u e life on and around the stage, Seth’s Broadway Diary, Volume 2 features blow-by-blow personal accounts and behind-the-scenes stories straight from the mouths of some of Broadway’s bigest stars. Naturally, editing the book re min de d Ru det sk y of a few amazing stories he’d completely forgotten about, like these: “There’s the time many people in the 1980 revival of West Side Story took valium, resulting in a Sunday matinee with half the cast missing.”
Shawn, Hawthorne, NJ
Shannon, Half Moon Bay, CA
places where you can do that, so it doesn’t necessarily provide that vital function anymore. But I think still in a lot of smaller places, like the Midwest and the South, Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings still function as that safe haven.” People Like Us features portraits of shadow cast members in full costume, performing onstage and also in their homes. The book introduces us to people like Everett’s friend Ray who lives in West Hollywood, a Rocky Horror cast member for 35 years. “He went from being really shy to performing as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in, you know, a corset and fishnets and heels,” she says. “Over that period of time, he learned how to do makeup. He’s an amazing makeup artist now. So it really gave him confidence and brought him out of his shell and gave him this whole community of people who were like him, whom he could relate to.” What began as a school project for Everett evolved into a six-year adventure of photographing shadow cast members around the country and hearing stories like Ray’s. Earlier this year, with the help of crowdfunding, Everett assembled her collection of images and stories into a book. “This is a story that has so many different layers to it and so much meaning on different levels,” she says. Over the span of six years, no matter which state she was living in at the time, she found herself going to midnight screenings with her camera in tow.
Diego Long Beach, CA
It was in those theaters that Everett witnessed firsthand the strong ties between the LGBT community and the success of Rocky Horror midnight screenings. “I think a fair amount of people in the cast identify as LGBT. Not the majority, probably, but a good amount,” she says. “I know a lot of the casts, and almost every single cast is in their local Pride parade every year, and some of them work with charities. It’s sort of a symbiotic relationship where it goes back and forth with support in both directions. The LGBT community has definitely been a vital part of the support base.” It’s unlikely that any other film could recreate the cult phenomenon of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Long before the power of social media became apparent, shadow cast members and midnight screenings showed the world what power in numbers really looks like. From the frontlines, Everett knows the phenomenon isn’t going anywhere—at least not any time soon. “I meet a lot of people who make up generations of Rocky Horror fans,” she says. “Their parents were on shadow casts, and now they’re on shadow casts. So it’s becoming that kind of thing. A legacy thing.”
“The time I did a TV show with Kathy Griffin and Kristin Chenoweth, and while they had their makeup done professionally, I was sent a crew member who blotted my face ... with a paper towel. Seriously!”
People Like Us is available throughout L.A. at Amoeba Music, Skylight Books in Los Feliz and Stories in Echo Park, as well as online at peoplelikeusrhps.com.
Seth’s Broadway Diary, Volume 2 (288 pp., $20, Dress Circle Publishing) is available Oct. 27
LEATHER OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM IT’S THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH, bases are loaded, tension in the bleachers is mounting between rival fans and your black leather baseball cap glistens with blinding spears of reflected sunlight. For those men who just can’t limit their love affair with leather to the bedroom, Gents is the perfect solution. The men’s custom-built luxury hat designer has one-upped the basic design of the baseball cap by lavishing it with leather. Although solid black is sure to be the most popular color for these kinky caps, priced from $59-99, they come in two-tone or gold-dyed leather as well, able to suit any man’s personal style. Wear one proudly into Dodger Stadium or, if you’ve never been a fan of guys only making it to second base, wear one anywhere else you’d sport a cap. They’re sophisticated enough to wear just about anywhere, so long as you have your fashion-forward wits about you. Purchase yours at gentsco.com. —Jim Larkins 22
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“The time I coached Idina Menzel to sing ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’—in front of Barbra Streisand!” “The time Lin-Manuel Miranda invited me to his birthday party and I showed up at a club where I was 20 years older than everyone. And it was the wrong club. And I arrived a week early.” “The time Bebe Neuwirth told me about Jackie Hoffman’s hilarious improvised onstage joke. Hint: it involved the word ‘dick’ many times.”
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AGENDA
App Happy
Every day seems to bring an innovative new app to the market, and here are 3 current must-haves ASK ME ANYTHING
If you just can’t get enough of those addictive Reddit Q&As that pick the brains of celebrities and other limelighted persons of interest, you’ll love this new app from the popular entertainment and social networking forum. It’s the easiest way to check out interviews in 21 different categories (entertainment, science/tech, music, games and more among them) or ask your very own prying questions. LAST MESSAGE
An app for Android users that takes the dilemma out of dead batteries, Last Message runs in the background of your phone, keeping track of your battery life percentage, then notifies worried grandparents, suspicious significant others or anyone else you correspond with that rather than ignoring them, your battery is simply on the verge of a blackout. It can be customized as well, allowing you to decide at what battery level the notifications will be sent. PURPLE
If you’re not into playing bumper cars at overcrowded gas stations and aren’t a fan of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere with a car you were sure would go 30 miles past the low fuel light, Purple is for you. This on-demand gas app brings fuel to you, wherever you may be in the L.A. area, within a one-to-three-hour timeframe. Simply pay for your (competitively priced) petrol, leave your gas cap open and you’ll rejoin the emissiondispensing throngs on wheels in no time. purpledelivery.com —J.L.
A 21ST CENTURY SHAVE
T
he multi-bladed razor is soon to be a thing of the past, giving way to high-tech lasers that will obliterate your face fuzz. No more navigating o u r m o rning co m m u te while dabbing at a bloody nick from an overused shaver! Two Swedish laser enthusiasts have created the per fect solution to bloody office entrances, and unlike previous attempts at laser hair removal, the Skarp Laser Razor mows your facial follicles by targeting particles called chromophores , making it effective for any type of hair. With no blades to discard, they’re a hit with environmentalists, and considering the team was seeking a $160,000 Kickstarter backing but came up with $3 million, apparently these gadgets have caught the eyes of investor s as well. The high-tech shavers require only a single AAA battery for a full month’s use, and with a 50,000-hour life expectancy, you’ll be passing it down to your heirs with the rest of your estate. Available March 2016 . skarptechnologies.com —J.L.
COOKING FROM THE COUCH Whether you’re looking to get fit or simply be lazy after a long day, there’s a meal delivery service perfect for you By Lydia Siriprakorn
W
hile ‘ordering in’ is the go-to dinner option after a long day of looking good and battling Los Angeles traffic, finding healthy options can be difficult. Thanks to a few new food delivery services, though, weeknight meals are getting a major upgrade. We’ve found the best ways to order meals without sacrificing your six-pack, so throw on some sweatpants and fire up the Netflix queue. Dining on your couch just got a whole lot swankier. For the foodie who just wants to order and eat: CRATEFUL (above) delivers fully prepared meals to your door, prepared by Michelin star chef Cristina Bowerman and backed by celebrity nutritionist Alyse Levine. Choose from their vegetarian, fitness, pescatarian or chef program, and customize your five or seven-day subscription to meet your budget. Plans start at $145 per week. crateful.la MUNCHERY is a meals-on-demand service with minimal planning or commitment. Simply sign up online, explore the menu and order your dishes à la carte. Their in-house team of chefs prepares your order, and it arrives ready to eat. Everything’s packed in microwaveable containers, which means minimal interruption to your Orange is the New Black marathon. Prices vary by menu item. munchery.com KLEAN offers a clean and healthy twist on weight-loss programs. Similar to dieting with Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem, a Klean subscription delivers prepared meals aimed at helping you lose weight. But instead of frozen food, you’re eating fresh, organic (and soy, gluten and preservative-free) meals packed with nutrition. Prices start at $58 per day and decrease the more you order. kleanla.com For the home chef who’s short on time: DIN is a great option for those not afraid to step up to the stove. They do all the prep work for you and deliver everything premeasured and ready to fire up at home, and only for $15 per meal. din.co BLUE APRON is becoming a household name for both experienced and rookie home chefs alike. Ingredients arrive premeasured and are sourced from local family-owned farms. Plans start at $59 per week, but check out their family meal plan if you’re feeding more than two hungry people. blueapron.com CHEF’D offers meals with a little more pizzazz. Like Din and Blue Apron, Chef’d takes the legwork out of cooking by premeasuring your meal’s ingredients, but it offers a slightly more exciting menu created by celebrity chefs. Choose from individual meals or weekly meal plans starting at $69 per week, with options that accommodate all kinds of dietary preferences. chefd.com
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health FOR YOUR
Hot for Halloween
Before slipping into your revealing costume on the big night, this seven-step circuit will pump you up and leave you looking your very best By Seth Browning
IF YOU’RE PART OF THE 99% OF L.A. RESIDENTS who will don a slutty Halloween costume this year—shirtless firefighters, cops and Roman gladiators will no doubt be out on the boulevard in full force—this workout routine is for you. Doing these custom exercises just before you slip into your ensemble can help you confidently place the word “sexy” before any costume.
PIOTR MARCINSKI | ARTOFPHOTO | DREAMSTIME.COM
1. GOBLET SQUATS
Press and hold a dumbbell directly your chest, with your feet slightly wider than your hips and toes slightly pivoted out. Drive your hips behind you, keeping your chest up, and lower just below 90 degrees. Exhale, squeezing your ass on the way up. Repeat for 15 reps. 2. LEG LIFTS
While flat on your back, place your (straight) arms beside you. Flex your toes back toward your face, exhale and raise your (straight) legs to about 90 degrees. Inhale as you slowly lower your legs to hover about four inches off the ground. Repeat for 15 reps. 3. DEADBUG CRUNCH
Lie flat on your back. Raise your arms, head, shoulders and legs, exhaling as you simultaneously bring
This pre-planned pump will swell up and fill out the key areas of your body where others’ eyes are sure to travel. But besides looking the part, you’ll also feel the part, as many of these exercises are known to boost your testosterone levels. (Rawr!) While this circuit comes in handy anytime you find yourself stepping into public shirtless, it’s especially perfect for Halloween. Party safe!
your bent knees to the chest and straight arms alongside them. Inhale while extending to the original position and repeat for 15 reps.
upper chest, slowly lowering to starting position. Repeat for 15 reps.
4. WIDE PULL-UPS
Grab a semi-challenging pair of dumbbells, standing with your feet together. Roll your shoulders back and down, with your elbows at your sides. Exhale as you curl up, inhaling as you lower the dumbbells to a count of 10 seconds. Repeat for 8-10 reps.
On a pull-up bar, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Puff up your chest, squeeze your lats and exhale as you pull your chin above the bar. Pause and slowly return to position. Repeat for 6-10 reps. Note: Using resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine is great for maintaining good form and getting more reps in! 5. INCLINE CHEST PRESS
Sit down on an incline bench with dumbbells resting on your lower thigh. Using your knees, kick the weights up to your shoulder and lean back. Position the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, slightly pivoting your elbows in. Then press them above your
6. NEGATIVE BICEP CURL
7. LATERAL RAISES
Hold a pair of dumbbells (weighing 8-12 lbs.) while standing with your feet at hips distance. Exhale as you raise your (straight) arms up to shoulder level. Repeat for 12-15 reps. Contact Seth at BodyByBrowning.com and on Instagram @sethenator OCTOBER 28, 2015
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FOR YOUR
health OFF THE COUCH
By Dr. Greg Cason
A Diet-Free Diet
Rather than watch what you eat, watch how you eat. These 7 simple steps will help you lose weight without committing to a new food or exercise program
1. Use a smaller plate. Reducing your plate size from 12 to 10 inches typically results in 22% less calories served, as the smaller plate makes a normal serving seem more filling according to The Smaller Plate Study. But don’t go too small! Once plate size went below 9.5 inches people realized they were tricking themselves and went back for more. 2. Use a tall, narrow glass. To avoid overpouring, this works for alcohol (the bane of every diet) as well as juice, sodas and sweet teas. People pour an average of 30% more into the short-wide glass than the tall-slender glass, according to a 2005 British Medical Journal study.
these three moves: (1) Put your fork and knife down between bites. (2) Chew and swallow all of the food in your mouth before putting in any more. (3) Put on slow or soft music. It will dampen your pace, and you will have a more leisurely meal without even trying. 5. Eat alone. When people eat solo, they pay more attention to their food, eating less and making better choices. If you do want to eat with someone, pick someone with healthy eating habits. People tend to mirror the order, serving size and eating pace of their dining companion. 6. Track your food. Keeping a food diary may double your weight loss. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente studied 1,685 overweight adults and had them record what they ate. After 20 weeks, those who didn’t keep a food diary lost about nine pounds, while those who recorded their food intake lost 18 pounds—twice as much as those who didn’t track any food.
3. Sit down. Eating on the run will trick you into eating more, according to a study done by the University of Surrey. Participants who walked around while eating ate more and chose unhealthier snacks than those who sat down. So sit down, shut off your electronic gizmos and pay attention to your food as you eat.
7. Fast for a half-day. Salk researchers compared mice that were allowed to eat whenever they wanted with mice that could only eat eight to nine hours per day (fasting the other 15-16 hours). The fasting mice were less likely to be obese, even though their total calorie intake was exactly the same. For humans, researchers suggest a nightly fast of 10-12 hours might do the same without changing daily calorie intake. A lengthy nighttime fast appears to “reset” a circadian clock disturbed by 24/7 feeding and drives up the body’s ability to burn off extra calories.
4. Slow down. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. A study presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity showed that overweight people took in fewer calories when they slowed their normal eating pace. Try
Contact Dr. Greg Cason by going to DrGreg.com, or interact with him on Twitter @DrGregCason
FITNESS WITH AARON SAVVY
➸ Send your questions to aaronsavvy@ gmail.com
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When is the best time of day to workout?
What is proper gym etiquette when it comes to workout wear?
—Larry, Silver Lake
—Nicholas, Beverly Hills
If you’re able to workout in the morning, more power to you. It’s a great way to start your day and your metabolism. You also get a huge endorphin rush, which helps you think better, puts you in a better mood and gives you the added energy to get you through a long workday.
At the gym, you want to avoid clothing that is too tight. Tight fabrics can create poor blood circulation and will dampen your range of motion. I suggest wearing fabrics that are breathable and that you can wear semi-loose on the body. Guys should also avoid wearing boxer shorts. Instead wear underwear that provides proper groin support.
KANTVER | DREAMSTIME.COM
S
wimsuit-optional season is upon us, also known as Halloween! Tons of boys want to take advantage of the gay-sacred holiday to draw as many admirers as possible by showing muscled skin rather than bulky shrouds. But getting there is no picnic—no sugar, no alcohol, no carbs, no fun! Eating becomes a minefield, with every meal a chance to explode—or rather, expand—your hard work. Rather than watching what you eat, watch how you eat. Here are some surprising ways to trick your brain into eating less and burning more by simply changing your behavior, without drugs, shame or rice cakes.
HALLOWEEN
COSTUMES FOR THE
ROLE-PLAYING
GAY
1
SEX ED
By Jim Larkins
Fornication Fantasies
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According to sexperts, bringing your Halloween costume into the bedroom can lead to a more fulfilled sex life
KANTVER | DREAMSTIME.COM
F
rom pop-up pumpkin patches to creepy characters and bizarre masquerades, the signs of the season are everywhere. But as the kinkier among us know, for adults there’s a far better use for temporary disguises than soliciting sweets from the neighbors. Grab your partner and head to the local costume shop. Let your imagination go wild and you could soon find yourself on the receiving end of a firefighter hose, cradled in an airline pilot’s cockpit or receiving a tongue-lashing from an overzealous traffic cop. Once the season ends, keep the costumes in your closet and incorporate an orgy of sensual scenarios into your love life throughout the year. Your sex life will be better because of it. By definition, sexual fantasy or erotic fantasy is a pattern of thoughts with the result of enhancing or creating sexual feelings. Nearly any mental imagery that is sexually arousing to an individual can be classified as such. The fantasy can be a lengthy, drawn-out mental tale or a sudden flash of erotic imagery, and the purpose of these fantasies can range from such sexual goals as arousal and reaching orgasm to simply beating boredom or inducing sleep. Everyone has some form of sexual fantasy in their heads, but experts have a few different theories as to their origins. Some believe we begin to accumulate particular longings at birth. Hypothetically, our brains then manifest these desires in the form of fantasies. Another school of thought is that the sexual daydream is a type of fight-or-flight mechanism—a method of playing out a situation that is potentially dangerous, immoral or illegal. The one
thing all authorities agree on is that sexual fantasy is a universal human characteristic that should be enjoyed rather than overanalyzed. Ian Kerner, PhD, a New York-based sex therapist, notes, “All good role-playing starts with sharing your fantasy.” An easy way to do that? He suggests bringing up your fantasy a compliment; say something like, “I had this really hot dream about you last night, where you were a police officer and I was a terrible driver.” Just be sure to describe to your partner what it is about the scenario that gets you revved up, because the better you explain and set up your fantasy, the more likely it will come to life. The content and objective of sexual fantasy is as varied as the individual personalities of those who dream them up. From the mundane to the bizarre, fantasies span the vastness of the mind’s eye. For some they are a means of breaking free from real-life restraints (it’s much safer to dress up as a gangster or a bank robber when the scenario is only imagined). Importantly, sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein notes, couples considering role-playing fantasies “have to believe that they are eligible to step outside the usual limits of their everyday personality. Roleplaying requires that people either believe that they don’t look foolish, or that they don’t care if they do.” So go forth and be the warden while your partner plays the furlough-hungry convict, or play doctor and give your buddy a thorough examination. The characters and situations of your sexal fantasies are limited only by you. “Ultimately,” says Klein, “erotic role-playing is a way to celebrate two of our most divine gifts—imagination and sexuality.”
4 5
WE KNOW YOU CAN get more inventive in your role-playing than cops and firemen, so here are a few more adventurous bedroom ideas that can double as Halloween costumes.
1. Cable Guy
TV on the fritz? You need assistance from this stud (hopefully withouta four-hour service window).
2. George W. Bush
When your partner is really into submission, dress him up like this and flog the hell outta him.
3. Batman and Robin
Who doesn’t find caped crusaders sexy? Just make sure your Boy Wonder is over 18.
4. Dog Walker
Perfect for the couple into “puppy play,” it’s an easy way to get your partner on all fours.
5. The Pope
On second thought, never mind. That’s just sick. OCTOBER 28, 2015
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events ■ Through Jan. 18 NEW OBJECTIVITY LACMA
The first comprehensive U.S. show to explore the themes characterizing the artistic trends of the Weimar Republic, this exhibition features nearly 200 paintings, photographs, drawings and prints. lacma.org ■ Through Feb. 15 WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD Aquarium of the Pacific
nightlife
■ Thu. | Oct. 15 KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY Kirk Douglas Theater
Courtney Love brings to life a “theatricalized concept album” about a small-town couple looking to leave their drab hamlet. A New York run earlier this year garnered her and composer Todd Almond kudos for their energy and inventiveness. Through Nov. 8. centertheatregroup.com
Hate Couture
Bianca Del Rio unleashes her Rolodex of Hate on an unsuspecting Los Angeles By Mike Ciriaco
I
■ Thu. | Oct. 15 HIT & RUN Continental Club
Andrés Rigal, Chris Bowen and Victor Rodriguez present this new monthly party at one of DTLA’s swankiest venues. Expect a sexy, sophisticated bacchanal of gay music and fashion. circa93.com
BIANCA DEL RIO: MAGNUS HASTINGS
Based on the novel by Stephen King, this immersive staging of Carrie takes the musical off the stage and puts audiences in the middle of the action, back in the rooms and hallways of high school and, of course, with a prime seat at the prom. experiencecarrie.com
exhibits ROLODEX OF HATE Club Nokia Oct. 24 clubnokia.com
Amidst the drought, this exhibition displays photos of water scarcity and humans’ relationship with it in regions around the world. The photos examine water as a precious natural resource and how lowered levels threaten agriculture and people. aquariumofpacific.org
■ Through Nov. 15 CARRIE: THE MUSICAL Los Angeles Theatre
theater
■ Thu. | Oct. 15 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: KURIOS OC Fair & Event Center
Time comes to a complete stop, transporting the audience into a fantasy world where everything is possible. Set in the latter half of the 19th century, reality is quite relative indeed. Through Nov. 29. cirquedusoleil.com
n a millennium dominated by iClouds and Facebook profiles, a rolodex is as obsolete as the rotary phone, its sole usefulness serving as a metaphor for Bianca Del Rio’s vitriol-filled cranium. This month, the RuPaul's Drag Race victor lets us sift through her scathing psyche during the L.A. leg of her Rolodex of Hate tour. The metaphor first manifested as a quip during her turn on the show. “RuPaul asked me where I got this quick wit. I basically stated that I had a rolodex in my head of hateful things,” says Del Rio, her tongue buzzing with the signature celerity of the Micro Machines spokesman. Without pausing for prompting—or a breath— she dives into the new show's genuine purpose. “It's a way for me to discuss things that happened to me, experiences, my life in general. People are asking questions, ‘Why did you start drag? How did it happen?’ Without being sappy, the show goes through instances, stories and moments that made me this hateful thing I am.” Before becoming the personification of malevolence gay audiences know and love, Del Rio (Roy Haylock if you’re nasty) cut her teeth on the New Orleans club circuit before relocating to New York following Hurricane Katrina. She rose to prominence in 2014 when she won Drag Race, a victory that inspired Del Rio to take her act on the road. Last November, she debuted Rolodex of Hate at New York’s Gramercy Theater, which was immediately followed by a world tour exposing her to audiences across America, Australia and Vienna. Del Rio continues, “People always ask me, ‘What’s the difference between a New York audience and a Los Angeles audience and an Australian audience?‘ I always say, ‘Three
drinks.’ Three drinks for them, three drinks for me, and everyone is the same.” Obviously, Del Rio is a jeering juggernaut that must be seen with one’s own eyes, so don’t expect any spoilers here. When it comes to her live show, the content is rarely predictable. “Expect the unexpected," she says. "About half the show is improv with the audience, depending on where I am. I do my research in advance, so I know what to expect. There’s a lot I’ve observed with L.A. Of course theres always L.A. humor—L.A. versus New York. I’ve lived in New York, but I’m originally from the South, so I have a broad perspective of what the world is like. It's basically me entering my little web of hate, and then you get a chance to hear how I feel about everything. It's all been a big adjustment. I’ve been doing this long before Drag Race. Now I’m kinda under the microscope. I definitely discuss the journey." Del Rio did reveal a a modicum of her wrath for us, which we welcomed. “What’s fascinating about people in general—on Facebook everyone is hating Kim Davis, then two weeks later they're praising the pope. These are the same people who called her a fat, ugly bitch, and then—‘His Holiness is in town. I feel so blessed.’ It's so funny how hypocritical people are. I‘m fascinated how quickly people can turn, and how they feel something can be solved with a comment on social media. It's an endless game of ‘I think this, I think that.’ You’re never going to win a battle on social media, but it's fascinating to watch. I do think Kim Davis is definitely a topic, but not because of her views. I’m more offended by her hair choice and outfits.” OCTOBER 28, 2015
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■ ■ ■ ■
LE BAL Theatre at Ace Hotel Oct. 23 acehotel.com
■ Fri. | Oct. 16 FRESH FRIDAYS Greystone Manor
After a summer stint away, this Jeffrey Sanker and Paul Nicholls event is back to being Friday night’s biggest gay dance party. Previous nights have seen performances by the likes of Leona Lewis and Ivy Levan. sbe.com ■ Fri. | Oct. 16 SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM International City Theatre
■ Fri. | Oct. 16 JANET JACKSON The Forum
Originally conceived as a tribute for Sondheim’s 80th birthday, this musical is a love letter to the musical genius. Exclusive video is combined with new arrangements of over 24 Sondheim tunes. Through Nov. 8. internationalcitytheatre.org
You have “No Sleeep” on repeat, don’t you? Janet Jackson’s back, and she’s kicking off a worldwide tour to support her longawaited album Unbreakable. fabulousforum.com ■ Fri. | Oct. 16 OZLAND Arena Cinema Hollywood
■ Sat. | Oct. 17 FAB FAUX Valley Performing Arts Center
In a dry and dusty postapocalyptic world, two wayfarers wander aimlessly until Leif finds a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The book challenges the beliefs, friendship and even the survival of the two travelers. Through Oct. 22. arenascreen.com
With a commitment to the accurate reproduction of The Beatles’ repertoire and an emphasis on their later works never performed live, The Fab Faux treat this seminal music with unwavering respect. valleyperformingartscenter.org
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Le Bal brings the art of drag back to the legitimate stage “I’VE NEVER MET A STAGE I DIDN’T LIKE,” says Candis Cayne, who most recently endeared herself to the public on I Am Cait as newly trans Caitlyn Jenner’s confidante. And when it comes to stages, it’s hard not to be smitten by Downtown L.A.'s Theater at Ace Hotel stage. On Oct. 23, the ornate venue will play host to Le Bal, a one-night-only drag extravaganza hosted by the trans diva, which celebrates 60 years of variety entertainment. The new show aims to return the art form of drag to the classic proscenium environment, as well as expose a new generation of audiences to countercultural entertainment. “Drag has been such an important part of my life,” says Cayne. “I love the intimacy and the spur-of-the-moment improvisation of it all. It’s exciting, and a great form of art. To be able to host this show with some incredible performers was a no-brainer.” Le Bal’s roster includes RuPaul’s Drag Race alumnae Raja Gemini, Courtney Act, Willam Belli, Mariah Balenciaga and Delta Work, who will be moving to the musical fusions of DJ Kim Ahn. Setting the show in the opulent backdrop of the Ace’s theater emphasizes the fact that drag is more than a gay bar novelty—it’s a genuine art form, and these artists are undoubtedly queens. —M.C.
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GRUNT | EAGLE L.A. Photos by Jeremy Lucido
CANDIS CAYNE: SCOTT EVERETT WHITE
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Fit for a Queen
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The Sherlock cast, from left: James Maslow David Arquette and Renee Olstead
STEAMPUNK SHERLOCK
SHERLOCK HOLMES Ricardo Montalbán Theatre Oct. 15-18 sherlockholmeson stage.com
David Arquette stars as the famed super-sleuth in an upcoming staging of Sherlock Holmes
CANDIS CAYNE: SCOTT EVERETT WHITE
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or an entire generation of audiences, David Arquette may best be remembered for his portrayal of deputy sheriff Dewey Riley, the earnest but bumbling small-town cop from Wes Craven’s Scream franchise. But on Oct. 15 Arquette assumes the guise of another fictional crimefighter when he plays the lead in Sherlock Holmes at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre. An original adaptation by Greg Kramer inspired by the original works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the production garnered five Montréal English Theatre Awards when it debuted in Canada back in 2013. While the eccentric super-sleuth may seem like an ideal fit for the quirky actor, Arquette initially focused on the differences between himself and the character. “He’s the smartest man in the room. I am not,” says Arquette during a brief break between rehearsals. “He’s incredibly specific and detailed, also not one of my strong suits. And he’s emotionless when it comes to the sufferings of victims, and I’m a softie.” Of course, the similarities are there as well. “We both have excessive personalities partially driven by a strong ego and a love of mischief, which often leads us to experiencing the extreme sides of life,” Arquette says. “We see situations from a unique perspective and constantly question existence. We both enjoy a fine suit and the accoutrements of being a male peacock.” Sartorialists will appreciate the Steampunk costuming, which perfectly complements an inventive set design incorporating projections on metal scrims. The result is a tantalizing amalgam of Victorian and modern aesthetics, which pays homage to the timeless quality of the Holmes character. “I think Mr. Holmes is still relevant in this day and age because he essentially started the CSI and profiling culture that is such a mainstay in the current entertainment world,” Arquette says. “Not to mention that strong, witty, humorous characters never get old.” Sherlock Holmes will enjoy a six-performance run in Los Angeles before hitting the road to play in Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Just be sure to catch this show before it’s too late, as missing it would be a true crime. —M.C. OCTOBER 28, 2015
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■ Sat. | Oct. 17 DISCO DINING CLUB Venue TBA
A culinary excursion steeped in the excess, debauchery and hedonism of disco, an $80 advance ticket gets you a decadent dinner, open bar, live performances and unlimited oysters. The menu for this special “bathhouse edition” was crafted by Berlin-based Wild & Weise. discodiningclub.com ■ Sun. | Oct. 18 A NIGHT WITH MARK MACKILLOP Rockwell Table & Stage
The performer and internet selfie sensation makes his L.A. debut with a tonguein-cheek one-man show of standards from the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s. rockwell-la.com
in 3-D with spine-tingling interactive 4-D sensory effects, including wind, snow, fog and more. Through Nov. 1. elcapitantickets.com ■ Fri. | Oct. 23 ST. ANTHONY’S The Lost Knight Pub
Anglophiles unite for the latest monthly event by DJ Chris Bowen, who has plans to bring in special guest DJs to accompany the $5 drafts and British pub fair. thelostknight.com ■ Fri. | Oct. 23 MY FAIR LADY Carpenter Performing Arts Center
When Prof. Henry Higgins bets he can transform cockney guttersnipe Eliza Doolittle into a proper English lady, he gets far more than he wagered. One of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, the classic boasts a delectable score of memorable songs. Through Nov. 8. musical.org ■ Fri. | Oct. 23 LUST STRENGTH LAX Akbar
■ Sun. | Oct. 18 THE BIG DRAW Grand Park
This annual festival brings together families, seniors, art lovers, and people who like to draw along with those who think they can’t, all to participate in an array of hands-on, collaborative drawing activities. grandparkla.org
A dark and dingy atmosphere of grinding techno, exhibition and live sets by Seattle's Nick Bartoletti, Chris Blohm, and Ozma Otacava with a live performance from Berlin's Furfriend, with special guest DJs Nark and Victor Rodriguez. ownakbarsilverlake.com
A close circle of smalltown friends gather in Truvy’s beauty parlor, and as the ladies primp for the wedding of Shelby, daughter of M’Lynn, they exchange wisdom and wisecracks about life and love. Through Oct. 25. latw.org ■ Thu. | Oct. 22 NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS El Capitan Theatre
The annual special engagement of the Tim Burton classic will be viewed 34
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■ Fri. | Oct. 23 THELMA HOUSTON Catalina Bar & Grill
The Grammy-winning legend best known for “Don’t Leave Me This Way” debuts an all-new show, My Motown ... Music, Memories & More, for two nights in Hollywood. catalinajazzclub.com
JACKIE BEAT: AUSTIN YOUNG
■ Thu. | Oct. 22 STEEL MAGNOLIAS James Bridges Theater, UCLA
BONKERZ Precinct Oct. 24 precinctdtla.com
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LET’S GET BONKERZ Mario Diaz and Jackie Beat unite to bring you the biggest, dumbest, gayest party in town, and we cannot wait
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ackie Beat and Mario Diaz are like the chocolate and peanut butter of gay L.A. nightlife—two great tastes that are even better together. This month the two combine forces at DTLA’s Precinct to present Bonkerz, a self-described “big, dumb, gay party” that will feature appearances by local talents Willam Belli, Raja, Calpernia Addams and Alec Mapa. Recently the lifelong friends dished with us about the new fête and the current state of gay nightlife.
FRONTIERS: What initially inspired you two to create Bonkerz? MARIO DIAZ: The idea was to do a party that is the antithesis of what’s currently dominating the scene. So we decided not to call our party “Spit Fur on Your Disco Cub Hole” and try something sort of silly and ridiculous. Also I’ve never created a party with my bestie Jackie Beat. After our 300 years as a married couple we’re finally throwing a party together. JACKIE BEAT: I just really need the money. Fuck you, Drag Race! F: Why is Bonkerz going to be unique? MARIO: There’s only so many unique ways to put a spin on an event. It really becomes about the people, and luckily between Jackie and I we know some of the strongest talent and personalities working today. And Jackie friggin’ Beat will be performing and hosting the stage monthly. JACKIE: Like most things Mario and I do—together and individually—it will have a sense of humor about it. To me, there’s nothing less cool than trying to be cool. Did that sound smart? I really just need money. F: What aspect of the party are you most excited about? MARIO: One of my favorite DJs in L.A., Whitney Fierce, is spinning for us. We’re even setting up a kissing booth and a compliment station. I don’t want to give it all away—that ruins the fun! JACKIE: I’m very much looking forward to spending hours doing my world-famous, award-winning makeup and then shoving my misshapen old man body into three pairs of pantyhose, custom-made dress and very expensive wig. Despite the fact that Mario will spend no more than five minutes putting on a pair of jeans, he will be fawned over all night and I will be cruelly ignored. But I’m not bitter. F: And why is Precinct the ideal venue for Bonkerz? MARIO: I’ve been friends with the owners, Brian and Thor, for some time and have been looking forward to the opening of Precinct. They have great taste—cheap and bad, just like me. JACKIE: It’s also one of the few venues in town that for some reason doesn’t know Mario and I just got out of prison for nightclub embezzlement. —M.C. OCTOBER 28, 2015
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■ ■ ■ ■ GRAND AVE ARTS: ALL ACCESS Grand Avenue Oct. 24 grandavearts.tumblr.com
■ Sat. | Oct. 24 SQRRRLS IN SPACE Akbar
San Francisco party SQURRRL teams up with L.A.’s Bears in Space to bring you a 12-hour parking lot party like no other, featuring sets by Ryan Jones, Suppositori Spelling, Stacy Christine and more. akbarsilverlake.com ■ Sun. | Oct. 25 ANNUAL ART CENTER CAR CLASSIC Art Center of Design
Get a glimpse at the future of vehicles and meet the people who create them for the road, for the movies, throughout the videogame world, at theme parks and beyond. artcenter.edu/carclassic ■ Mon. | Oct. 26 TRIBUTE TO AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS IN TV Beverly Wilshire Hotel
The Paley Center celebrates acclaimed programs of historical importance and pays homage to creative visionaries There will also be a special salute to BET’s 35th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. paley.me/tribute
■ Mon. | Oct. 26 MADONNA The Forum
Bitch, she’s Madonna! Of course you’re going to see her at the Forum. Whether or not you were a fan of her latest album, the Material Girl has a huge catalogue to draw upon, and she always puts on a remarkable show. fabulousforum.com ■ Through Oct. 25 LOVE LETTERS The Wallis
They made history 45 years ago when they starred in Love Story, the most talked about film of its day. Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal now reunite for Love Letters, a special theatrical tour. thewallis.org ■ Wed. | Oct. 28 BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA Valley Performing Arts Center
In Charles Morey’s acclaimed adaptation, Count Dracula slips quietly into Victorian London. The city seems helpless against his frightful power, and only one man, the smart and resourceful Dr. Van Helsing, can stop the carnage. latw.org
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A Grand Gesture
The cultural organizations of DTLA come together to spotlight the artistic diversity of Grand Avenue OVER THE LAST DECADE, DTLA has been vaunted for its cultural and artistic renaissance. Nowhere is this fact more prominent, or concentrated, than on Grand Avenue, which houses such institutions as the Center Theater Group, MOCA, L.A. Philharmonic and the Broad Museum, to name but a few. Later this month, 11 of those cultural organizations will assemble to present Grand Ave Arts: All Access, a one-day, family-friendly event showcasing the downtown thoroughfare’s rich artistic diversity via myriad performances, tours, screenings and activities. “Grand Avenue is acclaimed for its unrivaled collection of cultural landmarks, museums and performance organizations presenting some of the most dynamic exhibitions, collections and arts programming in the world,” says Howard Sherman, interim president and CEO of The Music Center. “Grand Ave Arts: All Access provides a unique opportunity to share this incredible art and artistry and these amazing facilities with the entire community.” Highlights of the event include tours of The Broad, the Music Center and Colburn School, free admission to MOCA and a screening of animated children’s shorts at REDCAT. And if your blood sugar plummets, there will be a fleet of food trucks at Grand Park, another form of local art entirely. —M.C.
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CONFESSION SATURDAYS | THE ABBEY Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
Marco Marco
EATINGOUT
Fork it Over ON THE RUNWAY Style Fashion Week continues to raise the bar for fashion in the City of Angels
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os Angeles once again struts its stuff on the runway with the return of Style Fashion Week. Having begun Oct. 14, the premier L.A. fashion extravaganza will dominate the city with a triple-threat of couture, music and art. Currently celebrating its 12th season, the event originated from a need to counteract L.A.'s dearth of high-caliber fashion events. “Mercedes-Benz stopped doing shows here about eight years ago,” says Veronica Kerzer, the brains behind Style Fashion Week. “At that time, I was living in Miami doing shows for Elle magazine. I felt there was no one producing shows in L.A. to a level the world would appreciate. I couldn’t understand why although L.A. was so beautiful, had so many incredible designers, manufacturers, celebrities and designers, how it didn’t have a fashion week that people were supporting. I could see the vision of L.A. being a fashion mecca, so I moved back here to start this fashion week.” This month’s event is bigger than ever, featuring over 125 brands, 50 artists and 45,000 guests, including celebrities, buyers, press and fashion insiders. STYLE Highlights of this year's iteration FASHION WEEK i n c l u d e M a l a n B r e to n's S S 1 6 DTLA collection, Reflections of Sun Moon Through Oct. 18 Lake (as showcased in Elle, Vogue stylefashionweek.com and Vanity Fair), Christina Milian’s closing night performance and runway show and local label Marco Marco’s Collection 4: F*kin Sirius. Marco Marco’s L.A. show, the brainchild of notable Angeleno Marco Morante, will serve as a second act to the collection’s New York Style Fashion Week debut last month, which filled the catwalk with porn stars, trans models and a roster of drag divas that included Courtney Act, Detox and recent RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Miss Fame. Morante's assemblage of non-traditional runway models is a tip of the haute couture hat to the fashion industry’s recent move toward trans acceptance. “The idea was to do part one in New York and part two in L.A.," says Kerzer. "With everything going on with Caitlyn Jenner, it was a perfect time to bring Marco Marco’s style to New York. And, of course, it's going to be absolutely crazy in L.A.” —M.C
3 new restaurants on the L.A. scene, from a former Echo Park pupuseria to coastal cuisine by a Jonas Brother SAMBAR Chef Akasha Richmond’s cuisine always leaned a little east at her eponymous Culver City restaurant, but she has taken that to the next level with the opening of this new Culver City boîte with an Indian-inspired menu. Start with the namesake sambar, an earthy vegetable stew served with quinoa pancakes and red onion-tomato and hempseed chutneys. Among the curries, the truck stop goat curry is a standout, slowbraised in a cumin-tomato-onion sauce with goat yogurt. The light sevpuri chaat with crispy teff puris, green mango, avocado, red onion and pomegranate-mint chutney is also a delicious choice. The Spice Road-referential cocktails are also worth a try, so sip on the Blood Moon Over Bengal bourbon drink with spiced blood orange liqueur, orgeat, falernum and lime juice. 9531 Culver Blvd., Culver City, (310) 558-8800, sambarcc.com HINTERLAND It seems Nick Jonas is getting more attention than his brothers these days, but it’s older brother Joe Jonas who recently danced his way into the restaurant business with the opening of this new low-key hotspot on Santa Monica’s Main Street. The menu, courtesy of chef Maximilian DiMare, is mostly coastal but with Southern influences. Guests can start with a selection of oysters and a bowl of the P.E.I. mussels or peel-and-eat shrimp with lemon and Old Bay aioli. The market fish comes with light accompaniments like red quinoa, zucchini and English pea salad, while those with heartier appetites can enjoy the grilled pork chop with corn, roasted peppers and bacon. The chocolate-peanut butterbanana bread pudding makes for a satisfying end to the meal. 2917 Main St., SaMo, (310) 399-0805, hinterland.la OSTRICH FARM This new Echo Park eatery, a cozy little whitewashed spot in a former pupuseria, is named after a defunct railway that ran through Griffith Park and comes courtesy of San Francisco chef Jaime Turrey and his wife, Brooke Fruchtman. Stellar starters include the prosciutto flatbread with arugula, pear and parmesan; a Roman-style fritto misto with artichoke, calamari, oyster and lemon; and hearty pork-veal meatballs with spicy romesco in an herb-mint yogurt sauce. The salad with crab, citrus, avocado, bitter escarole and lemon vinaigrette is light and fresh, while mains like a pork ossobuco with roasted fennel and polenta or the pot pie with braised beef, winter vegetables and pungent Stilton hint at heavier autumn dishes still to come. Don’t pass up the dark chocolate tart with sea salt for dessert. 1525 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, (213) 537-0657, ostrichfarmla.com —Eric Rosen OCTOBER 28, 2015
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The best in TV, film, music and more
Final Cut The smartest slasher movie you’ll see this Halloween, The Final Girls combines one writer’s horror film pedigree with a heartfelt story about overcoming loss By Drew Mackie
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From left: Alia Shawkat, Taissa Farmiga, Alexander Ludwig and Nina Dobrev
AT-HOME HORROR Mad Man (1982) A summer camp slasher film, if local serial killer Madman Marz's name is uttered louder than a whisper, he shows up and is out for blood. “It's utterly batshit bonkers c r az y,“ s ays M ill e r, “with the best hot tub softcore sex scene ever recorded.”
ake any bargain bin slasher movie and you’ll get a cast of attractive 20-somethings getting bumped off one by one, often before you can learn their characters’ names. The Final Girls, the horror-comedy that opened in theaters Oct. 9, dares you to care about its characters even when you know death is lurking nearby, machete at the ready. In the film, Taissa Farmiga plays Max, a teen whose late mother (Malin Akerman) starred in Camp Bloodbath, a Friday the 13th-esque slasher. When Max and her friends attend a screening of the film and end up crossing into the universe of the movie, hokey horror scenarios suddenly pose a lethal threat. Written by Joshua John Miller and M.A. Fortin, Final Girls audaciously gives weight to death in a world where some of its characters—the “fictionals” of Camp Bloodbath, including the character played by Max’s mother—only exist to die. And while Final Girls playfully tweaks genre conventions, its true power lies in heady topics like grief over the death of one’s parent and existential angst about one’s role in life. “We used to go around and pitch this as ‘Terms of Endearment meets Friday the 13th,’ and people thought we were crazy,” says Miller, a former child actor who starred in Teen Witch, Near Dark and even the extended video for Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm
As connoisseurs of the genre, Miller and Fortin have recommendations for those seeking under-the-radar horror films this Halloween season The Day of the Locust (1975) “It's one of the great horror movies about Los Angeles,“ Fortin says about this bleak take on 1930s Hollywood starring Karen Black as an aspiring actress and Donald Sutherland as an introverted accountant. “It’s like if David Lynch directed a horror movie.”
Hausu (1977) In this Japanese cult film, weird supernatural things start to happen when a young girl named Gorgeous and six of her friends step into her aunt’s remote mansion. “This one’s just one of the trippiest,“ says Miller. “It’s like if you crossed a haunted house movie with Scooby-Doo.” OCTOBER 28, 2015
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film BEASTS OF NO NATION Opens Oct. 16
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Opens Oct. 30
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An af fectionate hagio g r a p hy, Ta b H u n te r Confidential chronicles the life and career of the “6 feet of rugged manhood” that is Tab Hunter. Director Jeffrey Schwarz shows, through nimbly edited photos and interviews, how this dreamy all-American boy became a screen and recording sensation, yet Hunter had to keep his relationships with figure skater Ronnie Robertson and actor Anthony Perkins on the down low. This documentary doesn’t dish much dirt or provide any new insights into how gay men fared in the ‘50s, but Hunter is extremely likeable in his interviews, and the film’s nostalgia factor compensates for its more superficial moments.
XENIA
Opens Nov. 6
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When gay teen Danny’s (Kostas Nikouli) mother dies, he reconnects with his older brother, Odysseas (Nikos Gelia). The Albanian siblings hope to find their longlost Greek father and shake him down for money and citizenship—as well as enter Odysseas in the Greek Star singing contest (think American Idol). Xenia, Greece’s Oscar entry, never quite gets its moments of harsh reality and magical realism to effectively mesh. Writer/director Panos H. Koutras strains credibility as the road movie, xenophobia and gunplay narratives climax. However, the leads are compelling, and a scene of the brothers dancing in their underwear is irresistible. —Gary M. Kramer
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The Martian
Goosebumps Movie
Pan Steve Jobs
October 23 Jem and the Holograms
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TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL
MILLER/FORTIN: LISA ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Nation.” He’s also the son of Jason Miller, who played Father Damian in The Exorcist and who died in 2001. In telling the story of Max, grieving the loss of her horror icon mother, Miller and Fortin have written a more personal and complex script than many audience members might realize. “The point was always telling a story about grief and letting go, especially in a slasher movie where death is omnipresent and grieving nonexistent,” Fortin says. But the remarkable feat they’ve pulled off is that while the movie has heavy moments, it’s still a comedy. There’s gallows humor, there are perfectly barbed comebacks and there’s mockery of the absurd situation in which the “real” teens find themselves. “It’s great to have your pain make other people laugh,” Miller says. For him, The Final Girls offered a catharsis. “I’ve always been trying to tell some sort of story about losing a parent, and the both of us mapped out a way to address that,” says Miller. “Max has a complicated relationship with her mother, who was an actress, and that carries with it all kinds of issues,” he continues. “I was alienated by my father in my younger years because he was struggling with addiction and alcohol. This was a man who became an icon in a year—he grew up penniless in Scranton, Penn., and then in the same year he starred in The Exorcist and won the Pulitzer for a play he wrote. He was completely unprepared for success and fame and the attention, and he had a hard time finding his footing in a challenging world.” This is a story that Fortin knows well. In addition to being Miller’s writing partner, he and Miller have been in a relationship for 11 years. But Fortin points out that Final Girls works even without knowledge of Miller’s history. “People watch it, and unless they’ve experienced loss of some kind, they have a really good time,” Fortin says. “But it was incredibly gratifying to be part of a process that could help Josh finally write about this and see it bring solace to people who have lost parents themselves.”
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Cary Fukunaka’s immersive adaption of Uzodinma Iweala’s novel about the resourceful Agu (Abraham Attah), who becomes a child soldier for guerrillas in Africa, illuminates a dangerous but devastating world. The film’s violence—especially when Agu commits his first murder—is intense and shocking. Alas, the tension dissipates rather than increases once Agu is under the control of his rebel Commandant (Idris Elba), whose leadership becomes questionable. The film’s tone slackens, and Beasts of No Nation becomes a series of connected set pieces—some of them quite compelling—that fail to generate sufficient emotional power. Attah, however, a non-actor, is remarkable in his film debut.
Screenwriters Joshua John Miller (right) and M.A. Fortin
music CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS Chaleur Humaine (Neon Gold/Atlantic)
MILLER/FORTIN: LISA ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY
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In addition to being a film about the bond between a mother and a daughter, Final Girls also offers fleshed-out characters in the form of Gertie (Alia Shawkat) and Vicki (Nina Dobrev), who transcend the confines of “sassy friend” and “mean girl.” In fact, the film features a scene in which Vicki explains her prickly demeanor, suggesting a roundedness rare in even the more self-aware slasher flicks. “So many of these movies are about pitting women against each other,” Fortin says. “That wasn’t enough for us. When these kids are faced with the prospect of actually having their lives cut short, they’re going to put aside whatever bitchy commentary they’re going to make. They’re going to get real. It’s so easy to take female characters and make them as base as possible. We wanted this to be about women working together.” Miller and Fortin’s next project is Queen of the South, a drug cartel drama starring Alice Braga that is set to premiere on USA in 2016. Among other potential projects, however, is a return to horror that would have them team up with Rose McGowan, a horror legend in her own right who now directs. (McGowan, a longtime friend of Miller’s, directed Dawn, a short film based on a script by Miller and Fortin that premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.) It’s a genre close to both writers’ lives. “I think many gay men feel drawn to the genre because there’s something subversive about it,” Miller says. “There’s something erotic, but also people are being punished for being sexual, which of course is something we all feared as gay men growing up.” “These films offer hope for at least some characters,” Fortin says. “No matter how trashy the movie is, if you’re vigilant and if you’re cautious and if you keep your eyes peeled, you don’t necessarily have to be part of the body count.” The Final Girls, starring Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine and Nina Dobrev, is in theaters now
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NEW RELEASES
>> music
Out Now
October 16
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Janet Jackson Unbreakable
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Carrie Underwood Storyteller
Selena Gomez Revival
Rod Stewart Another Country
Wavves V
Vanessa Carlton Liberman
Already a massive star in her native France, Christine (née Héloïse Letissier) already has big-name fans like Madonna, Mark Ronson and Lorde. It’s easy to hear why. With her hushed, cotton candy vocals atop slinky and sensual electronic beats—and a knack for ear worm PRIME CUTS: melodies—she might remind you of a “Narcissus is Back” less-existential F.K.A. Twigs or a more“Science Fiction” accessible Bjork, even on the songs sung in French. “Jonathan” She initially drew inspiration from the subversive London drag queens she palled around with at the start of her career, and there’s gender confluence not only in her lyrics but the menswear she sports onstage. Her duet with Perfume Genius here is quite stunning. All told, her official debut offers a spacious, atmospheric and emotional range, with some moments of playful, sprite synthpop. Je l’adore Christine! —Paul V. Vitagliano
EDITORS In Dream (Pias)
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Editors are lost, you guys. After making three brilliant albums, the band released The Weight of Your Love in 2013, dividing critics and baffling fans. Gone were the gothic synths, and in their place was a ‘rawk & roll’ sound, akin to The Killers’ PRIME CUTS: dreadful Battle Born album. In an attempt “No Harm” to right the ship, Editors have recorded In Dream. It’s “Life is a Fear” a mélange of the things that worked from the first “Forgiveness” three LPs while ignoring the fourth. The album works in places, but the band’s concepts are muddled by a need to please their audience. Editors are at their best when they avoid the commercial, like on their wonderful In This Light and on This Evening album. Unfortunately here, they’re trying to be everything to everyone, and that only works some of the time. —Dominik Rothbard
YACHT
I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler (DFA)
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Oregonians transplanted to Los Angeles, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans have steered their electronic band Yacht both closer to the mainstream and farther into the future over their last few releases. Bechtolt began the project as PRIME CUTS: a solo concern, yet with the addition of “L.A. Plays Itself” Evans on See Mystery Lights in 2009. his “I Wanna Fuck You compositions gained in human hue and effervescence. Til I’m Dead” Her voice is simple and clear, often affectless with a cutting remark or sly observation, and her occasional aloofness is deployed for an ironic effect across these 11 tracks that tackle her adopted city directly (She sounds exactly like the people whom she’s taking to task.) It’s an echo chamber attack on selfie culture that’s funny, touching and damning in its complicity. —Dan Loughry OCTOBER 28, 2015
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APPROPRIATE Mark Taper Forum Through Nov. 1
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While unabashedly echoing such American classics as Long Day’s Journey Into Night and Buried Child, young play wright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins creates his own distinct vision of th e d ys f u n c tio n a l American family in this ambitious, sprawling and exquisitely acted three-hour drama given a sparkling West-Coast premiere at the Taper. In a classic setup, three moderately estranged adult siblings and their families gather to sell their Arkansas homestead in the wake of dad’s death. A photo album of disturbing lynching pictures sets the three at odds, with recent divorcée Toni (Melora Hardin) the quickest to defend dad, while overachieving Bo (David Bishins) sees a priceless antique, and recovering baby brother Frank (Robert Beitzel) just wants to cleanse everybody. Under Eric Ting’s exquisite direction, the entire cast shines, finding humor and genuine connection. Mimi Lien’s gloriously evocative set is a character unto itself, even getting the last word in a haunting postscript to Jacobs-Jenkins’ powerful and provocative play. —Christopher Cappiello 42
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HOMEFREE Road Theatre on Magnolia Through Nov. 8
*****
Accomplished playwright Lisa Loomer has fashioned an affecting and ironically funny portrait of contemporary homeless youths in an alternately funky and heart-wrenching tale of three teenage outcasts trying to secure their vision of the American dream, which essentially amounts to survival. In the play’s world premiere run, director Michael Matthews and a splendid seven-member cast create a richly atmospheric slice of urban ghetto life. In Ashland Oregon, young Breezy (Gabriela Ortega) has been impregnated by her predatory stepfather. Her boyfriend JJ (Barret Lewis) is a bohemian musician with a huge chip on his shoulder and a penchant for trouble. Franklin (Lockne O’Brien) is a strung-out youth, fleeing from a gay recovery program. Matthews’ production encompasses a high-voltage kaleidoscope of intense rock music, concert-style lighting and nonstop energy. But the ultimate virtue of this piece is its heartbreaking glimpse at souls in limbo in a story that finds hope in the midst of apparent bleakness. —Les Spindle
MONSTROUS: ANNE MCGRATH
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notoriety whose MO consists of dedicating songs to his victims on the radio. He’s a chameleon who trolls L.A. clubs to pick out his prey, pretending to be a Hollywood VIP who could help young ladies become stars. Joining him on the crime spree is Parenthood vet Erika Christensen as his gullible girlfriend. Two detectives are assigned to the case—portrayed by Jeremy Sisto (Six feet Under, Suburgatory) and Gabriel Luna (True Detective)—who will go to any means necessary to capture the killer dead or alive. The upcoming thriller also brings together American Horror Story’s Taissa Farmiga, Matador’s Gabriel Luna and Evan Ross, the 90210 vet and son of Diana Ross. Similar to HBO’s True Detective, Wicked City will also be an anthology series, meaning each season will focus on a crime story set in a different era, each time with a brand-new cast.
APPROPRIATE: CRAIG SCHWARTZ; HOMEFREE: MICHELE YOUNG
eemingly taking the place of police procedurals, the 2015 television season has brought a new wave of retro-set crime dramas. The nostalgic trend has already brought us such viewing choices as NBC’s Aquarius, Netflix series Narcos and TNT’s Public Morals, yet despite there being no ratings powerhouse among them, ABC has confidence in its contribution with Wicked City, making its debut Oct. 27. Set amidst the “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” of the 1980s Sunset Strip music scene, an unusual alliance is formed between law enforcement, the press, drug dealers, addicts and club kids to solve a serial murder case that has virtually paralyzed the City of Angels. Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick brings a new manipulative serial killer to the small screen as he portrays Kent Galloway, a murderer obsessed with achieving
WICKED CITY Premieres Oct. 27 10 p.m. on ABC
Compared to What Oct. 23, Showtime Subtitled The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, this look at the public and private life of the controversial out legislator gathers four decades of footage to chronicle Frank’s rise from the streets of Boston to the halls of Congress. Speaking of his over-30-year career, Frank says, “I’ve been like a kid with my nose pressed against the candy store window. If I can stay here for 30 years, my life will be fulfilled.” Featured in the film are his partner Jim Ready as well as longtime friends and colleagues Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Alan Simpson and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Executive produced by Alec Baldwin, the documentary premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
SUPERGIRL Oct. 26, CBS The network that introduced Wonder Woman brings us Glee vet Melissa Benoist as Kara, who, like her cousin Superman, was sent to Earth to escape the destruction of her home world. Similar to the series Smallville, this one also has connections to past TV and movie renditions of the children of Krypton. Former TV Superman from Lois & Clark Dean Cain and film Supergirl Helen Slater play her human parents. True Blood’s Mehcad Brooks plays photographer Jimmy Olsen, Kara’s coworker as they work for CatCo media, a company run by Calista Flockhart’s media mogul Cat Grant. The pilot was written by Arrow’s Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler. TELEVISION LONG DIVISION
SET YOUR Smallville
Gossip Girl
The Flash
Supergirl
SOMETHING TRULY MONSTROUS Blank Theatre’s 2nd Stage Through Nov. 8
MONSTROUS: ANNE MCGRATH
APPROPRIATE: CRAIG SCHWARTZ; HOMEFREE: MICHELE YOUNG
*****
J e f f Ta b n i c k ’s z a n y comedy, spryly directed by Daniel Henning, might be particularly appealing to 1940s film noir buffs. The story draws from an urban legend involving a wild prank (the rumored kidnapping of the corpse of actor John Barrymore) at the hands of tough-guy film star Humphrey Bogart (Jason Paul Field), filming the classic Casablanca, and eccentric German actor Peter Lorre (Amir Levi), mainstay of fright flicks, in a contract battle with studio mogul Jack Warner. Tabnick’s narrative also brings suave actor Paul Henreid (Jilon Van Over) into the charade, as the pranksters attempt to punk Warner. The production’s assets include zesty and convincing portrayals by the three farceurs and the atmospheric production design, highlighted by Jeremy Pivnick’s lighting and remarkable video design by Rick Baumgartner and Erik Carabasi. Though the overall sensibility is closer to an extended sketch than a play, hearty laughter carries the evening. —L.S.
Wednesday, Oct. 14 A new season of Kingdom stars Nick Jonas as a gay martial arts fighter back in the cage, sweaty and shirtless and joined by costars Matt Lauria and Jonathan Tucker. (9 p.m., Direct TV) Friday, Oct. 16 Truth Be Told is a new comedy starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Bad Judge vet Tone Bell in a story of two outspoken couples who are neighbors, from Growing Up Fisher creator D. J. Nash. (8:30 p.m., NBC) Tuesday, Oct. 20 Fitness expert Jillian Michaels is both host and judge on Sweat Inc., a new competition series in which 12 aspiring fitness entrepreneurs compete to prove they’ve developed the best new groundbreaking exercise program. (10 p.m., Spike TV)
Friday, Oct. 23 An Elton John score adorns the 2009 Tony award-winning show Billy Elliot the Musical, based on the movie, which debuts as part of the Great Performances series (9 p.m., PBS) Friday, Oct. 23 Hemlock Grove, starring X-Men vet Famke Jansen and Bill Skarsgard, with its over-the-top supernatural storylines, returns for its third and final season. (12:01 a.m., Netflix) Saturday, Oct. 24 The third and final season of DaVinci’s Demons, created by Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice screenwriter David S. Goyer, continues the untold a dve nture s of Re naiss ance maestro Leonardo da Vinci. (8 p.m., Starz) Sunday, Oct. 25 The fifth season premiere of Oprah’s Master Class begins with an episode featuring Ellen DeGeneres. (8 p.m., OWN)
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Meet the devilish duo behind the city’s most hedonistic homo fêtes. Their sights are set on world domination, but in the meantime they provide L.A. with a unique brand of polysexual perversion.
BLOOD BROTHERS t’s an ordinary Friday night at Queen Kong. Onstage at Precinct, the Downtown L.A. gay bar that hosts the weekly gathering, a pair of muscle studs clad solely in French maid aprons and head pieces command the audience’s attention. A cursory glance at the crowd reveals a hodgepodge of L.A.’s queer misfits—Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, sporting habits and neon beards, stand shoulder to shoulder with GlamCocks, scruffy leathermen, chubby Latin boys and geek-chic types. On the proscenium, one of those Adonises is laid over the other’s lap, his naked, chiseled ass receiving a series of spankings as spectators count along. The pervy pair are flanked by two identical figures decked out in white Sia-reminiscent wigs, fuschia lightning bolts for earrings, skintight evening wear and six-inch talons. Twins save for a noticeable difference in height, this dark duo holds dominion over the booze-soaked bacchanal. Ladies and gentlegays, meet the Boulet Brothers.
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MAGNUS HASTINGS
BY MIKE CIRIACO
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ver a decade later, the Boulet Brothers have evolved from simply hosting their own events to serving as a visible vanguard for L.A.’s alt-queer nightlife scene, evidenced by the popularity of their three current parties. Queen Kong is the city’s answer to a queer Kit Kat Club, with the Boulets
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serving as emcees. “It’s about the show,” says Dracmorda. “You’re gonna be standing there for an hour watching crazy shit onstage.” On any given night, the party features a swath of drag performances, often by some of the country’s most renowned queens, both local and from afar. Contortionists, contests and other brands of performance total a solid eight numbers per evening. It’s this diverse, neo-vaudevillian quality that most excites Brian McIntire, who, with his partner Thor Stephens, owns Precinct. “It not only harkens back to some of the great memories and traditions of the old-school ‘70s variety shows that hold a special place in the heart of gay kids who remember them, but it’s marrying a lot of new and old drag traditions that might not share the same stage in other venues,” he says. If Queen Kong is the chanteuse of the Boulet party family, then Dragula is her goth sister. Alternately held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco—even eying a hop over the Atlantic—Dragula is characterized by its macabre aesthetic and competitive drag contest. “Dragula is about the pageant,” says Swanthula. “It’s a competition at best, but it’s also a celebration. It has that filthy glam vibe that mixes the leathery sex-positive scene with drag.” The party, formerly held at East Side watering hole Faultline, recently moved into new digs at Dragonfly in Hollywood. Rounding out the nightlife troika is Beardo Weirdo, the tramp of the Boulet brood. Also hidden within the interior chambers of Dragonfly—the same bar that served as the longtime home for Miss Kitty’s after that party quickly outgrew The Parlour—this anonymous haven of hedonism pops up randomly throughout the year. “Beard Weirdo is basically our boy party,” says Dracmorda. “It’s the alternative hookup party.” “It’s easy, it’s sleazy, it’s unannounced,” Swanthula adds.
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espite the Boulet Brothers’ current success in the realm of L.A. gay nightlife, the duo harbors aspirations beyond the borders of California. This past summer brought them to Seattle, where they served as hosts for the city’s Pride festivities, as well as Canada. “For some reason we’re huge in Canada,” Dracmorda shrugs. “The last few years, we’ve moved into hosting other huge events outside of L.A. Ideally we would do four to six parties in L.A. a year—big events—and that’s it. The rest of the time we would spend traveling, performing, hosting other events, doing television. Being us, instead of having to produce parties.” Still, there is one more party the duo are rather excited to produce—the Boulet wedding. “We got engaged this year,” says Dracmorda, “so we’ve decided to throw the largest party we’ve ever thrown in our life, putting everything we’ve ever wanted in it, and it’s going to happen.” While the details are still in the embryonic stage, they have spitballed ideas—like throwing the event at Hollywood venue The Music Box, and incorporating a “Black Wedding” theme that could include personal friends Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Manson, or San Francisco drag divas Heklina and Peaches Christ serving as “maids of dishonor.” While the twosome ponders their bright future, they also muse about the Boulet legacy. Swanthula hopes to instill the Boulet credo unto the next generation of gay alterna-partiers. “Party with wild abandon. When the moon comes out, be what you want to be,” Swanthula says before conjuring a bit of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “Don’t dream it, be it.” Dracmorda is less concerned about tomorrow as he is complacent with his current accomplishments: “Just the fact that what I was once oppressed for, I’m now thanked for—that’s enough.”
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or the better part of the last 15 years, the Boulet Brothers have led Los Angeles’ alternative nightlife scene, birthing the likes of queer cabaret Queen Kong, pansexual extravaganza Miss Kitty’s, the macabre pageant known as Dragula and Hollywood’s covert hookup hub Beardo Weirdo. The common denominator for all of the pair’s events is an aura of excess. “We always want to give people a place where they can come and go fucking crazy,” says Dracmorda Boulet, the taller of the pair, sitting in a booth at Joey’s Cafe in West Hollywood. The restaurant is a far cry from the previous Friday’s horror couture, and the couple hides in plain sight sporting civilian threads. “It’s like partying with drunken abandon. That’s our vibe,” adds Swanthula Boulet, the narrow booth squeezing him comfortably close to Dracmorda, his partner in both business and life. To preserve their mystique, the Boulet Brothers have requested we use their nom de fêtes in lieu of their real names. “Normal life is fucking boring,” continues Dracmorda. “People do not go out of their box.” “Or they feel locked in their box,” adds Swanthula. The conversation ping-pongs back to Dracmorda: “We give them a playground to do whatever the fuck they want, with no judgment.” The pair first met at a polysexual playground that was not their own. In the ‘90s, the two were introduced via a mutual friend while at New York’s scandalous fetish restaurant La Nouvelle Justine. “You could get whipped and get a burger,” reminisces Dracmorda. At that time he worked for New York’s gay nightlife magazine Next, which exposed them both to the then-prominent East Village gay party scene—a specific taste of queer nightlife the Boulets would retain when they relocated to Los Angeles in 2001. Finding a dearth of parties that satisfied their discerning appetites, the couple decided to launch Miss Kitty’s at The Parlour, a space currently known as Bar Lubitsch, on Santa Monica Boulevard. “We were kind of like their premiere night there, and they hated us,” says Dracmorda, “but they couldn’t afford to get rid of us because we made them so much money. We would come in there and go insane. We’d mud wrestle …” “… set things on fire,” Swanthula finishes his partner’s sentence. It’s as if the two share the same twisted psyche. “We really had no limits.” Initially, the pair actually worked behind the scenes. “We wanted to create a club that felt like an old-school whorehouse with a madam character, but a modern, electro, cunty fashion version of that. Miss Kitty’s was complete concept,” Dracmorda says. “So we created a Miss Kitty character. We put someone in that role.” Jennifer Jackson, a childhood friend of Dracmorda, assumed the mantle of the eponymous Miss Kitty. “The Boulet Brothers and I had this crazy idea for a hyper-sexual dance club back when we all first moved to Los Angeles,” Jackson recounts. “The party needed a hostess—a figurehead of sorts—and they dreamed up the idea of this larger-than-life, grand dame of the house. Once I slipped into that leopard skin dress they had made for me, Miss Kitty was born.” One week, though, when Jackson was suddenly unavailable due to a family emergency, the two found themselves scrambling to fill a void. From that crisis emerged the first appearance of the Boulet Brothers. “She had to go, and we were left without that mouthpiece,” Swanthula says. “Out of necessity, we had to create our own sex barkers in front of the red curtain.”
For 15 years, the Boulet Brothers (Dracmorda, left, and Swanthula) have led L.A.’s alternative nightlife scene, hosting outrageous events where (almost) anything goes
MAGNUS HASTINGS
The Boulet Brothers Take On Halloween Dragula Halloween On Oct. 24, the Boulets will host performances by queens including Trixie Mattel, Maddelyn Hatter, Squeaky Blonde and Saint Peter D’Vil, as well as the $400 drag pageant. “Expect a supersized, bloody, muscled, high-heeled Halloween homo explosion,” says Dracmorda. Costumes are encouraged. $10. Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.
Queen Kong’s Big Gay Horny Homo Halloween
Miss Kitty’s 15th Annual Hollywood Halloween Ball
This Oct. 30 stage spectacular and dance ball stars L.A.’s most infamous underground queer performers. It will also be a Pumpkin Carving Ceremony, so tables, pumpkins and carving tools will be provided, as well as cider drinks and pumpkin beer. Costumes are encouraged. $5. Precinct, 357 S. Broadway, DTLA
Hosted by the master of horror himself, Clive Barker, on Halloween, this is L.A.’s most celebrated Halloween dance ball and one of the city’s longest-running events, featuring two separate dance floors, games, mazes, performances and more. “The full might of all our events come together for this annual gala, and it’s not
to be missed,” says Swanthula. “It has sold out for 15 years straight, so advanced ticket purchase is highly suggested.” $20. Dragonfly, 6510 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd. Find more info on the Boulets’ parties at facebook.com/BouletBrothersEvents
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From theme parks teeming with monsters and mazes to devilish dance parties, there’s no reason to stay home handing out candy this Halloween
By Stephan Horbelt, George Skinner & Kevin Taft
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The Nightmare Before Christmas Live with Danny Elfman Oct. 31 & Nov. 1, $25 and up
Singer and composer Danny Elfman (remember Oingo Boingo?) graces the Hollywood Bowl stage to perform as Jack Skellington from the Tim Burton-produced classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. (Poor Coraline director Henry Selick directed the thing, but he’s always forgotten.) The film will play with a full orchestra providing the score and Elfman singing along. There will be a Burton-esque costume contest beforehand, and the Bowl will be decorated like the film’s own Halloweentown. For those looking to avoid the craziness of L.A. streets on Halloween, here’s a perfect way to celebrate in style. hollywoodbowl.com PRO-TIP: Park at the Hollywood & Highland complex for $2 (with validation) and take a shuttle to the Bowl to avoid a parking headache.
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Fred and Jason’s Halloweenie X Oct. 30, $100 and up
Considered the party of the season by many an L.A. gay, Halloweenie is also the “party with a purpose,” benefiting the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.This year’s 10th anniversary event takes place at the Majestic Hall in DTLA, with a door policy of mandatory costumes (and skin is in). A few things you can count on: all-night-long open bars, a photo booth to capture your costume, celebrity attendees and top-tier DJs. gmcla.org PRO-TIP: Ticket prices rise as the big shebang draws closer, so snag them early.
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Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Through Nov. 1, $20 and up
This on-the-water Halloween phenomenon returns bigger, better and more confident than before. With six mazes, a brand-new paintball game and a “Freaks and Oddities” sideshow, Dark Harbor—while not as momentous as a theme park—still offers enough chills, thrills and atmosphere to make it worth a visit to Long Beach. From its Mad Max: Fury Roadreminiscent entrance to the spooky, misty village you’ll first encounter, this is nothing but good, scary fun. queenmary.com PRO-TIP: For an additional fee, guests can rent a VIP cabana, a perfect escape from the crowds.
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Creep Los Angeles
Through Oct. 31, $25 and up
“While the dangers of Creep L.A. are simulated, the haunted location is not,” says creative director/producer Justin Fix of the new scare’s DTLA Arts District locale, built in 1904. “During the early stages of the buildout, the crew experienced several weird and startling things, from lights and power equipment turned on to children laughing.” (The space also shares walls with a local mortuary.) Paranormal investigators have indeed declared the warehouse haunted, making for an even spookier night out. Creep L.A. combines the traditional scares you expect from a haunt attraction with interactive elements, like the creepiest game of hide-and-seek you’ve ever played. “Bringing a group of strangers together and having them all creep slowly through a space is simply fun,” says Fix. “Guests should expect to run, crawl and scream.” creepla.com PRO-TIP: Avoid going through the attraction with strangers by arriving with a group of six. You’ll have nothing but a glowstick lighting your way, so bring your 20-20 vision, too.
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Alone: An Existential Haunting Oct. 17 - Nov. 1, $55 and up
For a more esoteric haunt experience, head here. After three years of this unusual attraction, Alone is truly unlike anything else in L.A. While its theme changes every year, the event itself is uncomfortable, creepy and sometimes awkwardly funny. A fully immersive 45-minute walk-through, as the name suggets, you’ll be completely on your own. If that weren’t rattling enough, the attraction’s creators say it best: “Due to the extreme nature of our event, we suggest all participants should be able to run, jump, crawl, climb stairs and get dirty.” Any questions? thealoneexperience.com PRO-TIP: While it’s probably not as intense as you're imagining, you will be man-handled. OCTOBER 28, 2015
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The Sinner’s Soirée
Through Nov. 1, $18 and up
Matt Dorado, the brains behind The Sinner’s Soirée, thinks something is missing from Halloween entertainment. “There are fewer ‘haunted houses’ and more ‘horror experiences,’” he says. “I wanted to do a throwback to the traditional style of haunted houses. I’m determined to bring back the fun to Halloween with an attraction full of hooch and spooks.” That’s an idea we can definitely get behind. “Guests will meet a man who sold his soul to the devil, and follow him as he is taken into a Southern gothic, New Orleansinspired version of hell,” says Dorado. “There are Mardi Gras clowns, can-can
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dancers, voodoo witch doctors and, of course, lots of spooky demons and devils.” Best of all, the haunt ends with (what else?) booze! “To me, Halloween has always been a time to celebrate, and I thought featuring a bar at the end of the attraction would be the perfect way to showcase that sentiment. The bar is actually the ‘final room’ in a sense, in that once you meet the Drunken Devil in the haunted house, you go into the Devil’s Den and are encouraged to indulge and revel a bit.” drunkendevilproductions.com PRO-TIP: Drunken Devil Productions has two events planned before next Halloween, for those who can’t get enough fright in their lives—a gothic Christmas party and a dinner party-type event for Mardi Gras.
Día de los Muertos Oct. 24
Hollywood Forever Cemetery presents its 16th annual Día de los Muertos Festival, the theme of which is Shamanic Visions of the Huichol. For $20, peruse a wide array of ceremonial altars, enjoy delicious Mexican food and drink and enjoy live performances on the mainstage from Lila Downs, La Misa Negra, Edna Vasquez and more. (ladayofthedead.com) If you’re not interested in shelling out cash to celebrate, DTLA’s Grand Park will also be home to more than 50 altars and art installations, as well as sculptures by 30 SoCal artists, at no cost through Nov. 2.
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PRO-TIP: Día de Los Muertos attire is encouraged at both events, so come dressed in your finest Calaca apparel!
West Hollywood Halloween Carnival Oct. 31
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Knotts Scary Farm Through Oct. 31
Never been to WeHo on Halloween? Maybe you just moved here; maybe you just woke from a coma; maybe you’re Amish—whatever the reason, here’s what you need to know: It takes place on a closedto-traffic Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and La Cienega, and an estimated 500,000 people attend this free, all-ages event (yes, that’s a lot). In addition to the surrounding bars, there will be six stages of entertainment, as well as food and alcohol booths. The real attraction is the people— gay people, drunk people, straight people, party people, belligerent people, dog people and throngs of bridge-and-tunnel people. Everyone should see it at least once. weho.org
In addition to more than a dozen thrill rides at your disposal, Knotts offers a whopping 11 mazes to scare your pants off, with themes ranging from Black Magic to Dead of Winter. (Purchase of a priority Fright Lane pass gets you into a secret room inside five of those mazes.) Those who aren't so much into being frightened but who love campy horror flicks will appreciate that Elvira, legendary Mistress of the Dark, has returned this year with a twice-nightly show of music, dance and comedy. knotts.com
PRO-TIP: West Hollywood parking restrictions are lifted, meaning there is no permit parking or meterpaying for one night only.
PRO-TIP: Die-hard Scary Farmers can opt for the ultimate experience—a pass offering admission for every night of the season.
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Six Flags Magic Mountain: Fright Fest Through Nov. 1
Your favorite SoCal theme park celebrates the season with a ton of Halloween-themed attractions. For the first time ever, you can ride Twisted Colossus, the park’s hybrid coaster, without the lights on; catch Unleashed, a ”haunted” circus show; ”dine with the dead” on Saturday nights (an all-you-can-eat buffet); plus wander through seven maze haunts with your tail between your legs. frightfest.sixflags.com PRO-TIP: Roller coaster fantatics should purchase a 2016 Season Pass now. Not only will you enjoy Fright Fest (and the rest of this year) for free, but you'll save 65% and get free parking for 2015 and 2016.
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Universal Halloween Horror Nights Through Nov. 1, $55 and up
The granddaddy of local Halloween-themed events, Universal’s offering is major, with six mazes based on new and classic Universal franchises. Since entrance also includes access to the park's rides, it’s quite a night. Here are five things you shouldn't pass up.
1. HALLOWEEN MAZE This maze is the best of this year's lot, with guests entering through the front door of Michael Meyers' house. As you wander through rooms you remember from the classic franchise, Michael himself pops out and brandishes his knife at you, scaring you silly every time.
2. ALIEN VS PREDATOR MAZE What’s great about this maze is that it uses props from the movies (for fans it’s a treat for that reason alone). Just be warned: more than once you will walk into the middle of a slap-fest between the warring creatures.
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride: Boogeyman Through Oct. 31, $27 and up
L.A.’s own yearly scare has just gotten bigger and better. Set in the Old Zoo area of Griffith Park, it’s one of the best locales for spooky Halloween atmosphere. While the hayride itself is the main event (and has been rebuilt from the ground up this year), there’s also a brand-new maze and three new scare zones. Returning favorite activities include pumpkin-carving, the Scary Go-Round, psychic readings and shopping at the Boo-tique. losangeleshauntedhayride.com PRO-TIP: Get there early. The wait can be long, and parking is a pain if you’re forced to take the crowded shuttle.
3. THE TERROR TRAM The classic Universal tram ride takes visitors into the studio's bowels for a walk/ r u n t h r o u g h T h e P u rg e . While the scares here are minimal, the best part is walking through the War of the Worlds set—something Universal guests usually only get a drive-by of.
4. PSYCHO PHOTO-OP During the Terror Tram walkthrough, visitors can perch themselves on the front steps of the house from Psycho and get a picture with Norman Bates himself.
5. TRANSFORMERS RIDE Since you have access to all the rides at Universal, don’t miss the Transformers ride, which utilizes 3-D technology in a way you've never seen done before. PRO-TIP: Wait times for certain rides and mazes can run up to two hours, so a Front of Line Pass is a necessity.
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Scary Screenings
There’s always a plethora of venues for catching scary flicks come Halloween, the perfect excuse for a date or a boys’ night out. DTLA’s Ace Hotel will host one of the season’s most exciting screenings, the 1931 classic Dracula, made all the more special because Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet will provide a live soundtrack. Catch one of four shows, taking place Oct. 29-31. acehotel.com Opt for dinner and a movie with FLIX at FIG, a film series returning to DTLA’s FIGat7th every third Wednesday. On Oct. 21, as a tribute to scream king Wes Craven, get cozy under a blanket (but don’t fall asleep) during a free screening of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Happy hour with a DJ starts at 6 p.m., followed by the film at 7. figat7th.com Hollywood Forever Cemetery has become a favorite place for locals to catch their favorite films, and this Halloween will have you Time Warping atop graves. Gates open at 5:15 p.m. for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with the film starting at 7. cinespia.org L.A.’s newest locale for outdoor film screenings, the Rooftop Film Through Oct. 22, $11 and up Club at The Montalbán, has a frightfilled week of films planned, perfect This annual horror film festival returns to for all tastes. From Oct. 27-31, Hollywood with over 20 films and a number catch The Thing, Psycho, Beetlejuice of shorts. Opening night saw the much-anticiand more, with doors opening at pated horror anthology Tales of Halloween, and 6 p.m. and screening times at 8. closing night sees the premiere of Paranormal la.rooftopfilmclub.com Activity: Ghost Dimension. screamfestla.com OCTOBER 28, 2015
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NICHOLAS FREEMAN
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A SELFMADE MAN
WITH THE PUBLICATION OF HIS INSPIRING NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL, LOCAL GAY WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR SINA GRACE PROVES THAT SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO BE A LITTLE SELF-OBSESSED BY DREW MACKIE
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hen Sina Grace was 17 years old, he inserted a three-page personal comic into the back of his zine, Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes vs. The Cannibals. Titled “I Am Pissed,” the comic details a falling out he had with a female friend. “I felt vindicated writing about it,” he recalls. “What’s funny is that it got more of a positive reaction than the main story did. I should have known way back then that I was better off writing about myself.” Years later, with the publication of Self-Obsessed, a new collection of autobiographical comics Grace has written across the span of his career so far, he’s focusing on himself. Considering the lesson he learned at 17, this has been a long time coming. Comic fans may know Grace’s name for his years working as the editorial OCTOBER 28, 2015
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and the resulting daddy issues, his insecurities about past relationships, sensitivity about the appearance of his butt and, counterintuitively, a photograph of said butt. “I just followed the encouragement of my friends who make comic books,” Grace says about the breadth of material that ultimately made the cut. “I felt like I couldn’t trust my own judgment, so I trusted theirs. When it actually came down to selecting these strips and standing by them, I opted for stories that were about a person trying to figure out why he does what he does.” Grace wonders how Self-Obsessed will complicate dating. “How did Carrie Bradshaw do this?” he asks. “I have strips that are very current, about romantic entanglements. There are people in there who are real-life people who will see this. There are people who I want to fall in love with me, and they might read this book and think I’m 10 kinds of crazy. I’m not nervous about the stuff with my family. It’s more that I may have committed dating suicide.” Still, Self-Obsessed isn’t as focused on Sina Grace as its title might indicate. A recurrent theme throughout the book is his relationship with the many women who have helped inform his life—among them his mother, a series a female musicians who function as both friends and muses, and Amber Benson, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star with whom he collaborated on the 2011 children’s book Among the Ghosts. “In terms of human interactions and literature and music and art, I wanted to show the world that I actually existed in one where women ran it in a lot of regards, and for the better,” Grace says. “I was raised predominately by women. And in all my first job experiences, I was managed by women. Without
MIRROR: MEGAN MACK
director of Skybound Entertainment, the Image Comics imprint founded by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. He continues as the longtime illustrator of the Image Comics series Li’l Depressed Boy, and in 2012 he published Not My Bag, a comic about his days on the service end of retail hell. Grace has more recently been working as a freelance artist, and his recent creative endeavors include everything from writing a Psylocke story in an August edition of Marvel’s Secret Wars Journal to drawing a limited-edition comic promoting the Jenny Lewis single “Aloha and the Three Johns.” Self-Obsessed, however, focuses squarely on Grace—his life, his associates, his sexual foibles, his struggle to find out why his brain works the way it does. That description might put off those who don’t know the Santa Monica native personally. (Why shell out for a printed collection of Sina Grace’s mind goop when you can, like, follow him on Twitter for free?) But what sets the collection apart from a thousand instances of other people going on about themselves is that it just might inspire would-be creatives who are hesitant to quit a less-than-fulfilling day job and work toward the career that would make them happier. “It’s just so pointless to live a life with, to quote Sex and the City, ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda,’” Grace says of his decision three years ago to become a full-time freelance artist. “You might as well have tried and then have a conclusion.” You have to give Grace points for hutzpah—not just for the job change but for willing to expose aspects of himself that other artists-on-the-rise might hesitate to share. SelfObsessed includes not just his earlier, less refined work but also stories about his tense relationship with his father
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Self-Obsessed By Sina Grace (Image Comics)
MIRROR: MEGAN MACK
Available now at sinagrace.bigcartel.com
throwing shade at the men in my life, those experiences have been way more positive and awesome. I just wanted this book to represent all the positive forces in my life, and these have in large part been feminine.” With some goading, Grace admits that Self-Obsessed might appeal to those with unrealized creative aspirations. “I think the book is good for anyone who is curious about the steps a person takes toward thriving in a creative professional environment,” he says. “A lot of people want to pick this book up because they’re looking for a blueprint on how to break into comics. Knowing there’s an audience out there that’s curious, I did inject a couple of passages that hint at what I did to get where I am.” One memorable strip in particular has Grace and Benson sitting at Echo Park Lake, discussing his job options. “Nothing is more important than your mental health,” says Benson in a word bubble. It could verge on ‘afterschool special,’ but Grace artfully disguises the fact that he’s teaching a lesson on how the right decision isn’t necessarily the easy one. It’s no accident that the book includes a reproduction of part of Grace’s fifth-grade yearbook, in which he’s quoted as saying his dream job is a comic book illustrator. As he sees it, taking those steps toward realizing long-held goals are ones that everyone needs encouragement to take—and that his gay readership might especially need support in taking successfully. “It’s scary for gay people to already be putting themselves out there every single day, and then to have to do it one more time, in an even more vulnerable fashion than saying, ‘This is who I choose to love, this is how I choose to live,’” he says, though he also thinks it’s worth it. “Don’t ever be the one to sell yourself short. Let other people do that. Because as it turns out, they don’t.” OCTOBER 28, 2015
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THE WORLD OF BILLY MASTERS
From left: Rupert Everett, Pope Francis, Alyssa Milano, Daniel Pintauro, Carlos PenaVega, Matt Damon
MATT DAMON CLEARS THE AIR, THE DANIEL PINTAURO PRESS CIRCUIT, DIVAS INVADE L.A. audience with the pope was a gay man who brought his partner. Yayo Grassi, an openly gay Argentine, is a former student of the pontiff. Back in 1964, Francis taught literature and psychology at a high school in Santa Fe, Argentina. Grassi was one of his students. According to Yayo, “Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug.” Not only did he hug Grassi, but a photo shows the pope hugging Grassi’s partner of 19 years, Iwan Bagus. Yayo shared another anecdote. In 2010, he read that the then-Cardinal Bergoglio had publicly condemned legalization of same-sex marriage. Yayo wrote a long letter to the cardinal expressing disappointment. He got an e-mail back, apologizing for the tone of the comments published, and adding, “I want you to know that in my work there is absolutely no place for homophobia.” Not everything is black and white.
Getting Private with the Pope With all the brouhaha about Pope Francis’s brief meeting with Kim Davis, another story kinda got lost in the shuffle. The only person who had a private
Divas Doing What They Do Best My favorite annual event is coming up. For 25 years, Sheryl Lee Ralph has tirelessly produced the HIV/ AIDS benefit Divas Simply Singing, and for 25 years,
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The Pintauro Press Circuit Another story making the rounds this week is the aftermath of Daniel Pintauro’s revelation that he is HIV-positive. While he apparently told co-stars Judith Light and Tony Danza eons ago, Alyssa Milano was left out of the loop. During an appearance on The Talk, Alyssa said that she hasn’t been in touch with Pintauro for years. “When the show ended, it was a different time. We didn’t have cell phones or Facebook or anything, so I would have been calling his parents being like, ‘Hi, can I talk to Danny?’ We didn’t have texting or anything.” Milano did get teary when she proclaimed, “He is a beacon of light, and he will be. I’m proud.” As it turns out, this is a phrase Pintauro has embraced. He told the women of The View that he has quit his lucrative job as a manager at P.F. Chang’s in Las Vegas to take a year off and do a “Beacon of Light” tour. He’d like to appear at fundraisers and gay Pride events nationwide. And you know what that means. I’m out of a job!
not only is it one of L.A.’s premier fundraisers, but it’s also one of the best shows in town. This year’s concert takes place Oct. 24 at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. Some of the featured performers will be my “play mama” Jenifer Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Loretta Devine, Shanice and, of course, Miss Ralph. Sheryl hints that this could be the last year, so get your tickets quick at DivaTickets.com. Another diva is hitting Hollywood. Thelma Houston, forever linked with her Grammy-winning hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” will be celebrating 45 years in showbiz with Thelma Houston: My Motown, Music, Memories & More. This concert will take place at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood Oct. 23 and 24. (Given my commitment to Divas, I’ll go on the 23rd.) You can get tix at Thelma’s official website, ThelmaHouston.com. Ask Billy: Dancing with Papi Our “Ask Billy” question comes from Ignacio in San Diego: “Who is that hot piece of papi ass on Dancing with the Stars?” I know he’s married, but he’s muy caliente. You must have something on him.” The 26-year-old Carlos PenaVega is 5’6”, and one of those hot little guys who you can just carry around in your front (or back) pocket. He was in the band Big Time Rush and certainly has great energy, in addition to a hot, tight body you know can rock you all night long. FYI, he’ll be playing Kenickie in FOX’s Grease: Live. In addition to some racy pics, we actually have come across a video of him in the nude! We presume it was his wife who filmed him sitting on the toilet singing “I Want It That Way” and accompanying himself on the ukulele. It is really hot, so check it out on my site. When the pope is calling former students and Milano can’t call Pintauro, it’s time to end yet another column. Since we ran long, I barely have a moment to remind you to check out BillyMasters.com, the site that never sleeps. If you’ve got a question, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before we get another nude toilet video with a ukulele! So, until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
PHOTO CREDIT TK
A Closet Case Sometimes this column writes itself. I’m just a vessel. So we begin with Matt Damon, who is welcome to fill my vessel any time. He found himself in a heap of trouble with headlines screaming, “Matt Damon Warns Gay Actors to Stay in the Closet.” But anyone who read the interview realized that’s not what he said. When asked by London’s Guardian if it’s harder for actors to be openly gay in Hollywood, Damon said, “I’m sure. When Ben and I first came on the scene there were rumours that we were gay because it was two guys who wrote a script together. It’s just like any piece of gossip ... and it put us in a weird position of having to answer, you know what I mean? Which was then really deeply offensive. I don’t want to, like, [imply] it’s some sort of disease—then it’s like I’m throwing my friends under the bus. But at the time, I remember thinking and saying, Rupert Everett was openly gay, and this guy—more handsome than anybody, a classically trained actor—it’s tough to make the argument that he didn’t take a hit for being out. I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you, period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.” All I got out of that is Damon’s got a little man crush on Rupert Everett! When he first came out, Everett was cocky, arrogant, abrasive and often smelled. Difficult to work with doesn’t even scratch the surface, so I suspect being gay was the least of his offenses—although I’m sure it didn’t help. But back to Matt. He clarified his point on Ellen: “I was just trying to say actors are more effective when they’re a mystery. And somebody picked it up and said I said gay actors should get back in the closet. Which is like, I mean, it’s stupid, but it is painful when things get said that you don’t believe.”
QUEERSAY
BY GOSSIP GAY
MICRO-IDIOT
A
s my regular readers know, two years ago I did the unthinkable. I left my Sunset Boulevard WeHo condo and moved to the Valley for a yard and an additional 1,200 square feet of living space. While I (usually) love the breeder-enthused peace and quiet, I do occasionally find myself missing the pulsating eros of my queer brothers, and that’s no more evident than when I am working out. Yes, lifting at the 24 Hour Fitness NoHo is delightful—and colored with more straight eye-candy studs than you can shake your stick at! But it’s often lonely to feel like the only queen in the cardio room. That said, I’ve begun wearing my L.A. LGBT Center volunteer shirt in hopes of catching the clandestinely queer eye of a fellow gay; it’s not that I’m looking for anything steamy in the steam room but rather a lifting buddy who shares my penchant for debating the philosophical meanings behind the latest Taylor Swift single. Well, apparently it worked! Last week a tall, dark and handsome 20-something (who I recognized from a turn on SeanCody.com) sauntered over to me while I was pumping my bis and tris. With enchanting eyes and a killer jawline, I imagined he’d say something like, “Hello, my brother in rainbow-hued pride. Good ‘morrow. May I engage thee in queer conversation and perhaps initiate a non-sexual but still flirty workout buddy union?” But that classy engagement is not what dribbled out of said hottie’s mouth. Rather, his how-do-you-do came in the form of “Hey, bitch. Nice shirt! Advertising much, sluuuuut?” While I know that throwing shade is a favorite gay pastime for Logo-loving reality TV watchers under the age of 30, I thought the (not-so) fabulous and judgmental up-and-down eyeing ended when you traversed the Hollywood Hills. I guess I was wrong. Rather than return his comment with equally sibilant shade, I simply responded, “That, kind sir, is a microaggression—bordering on backhanded hate speech, fueled by your internalized homophobia and ignited by the toxic shame of growing up gay in a heteronormative society.” As you might have guessed, this gay cliché of a twink had no idea what I was saying. He thought about it for a long moment—long enough to injure his simple brain—and then said, “Um, I don’t know what a microagression is, but I’m totally a vanilla vers and don’t get into that stuff, m’kay?” I patted him on the pretty little head and walked away, then proceeded directly to Marshalls and picked up a slew of discount Polo gymwear. No longer will I be dressing myself up in gay love when lifting on the Valley side of the hill, because as I’ve now found, it’s far less annoying to pass as a DL breeder in hetero clothing.
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DEAR DADDIES
A
n o p e n n ote to th e gay daddies who have recently begun bringing their twin 6-year-old sons into WeHo’s Big Gay Starbucks and pumping them full of caffeine: “It’s not trendy. It’s not cute. It’s not fashion-forward to buy your babies chai tea lattes and then let them run around the store like rabid monkeys on a cocaine-Red Bull bender. Everyone at the shared community table has agreed that your family should be the spokespeople for Planned Parenthood—an ad detailing the reasons why birth control for all (including gays!) is a vital and necessary step to achieving world peace … or at least me enjoying my $5 sugarfree vanilla cold brew. Stop bringing your kids to Starbucks and start taking them to The Abbey like other good gay dads do! XOXO, Gossip Gay! For more Gossip Gay, go to FrontiersMedia.com. Drop me your dirty little secrets at QueerSay@hotmail.com, and don’t worry, I never give up my deep throat! OCTOBER 28, 2015
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PALM SPRINGS
Alex Newell and Kate Clinton
LGBTs TAKE CENTER STAGE
T
CENTER STAGE GALA 2015 Riviera Resort & Spa Oct. 30 thecenterps.org
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his month the LGBT Community Center of the Desert will hold its sixth annual Center Stage Gala at the Riviera Resort and Spa, with singer and actor Alex Newell headlining the event. Best known for his time on The Glee Project and his subsequent role on the Fox hit Glee, Newell, 23, is thrilled to be singing at one of the Coachella Valley’s largest LGBT events. “I’m very familiar with Palm Springs. I love it,” says the Massachusetts native. As far as his set goes, Newell isn’t sure what he will perform just yet, though he’s aiming for diversity and wants to work in some of his more popular Glee numbers. “I want to do some original covers, some stuff from TV, and definitely some new music,” he says. “I want to make it very colorful.” Newell came to prominence while he was still in high school when he auditioned via YouTube for The Glee Project. With his outspoken and affable presence, he quickly became a fan favorite. He was chosen to guest star on Glee, and his character, Wade “Unique” Adams, broke ground by being one of the most visible transgender characters on television (and one of the first on a network primetime show). While Unique was only supposed to be a guest role, and his contract with the Fox show only stipulated he would appear in two episodes, Unique became an integral part of the musical comedy series, and Newell went on to become a main cast member of the show in its fifth season. Unique’s debut, while mostly well-received, famously drew the ire of Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly, who claimed the presence of a transgender character on a network show aimed at teenagers set a bad precedent. He feared that kids might be tempted to emulate what he called “alternative lifestyles.” Still, the breakout success of Unique meant Newell knew he could make it as a performer, and that there was an audience for his gender-nonconforming persona and spirited take
on pop. Instead of heading to the Berklee College of Music, as he had intended to do before his success on Glee, Newell moved to Los Angeles to continue working. Looking back at his sudden success on television and newly minted music career, Newell is shocked by the speed of events and fortune he’s experienced. “I never thought I’d be on TV,” he says. “It was all so quick!” Aside from work as a performer, Newell has becoming a burgeoning fashion icon, known for his elegant and attention-grabbing choices. His androgynous style, a mix of haute menswear and women’s accessories, is both striking and well-received—last month, he was named one of the 20 “Best Dressed Gays” by this magazine, which noted his “affinity for statement pieces—tiaras, capes and look-at-me jewelry.” After Glee ended, Newell kept busy with a string of shows at gay Pride festivals, debuting new music and working on the repertoire he’d developed on television. He’s worked on several collaborations, including a song with British electro duo The Knocks called “Collect My Love” that came out in March. He also debuted his first solo single—a cover of Sigma’s “Nobody to Love”—which itself was a reworking of the Kanye West song “Bound 2.” Newell, who signed with Atlantic Records in 2013, is currently working on an EP, which he expects to come out later this year. “I’m not exactly sure when it’ll be done, but once it is, I want to get started on an album,” he says. The Center Stage Gala will feature a silent auction as well as a reception and dinner. Comedienne Kate Clinton will return for a second stint as emcee of the event. A three-decade veteran of the stand-up scene, her comedy mixes quick-wit observations and social commentary drawn from her experience as a gay woman. The event benefits the The Center, located in Downtown Palm Springs, an organization that supports the needs of the Coachella Valley’s LGBT community.
NEWELL: RICKY MIDDLESWORTH
Glee vet Alex Newell and comedienne Kate Clinton are ready to wow crowds and raise funds for Palm Springs gays at the Center’s annual gala event By Patrick Rosenquist
Sat. | Oct. 17 DESERT AIDS WALK Ruth Hardy Park
Fri. | Oct. 23 BILL MAHER McCallum Theatre
Desert AIDS Project’s annual fundraiser supporting services, prevention and advocacy steps off from Ruth Hardy Park at 9:30 a.m. desertaidsproject.org
The stand-up comic and host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher shares his political views and observations on life. Showtime is 8 p.m. mccallumtheatre.com
Sat. | Oct. 17 THEN COMES MARRIAGE Hyatt Palm Springs
Sat. | Oct. 24 CASUAL CONCOURS CLASSIC CAR SHOW Desert Princess Country Club
Roberta Kaplan, the attorney who argued Edie Windsor’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, talks about the case and signs her new book at 3:30 p.m. thecenterps.org
Great Autos of Yesteryear, the LGBTauto-enthusiasts club, displays more than 150 classic, exotic and special interest cars from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. greatautos.org Sat. | Oct. 24 FAUX FUR BALL II: PUTTING ON THE LEASH Palm Springs Animal Shelter
Dinner, dancing and a live auction celebrating animals and honoring actress and animal rights activist JoAnne Worley. palmspringsanimalfriends.ning.com Thu. | Oct. 29 PALM SPRINGS LEATHER PRIDE The Barracks
A four- day celebration of the leather community, with events throughout the city. Through Nov. 1. desertleatherpride.com
NEWELL: RICKY MIDDLESWORTH
PALM SPRINGS GETS SPOOKY THE DESERT HAS PLENTY OF HALLOWEEN-related events happening to get your fright on. Arenas Road downtown is the place to be on Oct. 31 for its annual Halloween Carnivale, which includes a highly anticipated costume contest. In the three days leading up to Halloween, several area bars will have preliminary contests, so get to work on this year’s getups. Every Saturday night in October, the Haunted Carriage Tour (bighorsecc.com) offers horse-drawn carriage rides with guides sharing scary stories about local ghosts and hauntings. If plays are more your thing, a new musical comedy based on the spooky TV series The Addams Family performs at the Palm Canyon Theatre from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1 (palmcanyontheatre.org). Looking to run a 5K while decked out in your Halloween costume? A “Graveyard Run” through the Las Palmas neighborhood gets underway on Oct. 31 starting at 8 a.m. And for a more family-friendly celebration, the Living Desert Zoo offers Halloween-themed activities including pumpkin decorating, a monster maze and face painting on Halloween and the weekend before (livingdesert.org). —James F. Mills OCTOBER 28, 2015
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GAYDAR
SCREAM, QUEENS Planning a fright fest of films to get you in the Halloween mood? Consider this selection of scary movies, many of which are teeming with homosexual tendencies IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
MORE BUFFY THAN WILLOW
SIN & SKIN
FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE
DELIVERS LIKE DOMINOS
FINAL GURL
The Monster Squad (1987) While not as scary as the ‘tween you’ remembers, it’s a nostalgic throwback American Psycho (2000) Ask yourself, what would Patrick Bateman do?
Mad Monster Party (1967) The film inspires every thought Tim Burton ever had
Otto; or, Up with Dead People (2008) Bruce La Bruce’s gay zombie masterpiece drips with guys, guts and gore
Hellraiser (1987) Demons in latex fetishwear occupy an S&M version of hell draped in chains and meat hooks—just another day at Uncle Clive’s house
The Covenant (2006) For those who prefer their witches male and showering together
Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) A sadistic coach, a leather bar, forced showering, death by balls—and the filmmakers claim they had no clue!
The Lost Boys (1987) “Be one of us, Michael”
Interview with the Vampire (1994) With divorce looming, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt do what any gay couple would—they adopt Kirsten Dunst
Hellbent (2004) The original serial-killing Red Devil appeared in this attempt at gay horror
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) Meet the woman who gets even gay horror nerds excited
The Hunger (1983) This film has everything: ‘80s NYC, Bauhaus, topless Ann Magnuson, David Bowie in latex, Susan Sarandon in lesbian lust and Catherine Deneuve in a little hat
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) From birthing the son of Satan to adopting the husband-stealing daughter from hell, Mia Farrow just can’t catch a break
Halloween (1978) Legendary mother of the House of Scream, Jamie Lee Curtis
JULY 23, 2014
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