Posted on 08/08/2003 7:30:31 PM PDT by weegee
'Gay' film a how-to of Hollywood
By Lynn Elber, The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Given television's gay boomlet, filmmaker Jeremy Simmons' concerns about his new documentary, "The AMC Project: Gay Hollywood," appear misplaced. "With a name like 'Gay Hollywood,' maybe not everyone will tune in," Simmons said. "Which is kind of unfortunate, because I think it appeals to much more than gay people."
Other gay-themed shows certainly have. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" has done so well for Bravo that parent NBC has aired the makeover show once, plans to air another episode Thursday - and has arranged two "Tonight Show" appearances by the series' gay stars (Thursday and next Friday) in which they spiff up Jay Leno. The "fab five" will appear on the show the first night and then return the following evening to show off the results of their work
Upcoming projects include the ABC fall sitcom "It's All Relative" and Showtime's lesbian drama "The L Word," coming in January.
"There are headlines about gays taking over television," said "Gay Hollywood" executive producer Randy Barbato. "Gays are not taking over television. Finally, there are some gay people and gay programs on TV." He predicts the trend, which he considers "equalizing," will only grow.
"The media gatekeepers and the network executives have finally realized gays can make money. At the end of the day, it's always all about money."
In "Gay Hollywood," the immediate goal is securing a foothold in the industry. The film, debuting on AMC at 8 p.m. Monday, follows five openly gay men and their efforts to launch or further entertainment careers.
The final result was less "gay-centric" than he first envisioned, Simmons said in an interview.
"My reason for doing it, being gay and in Hollywood, was learning how these other guys deal with it" and whether their sexuality has helped or hurt professionally, he said.
As the project progressed, its perspective became broader.
"The title should be, 'Five Guys in Hollywood Who Happen to be Gay,"' said Barbato, who produced the documentary with Fenton Bailey (their other films include "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" and "Monica in Black and White").
Rather than a sweeping view of the gay experience in Hollywood, the film is an intimate and sometimes emotional take on how tough it is for anyone to make it in show business.
The men include the endearing Micah McCain, an actor who introduces himself as "a part-time drag queen. Three-quarter-time drag queen," and then, grudgingly, "Full-time drag queen." His bravery isn't in being out, but being out on stage.
Allan Brocka is a filmmaker-writer who agrees to write and direct a risque gay romantic film, despite reservations. Writer Benjamin Morgan, actor-model Robert Laughlin and filmmaker Lance Black - who expresses concern that he might be stereotyped by the project - complete the group.
They don't make major leaps during the seven months of filming that ended in May, but their brushes with Hollywood are instructive.
The most thoughtful and encouraging advice is delivered by writer-producer Larry Andries, whose impressive credits include "Six Feet Under" and "Boomtown."
"So many writers chase what's hot and what's new, or what the marketplace wants, and totally lose what they can uniquely bring to the marketplace, or to the page," he tells one of the men.
The value of networking, gay or otherwise, is called into question. Industry veterans say talent represents the ultimate trump card.
Sitcom producer Richard Day dismisses the idea that gays have any advantage over heterosexuals in Hollywood. Barbato concurs, but notes the industry does include a significant gay population.
"Being gay in Hollywood can get you in the door in a number of places, just as being straight in Hollywood can, or Italian or Jewish," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's never going to get you the gig."
The author is a Feminist, Pro-Life Lesbian writing about how the 'Hollywood Elite' is trying to take over our movie, TV viewing in order to basically indoctrinate us to the "Gay" lifestyle. We are becoming so anesthetized to it that it's becoming widely accepted and even taught in some public school systems.
MKM
Why don't they just call it was it is?
"AIDS. Up Close And Personal".
I can buy several movies a month on DVD for what 1 month's cable costs (and I select the movies and can watch them whenever and generally get better background materials/interviews/commentary).
Every time some new lefty catchphrase comes along, I just want to yell at the television.
It is all that I can do to keep from yelling every time one of the Clintons talks about "the politics of personal destruction."
I dropped AMC when they went commercial. Now I have to depend on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for my old movies. God I hate having to give that idiot Ted my money but my love for old movies is stronger than my loathing for Teddy.
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