November 28, 2005 November 28, 2005 News from Patrick Antosh: Sharon Gless was in Toronto this weekend and gave Patrick a surprise visit. Sharon was looking for a new outfit to wear when she is honored at the Kennedy Center on December 6th. The bespeckled actress was happy to pose for a picture when she heard it was for Patrick's website and is thrilled at the fans' continued interest in Debbie and QAF. Check out the news section for their photo. That's not all! Patrick has a new demo reel featuring footage from various projects including QAF and a heavy dose of Gale as Brian, and some costume stills posted to the site. To view them, visit Patrick's career page. Here's a message for those of you interested in "The Unseen", from director/writer Lisa France: Whether your a fan of Gale Harold, Michelle Clunie, QAF in general, Steve Harris, Shirley Caesar, Judah Friedlander, Phillip Bloch, Catherine Dent, my producer Luis Moro, my first film ANNE B. REAL or simply one of mine I want to thank you all. The support has been incredible. We've had an amazing response thus far and I'm overjoyed. We've definitely discovered the film is for an audience - YOU! I can't say enough how much your support means to me/us. It's always incredibly humbling to have people respond so strongly to work that you've put so much into. The cast and crew worked so very hard on THE UNSEEN, that's it truly wonderful to have had such a warm reception -- did I say, "thank you?" Thank you. I'm reaching out to you to say "thank you," but also to do a bit of an inquiry. We are looking at our distribution options and trying to see exactly, "How many people are really out there wanting to see the film?" If we have enough interest in writing, well, quite frankly, it will be much easier to obtain distribution. If upon written interest we still do not secure a big distributor, then we will look to distribute the film ourselves -- which some of you have intimated would be a good idea. We are considering all options right now... So, I am making a request: If you are someone who would pay for a DVD of THE UNSEEN right now at $29.99 please write to us at Seetheunseen2005@aol.com. Pass this email around to everyone you know and let's see if the interest is big enough that we should do it ourselves or get a distributor. Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. www.theunseen2005.com Peace, Lisa November 25, 2005 Robert Gant, Scott Lowell, Sharon Gless and Thea Gill shot a public service announcement for the Trevor Project. The PSA will premiere December 4th at the Trevor Project's "Cracked Xmas 8 party," and will also be included on the Queer as Folk Season 5 DVDs, which are now set for release in May 2006. For more information about the Cracked Xmas 8 party, visit The Trevor Project website. Thea Gill will appear in an episode of "Homecoming", directed by Joe Dante and starring Jon Tenney. The episode airs December 2nd on Showtime in the US (it's a free preview weekend for those of you who don't have Showtime!) and December 3rd on Scream Television at 10:00pm ET and 7:00pm PT in Canada. Also watch for Thea in Lifetime's Movie of the Week, "Truth," airing before year's end. The movie is directed by Tim Bond, and stars Dean Cain and Stephanie Zimbalist. From bgay.com: Do you miss Queer Duck? Bi-Polar Bear? Openly Gator? Oscar Wildcat? You're not alone in your nostalgia, and you're about to get your wish for more. Creator Mike Reiss, a former Simpsons writer and creator of the animated series The Critic, has finally been given the greenlight for a long-discussed Queer Duck feature. The feather-ruffling, absolutely un-P.C., 5-minute flash-animation shorts first appeared online in 1999 and eventually found their way to Showtime, where they were shown alongside Queer as Folk. The feature-length Duck is set to be released direct-to-DVD with Paramount, and, Romeo assumes, will once again feature the voice of Jim J. Bullock as the gay bird. From the Washington Blade: Madonna's production company, Maverick TV, is developing a gay prime time soap opera. There's no word yet on whether she'll be making any guest appearances. Maverick TV, co-founded by Madonna and Guy Oseary, and Logo, the MTV Networks' channel for the gay audience, announced that they've joined forces to develop a gay prime time soap opera. The creators of the show are Christian McLaughlin and Valerie Ahren who have previously written for Comedy Central's "Drawn Together," Fox's "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." The pair were also the co-executive producers and creators of MTV's gay-inclusive Emmy-nominated soap "Spyder Games" in 2002. "This series is the first of its kind, a gay-themed soap opera for prime time television," Eileen Opatut, senior vice president for Logo, said in a press release. Apparently, Opatut doesn't consider "Queer as Folk" a soap opera. The upcoming show, tentatively titled "San Rafael," follows "the intertwined lives of a group of LGBT friends and foes living in the same apartment complex." November 24, 2005 queerplanet has posted part one of a new, exclusive interview with Phillip Bloch, who appeared in The Unseen with Gale Harold and Michelle Clunie. Interviewer Adrienne Williams spoke to Phillip about many different things, including working on the film with Gale and Michelle. Part two will be posted on Monday, with many more interesting tidbits about the set of the Unseen. Read it here (thanks to blues for the heads up!) Brent Hartinger is the author of The Last Gay Word: Too Much Damn Sex! at afterelton.com. He writes, "Remember when we gay folks used to complain that all the gay characters on television had to be completely asexual, sanitized for the country's protection? Talk about a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away! With Queer as Folk proudly blazing the way, American television viewers have recently been led on an unending binge of gay one-night stands, dark alley hook-ups, sex clubs, prison rapes, hustlers, bathhouses, cyber-tricking, crystal sex, and orgies." [read more] November 20, 2005 Robert Gant (Ben on QAF) will introduce the Short Film program tonight at the 5th Annual Power Up Premiere Gala, honoring The L Word's Ilene Chaiken and many others. Included in the program are clips from Bobby's short film "Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer." The celebrity guest list includes Chad Allen, Margaret Cho, Pam Grier, Kristin Chenoweth, Illeana Douglas and more. For more information, visit the Power Up website. World AIDS Day is December 1st, 2005. Tune in to OUTtv that day for the Fifth Annual WORLD AIDS DAY Special Programming. The lineup will feature the Canadian Broadcast premiere of THE GIFT at 9:00pm EST/6:00pm PST. Controversial and uncompromisingly frank, Louise Hogarth's award-winning documentary THE GIFT looks at the alarming trend among many young gay men to actively seek infection with HIV. In revealing conversations, recently infected gay men (referred to as "bug chasers" in some circles -- like Anthony on QAF, a student of Ben's who wanted to be given "the gift") explain the ostracism they encountered when HIV-negative, and how mixed messages found in pharmaceutical marketing actually eroticize having the deadly virus. November 13, 2005 According to IMDb, Gale Harold is the associate producer for a music documentary currently in the works about Scott Walker titled "30th Century Man." Here's a production report from indieWire.com: Responsible for some of the biggest hits of the 60s, he was once more popular than The Beatles and to this day his music has influenced the likes of Bono and David Bowie, so why have you never heard of Scott Walker? After heading the pop scene in the UK with his band The Walker Brothers, the American-born Walker has since become an eccentric recluse who never grants interviews and releases an album every 15 years. But somehow Stephen Kijak ("Cinemania") gained access for what he hopes will be a revealing doc about Walker. "I met with his managers and they just liked our pitch," Kijak says of his idea to tag along as Walker works on his latest album. "We didn't want to do a retrospective on him, we wanted to look at him here and now, examine the music he's making today, and make a movie that felt like his music that pushed the boundaries." Kijak also interviews the groups who've been influenced by Walker's work including Bowie (who's executive producer), Sting, Franz Ferdinand and Radiohead. "We've just been traveling with all sorts of Scott Walker vinyl and that's were the discussion goes," he says. "The guys in Radiohead had never seen them on vinyl before, they were like kids." Produced through Kijak's Loop Filmworks and Mia Bays' ("24 Hour Party People") UK-based "Missing In Action Films," Kijak's currently filming interviews and Walker's studio sessions. Shot on DV by cinematographer/director Grant Gee ("Meeting People Is Easy"), graphic design company Tomato (known for creating the opening credits in "Trainspotting") is creating the graphics for the doc's music interludes. Any Sharon Gless fans in Arizona? This Week's Day-by-Day Picks from the Phoenix New Times includes The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial, with performances on Monday and Tuesday. "Are we not men -- created out of whole cloth and plunked down from Heaven to rule the Earth -- or are we apes who received an evolutionary kick in the tail? As hard as it is to believe, the controversy continues to rage 80 years after the infamous "monkey" trial, in which a high school teacher named John Scopes was put on trial for espousing evolution over creationism. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial, a timely and topical docudrama presented by L.A. Theatre Works, was adapted by Peter Goodchild from the transcripts of the original 1925 trial, in which Scopes was defended by Clarence Darrow and prosecuted by William Jennings Bryan. The touring show features a rotating cast of Hollywood actors in the lead roles. Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H), and Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey) are the stars of the version that plays at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, November 14, and Tuesday, November 15. Showtime is 7:30 each night. The center is located at 7380 East Second Street. Tickets are $65. Call 480-994-2787 or visit www.scottsdalearts.org. Read more in the Arizona Republic and from ABC news. If you have RealPlayer, you can view some clips from Season One here (thanks to drew for the heads up!): http://www.stormpages.com/mukthar/real/ "Sparks on the fly" is a new interview with Hal Sparks by Anna Wiegenstein, from the Daily Iowan. Today, November 13th, organizers in two Michigan cities will join groups throughout the country in throwing Retirement Parties for anti-gay Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. The parties are part of the efforts of Stop Santorum Now, a national collaboration between the Stonewall Democrats and Liberty, PA - a statewide affiliate of Stonewall Democrats in Pennsylvania intent on retiring Santorum in the 2006 election. In addition to hors d'oeuvres, both parties will feature a conference call with special guest Michelle Clunie from "Queer As Folk." More information about both parties, as well as an opportunity to donate online, is available at stopsantorumnow.org - click on "Rick's Retirement Party." November 8, 2005 According to IMDb, Gale Harold will make a guest appearance on the CBS TV series THE UNIT next year. Gale will play "Rory" in episode 9 of the first season, probably sometime in the summer, as the series premieres in April. THE UNIT is an hour-long military drama about the special operations commandos known as the Delta Force. The series follows a covert team of special forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the homefront, protecting their husbands' secrets. The mid-season replacement is written by David Mamet and executive produced by Shawn Ryan (The Shield), and is based on the book "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney. The series stars Dennis Haysbert (24), Scott Foley (Felicity), Robert Patrick (The X-Files) and Golden Globe Award winner Regina Taylor (I'll Fly Away). Scott Lowell and Peter Paige have both done some voice work for upcoming episodes of American Dad!, an animated series airing on FOX. Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, is behind the animated story of Stan Smith, who works for the CIA and is constantly on the alert for terrorist activity. Stan will go to extremes to protect his beloved America from harm – as evidenced by the terror-alert color code on his fridge, and his frequent knee-jerk reaction of shooting holes in the toaster whenever the toast pops. The airdates for the episodes featuring Scott and Peter have not yet been announced, but will likely be sometime this month or next. Keep an eye on the Scott Lowell website for updates. "Particles of Truth" will be playing on the Sundance channel throughout December. Jennifer Elster writes in her blog, "'Particles' seems so far in the past at this point. I guess moving on is just the nature of developing as a person and I have made a lot of progress." Check the Sundance Channel Schedule for showtimes. The November Q&A has been posted to ScottLowell.com. Scott mentions Gale and Peter in a couple of his responses: Scott talks about what he's been up to lately... "Well, there has been a lot of traveling for events and speaking engagements as well as personal (I am in the midst of a long-distance relationship). There has been some work around the house and I'm starting to get back into the audition game out here. Peter and I try to play a weekly game of tennis and my buddy Eddie and I are back at work on our screenplay "Weeping Willow" and that's going GREAT!" When asked about the deepening friendship between Ted and Brian in the latter half of the series, Scott says, "Especially on a long-running series like QAF, character growth is crucial to staving off boredom. I loved that "Ted" and "Brian" went from seeming to despise each other at the start of the series to having a begrudging respect for one another to genuine friendship. It was a lot of fun to play. Plus it gave Gale and I a chance to work together much more in the later seasons than we were able to earlier." Read more in Scott's November Q&A. November 7, 2005 10percent.com has announced that the Season 5 DVDs will be released in May 2006, and not January as previously announced. It seems that the earlier seasons are being released at reduced prices in the meantime. From The Advocate.com: Queer Duck--The Movie enters production. Paramount Home Entertainment announced Thursday that it has green-lit a feature-length version of the popular Queer Duck animated shorts from Simpsons writer Mike Reiss. Queer Duck (voiced by out actor Jim J. Bullock) began as an online character before his animated adventures were picked up by the Showtime network and screened in conjunction with Queer as Folk. "Mike Reiss and his creative team have created a truly funny story filled with more of the outrageous, shocking antics that fans of Queer Duck will enjoy," said Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures worldwide home entertainment, in a statement. "Queer Duck, an Internet short animated on a home computer, went on to be named one of the 'Hundred Greatest Cartoons of All Time' by the BBC," said Reiss. "I'm delighted Paramount Home Entertainment is taking it to the next level." The film will feature the original cast of Bullock, Kevin Michael Richardson (as Openly Gator), Maurice LaMarche (as Oscar Wildcat), and Billy West (as Bi Polar Bear), along with special guests Conan O'Brien, Andy Dick, Bruce Vilanch, Tim Curry, Mark Hammill, and David Duchovny (as "Tiny Jesus"). Queer Duck—The Movie is set for a 2006 release. From the Windy City Times: Reeling: 2nd Week Highlights by Richard Knight, Jr.: "Queer as Folk" star Peter Paige makes his writing and directing debut in this odd little independent feature with a lot of interesting flourishes, in which he also stars. [Say Uncle is] the story of Paul, a gay artist who seems to live only for the moment when he can play with his Godson. When the child's family moves away, Paul is obsessed with finding another kid to replace him. He tries various methods and finally ends up happily joining in with the tots at his local playground. But when a mother (Kathy Najimy in a rare serious role) discovers that Paul is childless AND gay, she incorrectly targets him as a threat to the community. Paige’s point—that innocence at any age needs to be protected and nourished and not immediately sullied by our modern day suspicions—is a good one but he sets up a lot of far-fetched situations to make it. 7 p.m. screening at Landmarks Century Centre Cinema with an after party. I’m savin’ all my pride for you is an article written by Chris Jai Centeno, Editor-in-Chief of Excalibur, York University's online journal. Here are a couple of excerpts: More than 30 years ago, there was no pride month, pride week or even a pride day. In 1969 then justice minister Pierre Trudeau said, "The state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation," and the federal government decriminalized homosexual acts for consenting adults over 21 years of age. The next year - to mark and celebrate the one-year anniversary of the decriminalization - Toronto's queer activist groups got together for a picnic and this was the beginning of the present Pride Day. ... While in the past couple of years the debate on gay marriage became the forefront concern, there were still certain issues like poverty, homophobia, transphobia and pensionbenefits involving same-sex unions that got put on the backburner. Media representation is another. Some feel that the more queer and trans folk in the media the more recognized the community would be. Unfortunately, these representations of queer and trans people have assumed only stereotypes and one-dimensional characters - be it the boring hypersexual annoying un-diverse cast of Queer As Folk or the non-butch, lesbians-are-all-really-lipstick of The L Word.

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