August 31, 2004 Hard to believe tomorrow is the first day of September. Where did our summer go? Oh well, at least we're one month closer to a new season of QAF, right? On with the news... Jennifer Elster has posted a new blog entry on the Particles of Truth site. The site for "Life on the Ledge" (in which Gale plays 'Chaz') is coming soon. As for the tickets for Particles in NY on the 17th of September, it's first come first serve, she says. ""The first fifteen people on line for the showing at the theater will get our new poster which blows the old one away." There is a new interview with Jennifer at Film Threat (http://filmthreat.com/Interviews.asp?Id=866). She talks about the difficulties in making POT (one amusing anecdote was about some parrots in a nearby pet store who began yelling 'action' and 'cut' during some intense scenes), and some of her new projects as well, including the company 75 Films which will develop and produce feature films. Jennifer says, "My new favorite past time is watching rough-cut scenes from 'life on the ledge'." From Showcase.ca comes The QAF Coffee Table Book Giveaway: "Win 1 of 10 copies of this stunning, coffee table book full of both color and colorful characters. This detailed and image-laden is a vibrant account of the first three seasons of the groundbreaking series that has revolutionized television as we know it." Only one entry per day, per person is allowed; unfortunately, the contest is closing today, so if you want to enter, this is your last chance! (sorry I didn't get this one up sooner!).   August 29, 2004 Author Tim Arango writes the New York Post article, "NY Snags Showtime in Film War" -- Efforts by the U.S. to woo television and film production back from Canada ­ with everything from tax incentives to cash payments ­ netted its first success this week: Showtime. A year ago, Showtime, the pay-TV cable network owned by Viacom, filmed virtually all of its shows in Canada ­mainly in Toronto and Vancouver. Now the network is starting to take advantage of government efforts to move programming back to the U.S. States such as South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Louisiana and Utah have all passed or are considering legislation that provides tax incentives to TV and movie studios. "There are a number of states that have been very proactive in incentivizing for TV and film producers," said a source at a major movie studio. "And we're looking more and more to those states." While Showtime's hit series "The L Word" and "Queer as Folk" will continue to be shot in Canada, several new shows will be filmed in the U.S., including "Hate," starring Marcia Gay Harden, which will be filmed in New York. [full story]   August 28, 2004 Once again, Showtime is auctioning off QAF wardrobe items on eBay, with proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union. This time the items are cycling gear worn by Gale Harold (Brian) and Hal Sparks (Michael) in the Liberty Ride. Here are the item descriptions: 1. Michael outfit: Bid now on the biking outfit worn by Hal Sparks ("Michael") for the Liberty Ride in episodes 13 and 14 of season four, including gloves, fleece, outer shell, biking pants and official wardrobe tags. Tags are not autographed. 2. Brian outfit: Bid now on the biking outfit worn by Gale Harold ("Brian") for the Liberty Ride in episode 14 of season four, including gloves, fleece, outer shell, biking pants and official wardrobe tags. Tags are not autographed. News of a hot new release from dance music powerhouse label Tommy Boy was reported in today's Washington Blade: "Bangin’ 3: Progressive Beats" is the latest of the "Bangin’" series and features straight party boy DJ Escape, who is conquering the gay circuit scene. Released on August 15, the album is bursting with some of dance music’s best-known artists, such as Kristine W., C & C Music Factory, Origene (who is also featured in the “Queer as Folk: The Fourth Season” soundtrack), Dave Armstrong, and that latest surprise dance floor sensation: Yoko Ono. As a label, Tommy Boy has been in the forefront of the dance music genre, and it has perfected its formula. The label knows how to launch an album with a bang and, perhaps, suits there had some input in recommending DJ Escape do so with Armstrong’s kinetic single “Make Your Move.” The single is currently No.14 and gaining on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart. But the single being touted as the standout of the collection is Kristine W’s "The Wonder of it All." A former Vegas showgirl and performer who has made an international name for herself in the dance genre, this singer’s strong vocals soar on this track. Tommy Boy and DJ Escape have hopes that this track will become the next dance floor staple. For a straight guy, Escape knows a thing or two about circuit sounds or, as one industry insider puts it, he is "proof that at least one straight guy knows a thing or two about bangin’." [read the full article]   August 27, 2004 I often receive emails from visitors to this site who ask about QAF set tours, or want to know of outdoor locations in Toronto where they can see filming taking place. The studios in Etobicoke are not open to the public (QAF is a closed set), but occasionally set tours are auctioned off to raise money for various charitable organizations. With the upcoming Season 5 likely being the last one of the series, opportunities to view live filming are limited, but you can certainly take a tour of some very recognizable QAF landmarks if you are in the Toronto area, and who knows -- you might just get lucky and see some of the boys at Woody's, or catch the crew setting up outside the Liberty Diner. PlanetOut.com has just published a new feature article in the Travel section called A "Queer as Folk" tour of Toronto, written by Christopher Guly. It's one of the best and most up-to-date guides I've seen for a fan of the show who wants to see where all the action takes place, giving actual street addresses for the various sites, and explaining what the storefronts are used for on QAF, since they are often transformed by the set designers to look like establishments on the show. I've listed a few of these myself in the past, on the Toronto page (behind the scenes). Don't forget to check out the 2005 Queer As Fans Convention, which will be held in Toronto, January 21 to 23rd of next year. Jennifer Elster and company now have a blog on the Particles of Truth site. Find out what's new with these busy filmmakers and their dog. ;) If you're wondering about the "Brown Bunny" reference, it's a Vincent Gallo film that was originally released in 2003, but "the version opening today is 26 minutes shorter than the one screened in Cannes, where Roger Ebert famously called it the worst movie ever offered at the festival and Gallo put a curse on the critic's prostate," says today's New York Post. Possibly more widely publicized were reports of unsimulated fellatio between Gallo and co-star Chloë Sevigny. There's a new article in fab magazine which is a QAF special feature: "The show has never been written for straight women." So why is Queer As Folk making women wet? by Romy Shiller. You can read the online version here.   August 26, 2004 Gale Harold has been busy this summer. After filming "Life on the Ledge," then returning to his home state of Georgia to work on "The Unseen" (also featuring Michelle Clunie), he headed to New York to take on a third role in the indie film "Social Grace." The story is about an Asian-American woman, love-struck by one of New York City's most eligible bachelors, bravely facing the complications and challenges of their high-profile interracial relationship. B.D. Wong is making his directorial debut while he is on his hiatus from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (on which Gale also appeared). Social Grace will shoot throughout the month of August. According to Variety.com, it is "a romantic comedy about the cultural complications that occur when an Asian-American woman realizes her Cinderella fantasy by dating one of Gotham's most eligible blue-blood bachelors". Fay Ann Lee (who has also appeared on Law & Order) wrote the script and will play Grace in the movie. Wong will also have a supporting role. He says, "It has the potential to be a very commercial mainstream comedy with an Asian American point of view that is honest and fresh. Growing up with the assumption that being Cinderella is what makes a girl happy is a loaded prospect when you're an Asian girl who gets to a juncture where it's not clear whether it's the guy or his world that she's fallen in love with." Sounds like a winner! To see all of Gale's current and past projects, with links to their websites, visit my Gale page.   August 24, 2004 Robert Gant has a few events coming up in September. On the 8th, he will make an appearance in New York at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Convention; On the 11th, he will speak at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in Minneapolis. On the 14th, Bobby will host a fundraiser/kickoff cocktail party in Los Angeles on behalf of Equality Forum 2004, the global GLBT event taking place next Spring in Philadelphia. For more information on these events, visit the links above, or consult his official website. As if that weren't enough, there are some new photos of Bobby at the 11th Annual Angel Awards Dinner held August 21 in Los Angeles, posted to PB&A's picture page here. Let's hope Mr. Gant has the energy to return to work after all that because... The cast are due back in Toronto at the end of next month, as principal photography for Season 5 begins on September 30th. [check out the calendar on the left side of this page for other new dates] Any QAF fans who happen to be in Prague, Czech Republic on September 18, 2004 will want to check out the grand finale of the Future Babylon Tour in Europe. The Industrial Palace will be transformed into what Babylon will look like in the year 2050. Super Star DJ Tracy Young will be spinning the night into the future. Abigail, best known for "Let the Joy Rise" will be performing all of her hits and her new single "Falling." Cutting-edge dance performances, futuristic decor and design by Miami's own "Future Boys" of RKM will share their amazing visual performances. A surprise guest will make it a night to remember!   August 22, 2004 New pictures of Bobby Gant have been posted to wireimage.com and to gettyimages.com from the Project Angel Food Awards Gala. Joel McHale is slated to be the new host of E!'s "The Soup," a second incarnation of the E! Entertainment Television channel's "Talk Soup." For a short time, the show was called the "What The ... ? Awards," but E! executives axed that name in favor of "Soup" name recognition. The show was once hosted by Hal Sparks, who shares another connection with the actor. McHale has a memorable part in "Spider-Man 2" as the bank officer who denies Peter Parker and his elderly aunt a loan, while Hal has a scene in an elevator with Spidey himself. As host of "The Soup," McHale counts down the week's most absurd moments in the worlds of celebrity and reality TV. As an example, he soberly reported that, upon hearing that Halle Berry wanted to do another "Catwoman," her best actress Oscar "jumped off the mantle to its death." [full story]   August 21, 2004 Emmy nominees and TV favorites showed up for a pre-Emmy party thrown at L.A.'s W Hotel by V-Life, Variety's monthly magazine. Peter Paige (photo), Michelle Clunie (photo) and Martin Landau (photo) are among the guests in the 21 Party Pics posted to Hollywood.com. The primetime Emmys will air next month (September 19th). The current feature at 365Gay.com is about QAFs Robert Gant (Ben). "This season Queer As Folk matured along with its performers, growing up and out of just sex for the sake of it to dealing with the issues gays, and especiallygay couples are facing," writes Ryan Wylie. "Gant, who came out shortly after Season Two began has also become an outspoken and a constant presence at gay rights and HIV/AIDS events. When he outed himself Gant had high praise for producers Ron Cowen and Dan Lipman. "Given the fact that they’ve been around for a while in Hollywood and have seen a lot of changes, I think they get what it’s like to be marginalized as gay writers or gay producers," Gant told the Advocate. "And that still happens, and it’s a frustrating thing. Among the myriad of fears [I had] was certainly that—being marginalized." The article talks about Robert's background, and how he changed his name. "Despite having a knockdead body, Robert says he felt uncomfortable in his first QAF nude scene." "For whatever my upbringing was, I think I felt odd around nudity," he says. "But the universe gave me this show, and, very quickly, that changed." And as for appearing naked with Hal Sparks: "I think Hal has a hot little body. Yeah, I really do. Hal's quite the athlete. He's majorly into martial arts. The only thing I've had some guys say is that they wish he would shave the hair in the middle of his chest. But Hal feels that's a very Michael thing, as a character choice." According to CTV.ca, Sophia Loren recently threatened to kill a Canadian reporter. No, seriously. "I keel you!" That's what she said, admittedly with a laugh. What possibly could provoke the eternal Italian beauty to consider the murder? The subject matter was Lives of the Saints, the TV miniseries La Loren filmed in the Toronto area last year and which will air on CTV this fall (as well as on Italy's Canale 5). The film features Fabrizio Filippo (ex-Ethan, QAF) as Vittorio. Based on a book trilogy by Italian-Canadian author Nino Ricci, it is a story filled with an immigrant family's old-world secrets, and the biggest of them all is revealed at the end, involving Loren's character Teresa. Hence the warning about the penalty for giving away the surprise in any press story. [Read the full article] Speculation from broadcastingcable.com is that Showtime will soon be leaning more toward HBO-style programming, and away from niche dramas like Queer As Folk and The L Word, because of competition from the 'little guy.' Allison Romano writes, "Who says fall is broadcast territory? Hot off a summer when more viewers watched cable than the seven broadcast networks combined, cable channels are getting more aggressive with new fall shows. Most upcoming cable fare will be reality, but there's a smattering of scripted projects, too." [Read more (note: you may have to register to read the full article)]   August 18, 2004 If you haven't already done so, you can listen to Elvis Mitchell's interview with Ron Cowen and Dan Lipman (prodcuers of QAF) on The Treatment at KCRW online. It's one of the best QAF-themed chats I've listened to in quite some time. They talk about the difficulties in casting the show, the controversy surrounding it, inevitable comparisons to the UK series, etc. Both Ron and Dan speak very highly of Gale, Randy and Sharon. Ron compares Dan to the character of Michael, and how kind he is. One of the things that Ron and Dan believe keeps the viewers coming back is the show's edginess. Ron explained that while certain shows reach out to an audience, QAF makes people come to it. There's a new photo of Harris Allan in the IMDb publicity photo gallery. Harris' film is doing well in theatres right now, and he recently spoke to the Vancouver Sun about his (somewhat newfound) success. Sissy Spacek plays Jonathan's mom. What was it like working with Sissy and Colin? asked the paper. "I didn't have the pleasure of appearing in any scenes with Colin, but I met him and we hung out," says Allan. "He's a really cool guy. Sissy was super fun to work with and a great influence on my acting and professionalism." Allan began his career in Vancouver at the age of 12 when he was cast as a boy scout in The New Addams Family TV series. "I only had one line, but I thought it was the biggest deal ever," he admits. At 15 he was cast as a hitman in a guest-starring role on Cold Squad. During the 2002 Christmas holidays the then-17-year-old Allan, who graduated from King George high school in Vancouver's West End, was relaxing at Whistler when his agent sent him the breakdowns for a role in the controversial TV drama Queer As Folk. Due to his age, before they hired him, producers insisted on a conference call with Allan and his parents. He was in Toronto filming the series, where he plays the role of Hunter Montgomery - street hustler turned teenage son of Michael and Ben - when he received a call to audition for A Home at the End of the World. "During the audition I was really nervous and my hand started to shake when my character was smoking a joint for the first time, but fortunately it worked well for the scene," he jokes. The 2004 Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 9th to 18th. Yesterday, TIFF officials unveiled the complete Discovery lineup, which will present 28 features from 23 countries. This year's candidates include Off Beat, from Hendrik Holzemann; Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnick's On the Outs (you may recall that Lori wrote, produced and directed Mental Hygiene, in which Gale Harold had a brief appearance); Pete Travis's Omagh and Xiao Jiang's Electric Shadows. Launched eight years ago, Discovery presents films by ground-breaking first- or second-time feature filmmakers. Last year's Discovery Award recipient was Aaron Woodley's Rhinoceros Eyes, which also featured Gale. Silverbush and Skolnick's On the Outs (United States) follows three teenage New Jersey girls from the same Latino neighbourhood whose lives briefly intersect in juvenile detention. Read more about the film fest at The Globe and Mail.com, or visit the official TIFF website. "TV shows leave Hollywood for Canada" is an article at msn.com about American programs filming North of the border. Author Frazier Moore writes, "Recently one TV series made an inside joke about this kind of mistaken identity. The episode of Showtime’s "Queer As Folk," which is set in Pittsburgh but filmed in Toronto, called for several of the characters to travel to Toronto for a charity event. 'You’re probably going to think I’m crazy,' said one of the guys, looking around him, 'but you know what this street reminds me of?' Gee, it looks like Pittsburgh, his friends chorused back. Enough like Pittsburgh to get by, anyway."   August 16, 2004 According to the news page on Patrick Antosh's website, the costume designer was thrilled to be a guest at the wedding of QAF set supervisor Shannon Wilson to her long time love Scott Craven (he used to be a grip on the show). Randy Harrison, Thea Gill and many crew members flew in to Toronto for the wedding. Thea made their night special by singing a song at the reception. Shannon and Heather Crepp are hoping to be able to speak at Queer as Folk Convention in January. For a photo of Patrick with the bride (she designed her own dress), visit Patrick's news page. Look for Randy in the background of the photo, wearing a grey suit.   August 15, 2004 The folk behind "Folk" - The creators of the cable-TV series "Queer as Folk," Ron Cowen and Dan Lipman, will talk about the show in an online interview this Wednesday (August 18) at 4:30 p.m. on The Treatment on KCRW. In a segment on Extra TV called "The Best of LA," Hal Sparks gave a tours through LA's top spots. You can watch it online here. PB&A has added a few more pictures to the Gale photos page.   August 10, 2004 Thanks to The Actors' Fund and "Auction of 1000 Stars," fans of QAF have a chance to win a VIP day with the cast of the show. If you are the winning bidder in the Yahoo auction, you and a friend will be the special guests of Dan Lipman and Ron Cowen, the Executive Producers of QUEER AS FOLK, and receive a private tour of the QAF set at the Dufferin Gate Studios (in Toronto, Canada). You'll see first hand where all the action takes place! You'll have the opportunity to watch the show being filmed, meet members of the QAF cast that are shooting that day, and join them for lunch. You'll also leave with a script signed by the entire company, and have your photo taken. Read more about the auction here, or visit the auction website. Speaking of chances to win.... Hal's Lair is holding a contest where members of the site will have a chance to win a ticket (valued at $200) to the 2005 Queer As Fans Convention in Toronto (January 21-23). The contest will run from August 19th to the 21st. Visit the Forum for more information. In an article titled, "Woody's: 15 Questions for 15 Years" on the GayGuideToronto.com website, Andrew Vail writes, "Since opening its doors, Woody's has evolved from being one of the Village's favourite watering holes to becoming a Toronto landmark. In celebration of their 15th anniversary, I sat down with General Manager Dean Odorico to ask 15 questions about their illustrious existence, a bit of folklore and some memorable moments." Question number 5: The Queer As Folk connection, how did that happen? Answer: The producers came and checked out the space. They thought the name was cheeky and sexy. Woody is American slang for a hard-on, so that helped. And we're easy to get along with. [thanks to Bill for this one!] On his website, Patrick Antosh talks about the evolution of various QAF characters' styles in the last season. He explains that final decisions on wardrobe are a collaborative choice between himself, the producers, and the actors. Here are a few of his comments:  "Randy himself has changed his personal style in the last four years and this definitely reflects in Justin. It works because Justin has matured from a doe eyed twink to an independent young man not afraid of making his own decisions." Patrick also says, "I haven't seen any scripts for season 5 yet so I don't know where I'll be going with Justin. At the tail end of S4 he was in L.A. so I Hollywooded him up a bit, It depends what his choice will be in the new season, life with Brian or life in L.A."  "Because of Brian's illness in season 4 his clothes were more comfortable and less structured. He was hiding his illness so therefore hiding his body and thus the sleeveless sweaters of season 3 took a sabbatical. Ted's new look was inspired by Brian as he tried to fill his role while Brian was sick. This also reflected Ted's new confindence as he overcomes his addiction."  "The change in Michael's look is a refection of his relationship with Ben. All couples straight or gay start to assimilate -- more so when they are both boys! I've been using the same colour palettes and clothing styles to reflect the strengthening of their relationship. Since they are not a particularly wealthy couple I thought it would be cool to give hunter Michael's hand me downs from previous seasons ... Harris loved the idea when I suggested it."   August 9, 2004 Robert Gant's photo spread for estylo magazine's August edition (Latin Entertainment & Style) has been posted to estylo.com. Check out Bobby's casual but elegant style in the 3-page layout. Nice! If you want to know more about Scott Lowell's affinity for loose, hippy muppets, or why William Hung has a lot to live up to, check out the August Q&A at the official website. The third anniversary of ScottLowell.com is coming up, along with another update to the ScoLo Cookbook. If you would like to participate by contributing a recipe, visit the message board for submission guidelines. All recipes must be submitted by September 20, 2004 to be included in the cookbook this year.   August 8, 2004 Patrick Antosh's website has been updated with a new Video Gallery featuring interviews and clips showing Patrick's work. Keep an eye out for the interview with Patrick on page 68 of the August edition of Playgirl magazine, and on the DeepDish page of the July 15-28 issue of Fab magazine (Toronto). Visit the gallery to see the image Patrick came up with for a t-shirt he wore to a Madonna party during her recent Reinvention Tour. If that wasn't enough, what about the shirt Patrick has on while posing with event coordinator Gairy Brown at Gairy's Return to Eden party held at "This Is London" -- shades of something Emmett might wear, no?   August 6, 2004 On August 21st, Bobby Gant will make an appearance at the Angel Awards gala in Los Angeles, honoring Sharon Stone and Blake Byrne. One of the co-chairs is Judith Light, who is starring in Bobby's Mythgarden project "Save Me." To purchase tickets, and for more information, visit the Project Angel Food website. What's Hal's favorite video game? He tells G4techTV, "If I have to narrow it down I'd say Galaga--you can play it forever and it's always the same, but always different." Duchovny.net has updated their site with screencaps from the Queer As Folk season 4 soundtrack commercial which is currently airing on Showcase in Canada. The on-line version of the Westender: Vancouver's Urban Voice features an article on Harris Allan by Elaine Corden (see a picture of Harris). In it, he talks about his move, A Home at the End of the World, and his work on QAF. "When I got the audition for Queer As Folk, I was in Whistler with my family, so we had to film my tape there. My mom actually directed my audition tape, and my brother filmed it. My parents love the show, they watch it all the time." He also attended the Gay Pride parade to show his support for the community; he feels that with power comes responsibility. Tune in to G4techTV for coverage of G-Phoria this Friday, August 6 at 8:00pm to see all the hosts (including Hal Sparks) in action. More coverage on August 8th with "Pulse @ G-Phoria" going behind the scenes to show you everything G-Phoria didn't, including all the winners, the people, and of course, the games.   August 4, 2004 The 29th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will be held September 9-18. The following is an excerpt from ChartAttack.com: Perhaps the most exciting national effort this year, however, is from our very own CanCon. With brand new showcases for Canadian films, some wonderfully twisted plots and a list of actors and directors that makes for a veritable who's who of the national scene, it's enough to please even the most jaded critic. Short Cuts Canada, the new program dedicated to homegrown shorts, features 38 films. Included in the list of directors this year are film critic Cameron Bailey, national treasure Guy Maddin, Queer As Folk/Waydowntown hunk Fabrizio Filippo and former MuchMusic VJ Sook-Yin Lee. [read the full story]   August 3, 2004 From Getty Images: Randy Harrison attended the benefit reading of Tony Kushner's new play "Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall Be Happy" at the American Airlines Theatre August 2, 2004 in New York City.   August 2, 2004 G4techTV, the Comcast-owned TV network about video games and the gamer lifestyle, announced the winners of its first video game "Glow Awards(TM)" Saturday night in Los Angeles at G-Phoria(TM), the network's location-based and televised mega-event celebrating the massive phenomenon of video games. Presented by EB Games and Jeep(R), G-Phoria boasted a full house and a celebrity-filled audience at the Shrine Exposition Center. The show was hosted by actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy, who announced awards in key categories. Hal Sparks was among those who participated in the festivities and enjoyed exclusive previews of some of the industry's hottest upcoming game titles. According to one fan, Hal used his "I love the 80's" technique for a tribute called "I love Viewtiful Joe" (Viewtiful Joe is a popular video game), where Hal and a few other celebs all gave reasons why they like Viewtiful Joe. A 90-minute special taped at G-Phoria will air on G4 August 8th at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT.

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