Happy Hollow Weenie, everyone! Did you know that pumpkins are the only living organisms that have triangular-shaped eyes? hee!

Is a new, 20-something, blond, gay icon about to push our beloved 'Sunshine' out of the way, as author Mike Szymanski suggests? I think not! Still, Stark Sands is a cutie. "I'm flattered!" he says, of the recognition he's getting. "I don't mind [becoming a gay icon] but I didn't know who Randy was and never saw that show, but I was excited about being on the cover of a magazine for my first movie," Sands tells Zap2it.com about his Advocate magazine cover just before his movie "Die Mommie Die!" opens to mainstream audiences today. In the film, he plays guitar in the nude, plots to kill his mother and seduces Jason Priestley with the line: "Haul out that bratwurst and spread some mustard on it." LOL! Read the full article at zap2it.com.
[thanks to Linda for the heads up!]

Southern Voice thanks the television show "South Park" for making gay cool again, and mentions a recent announcement about the casting on ABC’s sitcom "Less Than Perfect" (apparently Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless were both asked to be in it, but Daly declined). Read the article here. In an unrelated news item, it was reported that the two Cagney & Lacey stars will be on hand with many other CBS luminaries--past and present--for CBS AT 75, a new three-hour entertainment extravaganza commemorating CBS's 75th anniversary, which will be broadcast live from the Hammerstein Ballroom at New York's Manhattan Center, Sunday, November 2 at 8PM live ET/delayed PT. Read the full story.

A 'heads up' on head tilt: the site has new Brian & Justin videos up, and I must say they are extremely well done. If you're a fan of this couple, you'll want to check them out!

Dean-Armstrong.com reports that

Robert Gant hasn't forgotten about his fans... he will eventually be checking in with the forum on his website where he occasionally stops by to reply to posts. He's very busy working on QAF right now, reports one of the moderators (as is the rest of the cast!).

Many more screenings are ahead for Particles of Truth including Fort Lauderdale, Santa Fe, Anchorage, and Santa Barbara. Check out the official website for the complete listing.
According to the news page,

The November Q&A has been posted at Scott Lowell's site. He talks about the collaborative process of creation, chemistry with scene partners, and his new hybrid car, and takes the opportunity to rant about the insensitivity of people asking him to choose 'favorites' -- all in his usual entertaining, tongue-in-cheek style. When asked to describe a typical day on the set, Scott explains that while there is no 'typical' day, there are a few givens. "Start time changes daily depending on what time we finished up the night before. Generally we try and start by 7 am on Mondays. If we have a full day of daytime exteriors on location we may start earlier to maximize the amount of hours of sunshine (or 'gray shine'). Lunch follows 6 hours later (whatever time we start). Some lunches are yummier than others but there usually is a variety of things to eat to satisfy a cast that has to watch it’s figure (sigh) and a hungry-hungry crew that needs to fuel up for the hard day’s work they go through. Usually things are scheduled in a way that you come in and do your scenes one after another. It can take between three hours (a simple 2 person scene in Ted’s condo) and 6+ hours (Babylon or Woody’s) to shoot a scene. Every time the camera has to move the lighting needs to go through a major change and during those times I’ll either just hang out on set and visit with folks or go read back in my trailer or (if it’s a difficult scene) hide and listen to appropriate mood music until set is ready. The tough part is maintaining your energy through all those long waits." Scott also says that the team has improved on the duration of the shoots. "First and Second Season we averaged 16 hour day I would say (with plenty of 18 hour days in there). Last year we got down to 14 and I think this season is starting off below that as well."

Seen and heard...
- Hal Sparks shopping at HMV on Queen Street in Toronto (he bought the DVD "28 Days Later")
- Michelle Clunie and a friend admiring a street vendor's bouquets of flowers
- Randy Harrison , Peter Paige and Scott Lowell taking in CanStage's production of Amadeus
- Harris Allan (Hunter, QAF) playing a mutant on Smallville
- Blake Gibbons (Gale Harold's co-star in Wake) in a new commercial for Michelin tires
- Vincent Gale (Dr. Mark Burgess, QAF) discussing Canadian filmmaking on StarTV's "Movie Television"

The short film which will precede

Peter Paige has posted a new note to fans on his website. He says that things are going well with the new season, and that the show is taking some interesting turns (he won't elaborate, though, darnit). He is still preparing for his directorial debut with the movie Donut Hole next Spring, and keeping in shape by 'chasing balls' (on the tennis courts, that is). Seems Peter is following in Robert Gant's footsteps, encouraging people to check out deanforamerica.com, in support of Howard Dean who Peter calls "an integrous man with a lot of great ideas." For the full message from Peter, please visit his website and click on "Connection".

The latest news from the Queer As Fans 2004 convention site: "The studio asked us to issue guest invitations two weeks after filming for the current season resumed - which meant waiting until October 3rd to hand out the packets. This has now happened and negotiations with the guests - versus the studio - have started. We understand, more than anyone that the timing is close to the bone on this one. But we ask people to remember that this is a FIRST TIME convention for "Queer As Folk" and that means the studio, the actors and crew, Showcase and us are finding our way as we go along. The ITINERARY has been updated to reflect what we think could be a well rounded convention experience, but please understand that it is just an outline and ALL times and panels are subject to change as plans are finalized."

From out.com comes a fabulous picture of

For those who are interested, there is a great article by Rita Zekas in today's Toronto Star about actress Nadia Litz, who played "Ann" in Rhinoceros Eyes. About the movie, the 20-something Canadian says, "It stars Michael Pitt, who was on Dawson's Creek, though he denies it. I have a small part. I work at the theatre as the ticket girl. Michael falls in love with the right girl, me. She's in pigtails, sucking a lollipop. Finally my Lolita moment — except that she's nerdier." Read the full story.

Speaking of nerds... FilmNerd offers another Rhinoceros Eyes film review from the screening at TIFF. The author writes, "A U.S. production, shot here in Toronto, with a Canadian crew, and some Canadian actors. At turns laugh-out-loud funny, macarbe and darkly humorous."

Playbill.com reports that Harold Pinter's The Caretaker returns to Broadway this month, courtesy of The Roundabout Theatre Company. It stars Patrick Stewart, Kyle MacLachlan and Aiden Gillen, who played Stuart (the Brian Kinney-equivalent) in the British version of QAF.

Jenny from Hal's Lair has posted screen caps and video clips of Hal Sparks's recent appearance on "Classmates" where he reconnected with Courtney, a crush from high school. Don't be frightened by the Scott Baio hair!

I have received many emails asking for more information about the new Queer As Folk book. Here's the skinny:

The book is titled simply, "Queer As Folk: The Book" and is being released in November 2003. It is published by Simon and Schuster, is about 200 pages long, available in both paperback and hardcover (the latter being about twice as expensive), and includes a DVD with never-before-seen footage from the show. It is basically a "coffee table book" which includes photographs and interviews with the cast and crew. The author is Paul Ruditis, who has also written the third in a series of QAF novels, which will be released in June of 2004, I believe, and is currently untitled. This new book, being released in November, is non-fiction. Here is what the Publisher has to say about the book:

Everything you want to know about the record-breaking SHOWTIME series hailed as "fiercely realistic" by The New York Times. USA Today raves, "There's never been anything else like it on TV."

Irreverent, hilarious, and brave, "Queer as Folk" chronicles the lives and loves of a group of Pittsburgh's most fabulous gay men and women. Packed with hundreds of full-color photographs, this "Queer" book features episode guides that go behind the scenes and in-depth interviews with the actors, producers, and crew who bring the show to life. With synopses, trivia, quotable quotes, and never-before-seen photos, it's the ultimate companion to one of Showtime Network's highest rated shows!

Look inside for special features like "The Anatomy of a Sex Scene," a riveting glimpse into the sensitive work involved in taking a love scene from page to screen. Visit the sets of Babylon, Deb & Vic's house, Brian's loft, and more. And don't miss out on Deb's words of wisdom, a collection of wise and memorable gems ("You smother a pork chop, not a son") from one of Queer as Folk's most beloved characters. It's all here. As spirited and edgy as the show it honors, "Queer as Folk: The Book" is the only official companion book there is!

For more information on ordering the book, which is being released in November (just in time for holiday gift-giving! ), visit one of the online bookstores (amazon, barnes & noble, etc.).

Yesterday I posted some quotes from Ron Cowen about the character of Ben, courtesy of KC... scroll down to see them. Hopefully I will have more tidbits in the next day or so.

While you're surfing around for info on the QAF book, check out tlavideo.com for information about the upcoming release (February 24, 2004) of the Season 3 DVD collection [note: the direct URL does not seem to work as a link, so just type "queer as folk" in the search once you are at the site]. There's a brief Review of Season 3, including an episode guide, and a photo gallery with pictures from Showtime (click on "IMAGE GALLERY").

TLA also has a write-up for the new QAF Book:
The definitive guide to the Showtime series Queer as Folk includes season-by-season show synopses, interviews with the actors, profiles of the show's main characters and plenty of behind-the-scenes information to satisfy fans. With over 200 full-color photographs throughout the book - this one looks like a keeper. Both hardcover and trade paper editions include a DVD with never-before-seen footage from the show!

Thanks to KC, we have some quotes from Ron Cowen about the character of Ben from Queer As Folk: The Book by Paul Ruditis.

  "We were looking for someone who came from a different world from our Liberty Avenue guys - that he was more academic and not like the rest of them. So we weren't thinking of somebody who looked like Bobby Gant, but luckily he showed up and we realized we could use that to feed into Michael's superhero fixation."

  "We wanted someone who lived in a different world than the rest of our people. We made him a professor and a writer because we wanted someone more intellectual and somewhat outside of the world of Liberty Avenue. Ben was conceived as someone who is perhaps more political and more thoughtful, but not someone who looked down on the world of Liberty Avenue. He likes to go there, too, but he doesn't do as much in that world as the other people do. He has a world outside of that."

  "Ben is a very stable, practical, principled person. I think he's very much got his feet on the ground. He was originally conceived to be the Rock of Gibraltar for Michael. He has a spiritual side. I don't believe he's a Buddhist, but he believes in a lot of Buddhist thinking. He tries to find some peace of mind in that. I think he has a certain spirituality the other characters don't necessarily have. As the series progressed, we wanted to show that stability cracking."

Can't get enough of

     Carlo Rota
     c/o ETM Ltd.
     318 Dundas Street West
     Toronto ON  M5T 1G5
     Canada

There are new images posted to wireimage.com of

From last week's HollywoodReporter.com: "Up-and-comer Mitch Morris has been tapped to do a four-episode arc on Showtime's gay-themed drama "Queer as Folk," playing a vigilante gay activist. He is repped by the Bauer Co.'s Ben Tappan."

Remember, tonight at midnight is the cutoff for the Sco-Lo Convention. Look for details at ScottLowell.com.

Also for Pridevision TV subscribers, If you missed it the first time around, episode #3 of Jawbreaker entitled "Aging Gay Gracefully" with Bruce Gray (ex-George Schickel) will air again on October19.

Looking for book recommendations? Robert Gant says, "I really loved Paul Monette’s first book. I think it was called 'Half a Life Story.' Also, 'Sex, Death, Enlightenment.' Can’t remember the author’s name. I read Vito Russo’s 'The Celluloid Closet' for a class. Fascinating stuff, great reading." We'll fill in the gaps for Robert; here are the details from Amazon.com:

 Becoming a Man : Half a Life Story, by Paul Monette (National Book Award-winning autobiography). "Monette writes of the pain of being closeted, the effect it had on his writing, and how it shaped (and often destroyed) his relationships. Monette's fear and fury at AIDS and homophobia heighten the same skill and imagination he put into his fiction. This vision--poetic yet highly political, angry yet infused with the love of life--is what transforms Becoming a Man from simple autobiography into an intense record of struggle and salvation. Paul Monette did not lead a life different from many gay men--he struggled courageously with his family, his sexuality, his AIDS diagnosis--but in bearing witness to his and others' pain, he creates a personal testimony that illuminates the darkest corners of our culture even as it finds unexpected reserves of hope."

 Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story by Mark Matousek. "An edgy, no-holds-barred, post-modern memoir that moves with ease from the gritty details of a harrowing childhood, to the soulless meanderings of a young man "making it" in New York City, to the soaring search for meaning."

 The Celluloid Closet : Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo. "...one of the most informative and provocative books written about gay people and popular culture. By examining the images of homosexuality and gender variance in Hollywood films from the 1920s to the present, Russo traced a history not only of how gay men and lesbians had been erased or demonized in movies but in all of American culture as well. Chronicling the depictions of gay people such as the "sissy" roles of Edward Everett Horton and Franklin Pangborn in 1930s comedies or predatory lesbians in 1950s dramas (see Lauren Bacall in Young Man with a Horn and Barbara Stanwyck in Walk on the Wild Side), Russo details how homophobic stereotypes have both reflected and perpetrated the oppression of gay people."

Congratulations to Jennifer Elster! Particles of Truth has been named the Feature Film Winner in the Film Competition at the Austin Film Festival. Jennifer's movie, featuring Gale Harold as Morrison, is being screened again this evening. If you are interested in a Producers Book, which contains information on the Screenplay winners, finalists and semifinalists, contact the Austin Film Festival by phone at 1-800-310-3378 or through email, bj@austinfilmfestival.com.

The deadline for registering for the 2003 Scott Lowell Convention (Sco-Lo Con) is Monday, October 20. There is no registration fee and you may cancel at any time. If you'd like to learn more about the gathering, you can find information on the con page at Scott's official website, and in the convention section of the forum.

The official Particles of Truth website has been updated with excerpts from three recent magazine items featuring Jennifer Elster (Lucky, Trace and Details) as well as new film festival listings (details below). Jennifer says the night of her film's premiere she felt like she was "on fire." You go, girl. :)

Particles of Truth is listed as one of the American Independents at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (October 17 - November 16), and will be screened on Sunday, November 2, at 7pm, Cinema Paradiso, at 503 SE 6th Street. A four page color insert with all of our films, screen times, ticket prices and ticket codes will appear In certain zip codes of The Herald (North Dade & South Broward) and The Sun-Sentinel (Broward and South Palm Beach county). Get your tickets early by calling 954-525-FILM or stopping by Cinema Paradiso 11am to 7pm. From November 6 – 16, you can also use the box-office at Parker Playhouse.

The film will also be screened at the Austin Film Festival on Wednesday October 15 at 7pm, at the Driskill Theater (located on the third floor of the historic Driskill Hotel) at 604 Brazos St. Tickets are available at theater box offices for $7 ($8 at the Paramount Theatre) prior to all screenings.

October 11th is National Coming Out Day. The National Coming Out Project is a public education and outreach program of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation promoting values of honesty and openness about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender on campus, in the workplace and at home. "It's a Family Affair" is the theme for this year's Project. Read more about it on the HRC site, and check this year's events calendar for events near you.

One year ago today, Pridevision TV aired a one-hour documentary special about Marc Hall's coming out story, and his visit to the set of QAF. Read about it here. Check out the Media Clips page for Peter Paige's speech at "Gay Day at the State Fair" the year before that.

The New York-based Madstone films currently has theaters in Atlanta, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Ann Arbor, Mich., Chandler, Ariz., San Diego, Albuquerque, N.M., Cary, N.C., Denver and Cleveland. Soon they will take over the closed AMC 7 theaters in Old Hyde Park Village in Tampa, and re-open them sometime before Thanksgiving. Madstone will add a new dimension to alternative movie watching in Tampa, because their concept is not just to screen independent and art house films. Madstone co-founder Chip Seelig says movie-going should be "a six-hour experience: two hours to watch it and four hours to talk about it." Madstone theaters feature lounges and community rooms where patrons can linger to talk about movies or attend special events such as mini film festivals and fundraisers. Keep your eyes peeled for possible upcoming screenings of Aaron Woodley's Rhinoceros Eyes, Madstone's first film through its Directors Program.

OUT magazine asked Robert Gant and Peter Paige what are their most embarrassing home items...
  "The most embarrassing thing in my home is the blue teddy bear that sits on my bed," says Robert. "Probably not the most studly thing. Friends always comment on it with a raised eyebrow: 'Still have a teddy on the bed, I see.' I have it because my mom gave it to me: I don’t want to get rid of all the childhood-related in my life – the little kid in me seems to dig it. And because it’s really soft!" [Awww, how can you not love this man?]
  Peter says, "Notwithstanding the Peenie-babies (little stuffed toys with big hard-ons -- a gift from a fan) and the photo of me dressed as Jackie O (from the first season of Queer As Folk), I have so little shame that I can't think of anything that embarasses me."

Hal Sparks is back to provide commentary on "I love the 80s", premiering Monday, October 20 at 9PM EST on VH1. For more Hal, check out photos of his band and their fans at two recent Viper Room gigs, posted in the "Hal's Music" thread at Hal's Lair.

Robert Gant

The November issue of OUT magazine has a feature called "Hilarious Home Decor" where gay and lesbian celebs including Robert Gant and Peter Paige reveal their most embarrassing home items. "Wait till you read about the rubber-drainage underwear," says OUT. LOL!

If you haven't already seen them, check out the screen caps from episode 208 and episode 209 of Gale on Street Time over at the-goddess.org.

Brian's wheels are back in town! Check out a few pictures of the Corvette on the lot in Toronto, courtesy of the owner (thanks, Paul!) on the Stingray page.

For those with access to Pridevision TV, check out the Fall lineup and keep your eyes peeled for QAF appearances. Because many of the variety/talk shows on Pridevision are filmed in Toronto, the chances of our fave cast members showing up are pretty good. Here are a few to watch out for:

Open wide - and try to wrap your mouth around Jawbreaker with Brad Fraser, Playwright and Executive Editor of Queer as Folk. Although the premiere date listed on the Jawbreaker page is October 11, the new season actually begins in late November in a revamped half-hour format. It airs Tuesdays at 10:00pm EST / 7:00pm PST.

The dazzling and charming Crystal Lite brings you Canada's first talk show in drag. Her guests have included some of the Canada's funniest people and top performers. Robert Gant stopped by for a chat last season. Filmed at Zipperz, a GLBT bar in Toronto's gay village, it also features up and coming artists people should watch out for. Season 2 begins taping live November 7 and every Thursday after at 9:00pm. It airs Sunday evenings at 8:30pm EST/ 5:30pm PST.

Because I Said So with Maggie Cassella is brain-romping rants, unpredictable, revealing one-on-one interviews and in-your-face, interaction with the studio audience. It abandons the talking heads format, with irreverent commentary and unorthodox dialogue. Scott Lowell participated in one of the earlier episodes. Airs Fridays at 8pm EST / 5pm PST

The September 2003 issue of the "Flare" trade magazine profiles several celebrity dental jobs and the professionals who made them happen. Among them are Dr. Sol Weiss of The Art of Dentistry in Toronto. In the article, Weiss lists Dolores O'Riordan as one of his clients, as well as much of the cast of "Queer as Folk." Weiss says that he treated Dolores O'Riordan's mouth in the past with several mostly cosmetic procedures, including bleaching for that pearly-white smile. Wiess commented that his clients are very satisfied with his work, saying, "Power bleaching, while more expensive, provides instant gratification." Smile!

In today's issue of Screen Daily, Denis Seguin gives Rhinoceros Eyes a mixed review. "Rich in atmosphere, Rhinoceros Eyes is an impressive directorial debut on many levels," he says. "But Woodley, who is also debuting as a screenwriter, doesn’t have the script to match the film’s visual flair." [Read the full story].

Blake Gibbons (Raymond Riven, "Wake") plays a repo guy in Hollywood Homicide, starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett, out on DVD tomorrow (October 7).

HalSparks.com is being redeisgned and will eventually be accessible to fans who want to hear more of Hal's music. His CD is now set to come out in January instead of November, and will be doing the club circuit in January, 2004 to promote it. Watch for him to make an appearance on Mike Bullard's new show (airing on Global Television in Canada this Fall).

Seen around town:
- Michelle Clunie checking out of the grocery store with a full cartload (stocking up for the long Toronto winter?)
- Brian Kinney's Corvette being picked up by QAF handlers from its owner last Friday (October 3) for its return to the small screen.
- Gale Harold and Makyla Smith in attendance at Fab Filippo's play "This Is Our Youth" in Toronto.

Michelle Clunie

Eonline reports on a new episode of "High Price of Fame: Out" (airing October 3 at 8PM; October 4 at 3PM and October 5 at 12PM), which pulls the covers off of a once secret side of Hollywood, showing how hard it has been for gay and lesbian artists, and talking with those who've helped change the landscape of pop culture. Interviews include Dan Lipman & Ron Cowen (Executive Producers of QAF) and Bob Greenblatt (President of Entertainment for Showtime).