By Romeo San Vicente
Natalie Portman.
Portman & Kunis get busy in 'Black Swan'
There's a certain formula to famous actresses shooting lesbian scenes in Hollywood movie – some tee-hee coy kisses, the curtains billow, one lady moans and rolls her eyes to the ceiling, and then the camera discreetly pulls away. Writer-director Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler") is promising the exact opposite for his upcoming feature film "Black Swan," which will feature Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis having what several sources have described as hungry, aggressive, Ecstasy-induced sex. (That's how it's described in the script – co-written by Aronofsky and Mark Heyman, based on an original screenplay by John McLaughlin.) The film tells the story of a literal gaggle of ballerinas in a New York City dance company, duking it out for the lead role in "Swan Lake." Will it be about lesbians or about hetero women performing sexually for straight men? Who knows. But this "is" Hollywood we're talking about here. So keep your hopes in check when "Black Swan" "grand jete"s its way into theaters in 2010.
A 'Savage Love' sex column you don't have to read
Gay sex advice columnist Dan Savage has been educating, titillating and infuriating readers for years with his syndicated column "Savage Love," which gives frank answers to questions about everything from coming out to S&M to non-monogamy to getting those tricky stains out of your bedsheets. He's politically frank as well, calling out enemies to the gay community like former Pennsylvania Republican senator Rick Santorum, who once compared gay sex to "man-on-dog" action – Savage coined the phrase "santorum," which refers to … well, Google it and find out for yourself. Anyway, the columnist may take his bluntly funny advice-dispensing to the airwaves, if the "Savage Love" pilot he shot for HBO in August scores points with the network. And if the cable channel that gave us "Real Sex" and "Taxicab Confessions" can't handle Dan Savage talking about dildos and cross-dressing, who can? OK, yes, Showtime maybe.
Bryan Singer pulls 'Excalibur' from the Stone
Not a month passes without openly gay "X-Men" and "Valkyrie" director Bryan Singer getting talked up as maybe/maybe-not attached to a hot new project. One Singer assignment that looks like it might actually happen is a remake of 1981's "Excalibur," John Boorman's gritty and mystical take on the King Arthur tale. That film featured a notable cast that included Helen Mirren and Nigel Terry alongside such then-newcomers as Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and Gabriel Byrne. Singer's approach to the material is said to be more epic, along the lines of 2004's "King Arthur," which starred Clive Owen. No word yet as to when "Excalibur" might start shooting – Singer's known to tie himself to projects like "Logan's Run" or "The Mayor of Castro Street" that never quite make their way out of development hell – but keep watching the interwebs for updates.
'The Jay Leno Show' taps Feldman
Filling five hours of primetime TV a week is too much for one man to handle, so it's no surprise that Jay Leno is calling out for backup when "The Jay Leno Show" debuts Sept. 14 on NBC. The one-time "Tonight Show" host has lined up several comedians who will contribute taped bits to the show, and one of them is lesbian stand-up comic Liz Feldman, who's already hit the bricks to shoot a segment in an old-folks home, where she taught a roomful of seniors how to use Twitter. Feldman, along with Mikey Day and D.L. Hughley, will appear regularly on the nightly show, finding the funny out in the world while Jay does his thing in the studio. Will NBC's gamble pay off? Will the show rocket Feldman into a new fame bracket? Check it out weeknights at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific and decide for yourself.
