By Romeo San Vicente
Stars line up for Schumacher's 'Twelve'
Gay director Joel Schumacher knows a P.Y.T. when he sees one. Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Chris O'Donnell, Gerard Butler, Campbell Scott, everyone in "St. Elmo's Fire" and at least one young Baldwin have all been directed by Schumacher early in their careers. Now it's Chace Crawford's turn. The "Gossip Girl" heartthrob will soon star in the adaptation of the controversial rich-kids-dealing-drugs novel "Twelve" alongside Rory Culkin, Kiefer Sutherland, a growing-up-quickly Emma Roberts and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (a man noted for a variety of homophobic statements to the press but one who will, apparently, work with a gay for pay). Shooting now, it promises to be as gritty and as pretty as the subject matter and the setting dictate. And if audiences are lucky it will be turn out as mind-altering (if not as mind-alteringly silly) as that classic '80s rich-kids-dealing-drugs movie "Less Than Zero."
Pacino to play Napoleon for Vachon
It's a role that many actors long to play – particularly the ones under 5 feet 7 inches (i.e. "way" more of them than Hollywood would have you believe) – and now Al Pacino will interpret Napoleon Bonaparte in a new movie produced by lesbian mogul Christine Vachon ("The Notorious Bettie Page," "Boys Don't Cry"). But while both of these artists are known for making films geared towards adult audiences – Vachon produced all of Todd Haynes' movies and is generally considered to be one of the key architects of the New Queer Cinema – this new family-oriented project is based on the children's book "Betsy and the Emperor" by Staton Rabin. (Maybe you could begin preparing your kids for their possibly terror-filled first look at Pacino by showing them "Cruising.") John Curran ("The Painted Veil") is set to write and direct the film, which should start shooting this fall. Look for Pacino to be all "Able was I, ere I saw Elba" in 2010.
NBC emerald-lights 'Dorothy Gale'
If you're an American gay man, it's a statistical likelihood (but not a metaphysical certainty) that you're a fan of both "The Wizard of Oz" and "Ugly Betty." And if you've been waiting for someone to put your "Oz" chocolate into your "Betty" peanut butter, wait no more. A new pilot for NBC called "Dorothy Gale" transplants the plucky L. Frank Baum heroine to the modern day. Our heroine moves from her home in Kansas to the glittering city of Manhattan, where she gets a job in the art world and has to contend with a – wait for it – "wicked" boss. The Oz mythos has survived everything from the musical "Wicked" to that truly bizarre "Tin Man" mini-series, so why not a weekly series? If the network doesn't put it to sleep with the poppies, "Dorothy Gale" could land on TV this fall. Quick, everybody click their heels three times.
Rob Halford keeps it 'Bruetal'
Everyone's favorite gay heavy metal legend, Judas Priest's Rob Halford, knows that true metal is no joke. But it "can" be a video game. After the massive success of "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" it was only a matter of time before a new wave of video game heavy metal (rock critics everywhere have probably already assigned it the acronym NWOVGHM) began invading those game stores that exist in every mall now. The latest is called "Bruetal Legend" and is about a headbanger transported into a world of metal where he battles evil with his magic-powers-filled Flying V guitar. Joining Halford in voicing characters for the game will be Lemmy from Motorhead, Jack Black, Ronnie James Dio and Lita Ford. But remember, you have to use the umlaut when you spell the title or it's not as brutal.
