By Romeo San Vicente
Zooey Deschanel is 'With The Band'
Everyone loves warm, fuzzy nostalgia. If they didn't, "Hair" wouldn't be back on Broadway, "Hot Tub Time Machine" wouldn't be the most buzzed-about upcoming movie and "That 70s Show" wouldn't have stayed on the air for as long as "Happy Days." So it was time, really, for one of the most shaggy, barefoot tales of wild-child rock 'n' roll misbehavior to be re-told for a modern audience. Welcome, "I'm With the Band," to HBO's TV pilot orders; your waterbed will be delivered soon. Based on infamous groupie Pamela Des Barres' memoir of the same name, the show will be executive-produced by and star "(500) Days Of Summer" It Girl Zooey Deschanel as the young Des Barres, who had romantic relationships with Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page. There's no timetable yet, but Deschanel is just the winning ticket to lure in viewers who might not yet be convinced that true-life tales of sexual excess among the young, beautiful and drugged are still entertaining.
The return of Anita Bryant?
If you're young or never saw "Milk," Anita Bryant's role in gay history might not be something you think too much about, if at all. In fact, you might not even know who she is or what she did, aside from take a pie to the face. Quick lesson: The former beauty queen and pop star became the spokeswoman for anti-gay political activity in the 1970s, helping to repeal a gay rights ordinance in Florida and trying – but failing – to pass a law that would ban California's gay teachers from working with children. And because that previous sentence might be all you know about her, Darren Star ("Sex and the City") is on the biopic path for HBO. The writer/director/producer is hoping to explore Bryant's motivations as well the negative consequences her anti-gay crusade had on her life and career. Given her financial and legal troubles in the ensuing years, will a consultant position or a nice paycheck make her more likely to cooperate? Stay tuned.
Laura Dern finds enlightenment
When the subject of really great actresses who don't work enough comes up, Laura Dern is always a name Romeo likes to toss into the discussion. David Lynch's coolest heroine (in "Blue Velvet," "Wild at Heart" and "Inland Empire") is now a part of something that could give her fans a regular chance to watch her shine. "Enlightenment," the latest series from the hilarious, always left-of-center gay writer/producer Mike White ("School of Rock," "The Amazing Race"), follows a formerly self-destructive woman who undergoes a spiritual awakening, only to see the consequences of her transformation create a weird sort of havoc all around her. White will co-star on the show, as will Dern's actress mom, Diane Ladd (she was the original "Flo" in Martin Scorsese's "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"). Let's hope The Universe (or whoever) sees fit to get this one on the air.
'Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys' likes Sundance
Back in 2008 when Romeo first reported on the TV version of the book, "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys," a collection of non-fiction essays about the friendships between gay men and straight women, Bravo was casting the reality series and no one knew much beyond that. Well, guess what? It's still sort of a mystery. But at least we know that it's actually going to pop up on our TiVos in 2010. The Sundance Channel is the show's new home and it premieres this summer (ace reporter Romeo knows this thanks to ads running on "Be Good Johnny Weir"). But what "is" it? Will people be tricked into thinking they're dating someone who plays on their team only to have the gay rug pulled out from under them? Will it be a "Jersey Shore"-like fake soap about gays and their favorite ladies? Someone please tell us. It's not like we're not going to watch it.
