Monday, April 23, 2007

VACANCY



OK, my sweet, puddles of nectar. I took Mr. Adam to go see VACANCY last Saturday evening. We couldn't really decide upon which movie to see out of three and this one won out. I'm glad it did. The movie was pretty scary. I often find myself thinking "how would I get out of this situation?" Well, I have to be honest, in this situation - I'm not so sure anyone could have gotten out alive. But once again, I was pleasantly surprised at this movie. Usually horror movies these days are just awful. This one wasn't so. I would highly recommend this movie on DVD for sure. As for the movie theater, only if you've seen everything else.
The movie is basically the story of a young couple (in the middle of a divorce) who wind up through a series of events staying in a creepy run down motel. The motel has been used for making 'snuff films' and these people ended up in the middle of it all. Hence, the mayhem ensues. Pretty scary, not really original - but well done. I liked it.

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The Fantasticks


Last Thursday, my friend Michael took me to see The Fantasticks at the Snapple Theater Complex here in NYC. First off, I have to tell you that the author Tom Jones was in the show himself as the Actor. He was very, very entertaining. As for the show itself, eh. Having been exposed to the music of this show for years & years, but never having seen the show - I was excited to see this production. I knew the show lasted off-Broadway for decades. It began in 1960 and ran through 2002. Now that is a successful show. None-the-less, the show did close and now it's re-staged in the original blocking & choreography. Now you're all wondering, Ryan Charisma - did you like it? What's it all about? OK, childrens, hold on, momma will get to all of that.
1) Did I enjoy the show? Yes, but I must tell you, the songs that I found boring on the CD - still boring live. Was the show good? It was good, the cast was energetic, their voices strong and the performances were charming and well suited for the show. But sadly, it gets dull, and I mean really dull toward the end.
Overall, I would say - if you MUST see this show - see it in a college or regional production. There is no reason to pay Broadway prices for a show that really relies upon the talent of the production itself and has nothing to do with the show. The story is a simple boy meets girl, loses girl and gets girl back story. eh.

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Haunted

Well, my dear friends, I've completed the craziest book. Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. This book is about a group of people who are put together for a writers retreat for three months. As it turns out they're locked in an old theater and the only person with the key dies. Then, the mayhem ensues.
Mr. Palahniuk not only wrote the said story, but for each author in this 'retreat' he also wrote a poem and a short story written by each fictional author in this story. The book, characters and the short stories were all disturbing on some level. At some points, I had to close the book because I was either so grossed out or disturbed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, I wouldn't recommend it as a first book to read from this author, but I'm definitely a fan. And if you ever get to see a picture of Mr. Palahniuk, he's cute. How can such a smart, attractive man be so warped? Oh wait, there's me!

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disturbia

So kids, I took your baby daddy, Mr. Adam, to go see 'disturbia' last Saturday night. It was pretty good. I have to say, the story, although not original, was presented in a great way. The high tech gadgets and suspense kept the movie from becoming "just another" kid/thriller movie. I have to admit, there were some scenes that were "edge of your seat" thrilling. I really enjoyed this film. Will it win awards, nah. Would I want to buy it on DVD? nope. But if you're stuck inside during this monsoon season, it's definitely worth $10 or even better, a rental in a few months. I liked it, and so did your baby daddy!

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Friday, April 13, 2007

Harvey Fierstein wrote:

AMERICA is watching Don Imus’s self-immolation in a state of shock and awe. And I’m watching America with wry amusement.

Since I’m a second-class citizen — a gay man — my seats for the ballgame of American discourse are way back in the bleachers. I don’t have to wait long for a shock jock or stand-up comedian to slip up with hateful epithets aimed at me and mine. Hate speak against homosexuals is as commonplace as spam. It’s daily traffic for those who profess themselves to be regular Joes, men of God, public servants who live off my tax dollars, as well as any number of celebrities.
In fact, I get a good chuckle whenever someone refers to “the media” as an agent of “the gay agenda.” There are entire channels, like Spike TV, that couldn’t fill an hour of programming if required to remove their sexist and homophobic content. We’ve got a president and a large part of Congress willing to change the Constitution so they can deprive of us our rights because they feel we are not “normal.”

So I’m used to catching foul balls up here in the cheap seats. What I am really enjoying is watching the rest of you act as if you had no idea that prejudice was alive and well in your hearts and minds.

For the past two decades political correctness has been derided as a surrender to thin-skinned, humorless, uptight oversensitive sissies. Well, you anti-politically correct people have won the battle, and we’re all now feasting on the spoils of your victory. During the last few months alone we’ve had a few comedians spout racism, a basketball coach put forth anti-Semitism and several high-profile spoutings of anti-gay epithets.

What surprises me, I guess, is how choosy the anti-P.C. crowd is about which hate speech it will not tolerate. Sure, there were voices of protest when the TV actor Isaiah Washington called a gay colleague a “faggot.” But corporate America didn’t pull its advertising from “Grey’s Anatomy,” as it did with Mr. Imus, did it? And when Ann Coulter likewise tagged a presidential candidate last month, she paid no real price.

In fact, when Bill Maher discussed Ms. Coulter’s remarks on his HBO show, he repeated the slur no fewer than four times himself; each mention, I must note, solicited a laugh from his audience. No one called for any sort of apology from him. (Well, actually, I did, so the following week he only used it once.)

Face it, if a Pentagon general, his salary paid with my tax dollars, can label homosexual acts as “immoral” without a call for his dismissal, who are the moral high and mighty kidding?
Our nation, historically bursting with generosity toward strangers, remains remarkably unkind toward its own. Just under our gleaming patina of inclusiveness, we harbor corroding guts. America, I tell you that it doesn’t matter how many times you brush your teeth. If your insides are rotting your breath will stink. So, how do you people choose which hate to embrace, which to forgive with a wink and a week in rehab, and which to protest? Where’s my copy of that rule book?

Let me cite a non-volatile example of how prejudice can cohabit unchecked with good intentions. I am a huge fan of David Letterman’s. I watch the opening of his show a couple of times a week and have done so for decades. Without fail, in his opening monologue or skit Mr. Letterman makes a joke about someone being fat. I kid you not. Will that destroy our nation? Should he be fired or lose his sponsors? Obviously not.

But I think that there is something deeper going on at the Letterman studio than coincidence. And, as I’ve said, I cite this example simply to illustrate that all kinds of prejudice exist in the human heart. Some are harmless. Some not so harmless. But we need to understand who we are if we wish to change. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should confess to not only being a gay American, but also a fat one. Yes, I’m a double winner.)

I urge you to look around, or better yet, listen around and become aware of the prejudice in everyday life. We are so surrounded by expressions of intolerance that I am in shock and awe that anyone noticed all these recent high-profile instances. Still, I’m gladdened because our no longer being deaf to them may signal their eventual eradication.

The real point is that you cannot harbor malice toward others and then cry foul when someone displays intolerance against you. Prejudice tolerated is intolerance encouraged. Rise up in righteousness when you witness the words and deeds of hate, but only if you are willing to rise up against them all, including your own. Otherwise suffer the slings and arrows of disrespect silently.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Frost Nixon


OK my dear, sweet children, let Momma tell you all about a really great play my friend Michael took me to see. Frost/Nixon was a great show with personality, spunk, humor and a touch of history. The two main characters were of course David Frost played by Michael Sheen and Richard Nixon played by Frank Langella. First off let me tell you how weary I was going to see this as past politics can be very dull to me. This play was NOT dull for one second. Mr. Langella was excellent portraying Nixon. His speech and his physicality were practically flawless. Which in "gay speak" is really, really good. Mr. Sheen was equally as good. Both were nominated in the UK for Olivier Awards for their roles in this production.

The show itself is about the famous Frost interviews of Richard Nixon. How Frost got the interview, what was said and most of all, what wasn't said. The goal of the interview became to get Nixon to admit that he broke the law. So over a series of days of interviews between the two, the Watergate scandal is brought up. I'll leave the ending to all of you (well, if you haven't seen the original interviews). But I would say the most shocking part of the show was how money hungry Nixon was, both before resigning and after. This show is performed without intermission and honestly, is very, very good. I recommend this to anyone with or without an interest in the subject matter. You'll walk out glad you saw it. I promise.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Erasure - I Could Fall In Love With You

and this one goes out to Mr. Adam...