Paul Marcarelli (writer, THE GREEN and yes, he was also the Verizon Guy)
“I am a huge fan of all things Todd Haynes, and while his work is not exclusively LGBTQ focused, I would have to say his perspective and thematic drive have been immensely influential on my own work and creative sensibility. I love that in films like Poison, Safe and Superstar (which I was lucky enough to see on VHS back in the early 90′s), he exposes the darker corners of the human psyche, but at the same time, he finds a way to challenge us to respond with the broadest possible spectrum of emotion and thought. After watching the full eight hours of his Mildred Pierce (two times through) a few months back, I decided to watch Far From Heaven again. I love that movie. Every frame possesses its own energy, tension, beauty and purpose. In it he pays homage to the films of Douglas Sirk, specifically All That Heaven Allows, but also manages to comment on the culture and mores of America in the 1950s in a way that feels fresh and totally relevant to a contemporary audience. And it holds up. In fact I think this film and what it has to say about the potent toxicity of repression will remain important until someone figures out how to do away with homophobia in all its forms. Even then, the film would stand on its own as great story-telling.”
Click thru now to watch the trailer (or order your DVD) of Paul’s powerful new gay drama, THE GREEN (coming to DVD from Wolfe November 22nd) or look for it on VOD and digital nationwide starting October 18th.
Support LGBT Movies on Netflix
Now that the threat of Qwikster has faded into the realm of bad and dumb ideas, it’s time to renew our efforts at getting Netflix to carry more LGBT DVDs. Not a lot of people know this, but the way Netflix works is that if enough people “SAVE” a DVD into their queue, then Netflix will purchase the DVDs and send you the movie you requested. But until there is enough demand — nobody gets to see these movies.
So, on behalf of all LGBT filmmakers and film lovers: Thanks for your SUPPORT OF LGBT MOVIES on Netflix! Please click through and add these new and upcoming Wolfe DVDs to your queue now (just click on the links below — it’s super easy)!
LEADING LADIES
Adorable newcomers Laurel Vail and Nicole Dionne co-star as the young lesbians who “Let Love Lead” in this romantic coming out tale blended together with a fabulously choreographed musical comedy. Plus, “So You Think You Can Dance” winner Benji Schwimmer (as the gay best friend) and legendary choreographer Melanie LaPatin as the overzealous stage mother!
JUDAS KISS
Charlie David (Mulligans, Dante’s Cove, etc.) stars as a gay filmmaker who has a one night stand with a handsome student filmmaker (adorable Richard Harmon, AMC’s The Killing) — who turns out to be competing for a scholarship that Zach must award! Hotties Sean Paul Lockhart (aka adult-fave Brent Corrigan) and Timo Descamps round out the collegiate cast.
TRIGGER
Ex-lovers and former bandmates Vic and Kat (played by two of Canada’s top female stars, Tracy Wright and Molly Parker) reunite to perform at a women in rock benefit show. After a wild night of reminiscing, reconnecting and true confessions the pair face the dawn and the true nature of their friendship. A heartbreakingly genuine rock-and-roll drama!
UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY
British TV hunk David Paisley co-stars in this sexy, creepy tale of a young man and his secret gay lover who conspire to surprise their friend Sadie on her birthday. Arriving for their getaway on the remote isle of Amen — Rick, Jonny and Sadie meet the mysterious Corinne. This wild queer British thriller has been compared to such cult classics as The Wicker Man and Let’s Scare Jessica To Death.
THE GREEN
Amidst the green of Connecticut, suburban high school teacher Michael (Jason Butler Harner) is accused of “inappropriate behavior” with a male student. He and his partner Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson) hire a lesbian lawyer (Julia Ormond) and Michael confronts the latent homophobia of friends (including pal Illeana Douglas). As a secret from his past is revealed, can Michael and Daniel overcome this horrible accusation?
MANGUS!
This super fun, dark comedy from writer-director Ash Christian (Fat Girls), revolves around high school senior Mangus Spedgewick (Ryan Boggus) who hopes to fulfill his family’s tradition of playing Jesus in the local annual production of “Jesus Christ Spectacular.” This fresh queer cult hit co-stars Jennifer Coolidge as his trailer trash mother and out lesbian actress Heather Matarazzo as his lesbian half-sister; plus terrific cameos from John Waters and Leslie Jordan!
Inside “The Green”: Fear and loathing in a Connecticut suburb
Check out Robert Nesti‘s new in-depth interview in Edge with Paul Marcarelli and Steven Williford (writer and director of THE GREEN — coming to DVD and digital from Wolfe). THE GREEN explores what happens when a suburban gay high school teacher is accused of “inappropriate behavior” with one of his students. Here’s an excerpt:
EDGE: How [the character of] Gavin is ostracized is quite horrifying. Like Julia [Ormond] says to him, that he’s guilty without any due process. Does the film expose the myth that liberals aren’t quite as tolerant as they pretend to be?
Paul Marcarelli: To me tolerance has always been cold comfort. The most harmonious places, whether they are academic settings, towns, cities, churches, are the ones in which differences are celebrated, not tolerated. There is a superiority inherent in the notion of tolerance. I mean, who are you to tolerate me?
Steven Williford: I agree wholeheartedly with what Paul’s saying about the cloying nature of tolerance. The concept of “other” remains an inherent part of exercising tolerance — and I think our film addresses that notion in a variety of ways.
Read the rest at Inside “The Green”: Fear and loathing in a Connecticut suburb.
And order your DVD of THE GREEN now from Wolfe!
EDGE New York City: “LEADING LADIES is sweet, smart and funny”
Recent Wolfe DVD release LEADING LADIES has been getting rave reviews on the film festival circuit and now the gushing DVD reviews are rolling in (look for the DVD in stores now, and also on VOD — including iTunes). Here’s an excerpt from Edge New York City’s love-fest review of the film:
“LEADING LADIES is sweet, smart and funny. Like a great date the film will keep you entertained and full of fuzzy feelings. Part family melodrama and part first love story, it transcends the “coming out” genre by offering an entertaining film with a main character that just so happens to be coming out. It’s a definite must see for fans of dance, musicals and ladylove.”
Read the rest at Leading Ladies :: EDGE New York City.
Or get your hands on the LEADING LADIES DVD right now from WolfeVideo.com!
Leading Ladies’ Erika Randall Beahm Comes Out Swinging
Check out this great Advocate.com interview in which Tracy E. Gilchrist talks to LEADING LADIES co-director Erika Randall Beahm about “conceiving of and executing the project with her co-writer [Jennifer] Bechtel and her husband Daniel, the film festival circuit, the marriage of a traditional dance film with LGBT politics and the possibility that she might actually go into labor during the interview.”
“An accomplished dancer, professor and first-time filmmaker Erika Randall Beahm was on the verge of delivering two ‘babies’ earlier this month, one, her first child with her husband, and the other, her feature film and pet project Leading Ladies, which was just coming out on DVD via the LGBT-friendly distributor Wolfe Video.
A heartfelt lesbian love story that appeals to all who enjoy appreciate a compelling tango, Leading Ladies purposefully plays with a wink and a nudge to iconic dance films that came before it, turning the notion of gender and of “dancing backwards in heels” on it’s head. But then, Beahm, erudite in her film history, terpsichorean, and bisexual, appears to be the perfect person to execute a dance film for the 21st century that embraces old-fashioned dance standards and modern politics.”
Read the rest of this great in-depth interview here: Leading Ladies’ Erika Randall Beahm Comes Out Swinging | Film | The Advocate.
Click thru here to watch the trailer, order the DVD or find LEADING LADIES on iTunes!
“So You Think You Can Dance” Choreographer Stands Up As LGBT Ally in New Movie
“So You Think You Can Dance” Choreographer Melanie LaPatin stars as the Mom of a newly out lesbian daughter in the new movie, LEADING LADIES (just released on DVD and digital from Wolfe Video). In a recent interview with Home Media Magazine — LaPatin makes an eloquent plea for LGBT equality asking viewers to not judge others based on who they fall in love with:
“I just believe that you are who you are, and who are we to decide who you should be?”
In touring the film festival circuit, the response to LEADING LADIES has been deeply impassioned as gay, lesbian (and straight) viewers connect with the film’s unique yet universal message: “Let Love Lead.”
LEADING LADIES serves up a tender lesbian coming out tale blended together with a fabulous musical comedy to create one of the most wholesome and enjoyable LGBT movies ever brought to the screen. The film co-stars newcomers Shannon Lea Smith and Laurel Vail as two sisters — one of them pregnant and the other coming out and falling in love (with the adorable Nicole Dionne). Plus “So You Think You Can Dance” season two winner Benji Schwimmer (as their gay best friend) and LePatin as their overzealous stage mother hustling to keep her daughters on top in the wild world of competitive ballroom dance.
The DVD is available for now from WolfeVideo.com and at fine retailers everywhere.
Click thru here to watch the trailer and learn more about how you can support this important film.
Aaron Ashmore Grows Up to Play Gay on “Warehouse 13″
Back in 2004, super cute Aaron Ashmore made the charming gay teen activist bio-pic, PROM QUEEN — portraying the real life Marc Hall who sued his Catholic high school for not letting him bring his boyfriend to the prom. Now he’s all grown up and playing the first openly gay character on SyFy’s show, “Warehouse 13.” Here’s the intro to a fresh interview with Aaron on the AssignmentX.com website:
“Aaron Ashmore is no stranger to genre television. A lot of fans of science fiction television will recognize him from his days on SMALLVILE, but now he’s got a whole new gig as an agent of WAREHOUSE 13. His character Steve Jinks joined this season, and is the Warehouse’s first openly gay character, who also has the uncanny ability to tell when a person is lying. ASSIGNMENT X was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to Ashmore about joining the series, and chatted with him about the experience of joining a cast partway through the run of a show since this isn’t his first rodeo. Ashmore paints a picture of an incredibly detailed work environment, and talks to the comedic strengths of his new co-stars.”
Read the interview here: Exclusive Interview: Working in WAREHOUSE 13 with Aaron Ashmore Assignment X
And get your hands on the PROM QUEEN DVD from WolfeVideo.com (or you can just watch the trailer)!
From LOVING ANNABELLE to TERMINATOR
Yesterday’s New York Times story about young female mogul Megan Ellison (who recently grabbed headlines for her purchase of the TERMINATOR movie franchise) describes how Wolfe’s wildly successful release, Katherine Brooks‘s LOVING ANNABELLE played an instrumental role in kicking off Ellison’s career in the movies:
“Her introduction to the film business began in 2006. Katherine Brooks, a writer and director of television programs and indie films, recalls Ms. Ellison contacting her via MySpace after the first showings of Ms. Brooks’s movie “Loving Annabelle,” about forbidden love between a teacher at a Catholic school for girls and her student. Out of the blue, Ms. Ellison, said she wanted to invest in Ms. Brooks’s next picture.”
The story goes on to talk about Ellison’s high-powered movie deals including involvement in such mega projects as the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson project, THE MASTER; a new project from HURT LOCKER team Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal; and a drama about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange called, THE BOY WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST.
Read the full story at: Megan Ellison and Annapurna Pictures Tackle Hollywood – NYTimes.com.
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