Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) Cloud Atlas, one of the most expensive independent films ever made, is out now in theaters nationwide. The film explores how the lives of individuals can impact one another in the past, present, and future as one act of kindness can ripple through centuries to inspire a revolution. Cloud Atlas's high-profile cast includes Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, and Susan Sarandon in multiple roles that vary in race, age, and gender. Based on David Mitchell’s novel, Cloud Atlas was written for the screen and directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski, who recently gave a moving speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s gala this past weekend. Check out showtimes for the critically acclaimed film here.
2) TODpix, in conjunction with Story Center Productions and Furnace, announced the theatrical release for Codebreaker. The docu-drama from Emmy Award-winner Clare Beavan focuses on the life of Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician who assisted in breaking the German Naval Enigma code during World War II. One of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century, Turing was a pioneer of artificial intelligence who helped usher in the computer age. His intelligence is comparable to the likes of Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, and Isaac Newton, yet many have not heard his story. After WW II, he was convicted of “gross indecency” for his relationship with another man during a time when being gay was illegal. Codebreaker can be found in theaters now in Washington D.C. and New York City, and will be rolled out in other cities in the weeks to come.
3) Sassy Pants, from writer and director Coley Sohn, has been released in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. The comedy chronicles Bethany, a recent homeschool graduate who lives under her overprotective mother’s thumb. When her mother rips apart her beloved scrapbook, Bethany runs away to her father’s mobile home. Life at her father’s is not peachy either as he has drunken outbursts riddled with self-loathing, although Bethany forms a nice friendship with her father’s boyfriend. Bethany sees her only chance to break free is by chasing her dreams at the Fashion Art Technology Institute. Check out showtimes here.
4) That’s What She Said, directed by True Blood’s Carrie Preston, opened in limited theaters. The film follows Bebe, who is about to embark on the most romantic date of her life. To help her prepare, she seeks out her best friend Dee Dee, who has nothing but cynicism and cigarette smoke to offer. They encounter Clementine, a complete stranger who never stops talking about her nymphomaniac behavior. The three women unexpectedly set out on a misadventure through New York City to turn their day around. That’s What She Said is a quirky look at friendship in the face of adversity. Check out showtimes here.
5) Call Me Kuchu is a documentary that follows four outspoken LGBT Ugandans for two years as they struggle to live their lives in a society full of rigid religious and cultural attitudes against gay people. Directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worral, the film was recently picked up for distribution by Cinedigm Entertainment Group and is expected to be rolled out in early 2013 and released on digital platforms, TV, and DVD shortly after. Call Me Kuchu received support from Film Independent’s artist development program, and garnered critical acclaim on the festival circuit. Film Independent co-president Sean McManus said, "While the film is set in Uganda, its message is a global one, reminding us that the relevance of having an ongoing dialogue around equality can't be understated."
6) Writer and director Alexandra Therese-Keining’s Kiss Me will be released on DVD on November 6th. Kiss Me is the tale of Mia, a thirty-something architect whose life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly falls in love with the free-spirited Frida. The two women meet at an engagement party for Frida’s mother and Mia’s father, who are about to marry. With sensual love scenes and coming out angst, the lives of these women go in directions the two of them never imagined. Kiss Me, sometimes under the title of With Every Heartbeat, traveled the festival circuit to universal critical acclaim, winning the AFI Audience Award for Breakthrough Film.
7) Hunter Valentine released a new album this week. Collide and Conquer is the latest effort from the band and contains their new single “Liar Liar.” The alt rock band from Ontario was recently featured on the third season of The Real L Word. With the additions of Veronica Sanchez on bass and Somer Bingham as a guest keyboardist, the band has upped the ante, adding layers to an already unmistakable sound. Check out Collide and Conquer on iTunes, listen to "Liar Liar" below, and see Hunter Valentine’s tour dates here.
8) Details have emerged regarding the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer season nine comic book spinoff starring the beloved character of Willow. In a world that has been emptied of its magic, the lesbian witch feels like she is missing a part of herself. Perhaps selfishly, Willow searches for a way to bring back the mysticism, confident in her abilities to do so. She might not know quite what she is getting into, as she enters a world where magic is the only thing that matters. However, Willow is determined and will stop at nothing. Titled Wonderland, the first issue of the five arc miniseries will be released on November 21st. Check out the first three pages here.
9) In a little-known story from gay history, Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan are a bi-national couple who were legally married in Colorado in 1975, and they have the certificate to prove it. However, as an Australian citizen, Tony was deported in 1985 after the United States refused to recognize the marriage, and Richard gave up his life to follow. They made numerous public appearances on talk shows and hired attorneys to help them fight the case. A year after the deportation, the couple returned to the country undocumented, living a life in secrecy together for 20 years. Recently, they have become outspoken advocates for marriage equality for same-sex couples, and they appear at rallies across the nation. Check out the Indiegogo page for Limited Partnership from filmmakers Tom Miller and Kirk Marcolina as they attempt to acquire funding for such things as rights to use archival footage for the documentary about this brave couple.