Molly Shannon goes to the “‘Dog’
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| Molly Shannon |
Sometimes a dog movie isn’t about a dog at all. Sometimes it’s just about the “idea” of a dog. And if that sounds confusing, then read on.
“The Year of the Dog,” the latest comedy from queer writer/director/producer Mike White (“Chuck and Buck,” “School of Rock”) is about how our beloved pets influence our lives.
Molly Shannon (“Saturday Night Live”) stars as a woman who loses her dog companion, a pooch named Pencil, and in turn goes on a life-transforming journey. Along the way she meets Peter Sarsgaard, Regina King, John C. Reilly
and Laura Dern, as well as some as yet-unnamed comedians in cameo roles.
It’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t adopt a new pound puppy named Cujo.
The movie begins shooting in Los Angeles in June, and audiences will be able to fetch tickets in 2007.
Hilfiger trades fashion for “‘Rags’
When you sell your sportswear company for $1.6 billion, what do you do next? The answer is, of course, anything you want.
So Tommy Hilfiger is getting into the movies.
The fashion designer is turning feature-film mogul by investing $20 million into a movie called “Rags” about what else? the fashion industry.
An ensemble piece set in the cutthroat fast lane of the New York fashion business and seen through the eyes of a publicist, a model, a manager and an aspiring designer, the film was inspired by Hilfiger’s reality series, “The Cut.” Casting is still happening, and the designer hopes to wrangle cameos from real-life fashion names.
Will it be warmly received like Isaac Mizrahi’s “Unzipped”? Or tossed in the back of the closet like “Ready to Wear”?
Audiences will decide when they try it on next year.
Stiller and Carrey are “‘Used Guys’
In the woman-controlled Earth of the future, men will be disposable products cloned, then bought and sold as property.
This may not sound like such a good deal to most men, but 20th Century Fox thinks “Used Guys” will be its next big hit.
The film stars Ben Stiller and Jim Carrey as two men, both returned to the manufacturer, who go off in search of their “manhood.” Emily Mortimer (“Match Point”) stars as a woman who reluctantly purchases Stiller, only to fall in love with him.
Naturally, it’s a heterosexual romantic comedy, but set in what to queer audiences will read and hopefully not just as subtext as the most boldly lesbian utopia to be put on screen since “Bound.”
The comic fantasy begins shooting in June 2006.
Queer TV goes online
Everyone knows that the TV audience is shrinking. Younger audiences have more options and are just as happy in front of their computers as they are in front of the tube. which makes cable channel Bravo’s latest venture that much more relevant.
It’s called OutZone-TV.com, a broadband collaboration with PlanetOut.
Launching in June, the site will feature programming that has previously aired on Bravo, such as stand-up comedy specials from Kathy Griffin, as well as vintage gay-themed TV movies such as “That Certain Summer.”
Also available will be several original documentary series like “My Husband Is Gay,” “Parking Lot” and a cross-dressing food show called “Cooking’s a Drag.”
News and blogs from queer writers like Dennis Hensley (“Screening Party”) and “Project Runway” finalist Daniel Vosovic will round out the site’s content. You can log on June 1.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, May 19, 2006.