Adam Sandler and Kevin James Get Married
King of Queens, indeed. Kevin James, the burly star of that popular sitcom, is teaming up with buddy Adam Sandler to star in the gay-themed comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Taking a page from the late 1960s gay exploitation film The Gay Deceivers ( in which two draft-age guys pose as gay to avoid the war ) , the story centers around two firefighters who discover that posing as domestic partners can mean the difference between health benefits and pension inheritance and being hung out to dry by hetero-dominant culture. And right now every queer person reading this is thinking, 'Yeah, I could have told you that,' but that doesn't mean it won't be funny. Acclaimed writer-director Alexander Payne ( Sideways ) is just one of the many people who've taken cracks at the script.
Lucy Lawless in Space
Every TV-addicted lesbian's favorite former Warrior Princess is being blasted off into space again on one of the most critically acclaimed shows on TV. In the past few years, the Sci-Fi Channel's cult hit, Battlestar Galactica, has thought outside the box of science-fiction programming, produced thoughtful, imaginative adult story lines, and earned the loyalty of a growing audience and the endorsement of critics. Now add Lucy Lawless fans. The Aussie actress will reprise her role as D'Anna Biers in a 10-episode arc for the show's third season. As fans can tell you, anything can happen on this series. The season begins production in Canada in April, and episodes will begin airing later this year.
ls Don't Stay Girls
Honesty isn't always the best policy. That's the message of the indie comedy Stay, from comedian-turned-director Bob Goldthwait. The story a young woman ( Melinda Page Hamilton ) who unwittingly opens a Pandora's box when she decides to reveal a past sexual indiscretion to her boyfriend, the Sundance Film Festival-approved feature careens down a darkly funny but human path. And keep your eyes out for Stay's hilarious queer co-star, Jack Plotnick. Fans of the riotously funny independent comedy Girls Will Be Girls know the actor from his drag turn as Hollywood has-been Evie Harris, but gay comedy audiences with sharp eyes have watched Plotnick lend support to irreverent TV shows like Reno 911! and Drawn Together. Stay will arrive in theaters later this year.
It's Not Just About Bert and Ernie
Sesame Street is as American as apple pie. And queer audiences with fond memories of the gentle, androgynous good nature of Big Bird or those who watched in recent years with their own children as the show parodied the film Far from Heaven ( Julianne Moore was a guest star, appearing in a sketch called Far from Seven, about—what else?—counting to seven ) , will be thrilled by the new documentary The World According to Sesame Street. The film explores the impact of the groundbreaking children's series, including the controversial decision to include an HIV-positive muppet for the version of the show that airs in South Africa. It should appear in a theater ( and probably later on a public television station ) in your neighborhood soon.
DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com .