Dallas Voice

DVD review: “Black Briefs” (2012)

Posted on 06 Mar 2012 at 2:57pm

Black Briefs (2012). Various directors. Now available.

If you go into Black Briefs expecting something about underwear, you’ve misinterpreted the “briefs” in the title — not that the company releasing it didn’t want you to make that mistake. Black Briefs wants to be thought of as sexy, though just as much, it’s occasionally just creepy and odd.

The short film format is a tricky one — it requires economy and a sense of purpose that’s difficult to master. The series of six films gets off to a weak start with an S&M themed film about a young gay guy getting a quick education (“Spring”), while “Remission” builds tension on its way to suggested torture porn that never comes together. But there’s something to like — even if it’s just sexiness — in “Winner Takes All” and “Promise,” and a few chills even in “Video Night.”

Worth a rent? More or less — some are better than others.

Rating: **1/2 (overall)

— Arnold Wayne Jones

A conservative radio host walks into a gay bar…

Posted on 21 Feb 2012 at 8:49pm

Michael Berry

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Conservative talk radio host and former city council member Michael Berry has been implicated in a hit and run accident outside of T.C.’s show bar last month. Berry has not been charged with a crime. In Texas leaving the scene of an accident is a misdemeanor.

KPRC reports that a bouncer for the gay bar witnessed a hit and run collision on Jan. 31st. The bouncer, Tuderia Bennett, wrote down the license plate of the vehicle and later identified Berry, the owner of the vehicle, as the man he had seen driving. Since then video of Berry inside the bar has been released.

And then the blogosphere exploded…

Houston Chronicle Newswatch blog: Michael Berry accused of ramming vehicle at gay club

Perez Hilton: Um, Oops? Conservative Radio Host Accused Of Hit-And-Run After Visiting Gay Bar

Texas Observer: Homophobic Radio Host Busted at Gay Bar

Towleroad: Conservative Talk Radio Host Michael Berry Was Definitely At That Gay Bar In Houston …

The site gayhomophobe.com even added Berry to their listing of famous homophobes later caught up in gay sex scandals.

The only issue with all this schadenfreude is that, as far as I can tell, Michael Berry isn’t particularly homophobic. The radio host has criticized other right-wing personalities for their homophobia. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time listening to old episodes of Berry’s show over the last few days (a painful experience) and I’ve yet to find anything hateful towards the LGBT community (please correct me if I’ve missed something).

Controversial black-face drag character Shirley Q. Liquor is a regular guest on Berry’s program which would seem to indicate that Berry at least has no issue with drag queens (nor, would it seem, does Berry have any issues with astoundingly racially insensitive performances that rely on the most vulgar of African-American stereotypes).

I’m not saying that Michael Berry’s good guy (he once advocating bombing a proposed mosque in lower Manhattan), but I have to question why the media in general, and the LGBT media in particular, have been so quick to paint him as a homophobe caught with his pants down.

Perhaps after decades of Sen. Larry “wide stance” Craig and Rev. George “luggage lifter” Reker it’s an easy narrative to latch on to. But it’s concerning that this story has become about Michael Berry being the sort of person who (allegedly) visits gay bars instead of being about Michael Berry being the sort of jerk who (allegedly) hits a parked car and then drives off.

A conservative radio host walks into a gay bar, walks out, gets into his car, hits another car, and drives off… and what we find shocking isn’t the crime, but that he was in a gay bar.

What a joke.

— admin

Movie Monday: Oscar nominated doc shorts at Texas Theatre

Posted on 20 Feb 2012 at 9:22am

Oscar countdown

Be proud if you’ve seen all the major nominees for this year’s Oscars, but impress your watching party by throwing down some knowledge when this category comes up. The Texas Theatre helps round out those slightly obscure awards by featuring this year’s crops of documentary shorts. And the nominees are The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, God Is the Bigger Elvis, Incident in New Baghdad, Saving Face and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. The theater screens ‘em all save for God, but that’ll be enough to make an informed decision and give you the edge on that Oscar pool.

DEETS: The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd. 7 p.m. $9. TheTexasTheatre.com.

— Rich Lopez

Canasta for a good cause, this Sunday at Tony’s Corner Pocket

Posted on 10 Feb 2012 at 3:38pm

The American novelist Mary McCarthy once quipped that Canasta has the advantage of “doing away with the bother of talk after dinner.” But the classic Uruguayan card came popular among the aged and experiencing a rebirth among hipsters has much more to offer. While Canasta may not have the high-stakes glamor of Baccarat, or the back-room luridness of Poker it harkens back to the halcyon days of the 1950′s when it was first introduced to the United States, with smartly dressed men and more smartly dressed cocktails. It’s that paen for a more stylish age that has caused this once nigh-forgotten game to experience a rebirth of late.

If you’ve caught the Canasta bug there’s an opportunity this Sunday, Feb. 12, to indulge in all the melds your heart can muster at Tony’s Corner Pocket (817 West Dallas). Brunch and registration start at noon with “Pick a Partner” at 12:30. Then at 1 pm single elimination tournament play kicks off. Canasta is played with teams of two, but don’t worry if you don’t have a partner to come with you. Single players are welcomed. Registration is $10, with half of the proceeds going to the tournament winners and the other half benefiting Montrose Grace Place, a non-profit helping homeless youth.

— admin

‘Hairspray’ at Casa Manana tonight

Posted on 17 Aug 2011 at 9:33am

What ozone layer?

Whether you’ve seen it onstage or at the movies (or both!), Hairspray is whole lot of delightful fun. Mixing social messages with drag characters is one thing, but to brighten it up with fun-loving tunes that feel like they popped right out of old-time radio is what makes the story work so well. Come on. How many times have we wished we could wake up singing “Good Morning, Baltimore” and feel that good about the day? Anybody? Just us?

Check out our piece on actor David Coffee who plays Edna Turnblad.

— Rich Lopez

Free Polyphonic Spree tonight at DMA

Posted on 17 Jun 2011 at 9:57am

Turn this museum out

If you’ve yet to make it out to one of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Late Nights, might we suggest to do so tonight? For two reasons. Tonight is the annual Summer Block Party in the Arts District so the DMA, the Nasher and the Crow Collection are all having festivities in and out. So it’s already a bash.

Second, um, the Polyphonic Spree will be playing at the DMA’s Ross Ave. Plaza. Pretty much the only band that makes symphonic rock cool, the Dallas-based collective was formed by Tim DeLaughter, formerly of local band Tripping Daisy. With over 20 members and a section of horns, strings, percussion and pretty much everytghing else, the Spree is joyous in that hippies ’60s kinda way but still keeping a fresh approach to music. Pretty much, it’s awesomeness.

DEETS: Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St. 9 p.m. $10. DM-Art.org.

— Rich Lopez

‘I’m nothing you’ve heard’

Posted on 04 Oct 2010 at 10:44pm

TO: Campaign O’Donnell

FROM: Truthful Productions Inc.

Subject: The candidate’s first commercial spot

Hey team! So excited you asked me to take a shot at this project!

Attached you will find a draft of the ad copy I think would really work for Christine. Basically I took a look at her record and crafted a script from what jumped out at me, based on both how prominent Ms. O’Donnell’s past involvement, as well as the potential real world impact that certain words and actions could have on Delaware voters. I know Ms. O’Donnell would like to run on her actual record rather than against silly asides about being a witch, a mid-’90s MTV appearances, her views on self-gratification, or the comment about loving meat too much to be a Buddhist. So this seems to be more of what she wants!

(*Note: I’ve included links to archived information, lest the candidate forget)

—

CHRISTINE (to camera): “I’m not a witch. I am, however, someone whose old organization, The SALT, used to dedicate large swaths of resources to “changing” gay people through some sort of spell unbeknownst to all credible bodies of science.

I’m nothing you’ve heard — but I very well may be what you’ve seen recorded by unflinching cameras or read in the inarguable archives culled from the unforgiving annals of print media.

I’m you, if you also once invoked Adolph Hitler to suggest that progressives have redefined “gay” to mean joyful and gleeful, before then moving on to say that “when we say that Ellen [Degeneres] is gay, we’re certainly not talking about her emotional well-being.”

None of us are perfect. Especially if you’re not heterosexual, which is why I tried to change people like Wade Richards.

But none of us can be happy with what we see all around us. Politicians who think spending, trading favors, and back room deals are the ways to stay in office. Scientists who think actual research about sexual orientation deserves precedence above junk science groups and personal faith convictions. Gay people who look into my very recent past and wonder why I led “Confronting False Sexual identities” seminars at conferences that also featured the soft soul stylings of one Jerry Falwell.

I’ll go to Washington and do what you’d do. And maybe I’ll again try to link a prominent gay person to child molestation, like I did back in the ’90s, when I led a D.C. press conference with the sole intent of stopping the United States’ first openly gay ambassador by peddling in far-right-crafted lies about his supposed ties to the “pedophile rights movement.”

I’m Christine O’Donnell and I approve this message.

I’m you. That is, if you too have a record that should make any LGBT person or straight ally to say, “wait a minute, hold up!”

—

It’s good, right? Can’t wait to hear your notes!!!

Best,

The Nonexistent Producer Who Exists in Jeremy’s Overactive Imagination

***

TO: Truthful Productions Inc.