urbanTechnocrat

Gyllenhaal on 'Brokeback Mountain'

So, I've been reading up on Brokeback Mountain more recently since it is about to debut in theaters. The story focuses on two cowboys in Wyoming back in 1963 and the relationship and loving bond they had with each other. Its basically two gay guys in '63 that didn't know what to call it or how to handle it. Oh, and there's supposed to be a hot sex scene, but we'll see how far Hollywood really goes at showing sexual passion and intimacy between two men in a national feature film.

In any case, I ran across an article about Jake Gyllenhaal that ran in Details magazine and is also posted online. It goes over Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain, as well as Gyllenhaal's personal life. In any case, one thing that struck me odd was the conversation about Brokeback Mountain. In fact, it even struck the author as odd. Quoting from the interview:

Gyllenhaal stresses to me the universality of Brokeback's story ("My character could have been played by a woman and it would have made just as much sense," he says), but I'm astonished when he says that he doesn't believe Ennis and Jack are gay. "I approached the story believing that these are actually straight guys who fall in love," he says.

Even the film's producer was surprised:

One of the film's producers, James Schamus, is as surprised as I am when I tell him that Jake perceives his character as straight: "Did he really say that? Well, I suppose movies can be Rorschach tests for all of us, but damn if these characters aren't gay to me.

Honestly, I don't understand why Gyllenhaal skirts the gay issue in this movie; it is so glaringly obvious. While I do agree that the movie is also about the bond of love and the importance of it in our lives, I really don't see how you can confuse two men having sex and continuing a sexually charged and emotional relationship as straight. At the very least, the two are bisexual... but c'mon now.

In a previous interview I read regarding the movie, Gyllenhaal was quick to point out that he is definitely straight and that the sex scenes kind of grossed him out. Oh, and that the film teaches tolerance. Are you kidding me? Poor word choices, Jake. Not to mention his appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show barely mentioned the upcoming release of Brokeback Mountain at all. And this is one movie that everyone, gays, straights, and industry folks are all buzzing about.

I'm still going to see the movie, but I am pretty disappointed in Jake Gyllenhaal and his obvious insecurity regarding the real subject matter of the movie.

Thanksgiving Break

I've done nothing today. I did nothing yesterday. Wait... I made Jell-O today. However, that is it. My apartment is a mess. Dishes in the sink, laundry all over my bed. I've been sleeping on the couch because I am too lazy to put all of my clothes away. LOL!! This is why I hate long weekends when I don't have any motivation.

Thanksgiving Day however was a great one. Stephen, Guy, Brian W, and myself went to dinner at Cornelia's Cafe in the West Village. It's not exactly a cafe, but really a full-service restaurant. Though maybe at one point it was a cafe... I don't know. In any case, we had a great dinner which for me consisted of butternut squash soup, roast turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, and sweet potatoes, as well as some apple crisp for dessert.

It was great to be among friends for the holiday and we all got along quite nicely. Guy will be leaving for Brazil in about 20 days which is somewhat disappointing. For one, I feel bad for Stephen because he has to watch Guy just take off and leave. This after they were getting to really know each other; through their interaction you can see a great bond already forming. Problem is, Guy is never coming back; he is going to Israel to live. Which is too bad, since the man is amazingly nice, very charming, full of compliments... I could go on and on. He's nicest person you will ever meet and I wish him the best of luck on his journeys.

After dinner, we headed out for a drink, and then made our way to Distortion Disko at Duvet. I didn't think the place would be busy at all, but it was hopping by 1230a. I'm sure the boys were dying to get away from the family and get a dose of gay in for the night. LOL!! And if I haven't said it already, Duvet is filled with CRAZY HOT MEN. They come out of the woodwork for this Thursday night party! And apparently, the hypnotize me into spending too much on my bar tab. Spending $142 on alcohol is just not right!!

It was a great night and a Happy Thanksgiving. And I'm very appreciative to be loved and thought of by all of my friends here in NY and Boston.

Now, I need to do something... I'm BORED out of my mind!

RENT on the big screen

November 23rd, 12 a.m., eastern standard time,
From here on in, I'm fixed upon the script.

Brian W and I went to the very first showing of RENT last night at the Zeigfeld Theater in Manhattan. The movie was scheduled to start at 12:01am and when we arrived to get our pre-purchased tickets at 11p, the place was already buzzing and packed. Making our way into the large theater we found ourselves among the last people to arrive for seats. We didn't make out too bad however and found a great pair of seats on the upper level without anyone in front of us.

Even before the movie began people were already crazed. And right before the previews began, Anthony Rapp and Tracie Thoms entered the theater and took their seats amongst their adoring RENT fans. The people were going crazy.

Watching the movie was a lot like being at the show. The film manages to capture the Broadway experience and the audience was clapping after almost every number. While overall I was impressed, there were a few things which didn't seem quite right. I won't get into them here, as I'd rather you'd go see the movie and judge for yourself. But overall, it was a great experience and one that I hope will reach many more people than the show can on Broadway and company tours.

There's Only Now
There's Only Here
Give In To Love
Or Live In Fear
No Other Path
No Other Way
No Day But Today

Fruitcake

You gotta love this one. As posted on Jossip.com, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez had a hysterical approach to the "Thanksgiving in Iraq" segment.

"Hey, Jackie, do you know the official military policy on fruitcake? ... Don't ask, don't tell!" Sanchez guffaws while Soledad O'Brien grants him a disapproving stare.

Head on over to Jossip to read more...

South Beach: A synopsis

So, I'm sitting at the airport in Fort Lauderdale waiting for my plane to board. I actually should be sitting on the plane at this very moment, but since the plane was delayed from Buffalo, I am sitting here another hour. <SIGH> While I do love air travel, it is the most susceptible to delays... and an extra hour at the airport is never a lot of fun.

So anyway... South Beach. Fun for a day. Probably more fun when it is sunny. But after the first night, when you've gone to all four gay bars, there really isn't much more to see or do. I mean, there is the beach, and eating, and the beach, and shopping, and the beach, and drinking. My days usually went like this:

Sleep til 10a, out of the hotel by 1130a. Walk along Ocean Drive to Lincoln Road, walk down Lincoln Road and back. Walk back to hotel on Collins Ave. Stop at hotel and put bathing suit on. Go to the 12th Street beach. Leave beach because its raining. Get a drink at Palace Foodbar. Back to hotel to nap. Dinner on Lincoln Road. Drinks at Score and Twist. Home at 5am.

And that's about all you can do. So, my friend Aaron and I decided that we are done with South beach and our Florida trip swill be based around Fort Lauderdale. So much more fun.

Anyway, I will see if I can post a few pics of the eye candy we saw during the week when I get home... whenever that will be.

Lets get soakin' wet

Sorry Miss Pepper Mashay... I don't want to get wet in South Beach.

It's raining... can you friggin' believe it? The sun pops out every now and then, but its RAINING! Wouldn't it figure that its supposed to get nice again on Monday... when I am leaving.

In any case, last night I went to Cafeteria (yes, same as New York's Cafeteria) with Aaron and his co-workers. The gals are hilarious; I've met a few of them before when Aaron was in New York in October.

Afterward, we hopped around the "Lincoln Block Party" which is basically an area behind Lincoln Road that connects three bars/lounges: Score, Buck 15, and Laundry Bar. We called it an early night 'cuz Aaron had to work today, but hopefully we'll get a little crazier this weekend.

Today, I went shopping and spent $140 on a shirt and a belt. GOD! I need to stop. Just Wednesday I bought my DNA artwork (I'd tell you all about it, but I'd have to kill you. LOL!! Its too cool for me to tell people about until I get it. Stay tuned in December to see pics of what I am talking about). Again, I am on a shopping spree. Sorry, guys... Christmas will be light... hahahah!! I'm supposed to be meeting a Miami boy for coffee or something this afternoon. Hey... I need something to keep me busy while Aaron is working, so gimme some slack here!

By the way, The Hotel of South Beach is awesome. I was sitting out on the patio and everyone that walks out of these doors is always saying something nice about the place. The location is amazing (Collins and 8th), you're surrounded by shopping, and its only a one minute walk to the beach. See my previous post to go to the web site.

NO MORE RAIN!!

A little vacation

Finally... a much needed vacation from all that is stressful. I'm headed to South Beach today via jetBlue and Fort Lauderdale. I'll be meeting Aaron at the airport for a 5-days of sand, surf, and boys. This being the weekend before White Party, I'm not sure how busy it will be, but we shall see.

The picture on the left is the rooftop of our hotel, The Hotel of South Beach. Located right on Collins Ave, 4 blocks away from the gay boys sandy hangout... it looks nice, but pretty sure I'll barely be in the room at all anyway. HA!

Anyway, I do have the camera, as well as my phone. So, if I see something REALLY good, I'll moblog it. ¡Hasta la vista! I'll try to bring back the warm weather when I come home on Monday. :)

DJ JonJon Battles

JonJon Battles is one of the BEST DJs I have heard in New York. I don't even know how to describe his style except that it is unique, fun, all over the place but at the same time very thought out while encompassing a ton of style and variety. Even the New York Blade had great things to say:

Those crusty old circuit dinosaurs may howl when we give props to a rising talent like JONJON BATTLES. But anyone who’s heard this sexy young Southerner spin can attest that he’s going places. JonJon, who can be spotted Sunday nights at Jonny McGovern’s white-hot Rambles party, keeps the grooves fresh and fun — and he’s not afraid to throw in a curveball or three with his song selection. Though Rambles has recently relocated to Home, we’re happy to hear that the Battles rages on.

I cannot get enough of this guy's music. He is currently spinning at the Rambles party, hosted at HOME on W 29th and is the main reason I go out on Sunday, at all (minus the open bar from 10p-11p). I am always looking forward to what he's going to pull out the air... one minute its classic Spice Girls, the next an awesome mix of Billie Jean which flows flawlessly into a mix of 3 different songs that sound like they were always meant to be together.

The guy is a musical genius, not to mention always full of energy and smiling behind in the DJ booth. It doesn't hurt that he's cute to boot... Sadly, I haven't been able to locate a CD of any sort of his or any original mixes (at least that I know of). But if you have a chance to hear JonJon Battles, I definitely recommend finding out where he'll be and taking a listen for yourself. I'm sure he has plenty of gigs around the city, so check out the local rags to find out where he is on any given night.

One word of advice:
Don't challenge Battles to a battle... you will definitely lose.

How one small noise causes so much anger

Nextel phones... you know, the ones Sprint sells, the walkie talkie ones. The "beep-beep" phone. The phone service that allows you to hear BOTH sides of the conversation. And always a conversation you were never MEANT to hear, nor do you WANT to hear, yet are forced to because of the ignorant users pushing that damn button on the side.

Let me clarify ignorant user. While the "beep-beep" of a walkie-talkie Nextel phone drives me insane, there are legitimate corporate uses. So, I'm not counting those people as ignorant users. That being said, I don't believe the technology was ever meant for personal use, yet it has somehow become THE phone of choice of the (dare I say) "lower class." The phone for people who talk so much that they can't afford a regular cell plan and instead opt to get the walkie-talkie plan where most walktie-talkie calls are free; no minutes used. This means you can talk all you want, however long you want, call all your cousins and girlfriends, and have your phone make the "beep-beep" sound all day long.

BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!

IT IS IRRITATING!

I have heard conversations about people's sex lives, someone cheating on someone else, money deals, making a date, etc, etc... all extremely personal conversations. Its bad enough being on the bus and talking on the phone. Then you have the constant beeping noise along with the person yelling into the back of their phone, waiting for a static-filled response. And of course, the regular "Huh? What? I can't hear you" in addition to the annoying beeping!

I think we should start a petition to stop walkie-talkie phones from being used for personal use; only companies should be able to sign up for them. Or if anything, at least turn the friggin' beeping noise OFF!

Anyway, that's my rant...

This is who I am

So, I've landed my hands on a copy of Madonna's album just days before it is released. Don't worry... I've already pre-purchased it through iTunes, so she's still getting my money. LOL!! It is also available to listen to on the Logo website (the gay TV channel).

So, for the past few days I have been playing the album straight through from the first track to the last. And its the very last last song, "Like It Or Not" that has resonated with me.

This is who I am
You can like it or not
You can love me or leave me
Cuz I'm never gonna stop, no no

I feel like the message can apply to so many things, but definitely gives me that push, that inner strength to just keep being myself, continuing to push forward. Whether its family, a boyfriend, work, friends...

THIS IS WHO I AM, LIKE IT OR NOT.