It's Official: Massachusetts Marriage Open to All

Today, Governor Deval Patrick signed the bill repealing the 1913 law which prevented non-resident same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts, as covered here and here. Now many couples don't have to trek all the way across the country to tie the knot! Hopefully, the coasts won't be the only options for betrothed gay couples in the future. Click here for full post

Luke and Noah: A Celebration of Celibacy

Due to being ridiculously busy last week, I actually missed posting about a day that Luke and Noah, the ever celibate gay couple, appeared on As the World Turns. On that day, Luke and Noah agreed to (GASP!) not have sex. Meanwhile across town, Luke's 15-year-old cousin was losing his virginity to a girl that he's known for a couple of months. The actor in that little scenario is 15. The actress is 21. This viewer is thoroughly disgusted. Luke and Noah will be on again today, most certainly not getting any action. There are clips after the click of the past two episodes involving Luke and/or Noah. And to anyone who was holding their breath until Luke and Noah had sex, I'm sorry I missed your funeral.















Don't mention gay sex! You'll make God cry!

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Trailer Trash

Exciting things are coming to movie theaters. After the jump, you can view trailers for the upcoming Harry Potter and James Bond films (with two of my favorite Daniels, Radcliffe and Craig), as well as the trailer for the film adaption of what is possibly the greatest work in comics. Watch and drool!


Quantum of Solace (Opens November 7, 2008)




Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Opens November 21, 2008)




Watchmen (Opens March 6, 2009)

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Springfield Now an Option for Many Betrothed Gays

The Massachusetts House voted today to repeal the 1913 law which prevented same-sex couples residing in other states from marrying there. The Senate had previously voted to repeal the measure. Governor Deval Patrick has said that he will sign the bill repealing the law. When that happens, the state will join California in allowing non-residents to marry someone of the same sex. A major reason behind the repeal is that the state is expected to reap huge economic benefits from the action as couples converge on the state to wed. That's right, the bad economy turned out to be good for gays. It's too bad that it couldn't be done just because it's the right thing to do, but I think most of us will gladly take this victory regardless.

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Eureka!

The third season of Eureka begins tonight on Sci Fi at 9 Eastern. It's a quirky show about a town of geniuses that work for the government and the sheriff who tries to keep everything from blowing up when one of the super-science projects inevitably goes awry. Colin Ferguson winningly portrays the sometimes clueless but always reliable Sheriff Carter. He is also pretty easy on the eyes, as is Ed Quinn, who portrays the sheriff's rival, Nathan Stark. I appreciate eye candy as long as it's someone who can do his job competently, and these guys have no problem in that area. The show isn't going to win any major awards anytime soon, but, overall, it's an entertaining way to spend an hour in a somewhat barren season for television.

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She's Not the First One to Kiss a Girl

So after the umpthousandth time of hearing Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," I just have to say that I'm not impressed. Musically, it's vapid. Lyrically, it's uninspired. Overall, Perry seems overly impressed with herself and the song reeks of that faux-lesbian-to-turn-guys-on routine, which is fine if your career goal is to end up in a volume of Girls Gone Wild. To top it off, it's already been done and much better. After the jump, you can watch the video for Jill Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl" from 1995, which is vastly superior. Oh, and "Ur So Gay" sucks, too.

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Estelle Getty: 1923 - 2008

Picture it: NBC, 1985. A little show called The Golden Girls debuts. In the show, a little old lady by the name of Sophia Petrillo moves in with her daughter and her roommates after her retirement home burns down. A little boy watches and laughs. He especially enjoys the antics of "that crazy old lady." The show continues as he enters his teens and he continues watching and laughing. Later, he watches reruns of the show as an adult and still laughs. Then, one day, the laughter stops in the wake of sad news. He then realizes that would probably be the last thing the woman behind "that crazy old lady" would want. And he watches and laughs.

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Dr. Horrible Ends on a High Low Note

The third and final act of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, with Neil Patrick Harris in the title role, debuted Saturday. It continues in the darker tone that was set in the second installment and proceeds to get even darker while still managing to provide laughs. I can't really get into what happened because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who may happen to read this and plans to watch it at some point (and if that's you, then why haven't you already?!). Overall, I think it's a triumph. What began as a fairly silly concept turned into something that managed to be funny and dramatic with characters to cheer for and root against independent of what side of the hero/villain line they may stand. Of course, anyone who watched Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer shouldn't be surprised. The show is only going to be up until midnight Sunday, so if you want to watch it for free, get to watching! Otherwise, you'll probably have to shell out some money down the road on a DVD or a download. Although it didn't escape my notice that the total time of the show when all three acts are added together is about the same as an hour long television episode without the commercials. I wouldn't be surprised to see it pop up on television at some point.

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Psyched

Psych begins its third season tonight on USA at 10 Eastern. Shawn and Gus are back to investigate more cases in a not so psychic manner. Honestly, if this show starred anyone other than James Roday and Dule Hill, I don't know if it would be one of my favorites. These guys just look like they're having too much fun, and they're cute, too. I don't know if I'll be able to break away from City of Villains, but I'll have it on nonetheless.

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Luke and Noah vs. Carly and Holden

Luke and Noah, the sexless gay couple on As the World Turns, will come across yet another couple that has had sex repeatedly after getting together long after the boys did. Yes, Luke will discover that his father, Holden, has been schtupping his mother's best friend, Carly. Will he be sad? Will he be angry? Will he even know what that means? Well, we'll find out today, and, unlike Wednesday, Noah will be tagging along. Speaking of Wednesday, after the jump you can see a clip of Luke's scenes interspersed with some Holden and Carly drama. I smell a tag-team cage match in the works!

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Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

This weekend (Friday - Sunday) is a Double XP Weekend in City of Heroes and City of Villains. What's that mean? Well, basically that no one will see much of me. Really, it means that the rewards for defeating foes and completing missions are doubled allowing one to level a character much faster than usual. This weekend, I will be concentrating on my highest non-50 character, an Ice Blast/Cold Domination Corruptor (yeah, I know, Greek to you if you don't play) and trying to get her to the ultimate level for my second level 50 villain. (I already have two heroes.) Turnout is usually huge for these things so I'm looking forward to a lot of teaming. I'm also looking forward to reading all the gay chatter on the Pride channel. I mostly just lurk, but I pipe up sometimes if something really interests me. To all the heroes and villains out there that will be pushing the servers' capacities this weekend, good luck!

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Dr. Horrible is Definitely Not

The second episode of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is up, and this time there doesn't seem to be any major technological snafus as I've been able to successfully access it twice. It's a good thing, too, because this installment is too good to make people wait. I gave the first installment a bit of a mixed review. The second installment, however, is nothing but sweet, gooey goodness. The story takes something of a darker turn with Captain Hammer dating the girl of Dr. Horrible's dreams and proving himself to be a major tool in the process. The not-so-bad Dr. has also been given an ultimatum: if he wants to join the villainous society of his dreams, he'll have to take a life. With Captain Hammer having a less than gentlemanly attitude towards the object of his affection, the target becomes clear. Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion give superb performances in roles that could fall flat in lesser hands. After the first episode, it's gratifying to see the material rise to their level.

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Luke (and Noah?) Today

Surprisingly, Luke will apparently appear on today's As the World Turns. He appeared in a scene with his mother (UnLily, as some call her, including me) on Tuesday's preview for today's show. I don't know if Noah will be around or not as I didn't expect them to appear again until Friday. One thing of which I am pretty sure is that they won't have sex. Just in case their story does go forward, I've got a clip of Monday's show to help catch up after the jump.



If you ever need to catch up or relive the good times (which you have to go back a ways for), check out LukeVanFan's channel on YouTube.

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Dr. Horrible Has a Crashing Debut

Joss Whedon's online show, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, debuted Tuesday with a server-crashing turnout from viewers. I finally got to view the first episode Tuesday night after attempting to do so all day. Out actor Neil Patrick Harris stars as the title villain looking to conquer the world and the heart of the girl at the laundromat (Felicia Day). Nathan Fillion co-stars as Dr. Horrible's nemesis, Captain Hammer, a narcissistic superhero who is obviously overly fond of the glory of superherodom. All of them are prone to breaking out into song. It's a somewhat silly premise to be sure, and the material really isn't all that strong, but Harris rises to the challenge brilliantly and sells it like nobody's business, making it an enjoyable thirteen minutes overall. The second episode will debut July 17, with the final episode scheduled to be available July 19. You can download the episodes on iTunes or watch them at Dr. Horrible's website for free.

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Heads Massachusetts, Tails California?

The Massachusetts Senate has voted to repeal a law enacted in 1913 that has prohibited the marriage of same-sex couples from other states. The House is expected to vote on a repeal of the law later this week. The law prohibits marriages that would be illegal in the couple's home state. It was applied to same-sex marriage because it wasn't legal anywhere else in the nation. The legalization of same-sex marriage in California with no residency requirement seems to have spurred the state to action. It didn't hurt that repealing the law is expected to bring millions to the state as couples rush there to wed. We're lucky to be living at such a progressive time, but my hope is that gay people will be luckier years from now when their unions are accepted without question.

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A New Day for Luke and Noah

When we last left Luke and Noah on As the World Turns, they were reunited after Noah decided it wouldn't be a good idea to join the Army. He apparently came to this conclusion after realizing that the writers had to be smoking crack when they decided that he should enlist in the first place. Today, the boys are set to embark on a new story. Maybe it'll involve them finally getting some action, although I doubt it, since young gay guys in committed relationships apparently don't have sex in whatever universe this show exists. After the jump, you can catch up with last week's episode and hope, like the rest of us, that the crapfest is over and the new direction will be reminiscent of the glory days.

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The List Strikes Back!

I'm putting together another list this weekend. This time I'm counting down the Top Ten Horror Films. You might be thinking that Halloween would be a better time to bust this list out, but, being the horror fan that I am, I think anytime is a good time for a scary flick. Also, this gives you time to build up your collection, so you can have that Halloween horror marathon I know you're dying to show. I've included the year of release to prevent confusion with any of the crappy remakes that were inflicted upon the legacy of many of these films. What's on the list? You can find out after the jump and watch trailers of the films! I see you shiver with antici......pation.


10. The Exorcist (1973) - A little girl gets possessed by a demon, humps a crucifix, and vomits pea soup. It is iconic, creepy, and more than a little disturbing. This film tops many lists, and it is no doubt a great horror film, but the religious angle lessens it's impact a bit for me since I am not a religious person. Even so, it still packs a nice punch.



9. Carnival of Souls (1962) - An often overlooked B-movie, this film doesn't really contain a big scare. Rather, it's all about atmosphere with an eerie aura pervading throughout the film. It speaks to the fear of being a non-entity in a world with which you desperately long to connect and of which you desperately wish to be a part. The ending is no surprise, but the film is really all about the journey (and the detours it takes) to the destination for which it's named.



8. Jaws (1975) - A big fish eats a lot of people. It's premise is simple, yes, but told by one of the modern masters of story-telling, Steven Spielberg, it becomes a superb mix of creature feature and Moby Dick. I'm tempted to resent this film since it started the summer blockbuster era responsible for so much garbage, but every time that theme starts to play, I'm hooked.



7. Psycho (1960) - A cross-dressing psychopath takes a knife to anyone who stokes his desire or sticks his nose where it doesn't belong. Hitchcock is the master, and a second film of his, The Birds, barely missed making this list. Having a star like Janet Leigh being murdered early in the film was absolutely revolutionary at the time (and isn't that common even today). This film is a lesson that brave choices can pay huge dividends. It's also the reason why, when I take a shower, I either make sure the door is locked or bring a friend.



6. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - More than a zombie flick, this film is not only a great horror film, but also an important film for its sly racial commentary at a pivotal time for race relations. The choices of a black man as the hero and an ending that is anything but happy only add to impact of the film, considering when it was made. Social commentary may have been done elsewhere in horror, but I don't know if it's been done better.



5. Rosemary's Baby (1968) - There might be no greater fear than a mother's fear that something will be wrong with her baby. Coming somewhere not far behind would probably be the fear that someone we love and trust would betray us in a heinous fashion. This film speaks to both fears, and brutally so. And every time I watch Rosemary's one-night stand with Satan, I can't get those damn eyes out of my head.



4. Scream (1996) - Some might disagree with how high this film places, but I think it's a monumental achievement to be able to make people laugh one minute and scare the hell out of them the next. This film succeeds admirably in that department. It somehow manages to be a send-up of horror films and a legitimate horror film at the same time. That's no easy task. Also, like Rosemary's Baby, it could make people paranoid about who they let into their lives. I don't recommend watching them back to back despite their placement here. It's enough to make someone go hermit!



3. Suspiria (1977) - Horror as high art is how I describe this film. Each shot is almost like a painting with surreal lighting and disturbing graphics. Every time I watch it, I become more enamored. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of horror to go around here, but if you enjoy a feast for the eyes as well as a good scare and an occasional gross-out, then this is the film for you.



2. The Haunting (1963) - This film is vastly underrated in the horror genre. That may be partially because it transcends horror and is a great film period. It's easily enjoyed by both horror fans and film fans in general, making it less of a horror staple. Those that make horror films today could learn a lot from watching it, however. We never really see the Big Bad, but the tension is tremendous. It's that tension that is sorely missed in more modern fare. It earns extra kudos for including a lesbian character at a time when that love dared not speak its name. Oh, its name still isn't spoken, but it's made quite clear nonetheless.



1. Halloween (1978) - It's not considered the original slasher flick, but, in my opinion, it's the film that perfected the concept. Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came before, with Psycho providing an early inspiration. These films, however, contained murderers who were like spiders, setting up their webs someplace and snatching whoever happened to get too close. If you didn't get too close, you didn't have to worry. If you did get too close and got far enough away, you were probably safe. If Michael Myers decided you needed to die, on the other hand, he was going to track you down until you were dead. I find that to be more terrifying, especially when accompanied by that terrific score.



Recommended song download: Just Dance - Lady GaGa featuring Colby O'Donis

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On Notice

The second season of Burn Notice starts tonight on USA at 10 Eastern. When I first saw the ads for this show last year, it didn't seem like something in which I'd be interested. I happened to catch it a few times, and before I knew it, I was hooked. It's well-performed, witty, and just plain fun. If you're unfamiliar with the show, it's about a secret agent who has been booted by his agency and ends up in Miami where he has to deal with his mother and ex(?)-girlfriend. He becomes an equalizer of sorts, helping people who have been put into bad situations by bad people. Last season ended with him on the verge of finding out why he had been so unceremoniously ejected from the agency. I've got my fingers crossed that there won't be a sophomore slump. Join me, won't you?

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Nuke Day

Everyone's favorite (and the only) gay American soap couple, Luke and Noah, will be on As the World Turns today. In case you missed it last week, the guys were visited by one of my favorite artists, Cyndi Lauper. Appearing as herself, she performed "Into the Nightlife" and "True Colors" and also had a few scenes with the guys. The Emmy-winning actress more than held her own. If you missed it and would like to catch up, you can see the wonderful LukeVanFan's clips of the episode after the jump.








There was also a bonus Luke appearance the next day. Just to get you all caught up, here it is:



I don't have all the specifics, but I expect the aftermath of Ameera story to be over this week. The sooner they get away from anything to do with her storyline the better it will be for everyone.

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For the Birds

A classic doll gets her Hitchcock on, and I decide to get experimental. To find out what the hell I'm talking about, click on through to the other side.


Mattel is releasing a Barbie doll based on the Hitchcock classic, The Birds, later this year. Someone at Mattel should be commended for this, because it's an inspired choice. Finally, there will be a Barbie doll that pleases everyone, those that want to see her in glamorous outfits and iconic scenarios and those that want to see her get her eyes pecked out. I also can't help but think that Hitchcock would wholeheartedly approve. After all, Barbie would make a great Hitchcock blonde, the kind of woman with which he seemed to be obsessed in his films. Maybe in the future we'll get a Barbie on Mount Rushmore, a Barbie falling off a church (with spiral effects, of course), or Barbie in a shower getting stabbed by Ken in grandma drag. The possibilities are practically endless!

_________________________

I've decided to experiment a little this week with the blog. All week long, I'll be posting items that I find elsewhere and I think deserve a little attention, and I will, of course, be making my own comments on them. They'll be short little posts for the most part that I'm going to try to make throughout the day each day of the week. I don't want my five loyal readers to get too excited as I don't know if I'll continue that way, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope that everyone in the U. S. had a happy holiday weekend! 'Til next time, which shouldn't be nearly as long as usual.

Recommended Song Download: Let's Just Get Naked - Joan Osborne
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