7 Things That Are Everything This Week

Watch, wherq, go, read, listen, and geek out with the 7 things that are everything this week.

Amy
Directed by Asif Kapadia, Amy is a documentary that tracks the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Amy Winehouse. Beginning with footage from a birthday party when she was 14, the film shows how troubled relationships, substance abuse, and the paparazzi brought down the gifted British chanteuse, who peaked in 2006 with the release of her award-winning album Back to Black and died shortly thereafter of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27. Watch the moving trailer below.



Violet Chachki, "Vanguard"
RuPaul's Drag Race season 7 winner Violet Chachki has just released the five-song EP Gagged. To celebrate its release, Violet has also shared a video for her second single, "Vanguard," in which the drag diva and some pals battle transphobic goons. The Drag Race winner, who identifies as genderqueer, recently spoke with The Advocate about her activism for transgender rights. But how fierce is the new single? We're still gagging, hunty! Press play and get ready to wherq.



Outfest
Get your movie geek on at one of the top LGBT film festivals in the nation, Outfest L.A., opening Thursday in the City of Angels and running through July 19. The opening night attraction is Tig, a documentary on lesbian comedian Tig Notaro, and other highlights include docs on Tab Hunter, David Hockney, Gore Vidal, and more; the exploration of "gay voice," Do I Sound Gay?; Nasty Baby, a dark comedy with Kristen Wiig contemplating becoming the mother of her gay best friends' child; Francois Ozon's latest feature, The New Girlfriend; a screening of 54: The Director's Cut at Hollywood Forever Cemetery; revival showings of Madonna: Truth or Dare, Totally F***ed Up, and Velvet Goldmine; and a stage performance by Lypsinka in The Passion of the Crawford. There's much, much more; go here for the full schedule and ticket info.

FWD March: Living in a World of Music and Motion
George Scott Chandler, the award-winning choreographer and coordinator for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, has released a riveting new memoir, FWD March, highlighting his journey from growing up in a Southern Baptist community as an outspoken, difficult child with a flair for the dramatic to finding acceptance in an unexpected place -- the world of competitive marching and pageantry. Finding a place where he could focus the passions that had made him a target for bullies in his youth gave Chandler the opportunity to create programs that would eventually be viewed as some of the most iconic in the activity, as he coached and choreographed performances all over the world, from the Odyssey stage show in Nagoya, Japan, to the set of the hit television show Glee and beyond. FWD March is a compelling coming-of-age story that will resonate with fans of competitive marching and anyone who has ever been bullied or misunderstood because they are different. Grab a copy today at Amazon. Available in both Kindle and paperback editions.

Demi Lovato, "Cool for the Summer"
Demi Lovato's blistering new song hints that a same-sex summer fling is about to heat up with the lyrics "I'm a little curious too, tell me if it's wrong" and "don't tell your mother, kiss one another." The infectious single that plays in the spirit of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and Jessie J's "Domino" is now available on iTunes.



Mala Mala
Mala Mala is a timely new documentary that shows portraits of the transgender community in Puerto Rico. A hair stylist, a prostitute, a trans activist, and a RuPaul's Drag Race star (April Carrion) are several of the subjects interviewed by directors Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini, who capture the discrimination and hardship that can come from one's journey to selfhood. Watch the trailer below.


Comic-Con International
Geekdom's high holy event kicks off Wednesday and runs through July 12 at the San Diego Convention Center. Super-sized servings of comics, collectables, cosplay, and much more will be at the heart of the pop-culture extravaganza. Queer-focused panels and events can also be found at the event, including the 28^th Gays in Comics panel Saturday, July 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Room 29AB and the LGBTQ Geek Year in Review panel taking place Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. in Room 28DE. For a full listing of events, visit Comic-Con.org.