Party, scream, go, yaaaaas, read, and watch the 7 things that are everything this week.
Halloween
Unless you've been stuck in a coffin for the past month, you'll know that this weekend is Halloween! Throughout the past week, The Advocate has been running features, interviews, articles, and op-eds, including fun kikis with the Queen of Halloween, Elvira, and horror heroine Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street's Nancy Thompson), to the man who brought our nightmares to life as Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund (also, check out this piece on why we love Halloween so much). Each of these pieces explain a different aspect of the LGBT community's fascination with the spookiest holiday of the year. Don't miss it, and don't miss out on the queer festivities that are going on nationwide, including the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval and a nine-story drag ball in New York City.
Sharon Needles Taxidermy
It's been almost three years since the launch of PG-13, the debut album of the most ghoulish RuPaul's Drag Race winner, Sharon Needles. And it's been worth the wait. The new album, Taxidermy, comes out this Halloween weekend and is a wickedly delightful monster-mash that includes tracks like "Dracula," "Dead Dandelion," and "Taxidermy," which speak to love, death, and life after death. Watch the music video for "Dracula" below, and buy Taxidermy on iTunes.
Los Angeles LGBT Center's Vanguard Awards
Jane Fonda and Ron Nyswaner already have Oscars, but they'll add to their honors November 7 when they receive the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Vanguard Awards in a gala ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. None other than Nine to Five and Grace and Frankie costar Lily Tomlin will present Fonda's award, and the much-revered Frances McDormand will present Nyswaner's. Along with the ceremony, there'll be cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, entetainment by Glee's Alex Newell, and an after-party with DJ Asha. The proceeds support the Center's vital work. Get your tickets here for what promises to be a starry night.
Carrie: The Musical
Fame and Footlose songwriter Dean Pitchford wrote the lyrics for Carrie: The Musical, a musical adaptation of the Stephen King novel that first debuted on Broadway in the 80s. The production, which has since become a camp classic, finds new, bloody life in a production at The Los Angeles Theater, which has been transformed to resemble a high school gymnasium for the spectacle. Viewers watch from the bleachers as the classic horror tale of the bullied youth who takes telekinetic revenge on the popular kids unfolds. The bloody finale, and the fiery special effects, are guaranteed to amaze. Learn more at experiencecarrie.com.
Carrie Brownstein, Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl
With her new memoir, Carrie Brownstein lifts the veil on her fascinating life. The vocalist and guitarist for 1990s Riot Grrrl punkers Sleater-Kinney, the bisexual Brownstein took an unconventional next career step by co-creating, writing, and starring in IFC's Portlandia, a comedy show skewering hipster culture that would go on to become a phenomenon. In Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Brownstein describes how her troubled Pacific Northwest childhood segued to music and television stardom. Learn more here.
Outfest Legacy Awards
Outfest, which brings the best in new LGBT films to its festivals, is also dedicated to preserving our cinematic heritage. Its Legacy Awards dinner raises funds for the preservation work of the Outfest/UCLA Legacy Project, the only program in the world devoted to saving and protecting LGBT moving images. This year's event marks the Legacy Project's 10th anniversary and will honor Tom Hanks and Lisa Cholodenko. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Vibiana Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles, and include a three-course dinner prepared by Redbird chef Neal Fraser. Reserve your spot here.
Ash vs. Evil Dead
A comic twist on zombie hunting, Ash vs. Evil Dead brings back Bruce Campbell as the underachieving stoner Ash, the character he played in the original Evil Dead movie back in 1981. Now the world's oldest one-handed box boy, he bumblingly unleashes the Deadites on the world again and has to hunt them down and fight them off, with the help of a a snap-on chainsaw. Created by Sam Raimi, director of the film that started the franchise, the series premieres Saturday on Starz, and it's perfect for Halloween viewing. And it's already been promised a second season. Watch a preview below.
