Mary Queen of Scots
Renowned theater director Josie Rourke takes on the epic task of charting the politics of the 16th century queens Mary and Elizabeth. One of the few films in which Mary does not play second fiddle to Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, based on the book by historian John Guy, paints the women as would-be friends were it not for a patriarchy fueled by fear of otherness. Saiorse Ronan plays the lesser-known Mary while Margot Robbie puts a new spin on the oft-portrayed Elizabeth. Rourke's rendering of the story highlights a bond that only Mary and Elizabeth, in their positions of female power could understand while also investigating Mary's abiding love for her queer male confidant Rizzio (Ismael Cruz Cordova) and excoriating the patriarchy like no film in recent history. Guy Pearce, Gemma Chan, Joe Alwyn, and David Tennant costar.
GLAAD Tidings
Enjoy seeing LGBTQ characters in film and television? Then support GLAAD, a media organization dedicated to raising visibility for our community and holding the Trump administration accountable for erasure. Angelenos can do so by going to GLAAD Tidings, the group's annual holiday fundraiser, this Sunday. Or just donate!
Dumplin'
Beauty pageants, drag queens, and Dolly Parton! Need we say more? Netflix's Dumplin' tells the story of Willowdeen (Patty Cake$'s Danielle Macdonald), a Dolly Parton-obssesed plus-size teen whose mother Rosie (Jennifer Aniston) revels in her status as the town's ultimate beauty queen while continually, casually knocking her daughter's looks. Eventually, Willowdean, or "Dumplin'" as Rosie calls her, decides to become a pageant girl, much to the chagrin of the rest of the contestants. Soon, other young women who wouldn't typically take on the pageant world join her, including non-binary performer Bex Taylor-Klaus (Scream, The Killing). The film is a heartfelt ode to honoring various interpretations of beauty. Parton and legendary lesbian producer Linda Perry collaborated on the soundtrack, which includes several gorgeous new tunes.
Dumplin' drops on Netflix on Friday.
Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey
Writer and illustrator Edward Gorey masterfully mined humor from tragedy over his long and prolific career. A typical Gorey verse: "I is for Ida who drowned in a lake / J is for James who took lye by mistake." But despite his often-bizarre art, Gorey lived a life that was often "disappointingly normal," Mark Dery writes in this new biography. He loved cats and ballet, and stuck relentlessly to routines up until his death in 2000 at age 75. "Part of me is genuinely eccentric," he once said. "Part of me is a bit of a put-on." Gorey had many gay friends, including poet Frank O'Hara, and most of them thought he was gay too. But whatever his orientation, Gorey didn't often act on it. "Aside from one source who says that Gorey made oblique mention of a sexual experience as a teenager, nobody could recall his having any romantic relationships that amounted to more than one of his unrequited 'infatuations,'" New York Times critic Jennifer Szalai notes in her review of Born to Be Posthumous. But there's certainly an outsider sensibility in his work that appeals to many LGBTQ people. Dery has produced a compelling biography of this enigmatic man, according to Szalai. The book "is an entertaining account of an artist who liked to be coy with anybody who dared to write about him," she says. Order here or visit your local bookstore.
Lava Walker
Surf guitarist (and Advocate contributor) Susan Surftone joins with flutist Joanne Lazzaro for "Lava Walker," a song that chronicles Lazzaro's trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, and her experiences while "lava walking" there. Lazzaro plays both classical flute and triple-drone Native American flute in the piece, which evokes both the physical and spiritual experiences found on the island. The recording captures a performance by Surftone and :azzaro at Kulak's Woodshed in Los Angeles, with percussionist Charlie Lowrey joining in for the first time. Download it here.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular
Join Trixie Mattel, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Jasmine Masters, Sonique, and Kim Chi for RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular, a Christmas special from RuPaul's Drag Race. Hosted by RuPaul, this program brings back these fan favorites for a yuletide competition. Watch it tonight on VH1 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and see a preview below.
Robyn -'Honey'
Robyn has reteamed with her "Call Your Girlfriend" director, Max Vitale, for her new, super-queer video for "Honey," which features the singer dancing with fans who answered a casting call looking for "a diverse cast of interesting and expressive people... who love music and love to dance in their own way."
The casting notice also emphasized that Robyn was "looking for modern, diverse, interesting and liberated couples and relationships. Heterosexual, LGBTQ+, gender non-conforming, polyamorous."
The song is the title track off of Robyn's first solo album in eight years that dropped in October. She's currently on a world tour that hits the United States in February.
