10. DVD: Revenge: The Complete First Season
Two decades after a young girl's life was ruined, she returns on an unstoppable quest for revenge. Relive every deep, dark secret of the compulsively watchable series that stars Emily VanCamp and the bewitching Madeline Stowe. Available on DVD August 21.
9. FILM: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
The festival hit follows that age-old plot -- the romance between Jane, a shy greeting card store employee, and Zoinx, the woman Jane does not realize is from outer-space.Opens in select theaters today.
8. BOOK: The Velvet Rage
Subtitled Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World,Alan Downs's life-changing book is now available in a new paperback edition (DaCapo Press, $15.99).
7. MUSIC: "Shell," Father Tiger
Greg Delson's urgent vocals have thrilled fans with their dazzling covers of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" and Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness." Now the L.A.-based duo has released "Shell," an impassioned anthem that encourages self-acceptance. See the band live August 21 at L.A.'s Viper Room. Watch their video for "Shell," made from more than 5,000 Instagrams submitted by fans, below.
6. FILM: Sparkle
Jordin Sparks is luminous and big-voiced in her movie debut as the title character, but it's likely Whitney Houston's final film role that will draw audiences to this remake of the 1976 cult musical about an ill-fated '60s girl group. Now playing in theaters.
5. THEATER: Are You There God? It's Me Karen Carpenter
How do you improve a stage adaptation of Judy Blume's coming-of-age novels from the "me decade?" Add songs from the Carpenters and cast the brilliant comic actor Drew Droege. Conceived, and written by director Dane Whitlock, the comedy returns to L.A. and will be performed through August 24 at the Cavern Club Theatre. For more information go here.
4. WEB SERIES: Where the Bears Are
The hilarious webs series from veteran comic actors Ben Zook, Rick Copp, and Joe Dietl is described as a cross between The Golden Girlsand Murder, She Wrote and follows three bears out to solve the mystery of the dead cub they found in their bathtub. Watch the first five episodes here.
3. TV: Off the Vine
Drag superstar Sherry Vine offers fans a peek at uncensored never-before-seen footage of her hit variety series send-up She's Living For This. Don't miss the even more wild antics from the set of one of the wildest half-hours on television. Premieres tonight exclusively on here! TV.
2. FILM: Hit & Run
This homage to Steve McQueen-style car chase comedy-thrillers is filled with unexpectedly pro-gay content. Besides starring longtime marriage equality advocates Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard (who also co-directed with David Palmer) there are fun supporting turns from Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Arnold, and Bradley Cooper, an enlightening debate about the three-letter f-word, plus several surprise cameos. Opens in theaters August 22.
1. EXHIBIT: Before We Were Queer
Highlights of this remarkable exhibit include artistic documentation of lesbian nuns throughout history, a sculpture recalling the first recorded relationship between two men, and photos of crossdressers in the 1860s. Through August 31 at New York's Leslie + Lohman Museum of Queer Art. For more information go here and watch an interview with the curator here.
