Fan Fare
Entertainment behind the scenes
GLAAD sings “Glee”-ful tune at awards show
It seems almost everyone is jumping on the “Glee” bandwagon — the TV show about singing high school misfits won a Golden Globe award this past January, viewership spiked upward on last week’s return to U.S. airwaves last week, and the program is rapidly making veteran character actor Jane Lynch (who plays cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester) a Hollywood star.
Add to the group of “Glee” admirers, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD. The organization dedicated to promoting positive images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) in the media gave out awards on Saturday at a swanky fundraiser in Los Angeles and, perhaps it was no surprise, “Glee” was picked as best TV comedy. Series creator Ryan Murphy let slip a preview of next year’s plots. Chris, the gay member of the singing club, will get a boyfriend. “They are going to be prom kings and they are going to be popular,” he said to applause.
On the subject of proms, following the “Glee” group, Mississippi teenager Constance McMillen was on hand to give an award — not get one — to comedian Wanda Sykes for openly promoting civil rights equality. McMillen, 18, began making headlines earlier this year when her high school principal canceled her prom because McMillen wanted to attend with her girlfriend. Sykes, an openly lesbian comedian, joked with the crowd and McMillen that, “I really should give this award to you, but I’m not going to do that because it means a lot to me.” Sykes then told the teen, “you’re young, you’re going to get a lot more awards.” She already has, in a real way. Read about Ellen DeGeneres’ gift to the teen here.
Others singled out by GLAAD included Drew Barrymore who was given a Vanguard Award, and the movie “A Single Man,” directed by designer Tom Ford, was named 2009′s best film in wide release. Adam Lambert (pictured above) performed. The awards are part of a trio of events GLAAD holds every year in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. “Sex And the City” star Cynthia Nixon was honored in New York in March. Read about that here. And the San Francisco event takes place in June.
Drew Barrymore’s Roller Derby girls “Whip It”. Whip it good
(reporting and writing by Jennifer Kwan)
Ladies, want your brand of “Fight club” — a movie that lets you dress up and get tough, too? Try roller derby — “Whip It” style.
Ahead of the “Whip it” debut Sunday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, fierce babes on roller skates were out in force at a downtown event, circling the skating rink in tutus, fish nets, tatoos and a lot of sass to spotlight Drew Barrymore’s film directing debut, which is due to hit the big screen on Oct. 2.
If Hollywood were high school, Robert Pattinson would be …
Hollywood is all about popularity, just like that other institution — high school. So, in the spirit of all things popular, movie ticket website Fandango.com has released its “Celebrity Yearbook Awards,” based on votes from fans about which stars they think are the most likely to succeed, and which ones already made their mark one way or another.
“Twilight” star Robert Pattinson and “Grey Gardens” actress Drew Barrymore were named “most popular” in the survey of about 1,000 movie fans.
Valentine’s Day, a bloody affair for movie fans
Valentine’s Day is here, inspiring feelings of warmth and fondness for loved ones. Or, could it be good day to see a psycho killer in a hockey mask decimate cowering victims.
On a day when many couples mark the year’s big romantic occasion with dinner and a movie, industry watchers expect the horror film “Friday the 13th” to cut down the competition and rule the box office on the picture’s opening weekend.
Golden Globes fashion: hits and misses
The Golden Globes were back this year, and no one was more excited than the stars themselves, who celebrated by walking down the red carpet in all their finest. But whose primping and preening paid off the most? And who fell horribly flat?
US Weekly Fashion Director Sasha Charnin Morrison listed Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie as two of her favorites, saying Marisa Tomei and Renee Zellweger’s looks were “clunkers.” Meanwhile, style expert Michael O’Connor said his top choices were Eva Mendes and Drew Barrymore.
