Matthew Shepard’s Father Remembers When He Learned His Son Was Gay

      Matthew, Judy and Dennis Shepard

Nearly 17 years have passed since Matthew Shepard was murdered on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming, yet for many people who marched in the streets in the days after his death it still feels like yesterday.

The outpouring of anger, disbelief and passion stimulated unprecedented conversation and resulted in groundbreaking hate crimes legislation. Earlier this year, Michele Josue released Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine, a documentary she’d directed about the man she’d gotten to know well when they were both students at a boarding school in Switzerland in 1993.

The documentary used Matt’s personal journals, home movies and interviews with his other close friends to reveal a rarely seen version of the young man as a sensitive and fun-loving friend, son and brother, a side of Shepard that’s been largely overshadowed by his status as a symbolic gay martyr.

The doc will premiere on Logo tonight.

Get More: Logo Documentary Films, Logo TV

CBS Films Looking Into Removal Of Gay References From U.S. DVD Cover of 'Pride'

The first image above is the original promotional artwork for Pride — the critically acclaimed 2014 film about gay activists who supported a bitter strike by British coal miners in the 1980s. 

The second image is the back cover of the Pride DVD released in the US on Dec. 23. 

Can you spot the difference? 

That's right, the banner in the background saying "Lesbians & Gays Support The Miners" has been removed.

 

Additionally, in the description of the film that appears on the back cover, the "London-based group of gay and lesbian activists" have been changed to just "a group of London-based activists," according to Pink News. 

The Hollywood Reporter has more: 

Ironically, those changes invert the plot of the film: Initially, the Welsh miners are more comfortable with the LGBT community’s monetary support than with its open sexual identity, but the miners ultimately become comfortable with their new supporters. Several characters come out during the course of the movie. 

The film won several prizes at the British Independent Film Awards last month: the best British independent film award, along with best supporting actor and actress prizes for its stars Andrew Scott and Imelda Staunton, respectively. 

Representatives for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which released the disc in the U.S., and CBS Films, which acquired U.S. rights, did not respond to requests for comment.

CBS Films said on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that it's looking into the matter:

@pinknews we're looking into this now and our page for the film remains the same as it has for months: http://t.co/4q7JwtCJ5y
— CBS Films (@CBSFilms) January 3, 2015

GO SEE THIS MOVIE! - PRIDE

WOW, just WOW! I don't go all out and strongly recommend a movie of any kind but after watching this movie I simply MUST! Tears, love, activism, and the true meaning of kindness are all in this film. Oh...did I mention it is a true story???

If you don't believe me, look what Peter Travers of Rolling Stones magazine has to say: 

There is so much "inspired by a true story" crap churned out in Hollywood that when the genuine article appears, it's a shock. Such a movie is Pride, a Brit dramedy that is a crowd-pleaser in the best sense of the word. Even when it's tugging hard at your heartstrings, you believe the damn thing.

The facts are these: In 1984, the National Union of Mineworkers went on strike over pit closures, as well as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's hard-line policies. The film, vibrantly directed by stage maestro Matthew Warchus (Matilda) from a script by Stephen Beresford, concerns the unlikely help the miners are o ffered by London gay and lesbian activists. It's Mark (the excellent Ben Schnetzer) who rallies the LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) to back the striking families by pointing out the parallels between the disenfranchised miners and the oppression felt by gays and lesbians under the heel of conservatism. Any resemblance between these groundbreakers and the battle for sexual civil rights still being fought today is purely intentional. Pride is not subtle about making its points, but sadly these are points that still need to be made.

When the miners union turns down the offer from LGSM, the group goes rogue to make an in-person plea to the strikers in Dulais, a small mining village in South Wales. If you're imagining Welsh homophobia melting against the generous spirits of their gay champions, you're not far from wrong. Heads are bashed, and some bigots stay bigots.

You'll want to cheer the actors, notably Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy and Paddy Considine among the locals and Dominic West, Fay Marsay and George MacKay on Team LGSM. Pride naively thinks it can change the world with a single movie. Talk about fighting spirit. I couldn't have liked it more.

Here’s Todrick Hall’s “Pitch Perfect” Parody You Never Knew You Needed

What’s not to love about flaming a cappella singing group The Bottom Notes? They’re pitted against what we can only assume is a musical group of muscle tops in Todrick Hall’s latest parody Bitch Perfect. It hits just the right notes of potentially offensive stereotypes and uber-glossed teen genre irreverence.

Besides the fact that the music is actually pretty good, the pop parodies and caricature queens are enough to make us want more than the three minutes of screen time. That’s what replay buttons are for.

The spoof comes the same day we saw the Pitch Perfect 2 trailer, and the likeness is pretty spot on.

Watch here:

MATTHEW SHEPARD'S PARENTS HEAD TO RUSSIA TO FIGHT ANTI-LGBT INTOLERANCE

The parents of Matthew Shepard are heading to hostile territory in hopes of bringing a message of tolerance to Russia. Dennis and Judy depart for St. Petersburg to attend the screening of a movie about their slain son and then move on to Moscow, where they hope to meet with parents of LGBT youth. In a country where gays are consistently harassed for spreading so-called "propaganda", the Shepards hope to bring a message of tolerance on their five-day trip. But given how entrenched anti-LGBT attitudes have become under the rule of Vladimir Putin, they know it won't be easy.

“Putin has made it so unhealthy to be LGBT or an ally,” Dennis Shepard told the AP in an interview about their trip. “It will take at least a generation to clean up the mess he’s made and get some acceptance.”

Their first stop will be a screening of Matthew Shepard is a Friend of Mine at the Side by Side Film Festival in St. Petersburg, an annual event since 2008 which has been promoting LGBT tolerance while drawing criticism from government officials there. But filmmaker Michele Josue, who was a close friend of Matthew's in high school, feels strongly about screening her film in a hostile environment.

"We've been preaching to the choir," she said of previous screenings in the U.S. "It's important to get our film seen by a community that didn't have access to it."

The film, which has been on the festival circuit this year, makes its NYC premiere tonight at the Doc NYC Festival. You can watch the moving trailer

Jake Gyllenhaal Reveals What He Learned From Making “Brokeback Mountain”

Jake Gyllenhaal says his experience withBrokeback Mountain taught him something vital. And it has nothing to do with the importance of man-on-man action. (Although he probably learned something about that, too.)

In an interview with The Huffington Post’s Ricky Camilleri, Gyllenhaal not only credited the movie — which he said has “a beautiful story” — with boosting his career (“it was a huge turning point”) but with teaching him about the political significance that a motion picture can have.

“It gave me the idea that movies can be important, that they do have some sort of political value,” he said.

Gyllenhaal, whose role as a ranch hand who engages in a secret gay affair earned an Academy Award nomination, said the film now “lives in its own space. It’s one of those films that’s really no longer mine, it’s sort of everyone’s.”

As for whether or not the actor knew going in that it would have such a huge effect, the actor said, “It just took off. It’s become something beyond what any of us could have imagined.”

Certainly it’s the movie that catapulted Gyllenhaal into the fantasies of gay men everywhere. And how does he feel about the movie now? “It’s an honor to be a part of,” he said.

Elton John Musical Billy Elliot Will Dance Into Movie Theaters

Liam Mower in Billy Elliot the Musical Live

Twirl your tutus! Billy Elliot the Musical will jeté from stage to screen later this month.

Billy Elliot the Musical Live, a filmed version of Elton John and Lee Hall’s hit musical in London’s West End, will screen at more than 300 U.S. movie theatres for three showings on November 12, 15, and 18. Fathom Events, a leader in alternative entertainment, will present the exclusive limited engagement. 

The special performance was filmed at West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre, where Billy Elliot, which is still running, opened in 2005 and won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. Directed by Stephen Daldry and choreographed by Peter Darling, the musical, which has since played around the world, opened on Broadway in 2008 and won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

“Set in a mining town in the north of England against the background of the 1984-85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true,” according to press notes about the musical, which is based on the 2000 film of the same name. “Follow Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.”

Elliott Hanna and the Ballet Girls in Billy Elliot  the Musical Live

Billy Elliot the Musical Live will include a special welcome from John, the show’s composer, and a five-minute backstage tour led by Elliott Hanna, who plays Billy Elliot. As another bonus, 25 current and former Billy Elliots — including original Billys James Lomas, George Maguire, and Liam Mower — will unite on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale. 

Mower, the first actor to ever play Billy on stage in 2005, returns to the show in the role of Older Billy. The cast also includes Zach Atkinson, Ann Emery, Chris Grahamson, Ruthie Henshall, and Deka Walmsley.

“Bringing this stage show to cinemas will give dance, music, and theater fans from around the country the chance to experience this astounding show right in their home town,” said Fathom Events CEO John Rubey in a statement. “The gathering of the 25 talented young men who have played Billy makes this an extra special event and we are committed to bringing more of the best of stage productions to local cinemas.”

For screening locations and show times in your area visit FathomEvents.com.

Avengers 2: Age of Ultron TRAILER (2015) Marvel Movie

What do you think? Will you go? Comment below!

Marvel Gave Robert Downey Jr. The Giant “A” From The Avengers

When Ben Affleck asked Warner Bros. if he could take a Batsuit home with him, Warner Bros. told him it would cost him a $100k if he wanted a Batsuit. When Robert Downey Jr. joked that he wanted the giant 30-foot letter “A” from the set of The Avengers, producers had the letter delivered to his house according to the Mirror.

Downey Jr. told BBC Radio 1, “On the last Avengers, there's this scene where there's this 'A' which is probably 30 feet tall and I'm looking at it, and we're shooting in England, and I go, 'I need that in my office in Venice.'”

Downey Jr. continued, "About two weeks ago, a wheeler showed up, I'm like, 'What the heck is this doing here?!' And they go, 'This is the 'A' you asked for.' And I go, 'They brought it?!' So now we have a massive Avengers 'A' that will be prominently placed."

Of course, The Avengers made over $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office, so Marvel Studios could likely spare a big letter for one of their stars. Maybe, if Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice makes a similar amount or more, Warner Bros. will let Affleck have a Batsuit without having to pay out of pocket for it.

However, in fairness, Downey Jr. confessed to not having a complete suit of Iron Man armor, so maybe Affleck is just asking for the wrong prop.

They're Just Normal Kids, But Their Stories Made My Skin Crawl, Heart Sink, And Blood Boil

I can't even imagine the bravery required to talk about this on camera.

The Pixar Theory

What if I told you that all Pixar movies are connected? That all the characters in those movies actually live in the same universe, only in different times? How is that possible, watch this video and you'll find out.

Alex Winter Gives an Excellent Update on 'Bill & Ted 3'

Actor/director Alex Winter — a.k.a. Bill S. Preston Esq. himself — has revealed a whole heap of bodacious new details about the upcoming Bill & Ted 3.

Winter and co-star Keanu Reeves will return for the follow-up, which has already been 23 years in the making after 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.

The filmmaker was discussing his first acting role in a long time as a shady assistant in crafty thriller Grand Piano, but we couldn’t help but ask him about the state of the fan favorite franchise.

“[Bill & Ted] will be 40-something and it’s all about Bill and Ted grown up, or not grown up,” Winter tells us. “It’s really sweet and really f—-ing funny.

“But it’s a Bill & Ted movie, that’s what it is. It’s for the fans of Bill & Ted. It fits very neatly in the [series]. It’s not going to feel like a reboot. The conceit is really funny: What if you’re middle-aged, haven’t really grown up and you’re supposed to have saved the world and maybe, just maybe, you kinda haven’t?”

“There’s many versions of ourselves in this movie,” he continues. “[It’s] answering the question: ‘What happened to these guys?’ They’re supposed to have done all this stuff, they weren’t the brightest bulbs on the tree, what happened 20 years later? To answer that question in a comedic way felt rich with possibility.”

But fans expecting something to see in the near future had better prepare for disappointment.

“The thing we had going against us is that word got out,” he explains. “That was kind of a bummer. It just takes a long time to put a movie together. Now we’re having to build this thing in public, which is fine. I just feel bad [the fans] have to get dragged through this long, boring, protracted process.”

Above all, it’s good to hear that the members of Wyld Stallyns are still good mates off-screen.

“Me and Keanu and [original writers] Chris [Matheson] and Ed [Solomon] are all very close and have remained close over the years,” says Winter. “We’d be having dinner and we’d be like, ‘is there a point? Is there a way in?’ We’d kick an idea around and go no and we would leave it alone for a bunch of years. I guess about four years ago we had an idea together that we thought was pretty great. I think it was because so much time had gone by that it was great.

“It was really just the four of us and we were really very measured about it. It took time to construct the idea, it took Chris and Ed time to build the first draft. Then we put a producer together and got a director [Galaxy Quest helmer Dean Parisot]. We’ve been working on drafts for the last couple of years. The script’s been finished for a while, but comedy is so specific. We’re in that world where producers are on, financiers are on and we’re just working and reworking the script.”

We, for one, are very excited to see what they come up with — and whether they’re still rocking that awesome facial hair.

One of Robin Williams last films was about a married gay man

At the time of his passing, Robin Williams left behind four unreleased films - one of which, Boulevard, centers on a married man (Williams) who picks up a gay hustler (Roberto Aguire) and slowly begins to confront and accept his suppressed identity as a gay man. 

The movie premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival this spring but has yet to be picked up by a distributor. Directed by Dito Montiel, the film stars Robin Williams, Breaking Bad's Bob Odenkirk, Kathy Baker, and Roberto Aguire. 

Back when the film premeired, Red Carpet Diary released a video of the red carpet that featured Williams' coworkers speaking about the movie's plot and praising Williams' performance. Sad to see them speak on Williams' energy and spirit knowing he was likely battling his depression behind the scenes.

‘Into the Woods’ First Teaser Trailer Shows Meryl Streep's Witchy Side

I so cannot wait to see this movie!!

‘Kidnapped for Christ’ Review: Come Because You’re Gay, Stay For Jesus

Kidnapped for Christ is a heart-wrenching story, both anger-inducing and redemptive, about ordinary teens abducted from home and sent to the Caribbean for pricey religious fixes.

The summer before David’s senior year of high school, two strangers showed up at his Colorado home, and as his parents declared their love for him, the two men wrapped a belt around the 17-year-old’s waist and shoved him into the backseat of a car. They drove David to an airport, dragged him through security, down the terminal, and boarded a flight to Miami.

Once there, the honors student learned where he was being taken, that his parents had signed him up for an undetermined length of stay at Escuela Caribe, a Dominican Republic-based Christian behavioral modification school for “troubled” teenagers started in 1971 by Gordon Blossom, a former “juvenile delinquent” who became a pastor. The reason David’s parents sent their son to the Caribbean for pricey offshore come-to-Jesus treatment was that he’d recently told them that he was gay.

David’s experience at Escuela Caribe, along with the experiences of Beth and Tai, two other American teenagers abducted from their homes and taken to the DR for religious fixes, is the focus of Kidnapped for Christ, an award-winning documentary directed by Kate Logan and executive-produced by Tom DeSanto, Lance Bass, and Mike Manning, that premiered Thursday on Showtime (available On Demand until September 3, 2014). Funded by online campaigns atKickstarter and IndieGogo, Kidnapped for Christ made its film festival debut in January at Park City, Utah’s Slamdance Film Festival and took home the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Much of Kidnapped for Christ was filmed in 2006. At the time, Logan was a film student at the evangelical liberal arts school, Biola University, and a self-professing devout Christian. After hearing about the New Horizons Youth Ministries campus (Gordon Blossom’s NHYM operated in four locations, including a campus in Canada, two campuses in the Dominican Republic, and a U.S. campus in Marion, Indiana), Logan was granted a six-week, almost-all-access pass to interview students, talk to staff, and film many of the daily activities at Escuela Caribe.

Initially, unaware that the school was considered by many to be dangerous and abusive (alleged offenses range from mental, emotional, and spiritual manipulations to sexual and physical abuses), the up-and-coming director says she had no intentions of filming an exposé. But soon, upon meeting and interviewing David and some of the other students, and witnessing the harsh tactics used by the counselors to control teenagers and maintain a fear-driven environment—some tactics that Logan believed were abusive—her filmmaking intentions began to change. In the beginning, the staff at Escuela Caribe trusted Logan, openly answering her inquiries about the ministry’s practices and goals and allowing her to film most on-campus activities; however, a week or two into her stay, when Logan’s camera started showing up at inopportune times—for instance, once her camera appeared while a staff member disciplined a student—her access on campus was limited, her interviews with students monitored, and her personal housing moved to an off-campus facility.

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1′ Teaser Trailer Features Warning from President Snow

Gay Teen's Suicide Impacts Bible-Belt Town's Beliefs

This is just a preview of this upcoming documentary but my eyes welled up just from this short clip. I look forward to seeing this.

President Obama hearts The Normal Heart

President Obama called Ryan Murphy on Monday to tell him he "loved" The Normal Heart and "found it incredibly moving" according to Deadline.

Obama reportedly asked how the movie came together, and Murphy told Deadline: “The whole movie is about Larry trying to get the attention of Washington and 30 years later, to get a call from the President is a full-circle moment.”

Batman vs Superman

Zac Efron wants ‘Magic Mike 2′ role: ‘I loved the movie’

Zac Efron has revealed that he would be open to appearing in the forthcoming Magic Mike sequel.

The actor – who recently won Best Shirtless Performance at the MTV Movie Awards – said that he thought the 2012 Channing Tatum film was “really funny”.

Magic Mike XXL will be released on July 3, 2015, with the principal cast expected to reprise their roles.

Speaking to KIIS FM, Efron said: “I loved the movie, I thought it was really funny. I haven’t talked to anybody about it yet but it’s a great group of people – I would definitely be interested.”

Tatum is currently working on the script for the sequel, with production commencing later this year.

Meanwhile, Efron recently admitted that he would be open-minded about the idea of doing full-frontal nudity in a movie.