Day: 2 June 2014
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Behind The Scenes, Ryan Murphy hired a sex choreographer for The Normal Heart
If you are still reeling from the powerful potency of THE NORMAL HEART that was screened on Sky Atlantic TV last night, then here is a little-known fact about how director RYAN MURPHY made the sex scenes so authentic and very sensual.
Whilst most of the actors playing gay men were actually gay (a real novelty in Hollywood even today) lead man Mark Ruffalo is not.
Ruffalo was playing Ned and his affair with Felix is gut wrenching and is one of the relationships that drives the film. It did however, require Ruffalo and Matt Bomer to perform some intense sex scenes in a bathhouse and in bed.
So Murphy hired a former Broadway choreographer who he knew specialised in these scenes and he explained, ‘So he would come and he would work with the actors and it was like, ‘Okay, then you move your leg here, and your asshole goes up here, and then your neck goes over here.’ So we worked on it, so the actors felt like, ‘Okay, I’m in “A Chorus Line.” I can do it.’”
Ruffalo had never even kissed a guy on camera before, and Boomer had never been that intimate in a movie, and although they were both terrified, they put in stunning performances as they knew it was an essential part of the story.
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Sultan of Brunei Cancels Dorchester Fashion Prize
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the US’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organisation, today commends the many leaders in the fashion industry who have publicly stated that they will avoid the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection of hotels.
In the wake of intense criticism of its owner’s planned implementation of new laws that could lead to women and LGBT Bruneians being stoned to death, the company made public this morning its decision to cancel its annual fashion competition and gala, known as the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. The decision by the hotel company was made within hours of Dorchester learning of a planned action by HRC today to bring attention to the fashion prize. So hasty was the retreat that the website and Facebook page for the event are still up.
‘We applaud the many designers, companies, and leaders in the fashion industry who have refused to turn a blind eye to the Sultan’s blatant disregard for the human rights of all Brueneians,’ said Ty Cobb, HRC’s director of Global Engagement. ‘The fact is that the Dorchester Collection’s profits belong to a regime that could start stoning women and LGBT Bruneians as soon as next year, and the cancellation of this prize is yet another sign that the Sultan’s company is feeling the impact of the worldwide movement to reject the Sultan’s horrific new laws.’
A spokesperson for the DHC said that the decision to cancel the event was ‘due to other newly created similar awards’ – at the beginning o 2014.
Last week, American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive joined François-Henri Pinault, the leadership of Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, and many other prominent voices in the fashion world in announcing they’re avoiding the Dorchester Collection’s global properties in protest of the Sultan of Brunei’s new laws.
Established in 2010, the company claims the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize was the “first award of its kind developed by a luxury hotel company,” and that it seeks to “build on [its] own established fashion heritage.” Although it maintains an active website and social media presence to promote the annual competition and event, the company had remained conspicuously silent throughout the recent controversy regarding plans for this year’s competition until today.
On April 30, HRC condemned the Sultan of Brunei’s decision to begin implementing the first of the new laws’ three phases, and called on Americans who supported the rights of those who would be affected to avoid the Sultan’s hotels. In addition, HRC has recently criticised the Dorchester Collection for shamefully parading its own employees out on social media and for reporters in a desperate attempt to divert attention away from actions taken against the Sultan of Brunei’s hotels. This ploy comes despite assurances from the company that it has guaranteed the positions, income, and benefits of all of its employees for as long as the controversy continues.
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Adam Lambert Guest Of Honour At Last Ever We Will Rock You
Adam Lambert was the personal guest of Brian May at the last ever performance of We Will Rock You in London at the weekend.
Adam Lambert, the first openly gay artist to secure a number 1 album on the Billboard charts, was the guest of honour at the last ever production of We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, London, this past weekend.
The show, which was initially panned by critics, went on to run for 12 years, becoming one of the West End’s biggest commercial successes.
The show was written by Ben Elton and co-produced by Phil McIntyre, Queen and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca company.
Taking to Twitter, Adam tweeted, ‘Thanks @DrBrianMay and Roger Taylor for inviting me to see the closing night of West End’s We Will Rock You. Great performance!’
Adam Lambert is currently in the UK rehearsing for an upcoming 24-date Queen tour of the United States, Australia, Canada and Tokyo.