Chad Michael Murray gets naked in the latest episode of Sun Records and luckily for us the filmmakers decided to give his peachy behind a starring role.
CREDIT: CMT /YouTube
Hottie Chad Michael Murray is at it again, stealing hearts and making ’em race. In the latest episode of Sun Records, the actor strips down and walks around in nothing but a towel – before showing off his best ass…ets.
CREDIT: CMT /YouTube
Sun Records is set in Memphis during the tumultuous early days of the civil rights movement, Sun Records tells the untold story of nothing less than the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Guided by Sam Phillips, young musicians like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis combined the styles of hillbilly country with the 1950s R&B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever. The series chronicles these young artists’ often jarring and sudden meteoric rise to fame in the face of sweeping political change and social unrest.
Far too often natural remedies burst onto the scene having been touted by celebrities as the next wonder supplement only to fade away again with little evidence of their efficiency.
Green tea has been an exception to this rule, however, with celebrities and nutritionists alike singing its praises and study after study highlighting its ability to aid weight loss. Off the back of green tea’s success, numerous ‘diet teas’ have emerged onto the market, but few have made an impact.
Natur Boutique’s new diet tea blend, however, has been put together by a team of expert blenders and nutritional experts to encapsulate both scientific evidence and taste and looks set to change the way we view ‘diet’ teas as it launches in Holland and Barrett stores nationwide this month.
The makers of the blend have chosen four teas that are known to help complement dieting, each thought to aid weight loss in a different way.
Green tea is the best known of the teas for its weight loss properties, with studies showing that it may work through a number of different mechanisms, ranging from decreasing hunger1 to increasing metabolism.
Pineapple tea is most commonly drunk for its taste, but the fruit is also packed with a natural substance called bromelain. Bromelain has been shown in studies to exhibit an apparent ability to slow down the growth and multiplication of fat cells.
Java tea isn’t normally associated with weight loss, but recent research is showing it appears to be able to help reduce body weight, appetite and fat levels; with researchers suggesting this is due to the plant enhancing the effects of leptin (a hormone associated with controlling appetite)in our bodies.
Finally, hibiscus tea is added for yet another potential weight loss mechanism and it is thought to help block the uptake of carbohydrate by the body.
The nutritionists haven’t had it all their own way though and the teas aren’t included in the blend purely for their physiological benefits. Like all the drinks in their unique range, Natur Boutique’s Diet Tea is registered organic. The company use only organic ingredients to produce their teas, not only because they believe it produces a fresh and more intense taste, but also because they care about the world around them and believe in the ethics of organic agriculture. The blend of organic teas creates a drink that is unique and refreshing and has a taste and aroma that will appeal to everyone, whether dieting or not.
Natur Boutique’s Organic Diet Tea is available in Holland and Barrett stores nationwide and costs just £3.49 for a box of twenty individually wrapped teabags.
Please note: pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult a doctor before use
As Jeffrey Schwartz’s excellent new documentary I Am Divine is released in the UK, The Gay UK’s film critic Roger Walker-Dack caught up with legendary filmmaker John Waters for a few personal words about his muse and great friend Divine.
John told us ‘When it comes toI Am Divine I have let Jeffrey be the one to speak, as it’s his film in this instance he’s the one who deserves the attention. I’m STILL shocked that Divine is dead! Divine had a great life in the UK, and he’d be thrilled that the film is being so well received.’
Glen Milstead aka Divine was unquestionably John Water’s finest actor and muse. Not simply because of his talent that was as outsize as his physique, but because like Waters he was both totally fearless and dared to push the boundaries of bad taste as far as he possibly could. And he did it all in such outrageous style and unfettered enthusiasm that made him such an iconic cult figure.
In filmmaker Jeffrey Schwartz’s new very upbeat documentary into this unique entertainer and character, we learn that Divine had always dreamt of being a movie star since he was a kid who had been picked in and bullied at school as being both effeminate and fat. And he did deservedly become one and was just about to parlay his major underground success into the mainstream with a (non-drag) part in a nationally syndicated TV sitcom when he dropped down dead in Hollywood after a massive heart attack the very day before filming was due to start. He was just 42 years old. Manager, Bernard Jay poignantly claimed that as Divine was at the peak of his career, he had at least died happily.
Divine and John Waters both grew up in Baltimore and met when they were teenagers. They made anarchic campy home movies together at the beginning with exaggerated characters in outrageous situations with hyperbolic dialogues. They were never meant to be shown outside of their wee band of local actors that included Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and David Lochary (the latter becoming a big love of Divine’s life before his own untimely death). But word got out and soon people were clamouring to see the films that got bigger and even bolder.
Water’s ‘trashy trilogy’ ‘Pink Flamingos’, ‘Female Trouble’, and ‘Desperate Living’ cemented Divine’s reputation as a movie diva, in particular, Flamingos which earned him the title of ‘the filthiest person alive’ after the notorious scene where he actually ate dog faeces. And after these successes, he also started to diverse his career taking starring roles in Off-Broadway shows, and becoming a very successful disco recording star. He added a whole new meaning to the word ‘fierce’!
Many of the interviewees that Schwartz included gave Divine great credit for expanding the concept of the drag queen from brash female impersonator into something much larger, more subversive and less gender specific. Yet without a single exception, none of the TV chat show hosts that interviewed him could deal with the fact that Divine was sitting opposite them in men’s clothing calmly stating that ‘she’ was a character that he played and not the person he actually was off the screen.
Matinee idol Tab Hunter recounted the joy he had at working with Divine on two very successful movies ‘Polyester’ and ‘Lust in The Dust’. These were followed by ‘Hairspray’, which turned out to be Divine’s biggest hit and very last movie.
Schwartz beautifully captures both the joyous nature of Divine’s flamboyant life and also the great sense of sheer enjoyment he had. He includes the completely tasteless clip from ‘Eat Your Makeup.’ in which Divine played Jacqueline Kennedy in a grotesquely amusing re-creation of the Kennedy assassination just two years after the event. But he also shows the scene from ‘Multiple Maniacs’ where Divine’s character is raped by a giant lobster! A perfect epitaph.
Someone said towards the end of the movie … ‘after him, no-one can ever now be called Divine … he OWNS that title’. Too true.
An unmissable flawless movie.
The fabulous UK and Irish Cinema and VOD release of I Am Divine is one week away!
A brand new firm has launched last week with the intention of investing customers’ money into pro-LGBT+ companies and countries.
Most people are totally unaware that they could be unknowingly propping up anti-gay governments, companies or organisations when they invest their pensions and investment portfolios into an investment management company. Most investors have no idea where their hard earned cash could be going when they employ the services of an investment firm for a good return.
Equality Capital launched last week to ensure that their customers’ money is invested into ethical organisations that are paving the way for LGBT equality across the world.
Using a six key criteria formula the British firm, headed up by Managing Partner, Charlie Nicholls, will invest in opportunities that make positive differences to gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans peoples’ lives.
Charlie Nicholls said,
“We aim to create a like-minded community of investors who care about LGBT positive rights and equality. Our social commitment doesn’t hinder our ability to earn attractive returns for our clients, in fact it improves them as there are many opportunities in LGBT friendly markets.”
The Equality Capital site went live on Wednesday 8 March 2017. Equality Capital will act as Financial Advisors and Discretionary Investment Managers, but can also work with existing Financial Advisors in an intermediary role – meaning clients moving over to the service can keep their existing advisors if they wish.
Police investigators in Oxford are appealing to the general public for information after two men were verbally and physically attacked in Oxford in February.
Thames Valley police are appealing for information following a verbal attack on two men in Oxford on the 15th February, at 3 AM in the morning, following Valentine’s day.
On 15 February at around 3 AM, three people were driving along Park End Street when they began to shout homophobic abuse at a man and his friends who were out on the street.
The car then stopped and an alleged physical altercation took place between two offenders and the victim before the offenders escaped in their vehicle.
Fortunately, the victim, a 29-year-old man, did not sustain any injuries during the incident.
Investigating officer, PC Barry Duplock, based at Cowley Police station, said,
“We would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed this incident or recognises these people or the car as they may have information which is vital to the investigation.”
If you have any information please contact PC Duplock via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you have any information relating to this case, please call 101 quoting reference ‘43170045600’, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
Netflix has a great selection of LGBT+ films on its platform. Whether you’re in the mood for a smushy romance or a heartbreaking documentary there’s something available for everyone.
A young man plays it very cool with his friends while he hides his true sexuality in the new film Beach Rats.
UK born Dickinson is very good as Frankie. He nails down the accent and the attitude almost perfectly. With no previous film credits, he’s a natural and very compelling to watch on the big screen (and boy is he sexy)! Director Eliza Hittman gets almost everything right in this film, with the exception of the last 20 minutes that gets a bit too unbelievable. But it’s Dickinson you’ll remember when the screen credits go up. He’s on to bigger and better things. (TIM BAROS)
I Am Michael ★★★★
Biography
It’s based on the true story of Michael Glatze, who claimed he was no longer gay and became a straight pastor. But in 1999, Michael was in a gay relationship with boyfriend Bennett (Zachary Quinto) and was the editor of the successful real-life XY Magazine, while at the same time living in San Francisco – it was the ultimate gay life and gay lifestyle. But Bennett’s father has a job for him in Halifax, Canada, so they relocate there – it’s a city with not much to do, but they end up hooking up with the young good looking Tyler (Charlie Carver). But after a few panic attacks, and memories of his late father and mother, Michael starts to question his homosexuality – he starts to re-evaluate his life, loves, and takes up to reading the bible for answers, until one day he leaves it all behind for a new life. (TIM BAROS)
King Cobra ★★★★
Biography
Dive into the back story of one of gay porn’s most popular actors, Brent Corrigan.
The film stormed the Toronto Film Festival and had its European premiere at the London Film Festival. The film has stirred up a lot of controversies as it shows the discovery of Brent Corrigan (Garrett Clayton) before two other agents then decide to take charge of his mega career which leads to an infamous murder that shocked the porn industry, remember this is real and true-life story. (PAUL STAG)
Alex Strangelove ★★★
Romance
High school senior Alex Truelove’s plan to lose his virginity to a loveable girlfriend goes awry when he meets the equally lovable Elliot. An easy and inoffensive watch.
Holding The Man ★★★★★
Biopic
Holding the Man is one of the better, or perhaps maybe the best, of all the films that’s dealt with the AIDS crisis. It’s a movie that simply tells a story, a love story so enduring and epic that it’s irrelevant whether the characters are gay or straight. Plus it’s a story that some of us, who were around in the 1980s and 1990s when friends and partners were dying right and left from AIDS, can, unfortunately, relate to.
Corr and Stott are terrific and give it their all (Anthony LaPaglia is especially good as Caleo’s stern and unforgiving father). But it’s in the storytelling where this film excels. Credit goes to director Armfield and writer Murphy for successfully bringing this story to the screen. It’s a story that’s been told a few times (Philadelphia), but not in such a meaningful, and very realistic, way. However it’s Conigrave’s book on which this film is based, it’s his book about his relationship with Caleo, a sort of love letter to him, and we’re all very lucky to be able to see what an amazing, yet heartbreaking, relationship it was. This film is highly recommended. REVIEW: TIM BAROS
Dallas Buyers Club ★★★★★
Biography
This film has been a long time coming. Scriptwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack based it on the hundreds of interviews they had with the film’s main character, Woodroof, and then waited 20 years for the movie to finally get made. Several directors and stars were attached to it until it ended up in the hands of Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee.
His two principal stars lost a ton of weight for the parts, Jared Leto, as Rayon dropped 30 lbs and Matthew McConaughey a scary 50 lbs. They both gave powerful dazzling performances. It was definitely a stunning change in direction for McConaughey in particular who has established his career so far mainly in rom-coms, but for my two cents (!) it was Leto’s heartbreaking turn as the drug-addicted Rayon that totally bowled me over. It makes one appreciate that Leto has been off our screens for too long. (ROGER WALKER-DACK)
Dreamboat ★★★★
Documentary
An intimate look at gay cruising. Not the type you’d encounter in the woods or a cottage, but at sea. Why is cruising (at sea) so popular with gay men. This documentary follows the stories of five men and their reflections and discoveries as they cross the ocean. And possibly the only actual non-porn blowjob scene you’ll actually see on film.
Ideal Home ★★★
Comedy
Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan (at his campiest best) play, respectively, Paul and Erasmus Brumble (what a name!), a gay couple who have been together long enough, perhaps too long, to be set in their argumentative ways. Brumble is a flamboyant TV chef and Paul is his producing partner, and they live in the stunningly beautiful town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. They run their empire from their adobe house that has views to die for of the landscape which includes turquoise sunsets and rolling luscious mountains. They seem to have it all, but yet there also seems to be something missing in their lives. (TIM BAROS)
McQueen ★★★★★
Biography
Fashion designer Alexander McQueen was a genius He had an eye for fashion but was also a troubled soul. The new documentary McQueen shows the highs, and the lows, of McQueen’s life.
McQueen is an excellent testament to the man who was also called Lee. Through his friends, associates and sister Janet, we really feel that we get to know who Lee actually was ourselves. But it’s through the footage of his fashion shows where we get to see the real talent that he had. His shows were events, some very dark (which explains how deep and troubled he was), and showed how gorgeous, and emotionally beautiful, his creations were. Alexander McQueen died way too young, but through this documentary, you can at least experience his life and work, which was cut way too short. (TIM BAROS)
The Miseducation of Cameron Post ★★★★
Drama
A powerful and understated story of conversion therapy in the heart of the USA. Cameron is forced into a religious gay cure camp to pray the gay away, except, she’s headstrong and clings to her identity.
Behind The Candelabra ★★★★
Biography
Even if one knows little about Liberace, the story is a familiar one, basically a celebrity marriage that goes wrong. The end of Liberace’s relationship with Thorson is already there in the beginning.
When Thorson first meets Liberace, we also meet Liberace’s current lover, a relationship that has obviously soured, so it is no surprise when the scene is replicated later in the film, this time with a young dancer taking the Thorson role, and Thorson taking the role of the disgruntled lover. There is no doubt about the love and affection the two men have for each other at the beginning of the relationship, but things take a bizarre turn when Liberace decides he would like to adopt Thorson, and asks Thorson to undergo plastic surgery to make him look more like Liberace’s younger self. (GREG MITCHELL)
Love Is Strange one of the most talked about gay movies of the year has been wowing both crowds and critics in the US since it opened in August. The New York Time’s Movie Critic recently said it would be his personal pick for the Best Picture Oscar. Now it is finally about to open in UK Cinemas, here is our take on this superb love story.
In Ira Sach’s follow-up to his highly acclaimed 2013 hit Keep The Lights On, love is also extraordinarily wonderful too. It’s the tale of George & Ben a devoted couple who have enjoyed a somewhat glorious life together in Manhattan for the past 39 years. Now that same-sex marriage is legal in NY they decide to have a joyous wee ceremony surrounded by their close friends to tie the knot and make it all ‘official’. Everyone is happy for the two men now in their late 60s, except for George’s employers who had been blissfully aware of his relationship with Ben in the 12 years he had taught music at their school. Marriage, however, was too much for them, the Catholic Church that is, so in an act of Christian charity they unceremoniously fired him on the spot.
With Ben already retired and George unable to find another job the men soon ran out of money and very reluctantly had to sell the Co-op Apartment that they had lived in for decades. Sadly none of their friends in the city had a spare room to put the couple up in, so for the very first time since they had met, they had to split up whilst the hunt for a new affordable Manhattan apartment continued.
George moved in with a couple of handsome young gay cops next door and crashed on their couch. The trouble was that his new ‘landlords’ had a seemingly endless list of young friends who loved to hang out at the apartment and party all hours, usually whilst sitting on George’s ‘bed’. Ben, on the other hand, was given a bunk bed in his great nephew’s room, something the young rebellious teenage bitterly resented.
As time passed, and with no sign of a new apartment for the newly weds, tensions got very strained. George could hardly bear living in party central and getting little sleep, and Ben seemed stuck in the middle of an escalating feud between his great nephew and his parents who saw eye to eye on nothing. It was when the latter eventually erupted and the boy was grounded after being caught out being led astray by a much older school chum, that there was a breakthrough between him and his old gay ‘nuisance’ Uncle. In a very touching scene when the boy broke down and didn’t just share but actually listened for once, he learnt from Ben about being true to himself and loving who he wanted too without shame.
It’s impossible to say where things led to from this point without giving spoilers in what is such a beautiful and touching story. It’s a neat lesson in hate (the Church), and in tolerance (the family) and a perfect example of love that is quietly understated and without histrionics.
George and Ben are portrayed so exquisitely by veteran actors Alfred Molina and John Lithgow and are the perfect epitome of a devoted couple completely in love and who totally idolise each other. The very obvious chemistry between the two on screen is completely convincing and they are a sheer joy to watch.
There is absolutely nothing ‘strange’ about George and Ben’s love especially as it is the focus and example to all the other couples in this charming story whether they are gay or straight.
Mr Sachs has created a fine feature about mature love that shouldn’t just be niche marketed as a ‘gay film’ as it deserves and will delight a much wider audience.
P.S. And I am thankful to him too that this is one ‘gay theme’ film that doesn’t have the obligatory nudity.
“It is an extraordinary honour to part of this national treasure of a show. Noel Fielding is one of the nicest guys in show business. The first time I met him I felt like I had met a rather wayward cousin whose take on the world made me laugh. The only down side is that he has much better dress sense that I do. I spend my daytimes on Channel 4 already so it will be a treat to be there in the evenings. I am so delighted to be working with Love Productions and Channel 4 on this best of British show.”
Restaurateur, food writer and novelist Prue Leith will be joining Paul Hollywood as judge of The Great British Bake Off when it returns to screens later this year on Channel 4.
Alongside the expert judges will be presenter comedian and writer Sandi Toksvig OBE and comedian and actor Noel Fielding as well as the all-important twelve amateur bakers for the eighth series of the multi-award-winning show.
The singer, who has been working on his own material since the band took a break in 2015, has released a couple of pictures which look to be the front cover of Rollacoaster Magazine.
Since uploading the picture it has received over 100,000 likes and over 41,000 RTs and over on Instagram, the picture has gotten a healthy 703,000 likes. Naturally, he’s been trending world-wide!
The singer had sparked concern among One Direction fans that the group were splitting up for good when he teased new music, but later insisted that the lads would be reforming after their hiatus.
Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre is the perfect setting for this MGM-style musical which is performed with style and honesty.
This new musical, written by brothers David and Joseph Zellnik, is having its premiere at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. It is an apt location for this innovative piece which buckles the trend of new pop-musicals. Yank! is billed as World War II love story. While ostensibly this is true – it’s actually much more than it gives itself credit for.
The show centres around Stu, a young gay man, who is drafted into the army to fight in the Second World War. He struggles to find his literal and metaphorical place amongst the pseudo-masculine military men – a mission which is only complicated by his complex relationship with his fellow squadron Mitch.
Musically and stylistically, Yank! has all the makings of the classic MGM musical. Though the second act goes to places which are considerably more candid and poignant that you might expect from a show consisting of tap-dancing men in khaki.
Scott Hunter plays the timid Stu with a fragile believability and Barnaby Hughes’ Mitch has all the charisma you’d expect from an, albeit untraditional, leading man. The ensemble cast are also strong all-rounders and support the principle cast in moments of hilarity and sincerity alike.
Despite the show being set almost 80 years ago, the tropes of this new musical are as current as ever. Substitute the frontline with a school playground, workplace or a homophobic family home, and you’ll see that the struggles of young gay men are not confined to the stories of history.
Baker, the show’s director, said that he didn’t want these stories to get lost from history. With this charming new musical hopefully set to become a staple of musical theatre repertoire, the story of Stu and Mitch, and the men they represent, will hopefully live on for years to come.
Yank! The Musical plays at the Hope Mill Theatre until 8th April 2017
Few names exist in the music industry where sparks have spread like wildfire across the world. Bob Marley was certainly the sensation that reached many people around the globe, and the feeling that ripples still decades later. Bob’s vision, talent and style have made him an eternal flame.
The Birmingham Rep hosted ‘One Love: The Bob Marley Musical’, and an epic event it was! Written and directed by Kwambe Kwei Armah, ‘One Love’ celebrates the icon Bob Marley in a delicate, timeless and memorable way. Through the history of his early music career to his later achievements, the audience were transported on a journey evoking nostalgia and emotion from the depths of your core.
Mitchell Brunings played Bob Marley in an effervescent way that drew you in instantly, and commanded the stage with mastery and ‘next-level’ leadership, as the remaining characters shone around him; upscaling the standard of the production. It was a flawless performance by Mitchell. As an ensemble, every artist was terrific and invested every ounce of energy into every move and musical note. Alexia Khadime who played Rita Marley was the second star of the show second to Mitchell Brunings, with her gifted musical range and was absolutely captivating in her acting. Alexia really added to the drama and darkness of the story and handled emotion expertly.
The Redemption Song was my favourite moment in the show as the track was beautifully arranged to illustrate the moment Bob Marley’s life turned 360 degrees, returning to his routes.
ULTZ designed the production and a vision that was fitting with the ambition of the show. Using multimedia against sets, creating moments in time with real footage corresponding with key events shown in the musical. People need to see this show for the education, entertainment and the ride down memory lane were as sweet as guava jelly!
