I found out today that Amazon.com has started de-ranking what they deem to be adult content. Funny thing about that though is that the only thing that Amazon seem to be flagging as adult content is gay and lesbian themed books. They are stripping these books of their sales rankings within Amazon so as to keep them from showing up on searches.
I knew when they yanked the ultra violent video Rapelay that is was a sign of more to come. Granted that video is horrible and needed to be removed. But this latest development only proves that censorship of any kind opens the door for further discrimination.
The problems I am seeing with what Amazon is doing is the out and out homophobia. While they are removing the gay and lesbian books they are continuing to allow mainstream, yet extremely trashy sexual, books such as Laurell K Hamilton’s Incubus Dreams to have sales ranks. How is that?
Mark R. Probst is an author who is affected by the changes. He has posted the response he got back from Amazon about the removal of sales ranks on his books over on his blog. Amazon’s reply clearly states it is a new policy for adult content, yet other people are posting that they are getting responses from Amazon that it is a glitch, an oddly specific glitch, but a glitch.
This has obviously caused quite the stir across the net with much of that fervor coming from the Twitter community, where they are flagging posts with #amazonfail and in the past hour nearly 3000 posts with that tag have come through.
I have to say I agree with their requests from Amazon.com users to stop supporting the site until this is either reversed or sales ranks are removed from all adult content not just that with gay and lesbian subjects. There are plenty of other stores on the web (many of them with better prices and service) so if you can please avoid them. Thanks.
In honor of National Coming Out Day (which is today by the way) I am watching Troma Films CRAZED. It is supposedly Kathy Bach (aka Daisy Dukes) only lesbian film. But like all Troma films it is totally whacked.
The synopsis from the Troma Entertainment website: The Troma Team is proud to present Crazed, a spine-tingling suspense thriller that plunges into the darkest depths of dementia.
Nicole (the legendary Leslie Caron, An American in Paris, Gigi), a reclusive widow who lives alone in her mansion with only her housemaids and butlers to keep her company, leads a decadent and lustful life. Using her volumptuous body and her vast fortune to manipulate those around her, Nicole is obsessed with controlling all the people in her life. When she finds love with a dashing suitor (Ramon Bieri, Sorcerer) and a friendship with a beautiful young aspiring dancer (Catherine Bach, “The Dukes of Hazzard”), Nicole begins to change for the better… until she suspects her new love may be cheating on her. Sanity takes a backseat and the blood begins to spill as Nicole slips into an alternate reality of violence, sex and paranoia.
Featuring Catherine Bach’s only nude scenes, Crazed is a deranged shocker which will leave you damaged.
I just had one of the weirdest dreams. But then again what dream isn’t a bit strange?
I am in a hotel room with about three other people. I think they are friends or family, but I never identify them in the dream I only feel familiar with them. We are on computers, working, playing who knows. Then we head to the cars to go to the movies. The guy I am with gets on a CB radio (do they even make those any more?) and is talking to a guy three cars down in the parking lot. End scene.
A group of people, me included, is sitting around discussing the movies we just saw. End scene. I never see the theater in this dream, which is kind of odd as I do have a reoccurring theater dream, but this dream did not include that theater.
I was sitting with a bunch of women discussing politics when in walks Sarah Palin. We were in my dead Grandmother’s living room. She and someone on her “team” started telling us about the opposition and that they were having a meeting with an online chat. We were told to go and disrupt the meetings in any way we saw fit. Since I absolutely hate smear campaigns (and that is all the republicans seem to be doing in at their own convention where they already had the support) thought this was horrible. I followed another woman back to the bathroom and asked her if she felt this was wrong and she totally agreed with me. End scene.
Moving down a road (3 or 4 lanes on every side) to a very busy intersection. I am not sure how we are moving, driving or walking. In front of us we hear all this screeching and screaming. It was a group of about twenty kids walking and running around in the middle of the highway pretending to be driving. We yell at them to be safe. End scene.
Walking toward a tight, high walled corridor with a large group of people next to that highway (so I guess we were walking too). We see a couple of bikers turn at the intersection. One had a rifle strapped to his hog. One of the kids from earlier yells, “he’s got a gun.” We are now in the corridor and I notice the people around me and I lean into one of the bigger, burlier looking biker dudes and said, “Yeah, so who doesn’t ride a bike and carry a gun.” He laughed at that and we keep walking. Then I am approached by a kind of hot biker chick (not as scary as the big guy, but a little tough) and we start chatting. She’s telling me about all the guys she is always with (hanging out with that is). We are walking toward a movie theater (second one in this dream sequence), but this one is more like a dingy basement or warehouse room with rows of sofas, a screen and projector in it than a real theater. As we get to the door my new friend is saying how the guys are nice and some are gay, but it is hard being a lesbian and meeting women. She then turns to me pointing out a sofa for me to get us seats. She wants me to sit between a lone girl and two other women who are sprawled across the sofa making out. So I go over ask the politely to let us sit there and sit down and wait for my new lesbian biker friend to come back. End scene.
At this point Boris (the 25 pound moose cat) jumps on my chest and wakes me up. He follows me into the bathroom where my thoughts oddly enough turn to thinking of what movies are playing down at our new IMAX Theater.
I have had this bumper sticker on my car for more than two years, maybe even three by now and every time my mom sees it she asks me what it means. So I explain about the borg and assimilation etcetera and hope that will be the end of it (we do not speak of the other meaning in my family, but I am sure other “family” members get it). I am getting a little tired of saying, “it’s a borg thing, you wouldn’t understand” to people.
This has even gotten me in a little bit of hot water with the local rednecks too. So now that it is faded I think I will replace it with another Star Trek inspired bumper sticker. Not exactly sure which one. Maybe I will get the Boldly Going Nowhere one or one of the red shirt society ones. I’ll let you know what I decide (and I am up for suggestions too).
The workshop will begin on June 18th and will run from 6pm to 9pm every Wednesday for eight weeks. Only 20 people will be able to benefit from Kelly’s acting expertise. The cost of the acting classes is about $400 per person.
The Community School of Music and the Arts was founded more than 50 years ago by Werner von Trapp of the von Trapp Family Singers. You know them as the family from the film The Sound of Music. Pretty cool, huh?
Some how I wound up on Rosie O’Donnell’s website last night which reminded me about her blog. Why reminded me? For some unknown reason I was watching some celebrity expose (I never watch biographies let alone tabloid TV so I am not quite sure why I was watching that show), any who, she said something about how a news show or magazine (not sure which) had quoted her from her blog. Well the quote happened to be lyrics from a song and not an actual quote from her. That’s what I had remembered while poking around her site.
I was just about to click on the blog link to see if I could find anything of interest when I scrolled down the homepage and saw a little blurb about a movie I had seen a trailer for one night while watching a DVD. The movie is called Vier Minuten (or Four Minutes in English) it is a German film about a very talented and troubled piano player. The trailer floored me and I had written the name of the film down to remember it when it finally comes to DVD. That was month’s ago. The only information I can find on the web for it is the art film scene last year and the original German release in 2006. When is it coming to the USA? I really want to see this film. Of course Rosie.com while telling us it is a good film does not say how or where we can see it. In fact when you click on the ‘more’ link it only takes you to another listing of films and Vier Minuten is not even listed! Rosie help a girl out and tell me how to find this film. I realize that being a star you most likely were sent a screener (I get them too for my ScifiSlacker.com site, but since this is not a sci-fi film I can’t see them sending me one). I just need details when or if this will be available.
Andy’s Film World has a great write up on Vier Minuten and also posts the YouTube video trailer for the film. Head on over and check it out.
Any one with info on Vier Minuten / Four Minutes coming to DVD or where I can see this film please post it here in the comments. Thanks!
Today on the Ellen show she was showing some interesting things from Japan. First she showed the boyfriend pillow and I thought boy that looks familiar. Then she showed the girlfriend pillow and I knew where I saw it. You can get these from Jlist.com.
They have a huge collection of pop culture items from Japan for Adults to Kids, just make sure you don’t get the two mixed up if you know what I mean.
The funniest thing about the pillows is Ellen tried out the boyfriend pillow but refused to go near the girlfriend pillow. Guess she did not want her audience getting any ideas about her
Nim’s Island — Anything can happen on Nim’s Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl’s imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover - the world’s greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim’s father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra. Now they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in one another to conquer Nim’s Island.
Stars Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler.
Diamond Select Toys has announced that they will be making a boxed set of minimates based on the film Silence of the Lambs.
Come Closer, Clarice…
To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman. Next in our continuing line of Movie Minimates releases comes this Minimates set based on the thrilling 1991 Academy Award-winning Best Picture “The Silence of the Lambs”! Prepare to explore the darker side of humanity with this Minimates box set featuring Clarice Starling, the twisted Dr Lecter, Buffalo Bill and the ingenious Hannibal the Cannibal!
All four Minimates feature all-new Art Asylum sculpts and accessories, including Hannibal’s removable straight jacket, Buffalo Bill’s signature Death’s Head Moth and Hannibal the Cannibal’s trademark mask and gurney!
So all us Jodie Foster fans out there will finally get those Jodie Foster Action figures [sort of] we have always wanted.
Who knows if the film Nim’s Island is a big hit maybe will get something other than just a 2 inch Clarice Minimate to playwith.
Heath Ledger died today in a Manhattan apartment said to be owned by Mary-Kate Olsen [this is most likely not true]. According to CNN.com he was pronounced dead at 3:30. We still don’t know the actual cause of death as of yet, but police say it may be a drug overdose as over the counter sleeping pills were found next to the body. He was only 28 years old. He will be missed. We will get a chance to see his last finished film later this summer. He played the Joker in the film Batman: The Dark Knight.
He will live on in his many films like Brokeback Mountain, Monsters Ball, The Order, A Knights Tale and the upcoming Dark Knight to name but a few.
Update [sort of]: This is what you get for going with the first news source. Bad, incomplete and wrong information. Apparently it was his appartment and the pills were perscription. Most likely an accidental death. And the rumors abound. May his family find comfort in knowing their son was loved by the American public even if though the weirdos out there are louder than the rest of us. What’s up with the “heath ledger mind control victim” rumor that’s going around any way?
Watching V for Vendetta again. Agent Smith from The Matrix (you know him as Hugo Weaving) makes a great masked vigilante known only as V. Man he has a very distinct voice. Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance and she doesn’t look half bad with a baldhead. (Unfortunately for this film Britney Spears had to have her break down causing me to see her instead of Ms. Portman during that scene in the film.)
This film has a strong message about intolerance and of the government taking away our rights and freedoms. Freedoms we often take for granted. If we don’t want a bleak future like the ones the films V for Vendetta and 1984 portray we must take the necessary actions to avoid them now. With 2008 being an election year now is the time to ensure we continue to enjoy the freedoms we do have and to make sure we extend those same freedoms to all human beings no matter their gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Here’s hoping we make the right choice for all our futures.
After hearing about Batwoman being a Lesbian in the 52 comics way back in 2006 I could not wait for the first issue to hit the stands. Even though she did not appear until issue 11. The idea that finally a main character was going to be portrayed as a strong lesbian had me reeling. Heck, she was the only reason I ever even picked up the first issue let alone all 52.
I was disappointed that we did not get to see more of her and Renee Montoya through out the series. But by the end of the story I had fallen in love with the character. I really wanted more. I still do. Both of these characters are strong enough to continue their stories outside of 52.
I only recently read that the proposed new Batwoman books were cancelled and it broke my heart.
Since DC has tried to bury the Kate Kane storyline and only keep it within the pages of 52 while releasing several of the other boys from the series, which is a big shame. We need more strong female characters. And what better to keep fan boys reading it than the typical lesbian fantasy.
Please DC bring her back out of the bat closet.
Renee as the Question is also a VERY good story that needs to be told, and perhaps the one place you can try giving us back Kate Kane even if only as a periodic guest in a new Question book.
Comics have not been for kids for a very long time. Kids comics are still out there fear not. But the majority of the comics are geared toward adults so the demoralization of our nations children cannot be the issue here. So what is DC comics so afraid of?
The character was popular enough for you to make an action figure out of it. Why not keep it going. Don’t tell me the Christian right is in control of the comics industry. They can’t be or we wouldn’t have any comics on the shelves. What are you afraid of? A little press? I thought there was no such thing as bad press. Any press is good press, right? I have been reading through some of the garbage written by some of the moral majority and I cannot believe the crap they are spewing forth. As if one lesbian superhero is going to make all the good little boys and girls turn gay. Hell, if it does we better ALL get toaster ovens for that.
Kelly McGillis
