Feast of Fun » Filmmakers

FOFA #85 – The Power of Glitter – 04.26.11

Fausto Fernós — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:55:58 +0000

Hibiscus was the gay man in the iconic Flower Power photo of the 1960s.

Way ahead of his time, George Harris Jr., better known as Hibiscus, was in the forefront of the gay liberation movement and a pioneer in theater with the Cockettes.

Today we talk with director and documentary filmmaker David Weissman about his film about the legendary San Francisco Cockettes.

Listen as we chat with David about the famous hippie drag queens from the 60′s and 70′s, like Hibiscus, who changed the world with their outlandish shows and forever made glitter a permanent make-up tool for any serious diva.

Here at the Feast of Fun, we salute those brave folks who dared to be outrageously fabulous! We consider Hibiscus not just a sort of queer ancestor, but a forerunner in many ways to what we do today on the Feast of Fun podcast.

You have to fight, for your right, to be fabulous! Get your ammo by listening to the Feast of Fun.

[Originally posted on June 7, 2005 as Feast of Fools.]

Featured Film:
David Weissman – The Cockettes: Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1343 – Pee Wee Herman is Back! – 03.14.11

Fausto Fernós — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:35:29 +0000

In the late 1970s, Paul Ruebens developed the character of Pee-wee Herman as a challenge by the LA based improv group, the Groundlings, to create a comic that could never make it in real life.

A few years later, along with his friend, the late Phil Hartman, Ruebens developed a full fledged show centered around this character who who lived in a magical playhouse. The show toured the country, sold out Carnegie Hall and eventually became an Emmy award winning TV series.

In the late 80s, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, with its mixture of live action, puppets and animation became a Saturday morning institution that will influence generations to come. Paul Ruebens truly subversive humor walks the line between comedy fit for a child that would appeal to adults.

After they decided to end the series, Reubens was arrested in his home town of Sarasota, Florida for masturbating in an adult theater. Although this sex scandal pales in comparison to the likes of today’s Kardashians and Paris Hiltons, it launched a witch hunt into Reuben’s life that kept him out of the public eye for years.

It seemed like Pee Wee Herman would never come back, but miracles do happen, and Pee Wee Herman is back with a new HBO special of his Broadway show and the promise of a new film directed by Jud Apatow.

Joining us is film maker Kerthy Fix- her new documentary “Who Took the Bomp: Le Tigre On Tour,” that focuses on the electroclash band Le Tigre premiers at SXSW.

How do people in the riot girl music overtake oppressive symbols embracing them with sex and humor?

Kerthy’s upcoming puppet film on the life of Christine Jorgenson

And the hot news:

The lost city of Atlantis is found again, but this time in Spain.

An English vicar gets into hot water for dressing up in drag.

and the intense life of young Internet tycoons.

Visit our sponsors:

LifeLube Your Field Guide to Gay Men’s Health
“How are you healthy?” Send in your answers
and join more than 100 men who have already
shared their secrets.

Featured Music:
Le Tigre – Decepticon: iTunes

FOF #1283 – Youth on the Streets – 11.05.10

Marc Felion — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 08:34:13 +0000

Susi Graf, LGBT homless youth and Willi Ninja

Every night in this country, over an estimated 400,000 LGBT youth between the ages of 13 and 21 spend the night out on the streets. Many are transgendered young people of color who have been kicked out of their homes or been forced to leave because of serious family problems.

The reality for many of them is that they face violence, isolation, abuse and rape, and often wind up in jail, addicted to drugs or living with HIV. But some resilient kids manage to summon their inner strength and find ways not just to survive, but to thrive.

For almost seven years filmmaker Susi Graf has been working on the documentary “Lost In The Crowd,” an extraordinary film about transgender youth and the celebrated Ballroom Scene in New York City which acts as a refuge and resource for queer youth. The film also features a never before seen interview with the legendary choreographer Willi Ninja filmed shortly before his death.

Madonna on Willi Ninja: He was a great cultural influence to me and hundreds of thousands of other people. Don't just stand there let's get to it, vogue.

Willi Ninja, was best known for developing Vogueing, a dance style that drew inspiration from models walking the runway that was later popularized by Madonna in her video “Vogue” and by the documentary “Paris is Burning.”

Listen as Susi gives us a look into the challenging lives of homeless LGBT youth, their struggles living in large urban cities and what you can do to help make it better.

If you live in the Chicago area find out how you can help a homeless youth.

Check out today’s sponsors:

LifeLube Your Field Guide to Gay Men’s Health
“How are you healthy?” Send in your answers
and join more than 100 men who have already
shared their secrets.

Featured Music:
Justin Utley – Stand For Something: iTunes

FOF #1195 – Crank the Gay Up to 11 – 05.20.10

Marc Felion — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:12:33 +0000

We’re not always aware of it, but every day we all negotiate how we want to appear to others- at work, on the street and even at home.

For many gay men, how we think about our sexuality is always up for grabs, which often leads us to ask ourselves, “how gay do I want to be today?”

Cast photo of 50 F*ggots at the premiere, Center on Halsted, Friday May 14, 2010.

Today we’re cranking up the gay all the way to 11 as we talk with film maker Randall Jenson about his new documentary web series, 50 F*ggots. For the past two years, Randall has followed the lives of 12 gay men as they navigate the waters of life and reflect on what it means to be gay.

We’re also joined by publicist and promoter Timur Star Tugberk and fashion designer Aaron Gray, who, along with us, are featured in the web series.

Listen as we challenge Randall on why he chose the controversial title. What is the real power over reclaiming controversial slur words?

The changing face of the gay community. Is the “gay world” closer than ever because of social media or are these virtual communities depriving us of meaningful experiences?

Plus, why everyone needs to embrace their inner diva.

Visit our sponsor | Advertise

Join us at Pridefest Milwaukee
Over over a hundred and fifty acts including Kathy Griffin,
Patti LaBelle, and Joan Rivers! Visit Pridefest.com today
to get your tickets and book your hotel room.

Featured Music:
Tom Goss – Back to Love…: iTunes

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1191 – The Joy of Being a Drag Queen – 05.13.10

Fausto Fernós — Thu, 13 May 2010 08:46:56 +0000

Peaches Christ’s debut film “All About Evil” is getting rave reviews, with many declaring the comedic bloodfest an instant cult classic. People can’t wait to see it and groups demanding the film be brought to their town are popping up all over Facebook.

This black comedy about a mousy librarian who discovers her inner serial killer by making movies where people actually die features an all star cast, with Mink Stole, Cassandra Peterson (better known as Elvira), Thomas Dekker from The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and indie cult actress Natasha Lyonne.

In many ways the success of the movie is the result of Joshua Granell’s long bumpy ride as drag queen icon and Midnight Mass mistress Peaches Christ.

But it’s not always been glamorous.

Today Joshua Granell, reveals for the first time his story of hitting rock bottom, his battle with alcoholism and how he rediscovered the joy of being a drag queen.

Listen as Peaches offers some serious advice for drag queens on finding your core passion and expressing yourself.

All About Evil makes it’s Texas premier this weekend at the Alamo Draft House in Austin, Texas. Check it out.

Featured Music:
Christeene – Soldier of Pleasure EP: Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1161 – A Decade with Stephen Meritt and the Magnetic Fields – 03.22.10

Fausto Fernós — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:37:10 +0000

Songwriter Stephin Merritt is known as “the Cole Porter of his generation” for his unusual melodies, lovelorn lyrics and dry wit. But he’s also notoriously known as the most miserable man in rock music.

Today we’re talking to our good friend, filmmaker Kerthy Fix on her new documentary- “Strange Powers: Stephen Merit and the Magnetic Fields.”

The film primarily explores the long term friendship between Stephin Merrit and his band mate Claudia Gonson and gives us a never before seen look at the songwriter’s complex personal life. We’re also given an intimate look at the song making process for the band which has one of the most dedicated followings in popular music.

Listen as we chat with Kerthy on the ten years spent making the film, the overblown zip-a-dee-doo-dah controversy and what love song she thinks best represents the eccentric musician.

And we go even further back to Kerthy’s own early years as a performance artist, using the power of theater to cope with grief and the incredible origins of Pussilla, her superhero alter ego with the really strong you-know-what.

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount
on your next visit. Enter “Feast of Fun” on the promo
code field to get the special discount.

Featured Music:
Magnetic Fields- 69 Love Songs: iTunes | Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1160 – Christeene’s Ugly is the New Beautiful – 03.19.10

Marc Felion — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:25:37 +0000

Watch out! Christeene is driving her way to you.

Paul Soileau’s drag character is exploding across the South, exploding onstage with her back up dancers as they spill out a hot mix of raw sexual shamlessness and original rap music. Is it too much to say that Christneene might replace Britney Spears as the new pop sensation from Louisiana?

Today we continue our shows from the heart of Texas with gender bending drag terrorist Paul Soileau. Paul shares with us his journey becoming both the outrageous Christeene and his other drag alter-ego, the more conservative Rebbecca Havemeyer.

Listen as Paul chats with us about Christeene’s chaotic sensibilities, his videos banned from YouTube that are making sites like Funny or Die rich, and the crazy things they eat in the bayou.

Plus hot news:

A prankster overtakes WallMart’s intercom system, announcing “all black people must leave immediately.”

Ampo, Indonesia’s soil snack food, eaten for generations in the village of Tuban, really is soil baked into squares. It’s eaten as a painkiller and to improve the skin of developing babies. Will we see it at Whole Foods anytime soon?

And Prinny the little cat from Australia that learned how to swim.

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount
on your next visit. Enter “Feast of Fun” on the promo
code field to get the special discount.

Featured Music:
Christeene – Soldier of Pleasure EP: Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1143 – Women Behaving Badly in Film – 02.11.10

Marc Felion — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:47:34 +0000

In a world where women are often seen as nice, these ladies broke all the rules and showed us just how bad they could be.

Whether it’s suspense, cult, horror, true stories or pure camp everyone loves to watch women behaving badly in films.

Murder, revenge, jealousy, they’re all an essential element to some of our favorite movies. So why are we so attracted to them?

Today San Francisco movie expert Peaches Christ joins us to take a look at some of our favorite hard women in film. From Blanche and Baby Jane to Nomi and Cristal Connors we’ve got some hot ladies for you!

Peaches spent last year working on her directorial debut film “All About Evil” which she also wrote about a mousy librarian who discovers her inner serial killer to save the family business- a failing movie house. It stars Thomas Dekker and Natasha Lyonne with Mink Stole and Elivra out of drag, Cassandra Peterson.

Listen as we chat with Peaches Christ about some of our favorite films were dames go bad and which of these films, if any, inspired the villianess of her new movie.

Visit the blog entry 20 Great Films with Bad Women for the the full list of films

Check out today’s sponsors:

LifeLube Your Field Guide to Gay Men’s Health
“How are you healthy?” Send in your answers
and join more than 100 men who have already
shared their secrets.

Featured Music:
Rena Riffel – Trasharella (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): iTunes

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1130 – Rena Riffel Loves Showgirls – 01.25.10

Fausto Fernós — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:14:23 +0000

Audiences were horrified when the movie Showgirls came out in 1995. Critics hated director Paul Verhoven’s misguided attempt to capture the seedy show business world of Las Vegas, and it bombed in theaters.

Today Showgirls is a celebrated cult classic and one of MGM’s top selling DVD’s of all time. In fact, the film’s fan base is larger than ever and even the characters from the film enjoy a second life in the virtual world of Facebook as if the movie never ended.

You think you can do my nails for me now sugar?

The film centers on a sexy blond drifter Nomi Malone who hustles her way from pole dancing at a strip club to becoming the top showgirl at a casino in Las Vegas.

Although, many of the actors regret doing the film and will seldom speak of it, one actress, Rena Riffel, like all the fans has embraced the film’s campy plot, freaky sexual encounters and outlandish scenes.

Today Rena Riffel, who plays the tragic stripper Penny Hope, joins us over the phone from California to dish the dirt on Showgirls and talk about her upcoming projects which includes a musical version of Showgirls!

Rena’s working on her own soon to be released film “Trasharella: Ultra Vixen” about a starlet who becomes a super vixen to kill the evil Vampire of Hollywood.

Listen as Rena talks about working on Showgirls, watching it in the theater with Demi Moore and the cast of Striptease, how it was reborn as camp classic and what was the plot of the show within the show “Goddess” supposed to be?

We could have had anyone on this show: Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul. Rena Riffel is what Feast of Fun is all about! She’s dazzling, she’s exciting, and she’s very, very sexy!

Check out today’s sponsors:

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount
on your next visit. Enter “Feast of Fun” on the promo
code field to get the special discount.

Featured Music:
Rena Riffel – Trasharella (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): iTunes

Featured Movie:
Paul Verhoven – Showgirls: Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1090 – Baby Jane Revisioned – 11.09.09

Fausto Fernós — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:27:05 +0000

Billy Clift and Heklina - photo by Fausto Fernós

Who can forget that classic lines delivered between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford? Joan Crawford as Blanche says “You wouldn’t be able to do these awful things to me if I weren’t still in this chair” to which Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson creepily replies “But you ARE, Blanche! You ARE in that chair!”

Everybody loves the 1962 campy horror film, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” directed by Robert Aldrich. The character of Baby Jane Hudson is considered by many to be one of the top movie villains of all time and is especially loved by gay men.

Today we’re talking to writer and director, Billy Clift about his debut film “Baby Jane?” a loving parody of the Hollywood classic.

Billy’s loved the movie all his life, and when he had the opportunity to make a revision his favorite film, he cast it with some of the best drag queens and performers in San Francisco. The film features Matthew Martin as Baby Jane and Katya Smirnoff Skye as Blanche.

And guess who plays the nosy neighbor-Trannyshack founder Heklina!

They’re both on today’s show talking about the making of the movie and whether the drag queens battled it out behind the scenes as much as Bette Davis and Joan Crawford did during the making of the original film.

Also – Heklina fills us in on her recent appearance on the TV series “Trauma” with hunky actor Taylor Kinney.

Are you more a Bette Davis or a Joan Crawford?

Female trouble in the news,

Carrie Prejean’s tragic sex tape was viewed by her mother.

and the wife who discovered she was allergic to her husband’s sperm on her wedding night.

Visit out our sponsors:

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount
on your next visit. Enter “Feast of Fun” on the promo
code field to get the special discount.

Featured Music:
Telling on Trixie- Telling on Trixie: iTunes | Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1087 – Why Some Religions Hate on the Gays – 11.04.09

Marc Felion — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:39:57 +0000

Many of the world’s religious leaders disagree on a lot of things, but one thing that brings them together is their condemnation of the gays. But why pick on the gays at all? Isn’t God all about love anyway?

Today we’re talking to filmmaker Ky Dickens about her fascinating new documentary “Fish Out of Water” which details her struggle to come to terms with how religious people view same-sex loving folks.

Ky came out as a lesbian to her friends in college but was met with hostility and religious condemnation. She was encouraged to seek counseling and reparative therapy. Instead, she sought out all the specific references in the Bible to homosexuality and debunked them.

After finding out that the few mentions of homosexuality in the Bible didn’t carry much weight when taken into context, Ky wrote a letter to her friend detailing what she found. Her friend not only understood her message but apologized. This powerful moment inspired Ky to reach out to a larger audience with a documentary on what she found out.

Listen as Ky talks about interviewing everyday Americans in truck stops, barbershops and shopping malls about the Bible’s take on homosexuality.

Hanging out with Shirley Phelps- is she for real? Who are the good guys fighting the good fight? And why don’t more ministers and churches stand up for equality?

Fish out of Water shows this Sunday in Chicago at the Music Box theater as part of Reeling, the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

In the news:
The French Courts convict The Church of Scientology of fraud, fining them $900,000.

And a Wisconsin woman called the police on herself for driving drunk.

Visit out our sponsors:

Human Rights Campaign Gala 2009 – Time to Shine
Join us on Saturday, Nov. 7 for the most elegant evening of the year featuring Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child and Joe Solmonese, HRC’s President. Visit hrcchicago09.com for tickets and info.

Featured Music:
Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women – Havin’ the Last Word: iTunes

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1080 – Watch Out for Matt Riddlehoover – 10.23.09

Fausto Fernós — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:18:26 +0000

Today we continue our series of interviews with internet celebrities from Los Angeles with Matt Riddlehoover. Matt found success on one of the first big social media sites- MySpace. Remember MySpace?

In the summer of 2006, Matt Riddlehoover became famous on MySpace for the video trailer for his short film “To a Tee,” a dark romantic comedy about a guy who falls for the same type of man over and over again.

For Matt, being prominently featured on the social media site led to the lead role in “Watch Out,” a dark film about an irresistible narcissist who could only make love to himself. The film’s campy narrative and graphic portrayals of self-love and violence has audiences divided over the film’s merits.

“Watch Out” comes out on DVD November 24.

Listen as Matt talks about the controversy, what it took to get ready for those sexy scenes and how his mother reacted to the movie.

Matt’s also working on a unusual documentary “Gaze,” a collection of audio interviews with 20 artists talking about how they redefine beauty and how these ideas of beauty affect everyone.

We’re also joined by his kooky friend, Champagne!! Champagne!!, a visual artist who combs Los Angeles in search of unusual garbage to turn into works of art. By the end of the show, she changes her name. Will it stick?

In the news:
A gay hit-man for the mob comes out of the closet during a trial.

A cat goes for a wild ride in the engine of an SUV in New York City.

LifeLube Your Field Guide to Gay Men’s Health
Delivering daily news and commentary on sexuality, cutting edge research, and fresh thinking on health & wellness.
2009 GLAAD Media Award Nominee for “How Are You Healthy” ad campaign.

Featured Music:
Eric Lindell – Gulf Coast Highway: iTunes | Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #1025 – Glenn Loves Daniel – 07.15.09

Marc Felion — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:18:00 +0000

Brooke Knows Best on VH1 is one of my guilty summer pleasures. The spin-off reality tv series based on Hulk Hogan’s daughter Brooke might be the hottest show on right now.

One sexy twist is Brooke’s gay guy pal Glenn Douglas Packard now has a sexy boyfriend, underwear model Daniel Miagany. A special “Glenn Goes Home” episode premiers this Sunday where Glenn brings the whole crew and his new boyfriend home to Michigan to meet the family.

Listen as we talk to Glenn and Daniel about their relationship as the lie in bed in Miami Beach after a decadent night of hanging out with reality TV stars.

What was it like for Glenn to make out with a girl on the show? Why did Glenn get naked in front of the Hulk? How soon before they force feminize the Hulkster?

Half the fun of the show is watching Glenn interacting with the famous 80s wrestler Hulk Hogan. Its great to see a macho wrestling icon hanging out with his daughter and her friends, contemplating gay marriage and same-sex dating. Knowing his audience, the Hulkster never fails to mention he has gay wrestling buddies, hopefully we’ll get to meet them in upcoming shows!

In the second half of the show we talk to publicist turned movie producer, director and writer Rob Williams of Guest House Films.

Robin’s films include “Make the Yuletide Gay,” “Back Soon” and “Long-Term Relationship” where a gay man falls in love with a Republican!

His film “3-Day Weekend” comments on the state of gay films, referencing Terrence McNally’s genre defining film “Love, Valor, Compassion!” Have popular gay films been plagued by a certain victim mentality? Where are gay films headed in the future?

Some of Rob’s films have minor roles played by Feast of Fun favorites- Deven Green and her hunky husband Joel Bryant!

I’m crossing my fingers that Rob produces my TV pilot where Deven I play a crime-solving wheelchair bound physicist and his karate chopping nurse, but I’m not holding my breath.

Make a comment on today’s show using twitter- Include #fof1025 in your update for it to magically appear on the site. To learn more about Twitter hashtags and how the work, please visit the Twitter Fan Wiki.

Featured Films:
Rob Williams – Back Soon: Amazon
Rob Williams – Long-Term Relationship: Amazon
Rob Williams – 3-Day Weekend: Amazon

Featured Music:
Baby Teeth- Hustle Beach: Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #997 – Behind the Scenes on All About Evil – 06.03.09

Fausto Fernós — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:00:23 +0000

She’s back! Peaches Christ gives us an exclusive behind the scenes look of the production of her debut horror film, All About Evil, which tells the story of a mad librarian who kills her victims in real life for her art house horror films.

The grueling 28 day film shooting schedule took it’s toll on poor Peaches. It almost killed her. Boy are we glad to have her back on the show.

Listen and find out who had a Christian Bale-out moment on the taping of the film? And what legendary filmmaker John Waters thinks of San Franscio’s drag movie maven.

Did Peaches really make Mink Stole cry? Just how far did fans go to be in the film?

Peaches also goes into the future of the legendary Midnight Mass film series now that she’s a famous film director.

Also, we take a look at some of the films to which we’re hopelessly addicted like “The Terminator”, “Showgirls” and “The Fifth Element.” Will “All About Evil” be one of them?

Check out today’s sponsor:

Get a FREE audio book at Audible.com
Go ahead and get one- it’s free! Follow the link: www.audiblepodcast.com/feastoffun
to get that free download.

Featured Music:
Astronauts of Antiquity- Rocket Science for Dummies: iTunes | Amazon | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #994 – Have a Slice of Mekole Wells – 05.29.09

Marc Felion — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:36:03 +0000

Chicago singer Mekole Wells was stabbed in the throat ten times and left for dead by her next door neighbor. She thought she would never to sing again.

Today she’s singing better than ever and training to run in the Rock and Roll Half Marathon to raise money for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Listen as we talk with our divalicious friend Mekole Wells about being a public school teacher and why an alarming study shows that over half of teenagers are not only having oral sex, but are pretty ambivalent about getting paid for sexual favors.

An informal study of Craigslist Sex classifieds reveals that Houston, Texas is the bottom capital of America.

Why are people trying to make Youtube sensation Susan Boyle cry?

A 29 year man has 20 babies by eleven different women.

Levi Johnston poses half nude with his naked baby for GQ, but will he get laid 3,000 times like the model who posed for L’Enfant poster from the 80s?

Party girls with beer slipped into a New Trier High School yearbook.

And as prom season is in full swing, more and more high schools are electing openly gay teens as their prom king and queens. What’s going on here?

Mekole Well’s Concert, Party & Aids Marathon Fundraiser
Wednesday June 17th, 2009
7:30- 9:00 PM
Mary’s Attic /Hamburger’s Mary
$20.00 Admission (Includes 1st cocktail & TAX DEDUCTIBLE)

Featured Music:
Mekole Wells – Anything Worth Mentioning: iTunes |Amazon | CD Baby | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | ODEO

FOF #979 – Cuban Sex Workers and British Scally Lads – 05.01.09

Marc Felion — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:32:53 +0000

Although the Cuban sex trade has been well documented, a new film, Luchando, shows how modern Cuban people are to each other for intimacy and economic gain.

Today we’re talking to documentary filmmaker Noelle Stout and Alphonso Morgan, the producer of the film “Luchando” which follows the struggle of four sex workers in Cuba.

The term “Luchando” means “the constant or continuing struggle” and has been appropriated by the sex workers from the propaganda of the Communist Revolution to describe their constant struggle to make it and be part of society.

Join us as we take a look how the modern gay rights movement in Cuba is interwoven with the rise in sex workers and why this communist country just may grant same-sex marriage rights before the United States in order to demonstrate their commitment to human rights.

We also discuss the state of the HIV/AIDS quarantine camps and their effectiveness and the dangers of documenting such a controversial subject as prostitution in a communist country where journalism is illegal.

Then we’re also talking to writers Chris Martin and Darren Flaxstone of the gritty new British film, Shank which tells the story of sexy 18 year Cal who struggles to come to terms with being gay while being part of a violent gang – a violent sexy gang!

Plus, they’re all taking your questions, through facebook. So stick around for tricks and thugs.

FOF #978 – The Pop Princess and the Peruvian Player – 04.30.09

Marc Felion — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:15:58 +0000

You may not know about her yet, but Emme is coming to America, and she is bold, fierce and fabulous!

Today we’re talking to Mariella Vitale the Argentine pop star known as Emme, who co-stars in the new film “El Niño Pez” The Child Fish- a sexy thriller about a love affair between the daughter of a wealthy powerful judge and the family maid. This movie is one of the highlights of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Emme is taking questions from you through Facebook where we learn that Emme’s appearance on the cover of Playboy in Argentina was the best selling issue of the year. Listen to show to find out how she represented the Playboy Bunny on her body.

Her bold, refreshing embrace of edgy roles and her own sexuality make her the one to watch.

We’re also talking to documentary filmmaker Andrea Franco Batievsky on her new film “Paolo” which follows her friend Paolo Reategui, a Peruvian gay man living in New York City, searching not just for his father, but for his roots and identity on a journey back to his native Peru.

A pet chihuahua was gone with the wind after a terrible storm blew it far away only to be retrieved with the help of a pet psychic. Was the psychic for real or just stealing dogs to gain new clients?

“Please avoid this area if men having sex in the bushes offends you”- informs a park sign in Amsterdam.

Shadow Hare, a costumed vigilante in Cincinnati, fights crime by roaming the streets in colored spandex with a taser and pepper spray. Is he a real life superhero or just a freaky crackpot?

Got a message to share? Click here to advertise on the podcast and reach iTunes’ largest GLBT audience.

Featured Music:
Emme – Femme: HB Direct | YouTube
Modernage – The Victim: Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #977 – Miami, Martí, Movies & Me – 04.29.09

Marc Felion — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:42:10 +0000

Miami is a city full of good looking people, great weather and fabulous beaches. The annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is under full swing, bringing some of the hottest queer films, documentaries and shorts to the forefront.

Now’s a great time to take a trip to the part of America that pokes into Latin culture.

Come dive with us into the pool of great queer movies as we talk with Kareem Tabsch, the festivals programming director.

This week they’re showing Outrage, the new documentary about outing closeted gay politicians, Little Ashes, a film starring the sexy Robert Patterson of Twilight as a bi curious Salvador Dali and Luchando, a documentary that looks at the life of Cuban prostitutes of all persuasions. Why is this the film to watch?

Many of the films of the festival we’re featuring here might sell out, so be sure to get your tickets in advance here. See you there!

Kareem has been involved with programming the festival for over seven years, and has his finger on the pulse of where we’re going as a community. What hot topics in gay cinema does he see in the coming years?

We also have a fascinating interview with filmmaker Juan Carlos Zaldívar, who escaped Cuba in a boat called the Party Girl. His new short, José Martí & I, examines the sexuality of Cuba’s beloved founding father, the political and cultural figure, José Martí.

Was José Martí gay? How is can two very different groups of people who hate each other love the same person?

Got a message to share? Click here to advertise on the podcast and reach iTunes’ largest GLBT audience.

Featured Music:
Ariel Aparicio – All These Brilliant Things: iTunes | Amazon | CD Baby | Site
Eric Lindell – Gulf Coast Highway: Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #909 – King of the Cul De Sac – 01.14.09

Fausto Fernós — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:24:56 +0000

Before Darren Stein went on to direct such fabulous films as Jawbreaker and Sparkler, he made short videos with his friends in their suburban cul de sac. His sophisticated short movies touched on adult subjects of jealousy, sexuality, violence and murder.

The films were over the top, with titles like “Gay as a Whistle”and “Satan’s Ferrari.” They included scenes depicting concentration camp executions and even commercial for a vibrator. These were movies made by kids.

Two decades later, Darren’s documentary Put the Camera on Me examines the movies he and his friends made as children and tries to understand them by interviewing all the kids now grown up as well as their parents.

Listen as Darren Stein talks to us about being the gay teen leader of his suburban cul de sac, the videos he made as a kid and the film he’s best known for, Jawbreaker.

Darren also gives us the skinny about well as his upcoming movie All About Evil which he is producing for San Francisco drag legend and Feast of Fools favorite Peaches Christ.

If you live in the Los Angeles area you can meet Darren and Peaches Christ in person on Friday, January 16 at the New Art Theater for a special screening of Jawbreaker with a special appearance with the dreamy Thomas Dekker, star of the hit TV show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Featured Movies:
Jawbreaker: Amazon | iTunes
Put the Camera on Me: Amazon
Sparkler: Amazon
Color Me Olsen: PeachesChrist.com

Featured Music:
Paper or Plastic – Best of Luck to Cody James!: iTunes | CD Baby | MySpace
Ben Lerman – Ukular Winter: MySpace | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOF #892 – The Real Life Cleve Jones – 12.05.08

Fausto Fernós — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:44:02 +0000

How far have we come in the fight for gay, lesbian, bisexual ans transgendered rights since the 1970s?

Gus Van Sant’s new biographic film MILK brings forth a chilling timeliness with parallels to the anti-gay measures passed in the last election.

Have we come a long way baby, or have we only just begun?

On today’s show we have the real-life Cleve Jones, Harvey Milk’s protegee and friend portrayed by the hunky actor Emile Hirsch in the film. Since the 1970s, he has been working tirelessly for gay rights and union organization.

On the anniversary of the assassination of Harvey Milk, Cleve conceived the idea for the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the world’s largest community arts project and memorial to the lives of over 85,000 Americans killed by AIDS.

Cleve shares his experience with the film and his thoughts on boycotts and the fight against proposition 8. Cleve is asking for the gay community to boycott Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego because the owner of the hotel gave $125,000 to Yes on Prop 8 campaign. They are having a community forum on the boycott on December 6th at the Center on Halsted at noon. Call 773.472.6469 for details.

Will we ever see a political leader like Harvey Milk again, and where’s their Facebook profile? It seems Obama won the election online, maybe we’ll find the same success as the new generation of queer youth network and organize on the internet.

Join us as Cleve answers how accurate was the movie? Was it a mistake to release the film after the November election? Was Harvey Milk’s lover Scott Smith as attractive as actor James Franco? What was assassin Dan White’s sinister relationship to the San Francisco Police Department?

And does the potential for winning an Oscar help an actor kick it up a notch on the Kinsey Scale?

Find out, PLUS- we’ve got Cleve Jones for the hour plus questions from you, our listeners.

Check out our sponsors:

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount
on your next visit. Enter “Feast of Fools” on the promo
code field to get the special discount.

Featured Music:
Gaye Adegbalola – Gaye Without Shame: iTunes | Amazon
Patti Smith- Til Victory: iTunes

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #825 – Is This DEEE-END of Trannyshack? – 08.22.08

Fausto Fernós — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:44:38 +0000

I love having celebrities in my hotel room. On today’s show we’ve got three delicious stars in our penthouse suite at the Hotel Mark Twain in San Francisco- Peaches Christ, Heklina, and Lady Miss Kier!

The three of them, along with a multitude other fabulous performers will be working the stage on Saturday night at the Trannyshack Final Kiss-OFF Party, a big adieu to the weekly club show that has influenced drag queens for over 12 years.

But as they say in show business, nothing ever really dies. Will “Lash Out” be the next project in the works or will Trannyshack continue in a different form?

Lady Miss Kier is best known as the lead singer and co-producer for the mega-hit band DEEE-LITE, who’s songs “Groove is in the Heart” and “What is Love” defined the sound for a whole generation. Today their music still gets an enthusiastic response from people everywhere.

As a art director and fashion designer her influence was felt throughout the 90s in club kid fashion, video and in graphic design.

Join us for an intoxicating fun show as we dish it up with Heklina and Peaches Christ about the final night of Trannyshack in San Francisco, the impact of Dee-Lite’s music, and living in the 1990′s

Plus questions from you, our listeners.

What is fabulousness? Feast of Fools.

Hotel Mark Twain
Gay Friendly. Bear Friendly. People Friendly.
Call direct at: (415) 673-2332
and ask for the FEAST rate.

Featured Music:
Deee-Lite – The Very Best of Deee-Lite: iTunes | Amazon

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE

FOFA #648 – Starrbootylicious – 04.08.08

Fausto Fernós — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:17:33 +0000

Get your booty in high gear people! The most famous drag queen in the world, RuPaul joins us for real on today’s show.

Well known for her 1993 chart topping release Supermodel, RuPaul Charles is still going on strong as a drag queen, comedian, musician and filmmaker.

RuPaul literally became the first drag queen supermodel after the success of her original hit song “Supermodel” when MAC cosmetics launched their product line and made her their first cover girl. It’s impossible to measure the impact RuPaul’s career has had on gay culture and music as the incredible success of his debut album permanently made drag queens a mainstream fixture in films, movies, music and television. As RuPaul says in the interview, be careful what you put out there because your dreams can come true.

On today’s show we talk to RuPaul from the city of Corpus Christi (birthplace of Selena) about her new film “Starrbooty,” a re-visioning of her 1987 original cult classic inspired by the works of Russ Meyer and John Waters. Back in the day when she was struggling to make it in New York City, RuPaul edited her own movie with two VCR decks and showed them around gay bars in the city.

Now she’s doubled her cock budget, brought on some fancy lights and cameras, but “Starrbooty” is a film true to its original spirit of drag queen mayhem and fun. Don’t expect good acting here or believable plots, just a lot of over the top drag queens, blacksploitation references and huge cocks.

Listen as RuPaul goes back, back BLACK to her roots to talk about about her early years in Atlanta Georgia, the costs of superstardom, her jousts with celebrities, being a lady in a man’s world, and the controversy surrounding her friendship with blackface comedian Shirley Q Liquor.

You don’t want to miss this show!

[Originally posted on 11.12.07]

Check out our sponsor:

Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
Visit Steamwork’s website and register to get a discount on your next visit.

Be sure to enter “Feast of Fools” on the promo code field to get the special discount!

Release the pressure! Saca la presión.

If loving the Feast of Fools is wrong, we don’t want to be right!

Featured Movie:
Starrbooty (2007), directed by Mike Ruiz: Buy it on Amazon

Featured Music:
RuPaul – Starrbooty (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) iTunes | Amazon | Site

a href=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/FeastofFools” target=”_new”>RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE VIA iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE VIA: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #708 – The True Flavor of Love – 02.20.08

Fausto Fernós — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:34:49 +0000

It’s amazing what our lovely tranny friend Tracy can do with her voice! On today’s show Tracy Tyler surprises us all by demonstrating how she can go effortlessly from femme to butch. Listen in as Tracy shares her tips and tricks on how to “force-masculinize” your voice, or let it go femme and fancy free.

Despite the fact there is a significant population of straight identified men who crave sexual relationships with trans women, they hesitate and even panic at the though of identifying themselves as being “same-sex” anything.

But if you think about it, these guys are attracted to women that at one time or another were men. Their attraction may be because they see something in themselves in the other person. So does this make them gay or just “girls with guy parts” crazy?

Also on today’s show we have an interview with Pilar Prassas the director/producer of “In Sickness & In Health” which chronicles the journey of three of these activist couples as the battle the state of New Jersey in hopes of legalizing same-sex marriage

One particular couple, Marilyn and Diane, partners of 14 years, were dedicated to fighting for the marriage but before their dream could be realized, Marilyn was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Join us as we chat with Pilar about how she became involved in the project and what it was like to document someone fighting for equal rights while fighting for her own life.

Featured Music:
Rachael Sage – Blistering Sun: Amazon | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #685 – Peaches Christ Will Save You – 06.08.08

Fausto Fernós — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:49:03 +0000

WWPCW? What Would Peaches Christ Watch? A campy horror film with lots of gratuitous sex, violence and wild women on the verge of insanity, of course!

Brainchild of filmmaker Joshua Grannell, Peaches Christ is well known in San Francisco for the 10-year-running Midnight Mass movie events where drag queens perform tacky skits before the screening of a campy feature film.

The hilarious, insane and loosely scripted performances with outrageous costumes (check out her film-dress here) hark back to the hippie Cockette shows of the late 1960s. Peaches is our kind of gal!

Don’t let the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence inspired eye make-up fool you. Peaches Christ is dead serious about her love of film and the success of Midnight Mass is a testament to her passion for great movies and the value of a gay sensibility.

Like our friend Curtis Jensen says, Peaches is a guardian of our culture: “Peaches is presenting a forum for the screening of these films that have always had a special layer of meaning for Queer audiences. I see her as a the queer equivalent of the Cinematheque in Paris, where for years film enthusiasts could be educated about film. She is educating a new generation of queers about the rich cultural heritage of camp and cult film.”

So much in fact that in 2007, Peaches Christ celebrated the ten year anniversary of Midnight Mass with guest appearances by John Waters, Elvira, and Tura Satana. Campy celebrities love Peaches.

So kids, grab a bucket of popcorn and take notes! Class is in session.

Join Marc Felion and me Fausto Fernós as we talk with Peaches about some of the sickest, wildest and most hilarious movies of all time. What does Peaches think about such fabulous films like:
• Valley of the Dolls
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
• Mommie Dearest
• Showgirls
• The Bad Seed
• The Women

The podcast that is ONE OF YOUR FANS!!! Feast of Fools.

Featured Music:
Jen Porter – Moving On…: iTunes | CD Baby | Site
Independent music rocks!

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE VIA iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE VIA: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY

FOF #590 – The Hate Bug – 08.14.07

Fausto Fernós — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:28:54 +0000

One spring morning in Albany NY, art education grad student Erin Davies woke up to find her Volkswagen Beetle vandalized with the words “fAg” and “UR gAy” in red spray paint.

Instead of removing the graffiti, Erin decided to turn the vandalism into a work of public art. She currently drives around the country documenting people’s reactions to the hateful words on her car.

Believe it or not, like Cindy Sheehan, Erin has decided to take a controversial approach to dealing with the circumstances by sacrificing her personal relationships, her job and career in order to rise to the occasion that this event has created. Not everyone is on her side. Some people think it’s in poor taste for her to accept money or sell merchandise in order to fund her trip. Of course these people criticizing her want to be paid for their jobs, but think that activists should do it for free. [FagBug's MySpace page]

For the most part, Erin has gotten some incredible positive responses from people all around the country. What’s your reaction to seeing this?

Strangely enough, a self-proclaimed graffiti aficionado posted a note with his phone number on her windshield wiper claiming the defacement is a fake. Because the handwriting bears a strong resemblance to the graffiti on the car, Erin and others believe this may be the man who did it. So what did we do? We called him.

Today Erin talks about how this incident has changed her life, the public reaction to her car, why some people don’t believe her story, and beginning to confront the man who may have possibly vandalized her car in the first place.

So it this for real? Are we being taken for a ride?

It’s easy to imagine this as being TOO perfect. The bold red letters against the neutral gray background seem staged to send a strong message against hate speech. Everyone thinks VW Beetles are gay, so why bother writing “UR GAY” on the car anyway?

I personally think she’s saying the truth and I also think the guy we talked to on the phone didn’t do the graffiti either. but you have to admit it’s almost as if the universe is calling forward this woman to become a powerful symbol against hate and intolerance in our country. If you want to, donate some money or buy a FagBug sticker/t-shirt by clicking here.

Click here to see our photos taken with Erin Davies and the FagBug.

Shift your gears into fabulousness, you’re listening to the Feast of Fools.

Featured Music:
Djola Branner – Mighty Real/A Tribute To Sylvester: iTunes | Amazon
Congress Of Starlings – Albedo: CD Baby | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE VIA iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE VIA: YAHOO | GOOGLE | PODZINGER