Thank you, mum, may we have another?

While we still think of her most fondly as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison from the Prime Suspect series, we're delighted that this year's Oscars have brought new attention to the prolific hotness that is Helen Mirren.

Of course, there's another infamous role that most likely won't be a topic of discussion when she has dinner with the QE2. Back during that brief era when it was a risque but acceptable move for a "legitimate" actor to appear in an explicit bit of filmmaking, Mirren portrayed Caesonia, wife of the crazed emperor and "the most promiscuous woman in Rome," in Gore Vidal's 'Caligula'.

Perhaps instead they can chat about the bit of video that's been making an on-again, off-again appearance around YouTube the past year, namely Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal’s 'Caligula':



From our extensive research, we understand that the trailer, featuring a stunning and good-natured Mirren, is but a spoof (or, "art", if you really must insist). We'd like to suggest that some savvy investor consider otherwise and step forward with the funding for what could surely be Helen Mirren's next Oscar-worthy vehicle.

It's all a whirl

Our recent take on Black Snake Moan is part of this week's Carnival of Cinema, over at Nehring the Edge.

Jump in for a great mix of filmic thoughts and reviews.

Oh, yes, so very hard!

We're counting the days until our return to the Lonestar State and our eagerly-anticipated - by us, anyway - participation in the SXSW film festival panel, Sex Scenes Stay Hard:

Love scenes might be the toughest thing for a filmmaker, actors and crew to accomplish. Under play it, and the audience does not believe there is connection between the characters. Go too far, and you'll get yourself a NC-17 rating. From behind the camera to between the sheets to behind the scenes, this roundtable will discuss what it takes to get that love connection on film and keep those scenes in the final cut.

At one point in our prior existence as a young, enterprising film development sort, we actually contemplated starting our own company, to be deemed "NC-17 Productions," with the thought of making balls-to-the-wall (so to speak) explicit, albeit narratively sophisicated fare. But then that conniving John Cameron Mitchell stole the idea and totally ran with it. Um, Shortbus ... you might have heard of it? Anyway, we're really not so bitter anymore, all we're suggesting is that the NC-17 rating - or none at all - need not be regarded as the sign of the beast and might actually be embraced as a badge of distinction. (Then again, we did see This Film Is Not Yet Rated - at last year's SXSW actually - and we have to concede that either can be a bit of a distribution, er, hindrance.)

It should be a jolly discussion. Moderating will be Bryan Poyser, who, among other things, directed the CineKinkster fave Dear Pillow. Rounding out the panel will be director Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes the Stairs, LOL) and POWER UP's Lisa Thrasher (Itty Bitty Titty Committee), along with actor Jay Brannan and director John Cameron Mitchell (yep, him again!) of Shortbus.

We're up on Monday, March 12 @ 3pm. Drop in if you're around!

Chronicling a kerfuffle

We were traipsing through San Francisco ourselves when we heard the news that Kink.com had purchased the city's long-abandoned armory building for the tidy sum of $14.5 million, with the intent of spiffing it up and turning it into a production center for works both pornographic and indie. How lovely!, we thought - then turned our attention back to determining which weekend activities we'd pursue in a metropolis so apparently teeming with sex-positive joie de vivre.

But that sale has, in the words of the New York Times anyway, turned into a bit of a kerfuffle, with a group of neighborhood activists sounding the alarm - “The new owner said they would create jobs. But what kind of jobs are we talking about here?” (It should be noted that the NYT article also mentions that activist challenges, over various concerns, have helped keep the building empty for the past three decades.)

And this week the kerfuffle went meta, as Violet Blue, who, among other things is a sex columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, took on what she sees as an anti-porn bias in mainstream media - including that recently exhibited by her own employer.



From her column this week:

But the most interesting example was the presentation of unchallenged material in the form of quotes from people on the street as anti-porn pundits -- with no weigh-in from pro-porn pundits. Protesters were quoted as saying, "This neighborhood is already plagued with enough violence and prostitution as it is" and "Kink degrades the neighborhood, degrades women and offers 'dead end' jobs that no decent person would want." Such statements bracket the piece -- with no counter-opinions about pornography -- and are presented in such a way that readers could interpret opinions as fact. Kink.com was indeed quoted -- but only about their use of the space."

As to those jobs that "no decent person would want"? A few employees have weighed in on the matter on the Kink.com website's press page.

Why don't you have a seat right about... here?!?

We figured we'd embargo this tidbit until after Valentines Day, but a thought for our gorgeous, smart, talented, witty - and did we mention gorgeous? - younger sibling currently navigating the Los Angeles dating morass... apparently things could get worse!



Enter Cast-a-Date, the "only networking, dating and casting site, exclusively for people IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY." Seeing where it's based, that might seem a little redundant, but - not to worry - we are comforted by the fact that it's run by "real Hollywood Casting Directors!" (Hat-tip Defamer.)

No word yet on an alt sex version, but we're thinking it will feature plenty of "real" Hollywood producers and supplicant wannabe screenwriters. Hot!

Send your Valentine a Sissy-Gone-Wild!!

Who needs another box of stale chocolates anyway? This Valentines' Day, send along a beribboned Sissies Gone Wild greeting and really stand apart from the crowd.

Or, maybe Gay Cowboys Eating Pudding is more to your liking? We've got them as well. All that and more, now available for your perusing in the CineKink trailer gallery!

Alumni News: Candida Royalle

Just out from director Candida Royalle is Under the Covers, following a plucky, young journalist as she investigates the sex industry and - wouldn't you know it! - gets more than she bargained for. (Or "more than for which she bargained," more likely? A mere mention of journalism and we start getting all grammatical.)



Reknowned as a pioneer in producing erotica intended primarily for women and couples, Candida was last seen around CineKink as part of "The State of Smut: NYC" panel, educating up-and-comers on the sexiest bits of any indie filmmaking scene ... finance and distribution.

As for other CineKink alumni gracing the hot new project, the trailer features a glimpse of our perennial favorite, actress Sativa Verte (Alice in Footland, CineKink '04, Audience Choice Award/Honorable Mention).

And a cameo appearance by director Michele Capozzi (Pornology New York, CineKink '05, Audience Choice Award/Best Documentary), himself putting in an unusually soleful performance.