Janet Jackson, Unbreakable

With her nipple safely tucked away, Janet Jackson resurrects a bygone bondage-less sound that’s more Good Times than straight up sexy time. No “Would You Mind”-type on-tape masturbation. No Damita Jo-era “Sexhibition.” “Miss Jackson if you’re nasty”? Not so much, at least for the time being. Instead, Janet’s 11th studio album, Unbreakable, is playful and PG, a welcome return to Jackson’s many formative years as the girl-next-door pop star du jour, when she didn’t rely on sex to sell a song – all she needed was her trademark sweetness. And, of course, Janet’s heart, heard throughout Unbreakable, which was produced by her longtime dream team, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Striking the redundancy of the bedroom-play songs she cranked out post-Velvet Rope, her first album in seven years puts empowerment first, reflecting on love, kindness and hope – a Rhythm Nation for a new generation. “We all need to do better,” she proclaims on the socially conscious “Black Eagle,” a twinkly mid-tempo she dedicates to the “invisible people.” Like a lot of Unbreakable, from the autobiographical title track through lead single “No Sleeep” and the penultimate nostalgia of “Well Traveled,” this is a low-key, Janet-circa-“Runaway” affair. By the time she tributes her late brother Michael on the very-MJ-sounding “Gon’ B Alright,” surprisingly the most bouncy jam in the mix, it’s clear Janet isn’t just unbreakable – sometimes, she’s still unbeatable.

 

Grade: B+

 

Patty Griffin, Servant of Love

The piano tiptoes to a crawl, and then – with adorning horns, and Patty Griffin’s sky-high vocal climb – it briskly powers into an impassioned run. The song is “Servant of Love,” the title track off Griffin’s 10th release. Now self-employed (Griffin went indie for this, her latest), the celebrated singer-songwriter once again follows her transformative muse into the unknown, charting territory that eludes predictability and, instead, favors multi-genre alchemy – and that’s just musically. Beyond the blurred sonic lines of folk, blues, soul and rock is a tapestry rich in earnest storytelling, a bloodletting of words beautifully strung together in typical Griffin fashion: from the world around us. Hanging out in the deep, dark corners of human suffering, Servant of Love is sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful, but always compassionate and compelling. “Good and Gone” recounts the real-life fatal shooting of a young black man by police in a Walmart, and it’s appropriately stark, rumbling about like the coldest and windiest of days. The jaunty jazz-flecked “Gunpowder” could easily be interpreted as a clever dig at the NRA, and “250,000 Miles,” inspired by trafficked Nepali women, is drum-punched and heart-wrenching. But hope is never too distant. On “Shine a Different Way,” she reacts to the darkness before her, imparting light where she can. “Made of the Sun” and “Rider of Days,” a celestial stunner, also cut through the despair. Servant of Love is a world-weary reflection of our times, radiating optimism when so little of it seems to exist.

 

Grade: A-

 

Also Out

 

CHVRCHES, Every Open Eye

CHVRCHES’s first album since their 2013 debut, Bones of What You Believe, eases into a steady synth build with “Afterglow,” electro shimmer and Lauren Mayberry’s pure voice guiding it through an otherworldly dimension. It’s that space that CHVRCHES occupies so well, their vulnerable heart pouring out over the evocative framework of their carefully calibrated EDM. Here, they don’t bend much musically. This is Bones… just better. But who are we to argue with the glistening pop brilliance of “Bury It” and “Clearest Blue” and “Keep You On My Side” and… the whole thing, really.

 

Lana Del Rey, Honeymoon

Lana Del Rey is sad again. On Honeymoon, the songs sway in the moonlight, softly, slowly. That kind of languid pacing is Del Rey’s go-to, a style she's finessed ever since releasing her big breakthrough Born to Die. Her latest keeps that downer vibe alive, and in the way Ultraviolence didn’t pay mind to radio, Honeymoon stays true to Del Rey’s artistic intentions rather than faking them for mainstream consumption. Just listen to “God Knows I Tried,” a haunting guitar-strummed confessional – and then rejoice in knowing that she’s still blazing her own bittersweet path.

 

Various artists, We Love Disney

Dreams – they do come true. That is, if your dream is to have Jessie J slip into Ariel’s mermaid flapper for “Part of Your World” and also hear Gwen Stefani interpret The Muppets’ cutesy stargazer, “The Rainbow Connection.” These all-new contemporary takes on classic Disney songs from today’s biggest pop and country stars – including Kacey Musgraves’ “Spoonful of Sugar” and Ariana Grande’s “Zero to Hero” from Hercules – are pretty much magic, with UK sensation Jessie Ware being the perfect fit for “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and Rascal Flatts being Rascal Flatts on a foot-stompin’ version of “Let It Go.”.

 

 

My Own Private Idah

Two years before a drug overdose ended River Phoenix’s life in 1993, the dreamboat poeticized a tortured gay street hustler with gutting sorrow in out director Gus Van Sant’s groundbreaking queer-cinema classic, My Own Private Idaho. The actor’s piercing eyes and windblown hair were as aesthetically pleasing as Van Sant’s languidly shot rural landscapes. The quiet countryside, the time-lapsing clouds. But it’s Phoenix’s lonely, lived-in performance that, to this day, and especially among those in the LGBT community with intensely emotional connections to the film, is heralded as a spellbinding turn for the then-21-year-old actor. As Mike Waters, he is broken and lost. His mother is gone. The man he loves doesn’t love him. And exacerbating his crippled state is his long battle with narcolepsy. Searching for his mother – and himself – Mike sets off on the road with another gay hustler, Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves, also impressive). Their companionship unfolds both beautifully and tragically, most memorably amidst the crackling of a campfire and the sound of a breaking heart. Thanks to Criterion Collection, the Blu-ray debut of  My Own Private Idaho includes a candid conversation with Van Sant and fellow filmmaker Todd Haynes focusing on various elements of the film and its enduring impact as one of the earliest “New Queer Cinema Movement” films. Also included are a lengthy documentary, an interview with Phoenix’s sister Rain and an extensive booklet featuring archival interviews.

 

Inside Out

Oh, emotions. Those crazy, complicated things that occupy our messy minds – they have lives of their own, don’t they? In Pixar’s moving new classic Inside Out, they even have names: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust. Since birth, they’ve occupied Riley’s noggin, overseeing every life-changing evolution as she faces those difficult tween years. You know the ones. And during those years, the film’s emotions react to a variety of Riley’s new surroundings as the once-newborn kisses her youth goodbye and faces those inevitable growing pains. This is a cute, colorful, emotional film – one of Pixar’s best. Kids will adore it. It makes important assertions, like, without Sadness we couldn’t fully appreciate Joy. But the film resonates on a different, deeper level for adults – for anyone missing that special imaginary friend who embodied childhood innocence. The ones wishing they were still pulling their little red wagon. In those nostalgic memory-laden moments, we are all Riley, and we are all experiencing the full range of misty-eyed emotions as we reflect on letting go and growing up. Among the release’s two-disc extras: Lava, the sweet short about two lovestruck volcanos; hand-drawn deleted scenes with commentary; and interviews with voice actresses Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and the wonderful-as-Sadness Phyllis Smith.

 

Magic Mike 2

Butt floss was sexy before the jockstrap out-sexied it, but the '90s are dead and Sisqó is not popular anymore. So, let’s retire the thong, OK? The skivvies the Magic Mike 2 men don around their you-know-whats in Channing Tatum’s cinematic gift to the world should not be a thing. This is an important detail because this is a movie about men who dry hump metal poles. What conceals their bits is a supporting character. And the stripping itself – wait, what stripping? There's hot-and-heavy dancing, to that song "Pony”... in a workshop... with a saw, but rarely do clothes come off. Rarely is there nudity. THIS IS A STRIPPING MOVIE AND THE PEOPLE WANT NAKEDNESS. But whatever. If you have high expectations for Magic Mike 2, just stick to Sean Cody. This is not your movie. But if you want Joe Manganiello, as Big Dick Richie, giving a not-having-it store clerk a good time with his trusty Cheetos and a bottle of water? Matt Bomer's overdone hippy-dippy character, Ken, sexing up the stage as he sings D'Angelo? The whole hot herd voguing at a drag club? Then get those $20s out. Behind the scenes, we get to meet one very lucky choreographer. Channing Tatum grinds her. You know, just another day on the job.

 

The Gift

New home. Happy couple. Dog. Shower. In The Gift, you know inevitable stranger danger looms just around the twisted and twisty corner, each shot a setup for the messy fallout. When Gordo (Joel Edgerton, who also wrote and directed the film) comes into the picture, creepily stopping by unannounced with presents, it’s only a matter of time before things go awry. Another shower scene. The dog again. When weird stuff starts happening, Gordo’s former classmate, Simon (an intensely serious Jason Bateman), tries to keep his distance, but one by one, the gifts keep coming; Simon’s too-nice wife, Robyn (Rebecca Hall), though, is charmed by Gordo’s weirdness... and the gifts. For a while, anyway. As Gordo’s motives become clear, the characters come undone, challenging our initial perceptions and then smashing them to smithereens. The movie's mind bends make Edgerton's film a top-notch thriller, toying with your expectations all the way through that doozy of an ending. It wraps with the highest caliber of ’90s-thriller, leave-you-speechless crazy, messing with your mind as much as your moral compass. The Gift, in all its demented deliciousness, certainly is a gift. Extras include a wisely-changed alternate ending, some deleted scenes and an Edgerton commentary.

 

Spy

See big woman run. See big woman fall. See big woman try to hop a fence and fail. So funny, right? … No? Uninspired weight-centric punchlines have been the bread and butter of Melissa McCarthy’s IMDB after her Bridesmaids breakthrough in 2011, cheapening the actress’ natural comic instincts. But leave your Melissa McCarthy hate at the door. Spy is a game-changer for McCarthy skeptics, as Paul Feig's sharply scripted comedy gives the actress her best big-screen role yet. Fine with just blending in, McCarthy’s Susan Cooper is a frumpy middle-aged CIA analyst with a schoolgirl crush on her hunky partner, Agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). When she's compelled to step in, Cooper puts on her brave belt and goes undercover, disguising herself in some really hideous costumes, one of which, she jokes, resembles a "homophobic aunt." Laughs don’t let up, especially during two of the film's funniest scenes – one on a plane, another at a fancy restaurant – involving McCarthy and her Bridesmaids co-star Rose Byrne, who plays Susan's diva-haired nemesis Rayna Boyanov. Luckily, there's no shortage of supplements, with bloopers, character-centric features, a making-of, and alternate and extended scenes. The best? Watching Byrne hold it together while McCarthy goes on a wine ramble.

 

Also Out

 

Cinderella (2015)

Anyone still grappling with the fact that Angelina Jolie turned Maleficent into a wounded saint in the dreadful film of the same name, fear not. Cinderella at least remains faithful to its source, and Cate Blanchett knows not to screw with an evil icon. As the stepmother, Blanchett is masterfully torturous, while the lovable Lily James, as Cinderella, imbues authenticity as she channels the film's two constants: courage and kindness. Helena Bonham Carter also stars, radiating the winsome aura of the Fairy Godmother, “bippity boppity boo” and all. This live-action take on the legendary 1950 Cinderella is handsomely rendered and lovingly retold, and if that and Blanchett still aren’t doing it for you, there's always the magic happening in the prince's pants. The "Frozen Fever" short is included among a slight collection of extras.

 

Pitch Perfect 2

Crushed it? Not quite. Even Rebel Wilson, who returns to steal scenes from her co-stars as Fat Amy, can't give this off-pitch sequel enough of that Rebel Wilson-y ridiculousness for the film to achieve the same novel flair of the original. Wilson is fine and funny enough, but the script doesn’t hit many high notes. The Aussie fave’s only truly die-from-laughing scene? A cheesy showstopper wherein she belts Pat Benatar's "We Belong" on a boat; it ends with a make-out session, a parody of every big, goopy rom-com climax. As for the rest of the Barden Bellas, they're vying for another title, they do "Cups" by the campfire (awww), a new girl joins, Anna Kendrick moves up in the world, the end. When does the third one come out again? Among a plentiful heap of special features: a behind-the-scenes feature with director Elizabeth Banks.

 

Aladdin

It’s true – there won’t ever be another “friend like him.” As the Genie, Robin Williams wasn’t just the wish-making magic behind one of Disney’s classics – he was the big, beating heart. Williams’ Genie is still one of Disney’s most celebrated sidekicks, boosting the fun factor to extremes (even doing drag) as he grants a misunderstood street criminal, Aladdin, three wishes. Naturally, there’s a pretty girl, Jasmine. Aladdin pines for her, they sing a song (“A Whole New World” is just as sweet as you remember it), and it’s all so enchanting. Supplements include several Genie-centric features, as filmmakers reflect on Williams’ “warmth.” 

 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

How’s this for a time warp: It’s been 40 years since newlyweds Janet (Susan Sarandon) and Brad (Barry Bostwick) stumbled upon a transvestite scientist’s sex chamber in the film version of the 1973 London-produced musical romp. And talk about a “hello from the other side” – things get weird. A queer cast of freewheeling fishnet-clad eccentrics spice up the otherwise spice-less lives of Janet and Brad – and anyone else needing to let their guard and girdle down. Can’t get enough of the cult classic’s delicious tastelessness? With a feature on the shadow cast craze, along with from-the-vault extras like outtakes and a sing-along (as if you don’t already know it by heart), the Blu-ray will rock your world.

 

 

Selena Gomez is alive, revived and relieved.

 

After photos turned up in 2014 of Gomez scrub-a-dub-dubbing with gal pal Cara Delevingne, who's openly bisexual, what transpired? Gay gossip, of course.

 

Gomez doesn’t care, she says, “because they weren’t talking about other people in my life for once, which was wonderful.”

 

In fact, regarding the blogosphere buzz, Gomez, 23, tells me she "loved it," a testament to the entertainer’s true-to-herself, not-really-caring-what-you-think-anymore persona. That same perspective is reflected in all the dizzying late-night pillow talk throbbing throughout her sexually liberated and self-reflective second studio album, Revival.

 

For a small-screen darling who grew up under the watchful eye of Disney, Gomez's openness both on the album and in conversation is refreshing. After recently revealing that she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus in 2013, she concurs that, yes, this is her coming out party of sorts. (Actually, the way she puts it is, “werk!”)

 

And so it is, as Gomez speaks candidly about other aspects of her life: "absolutely" questioning her sexuality, growing up around her mom's gaggle of mimosa-sippin' gays and – cue the awws – her admiration for ex-flame Nick Jonas' "love and compassion for everyone.”

 

Growing up in Grand Prairie, Texas, what was your introduction to the gay community?

 

You have to understand: My mother is absolutely fantastic and she worked at a modeling agency when I was a very young girl, so every Sunday I would have brunch with her and all of her gays, and I just remember a lot of mimosas. It was the best. So, I’ve been around it my whole life and, you know, I love it. I have to tell you: On my 16th birthday my mom had a bunch of drag queens come out and they sang “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” and it was sooo funny.

 

As someone raised Catholic, accepting the LGBT community was never an issue for you then?

Not at all. Look: There’s a huge difference in how I was brought up; the word “religion” is a very complex thing. It’s something you have to follow, and that’s not what faith is. Anybody who has a higher power, anybody who has anything they believe in: If you don’t know how to love other people, I don’t believe in it. It doesn’t work that way.

 

Have you ever met a Selena Gomez drag queen?

 

Yes! I had one who did one of the viral videos of “Love You Like a Love Song” (Willam Belli’s “Love You Like a Big Schlong”). (She) did a nasty version of it, which was hysterical, and I went to the Logo NewNowNext Awards and I got to meet her, which was amazing. Honestly, I feel like that’s when I made it – genuinely! I emailed it to my mom and she emailed it and CC’d everybody.
 

You say Selena drag queens were the true measure of success for you. But isn’t it true that you’re not truly famous until you’ve been the subject of a gay rumor? And last year, the tabloids had a field day with photos of you and Cara Delevingne.

 

I’ve made it!

 

How did you react to those rumors?

 

Honestly, I loved it. I didn’t mind it. Especially because they weren’t talking about other people in my life for once, which was wonderful. Honestly, though, she’s incredible and very open and she just makes me open. She’s so fun and she’s just extremely adventurous, and sometimes I just want that in my life, so I didn’t mind it. I loved it.

 

Have you ever questioned your sexuality?

 

Oh, I think everybody does, no matter who they are. I do, yeah, of course. Absolutely. I think it’s healthy to gain a perspective on who you are deep down, question yourself and challenge yourself; it’s important to do that.

 

Your friend Demi Lovato played a lesbian on Glee, starring as Naya Rivera's love interest. Who would you choose as an onscreen lesbian love interest?

 

That’s a long list! Suki Waterhouse – she’s a model; she was Bradley Cooper’s girlfriend.

 

As a performer, when were you first aware you had an LGBT following?

 

My first single was when I was 16 and that went to No. 1 on the Dance Club charts so that was my introduction. I don’t think people really knew me, so I don’t know if it was a following necessarily, but once I hit “Love You Like a Love Song” status, that’s really when I started realizing it. And it was the best!

 

My concerts used to be little kids, and then seeing the entire front row being all these guys who were wearing neon T-shirts and just losing their minds – it’s incredible. And then you see the jocks in the other corner throwing their boxers on stage. It’s like, “Oh gosh.” It’s amazing.

 

You say “oh gosh” like it’s a problem.

 

(Laughs) Well, it is a little bit; come on.

 

Do you keep your gay fans in mind when you create music, particularly with Revival?

 

Absolutely. One-hundred percent. Even with my earlier stuff, I’ve always tapped into it, and at the end of the day I’m a full-on pop artist, so I wanted the tracks to be incredible because I know how important that is. But on top of that, having the lyrics be equally as important was something I needed to do for this album. I think it just kind of came together really well. I spent a year on it and I poured everything I had into this album, and I was thinking of everyone. I was thinking of my diehard fans from everywhere.

 

Have you ever dated or fallen for a gay man?

 

Honestly, I don’t have that story, but two of my best friends do and it’s very Will and Grace-like, which I love. But no, I haven’t actually experienced it – wait, maybe that’s not fair to say. Maybe I won’t know? Maybe I don’t know? (Laughs) I just thought about that. Oh my gosh. I’m thinking about my whole life now.

 

Nick Jonas, Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner: Aesthetically speaking, you have good taste in men. How jealous do your gay guy friends get of the people you’ve dated?

 

Oh gosh, they’re more into it than I am. Honestly! Part of the reason I probably went out on a few dates is because of them. They’re just like, “Go! Go!” I’m like, “No!” They’re all about it, for sure.

 

So your gay friends are your matchmakers?

 

All the time. Whoever I’m with or like or don’t like, they’re all about dissecting it and putting me with other people.

 

It must be fascinating for you to see Nick Jonas become such a gay icon. His outreach… his underwear pics…

 

And his (gay) characters that he’s been playing! Scream Queens and the other show, Kingdom, which I thought was super rad. We actually talked about it at dinner one time. He’s incredible, and I think it’s amazing. I’ve known him for years – we were 14 when we met – so it’s crazy, because I actually knew him at a different time in his life. Now, to see him have this amazing perspective on life is awesome. I’m really proud of him.

 

Are you surprised by the way he’s connected with the gay community?

 

Yeah, for sure! Not in a bad way, but I was like, “Thank you.” It was kind of incredible for somebody to step out of their zone for a minute. It’s really incredible to see what he’s done.

It’s incredible to not really be in a judgmental place and to really let down all of your guards. I just think you have to really let go, and you do have to find this in your heart. He clearly has had a love and compassion for everyone, and I think that’s great.

 

The cover of your album, where you’re basically naked, is pure empowerment. You seem very comfortable in your own skin.

 

Every other day it changes, but this year is a very important year for me. A lot of discovering and exploring who I am. It was exciting for me while also being a little complicated; I had dealt with certain body issues and things like that. Once the album was put together and I went through so many different emotions, I knew that this was my moment to really share my heart, because there are so many people who follow or look up to me who are dealing with so much in their own life. I just want to give my all to it – give all of myself literally.

 

Are there any gay people in your life currently who helped you on your journey to self-actualization?

 

Yes, one of my dearest – his name is Gweny. He’s been on my Instagram many times – featured on my Insta! (Laughs) But he’s very sweet and unbelievably confident. He’s a dancer, so he knows how to move his body. Even when I dance, sometimes I’ll ask him to dance with me in the mirror so I can be comfortable in my movements. Sometimes I get a little self-conscious and don’t think I’m a great dancer and he’s able to pull me out of my head instantly. Also, I’ll wake up one morning and he’ll be cooking breakfast, and all of a sudden The Sound of Music is on and it just makes my life happy. He’ll just run into my room and cheer me up and yeah, he’s been a huge part of the last four years of my life. He’s changed my life.

 

You have had to become an adult in front of the whole world. For you, how hard is it to grow up in the limelight?

 

The worst part about it is the lack of forgiveness. When you’re a quote-end quote “child star,” it’s just unfair to be able to throw things at people when they don’t even know who they are yet. So that’s the only frustrating part, because, ultimately, that’s life. Everybody goes through things, and more than anything, I think it’s just the judgmental part. But I enjoy it. I love my life, and I’m so thankful for it. I have been able to experience life in a different way, and even though there are some low moments, it’s incredible to do what I do.

 

You’ve credited Taylor Swift as not just a friend but someone you admire. How often do you and her shake it off at the gay clubs?

 

Oh my gosh – how chic! And all the time. Taylor and I literally will have mini dance parties with all of her dancers who are 100 percent gay (laughs) – and it’s the best feeling ever! It is so fun, and we just lose our minds.

 

So wherever you and Taylor are, it’s always a gay club? Even in her apartment?

 

Yeah, in New York! On tour! Backstage! The whole thing.

 

What is the most common misconception people have of you?

 

Lack of credibility. I understand that I come from Disney or whatever, but I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of what I wanna do in film and music, to be honest. Even though I’ve been doing it for a while, I don’t feel like I have really gone there yet, and that’s fine. I think I gotta grow into it and make mistakes and learn and whatnot, but I do feel like that (credibility) is the one thing that people don’t give me enough of.

 

Do you ever Google yourself?

 

I have, yes. It’s very dangerous. I can’t do it often. I didn’t do it after the album came out because I didn’t know what the reviews were gonna be, and I mean, I can’t do anything about it now – the album is out – so I have to be confident in what I released. But yes, I have, of course. If people text me things or if I hear people talking about stuff, yeah, I’ll do it.

 

What is the craziest thing you’ve read about yourself?

 

What have I not read about myself at this point?! My gosh. I think I’ve been pregnant 15 times. That’s always been the craziest thing for me, which is my favorite. I’ll be at the beach and have the flattest stomach or not, and regardless, I’ll be pregnant. It’s the most hysterical thing to me.

 

To debunk any rumors of a 16th baby – are you pregnant right now?

 

No, nope – definitely not! (Laughs)
 

 

Ellen Page: Flatlining

 

Ellen Page, so good in Freeheld (in theaters as we speak), might very well be stepping into Julia Roberts’ shoes. Or maybe even Kiefer Sutherland’s shoes. Because someone is remaking Flatliners and Ms. Page is in talks to star. OK, you did not just say, “What’s Flatliners?” Come on, ’90s people, you remember Flatliners. It was that sci-fi movie starring Roberts and Sutherland and it was about sexy young scientists researching the afterlife by making people almost die and studying what happens when the nearly-dead go toward the light. Remember how stupid it was but you liked it anyway? Sure you do. OK, maybe you just remember that it existed at all, which is enough. And it gives the renovation team a fair amount of artistic license, a chance to freshen it up without worrying about radically changing the original. Because no one cares. In fact, our level of caring is utterly dependent upon the real-life sign-on of Ellen Page. Then we’ll care a lot, jut not about the plot.

 

Alan Cumming’s Florent changes its reservation

 

In the late 1980s in New York City’s meatpacking district, idiosyncratic French restaurateur Florent Morellet opened a French diner that faithfully served customers for 23 years (until the new New York, the one destroying itself with greed, rent-hiked him out of business). And now his story is coming to cable, thanks to Alan Cumming. Florent, an oddball comedy starring Cumming in the title role, was set up last year at Sundance Channel but has made the switch to Showtime. Written by Patricia Resnick (Mad Men) and directed by Rosemary Rodriguez (The Good Wife, Cummings’ other job), the 30-minute show promises to be a sort of weird foodie’s guide to life. And honestly, does the world need another show about cops, lawyers or doctors, when what it really wants is one where coq au vin is the guest star? Search your hearts and growling stomachs – you know the answer.

 

Jessica Jones, who may be making out with women sometimes

 

Daredevil was a huge success for Marvel on Netflix, which means more and more Marvel on Netflix, you lucky nerds. Next up? Jessica Jones, the former superheroine/private eye, who joins The New Avengers alongside husband Luke Cage. Recently, at New York Comic-Con, the pilot episode was screened and its plotline suggested that Jones (played by the very cool Krysten Ritter) may have once been involved with a woman. Does that matter? Damn right it matters. And to make it even more enticing, co-star Carrie-Anne Moss will play a woman-loving lawyer who hires Jones for a job. With so little LGBT presence making it to the TV and film versions of Marvel stories up to this point (it’s been happening in the comic books for a while already), the importance of this development cannot be overstated. Queer viewers, fire up those DVRs.

 

Absolutely Fabulous movie finally begins shooting

 

Doesn’t it feel like we’ve been talking about the Absolutely Fabulous movie for 20 years? They got around to making another Star Wars movie with Harrison Ford before anyone could confirm that AbFab The Film was even going to be a real thing. So today is a special day; today is the day you learn that principal photography on Fox Searchlight Pictures’ and BBC Films’ Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie has begun in the U.K. and the south of France. The shoot will last seven weeks. Stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will be joined by original cast members Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks and June Whitfield. Patsy and Edina will dress up, drink up and fall down. All will be right with the world. Speaking officially on the matter, Saunders says, “I am thrilled and excited to finally start filming. We are all taking our medication and hoping for the best.” Begin planning your outfit for its 2016 release.