Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:
What To Watch This Week
- Stop! That! Train! — Now Available (VOD): RuPaul & more of your favorite drag queens lead this campy disaster movie pastiche that goes off the rails in the very best way.
- Marc By Sofia — July 16 (HBO Max): An intimate portrait of iconic American fashion designer & queer trailblazer Marc Jacobs, as captured by his close friend Sofia Coppola.
- Heartstopper Forever — July 17 (Netflix): In this feature-length finale, Charlie & Nick look lo life beyond high school and wonder, “are teen relationships really meant to last?”
- Obsession — July 17 (Peacock): Out stars Michael Johnson & Inde Navarette star in this wickedly fun horror as the surprise box-office hit of the year finally comes to streaming.
- The Odyssey — July 17 (Theaters): Most Greek epics are pretty homoerotic, so let’s hope Christopher Nolan’s follows suit. But of course we’ll be tuning in for Elliot Page regardless!
- RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11, Finale — July 17 (Paramount+): After three wild brackets & fierce semi-finals, the remaining queens return for a disco-fied lip-sync smackdown for the crown.
Culture Catch-Up
REAL MATURE!: Ahead of Heartstopper Forever dropping on Friday, the internet’s been surprised to discover the teen romance’s out filmmaker Wash Westmoreland has an X-rated past, directing plenty of subversive gay adult films like Toolbox, Dr. Jerkoff & Mr. Hard, and The Hole, a spoof of horror hit The Ring. [Queerty]
DROPPING THE BALL: The announcement that Tony-winning Cats: The Jellicle Ball will end its run on August 6 means another queer-inclusive show is gone to soon. And, per Andrew Lloyd Weber, it’s an ominous sign that Broadway is in “dire danger” of collapsing in on itself, warning of the “crisis” ahead. [The Guardian]
FEEL THE RUSH: Sporting nothing more than some lacy lingerie & a leather trench coat, Troye Sivan appears to be teasing something with a social media post mysteriously captioned “Soon.” We know he & Leland worked on original songs for FX series The Shards, but is there even more new music on the way? Please say yes!
DADDY’S BIG DATE: Jordan Firstman‘s queer comedy Club Kid—about a hard-partying gay who suddenly finds out he’s a father—was the talk of the Cannes Film Festival, and now distributor A24 has dated it for a November 6 release, which many are noting is prime placement for a major awards season run. [Deadline]
ENCORE!: Comedian Matteo Lane is a newly minted Broadway icon, taking over the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago last month. Now in his final run of performances, the star is flexing his bona fides, sharing his must-sees (the aforementioned Jellicle Ball) & post-show tips: “get away from Times Square!” [GayCities]
SAPPHIC PARADISE: For decades, lesbians have traveled from far & wide to Lesbos, their namesake Greek island that was once home to Sappho, the poet whose work defined the essence of women who love women. The new doc Lesvia explores the destination’s rich history & the ongoing tensions with conservative locals.
OUR HISTORY: Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears has signed on to produce Tinderbox, a film that will recount the largely forgotten Up Stairs Lounge fire that tragically claimed the lives of 32 gay men in 1973 New Orleans. The film comes from the directors of queer horror Ganymede & will be soundtracked by Shears’ music. [Queerty]
COVER GIRL: Model-actress Cara Delevingne is rocking some revealing lingerie—and even less!—in a new spread for Playboy, making her the first out lesbian to ever grace the cover of the magazine in its 72-year history, which proves that Hugh Hefner’s racy rag is finally catching up to the times. [People]
BLONDE-BE-GONE: Drag royalty Alaska is back with a new look & a new single, but you probably didn’t recognize her because, guess what? She’s brunette now. “Brunette” is total banger, totally hilarious, and it comes with a piping hot video featuring hunky models Noah Way, Kyle Castro & Haskell Holland.
FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: Cole Escola is returning to Oh, Mary! for a stint in the West End, which will be filmed for “a future, as yet undisclosed, release.” Original cast Bianca Leigh & Tony Macht are back for the production, as are Giles Terera as “Mary’s Husband” & our fave Michael Urie as “Mary’s teacher.” [Deadline]
IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME: After right-wing backlash to Elliot Page‘s casting in Greek epic The Odyssey, director Christopher Nolan came to the actor’s defense, saying he “did an incredible job” while also dismissing other faux conservative controversies around the film as “irrelevant.” [LGBTQNation]
BE GAY, DO CRIME: In the ’90s, a pair of Aussie lesbian lovers arrived in London and hatched a scheme that helped them infiltrate high society, rake in some cash, & even granted them an audience with the Queen! Hosted by Becky Milligan, Royal Swindle recounts the pair’s truly incredible true-crime tale, premiering July 23.
The Final Hump
For the past month now, comedian & creator Julian Shapiro-Barnum—best known for viral series like Recess Therapy & Celebrity Substitute—has been reinventing the traditional late-night TV talk show format for the internet generation with Outside Tonight.
Actually filmed outside in NYC, the show embraces the madness of the Big Apple, and is all the better for it. Shapiro-Barnum makes for an endlessly charming host as he steers the show through late-night staples like celebrity interviews & live musical performances, while also introducing some truly wild bits, like sex & dating advice from the elderly and a contest to find the gayest dog in the city. Guests have ranged from beloved comics like Caleb Hearon & Jay Jurden, to rising musical acts like Beach Bunny & L’Rain, to the cast of the hit comedy Adults. But, for our money, the biggest highlight so far has been when Shapiro-Barnum hosted a roundtable chat with three people who have dated & “rejected” him, including Glamorous star Miss Benny. It’s bisexual chaos at its very best.
Related
“She knew I was a queen”: Adam Lambert on the teacher who changed his life when he was a 13-year-old theater kid
Lambert talks of a “full circle” moment when he was able to invite his old voice coach to watch him perform in “Cabaret” on Broadway.
