Michelle Rodriguez: 10% and 1%
“Eventually it’s going to wrinkle up and I’m not going to be able to use it. I wanted to be honest about who I am and see what happens,” said Michelle Rodriguez several weeks ago when, after years of speculation, she addressed her bisexuality in her trademark blunt, funny style. Not that it was much of a secret, mind you, but it’s nice to finally have her quote-ready one-liners put to good queer use. And sadly, with the death of Paul Walker, Rodriguez’s appearance in “Fast and Furious 7” won’t see theaters until 2015 (after a planned summer 2014 release). So in the meantime, a smaller project will have to do for her fans. She’ll appear in the indie “1%ers”, written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Francesca de Sola (Rodriguez connection: She worked in the art department of “Resident Evil: Retribution”). Rodriguez will play a famous movie star looking to relax away from the spotlight by hitting an out-of-the-way dive bar with a friend (Danish actress Rie Rasmussen, “Femme Fatale”). And then things go wrong. Knowing and loving the typecast badass Rodriguez, we’ll just assume she regulates the situation when necessary. Could this be the Lady “Road House” we’ve longed for all this time?
Sundance, Bloody Sundance
The LGBT offerings at this year’s upcoming Sundance Film Festival involve some freshly acclaimed names as well as some old-school indie vets (and one iconic pop culture personality). Ira Sachs, indie darling of the moment after his critically adored feature “Keep the Lights On”, returns with a new feature, “Love is Strange”, starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a gay couple together for 39 years who must suddenly live apart. Meanwhile, Gregg Araki (“Mysterious Skin”) has a new one, too: “White Bird in A Blizzard”, starring Shailene Woodley, Eva Green and Gabourey Sidibe, and based on the novel by Laura Kasischke. But it’s “To Be Takei” that looks like it’ll be the fest’s biggest crowd-pleaser. It’s a documentary about “Star Trek” and it’s funniest, most outspoken gay alumnus, George Takei, as he and his husband assume the role of activist around the country. And if you follow him on Twitter you already know that the man can work a crowd. Of course, then there’s the Nick Offerman documentary but, with the exception of the micro-culture of gay male Ron Swanson and/or mustache enthusiasts, it doesn’t really count as a queer offering. Porn, yes. Gay, not so much.
What’s Sandra Bernhard Doing?
It’s good to check in with your favorite people from time to time, see how they’re doing. And Deep Inside Hollywood loves Sandra Bernhard more than almost anyone (you’re great, too, Ellen; we just like ’em really sharp and sarcastic.) She’s touring the country with her new one-woman show “I Love Being Me, Don’t You” and still jumping aboard the indie-film train every time it stops for her. She has no fewer than three in the pipeline, including “Landlocked” co-starring Armand Assante and Bob Balaban, plot details unknown; the mob comedy “’79 Parts” starring Eric Roberts; and first-time feature director Guy Guido’s “Lovin’ Brooklyn”. It’s this last one that will probably generate the most heat, since it’s about a Latin Hustle dance competition and co-stars Courtney Galiano, choreographer of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With the Stars” audience favorite, Ukrainian heartthrob Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy (you know, the one who takes off his shirt a lot). We hope Sandra dances, too—it’s been a long time since that nude “Little Red Corvette” sequence in “Without You I’m Nothing”.
Romeo San Vicente has danced professionally in the Make It Rain industry and still gives private tutorials. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@
