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This past weekend I tabled Flame Con 2 at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott Hotel with my friend and collaborator Robby Barrett. We premiered our new comic, Saturn’s Call. It’s about a group of witchy queer kids who are trying to come together to protect each other, so obviously Flame Con was the perfect venue to debut this comic.

For those of you unfamiliar, Flame Con is New York City’s first Lgbtq comic convention organized by Geeks Out. The show premiered back in spring of 2015 at the Grand Prospect Hall for one day only after a successful Kickstarter campaign helped spread the word and launch the show. Flame Con was such an immediate hit that not only was quickly confirmed that they would be back in 2016, but that the show would go from one day to two and move to a larger venue. That’s a very impressive feat.

Twenty years ago, the Shakespeare in Love star had Hollywood at his feet – then he all but disappeared. So what happened?

Joseph Fiennes is currently specialising in second acts. This weekend he is in Cannes to promote his film The Last Race, the unofficial Chinese-made sequel to Chariots of Fire. Fiennes plays Eric Liddell, the Flying Scotsman who in 1924 famously refused to run on an Olympic Sunday because of his religious beliefs. The film is concerned with the little-known years after that in which Liddell gave up on sporting fame to become a Christian missionary in China.

To open that film, Fiennes is taking a couple of days away from rehearsing the comparable afterlife of that other Boy’s Own legend, Lawrence of Arabia. Fiennes takes the lead in Adrian Noble’s Chichester Festival revival of Terence Rattigan’s play Ross, which finds Lawrence home from the desert after something...

After many months of speculation, the full list of this year's Oscar nominees have been announced - just minutes after the reveal of the death of beloved thespian Alan Rickman.

"The Revenant" led the field with twelve nominations followed by "Mad Max: Fury Road" with ten and "The Martian" with seven. Next were "Spotlight" and "Carol" with six nominations; "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "The Big Short" and "Bridge Of Spies" got five; "Room" and "The Danish Girl" nabbed four; "Sicario," "Brooklyn" and "The Hateful Eight" scored three; and "Steve Jobs" and "Ex Machina" nabbed two.

Surprises? "Creed" and "Joy" scored only one nomination each for Stallone's and Lawrence's performances respectively. No Ridley Scott for director, Quentin Tarantino or Aaron Sorkin for screenplay, Charlize Theron for best actress, "Carol" for best picture, "See You Again" for best song, and of course - the distinct lack of racial diversity. Here's the list in full.

Last Thursday, Fyodor Pavlov, a person I’m honored to call a friend, had the opening reception for his exhibition at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.Titled Carpe Noctem: Eros to Thanatos, the exhibition celebrates the interlocking themes of queer desire, sex, myth and death. The opening reception featured not only wine and cheese, but music and burlesque performances. It was an evening of celebrating queer art in many forms, and something that the comic book industry should be aware of.

Fyodor is a queer artist, a Russian immigrant, and a New Yorker. His art has been commissioned both privately and commercially. Additionally, he works on comics including Baritarian Boy co-created with his partner Lawrence Gullo and Bash Back, his current web comic co-created both his partner and with writer Kelsey Hercs.

Bash Back is a queer mafia story. Here’s the quick pitch as taken from their page,...

Film execs have voted for their favourite unproduced Us screenplays.

A script about Michael Jackson’s pet chimp Bubbles and a Moon-based roadtrip adventure are both on this year’s Black List of “most liked” unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.

The annual list, which was first published in 2005, surveys around 500 film executives on their favourite unmade scripts, with a typical response rate of 60%.

This year’s list features 81 screenplays, and was revealed in a series of Youtube videos hosted by the likes of Channing Tatum, Ava DuVernay and Lily James.

2015’s top screenplay is Isaac Adamson’s Bubbles, the story of the late pop star Michael Jackson’s life told through the narration of his pep chimp Bubbles.

Previous films on the list include Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech and Ben Affleck’s Argo, all of which went on to win best picture Oscars.

Spotlight and The...

My boy Marvin Haynes and I just knew we were going to get caught, go to jail if lucky, get shot if not.

Nassau County in Long Island New York once (maybe still) had the highest paid police force in the country. Some of the homes in the Five Towns area of the county were so grand as a young child I thought they were department stores. That highly paid police force made sure nary a worry would the residents of Inwood, Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, and Hewlett have.

There was very little crime in Nassau County and no black people. The only place you would see people of color in Five Towns were the shopping malls or the cotton fields. Cotton fields? Can’t say I ever saw them, but I was born free.

Give that a second…

This was a community African Americans were not welcome in and the...

Earlier this summer 23 additional guests were added to the growing head count at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta this October, and now a big name has officially been added to the guest list that should thrill fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Andrew Lincoln has officially been announced as a guest at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta.

Andrew Lincoln is beloved amongst fans of AMC’s The WalkingDead, as he brings a multi-dimensional believability to the character of Rick Grimes week in and week out on the show. It’s unclear at this time what day(s) Lincoln will be attending the convention, but we’ll keep Daily Dead readers updated on further details. This year, Walker Stalker Con Atlanta will be taking place from October 17 -19 in the Atlanta Convention center at Americas Mart. In addition to Andrew Lincoln, the show features the following massive guest list:

Guests:

Jon Bernthal...

Millennials' favorite high-school sweethearts are returning to TV this summer - with a twist. Cory and Topanga, the Philadelphia couple whose love was immortalized on Boy Meets World, are no longer fresh-faced youngsters sorting out the mysteries of life. On the upcoming Disney Channel spin-off Girl Meets World, the pair are now grown parents raising a daughter of their own. Yes, that's right: Cory Matthews's dad jokes will finally be age-appropriate. To celebrate the launch of Girl Meets World, and the attendant age-related anxieties the project has brought out in fans of the original series, we've used the magic of...

Here we are again after the Golden Globes, Mike Fleming and Anita Busch taking on the task of play by play during the most wide-open Oscar race we can remember. Even on the party circuit, industry insiders who usually have a grasp of who’ll walk away with Oscars were evenly torn between Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D masterpiece Gravity and Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave. Then again, there were so many terrific films that got Best Picture nominations, and all of them have at least a puncher’s chance at an upset. Related: Oscars: Pete Hammond’s Absolute Final Predictions That includes American Hustle, where David O Russell co-wrote the Best Original Script nominee with Eric Warren Singer and got tour de force performances and nominations for Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Perfs so strong there was no room on the nomination roster for perennial Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner.

Many of the races at Sunday (March 2) night's Academy Awards seem pre-determined as the ceremony is about to begin. Those guys from "My So-Called Life" and "True Detective" seem like locks. Etc. However, Best Picture is wide open.  So let's hope that adds drama, while Ellen DeGeneres adds comedy.  Click through and join my 2014 Oscars Live-Blogging. And comment below! 8:25 p.m. Et. So how many times do we figure Jennifer Lawrence is going fall down on tonight's Oscars telecast. Five? 10? Twice that many if she wins? Actually, if she wins, Lupita Nyong'o fans are going to be tripping her. Not Lupita, though. She's too classy for that. 8:27 p.m. There are dozens of people in the HitFix office right now, but I'm hiding out in my office, because I'm dedicated to you, the readers. Because I'd just keep eating lasagna if I were with the main group. Also,...

With two big ceremonies coming up (April 12th in Los Angeles and May 3rd in New York City), the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards has a ton of great nominees all vying for a trophy.

On the film end of things, “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Blue is the Warmest Color” both received nods, and “Orange is the New Black” and “Pretty Little Liars” lead the way for television.

The GLAAD Media Awards honors the biggest and brightest stars in entertainment, journalism and real-life Lgbt movements.

The nominees for the 2014 GLAAD Media Awards are:

Outstanding Film – Wide Release

Blue Is the Warmest Color (Sundance Selects)

Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Kill Your Darlings (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Philomena (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Film – Limited Release

Concussion (RADiUS-The Weinstein Company)

Geography Club (Breaking Glass Pictures)

Out in the Dark (Breaking Glass Pictures)

Reaching for the Moon...

This morning the national Lgbt media advocacy organization GLAAD announced nominees for the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. According to GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis, the year “has brought momentous progress for Lgbt people and families – and our nominees have created images and stories that continue to challenge misconceptions, shatter stereotypes, and change hearts and minds of millions all across the globe.”

There are 130 nominees in 29 categories but a few notable honorees include wide release films Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena and Kill Your Darlings, all of which were previously reviewed here on TheBacklot.

In the limited release category, Geography Club scored a nod. (The film is based on the classic Ya novel by AfterElton alum Brent Hartinger.)

In the outstanding TV drama category, ABC Family scored 2 nominees: The Fosters and Pretty Little Liars.

In the TV comedy category, perennial nominees Modern Family and Glee were joined by Brooklyn Nine-Nine and...

What had ETonline readers buzzing this week?

1. Jackman Credits Wife for Spotting Cancer Scare

Hugh Jackman posted a serious photo of himself with a bandaged nose on Instagram today, declaring that he had a cancerous spot removed -- thanks to his wife.

The Oscar-nominated X-Men star wrote, "Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right! I had a basil cell carcinoma. Please don't be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And Use sunscreen!!!"

Just last month, the busy star celebrated his 45th birthday with a star-studded bash and performance for 4,500 guests, which raised $1.85 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which provides health care and other services to entertainment-industry workers and retirees.

2. 'People' Names Adam Levine Sexiest Man Alive 2013

As many suspected, People's coveted title of Sexiest Man Alive has gone to Adam Levine.

"As a musician, you have fantasies that you want to win Grammys, but I didn't...

Boy, make $400 million at the box office and everyone wants to hop on your franchise. Young Adult adaptation "The Hunger Games" hit last year and it hit big, making a bigger star of Jennifer Lawrence and establishing a giant money magnet for Lionsgate in the process. The sequels were immediately set up with Lawrence and co-stars Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson returning, with director Francis Lawrence at the helm. Then Philip Seymour Hoffman joined the cast of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which turned my head. I wasn't a fan of the first film but I'm somehow anticipating the sequel,...

By Rachel Bennett

Television Editor & Columnist

Every Monday, Rachel will pick a TV show you need to watch out for that week and/or in the near future.

***

It’s been almost three weeks since Cougar Town returned to us, and its fourth season proves the series is better than ever.

Despite being one of the best comedies on TV, Cougar Town gets unfairly overlooked. Sure, it’s not as popular as ABC’s Modern Family or as grounded as NBC’s Parks and Recreation, but it effectively mixes goofiness and pop culture with pathos every week — a difficult combination to pull off.

So why has it struck out with a lot of TV viewers? Much of it probably has to do with its first season and title, as neither is indicative of what Cougar Town has become over the past few years. Ever since the show stopped focusing on...

Now that "The Hunger Games" has had a record-breaking first weekend at the box office (bringing in $155 million domestically, which makes it the third-highest opening of all time, after "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" and "The Dark Knight"), it's clear that Lionsgate has a bonafide movie franchise on its roster. Since the series' millions of fans will be waiting to see what happens with the two (possibly three, if they split "Mockingjay" in two installments) remaining adaptations, here's our advice to the powers at be: Let Gary Ross direct the entire series.

Long franchises mainly go one of two ways. They can bring on a single filmmaker with a unifying vision (Peter Jackson and "Lord of the Rings," Christopher Nolan and the new "Batman" trilogy), or take a multiple-director approach, like the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" films. Looking at those examples, it should come as no surprise...

Mamie Gummer is trading the law for medicine ... sort of. Gummer, who was last seen on "The Good Wife" as attorney Nancy Crozier, will headline The CW's new medical drama pilot "First Cut."

According to TVLine, Gummer will star opposite "Smallville" veteran Justin Hartley as a formerly nerdy woman ready to shed her old persona. Gummer previously played doctor on ABC's short-lived "Off the Map."

"Gilmore Girls" veteran Jennie Snyder Urman wrote the pilot and "Pushing Daisies" alumnus Dan Jinks is executive producing it.

In other casting news ...

Gabrielle Union will star in Bet's "Single Black Female." Union will play the main character, a news anchor at a 24-hour network, in the pilot from "The Game" producers Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. [Akil Productions]

"Switched At Birth" actress Vanessa Marano is seeking medical treatment on "Grey's Anatomy." The ABC Family star will appear in Season 8, Episode 20 of the ABC medical drama as a patient.

Mamie Gummer is trading the law for medicine ... sort of. Gummer, who was last seen on "The Good Wife" as attorney Nancy Crozier, will headline The CW's new medical drama pilot "First Cut."

According to TVLine, Gummer will star opposite "Smallville" veteran Justin Hartley as a formerly nerdy woman ready to shed her old persona. Gummer previously played doctor on ABC's short-lived "Off the Map."

"Gilmore Girls" veteran Jennie Snyder Urman wrote the pilot and "Pushing Daisies" alumnus Dan Jinks is executive producing it.

In other casting news ...

Gabrielle Union will star in Bet's "Single Black Female." Union will play the main character, a news anchor at a 24-hour network, in the pilot from "The Game" producers Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. [Akil Productions]

"Switched At Birth" actress Vanessa Marano is seeking medical treatment on "Grey's Anatomy." The ABC Family star will appear in Season 8, Episode 20 of the ABC medical drama as a patient.

2011 is almost at an end, but while we're sorry to say goodbye to a year that brought us so many great films, we're just as excited for what the future brings us. After all, "Harry Potter" might be over, but "The Dark Knight Rises," 'The Avengers," "The Hunger Games" and the final installment of "Twilight" are all on the horizon. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big blockbuster events.

So today, instead of looking back, let's look forward -- to the 50 movies we can't wait to see in 2012. Because we have a feeling that this might just be the best year for movies yet.

'The Woman in Black'

Release Date: February 3

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciaran Hinds

The Scoop: Daniel Radcliffe may have spent the last 10 years as the Boy Who Lived, but in his first post-"Harry Potter" film...

Lionsgate released two new images from the filming of The Hunger Games which include Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. It looks like they are in the middle of the games themselves in these shots. That’s about all we can tell.

Additionally, they have set the release date for the next feature, Catching Fire, for November 22, 2013. Boy does that sound far away. We also know this will be the second of four films, encompassing the three novels.

The Hunger Games is a young adult sci-fi story about a future dystopian Earth where children compete in fights to the death for sport and revenge. The story evolves into apparent romance, battles, and ultimately war. Alongside Lawrence and Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth (brother of Chris Hemsworthof Thor fame) is Katniss’ best friend, Gale. Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, and Elizabeth Banks round...

Entertainment Weekly May 2011 Jennifer Lawrence The Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen Photos have premiered. The Jennifer Lawrence Entertainment Weekly Katniss Everdeen photos were alluded with the release of The Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) Entertainment Weekly May 2011 Cover. The Hunger Games is the first of a trilogy of dystopian books about children forced to fight to the death written by Suzanne Collins.

If you have not read The Hunger Game books and are not familiar Katniss Everdeen:

Katniss and her family live in District 12, one of the poorest districts in the fictional nation of Panem, formerly the United States. District 12 was a coal-mining district, located in Appalachia. In the novel “The Hunger Games”, the 13 districts had rebelled against the capital approximately 75 years previously, and had been crushed. In retaliation, District 13 had been destroyed, and the annual Hunger Games had been instituted. In the Games, 1 male and 1 female between...

Jennifer Lawrence as The Hunger Games‘ Katniss Everdeen Cover for the Entertainment Weekly May 2011 issue has premiered. The Entertainment Weekly Jennifer Lawrence Katniss Everdeen cover photo is a prelude to more photos of the 2012 film to be released in the Entertainment Weekly May 20, 2011 issue. The Hunger Games is the first of a trilogy of dystopian books about children forced to fight to the death written by Suzanne Collins.

If you have not read The Hunger Game books and are not familiar Katniss Everdeen:

Katniss and her family live in District 12, one of the poorest districts in the fictional nation of Panem, formerly the United States. District 12 was a coal-mining district, located in Appalachia. In the novel “The Hunger Games”, the 13 districts had rebelled against the capital approximately 75 years previously, and had been crushed. In retaliation, District 13 had been destroyed, and the annual Hunger Games had been instituted. In the Games,...

Los Angeles, CA, United States (Ahn Entertainment) - Beyonce's first single from her upcoming new album, "Girls (Who Run the World)." has leaked online and it's the kind of beat-heavy girl power anthem we've come to expect from the Destiny's Child alum.

The track samples "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer, a collaborative project between producers Diplo and Switch. The dance hall-inspired track is lifted from their 2009 album "Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do."

"Boy you know you love it, how we smart enough to make these millions/ Strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business," Beyonce sings in the song's verses.

A music video for the track has already been filmed with director Francis Lawrence, who filmed clips for Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Janet Jackson. Lawrence told MTV that the video, shot in the Mojave Desert in California, is one of the biggest Beyonce videos yet.

Note - I wrote this during season 6. So many things have changed about Spn - the plot, characters, focus. The music (sadly). One thing has not. I liked Supernatural from the pilot, obsessed over it from Dead in the Water, and it is still my favorite show on TV. No other show grips me so completely in the plight of its characters. Thanks Supernatural cast and crew for being can't miss TV for 6 years. I look forward to spending a seventh season still enthralled by you.

Oh, and it's impossible for me to separate 6 years of Supernatural destiny at this time, so hints are bound to creep in. Plus, I'm watching this on iTunes with their crummy new soundtrack so I can't talk about all the great music either. Trust me, get the DVD's. They are well worth it if only for the music alone.

In Lawrence, Kansas 22 years ago,...

In interview with The New York Magazine, Baz Luhrmann has said he’s “not doing Gatsby right now”.

“I’m not doing Gatsby right now for this reason [that most of his team is in Brooklyn]. Because despite what might be out there, I have made no comment about anything. So until I say it, it’s not said, you know,” said Luhrmann.

The announcement that Luhrmann would start production of the $120m film in Sydney in August was made by the Nsw Government on February 20: “Nsw has secured production of Baz Luhrmann’s 3D film The Great Gatsby – injecting more than $120 million into the Nsw economy and supporting more than 825 jobs. Sydney has beaten out New York – the actual settling for the classic 1920s story – with pre‑production to begin next month.”

The Vulture section of the publication spoke with Luhrmann at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s gala dinner in honor of Geoffrey Rush’s...

Alex Pettyfer is undeniably pretty. So pretty, in fact, that movie studios -- to the delight of his fans -- have been vying to cast him in roles in highly anticipated Ya fare such as Jace in "Mortal Instruments," Tom in "The Last Apprentice" and Peeta in "The Hunger Games."

But of the hot Brit's three potential roles, we're actually hoping that Pettyfer gets passed over for Peeta. There, we said it. Nothing personal, Alex, we just don't think you're right for such a critical role, especially in a movie franchise that could rival "Twilight" in terms of fan reach and box-office pull.

Sure, Pettyfer looks the part for a "Hunger Games" lead. As anyone who has read Suzanne Collins' beloved dystopian thriller knows, Peeta Mellark is handsome and strong, with blue eyes, wavy ash-blond hair and a muscular build from years of hauling 100-pound bags of flour (he's...

Martin Lawrence is one busy guy. Lawrence is returning to the big screen this Friday, starring in the third installment of the “Big Momma” films, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. Lawrence is also working on another sequel to the Bad Boys movie with Will Smith. The first Bad Boys was released in 1995, and Bad Boys II hit theatres in 2003. Both movies were directed by Michael Bay.

While speaking to Martin Lawrence about Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, we asked him about a possible Boy Boys III, and he confirmed that it is in the works. (Click on the audio player to hear Martin Lawrence) martin bad boys 2

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