In the early days of the pandemic, comedian and actor Jordan Firstman got a lot of attention for his clever “impression” videos, which saw him conjuring up ultra specific characters like most famously ”banana bread’s publicist.”
The clips gained him legions of new fans. They also has plenty of others rolling their eyes. Firstman included, he’ll be the first tell you.
In the wild, new indie comedy ’Rotting In The Sun,’ Firstman plays himself, gamely interrogating the persona he created opposite the film’s writer/director/co-star Sebastián Silva, also playing himself.
The film finds the two meeting during a chance encounter at a Mexican nude beach and reluctantly agreeing to work together on a new project that is, until Silva goes missing, and Firstman’s left to wonder if he’s been ghosted, or if something sinister is a foot.
In other words, you aren’t ready for ’Rotting In The Sun,’ a dark comedy with more than a few surprises up its sleeve. For his fir
From ’Heathers’ to ’Clueless’ to ’Mean Girls,’ it feels like every generation has a colorful teen comedy that plays by its own set of rules and becomes a beloved classic in the process.
And that latest to join that pantheon just might be ’Bottoms,’ a bawdy and bloody romp about two self-described losers who start a fight club as a roundabout way to get closer to their crushes.
But these nerdy girls aren’t crushing over the manly jocks no, it’s the cheerleaders they’re after! Yes, ’Bottoms’ is the latest flick to join the queer coming-of-age canon, but it does so with a wicked sense of humor and a no-holds-barred approach that makes it unlike any movie you’ve ever seen.
At its center are two rising stars: ’The Bear’ breakout Ayo Edebiri and ’Bodies Bodies Bodies’ scene-stealer Rachel Sennott, real-life best friends who bring a natural charm and chemistry to this buddy comedy.
Well before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, Queerty had the chance to speak
In their new graphic novel, ’Washington’s Gay General,’ author Josh Trujillo and illustrator Levi Hastings are bringing us the story of a largely forgotten, yet hugely important, figure of queer history: Baron von Steuben.
A Prussian immigrant, von Steuben served as the first Inspector General in the Continental Army. Along with his many achievements as a key figure in the American revolution he trained troops and created an organizational framework that is still in use today von Steuben is described as a larger-than-life, dramatic, flamboyant character, with documented gay relationships and a history that makes for a page-turning wild ride.
We spoke with Trujillo and Hastings about their collaborative process, who von Steuben was, what his life might have looked like if he were around today, and what it means to tell the story of a queer figure from a time when he didn’t have the language for identity that we do now.
’Washington’s Gay General’ is available now.
V
[Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.]
It’s the senior year, the last act whatever metaphor you want to use, we’re all misty-eyed because we’re on the eve of the final season of ’High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.’
The Disney+ series has been one of the streaming era’s true delights over the past few years with show-stopping musical numbers, some winking meta comedy, and breakout performances from now-superstars like Olivia Rodrigo.
But we at Queerty have always been partial to the show’s budding romance between ambitious teen choreographer Carlos and sweet, small-town Seb and the fans have been, too, lovingly dubbing the pair “Seblos.”
In real life, the actors who play them, Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini, are in a relationship, too, only making Seblos’ TV love story that much sweeter.
In advance of ’HSM:TM:TS’ final season premiere on August 4, Queerty sat down for a virtual chat with the couple, who g
The hilarious, all-singing all-dancing satire ’Theater Camp’ is one of the surprise delights of the summer, following a group of eclectic counselors as they attempt to stage an original musical for their young campers in the wake of the founder’s sudden accident.
Filmed mockumentary style, the ensemble is an embarrassment of riches, filled with Broadway veterans (Ben Platt, Noah Galvin), comedic scene stealers (Ayo Edebiri, Patti Harrison), and even a few showbiz legends (Amy Sedaris).
But the real stars of ’Theater Camp’ are the young performers who play the campers sharply funny, super sweet, and oh so talented. Even with more established co-stars, they steal scenes every chance they get. And just wait ’til you see them in the climactic musical performance. It’s a gag!
Ahead of film’s July 14 release, Queerty sat down for a chat with co-directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, their co-writers and stars Platt and Galvin, and fellow co-stars Owen Thiele and Jimmy