Gay Just Got Like, Way Gayer

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A big year for Gay Pride (Stonewall is celebrating its 50th anniversary at the end of June) just got even bigger for a certain subset of us gays and likeminded camp movie lovers -- Shout Factory! is releasing four particular glittery extravaganzas onto blu-ray for their very first time including yes indeed the tremendous and psychotic Village People musical Can't Stop the Music, which has been basically out of print for decades. This is a real thrill -- the film's been tough to see for far too long. I'd seen shitty quality copies previously, but then I got to see it in the theater a few years back and holy hell you have to see this thing cleaned up, it's something. SO MUCH SOMETHINGS. 

The other three films they're dropping are the terrific 1995 rom-com Jeffrey with Steven Weber and Michael T. Weiss (and a fabulous cameo from Sigourney Weaver) and the drag-queen comedy To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar, also from 1995 (Beth Grant forever!), and then there's Boom!, the explosively hilariously awful Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton film from 1968 that is truly a camp spectacle to behold.

That and Wong Foo hit first on May 28th, while the other two hit June 11th. While I go see if anybody has any hot pants I can borrow, y'all should hit the jump to see all of the special features included on these discs...

TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR Blu-ray Release date: May 28, 2019 Directed by Beeban Kidron Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, and Wesley Snipes star in this hilarious adventure about three drag queens on the cross-country road trip of a lifetime. On their way to Hollywood for a beauty pageant, Vida (Swayze), Chi-Chi (Leguizamo) and Noxeema (Snipes) get stranded in the tiny Midwestern town of Snydersville. Determined to make the best of a bad situation, the “girls” set out to repair the broken hearts, broken dreams and broken nails of the small-town residents during one wildly outrageous weekend. Special Features: • NEW - Easy Rider in Dresses: A Look Back at the Making of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar featuring actor John Leguizamo, Director Beeban Kidron and screenwriter Douglas Carter Beane.  • Deleted Scenes • Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots UNIVERSAL PICTURES Presents An AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT Production A BEEBAN KIDRON Film  WESLEY SNIPES PATRICK SWAYZE JOHN LEGUIZAMO “TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR” STOCKARD CHANNING BLYTHE DANNER ARLISS HOWARD CHRIS PENN Music Composed And Orchestrated By RACHEL PORTMAN Music Supervision HAPPY WALTERS PILAR McCURRY Associate Producer MITCHELL KOHN Costume Designer MARLENE STEWART Choreography by KENNY ORTEGA Editor ANDREW MONDSHEIN Production Designed By WYNN THOMAS Director Of Photography STEVEN MASON A.C.S. Executive Producer BRUCE COHEN Written By DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE Produced by G. MAC BROWN Directed By BEEBAN KIDRON A UNIVERSAL PICTURE 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)/English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround/English SDH Subtitles/1995/Color/Approximate Feature Running Time +/- 109 Minutes

BOOM! Blu-ray Release date: May 28, 2019 Directed by: Joseph Losey Cinema icons (and twice-married couple) Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton light up the screen in what acclaimed playwright Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire) described as the best film adaptation of his work he’d ever seen. Sissy Goforth (Taylor), the world’s richest woman, has retired to her lavish island estate to dictate her memoirs. Her reclusive lifestyle is thrown into upheaval when roguish poet Chris Flanders (Burton) washes up on her beach. With the mysterious habit of calling upon a lady one step before the undertaker, Flanders has become known as “The Angel Of Death” — but an undaunted Goforth opts to tempt fate when she chooses to take Flanders as her next — and last — lover. A notorious bomb on its initial release, BOOM! has since built up a cult following for its one-of-a-kind mixture of camp, lyricism, and the highly combustible chemistry of its two leads. More than fifty years after BOOM!’s debut, Shout! Factory invites you to light the fuse on a re-examination of this highly unusual drama. Special Features: • NEW Audio Commentary with Filmmaker John Waters • NEW "The Sound of a Bomb: Contextualizing Boom!" with film critic/author Alonso Duralde • Original Theatrical Trailer • Vintage Photo Galleries ELIZABETH TAYLOR RICHARD BURTON NOEL COWARD In A JOHN HEYMAN Production JOSEPH LOSEY’S “BOOM!” By TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Also Starring JOANNA SHIMKUS MICHAEL DUNN Music By JOHN BARRY Screenplay By TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Directed By JOSEPH LOSEY Associate Producer LESTER PERSKY Produced By JOHN HEYMAN And NORMAN PRIGGEN A UNIVERSAL PICTURES LIMITED/ WORLD FILM SERVICES LIMITED PRODUCTION 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/English DTS Master Audio Stereo English Subtitles/1968/Color/Approximate Feature Running Time

JEFFREY Blu-ray Release date: June 11, 2019 Directed by Christopher Ashley Meet Jeffrey (Steven Weber, Wings), a struggling actor in the New York scene who has just made the biggest decision of his life: he's swearing off sex ... forever! No sooner has he made this startling vow than he meets the dreamy and sensitive Steve (Michael T. Weiss, The Pretender). With the help of his friends Sterling (Patrick Stewart, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Darius (Bryan Batt, Mad Men), Jeffrey decides to give love a second shot. But some unexpected news puts Jeffrey in a bind, forcing him to decide if he should take a risk on what could be the love of his life. From acclaimed director Christopher Ashley and writer Paul Rudnick, this hilarious and touching film redefined the romantic comedy for the LGBTQ+ community living in the age of AIDS in the 90s. Jeffrey also features cameos from several notable stars of the stage and screen including Nathan Lane, Olympia Dukakis, Christine Baranski, Victor Garber, Camryn Manheim, Kathy Najimy, and Sigourney Weaver. Special Features: • NEW Audio Commentary With Actor Steven Weber And Film Critic/Author Alonso Duralde • NEW Interview With Steven Weber • NEW Interview With Producer Mark Balsam • Original Theatrical Trailer • Still Gallery WORKIN' MAN FILMS In Association With THE BOOKING OFFICE Presents "JEFFREY" Starring STEVEN WEBER PATRICK STEWART MICHAEL T. WEISS BRYAN BATT And SIGOURNEY WEAVER Co-Producer PAUL RUDNICK Executive Producer KEVIN MCCOLLUM Production Design By MICHAEL JOHNSTON Director Of Photography JEFFERY J. TUFANO Edited By CARA SILVERMAN Music By STEPHEN ENDELMAN Line Producer HARRY KNAPP Choreographer JERRY MITCHELL Co-Executive Producers DAN MARKLEY ANDREA PINES MIKE SKIPPER Screenplay By PAUL RUDNICK Based On His Play Produced By MARK BALSAM MITCHELL MAXWELL VICTORIA MAXWELL Directed By CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)/Approximate Feature Running Time: +/- 94 Minutes

CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC Blu-ray Release date: June 11, 2019 Directed by Nancy Walker The Movie Musical Event Of The ’80s … Is Back! Pour yourself a milkshake and experience the magic, music, and mirth of the all-time favorite camptastic classic: Can’t Stop The Music! This (highly fictionalized) story depicting the creation of disco icons the Village People provides the framework for an outrageous musical extravaganza as only producer Allan Carr (Grease, Grease 2) could deliver.  An infamous flop upon its 1980 release, but cherished by fans of the singing sextet and cult cinema, Can’t Stop The Music offers a truly unforgettable time capsule experience. Packed with macho men, glamorous gals, “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” production numbers, and a once-in-a-lifetime cast, it’s the sort of dizzy fun that aficionados of camp the world over award gold medals to. Watch it and see for yourself that it takes a Village … to raise your spirits! Special Features: • NEW Interview with Village People's Randy Jones--over an hour of stories and memories from your favorite Cowboy! • NEW Audio Commentary with The Fabulous Allan Carr Producer/Director Jeffrey Schwarz and Comedy Writer Bruce Vilanch • Original Theatrical Trailer • Original TV Spots • Image Galleries