New Superman HD Movie Trailer.

The new trailer makes Man of Steel look even more promising than the teasers or Zack Snyder's references to the film.

Star Trek: Into Darkness Trailer.

I posted the Japanese version because of extra footage. Is that villain Khan?

Red Panda Surprised by Zookeeper.

Here's a funny animal video to share!

Want more laughs? Visit bn.com for a Free Comedy eBook.

This month, the Goodreads group Readers Against Prejudice and Racism is hosting online discussions of Ronald L. Donaghe’s gay-themed novel Common Sons, Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust-themed book Night, Shirley Sterling’s Native American-themed book My Name Is Seepeetza, and Dr. Seuss’s war-themed picture book The Butter Battle Book.

Readers Against Prejudice and Racism describes itself as follows.

“Hello everyone! This is a group dedicated to people who want to see a more peaceful world and who enjoy learning about other cultures with respect and gratitude. Feel free to join this group if you believe in peace and harmony.

“The goal of this group is to understand about the dangers of prejudice and racism around the world and hatred can come in many different forms. Anyone who believes that prejudice against homosexuality, different cultures, different races, people with disabilities, or anyone who are different from society is wrong, are free to join this club to discuss about how we can prevent racism and prejudice from spreading across the world.”

Gay DVD Review: The Doctor’s Wife.

Summary:

In this inspiring documentary, Australians Jonathan Duffy and Dr. Vincent Cornelisse move from Brisbane to the small town of Mundubbera. They find surprising acceptance as they immerse themselves in the community.

Text:

Two gay men fall in love and share a home in Brisbane, Australia. One of them, Dr. Vincent Cornelisse, wants to accept a position that will help pay off his bills from medical school. The complication? It means practicing medicine in the small Queensland town of Mundubbera.

His partner, Jonathan Duffy, is an actor who not only agrees with the life-changing decision but also decides to direct a film about the adventure. Despite warnings from his best friend about closed-mindedness in rural locations, Duffy looks forward to new challenges.

Once there, Cornelisse works around the clock, while Duffy becomes increasingly bored and lonely. Eventually, Duffy decides to become just as involved in the local community as his doctor partner.

The more both men give to Mundubbera, the more they find it embracing them. Despite any fears of a backwards and homophobic town, they quickly become irreplaceable.

Throughout the film, Duffy reflects on how becoming so involved turns being gay into a nonissue. Everyone just sees them as people, with Duffy filling the traditional role of “The Doctor’s Wife” much better than anyone could expect. Even the closeted gays in the area begin seeing their openness as a model.

In a few places, The Doctor’s Wife looks more like a music video than a documentary, because of some experimental filming techniques. However, those moments help Duffy communicate his feelings and the film’s themes.

More importantly, he treats the other subjects of his documentary with the same respect he asks of them. Instead of portraying them as rednecks or country bumpkins, he sees them as the interesting people he would never have met if not for the unlikely opportunity of moving to Mundubbera. That positive tone comes through in this inspiring and often funny story.

The site and the DVD extras also reveal Duffy’s task of promoting an independent film without an advertising budget.

Thanks for visiting my blog! My comical story FAT DIARY is now available as a free eBook.

Gay Movie Review: Beauty.

Summary:

In this award-winning South African film, a homophobe becomes obsessed with a young man who sees him as a mentor. Francois (Deon Lotz) can’t control his desires, or his violent temper.

Text:

Francois (Deon Lotz) seems distant both as a father and husband, despite his success as a businessman and his apparent concern for his wife and daughter. He refers derisively to gays and people of color. On the side, he takes part in a secretive sex group that only includes white men.

Francois acts coldly towards his wife, who might also be seeking sex outside their marriage. He scolds and complains about his daughter, rarely showing affection to her.

At the beginning of the movie, Francois sees the son of an old family friend. Christian (Charlie Keegan) has grown into a strikingly handsome and charming young man who considers Francois his mentor. Francois quickly becomes obsessed with Charlie.

Besides the other revelations, we also receive hints that Francois once had some sort of angry episode and still needs a doctor’s attention to control his temper. Everything keeps leading to the idea that Francois will soon make some terrible decisions. However, the film hardly becomes predictable.

The camera sometimes seems to linger too long before and after scenes, and parts of the movie left me wondering what had happened. All of that might reflect cultural differences in film-making, or just Oliver Hermanus’s individual style as a director. Regardless, I still kept thinking about the film after watching it.

Hermanus and a talented cast present a picture of bigotry, both how it hurts society and how it hurts the people who hold bigoted views. While the film also looks at the dangers of hiding secrets or ignoring mental problems, the ugliness of hatred destroys Francois even more than his drinking and his anger. Deon Lotz gives a haunting performance in the lead role and helps make Beauty a brutal but memorable tragedy.

Beauty is in Afrikaans and English, with English subtitles. It won the Queer Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and it was South Africa’s official selection for the 2012 Academy Awards.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books The Acorn Stories and Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Gay Movie Review: Four More Years.

Summary:

This Swedish import looks at the falsities and hypocrisy of political life within the framework of a light-hearted romantic comedy. Laughs usually dominate, despite some tender moments.

Text:

It looks like David Holst (Bjorn Kjellmann) will become a Prime Minister soon in Sweden, thanks to the efforts of his wife Fia (Tova Magnusson-Norling). David’s political prospects become complicated, however, when he meets opposing party member Martin Kovac (Eric Ericson). Sparks fly immediately, and neither man can deny the attraction.

The relationship often leads to humorous situations, as they try to hide their growing love from their families, their parties, and the general public. Their scenes with David’s parents are especially funny. Still, the chemistry between the two male leads brings a truly romantic depth to the story.

Besides playing Fia, Tova Magnusson-Norling also directed this light-hearted comedy. The story only slows down or gets serious a few times, but those moments stand out as especially tender. The rest of the time, the talented cast just delivers one funny line after another. Fortunately, Magnusson manages to save some of the best scenes for herself; Fia proves as insightful about love as politics.

The English subtitles change a bit quickly during the montage of opening scenes, but are easy to read during the rest of the film. The foreign setting never takes away from the universal themes.

Four More Years tackles the frequent hypocrisy and pretense of politics while also showing how ambition can often interfere with love and happiness. I love the strong character development and irreverent humor in Wilhelm Behrman’s script.

Thanks for visiting my blog! My comical story Fat Diary is available as a free eBook.

Overcoming Bullying, Joseph's Story From Friend Film

Part of a new film series, in connection with the upcoming gay-themed movie Friend. Director Elliot London (The Wedding Dance) is working on the project.

Primeval: New World first trailer. This is the Canadian spin-off to the British TV series about dinosaurs who wander into our time. It features some science fiction actors that fans of SyFy might recognize, but I haven't seen news yet on an American outlet for the show.

Book Promotion Site.

Awesome Gang provides free writer promotion and resources. Visit to gain exposure for your book, or to discover new writers.

Above All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Christian Mother and Her Gay Daughter

Author to speak at St. John's Methodist Church about Accepting Gay Daughter. Shari Johnson appearing at PFLAG-Lubbock meeting.

Music Review: Virago: Love Over Fear.

Independent label rockers Maire Tashjian and Amy Schindler deliver a 10-song CD about equality, love, and many other topics. Musical diversity and passionate vocals add to the strength of their lyrics. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

Gay Movie Review: Morgan.

The director of Gone, But Not Forgotten offers a touching and inspiring movie about a young gay man who might let an accident ruin his chances of happiness. Explorations of romance and tragedy make this independent drama a memorable experience. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

Enter for a chance to win the movie.

Space Shuttle Cockpit

Explore the Space Shuttle Discovery, using the clear buttons on the bottom of the screen.

Sons of Taldra: the Sequel to Degranon.

Preview Sons of Taldra, Chapter 1 Draft at Goodreads. Taldra and her twin sons must face new dangers to their world, both from one of its protectors and from outer space. That upcoming book is a sequel to Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Goodreads: Gay SciFi

The Goodreads group Gay Science Fiction is having a month-long celebration of reaching 500 members, including many authors.

Activities include an author prize vault, a scifi haiku contest, scifi recipes, polls, and gay scifi story-prompt submissions.

Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure at Goodreads.

Trailer for the new Superman movie.

Man of Steel arrives in 2013.

Science Fiction News.

Yahoo: Marvel announces its upcoming slate at Comic-Con. Goodreads: Another 5-star rating for Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure. Gateworld: Primeval: New World to feature several Stargate alums.

Misfits: British SciFi Import

Spaced-oddysey wrote a post at doorQ.com in which he mentioned a possible American version of the British science fiction hit Misfits. I hope that happens! Meanwhile, Americans can finally see the original soon, thanks to LogoTV. It premieres there on July 19.

(Duane Simolke wrote Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.)

Fat Diary, Part of The Acorn Gathering.

A West Texas librarian makes fun of herself and the other people in her town, while writing about her reasons for wanting to lose weight.

Pamela Mae Willard must learn to love herself. Still, she can’t resist laughing about her problems, and about the adventures of the colorful characters in Acorn, Texas.

This irreverent, politically incorrect tale reveals a woman finding joy in life, no matter what happens to her and no matter who mistreats her.

This short story appears in The Acorn Gathering. Some of its characters also appear in The Acorn Stories.

Categories: humor, comedy, short story, fiction.

Keywords: Duane Simolke, fat diary, weight loss, fat, humor, comedy, satire, West Texas, Texans, Lubbock authors, writers, politically incorrect, e-books, eBooks, fiction, fictional towns and cities, short stories, Sordid Lives, Tuna, gay, ex-gay, exgay, small-town, small town, rural, chick lit, women’s fiction, Acorn.

Blog entry updated 9/28/16.

Upcoming Science Fiction Thriller The Prototype

The Prototype joins a list of promising science fiction movies for 2013 and beyond. I was already looking forward to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, as well as the new Star Trek and the various superhero films.

Federal Ban on Gay Marriage Challenged

Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, federal appeals court rules. The Lookout - Yahoo! News. Reactions to Homophobia

The Bible and Gays

Gay DVD Review: Blue Briefs.

Guest House Films presents a collection of short films, filled with heartache and handsome young men. Varied locations explore the frustrations of male relationships. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

Loss of the Disco Queen.

Donna Summer has died of cancer. I love her songs and could never get tired of them. What an incredible voice! If you've never listened to her, please look her up at YouTube and elsewhere.

Cancer Fundraiser in Its Tenth Year!

10 years ago, the publication of The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer offered readers the chance to buy a collection of short fiction, with all royalties going to the fight against cancer. Today, it is still available in paperback, and now in eBook format, with the same mission. With cancer constantly affecting our lives, I’m proud to have taken part in that project and hope you’ll take the time to read more about it .

The writers who joined me in donating their writings made it a memorable collection. I also want to acknowledge the memory of John Mudd, a blog innovator who both helped the project happen and helped it find an audience.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones this Mother’s Day!

Is Your Husband Gay, or Your Daughter?

Video: Is Your Husband Gay? Loretta Lee Jackson will help you find the "Hidden Homo!" She also asks "Is Your Daughter a Dyke"?

Syfy announces 28 projects: Stephen King, Charlaine Harris and more

Fight Cancer

Fight Cancer has received more than 2000 views at YouTube. The Acorn Gathering's new HD trailer is now there as well.

From Blastr: 2013 science fiction, fantasy, and horror movie release dates.

John Carter trailer introduced by Andrew Stanton. Fun 3D scifi! http://youtu.be/WR6HUkzxjR0 The Hunger Games movie lives up to the hype, but John Carter deserves much more attention than it received.

HD Book trailer: The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer. Fundraiser.

Writer/director Rob Williams is encouraging fan participation with his upcoming gay comedy The Men Next Door through IndieGoGo. Williams also directed Role/Play, Make The Yuletide Gay, 3-Day Weekend, Back Soon, and Long-Term Relationship. Out of those, I especially love Make The Yuletide Gay! Even though it’s Christmas-themed, I still suggest it for someone who likes romantic comedies with a gay twist…any time of the year.

Readers can now order The Acorn Gathering eBook. That short story collection raises funds for the fight against cancer.

West Texas secrets and scandals: The Acorn Stories book trailer at Indies Unlimited.

DVD Review: A Warm Wind.

A new film from Jeff London involves a gay man reaching out to his cousin, Buck. War injuries left Buck struggling to rebuild his life. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

The Laramie Project continues this weekend at The Lubbock Community Theatre. It's a great production! Please tell others in the West Texas area about it.

gay hate crimes homophobia bigotry

Indies Unlimited includes book trailers, book excerpts, marketing advice, writing exercises, and much more, focusing largely on genre writing from independent authors and publishers. Guest bloggers provide much of the original content, with new entries appearing frequently.

To find more reader and writer resources, please click on the labels that appear after this post. Please consider using the “Share” buttons there as well.

Humor: Cat Vs. Dog. A cute and funny video.

Lubbock, Texas: February 17-19, 24-26, March 2-4, 2012: The Lubbock Community Theatre will stage The Laramie Project.

Their description of the play:

In October 1998 a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. He died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was assaulted because he was gay. Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from over 200 interviews of people from Laramie and their own experiences after the beating and death. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

I previously saw The Laramie Project performed at Texas Tech University, and saw the HBO movie version. Both were good.

The video Gay Love Poem has received more than a quarter of a million views at YouTube. Happy Valentine's Day!

Gay DVD Review: Man 2 Man: A Gay Man’s Guide to Finding Love.

A new documentary by the director of The Butch Factor explores gay male relationships, from the perspectives of single men, couples, matchmakers, and relationship counselors. Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com. The DVD arrives on Valentine's Day.

Writing a Novel: Sons of Taldra. The writing process.

I’ve posted a few blog entries about my work on the sequel to Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure. You can read the other entries by clicking on the Sons of Taldra tag at the end of this one.

The draft I finished slowly changed from 31 to 21 chapters, because of combined chapters and cut or combined scenes. Quite a few scenes provided nice interactions between certain characters, but really added nothing to the overall novel and slowed it down unnecessarily. Other scenes went by too quickly and needed expanding or combining.

I know from experience that the novel’s final draft will look nothing like the first one. Even the ending has changed with revision, and one scene that occurred in the middle of the book now occurs during the final chapter! Actually, though, it looks like the opening will see the most changes from here, with a long action sequence that will expand some more.

For this novel, I keep working one chapter at a time, printing new drafts of an individual chapter when needed. The printed chapters often become hard to read, because of the insertions, cross-outs, and arrows (“move this part here,” etc.).

My past novels started as short stories that I slowly expanded. Sons of Taldra started with some ideas and an outline, spawned in part from the memory of a character I created for the first book but never used. I had written a scene for him before realizing it wouldn’t quite fit into the narrative. Still, he helps bring together some ideas I had for the sequel, along with a few passing references that occurred during the first novel. (I won’t say any more about that. Spoilers!)

I plan to completely revise all the chapters again, creating a new draft that comes closer to a finished work, and then focus on polishing the complete novel from there.

I updated my main Rainbow: Lubbock/Gay in Lubbock, Texas entry, updating the links and adding the following link to search results.

You Tube: It Gets Better Lubbock

Gay Movie Review: The Love Patient.

A gay man decides to win back his ex-boyfriend by faking cancer in this unusual romantic comedy, written and directed by Michael Simon. How could such a plan go wrong? Read my review at ThisWeekInTexas.Com.

News about the Star Wars TV series: Star Wars: Underworld, could it star Boba Fett and Prince Xizor?

The Fades premieres on BBC America this week, in its Supernatural Saturday timeslot, which is usually occupied by Doctor Who, Primeval, Being Human, or Bedlam.

Video playlist: science fiction and fantasy, Texas, gay pride, fighting cancer, and more!