Dino Fetscher heats things up, Bowen Yang’s icy stare & all the can’t-miss LGBTQ+ releases of the week

Stay in-the-know with Queerty's midweek pop culture catch-up.

Jan 31, 2024 - 19:00
 0  4
Dino Fetscher heats things up, Bowen Yang’s icy stare & all the can’t-miss LGBTQ+ releases of the week
Image Credits: Bowen Yang on ‘SNL,’ NBC (left) | Instagram, @dinofetscher (center) | ‘Glitter + Doom,’ Music Box Films (right)

Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:

What To Watch

  • Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans — Jan. 31 (FX), Feb. 1 (Hulu): A dramatic look back at the gossip-fueled story of author Truman Capote and his NYC socialite frenemies, with a star-studded cast.
  • Shortcomings — Feb. 1 (Netflix): The Umbrella Academy‘s Justin H. Min and Queerties nominee Sherry Cola co-star in this rom-com directed by Fresh Off The Boat funnyman Randall Park.
  • Dick: The Musical — Feb. 2 (Max): A lewd, crude, and riotously funny musical about long lost twins, with iconic supporting turns from Nathan Lana, Megan Mullally, and Megan Thee Stallion.
  • Departing Seniors — Feb. 2 (VOD): A queer high school senior discovers he has a psychic gift, which he uses to stop a masked murderer in this sharp slasher comedy.
  • Kokomo City — Feb. 2 (Paramount+): Emerging filmmaker D. Smith helms this provocative and electrifying documentary that gives Black trans sex workers space to tell their stories.
  • She Is Conann — Feb. 2 (Select Theaters): A time and genre-hopping queer fantasy about a mythical woman named Conann, following her from the Sumerian era to the near future.

Culture Catch-Up

MOTHER HAS ARRIVED: This just in—Queen Of Queens Jinkx Monsoon will be hosting this year’s Queerties Awards on March 12 (which you can vote for every day between now and February 22!), and we could not be more excited to have this icon cast her spell over us. Here, she gives her first interview about why she’s eager to host—and the importance of making your voice heard! [The Wrap]

COLD OPEN: On this past weekend’s SNL, Dave Chappelle‘s surprise random appearance on stage during the goodnights clearly threw Bowen Yang for a loop, and queer fans are cheering the sketch MVP’s iciest of cold shoulders. [Read all about it on INTO]

POWER OF TWO: We’re excited to share your exclusive first look at the teaser for musical romance Glitter + Doom which will hit theaters on March 8. Using the powerful songs of The Indigo Girls, the film tells a star-crossed love story of a circus dreamer (Alex Diaz) and a struggling musician (Alan Cammish) who find new purpose in each other. From the producer of Moulin Rouge and Kinky Boots, the crowd-pleaser also stars Lea DeLaria, Tig Notaro, Peppermint, Ming Na-Wen, Missi Pyle, and the B-52s’ Kate Pierson.

BYE BYE CHITA: This week, the lights went out on Broadway as we mourned the passing of stage legend Chita Rivera, who originated musical roles like Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, and Velma Kelly in Chicago. Her friends and contemporaries remember her unrivaled talent and beautiful spirit. [Playbill]

MOTHER OF DILFS: Stormy Daniels is back as the host of OUTtv’s bonkers, addictive For The Love Of DILFs, and we’ve got the juicy interview all about the drama-filled second season, her many, many gay fans, and all the dirt she has on the Trumps.

A MOUNTAIN OF MOVIES: The 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival wrapped up this past weekend, and we’ve got your recap of all best, funniest, and sexiest LGBTQ+ films to debut this year, from a sensual sex worker drama to a documentary that’s going to make you cry happy tears. [Read all about it on Queerty]

MANDATORY READING: In a moving new interview, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 queen Amanda Tori Meating has come out as trans, sharing how she’s more ready than ever to advocate for herself after dealing with an unsupportive ex and bullies in and out of the Werk Room. [EW]

NO FOOL: One of the streaming hits of 2024 thus far is Netflix’s mystery thriller Fool Me Once, and out star Dino Fetscher is speaking up about the importance of playing a character who “just happens to be gay.” We’re all for visibility for the community—and especially for Festcher because… well, look at the material! [BBC News]

ARE YOU READY FOR IT?: With 10 months to go until the 2024 election, Republicans are panicked that Taylor Swift might be in her “political era” and could endorse Joe Biden, potentially swaying the polls by mobilizing a very crucial voting bloc: The Swifties. [Read all about it on LGBTQNation]

LISTEN UP: Beloved U.K. based radio & TV presenter Nigel May just launched an exciting new LGBTQ+ interview podcast called A Gay Old Time—and though it bears the same name as a movie retrospective column on this very site, we’ll be tuning in, especially because he’ll be chatting with members of our community of all ages, including EastEnders‘ John Partridge, comedy hero Margaret Cho, and the indomitable Peppermint.

FIGHT CLUB: Jake Gyllenhaal may be flashing some serious muscle in the upcoming Road House remake, but he’ll never hold a candle to the sweaty, homoerotic glory of the original 1989 movie starring a never-hotter Patrick Swayze. [Read all about it on INTO]

CURTAINS UP: If you’re in New York City on February 9, you won’t want miss actor/model-signer Wyatt Sepa-Newell‘s special one-night-only cabaret show at The Green Room 42, playing tribute to legends like Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra with his show What Is This Thing Called Love? And, from the looks of Sepa-Newell’s spciy Instagram page, you’re going to want front row seats! [The Green Room 42]

And don’t forget: The polls are open for the 2024 Queerties Awards! From now until February 22, you can vote once a day for your favorite LGBTQ+ stars and moments from the past year of entertainment and pop culture, so make your voice heard!

The Final Hump

We here at Queerty love a good slasher, especially one that has a sense of humor about itself, so the upcoming Departing Seniors—on VOD Feb. 2!—promises to be right up our alley. The indie tells the story of queer Mexican-American teen Javier (Primo‘s Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), who’s been bullied his entire time at high school and just can’t wait to graduate in a few weeks and leave it all behind. After an accident leaves him with the mysterious ability to see people’s pasts and futures at random, he soon realizes his special gift might be the only way to save his classmates when a masked killer begins to pick them off one-by-one. So, yeah… this sounds wild! But, before all that, Javier’s just a teen hanging with his bestie (Ireon Roach)—and sneaking in makeouts with his secret jock boyfriend (Sasha Kuznetsov). Check it out in this Queerty exclusive clip below!

What's Your Reaction?

like

dislike

love

funny

angry

sad

wow