After the jump, Dolly Parton speaks directly about the warm-hearted documentary From Hollywood to Dollywood, made by the openly gay Lane Twins. I thought it was really good myself, and I've just heard that the movie—which is available on Blu-ray and DVD—will have a release in New York (August 31) and L.A. (September 7)...
From Us (January 16, 2012): The often-rumored-to-be-gay Dolly Parton is asked about her great chemisry with her even-more-often-rumored-to-be-gay Joyful Noise co-star Queen Latifah. I'm actually going to be seeing this movie soon. I'm assuming it will be the non-sexual version of Shame.
Just over a week ago, I squeezed in a last-second event before hopping my flight to Vegas—and I'm so gIad I gambled with my time. Gary and Larry Lane, an adorable pair of twins I'd corresponded with forever and ever online, are traveling the international filmfest circuit with their feature Hollywood to Dollywood, and it was finally alighting in New York City at the Quad.
Oh, brothers! The Lanes are forging a path in film.
Hollywood to Dollywood follows the Lanes as they board an RV and trek from L.A. to Dolly Parton's theme park Dollywood in Tennessee, accompanied by one boyfriend (no, they do not share him), one camera and one gigantic script they'd co-written with a juicy part for Dolly. Their mission is to hand the script to their idol personally, so they make sure to get advice from mutual friends/their quirky network of supporters, including Leslie Jordan, Sordid Lives star Beth Grant, Chad Allen (who wound up co-producing) and Oscar-winning scribe Dustin Lance Black (who says of their screenplay that he's "seen worse, believe it or not").
Chad, the Lanes & the filmfesters
Chad with National AIDS Memorial Grove Tribute director Andrew Ehrenfeld
Chad with True Colors director Kenny Yanga
Where is Globe when you NEED gossip to be started???
I arrived for the screening to find a mob of people associated with other films at the International Film Festival Manhattan jockeying to get pictures with the cherub-faced Lanes and with former closeted teen heartthrob Allen, who's now happily out (having been outed by the tabloids years ago).
Double your pleasure, double your fun
Chad's Downtown: A Street Tale (2004) was also playing
The boys (they're in their thirties but have a youthful energy that seems to be preserving them) were bouncing off the walls and gave me some great answers during our video chat (I asked why people are obsessed with twins and they immediately went there) and Allen had some interesting insights into the genesis of the film as well as into what it had been like to be a gay kid who was being painted as an ideal boyfriend in the teen 'zines.
After some introductory remarks, we watched a series of shorts including an atrocious vignette with a twist ending, an artsy dance tribute to a generation felled by AIDS and a documentary by Kenny Yanga called True Colors that was about how hard it is to be gay.
I've always loved the Lane Twins—Gary and Larry—and now they have a Dolly Parton-themed documentary coming out called Hollywood to Dollywood that I'll be seeing on the 17th in NYC. As part of their promotions, they landed a spot of The Rosie Show on OWN. Non-Dolly clip of them after the jump...
According to Star (September 26, 2011), Madonna's got a li'l catching up to do—her breasts are only insured for $2 million compared to Dolly Parton's $3.8 million. Perhaps it's done by the yard?
Wonder if DP was daydreaming of a DP?
The Lane Twins' interesting-sounding From Hollywood to Dollywood documentary just got this smashing write-up by Yahoo! that I'm sure they are eating up. The boys (men, really, since they're 36—but look like they're in their twenties) are three-time reality-TV grand-prize winners and when it comes to Miss Dolly, they will always love her.
Having said she's "in love with" Lady GaGa and admiring her artistry, Dolly Parton has reiterated that she'd love to work with the diva—and Madonna ain't chopped liver, either:
"I'd love to do a duet with Madonna, always wanted to work with her, but she never asked."
Madonna...ask!
Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Ariel Winter of Modern Family
Modern Family and Glee both won for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, which presenter Joel McHale points out is not a "tie" but a "silk cravate" in LGBT terms.
Keep watching to see the acceptances, as well as videos of Dolly Parton (weirdly played on by Madonna's "Vogue," and who describes her appearance as "comin' out..." to present an award), Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley...
Dolly Parton once lost a Dolly Parton Look-Alike Contest. Not surprising, if it was recently. Check out the above picture; I'm familiar with the original Parton and the amped-up version (left and right, respectively), but the current Dolly looks horrendously stretched and weird.
But P.S. She is another of those mega-stars still left standing.
The adorable and eternally upbeat Lane Twins are going to be on Wipeout Thursday—wishing them the best, yet hoping for lots of wet T-shirts. (The pic above is promising.)
Also, the guys let me know they just got the green light from Dolly Parton to use 10 of her songs in their movie Hollywood to Dollywood, which they describe as being "about tolerance, acceptance, chasing a dream and of course DOLLY!" Yee-haw, y'all!
