More than ever, RuPaul’s Drag Race is delivering the culture, the looks, and the drama with its sensational Season 17 — and the Emmys BETTA recognize that!
Who doesn’t love some melodrama?
Gotham, the newest (and chicest) Lower East Side dispensary, holds more than the latest and greatest offerings in THC, CBD, and home décor products currently available on the medicinal market.
Queer teenagers, Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) of Heartstopper stole the hearts of millions of viewers across the globe last spring as they navigated high school, friendships, and of course, young love. The show, based on the graphic novel by Alice Oseman, launched its second season on Netflix last week. The premiere coincided with the launch of the Heartstopper x Good Light Cosmetics collaboration. Good Light Cosmetics is an AAPI and queer-owned brand with a “[focus] on moving culture forward by promoting a more inclusive definition of beauty through product and purpose.”
Good Light Cosmtics celebrated their joint venture with Netflix last week at the Bryant Park Hotel. Guests entered the hotel’s theater space which was decorated with Good Light’s products and stickers featuring each member of the Heartstopper’s cast. Guests could grab candy bags filled with delicious British treats like Cadbury chocolate and Maltesers and of course, popcorn bags covered in stickers from the Good Light collection. Each seat included a Good Light Cosmetics tote bag that included a Charlie and Nick figurine, a collector’s edition box of Good Light products (including the Cosmic Dew Water Cleanser, Moon Glow Milky Toning lotion, Order of the Eclipse Hyaluronic Cream, Luna Pimple Patches, Gay Panic magnet and sticker sheet), and a 16 month weekly and monthly planner.
The event kicked off with moving words from Good Light Cosmetic’s founder David Yi, followed by a screening of the first two episodes of Heartstopper’s second season. “This is a brand where we can celebrate who we are, no matter our background, no matter what people say to us, no matter what society deems we should be. On all of our packages the mascot is the moth, not a butterfly. The butterfly gets to bask its wings in the daytime, agulated in pop culture and history. We all love the butterfly, it’s objectively beautiful. But the moth is the ugly stepchild or the ugly sibling, relegated to the darkness, told that it belongs in the shadows. And I feel what is so remarkable about the moth, even in its deepest darkest despair, even when the chips are down, even when society tells you that you don’t deserve to be seen, the moth will always find the light. And so too shall you and so too shall I,” said David.
Heartstopper’s seasons one and two are currently available for streaming on Netflix. Check out the limited edition Heartstopper x Good Light Cosmetics set and keep your eyes peeled for the “Paris Squad” card—you may just end up winning a free year of Netflix and Good Light products!
The Celebration of Courage Gala hosted by Outright International held their annual event at Pier Sixty at the Chelsea Piers complex in New York City.
HBO Max’s Gossip Girl, a reboot of the classic mid-2000s teen drama, has already made bright stars of its cast and is enjoying strong support among fans after a celebrated first season. Now T’V’s favorite all-knowing, riddle-loving narrator (the talented Kristen Bell) returns for the second season, along with much of the cast.
In order to celebrate the premiere, Human By Orientation (HBO’s own LGBTQIA+ organization), and NYC’s legendary NewFest (the city’s preeminent queer film festival for over 35 years) traded the Upper East Side for Brooklyn to host a show-stopping advance screening at the Nighthawk Cinema in South Slope. Guests were treated to a pre-show drink and popcorn before having a chance to enjoy the first episode of the second season.
Throwing audiences directly into the magic and chaos of Gossip Girl’s world, the first episode is a brash and fast-moving dive into the rarified (and often, very white) world of debutante balls. Even without having seen the first season, character building is strong and addicting- you want to know everyone. While watching the first season can help enjoy the story more its not a requirement in order to enjoy the episode.
Just one episode will have you indulging in modern slang, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it jokes, and satisfying references to NYC life that are the definition of if you know, you know. It’s always nice to see your city celebrated on the big screen and NYC has always been a bit of a plot point for Gossip Girl, given some of its unique cultural norms and tendencies.
Particularly refreshing is how candid the show is about queer life, where all kinds of relationships are normalized in a healthy way rather than fetishized as rare phenomenons. For example, the topic of a three-way relationship is interesting not because of the arrangement itself, but because viewers are let in on the emotional struggle of the participants. It’s refreshing and serious, but playful and real: a complicated relationship handled with the humor and care.
A post-screening Q&A, moderated by Them editor Michael Cuby, featured Gossip Girl director Joshua Safran and cast members including Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Savannah Lee Smith, and Grace Duah (who nearly steals the entire first episode with her chameleon-like presence of comforting chaos). The Q&A revealed some clues about the next season, especially around how viewers will learn more about the families of many of the characters. We’re also introduced to a returning teacher who seems to be as meddling as Gossip Girl themself.
After the screening, guests and stars alike descended upon the cinema’s bar for a roaring afterparty featuring custom cocktails, a photo backdrop, passed snacks, and an absolutely blowout DJ set by Kenni Javon.
Gossip Girl Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes weekly. Stream it here.
Being a body is a terror once you think about it for more than a minute. A terror, a miracle, a wonderland, according to John Mayer.
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@theknockturnal.com join us for the firebird premiere in los angeles at the directors guild of america! #theknockturnal #foryou #fyp #losangeles #moviepremiere #dayinmylife #vlog #journalism #firebird #firebirdmovie #fightforlove??? #fightforlove ♬ original sound - tabitha.
The Knockturnal was on the scene this past week for the Firebird premiere at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. Starring Tom Prior, Oleg Zagorodnii, Diana Pozharskaya, Jake-Thomas Henderson, Margus Prangel and Nicholas Woodeson. Based on a true story about Sergey Fetisov during the Cold War, Firebird follows a young Sergey, played by Tom Prior, who develops a relationship with a charismatic fighter pilot Roman, played by Oleg Zagorodnii, on an Air Force base in occupied Estonia at the height of 1970’s Communist rule. The film is based off of Sergey true story of forbidden love and is a passionate love story set against the backdrop of war torn and occupied Estonia.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (L-R) Tom Prior and Peeter Rebane attend the “Firebird” Los Angeles premiere at DGA Theater Complex on April 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Factory / Roadside Attractions)
Sergey Fetisov was born on August 12, 1952 in Oryol, Soviet Russia. He served his two year mandatory conscription, which was normal for every Soviet man to undergo, in the 1970s at the Soviet Air Force Base in occupied Estonia. Here he fell in love with a young fighter pilot, and our film begins. Sergey published his memoir “A Tale About Roman” in the early ’90s under the pseudonym Sergey Nizhny. The story is one of courage, love and fear during the height of the Cold War, and following his heart in the face of all the dangers of the Soviet Union at the time. It is a testament and example of true love, and echoes the same message of many queer films that love is love.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (L-R) Tom Prior, Peeter Rebane and Francisco Martos speak onstage during the “Firebird” Los Angeles premiere at DGA Theater Complex on April 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Factory / Roadside Attractions)
The film opens with Sergey, Tom Prior, a young soldier who dreams of becoming an actor in Moscow, who is counting the days until his military service ends. His life is turned upside down when he locks eyes with Roman, Oleg Zagorodnii, a fighter pilot newly assigned to his base. Driven by their undeniable attraction, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship at a time when Soviet men in uniform caught having a sexual affair was met with the severest punishment. As their friendship grows into love, the men risk their freedom and their lives to be together in the face of an all-seeing Soviet regime.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (L-R) Tom Prior and Peeter Rebane attend the “Firebird” Los Angeles premiere at DGA Theater Complex on April 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for The Factory / Roadside Attractions)
Director and co-writer Peeter Rebane said, “We live at a time when basic human rights, equality and freedom are once again under attack around the world. Same sex families are still illegal or discriminated against in many countries, including modern day Russia. I trust that telling Sergey’s true story helps people to understand others who are different from them, to realize that love is love, or as Sergey says: ‘My love was no less than your love.’ At the core, this film is about having the courage to overcome one’s fears and choose love. It’s a story about discovering your identity in an authoritarian society, while navigating the border between love and friendship. How do you deal with conflicting feelings when there is nobody to talk to, asking: ‘Is it right to feel like this?’ or ‘How can I be with the person I love?'”. Another aspect of the film that is quite unique is lead actor Tom Prior, who became a co-writer as the filming progressed. Prior was approached to play Sergey before becoming involved in the writing process. Being a writer and a performer presented some new challenges for the British actor who said, “Sometimes I would walk into a scene, and it would be completely different to how I had imagined it when we were writing the script,” said Prior. Prior and Rebane lived and breathed this story for two years while developing the script until finally being able to share the masterpiece with us.
At the premiere, the event also featured a short film premiere from Ukranian director Maxim Varen and his team titled “Past Lives” starring Panagiotis Margetis and Francisco Martos. We got to talk to him as well about his movie and how excited he was to share it with us and watch Firebird.
Firebird is now playing in cinemas, so don’t forget to check it out as well as our interviews and behind the scenes TikTok above!