Toronto gay filmmaker Bruce LaBruce recently told Xtra that Australia's decision to ban his film LA Zombie was a good thing: "Once you do this, you've guaranteed that people will want to see it."

And now it seems that a few Aussies might have a chance to see the film at a secret screening: 

Richard Wolstencroft, director of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, yesterday announced his intention to stage a ''public disobedience freedom of speech event'' on Aug 29.

''I've got Bruce LaBruce's support,'' he said. ''If the police turn up and physically stop me, what can I do? But they really hate coming to this sort of thing, they're embarrassed.'' 

From the event's Facebook page:

MUFF wishes to preserve artistic freedom, particularly for alternative or subversive cinema such as LA Zombie. The festival’s firm view is that adult audiences are capable of contextualizing confronting cinema, and should have the right to see adult films. 

Watch the LA Zombie trailer below: 

It feels like there's been no shortage of bad news this week.  The death of Chris Skinner.  The Winnipeg bathhouse arson.  The passing of former Whistler, BC mayor Ted Nebbeling.  The thought of losing The Hidden Cameras to Berlin.  And then...this completely appalling baptism footage:

So I'm not going to let another dime-a-dozen religious homophobe get me down.  At times like this, I like to focus on the little things -- a few random bits that made me smile and hopefully you too:

-- Three words, people:  Ecuador transgender makeovers!

-- The over-the-top delight of the Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll. My Earring Magic Ken's been so very lonely!

-- Levi Johnson's veiled threats to blab Sarah Palin's secrets.  We joked about wanting to see what's in his pants; who knew we'd now want to see what's in his mind?

-- Actor Forbes March finally confirming what soap opera fans already knew: gay teen couple Luke and Noah are so tragically bland because they're forced to be

-- The Ooh La La guys are showing off the new Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.  I may hate the clothes but I love the models who don't wear them:

-- Michael Bublé insisting he's not that "clean-cut" Canadian kid by revealing that he smokes pot and was once pegged as gay.  Ooooh...badass!

-- "A Tragic Video History Of Male Nudity In Science Fiction [NSFW]," the amusing list that reminded me how hot Russell Crowe looked in Virtuosity

-- what, you thought I'd forget to mention Obama finally signing that hate crimes bill into law?  A great day for our American friends!

-- and finally, another hit of silliness from late-night comic Craig Ferguson.  Sure, I posted his last dance number just a couple weeks ago but this one is just as hilarious and really, really, really gay: 

Gotta give teen TV soap opera Gossip Girl credit for tossing out a curveball -- despite all the hype over it's cheap "ZOMG! CHUCK IS GOING TO KISS A GUY!!" ratings ploy, his final line in this clip earned a well-deserved raised eyebrow:

This is either a) a straight guy ridiculously comfortable with his sexuality, or b) a bisexual coming-out scene (as in the books the show is based on).  Time will tell but this hinting at past adventures certainly gives fans lots more material for slash fiction. 

An unlikely inspiration for slash stories would be the bumbling cops in Hot Fuzz but the film's creator Edward Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had a field day creating some on Twitter yesterday.  C'mon guys, save it for the sequel!

Asked to write a letter to himself as a 16-year-old for a new anthology, Elton John revealed that he regrets not having sex for the first time until he was 23.  This was a surprising choice of regret considering his failed marriage to a woman or, well, this: 

But as he says, "Be proud of who you are." Like 11-year-old James Gibson-Jones, who's decided to become a ballet dancer despite the teasing his gay dads will get over it.  The Toronto Star revisited the family in its pages this weekend for a charming profile.

And finally, while everyone seems to love the new show Glee, not everyone is sold on dumb-but-lovable Finn, played by Cory Monteith. But whether you love him or hate him, there's something for everyone in this clip from a horror movie Monteith appeared in a couple years ago.  Enjoy! 

Normally we're all about the jokes here on the Roundup but even funnyman David Letterman is very, very serious today, following his jawdropping "little story" last night:

Meanwhile, two of our favourite writers have gone deep and dark -- Shawn Syms exhaustively covers the criminalization of HIV while Paul Gallant examines the poor state of gay activism in a recent piece for This magazine.  We're near, we're queer...whatever.

Down south again, the right-wing drive to overthrow the US government is picking up steam, according to this caller on Michaelangelo Signorile's radio show:

While creepy, this whole movement is still ridiculous considering that "socialist" Barack Obama is proving to be George W. Bush's biggest fan.

Good grief, more depressing news:  Lady Gaga and Kanye West were going to tour together but poor sales have cancelled it all (I smell a Taylor Swift plot!): 

This was surprising news:  Lady Gaga and Kanye West were going to tour together?

 And finally, worst of all, CALIFORNIA HAS FALLEN INTO THE SEA:

Yeah, it's just a big clip from the upcoming absolutely-fucking-ridiculous disaster movie 2012.  I couldn't maintain such seriousness forever, you understand.  Have a great weekend!

Is it...

a)  Patrick Swayze in 'Road House'?

b)  Patrick Swayze in 'Ghost'?

c)  Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'?

d)  Patrick Swayze in 'To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar'?

e)  Patrick Swayze in 'North and South'?

Your best answer please (except for that one guy in the back, screaming 'Donnie Darko' -- get some help, dude) but remember -- though we all mourn the only man who ever truly rocked a mullet, no amount of grief, good will or genuine affection can ever excuse 'She's Like the Wind.'  I'm sorry but that's just how it is.

Against all odds, Patrick Swayze always brought a weird kind of dignity to even the cheesiest material, a skill dating back to this hilariously awkward underwear ad he did as a young lad in 1974:

Oh Patrick, then and now, we kid because we love.  You made a lot of people wish they were Jennifer Grey for a night and that took talent!  Rest in peace.