Lea DeLaria Movies

A Eurythmics-obsessed, small-town Ohio youth comes to terms with his sexual identity and his New Wave fashion sense in this gentle coming-out drama, which is set in 1984. When closeted Sandusky teen Eric (Chris Stafford) and his best friend, Maggie (Tina Holmes), accept summer jobs in food service at the local amusement park, they befriend their lesbian manager, Angie (Lea DeLaria), and a gay college student named Rod (Andersen Gabrych). Sparks fly between the two boys, even as Maggie waits patiently in the wings for Eric's affections. Rod eventually gives Chris the first-time experience he was looking for, then promptly heads back to Ohio State, leaving the younger guy to spend his entire senior year looking for love -- and the perfect bleach job. As Eric's outsider fashions raise eyebrows with his loving parents, he learns that his frustrated pianist mom (Stephanie McVay) is going to have to get a job to help send him to study music in New York. Meanwhile, Eric ventures out to the local gay disco, a hopping joint run by none other than his old boss, Maggie, who shows him the ropes and gives him just enough rope to hang himself. Stung by a meaningless sexual experience and pining away for the otherwise involved Rod, Eric decides to sleep with the saintly Maggie. But he's too open and sensitive to pull a fast one over on her; crestfallen at his rejection and his willingness to toy with her affections, she ends the friendship, leaving Eric to confide in his mother -- and find his place in the gay community. Written by Todd Stephens, directed by David Moreton, and produced by both, Edge of Seventeen was screened as part of the American Spectrum at Sundance in 1999. Stephens would return with the similarly themed Gypsy 83 in 2001. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Sara Moore made her directorial debut with this campy comedy, issuing a barrage of bitchy bits in a surreal send-up of homosexual histrionics, starring noted activist-author-actor Quentin Crisp, who previously portrayed Queen Elizabeth in Orlando. The aging, gay guru Malcolm (Crisp), aka the "Greta Garbo of Queerdom," has a cinema memorabilia collection (Vivien Leigh's pillbox, Gloria Swanson's false teeth, Nancy Sinatra's boot trinkets) given him by Homo Heights gay mafia head, the exuberant, ebullient drag queen Maria Callous (Stephen Sorrentino), a media manipulator who keeps tab on the public pulse by bugging apartment complexes. Stifled by the controlling Callous, Malcolm wants out and plots an escape with his friend, gay gal cabdriver Clementine (Lea DeLaria). The outrageous and furious Callous, however, intends to make Malcolm happy again with "an icon for an icon," and she gathers a gang of gay ghetto leaders for a meeting. They reject Hayley and Juliet Mills, and Grace Jones, before choosing the perfect icon -- Carol Channing (seen in a brief cameo). As for Clementine's lost love Stella (Lynn Sain), the lesbian said the better, since Stella left Clementine for the alcoholic Blanche (Michelle Hutchinson), and Clementine would like to pour Blanche back into the bottle to win back Stella. Further, Stella is now pregnant by tomcat Cruise (Tim Tucker), whose boyfriend, journalistic jackdaw Tootsie (Grant Richey), is hatching a plan to outline Malcolm's escape attempts in an investigative exposé that could soon spur Callous into fierce fulminations. Drag queens Queenie (Emil Herrera) and Paprika (Daniel Alexander Jones) spice up the subplots. Shown at the 1998 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Lesbian comedian Lea DeLaria ("strong enough for a man but built for a woman") hosts Comedy Central's Out There: Loud, Proud & Outrageous Comedy!, an evening of gay and lesbian comedy and variety. Released by Rhino Home Video, this hour-long program featuring gay-themed sketch comedy and standup was produced in honor of National Coming Out Day at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Taped in front of a live audience, the lineup includes Suzanne Westenhoefer, Pomo Afrohomos, Steve Moore, Phranc, and Bob Smith. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

A mother mourning her son's suicide finds herself thrown into a sexual tailspin when she finds herself attracted to women in this romantic comedy. The comedy comes in as she tries to court a stripper in a local gay bar. Unfortunately the stripper has other things in mind for the bereaved mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Sales of Buzz Beer drop to an all-time low (the all-time high wasn't so great either), so the guys plan a "Going Out of Business" party with plenty of free beer 'n' eats at Drew's house. Thanks to the prankish Mimi (Kathy Kinney), invitations to the party go out to literally everybody in Cleveland, explaining the presence of such disparate celebrities as entertainers Little Richard and Joe Walsh (who'd rather play chess, but end up singing "Rocky Mountain Way"), NFL star Bernie Kosar, and Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White). Elsewhere, Kate's (Christa Miller) social life takes a "bizarro" turn when she befriends three women who behave exactly like her male pals Drew (Drew Carey), Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide