Sacha Baron Cohen Plays Middle Eastern Despot in New Film: TRAILER

In The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen plays a Middle Eastern despot named General Aladeen (think Saddam, Qaddafi) whose dictatorial ways come into direct contact with American culture.

Check out the trailer, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Freddie Mercury in New Biopic

Back in May 2007 I posted about a report that Sacha Baron Cohen was to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic.

At the time, Baron Cohen's publicist poo-poohed the rumors, but now it appears that three years later the deal has closed.

Peter Morgan, who wrote Frost/Nixon and The Queen, among others, is writing the script, and as for the music?

"This is the first time the surviving members of Queen--Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon--have licensed songs and music publishing rights for a movie about the band and they formed Queen Films to be part of the production team on the film. They previously supplied their songs to We Will Rock You, the stage musical that has been running 9 years on London’s West End."

The timeline of the film will end in 1985 (at the Live Aid concert), and thus will not address the singer's death from complications due to AIDS in 1991.

News: Tel Aviv, Sonia Sotomayor, The Situation, Hubble's Deep Field

GLAAD launches online petition against Buju Banton Grammy noms.

Phoenix city councilman Tom Simplot and his partner David Smith, who were first to sign up for the city's domestic partner registry, have split.

Tom Ford photographs, discusses Single Man cast for V magazine.

Does Mariah Carey H.A.T.E.U???

A Gay Hockey Kid's Life (via outsports).

Preliminary witness list for federal challenge to Prop 8 revealed.

Teen seeks $4 million from Tel Aviv LGBT youth center for injuries sustained during attack: "Yonatan Buks, 15, suffered internal damage when he was shot in the lower extremities of his body. He is undergoing rehabilitation and has difficulty speaking, Ynetnews reported Tuesday."

Air Force acknowledges existence of stealth spy plane.

Williams College hit by homophobic graffiti incident.

Sonia Sotomayor uses term "undocumented immigrant" rather than "illegal immigrant" for first time ever in SCOTUS opinions.

Tom Brady making a bunch.

Jersey Shore's "The Situation" defends his Guido-ness.

Barney Frank endorses Sestak over Specter in Pennsylvania Senate race.

Whatever happened to Ennis Del Mar? The Autry National Center of the American West takes a look at LGBT representation in the American West at a panel discussion this weekend in L.A: "Moderated by Virginia Scharff, author and professor of history/director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico, the panel includes Los Angeles Times and NPR film critic Kenneth Turan; Peter M. Nardi, Ph.D., author and professor of sociology at Pitzer College; and William Handley, associate professor of English at the University of Southern California and editor of The Brokeback Book (forthcoming)."

Maine reporter fired for personal email against marriage equality.

Sacha Baron Cohen sued by Bethlehem grocer and peace activist over Bruno film: "Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's attempt to pretend that he interviewed a notorious terrorist leader in the film Bruno may cost him $110 million in damages - 80 percent of the movie's gross box office earnings. That's the sum demanded by Ayman Abu Aita, a Palestinian grocer and peace activist from Bethlehem who says his life has been ruined byBaron Cohen's movie."

Hubble goes deep...very deep.

Kabul contractors' $189 million contract dumped by State Department following exposé of hazing practices.

Jessica Simpson smashes some pumpkins.

Episcopal Bishop Mary Glasspool speaks out about election: ''I've had hundreds, probably a thousand, e-mails from people all over the world who don't know me but who are expressing through the fact of my election a pride in the Episcopal Church. 'I've committed my life as a life of service to the people of Jesus Christ, and what hurts is the sense that anybody might have that my name or my servanthood could be perceived as divisive.''

Canada lifts ban on gay bone marrow donors.

Nebraska Supreme Court rejects appeal by Westboro Baptist Church in flag desecration case: "Police arrested Phelps-Roper for wrapping a flag around her waist as a skirt and allowing her son to stand on another flag as she and other members of the church picketed the Bellevue, Neb., funeral of a soldier killed in Iraq. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, Phelps-Roper argued that she was exercising her constitutional right to 'symbolic expression' in disobeying a law passed in the 1970s against 'mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling' on a flag."

Bruno Pastor and 'Ex-Gay' Sympathizer Jody Trautwein Running for Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama

Jody Trautwein, the pastor who tried to persuade Sacha Baron-Cohen's character Bruno to become an "ex-gay" in the recent film, is running for office to replace anti-gay Birmingham, Alabama mayor Larry Langford:

"Trautwein is among 14 candidates in next week's election to replace Larry Langford, who was booted from office in October after being convicted on 60 felony counts in a bribery scheme. While the minister's scene drew laughter in theaters, he's running a serious campaign. He has a Web site, fliers, volunteers and a platform that includes fighting crime, improving city schools, economic expansion and restoring integrity to City Hall. But political discussions inevitably begin with Trautwein's part in 'Bruno,' a spoof released this summer in which Cohen portrayed a gay Austrian fashion journalist traveling the United States. 'I haven't seen the movie,' Trautwein, 39, said in an interview. 'From what I understand it's about an hour and a half of darkness and perversion with about three minutes of light.' Trautwein said he was duped into appearing in the movie through phone calls from a producer and fake Internet sites set up by Cohen's cohorts. Trautwein believed he was helping a German TV crew telling the story of a man who wanted to give up homosexuality. In the movie, Trautwein counsels 'Bruno' to convert to heterosexuality by believing in Jesus. "'He wants to come into your heart right now,' Trautwein says earnestly.' Are you hitting on me?' Cohen deadpans."

Trautwein was the former director of the Alabama Coalition Against Same-Sex Marriage.

The election is Tuesday. 

Langford, who was convicted on 60 counts of taking bribes, refused to sign a Gay Pride proclamation, allow Pride banners on city property, or sign a parade permit in May 2008 because, he said, it was inappropriate for governent to endorse a lifestyle ("If I were to sign the permit to put up banners on city right of ways I would be condoning that which I don't condone.").

Pete Rose Contemplates Human Sushi Platter in Outtake from Bruno

In a scene identical to the one he used to punk Paula Abdul, Bruno degrades the gardeners by having them serve as furniture for a Pete Rose interview, and then rolls out the human sushi platter.

Abdul wisely fled the situation. Rose instead, sat and responded to the sushi offer: "The only problem it's all got hair with it. I don't eat hair."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Sacha Baron Cohen Steps Up Security After Brüno Terrorist Threat

Sacha Baron Cohen has increased security around him and his family after a terrorist group he mocked in the film Brüno made a threat against him:

"The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a coalition of Palestinian militias in the West Bank, said it was “very upset” that it featured in the film starring Baron Cohen’s homosexual fashionista alter ego. Baron Cohen’s Austrian character ridicules the terrorist group when he attempts to get himself kidnapped during a meeting with Ayman Abu Aita, who is identified in the film as the leader of the Martyrs’ Brigades...The Martyrs’ Brigades has issued a statement to a Jerusalem-based journalist including a veiled threat against Baron Cohen, 37. 'We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man,” it said. “The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.' ... The group is alleged to be responsible for dozens of suicide bombings and shootings. It has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and United States. Baron Cohen’s Austrian character is shown telling Mr Abu Aita: 'I want to be famous. I want the best guys in the business to kidnap me. Al-Qaeda is so 2001.' Before Mr Abu Aita can respond, Brüno suggests that he remove his moustache, explaining: 'Because your king Osama looks like a kind of dirty wizard or homeless Santa.'”

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...