Sordid Lives Lives On!

Towleroad alerted me to this new trailer for Sordid Lives, the series, coming soon to LOGO. The series is based on the 1996 play by Del Shores and on the 2000 film. A while ago I posted a brilliant Tammy Wynette-Leslie Jordon Remix. but, insanely, I'd never actually seen the whole film until this past weekend.

If you haven't seen Sordid Lives, you've definitely missed something. It is a camp classic, and, like most camp classics, some moments are more inspired than others (the film lapses into coming-out earnestness on occasion, when black comedy is clearly its forte), but the most inspired moments are uniquely hilarious, demanding repeated viewings to begin memorizing dialog snippets. Much of the cast, excluding Delta Burke, alas, will be back for the series. If you rent the DVD, don't miss the tuna noodle casserole extra. I was laughing so hard I'm almost passed out.

In addition to getting heaps of Tammy Wynette (the series will have Tammy's daughter playing Tammy!) channeled through Leslie Jordan, you also get Olivia Newton-John playing the barroom songstress, Bitsy Mae Harling. Olivia was one of my early divas. I latched onto her in the pre-movie-star countryish days, before Grease became one of the cultural benchmarks of my high school years. "Hopelessly Devoted" and "Xanadu" are still great pop confections, but, after "Physical" (camp, but not in a good way), I must say I lost interest in Olivia. Hearing her sing again in Sordid Lives, freed to be rough around the edges (in look and sound), my diva admiration was renewed. If someone paired her up with an edgy producer, she could make a fabulous country-folksy-blues album. Just a thought, Olivia. Meanwhile, here's a compilation of film moments to encourage a DVD rental.