Milk Movie World Premiere Benefit at Castro Theatre
By Dennis McMillan
Published: October 30, 2008
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=9325 (http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=9325)
The long awaited world premiere of the Harvey Milk docu-drama, MILK, screened at a very special fundraiser at Castro Theatre on Oct. 28 – raising over $200,000 for the charities - with the full-on red carpet treatment of local politicos, film stars, and the real people from Milk's era who served as mentors to the MILK actors. Amidst the crush of red carpet onlookers, this reporter was able to spy some celebrities, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris, Assemblyman Mark Leno, City Treasurer Jose Cisneros, Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Bevan Dufty, former Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg, Stuart Milk (out, loud, and proud nephew of Harvey), rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker, Names Project AIDS Quilt creator Cleve Jones (prominent activist in the film), Anne Kronenberg (Harvey's political media genius), screenplay author Dustin Lance Black, Harvey's photographer/activist Daniel Nicoletta, MILK director Gus Van Sant, and the movie's stars: Sean Penn (as Milk), Emile Hirsch (as Cleve Jones), Josh Brolin (Supervisor Dan White, cold-blooded assassin of Milk and Mayor George Moscone), James Franco (handsome Scott Smith, Harvey's first lover), and Diego Luna (Harvey's semi-psychotic, overly clinging, tragic last lover).
Milk would have been so proud of the nearly 100 activists across from the theater, 50 of them holding No on Prop 8 signs, chanting: "Gay or straight, vote no on 8!" and "Harvey Milk says no on 8!"