7 Things That Are Everything This Week

Listen, watch, wherq, yaaas, want, and geek out with the 7 things that are everything this week.

Cyndi Lauper, "Hard Candy Christmas"

For her forthcoming country album, Detours, icon Cyndi Lauper recently teamed up with legend Dolly Parton. Lauper honored their collaboration -- and her deep affection for Dolly -- by covering Parton's classic holiday tune "Hard Candy Christmas." This new version is quite lovely and reminds us of Sarah McLachlan's take on Joni Mitchell's "River." "HCC" is available for download now, but you can take a listen via this link.

Snervous

With nearly 8 million subscribers on YouTube and 4.8 million followers on Twitter, Tyler Oakley is one of the most influential LGBT people on social media, who has shared his experience as a gay man with countless other young people. Now the 26-year-old influencer takes his story from the digital screen to the big one. Snervous, a new documentary that charts his life and rise to Internet fame, opens in theaters today. Follow Oakley on his popular tour across the country, and see a behind-the-scenes look at his relationships with family and friends. Watch the trailer below.

GMCLA Holliday Spectacular

The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles's annual Holiday Spectacular concert will bring out the holiday spirit in the biggest Grinch or Scrooge. This year's show, with the theme "Brassy, Classy, and Sassy," promises both classical repertoire and reinvented classics, along with "shenanigans only GMCLA can deliver," according to the chorus's website. Performances are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. December 19 and 3 p.m. December 20 at the fabulous and historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. Order your tickets here, and watch a highlight from a past concert below.

Tangerine

One of the year's most acclaimed independent darlings, Tangerine, is now out on Netflix. Directed by Sean S. Baker and Chris Bergoch, the film follows the story of two transgender sex workers, Alexandra and Sin-Dee Rella, across the backdrop of the saturated streets of Hollywood. After being released from prison, Sin-Dee discovers that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with a white cisgender woman. Furious, she goes on a hunt for revenge and solicits Alexandra as an accomplice. And in the process, the friends show the audience a side of Los Angeles that is rarely seen in media. Nominated for four Spirit Awards, including acting nods for its leads, Tangerine is also renowned for being shot entirely on an iPhone 5s. Don't miss it.

Queen, A Night at the Odeon

All fans of Freddie and the boys need to get their hands on this boxed set. Along with capturing a live performance at London's legendary Odeon theater on Christmas Eve, 1975, the set includes classics like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and lesser-known cuts like "Seven Seas of Rhye." In addition to the video and tunes, the boxed set comes with concert programs and tour posters, among many other goodies. Be prepared to part with $150, but that's a small price to pay for true Queenheads.

In the Heart of the Sea

If you're not why LGBT audiences should be interested in In the Heart of the Sea, consider this: Not only does it have hunky Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, the capable first mate of the 19th-century New England whaling ship Essex, it also features gay actor Ben Whishaw as Herman Melville, who based Moby-Dick on the dramatic real-life story of the Essex facing down a gargantuan whale. And Melville may well have been a member of our crew. Ron Howard directs from a script based on Nathaniel Philbrick's award-winning nonfiction book of the same name. In the Heart of the Sea opens in wide release today. Watch the trailer below.

Star Wars Episode VII

In some areas people are alreadylining up for the most eagerly awaited film of the year, and with the aggressive marketing push and late-night screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens beginning December 17, the upcoming week is going to be all about the new chapter in a galaxy far, far away. Thanks to the return of original cast members Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, and gay icon Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, anticipation for an installment of the franchise has never been higher. We don't need to sense a disturbance in the Force to confirm Episode VII will be one for the history books.