We would have loved to been a fly on the wall for this particular conversation between super-method Milk star, Sean Penn and director Gus Van Sant. Page Six reveals today that:

James Franco says Sean Penn pushed the gay sex scenes in "Milk" further than he expected. "In the original script I read, there was only one real kissing scene," Franco tells next month's Elle. "A month after [director] Gus [Van Sant] asked me to do it, they sent me another script, and on Page 5 there was a full-on love scene. And I was like, 'Gus, what the heck?' He says, 'Well, it was Sean's idea.' "

"You gotta give em' head, Gus! You gotta give em' head."

After much anticipation, Milk, the Sean Penn biopic about celebrated San Francisco politican Harvey Milk, arrives in theatres next Wednesday (and goes into wide release Dec. 5).

Well, not all theatres. You won't be able to find the film playing at any of Cinemark's 2,700 venue. Perhaps that's because the company's CEO, Alan Stock, happened to write a cheque for $9,999 to the Yes on 8 campaign, as we noted earlier.

Use sites like Fandango or Yahoo! Movies to locate theatres other than Cinemark in your area in case you're looking for some Daniel Craig or Twilight goodness.

(Unless you'll do something like not see Twilight because the book's author, Stephanie Meyer, is Mormon, and will supposedly donate 10 percent of all the cash she earns from it to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)

Spend your gay dollars appropriately.

While we're on the subject of Harvey Milk biopic, Milk, here are some shots from last night's premiere in San Francisco. Everyone was there - Sean Penn, Gus Van Sant, Gavin Newsom, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Diego Luna, Bryan Lourd, TR Knight and so many more that we couldn't even possibly begin to name them all.

Take a peek for yourself!

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Focus Features is none-too-please with the Hollywood Reporter, which yesterday ran a story about how the production company had eschewed marketing for its latest lavender story, Milk, about slain San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk.

The story claimed Focus didn't want to scare off potential audiences by playing up the gay factor and were waiting until after the election to see which direction would lead them to the most Oscars - an argument that made very little sense.

Anyway, Focus president James Schamus has had his team send a response far and wide. Here's but a sample:

As the CEO of Focus Features, I read with interest your October 28 front page article "Politics? Focus won't 'Milk' it," about our marketing of director Gus Van Sant's film about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major public office in America. The author's thesis is simple: because the film was not, like “Brokeback Mountain,” screened at festivals, Focus is somehow hiding the film and is thus avoiding openly presenting its political content. That's a pretty serious charge, especially made by a reporter who did not call us to get his facts, so to speak, straight.
…
But if a journalist is to write about our marketing campaign, might he consider actually talking about…our marketing campaign? The trailer for “Milk,” for example is, not just in my opinion, probably the most inspiring piece of movie marketing about genuine (as well as out) politics ever created. It has been the most explosively received and appreciated trailer in the history of our company, posted on hundreds of sites, and played and playing in theaters nationwide in front of more than a dozen movies.

Oh, Snap!

Read what else Schamus had to say for himself, after the jump…

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Poor Focus Features.

The film company hit gay gold a few years back with Brokeback Mountain, a love story about gay cowboys. Well, the company will tonight premiere its latest lavender adventure, Milk, a biopic about slain San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. While laymen may assume Focus would want to build the hype, they're eschewing a big hoopla over the homo-tinged feature.

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Actor James Franco appears on this month's cover of Out to help hype his new gay flick, Milk. (He also did a cover for Interview magazine.)

The movie's story should be a familiar one: Harvey Milk was California's first openly gay elected official and was later assassinated, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. Franco's starring opposite Sean Penn, who has not been doing press for the movie, which is a bit queer.

So, Franco's getting all this attention and people are loving him. Or hating him. It depends on who you ask.

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A new series of portraits by conceptual photographer Sam Taylor-Wood features some of Hollywood’s most sought after leading men – Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Daniel Craig, Hayden Christensen etc – in tears.

According to Taylor-Wood, the idea’s pretty simple: “It’s about the idea of taking these big, masculine men and showing a different side.”

Yay, straightforward, unpretentious art!
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Sean Penn really immersed himself in Harvey Milk's homosexuality.

The actor, who's playing slain San Francisco city manager Milk in Gus Van Sant's biopic, got revved up for a kiss with actor Mark Martinez.

Says Martinez:

I'm performing, and [Penn] comes onto the dance floor. He grabs me, and he just slaps the biggest kiss on me…It felt like the kiss was forever. I'm like, is he going to stop? I had to close my eyes, I couldn't believe it.

Alright, we know that Penn's sexy and all that, but we're also terrified of him, so we would probably keep our eyes closed, too!

Elton John's Oscar bash was the place to be seen last night. Sean Penn and Patricia Clarkson were glowing, while Chace Crawford and JC Chasez got tongues wagging by sticking together during the event.

While those folk are all well and good, we're completely fascinated by this picture of Sean "Whosafuck" Combs with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. Is this not the perfect trio? We've heard all sorts of rumors about Combs' sexuality, but - for some reason - it's this picture that makes us believe…

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Sean Penn and James Franco hoped to live together to prepare for their roles in Milk, about assassinated San Fransisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Unfortunately the actors' conflicting schedules kept them apart. Shame…

Sean Penn will play the legendary - and late - Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's forthcoming biopic of the slain San Francisco city supervisor.

Matt Damon's tentatively attached to play Milk's assassin, Dan White.

White shot down Milk on November 27, 1978. He also killed Mayor George Mascone. White received a seven-year sentence and committed suicide in 1985.

• Some fool named Homo Homie sent us this "music" video. Sorry, babe, we don't know if you have a career ahead of you. We do (sort of) think your rhyme's 9sort of) hot. Sort of.

• Michelangelo's naked Jesus comes out after 500 years!

• Ryan Seacrest to host the Emmy Awards. Get ready for hours of awkward moments and juvenile jokes.

• Where has all the testosterone gone?

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