Today two movies hit screens that come from very different gay directors. Though Gus van Sant and Roland Emmerich could not be more different when it comes to the types of movies they make, both have achieved phenomenal success in the film industry as out gay filmmakers.

Paranoid Park
Gus van Sant's latest film is a meditation on guilt centering a teenaged boy who accidentally kills a security guard at a trainyard and opts not to tell anyone about it. Newcomer (and Myspace-cast non-actor) Gabe Nevins stars as Alex and is in nearly every scene of the movie, and van Sant is fortunate that the kid is incredibly watchable in the role.

Despite boasting gorgeous, haunting visuals and a complex, hypnotic soundtrack (blending music and ambient sound into a highly personalized soundscape that surrounds Alex like a cocoon), the film is oddly detached and difficult to invest in. Alex is really a good guy and he means well, and it's easy to feel for the kid and his situation. But because of the gauzy, experimental feel and the lack of plot, it's not the kind of film that sticks with you long after. If you're a fan of van Sant's work, like looking at skaters (a friend on mine calls van Sant's recent string of films beginning with Elephant "diet Larry Clark"), or enjoy moody films that push the narrative envelope, definitely check it out. If not, you might be best to wait to see what the director does with Milk.

Out director Roland Emmerich poses with his 10,000 BC star Steven Strait and a marzipan sculpture of Camilla Belle at the German premiere

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Here's a neat interview with gay A Raisin in the Sun producer Craig Zadan about lesbian playwright Lorraine Hansberry and the play's gay subtext. I wonder if Jerri Blank was hip to the gay themes when she appeared in Flatpoint High's production on Strangers With Candy? "Line! .... Line!"

• Bravo has a wonderful "Which (Likely Gay) Designsketeer Are YOU?" quiz over at the Project Runway site. The good news is, it's fun. The bad news is, I'm Voldemort!! (Okay, okay, Steven's perfectly wonderful. But who doesn't want to be Chris March?!)

• Little ink-marks, big change: The notoriously conservative Washington Times has officially updated its style guidelines to remove the quotation marks around "gay marriage" and now prefers "gay" over "homosexual" except when used as a clinical reference. How "progressive"!

• He's Just Wild About Harry: Daniel Radcliffe gets a big, lingering smooch from host James Corden at a theatre awards ceremony in London. Both the crowd response and Radcliffe's reaction are quite cute.

• Parts of this would be funny were it not so horrifying: the 100 best quotes from fundamentalist Christian message boards. I haven't had the chance to research how legit they are, so browse and drop jaw with discretion.

• Our pal and resident As the World Turns completist Anthony directed us to the preview for tomorrow's episode, where the boys set out on their decidedly non-Ferris-Bueller-like roadtrip with their new friend.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

When 300 came out, its bizarre mishmash of homoeroticism and blatant homophobia was met with a broad range of reactions, from those who found it needlessly offensive (like we did) to those who found it to be the "gayest thing ever" (like many people who apparently don't know many gay people did).

At the time I wondered, "what would this film have been like in the hands of a gay director?" Well, I think we may have our answer.

Gay director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day) has a new film opening next spring called 10,000 B.C. that at first blush bears some superficial similarities to the abs-and-sandals epic (it also coincidentally comes from the same studio). I looks to have lots of scantily-clad action, impressive vistas, and monster-battles ... hopefully without all the gay-baiting that 300 had.

The film stars Steven Strait (best known from teen weeotch flick The Covenant) and Camilla Belle (When a Stranger Calls) and you can check out the action-(and-loincloth)-packed teaser here. Steven, better wrap up that call -- I don't think they've got coverage where you're going.