Ah, summer. It's the time for having friends over in the back yard for some lemonade and barbecue, catching a game at the ballpark and meeting up at the local megaplex to catch the latest blockbuster film. 

Given that today is also the last day to cast your votes for the AfterElton Hot 100, we thought we'd provide you with a handy list of summer's box office hunks for inspiration.

Enjoy! 

Robert Downey Jr.
in Iron Man (In theatres now)

As a Marvel comics reader, I was never a big fan of Tony Stark (except for that issue of The Avengers where The Molecule Man destroyed his power armor and Tony spends the issue wearing only a blazer wrapped around his waist), but Robert Downey Jr. has me reconsidering. He certainly makes Tony Stark look good.

Emile Hirsch and Matthew Fox
in Speed Racer (In theatres now)

When I first heard that the Wachowskis were adapting anime classic Speed Racer for the big screen, my first reaction was my standard "remake shrug". I started paying attention, however, when I heard that Hirsh had been cast as the titular character; there's something about his features that make him perfect for playing a classic anime hero. Speed Racer also stars Matthew Fox (who came in at number 46 in our Hot 100 last year) who, sadly, will be covering his face up as Racer X. Still, you can still easily identify him by his strong jaw.

Ben Barnes
in Prince Caspian (Opens May 16)

When I read the Narnia books as a kid, I always imagined Prince Caspian as looking like one of those stiff and stern-faced guys from the Prince Valliant comics I tried to follow every Sunday. Well, the posters for the new Prince Caspian film certainly changed that. Barnes is a new name to most of us, having been in only a few other films, but I suspect we'll be hearing his name a lot, judging from the way I can't help but stop and stare every time I see a Prince Caspian poster.

Shia LaBoeuf and Harrison Ford
in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Opens May 23)

At some point I blinked and that kid from Holes suddenly became a good-looking young man able to pull a film to the top of the box office (too bad one of those films was Transformers). Now he's getting a shot at the Indiana Jones torch by playing the sidekick in the latest Indy film. Shia's not the only hottie in the film, of course, as Harrison Ford has aged well and is still mighty nice to watch.

David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis and Chris Noth
in Sex and the City: The Movie (Opens May 30)

When Sex and the City was one of the main reasons to have an HBO subscription, the show was a hot topic among gay men who liked to argue whether they were more like Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha. When the series ended, all four of the SatC ladies had found a guy they could love for the long term. Since each guy represents a different type, both physically and in personality, that raises a new question: which boyfrind could you see yourself ending up with? Laid back regular guy Steve (Eigenberg)? Career-minded and emotionally guarded Mr. Big (Noth)? Sweet but sometimes schlubby Harry (Handler)? Hunky and supportive Smith (Lewis)?

Folks who braved the multiplexes this weekend (with Iron Man raking in over $200 million in just four days, it must have been like a mini Comic Con at every concession stand across America) had the chance to catch the brand new trailer for The Dark Knight in all its creepy, explosion-happy glory.

The trailer is now online, and it's both reassuring to see that the Warners haven't tried to bury the performance of late, great Heath Ledger and undeniably disturbing to see the apparently troubled actor playing it convincingly unhinged in his final (and biggest) role.

How do folks feel about this one? 

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.

• Today is the 68th birthday of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank. Frank is one of two openly gay Congressman (the other being Tammy Baldwin) According to Washingtonian magazine, a survey of Capitol Hill staffers named Frank the "brainiest", "funniest", and "most eloquent" member of the House. He is also credited with the "Frank rule" which holds that it is acceptable to out a closeted gay person, if that person uses their power or notoriety to hurt gay people. As Frank himself has described it:

I think there's a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to hypocrisy. And people who want to demonize other people shouldn't then be able to go home and close the door and do it themselves.

• The Beckham's waxy buildup in nation's capitol. Madam Tussauds has loaned wax replicas of David & Victoria Beckham to man a "kissing booth" at the Cherry Blossom Soccer Tournament in Washington, D.C. Are we sure these aren't the real mccoy's? With Posh in particular it's hard to tell.

• Matilda Rose may not be the only progeny of Heath Ledger. She might have an older sister.

• Sony Pictures television officially launched C-Spot yesterday, which is a new online comedy channel. One of the series running for the next thirteen weeks on C-Spot is Gaytown which chronicles the travails of a straight man trapped in a gay world — pointing up all the little injustices gays face in the real world, except in reverse. Here's the second episode, where closeted straight dudes are busted in a Gaytown public restroom in the middle of their fantasy sports draft:

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

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 a fun backstage interview with NPH about his now-legendary Harold and Kumar unicorn poster.

• Heath Ledger's death has officially been ruled an accident, which is of course no less a tragedy. The actor died from what was called an "abuse of prescription medications" for pain and anxiety.

• An ad by a conservative Christian group in the UK that reads "GAY AIM: ABOLISH THE FAMILY" has been ruled offensive by the Advertising Standards Authority. Um, yathink?

• Actor Marcus Patrick chats with Queerty.com including dancing at gay bars and whether his spread in Playgirl cost him acting jobs

• The Department of Justice decides to join the 21st century and recognize their gay employees. This means they can now use public bulletin boards, email and meeting rooms. Sadly, they still have to shower separately and must provide decorations for all holiday-themed parties.

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

Jake

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.

• It's no surprise to learn that Heath Ledger's death is hitting Jake Gyllenhaal hard. Jake, the godfather of Heath's daughter Matilda, is taking time away from the set of his new movie Brothers. According to People Magazine just how close the two men were was evidenced when:

During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. "That was hilarious. It was a nice moment."

The source adds, "When you think back on it now, it's touching."

• We linked to Cheyenne Jackson's star cameo turn in the [title of show] show Christmas episode, but he's back and more foul-mouthed than ever in the hilarious new ep. I can't get enough of these guys, with or without profanity-spewing Broadway mancandy! (PS - I never want to hear "peanut butter haystack" and "rusty trombone" used in the same conversation again.)

• How do I make this one safe for work ... the gay porn actor who made a brief but memorable appearance as Borat's son in that movie with the really long title has reportedly undergone gender reassignment and now "Stonie" is Brittany Coxxx. The kicker? She's still a porn actor, making Coxxx one of the very few (if not only) porn actors who has worked as both a male and a female.

• Okay, how many times can this New York Magazine item refer to David Hyde Pierce as "chilly"? Hey, it's January in New York and the Rainbow Room is notoriously drafty. Okay, the insipid questions about Clay Aiken probably didn't help, either.

• Here's some photo coverage of the opening night of Celebrity Autobiography, which counts Cheyenne Jackson, Jack Plotnick, Richard Kind, Kristen Johnston and Kristen Wiig amongst its revolving, memoir-gnashing cast.

One of the most ribald, anticipated queer parties at Sundance, the 15-year-old Homos Away From Home rewarded those who remained in Park City as of Thursday night. Recent People's Choice Award winner Liam Sullivan, aka Kelly of “Shoes” fame, was amongst the guests of honor. Alas, I took a redeye home and missed it.

As of Wednesday, things slowed down along Main Street: the swag lounges closed shop, many celebs headed back home, and those simply in town to party – and that’s a significant hunk – evacuated as well.

Openly gay writer Craig Lucas (The Dying Gaul, Longtime Companion) livened things up Thursday at the premiere of Birds of America, which he directed. The Q&A was one of the festival’s funniest (“He should be a comedian!” laughed a young woman behind me). Written by Elyse Friedman, the film is about a dysfunctional trio of adult siblings (de rigeur for Sundance films) played by Matthew Perry, Ben Foster and Ginnifer Goodwin. And barring a supporting character who can be read as bisexual – a neighbor obsessed with Perry - it’s pretty darned straight.

Why did Lucas take up the offer direct a film he didn’t write? “I wanted to do a popular entertainment because I was tired of being poor!” he responded.

One inquisitive male audience member got more than just an answer to his question. “You’re so handsome!” Lucas added, with a high school girl’s giggle and shrug, which drew raucous laughs.

Later, while alone with Lucas, I asked him whether he wanted to inject more gayness into Birds. “No. I didn’t need to put my gay-assed stamp on it!” But he did at least include a very homoerotic moment between Perry and Foster during a joint-sharing scene.

As for his thoughts on Heath Ledger? “As an addict, I see that as an unbelievable tragedy, and a place I and others could go. Like James Dean.”

I caught a few other gay titles in the final stretch. The partly animated feature Half-Life featured a young, gay Asian character whom has an affair with an African-American teacher, much to his religious family’s chagrin.

In Iran, sex changes are legal, but homosexuality is punishable by death. As a result, some gay men and women decide to undergo sexual reassignment procedures. A handful of these individuals are followed in Tanaz Eshaghian’s documentary, Be Like Others. At the Q&A, Tanaz noted that females who become male have an easier time of it, because with a beard they become indistinguishable from genetic men in public, whereas males who become female don’t always pass. She also revealed that she is trying to help one of her protagonists – who ultimately decides to not get the surgery and live as a gay male – escape Iran.

On a lighter note, Slamdance’s I Think We’re Alone Now is about a pair of deluded stalkers of 80s teen pop star Tiffany, one of whom is intersexed. And Slamdance made Thursday magical with a performance from Song Sung Blue’s Thunder, the Patsy Cline impersonator from the documentary about Thunder and her Neil Diamond impersonating partner, Lightning.

My suitcase jam-packed with swag – I can’t wait to wear my Onitsuka Tiger sneakers from the Hollywood Life House - I’m outta here. See you in 2009, Park City!

Again, since we are through the WGA/AMPTP-forged looking glass this season, our beloved awards shows have traded bodies like one of those movies where Judge Reinhold switches bodied with his precocious 10-year-old son. While the Golden Globes and People's Choice - generally the bellweather events for drunken celebrity pratfalls and bad fashion - were hobbled at the knees by the strike, dark-horse events like the Critics' Choice, the DGA Awards (from which even Sean Young can still get kicked out), and last night's SAG Awards have become the hotness of the season. Go figure!

Last night's SAG Awards ceremony was a perfectly charming affair, with a few points of queer interest. First and foremost, Best Actor in a Moustache winner Daniel Day-Lewis (for There Will Be Blood) unexpectedly dedicated his award to Heath Ledger, noting that his performance in Brokeback Mountain was "perfect". Day-Lewis later noted that while he had never actually met Ledger, his death was all that he could think about for the past few days.

The show actually kicked off with some gay-fave goofiness, with (who played gay on Melrose and still looks adorable), Rebecca Romijn (who made a crack about playing a transgender character on Ugly Betty being no more odd than walking runways in underwear or being painted blue) and Jane Krakowski (introducing herself as Johnny Depp) among the stars who introduced the evening.

Another interesting moment came when Javier Bardem, who won Best Supporting Prince Valiant Bob (for No Country for Old Men), noted that not too long ago actors were not allowed to be buried on sacred ground because they were all "homosexuals and prostitutes". This would have been the perfect opportunity to single out some hustlers in the crowd, but apparently that was too squirmy for even the producers. I get what Bardem was saying, but it did come across a little differently than he'd intended, I think. Oh, and the first two people in the These are the People Who Died This Year montage were Merv Griffin and Charles Nelson Reilly.

Though Grey's Anatomy was up for Best Ensemble, neither T.R. Knight nor BFF Katie Heigl were present. And although a classic Marc St. James (Michael Urie) was used in the clip for Ugly Betty's ensemble nom, it and Brothers & Sisters took home no awards, with The Sopranos and 30 Rock sweeping pretty much everything. The clip for Extras' nomination also had mention of the "queer bench" where Ricky Gervais would meet George Michael cruising the park, and the clip for The Office had a rare appearance of Gay Oscar, who I thought had been lost in the supply closet this season.