Reporting by Josh Horowitz

Long before Sarah Palin was talking crazy or banks were going out of business faster than “We Sell it on eBay” stores, a truly bizarre political scandal erupted in 1970’s San Francisco, changing politics forever. We’ve already written extensively about the December release “Milk," and when we recently caught up with super-producer/Focus Features Co-President James Schamus, he promised that our enthusiasm over the Sean Penn biopic was justified.

“He’s just channeling him; it’s crazy. He is Harvey Milk,” Schamus said of the Oscar-winner’s performance as America’s first openly-gay politician. “Go online and look at Harvey Milk and look at the trailer, and it’s like we hired Harvey Milk.”

Co-starring Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco (who reportedly shares a kissing scene with Penn), the film tells the true tale of a larger-than-life man who ran for office seeking tolerance and equality, then became a martyr for the gay movement after being shot down by a Twinkie-loving madman. Read more...