Sometimes you just have one of those days. Perhaps someone cut you off on the way to work, then you catch your backstabbing co-worker saying disparaging things about you to your boss in a power play to get ahead. And when the dreadful day is just about over and you are 10 minutes away from being able to soak in the tub or sink into the couch, you step outside of your office building, and a bird flying overhead craps on your new jacket.

Suddenly, you start entertaining fantasies of recreating the scene in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates screams “TAWANDA!” and rams her car into the car belonging to the insolent teenagers who cut her off in the parking lot.

Then you become giddy at the thought of slipping laxatives into your co-worker’s stash of Dr. Pepper. Finally, you muse that a variation of coq au vin called bluejay au vin may actually be quite tasty.

Although you may recall that tired phrase you learned in Sunday school — you know, the one about turning the other cheek — revenge can certainly be cathartic.

Yesterday, The Onion's AV Club published a list of films about vengeful women. You think you had one of those days? Many of the women in the films on the list have had one of those lives. No wonder some of them left a body count that rivals that of Genghis Khan’s rampage through Asia. … continue reading

Tonight at 8:00, tune in to Fox for the 39th NAACP Image Awards telecast. This year, the theme is "Stand Up and Be Counted." According to the press release,

During this crucial election year, the NAACP encourages everyone to be socially conscious and take a stand on critical human and civil rights issues.

Wouldn't it be nice if every awards show encouraged such things? Susan Sarandon always gets played off when she tries to be political on the Oscars, and Kanye West was barely allowed to remember his mom on the Grammys this year.

Here are some of the nominees:

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
CCH Pounder (The Shield)
Jennifer Beals (The L Word)
Nicki Micheaux (Lincoln Heights)
Regina Taylor (The Unit)
Wendy Davis (Army Wives)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
America Ferrera (Ugly Betty)
Golden Brooks (Girlfriends)
Tia Mowry (The Game)
Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Audra McDonald (Private Practice)
Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
Pam Grier (The L Word)
S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order)

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Jaime Sommers. Supergirl. Sarah Walker. Niki Sanders. Sarah Corvus. All women who kick butt on a regular basis on network TV. None have captured my heart in the way that Buffy, Xena and Syd did, but the possibility is there.

We love that these characters are more than beautifully buff bodies. They're real people, with brains and personalities and problems — even dark sides. Other writers have analyzed why strong women are so popular with general audiences, but at AfterEllen.com, we prefer to focus on the women themselves. And their beautifully buff bodies.

Fortunately, we can count on EW.com to have the right list at the right time. Last week's Butt-Kicking Babes is just what the lesbians ordered. The inspired lineup includes the top 24 hard-hittin' hotties of all time. Actually, it started with 22 — with Buffy and Sydney missing. Fan outcry forced revision of the list, and rightly so. Now most of our favorites are there — Ripley, The Bride, Starbuck, Trinity, Kate Austen — along with some great choices that are less obvious. Here are some highlights and choice quotes from EW's notes. … continue reading

I miss Kit. Wait, not Kit: Pam Grier. Especially the Pam Grier of the '70s, in those great blaxploitation flicks like The Big Bird Cage; Coffy; Black Mama, White Mama; and Foxy Brown.

Grier is riveting in those crazy films. From her startling afros to her stunning body to her shooting sprees, she was perfect for the genre — no, she pretty much defined the genre.

"I was one of the actresss who brought it to the screen," she says, referring to the strong females she played. "I exemplified what was going on all across America."

And she paid for her art: Some of the movies were filmed in the Philippines, where Grier contracted a tropical disease, lost her hair, lost her sight for a month and very nearly died. The L Word must feel like a cakewalk to her, no matter how tense things get on the set. … continue reading

As Malinda pointed out this week, the powers that be at Turner Classic Movies aren't very good at "pride" programming. But they do seem to understand cult movies. Tonight, during the wee hours (2:15 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, actually), TCM will air Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Mudhoney.

I haven't seen Mudhoney (though I will now!), but I can tell you that Faster, Pussycat! is quite an experience. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but it's safe to start with the word "trashy." The basic plot is that three go-go dancers hit the road and have all kinds of fascinating adventures.

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However, no plot summary can prepare you for the crazed trip that is this movie.