I’ve always admired Natalie Portman. Besides being this generation’s go-to gamine and heir apparent to Audrey Hepburn, her public persona has been one of a smart, responsible, civically minded and non-panty-flashing young star. At 26, she already has a Golden Globe, an Academy Award nomination and a Harvard degree. So if even Natalie is having a hard time getting good scripts, you know something is rotten in the state of Hollywood.

While doing press with co-star Scarlett Johansson for their new film The Other Boleyn Girl, Natalie bemoaned the lack of good roles for women.

“I’ve recently been getting frustrated. [turns to Scarlett] I don’t know if you’ve had this experience, but we’re probably seeing a lot of the same variety of what’s out there, but I mean the number of roles for strippers or prostitutes — or the opposite — which, is like, 'She’s the moral center of the film! She’s the pure one. She’s the one that makes the man realize who he should be,’ you know? That sort of dichotomy exists so strongly, it’s like the virgin/whore thing evident to the greatest extent. So that’s really been bothering me.”

Ahh, the old Madonna/whore complex. Not sure what to do with that pesky female character, script writers? Make her a virginal maternal figure. Oh, you want to get teenage boys into the seats? Then totally make her a slut. Heck, this stuff practically writes itself. While Natalie has managed to avoid most of the stereotypical traps many actresses fall into early in their careers, she has had a couple roles that fell roughly along those old battle lines.

So what’s a young actress looking for a long career to do? Well, besides working with a foundation that finances women-owned businesses in developing nations and starting your own vegan shoe line? She just has to keep looking. … continue reading

I keep coming across lists I can't really improve on, so I'm just going to list them. In a list. Of lists. (A few of these are via Pop Candy, which is always a good source for lists and, well, just about everything else.)

1. 10 Star Wars toys that unintentionally look like other celebrities

When I was a kid, I often complained that my Princess Leia action figure just wasn't made right — it kept toppling over. And it annoyed me that her gun was so flimsy and useless, especially compared to Chewbacca's giant over-the-arm weapon. But at least the '70s toy version of Leia didn't look like Christian Bale:

And then there's Mon Mothma and Laura Bush:

The list includes other frighteningly spot-on comparisons, like Han Solo/Josh Brolin and Yak Face/Robert De Niro.

2. 13 movies worth preserving

EW.com readers recently named the films they'd like to add to the National Film Registry. I agree with Raising Arizona and The Women — and with the reader who submitted the latter and said, "I can't believe it's not already there." … continue reading

If you’ll allow me, I’d like to test a theory. I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer as truthfully as possible. My intent is purely scientific, I assure you. I pose it only in the interest of posterity and the advancement of humankind. So, are you ready? Again, please answer honestly.

Does the golden bikini work on fangirls like it does on fanboys?

I speak, of course, of the famous/infamous gold bikini Princess Leia wore when she was being held as a slave girl by Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It may in fact be the most famous bikini on the planet, not to mention the least buoyant. And in the 24 years that have passed since its image first seared itself onto our collective subconscious, it has spawned countless imitators. Remember the episode of Friends where Rachel dressed up for Ross in the gold bikini? I think that may have been its official outing as the No. 1 fantasy in all of geekdom — well, at least for straight guys. … continue reading

Natalie Portman has been doing some press lately for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, but she's been talking about more than Mr. Magorium.

In an interview with MTV, she made it clear that she's done with the Star Wars franchise. No more Padme for her. … continue reading

George Lucas thinks Spider-Man 3 is a "silly" movie.

"It's silly. It's a silly movie. There just isn't much there. Once you take it all apart, there's not much story, is there?"

Uh, George? To paraphrase Phoebe on Friends, "Oh, hello, kettle? This is George Lucas. You're black."

What "story" did you think we would take away from the soporific Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith? I mean, other than the story of your unparalleled ability to eviscerate Natalie Portman's acting skills?

Meanwhile, Fox News claims Lucas plans to make two more Star Wars movies. But it seems Lucas was just referring to the TV series that have been planned for a while. … continue reading

This may be old news, but hey, it's a slow news day today. I have just discovered the Star Wars Personality Test! You know, this brings me back to my youth, when I saw The Return of the Jedi in the actual theater the first time around (not when it was rereleased in the late '90s). Who did I want to be then? Well, Princess Leia, of course. Why? (1) She gets to date Han Solo; (2) she is very bossy; (3) even while being enslaved, she gets to wear a gold metal bikini!

… continue reading

OK, this may seem like the nascent feelings of a femme, but how things have changed.