There is something about December that makes people want to make lists. Empire magazine started the snowball yesterday with 100 Greatest Movie Characters.

If you peruse their list, I think you'll notice something very similar about most of the characters: testosterone. Yes, out of 100 characters, only 12 are women. And of those 12 women, one is a cartoon character. Apparently, inexplicably, this list was voted on by the public.

Here's a look at the ladies who made the cut:

97. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), The Silence of the Lambs

91. Scarlet O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), Gone With the Wind

90. The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), The Wizard of Oz

89. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Star Wars

87. Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner), Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

75. Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), Fargo

66. The Bride (Uma Thurman), Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

62. Mathilda (Natalie Portman), Leon

56. Juno Macguff (Ellen Page), Juno

45. Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tautou), Amelie

41. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), Mary Poppins

9. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Alien 1-4 … continue reading

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

We all know that Angelina Jolie can kick a lot of ass. In case anyone’s unsure of her ability to carry an action film, I submit Tomb Raider, Gone in 60 Seconds, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Wanted — need I say more?

Yet it’s notable that she may be taking on yet another rough-and-tumble action flick. Variety reports that the stunning actress is close to a deal with Columbia Pictures to play a role previously intended for Tom Cruise in the film Edwin A. Salt. According to Variety, her character is “a CIA officer who's accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy and must elude capture long enough to establish her innocence.” (Does this mean Angie will sport a hot Russian accent at some point?) There’s nothing about that role that sounds intrinsically male to me, but we all know how the movies work, and it’s quite notable that a studio has opted to go with a female actor to play a role originally written with a man in mind. … continue reading

Do you cover your eyes when you see gore on TV? Do your friends make fun of you for being a big 'fraidy cat when you watch horror movies? Good news, it’s not your fault that you’re a wimp — it’s in your genes.

Scientists in Germany have recently discovered that variations in the COMT gene in women can be the reason why some of us flinch at the sight of violence while others can find the entertainment value in it. The study, done at the University of Bonn, centered around the all-important COMT gene, which weakens the effect of the signaling chemical, dopamine, to the brain when emotions are involved. The women, who all had variations of the COMT gene, were shown a series of pictures that ranged from pleasant (babies, kittens) to neutral (pictures of hair dryers) to unpleasant (crime scenes photos).

The women’s responses to the pictures ranged according to the make-up of their COMT genes. In short, some women are genetically predisposed to deal with stress — and gross stuff — better than others. … continue reading

It's been fifteen years since some idiot decided Boxing Helena (1993) was a good idea for a movie, and some days it still feels like not much has changed.

Sin City (2006). Hostel II (2007). Prom Night (2008). Drive by any theater in America these days and you're likely to find at least one movie that promotes violence against women (when they're not ignoring women entirely).

But as organizations and individuals speak out against violence against women this week — yesterday Nicole Kidman called it the "most widespread human rights violation of our time" at a press conference for the U.N. Development Fund for Women, and this week also saw the 10th annual "Denim Day" in L.A., named based on the 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans — I thought it might be worth noting some off the movies that draw attention to violence against women in the right way. Movies that drive home the point in such a way that you finally get why some women make such a fuss about feminism. Movies that help you understand the depth and pervasiveness of the problem, if you don't, or make you want to get out and do something about it, if you do.

For many of us, the movie(s) that influence us most are ones we see when we're just coming of age. For young women twenty years ago, The Color Purple (1985) might have been that pivotal film; for young women in 2005, perhaps it was North Country, about the first class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States. For women in their late teens today, it might simply be an episode of Law & Order: SVU, which effectively if depressingly portrays our culture's disturbed attitude towards women on a weekly basis.

For me, the movie was Thelma & Louise (1991). Not yet jaded enough to see it coming, I sat in the back of the movie theater at 17 blinded by rage as I watched Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis drive off that cliff.

The movie's portrayal of the paralyzing mix of hopelessness, violence, and poverty faced by women every day was searing, to me and other women of all ages. I suspect many women were initially lured in to see the film because of the caliber of the actresses and the well-chiseled abs of a handsome new actor named Brad Pitt, only to leave dazed and confused, still hearing Thelma's scornful admonishment to a would-be rapist, "In the future, when a woman's crying like that, she isn't having any fun!"

Then, a few years later, I watched The Accused (1988) in a college class that would easily be the most painful and powerful two hours I sat through that year. The Accused was the first major American movie (that I'm aware of) that directly addressed the issue of collective culpability in violence against women. It, too, became the talk of the nation, both because of its message and its stars, Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis. … continue reading

Who could be the next Jodie Foster? That's the question that MSNBC is asking its readers these days. (Click here to vote and see current poll results.)

It's kind of an intriguing question — and one that I've actually considered independently. (But I'll get back to that later.) Of course, Jodie Foster is a unique individual who cannot be replicated, but I'll assume that the folks at MSNBC are speculating about which young, talented actress will successfully transition to a working adult actress.

Of course, they could be asking which young, talented actress will grow up to have a happy, private, lesbian family. … continue reading

Sometimes, no matter how our lives are going, we need to take time to do something for other people. And I can think of nothing more altruistic than to share some recent photos of Jodie Foster.

The first two are from the ShoWest awards in Las Vegas. I couldn't decide which picture was lovelier. Then I realized I was insane for trying to choose when I could just post both.

Just how hot is she? Hmm? Seriously, I want an answer. How hot is she?

Next up: Jodie in Queensland [I swear I didn't make that up], Australia, at the world premiere of Nim's Island, a family-friendly comedy with Abigail Breslin. I love this first one — she looks like such a movie star. Oh, wait. … continue reading

Is there such a thing as entertainment gaydar? Recently I came across an old friend on Facebook, whom I hadn’t seen in over a decade. Over the years, I’d wondered if perhaps she was gay — and once she had added me as a friend, I'll admit that I clicked over to her profile, curious to see if there would be anything about her sexual orientation there. While there wasn’t anything explicitly stated, I did see with interest that she listed The L Word as one of her favorite shows, and Brokeback Mountain and Chasing Amy as two of her favorite movies.

Now, entertainment gaydar, like any other gaydar, is based on stereotypes — and thus is bound to be somewhat unreliable. After all, there are plenty of straight people who like both The L Word and Brokeback Mountain. (And, actually, I think disliking Chasing Amy is probably a clearer sign of being a lesbian than liking it.) Nevertheless, this whole episode got me thinking about what a person’s tastes in entertainment may or may not say about her sexual orientation. And, using the popular AfterEllen.com forum thread "I’m so gay/I’m so not gay" as an inspiration, I decided to see how my tastes would stack up in the “stereotypically lesbianish” department.

To start off with the “I’m so not gay” category (hey, I may as well get the bit that will make me unpopular out of the way first):

1. I'll admit it — I don’t totally get the Tina Fey thing.

The fact that scribegrrrl, Dorothy Snarker, and Sarah Warn are all fans is enough to convince me that I must be missing something here — and who knows, maybe one day I will see the light. But I’ve seen 30 Rock, and the thing that amused me most about it was Alec Baldwin. (Who, whatever else he may or may not be, is definitively not lesbianish.)

2. I don’t watch The L Word.

The women on The L Word may be gay, but I’ve discovered that that, in and of itself, isn’t enough to make me identify with or deeply care about them. A little good writing goes an awfully long way.

3. I think Desert Hearts is a snooze-fest. … continue reading

This morning I came across two videos that make a mockery of things — but in completely different ways.

First, here's a promo clip for Tracey Ullman's new show, State of the Union. (Yeah, I should have posted this on President's Day, but I was too busy writing about illustrious historical figures, such as Beals, Holloman and Kirshner.)

How awesome is Ullman? Can't wait for this — it premieres March 30 on Showtime.

Next, Vanity Fair offers a fake "In Memoriam" Oscars montage that bids farewell to ... well, watch and see. … continue reading