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

The holidays are supposed to be about love, joy and forgiveness. The holidays are supposed to bring us together. They remind us to give to those who are less fortunate. We are supposed to set aside our family feuds, our petty disagreements, our bitterness at perceived wrongs. (Heck, we should do that all year long.)

Revenge is not a part of the holiday season. No matter: Every season is the right time to watch a good tale of revenge on the screen. Revenge tales allow us to live vicariously through the fictional heroes who exact their righteous revenge in ways we never could.

So what are the best revenge movies of all time? EW.com has compiled a list. As you might expect, this list is primarily populated with testosterone-fueled action epics like The Godfather, Gladiator, Death Wish and Payback. But the girls do get in on the action, sometimes in surprising ways.

Let's start with the most obvious films. First, and most recent, we have Jodie Foster. Yes, The Brave One made the list. Such a shame for me to be forced into posting yet another shot of the lovely Ms. Foster. … continue reading

Ahhh, lesbian hair. That much-maligned subject of punch lines everywhere. Historically, gay women’s hairstyles haven’t always had the best reputation. And I’m not even going to mention the dreaded M-word. While I have no problem with business in the front, party in the back when it comes to your personal life, I refuse to accept it on your head. But I believe we’ve turned a corner here in the hair club for women. Why else would so many stars be rocking the lesbian hair of late?

I’m not just talking seventh-grade-gym-teacher hair either. I speak of all the chic, often cropped cuts the ladies of TV and film have been sporting everywhere. It’s gotten to the point that even seemingly straight stars have started suffering from lesbian twin syndrome. I’m dying for Women’s Murder Club and Bionic Woman to do a crossover episode so these two can scream: “Lesbian Twins activate! Form of — haircut!”

So with that, let’s examine, and of course rate, the trend of lesbian locks. … continue reading

File this one under "Please don't let it be true": According to Nikki Finke of online rag Deadline Hollywood Daily, Warner Brothers president of production Jeff Robinov has made a new decree stating that the studio will no longer make movies with women in lead roles. After that, he successfully negotiated to trade his Ecto Cooler for a Capri Sun and received the Academy's golden hall pass for a trip to the little boys' room.

Oh, wait. I shouldn't insult second graders like that. After all, Jeffy isn't still growing, he's a man — and must've gotten tired of being mistaken for a man with a clue. Don't worry, Robinov, we know Hollywood's still an old boys' network; no need to post the sign.

According to Finke's sources (which she interprets as reliable), the decision is in response to the box office failure of The Brave One and Invasion. Apparently Jodie Foster and Nicole Kidman are everything that's wrong with movies these days. … continue reading

On Friday, Scribe Grrrl reviewed Jodie Foster's new movie The Brave One, now it's our turn. Lori and I give you our take on the vigilante-justice thriller — which we both agree may just be Jodie's best movie ever.

Where do we disagree? On her worst movie ever (Sommersby, Flight Plan or Taxi Driver?), whether The Accused should have even been made, and whether Jodie looks better in Madeline's power suits in Inside Man, or Erica's leather jacket in The Brave One. Plus, what critics and AfterEllen.com readers are saying about The Brave One, and (at the very end) outtakes in which Lori tries unsuccessfully to say "The Jodie Foster Edition!" (we finally gave up and just decided to put it in the title of this blog post).

This vlog assumes you have seen The Brave One, but if you haven't seen it, we don't give away too many plot details/spoilers, so it's unlikely that it would ruin the movie for you (especially since you already know from the trailer what the movie's basically about: Jodie on a vigilante killing spree).

News not mentioned in our vlog, but worth discussing here, is the fact that Jodie used the word "partner" in an interview on Thursday for the first time ever. "There's a fair amount of vulnerability built into acting," Jodie told Denver Post reporter Lisa Kennedy, "It's hard to explain how alone you are ... It's funny, I crave it. I need to have something that doesn't belong to my mom, doesn't belong to my kids, doesn't belong to my partner. It just belongs to me."

Our take on it? Not sure yet. But AE reader notshane may be on to something when she says, "[Jodie's] no fool, and nothing just slips out. I reckon it's her way of inching out of the closet door in the US. By her next film, she'll be bringing Cydney to her premieres, the way she already does in Europe. Jodie doesn't let anything slip by mistake."

While you ponder this, here's a fun candid photo of Jodie last week at a Brave One premiere party in New York City with Robert Downey Jr. and producer Susan Downey:

Watch our vlog, then discuss... … continue reading

What is this, national Jodie Foster week? I've already alerted you to some late-night Foster (hmm) on Letterman tonight (Monday), but I thought I should also give you a tip for the morning after: She'll be on Live With Regis and Kelly on Tuesday.

Foster at the Toronto International Film Festival

And if you're still not sated after all that, she'll also be on The Daily Show Tuesday night. Jon Stewart, please be a truly brave one and ask her some tricky questions! Oh, never mind: In my world, every week is Jodie Foster week, so I don't really care what she does or says, as long as I get to behold her once in a while. (And you thought my Beals love was extreme.)

Speaking of beholding, Entertainment Weekly has a nice gallery of Foster roles through the decades. The tomboylicious Freaky Friday picture should make you understand why that film had quite an impact on five-year-old me.

Jodie Foster makes me weak at the knees. She has done so for as long as I can remember and will no doubt continue to do so until my golden years, when I will inevitably require double knee-replacement surgery — caused, in no small part, by her superhuman joint-weakening powers. She is everything that is sexy about a smart woman, as well as just damn sexy, period. If you think I’m exaggerating about that last bit, please let me present exhibit hummana hummana:

That glimpse of white tank top nirvana is the surprise gift waiting inside this month’s W magazine (you know, the one with Fraulein Paltrow on the cover). Man, if only they’d put this on the cover instead, W would have seen its lesbian subscriptions skyrocket. The accompanying article is signature Jodie. She is truly the master of giving just enough of herself to let us think we know her, but never more than she wants us to know. Still, if there is one thing she is perfectly clear about, it’s her distaste for the Hollywood game. As she told W:

“I can’t do any social-related celebrity anything. When I was in my 20s, I could still kind of do that because it was, like, 'Wow! Sting!' But at this point, while I’m fascinated by talented people, it’s not enough to make me want to put on makeup and do that thing.”

That quote is a perfect example of why I feel about the opening of a Jodie Foster film the way other people feel about waking up Christmas morning. It’s the only time of the year (or, more accurately, years) when she actually does press. And we get to see shots of her looking like this. … continue reading

We all already know that the one-sheet for The Brave One is the Best. Jodie. Movie. Poster. Ever. But then I saw the Chinese poster and thought, “Hey, why did they replace Jodie Foster with Zac Efron’s 14-year-old blond cousin?”

After getting over my initial aversion to this airbrushed anomaly, I began to see the poster as a sentimental reminder of the tomboyish Jodie of yore. Remember her? She was all bell bottoms and skateboards and Shaun Cassidy hair. So adorable. So butch.

Which got me thinking about other famously butch movie posters. Which lead to research. Which led to the realization that, sadly, there aren’t that many butch/tomboyish images of women in film advertising. … continue reading

The one-sheet for Jodie Foster's new movie The Brave One (opening September 14) has just been released:

As far as I'm concerned, whatever she's done wrong, this poster more than makes it right!

(If you're one of those picky people who want actual information about the film, read Dorothy Snarker's recent post which has a plot summary, photos and the trailer.)

After watching the trailer for the new Jodie Foster film The Brave One, I think the only appropriate response is, “Wow, that was intense.” Really, really intense.

… continue reading