Christmas day is just around the corner, and you know what that means: ribbons, tags, packages, boxes, bags — and the release of half a dozen much-hyped, mega-budget films. Among them is the movie adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit. It doesn't have any Nazis, puppies or backward-aging babies, but it promises killer performances from a bevy of women who want nothing more than seduction and destruction.

Scarlett Johansson plays Silken Floss, a frigid vixen; Eva Mendes plays Sand Saref, a conniving jewel thief; and Jaime King plays Lorelei, a phantom siren.

Of course, no superhero's tale would be complete without the quick-witted girl next door. To balance out Spirit's femme fatales is the police commissioner's daughter, Ellen Dolan, played by out actress Sarah Paulson. … continue reading

The latest Entertainment Weekly raises the question of what makes a movie sexy. Well, they really just present their list of “The 50 Sexiest Movies Ever,” but their designation of the sexiest moment in each movie selected suggests that the factors that contribute to movie sexiness are varied. (You can find EW’s 1-25 here and 26-50 here.)

For example, it can be an explicitly sexual act such as frenzied coitus in an alley in the rain (9 ½ Weeks, #24) or a same-sex kiss with lingering drool (Cruel Intentions¸ #32). It can be suggestive dancing tinged with violence (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, #3), or just an erotically delivered song (The Fabulous Baker Boys, #12). It can even be two strangers (Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood) making dinner (The Bridges of Madison County, #45).

And I get this. While Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood don’t do it for me as a couple, just the idea of Meryl Streep and Allison Janney as a couple — regardless of the lack of sexual contact between them — made The Hours an incredibly sexy movie to me.

Although I certainly disagree with some of EW’s list — anything with Kevin Costner (ew!) — I would include a number of their choices were I to make my own list of sexy movies. And what makes a movie sexy is clearly not an objective measure. Reasonable people can are likely to disagree. For me, there has to be palpable attraction between the characters. It’s even better, of course, when both (all?) characters sharing attraction are women.

There’s a fair amount of lesbian/bi-curious content to be found on the EW list — oddly, there’s considerable more lesbian representation in a “That’s hot” list than there usually is on their talent/power/intelligence lists. (Imagine that.) So I took a look at these options to assess whether I consider them among the sexiest movies of all time.

Mullholland Drive (#17) — No

The sexiest moment identified is the sex scene between Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring. I just didn’t get the connection between the women, much less feel the heat, but perhaps that’s because I don’t really get David Lynch. However, the friends with whom I saw it (one lesbian, one bisexual woman) both loved it, so reasonable people can certainly disagree. … continue reading

Episode transcribed by: GustavChristoff

This week, the Retro Reviewers proudly present their take on Bound, the classic lesbian neo-noir thriller from 1996.

The Wachowski Brothers' (The Matrix Trilogy, V for Vendetta) first feature film, Bound made a huge splash on the lesbian scene at the time of it's release, and it's still beloved for its strong female characters, amazing love scenes, and twisty, edgy plot.

Next week, the ladies have something very special planned, as they're enlisting the help of Good Asian Drivers, Melissa Li and Kit Yan, to review Saving Face.

AE reader GustavChristoff has kindly transcribed the episode for our hearing impaired readers — read it here.

In David Lodge's campus comedy, Changing Places, the characters play a game called Humiliation, in which they take turns admitting their secret literary shame. Each player names the most embarrassing book they've never read, and when one character wins by admitting that he's never read Hamlet, he loses his job. The AfterEllen.com bloggers recently played our own game of Lesbian Pop Culture Humiliation, and when Sarah Warn, Malinda Lo and Trish Bendix read our confessions, we're probably all going to get fired.

To make our impending unemployment worth it, you've got to play along!

My secret lesbian shame is that I've never read or watched any Sarah Waters — not even the naughty bits, which I hear you can swiftly find online. (Gina Vivinetto admits this same lesbian sin.)

Reese DoWitt says the top three most embarrassing lesbian movies she's never seen are Bound, The Incredible Adventures Of Two Girls In Love and Chutney Popcorn.

Dorothy Snarker admits to never having watched a single episode of Bad Girls. (She played it down, though, by saying that she has watched plenty of Helen and Nikki fan videos.) … continue reading

Lately I've been thinking about lover Cindi on The L Word. Well, not Cindi herself, but the "lover" thing. It's hilarious every time Dawn Denbo says it, mostly because the word lover has gone out of favor. It used to be a common term in the gay community — or anywhere, really. Especially in the '70s.

But now lover has the connotation of "f--- buddy," while partner or girlfriend is generally the preferred term for the people you want to keep around for more than just sex. Or at least that's how it seems to me.

So what makes a partner, and what makes a lover? Armed with my trusty (and dusty) DVD collection, I have conducted a sort of survey. I don't suppose it's educational in any way, but it was fun.

1. Cay and Vivian (Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver), Desert Hearts

I just had to begin with a tricky one, didn't I? Cay and Vivian definitely start out as lovers, but if Vivian had stayed, they might have become partners. Still, when I think of them, I don't think of fun times or tender touches or home improvement. I think of steamy sex and mind-bogglingly deep kisses.

Verdict: Lovers (they have to remind themselves to stop long enough to get some food!)

2. Claude and Lucy (Alison Folland and Leisha Hailey), All Over Me

These two are so cute, I don't care what you call them. But when they walk along with their ice cream and Leisha grins like that, it seems like a love that's built to last.

Verdict: Partners (in a happily ever after sense)

3. Corky and Violet (Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly), Bound

Hmm. These two are carnal and star-crossed, but they also seem destined to be together. And the sizzle is accompanied by a sense that they're on the same wavelength — they have a meeting of bodies and minds. I think I have my first tie.

Verdict: Partner-lovers (lesbian bed death will never strike!)

4. Agnes and Elin (Rebecka Liljeberg and Alexandra Dahlström), Show Me Love / F---ing Amal … continue reading

Lori and I just got back from a long weekend in Palm Springs with our friends Michael Jensen and Brent Hartinger from AfterElton.com (Michael is the Editor-in-Chief, Brent is his partner and an acclaimed young adult novelist), who have their own weekly video blog about gay entertainment called Two Gay Gays.

While we were there, we got into some discussions about the difference in how gay and lesbian characters are portrayed in TV, and we decided to film our conversations because they were kinda interesting, and because that way we didn't have to get out of the pool (and later, the hot tub) to do our video blog for this week. Yes, we were killing two gay birds with one stone, but hey, we hardly ever get a vacation!

The topics we cover include why Michael and Brent loved the lesbians on Xena and Buffy; why there are so many more gay men on TV than lesbians; and the real reason Lori liked Brian Kinney on Queer as Folk (hint: she might have been a little bit like Brian before we met ... wait, does that make me the Justin in this relationship?) … continue reading

There's a lot to love about Gina Gershon. First, Bound — and that could really be last, too, because Corky is the ultimate in hotness.

But then Gershon just kept doing cool things, like Showgirls, which is so bad, it's good; Prey for Rock and Roll, in which she played a lesbian again, but this time one with a guitar; and Ugly Betty, in which she shows her comedic skill and thus becomes even sexier. (I'm ignoring her new role in Rescue Me for the moment, because I don't like to think of her making out with Denis Leary).

Gershon is now showing her brainy side, having co-written a book for young adults, Camp Creepy Time. She's also back on the big screen in Delirious, which has screened at various film festivals and is finally getting a limited U.S. release in August.

In the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, Gershon takes the "Pop Culture Personality Test" and gives us even more to love. Here are some highlights: … continue reading