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Kate Beckinsale stars in a lesbian-less "Whiteout"Kate Beckinsale's new movie, Whiteout, which opens in theaters today, is based on a graphic novel by Greg Rucka. The murder mystery, set in Antarctica had a "lesbian angle," so Beckinsale's character, US deputy marshal Carrie Stetko was a gay lady.
That's right. Kate Beckinsale: Lesbian. Only, that whole angle has been omitted for the film adaptation, so we won't be seeing that happen any time soon. That's really too bad, because the film doesn't seem all that interesting.
The premise is that there's been a murder — the first for Antarctica — and Stetko only has three days to solve the crime, before everyone must evacuate due to an impending blizzard. Of course — it's Antarctica! According to the New York Times review, the movie does get off to an interesting (however gratuitous) start with Beckinsale taking a shower. She won't be hooking up with any ladies on the frozen tundra, but at least there's that. Another review says the film's "twists and turns are more like riding a kiddie roller coaster" and that not only is the lesbian plot-line from the original story missing, there's also a "slightly different ending." Which is Hollywood speak for, "This is totally not the same story, don't get your hopes up."
Many reviews do seem to agree, however, that it's Beckinsale's acting that makes this film somewhat bearable. Even if she's not playing gay, I wouldn't mind looking at her on the big screen for 90 minutes (or on a small screen when it comes out on DVD and I'm home sick in the middle of winter and there's nothing on daytime television). Which is good, considering she is the main focus of the film, which has a very isolated, desolate feeling. Think Fargo, only creepier. And probably not funny.
Do you think you'll end up in the theaters for Whiteout. For Beckinsale, not gay but in a shower? I think I'll just watch Brokedown Palace. There's Claire Danes in that one, too. Submitted by on September 11, 2009 - 2:00pm. |
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kate
Greg Rucka
He also writes the current Batwoman comic books which feature a lesbian caped crusader. I like this guy. I think he writes good stories with characters who happen to be lesbians, and doesn't totally go for the extremely gratuituous lesbian-sex-scene-for-straight-man-appeal thing, where all lesbians are hot blonde femmes with huge boobs and manicures. (at least not yet, he hasn't)
The most recent issue has Kate Kane (Batwoman) looking AWESOME in a tuxedo at a charity event and dancing with a similarly believable lesbian...who is also in a tuxedo. It's delightful :)
If anything, this film makes me just want to buy the book and read it.
batwoman in a tux
I'm new to Rucka, but I'm using the Batwoman issues in my Young Adult Lit class which has at least one lesbian student and I'm guessing three others, plus me, the out prof. We agreed that he does very well w/ the lesbo angle until the tux, which they found dated and cliched, and they were even more unhappy than I was that the second lesbo also showed up in a tux ("like that's how we all dress," one student said), and worse, that the tuxes danced together. Now, the earlier scene, w/ the uptight lawyer girlfriend at breakfast I found hilarious, though my students were not as amused as I was by the flannel joke.
I'm also reading his Queen and Country. I like him ok. But tell me, are there no women working in this field?
I'm trying...
No broken bones, slight loss of dignity - so no change their then
Dont make it an issue
I have been a professional comics and pop culture illustrator for the last 5 years(professionally) and the lesbian angle has not been an issue as I don't let it be. I have owned it from the begining. I never let anyone use it again me. Mostly i find people dont care. Which is refreshing and very welcoming. It is treated totally normal.
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Deviant Art Page
Tuxes and Gail Simone (not related)
The thing is, I absolutely adored seeing Maggie and Kate dancing in tuxes because - well, I love women in tuxes, and while it's not what every lesbian wears, I do get a little tired of seeing fictional lesbians who are just 'women who sleep with women' without any sort of incorporation into their identity. Not that all gay women in fiction have to be butch, but Rucka has so many lesbian characters that there's a range of diversity. It's completely in character for Maggie Sawyer, who has been dressing butchfor the last ten years in comics, and maybe les so for Kate, but I read it as Kate being a brat to annoy her stepmother.
Also,I found the two tuxes dancing refreshing and incredibly hot. More so than two dresses or tux-and-dress, as butch/femme pairings get old quickly.
There are a few good women writers working in comics, though no lesbians that I know of. If you want lesbians writen (and drawn) by a woman, try Gail Simone and Nicola Scott's Secret Six, about a group of mercenaries led by Scandal Savage. Although that comic is very much not Young Adult, there's also Simone's run no Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman.
http://innerbrat.livejournal.com
I liked it a lot as well and
I liked it a lot as well and I personally find it a classic look, rather than dated, which is pretty much the point of a dinner jacket.
Of course, there's so little overall representation that it's understandable people may be prickly about what there is. However, I think Debi has the right of it: the fundamental question is "does it fit the characters?", and I think it does, each for their different reasons, in such a formal environment. There's a danger, in any critical evaluation, of ignoring the given context and applying your own.
Well there are some women..
who do write graphic novels. Anyone who likes graphic novels is now familiar with Allison Bechdel, but there is also Ariel Schrag who wrote (I think) 3 graphic memoirs on her coming out process in high school.
Obviously, this is a male dominated job, but my friend and I (we go to Bryn Mawr College and we are both queer) are considering co-writing our own graphic novel. And I think that the times are changing. This is no longer a medium directed towards a strictly white, teenage, heterosexual male audience. And with this newer outlook on the readership maybe more diversity with who is writing these novels will also occur.
As for your class' assessment on the tuxedos... well, sure it is outdated to think of lesbians being exponentially more masculine than straight women and presenting themselves in men's clothing. But seeing two"butches" dance together is a fairly new concept, especially for someone who saw the butch/femme dichotomy of the 1980s when he was growing up (Rucka was born in 1969). There is usually a sort of heteronormative expectation for a butches to go out with femmes. While in my generation this is not necessarily true (though it can be), Rucka grew up understanding this to be true, and if he is a straight man it would only make sense to him.
Maybe he was just sticking with what he is more knowledgeable about the queer community. Plus, considering the alternative of having her in a skimpy, see-through black dress, I think this gets an A+ from me:D
I'm totally
comics in the snow--- cause
hahahahaha so so true :P
hahahahaha
so so true :P
I wanna see this!!
It prolly got edited out if
It prolly got edited out if anything. Remeber this movie was being finalized last year when everyone was on a big anti-gay kick after the Presidential elections so the studios prolly order with great glee to have the lesbian "stuff" edited out. Pricks! DVD would prolly include it.
-I speak in random thoughts
Any Movie..
umm yeah
i think ill pass on that movie lol but yeah broken down palace is awesome it makes me think of what i would do if my bestie and i were in that situation and it scares the living shnitzel out of me lol
"Hands upon my back again.
Survival is my only friend.
Terrified of what may come.
Remember I will always love you,
Even as I claw your fucking throat away.
But it will end no other way"
Greg Ruka is a great writer
I have several of his novels and have checked out the new Bat Woman comic. Check out Fist Full Of Rain. It's one of his novels with the main character being a lesbian. There are two lesbian characters in that novel.
"Shhhh. Just don't speak."
Dude i would just go in to
Dude i would just go in to see Kate in the beginning in that shower scene *yum* but thats about it...
I guess i could try to sit through the entire movie if it somewhat captures my attention but then idk....
<<S>>
You Know You Aren't Right For Saying Kate Beckinsale N Lesbian
in the same headline. Damn!
She won't be playing pay for Gay. Damn! Why mentioned it? You should had skipped over that news. Thanks a lot for reeling me in.
(You know I'm being sarcastic right?)
lol you got tricked too
she used the ol' bait and switch on us all i saw was beckinsale and lesbian XD
"Hands upon my back again.
Survival is my only friend.
Terrified of what may come.
Remember I will always love you,
Even as I claw your fucking throat away.
But it will end no other way"
I Know It!
LOL!
How did I not know this was
How did I not know this was a graphic novel first? Oh I fail at being a comic nerd...
It sucks that shes not going to be a lesbian, and Hollywood would go and change things wouldn't they? *tuts* However, I'll see this film anyway cause I Love Kate and I don't care what it is I'll watch her in anything.
Off to book store!
they totally should have!
Rucka is genius
...and then Hollywood got ahold of him.
Crap!
It's a great book too and they killed that angle. Man I hate Hollywood.
Anyone know if Rucka has commented on the removal of that angle? He's such a wonderful straight allie to the gay community and I would be surprised he wouldn't have 2 cents to say on the subject.
FxCK YEA!
FxCK YEA!
The movie looks like a copy
The movie looks like a copy of vertical limit! Looks brutal anyways..the lesbain angle would of been the only interesting thing about it!! The graphic novel lokks 10 times better anyways!
We are all in the gutter....but some of us are staring at the stars!
Sorry, but Stetko is not a lesbian in the comic either
I was wondering when someone
I was wondering when someone would point this out. The comic is fantastic - but don't buy it expecting gay content.
My all-time favorite comic "Y The Last Man," however, does have actual lesbians. "Runaways" is great too. For gay comics written by gay women, my favorites are "Potential" and "Definition" by Ariel Schrag.
What were they thinking?
We ALL know that if it's the Antarctic involved in any capacity that"
"we" are there! The South Pole isn't the same without lesbians.
Technology Will Lead To The Demise Of Civilization As We Know It.
Yeah Well
"This is no longer a medium directed towards a strictly white, teenage, heterosexual male audience."
The only way top affect change is through direct action. Unfortunately venting on AfterEllen provides only marginal results. Letter writing, boycotts, protests have historically proven to be more effective in garnering attention.
Technology Will Lead To The Demise Of Civilization As We Know It.
First 30 pages - Free!
Not sure if you want to buy the Graphic Novel? You can view the first thirty ages for free here:
http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=30666
oh that sucks...
I like Kate... I think she is so hot... I loved her in The Aviator.. ha, I fell in love... she had me at... hello. But bummer they are striking out the lesbian factor.. ugh! They stroke out the lesbian description with whiteout I guess...
Ha. Brokedown Palace such a tragically good movie...loved it.
"It is easier to disintegrate an atom than human stupidity"-A. Einstein
I saw it last night. It was
She's not a lesbian!
As someone pointed out up above, Carrie Stetko is NOT a lesbian in the graphic novels.
One key female character from the books got a gender switch in the film version, but there's no romance between the characters on the page OR on the screen.
The movie is horrendously awful, whether you're a fan of the comics or not. The shower scene (no nudity, for whatever that's worth) is so ridiculously long and gratuitous that even straight male journalists are balking at it. If you want to spend your money, you'd be better off buying the books- just don't expect gay content.
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Reading Final Girl is good for your skin.
so...
Lame
Quite a disappointment.
But since Hollywood is most likely going to turn it into a stupid, soulless action movie anyway, I am not going to waste a second thought on it.
I fell in love with Kate
Kate Beckinsale and Whiteout
Kate Beckinsale features the
Kate Beckinsale features the new movie, “Whiteout” where she will act as a lesbian. The Whiteout movie, or just simply, Whiteout, has nothing to do with the office supply, but rather takes place inAntarctica
where a serial killer is on the loose.
Most films opening this weekend are getting a lot of stick – no one
likes Tim Burton's 9 movie, or Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself,
either. Maybe after the Whiteout movie gets a quick payday, perhaps Hollywood