Talking posters? That’s just crazy talk! What’s next? Moving pictures in a flickering box? An interconnected network that instantly shares data around the world at the click of a button? Oh, wait, those things already exist? Fine, then maybe the talking poster for the new comic book turned motion picture The Spirit isn’t that weird after all.

[Click here for the talking poster, but hurry back so we can talk about it!]

Roll your mouse over each character (Eva Mendes as Sand Saref, Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss, Jaime King as Lorelei and out actress Sarah Paulson as Ellen Dolan) and you will hear her signature line. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been using it like a mix machine and making my own talking poster mash-up. It’s kind of fun. Or perhaps I’m just a geek who is too easily amused.

Also amusing, or should I say arresting, is the film’s teaser trailer:

The film is an adaptation of the 40s noir newspaper comic by the same name from writer/artist Will Eisner. In the comic, a young detective is killed only to return as a crime-fighting, mask-wearing vigilante. Gabriel Macht (Because I Said So) plays The Spirit in the film by Frank Miller (writer/director of Sin City and creator of 300). Miller’s last stint behind the camera was the visually stunning but narrative-leaden Sin City. Miller uses that film’s striking graphic novel style again in The Spirit. … continue reading

Women in Film, an organization that honors people who advance female involvement in filmmaking, hosted their annual Crystal + Lucy Awards on Tuesday night in Beverly Hills. Among the winners were Ginnifer Goodwin, who won the MaxMara "Face of the Future" award; Salma Hayek who took home the Lucy Award for her work as the producer of Ugly Betty; and Diane English with the ensemble cast of The Women, who won the Crystal Award.

Annette Benning and Meg Ryan

Of the women surrounding her (other attendees include Cameron Diaz and Eva Mendes) at the awards ceremony, Goodwin told the press, "To be in their company is confusing for me. I'm so humbled."

I get that. If I had somehow managed to get gussied up and teleport to the red carpet on Tuesday night, I'm sure I would have been befuddled by all the talent and diverse beauty, too. You might even say I would have gone so far as to make an ass out of myself during the jovial acceptance speeches. … continue reading

Lancôme, Chanel, Estée Lauder ... sacrebleu! With so many French words floating around the makeup counters these days, aren’t you glad that we have the familiar faces of celebrities to help sort them out? Thanks to them, I can easily distinguish Trésor de Lancôme from Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle by simply asking myself, “Do I want to smell like Kate Winslet or Keira Knightley today?” Everyday it’s a toss up.

Lately it has become more chic for celebrities to promote their own brand of stink, rather than promote a designer perfume (e.g., Celine Dion, J. Lo, Britney). But now some new pitch women have been added to high-end fragrances’ ad campaigns and thank goodness for that — it’s reassuring to know that our old favorite smells still have star power.

Recently, it was announced that Nicole Kidman, who was the face of Chanel No. 5, had been replaced by the adorable French actress Audrey Tautou, who will always be Amélie to me despite her other successful films (Dirty Pretty Things, Happenstance, The Da Vinci Code). Tautou will become the Chanel spokesmodel in early 2009, with a debut commercial helmed by her Amélie director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Déjà vu! Chanel's tribute to great directors and their actors began with Nicole Kidman working on her ad campaign with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann. … continue reading

I don't frequent Victoria's Secret stores. I don't watch those lame Victoria's Secret TV specials. I don't peruse the Victoria's Secret catalog and never have, not even when one of my college friends insisted it was the perfect study break.

So, fine; I didn't really expect to like the 2008 What Is Sexy? list, which was released by Victoria's Secret earlier today. But nor did I expect to be thoroughly confused by it. You've probably seen headlines about the most ridiculous one: Ryan Seacrest made the list for "sexiest smile." Ryan Seacrest? I think they must have accidentally copied and pasted from their What Is Icky? list.

But let's talk about the women on the list, starting with the one that really made me say "Whaaaaat?" in a Jill Bennett–esque way:

Sexiest Mom: Victoria Beckham

Uh. Did they mean Sexiest Person You Always Forget Is a Mom, Because, Really, Since When Can Mannequins Reproduce? I can think of many better candidates. Salma Hayek, for one.

Sexiest Actress: Eva Mendes … continue reading

“There’s a word for you ladies, but it is seldom used in high society ... outside a kennel.”

That classic line from the 1939 film The Women is the perfect example of why I love the movie. Earlier this year, Anna let us know that Diane English’s long-planned remake of The Women is on again, with a cast that almost seemed too good to be true.

Now comes casting news that pushes the lineup into fantasyland (but I read it on the Internet, so it must be true). Bette Midler, Lynn Whitfield, Debi Mazar, Ana Gasteyer, Carrie Fisher, Joanna Gleason and Cloris Leachman have joined the project, which is currently shooting in Boston.

If I lived anywhere near Boston, I’d be roaming the streets to find this film set. Not that I'm condoning calling in sick and getting some pictures to post here or anything. … continue reading

Here’s what we know about the characters so far.

Ah, 1994. I remember it well. Sandra Bullock was America's sweetheart after she drove a bus and flirted with Keanu Reeves in Speed; who could've predicted that the pair would reunite to absolutely zero acclaim 12 years later in The Lake House?

On TV, Friends began its long run on NBC, while on ABC, These Friends of Mine, later re-titled Ellen, featured Ellen DeGeneres as a bookstore owner who had a comically tough time dating men. I think we all know how that ended.

And little me kept repeating, "I’m getting verklemmt!" "You're terrible, Muriel!" and “La Croix, sweetie, La Croix,” to anyone within earshot.

Elsewhere in Hollywood ’94, writer-producer Diane English, who was riding high with Murphy Brown (remember?), was shopping a script for a remake of the 1939 camp classic The Women. Well, 13 years, a couple of directors, multiple casting changes and several false starts later, the movie is finally set to go into production this summer, with a cast that includes Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing and Candice Bergen — quite a star-studded assemblage.

The original bitchfest starred an array of its era’s best female actresses — including Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine and many more — as catty high-society ladies. … continue reading