I'm not ready to commit to an entire movie for the weekend, so I thought I'd check out some trailers instead.

First, the new Speed Racer trailer surfaced this week. If Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon weren't enough reason to see this one, this trailer has convinced me that it's worth the ticket price. Moviefone.com desribes it as "Andy Warhol meets the Jetsons." Nice!

(Watch it in hi-def here.)

Next, I hadn't even heard of Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Liu Ye.

The film tells the story of a Chinese science student who can't quite cope with the pressures of American academia. … continue reading

I have an Academy Awards fantasy. This Sunday, when the presenter opens the envelope for Best Achievement in Directing, I envision audible gasps, then stunned silence and, finally, thunderous applause when un-nominated Kasi Lemmons benefits from a secret write-in campaign and wins for Talk to Me.

And then, for the hell of it, Sarah Polley wins an Honorable Mention for Away From Her.

I suspect, however, that one of the actual nominees will win. (I'm pulling for Jason Reitman — Juno.) But this does not change the sad truth that sometimes the best movies and performers do not get nominated, and sometimes the absolutely wrong performers and movies win.

It can be pretty tough to figure out the logic. For example, my brother noted that the longest — read poorly edited — movies often win Best Editing. (As he elaborated, “All 28 hours of The English Patient beat Fargo in 1997.) And the acting nominees sometimes reflect the most offensive scenery-chewing.

Of course, my brother and I are not the only ones to spew righteous indignation about the state of Academy Awards affairs. I recently read a pretty good list of the Worst Oscars Ever, some of which I agreed with and some of which I disagreed with. And this led me to compile my own list of Academy Awards Travesties — the performers and movies that stole the awards that should have rightfully gone to more deserving others. … continue reading

For reasons that have been lovingly discussed already, I've been looking forward to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. But for me, Cate Blanchett wasn't the only attraction; I've also been anxious to see Australian actress Abbie Cornish in action as she takes on her highest profile project yet. Some of you may know her from one film that she showed up in — or more accurately, disappeared in — the lesbian-themed The Monkey's Mask.

The last time I was in Australia, I caught part of Somersault, the coming-of-age film that won Cornish acting awards and international notice. I sort of remember Cornish playing a sixteen-year-old girl on a sexual journey (and that it was not a fun one), but what I most recall is being struck by Cornish's beauty and vulnerability on screen. These are qualities she brings to Elizabeth, in which she plays Bess Throckmorton, Elizabeth's favorite lady-in-waiting. … continue reading

It seems to be a great time for women directors. They're currently earning critical and/or commercial success (e.g., Kasi Lemmons' Talk to Me and Sarah Polley's Away From Her). Not surprisingly, this celebration is accompanied by analysis of how little has actually changed. Women still have disproportionately few directing opportunities outside the realm of independent movies. As Terry Lawler, the executive director of New York Women in Film & Television, noted:

"While it's wonderful to see all these women getting recognition, we have had these moments before where a door seems to open, and then it turns out that the door doesn't lead anywhere."

And Academy Award–nominated director Jane Campion recently voiced a similar analysis (basically, "Men control all the money").

The subject is frustrating, but it warrants regular revisiting if things are ever going to change. And I'll do the one thing I can do: recognize some of the great women directors and their stereotype-shattering, groundbreaking movies. This list is far from exhaustive and does not include lesbian directors of lesbian movies. So please don't yell at me for excluding Angela Robinson and Rose Troche.

6. Ida Lupino, Not Wanted (1949)

Best known as a B-movie actress from the 1940s, Ida Lupino was also a prolific writer and director. She had already expanded from acting into production when the director of Not Wanted (aka Shame and Streets of Sin — how good does that sound?!) suffered a heart attack on the third day of filming. She took over as director and went on to a lengthy career in movie and television direction — including two episodes of Gilligan's Island! … continue reading