News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Amber Benson

When bad movies happen to good actresses

Over the weekend, while lazily flipping the channels, I stopped on some dragon movie and before I could click away, a familiar face caught my eye. Is that? Could that? Hey, that's Piper Perabo. Yes, indeed, it was Piper and she was starring in George and the Dragon, a 2004 movie loosely based on the Crusades-era legend of a knight who slew a dragon to save a princess.

I ended up watching the last third of the film, not because it was any good but because I kept being astonished by who popped up next. Not only was Piper in the film but so was Patrick Swayze, James Purefoy, Michael Clarke Duncan and Tony and Golden Globe-winning actress Joan Plowright. Geez, did they all lose a bet to the director?

Which, of course, got me thinking. How many other good actresses have bad films lurking on their resumes? And by bad, I'm not just talking bombs or flops, and I'm not talking early work when they were desperate to be in anything. Instead I'm talking the "I'm pretty famous, but I've still got to pay the rent" kind of bad. These are the movies they clearly made for the paycheck. These are the movies they hope no one will notice. So let's point them out and laugh … in a nice way. … continue reading

 

Buffy fans rejoice: The Scooby Gang is (almost) all here

The Scoobie Gang is getting back together. On March 20, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast will reunite for a panel discussion as part of the annual Paley Center for Media Festival in Los Angeles. Feel free to scream with delight. I’ll wait.

Confirmed to appear so far are series creator Joss Whedon , along with Buffy herself Sarah Michelle Gellar and almost all the past Scoobies: Amber Benson (Tara), Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Seth Green (Oz), James Marsters (Spike) and Michelle Trachtenberg (little Dawnie). The reunion is part of the 25th annual PaleyFest, an interactive pop culture event that connects fans with the creators and stars of their favorite TV shows. The event is sponsored by The Paley Center (formerly known as The Museum of Television & Radio).

  … continue reading

 

The "Women of Whedon" is missing a W

Sometimes a list is so close to the hearts of AfterEllen.com readers that all a blogger has to do is tell you about it and sit back to watch the fun. So, I was tickled to find this list in the Los Angeles Times of the "Women of Whedon." The Times asked Joss Whedon to name his five favorite female creations. I was less tickled once I perused the list, however, thanks to at least one dreadful omission. (Get ready to be indignant.) Where's Willow?

While your ruffled feathers relax a bit, let's look at the women he did name. I certainly can't quarrel with the first. … continue reading

 
The actor, writer and director takes your questions.

MorphThing.com: Who needs a Y chromosome, anyway?

Ever wondered what Tara and Willow’s love child would look like?

Or imagined a kick-butt combination of Buffy Summers and Sydney Bristow?

Just in time for the weekend, hours of entertainment, courtesy of Whitney at Pop Candy. MorphThing.com lets you combine two faces into one, using a library of famous people on the site or your own pics. The results are, well, interesting. Here are some combinations of our favorite females. … continue reading

 
deana_dotz.jpg
Melissa Etheridge, "Degrassi" lesbians, Lucy Lawless and more.

What would you ask Amber Benson?

Attention all Amber Benson fans: AfterEllen.com will be talking with Ms. Benson in the next few days, and we wanted to give you the opportunity to submit your own questions.

Just post your questions (as many as you wish) in the comments by Thursday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m. PT. We'll then send them off with our contributing writer, who will pepper Ms. Benson with as many of your inquiries as possible.

UPDATE: No more questions, please!

In case you need a brief primer on Amber's work, she played Tara, Willow's first girlfriend, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she recently starred in Race You to the Bottom; and she has a role in Angela Robinson's Girltrash! as Svetlana Dragovich.

Now go ahead, tell us what you want to know! … continue reading

 

I miss Willow and Tara more and more every day

About a month ago, Dorothy Snarker gave you the news about Amber Benson's new film, Race You to the Bottom. Well, the reviews are in, and it should be no surprise to Benson fans that she's pretty much the only good thing about the movie.

The New York Times said, "Ms. Benson is a lovely actress with a vulnerability that can be extremely touching, but she enjoyed more chemistry with Alyson Hannigan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer than she does with Mr. [Cole] Williams."

Duh. And that's why the Times is my favorite newspaper. … continue reading

 

Amber Benson races you to the movie theater

Amber Benson (who occupies a tender, broken place in every lesbian and/or Buffy fan's heart) is back in the pictures with the new gay-themed romantic dramedy Race You to the Bottom, which premiered last weekend.

Since her untimely departure from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Amber has kept busy with a series of projects, from writing and directing her own movies to acting in other independent films and writing comics and novels. … continue reading

 
The supernatural drama has had a lasting impact on the way lesbians are portrayed on television

User login

AfterEllen.com NYC Meet-Up on May 18th

We're having a get-together on May 18th in NYC for our readers, with some of our staff and vloggers, and the cast/creators of 3Way. Go here for details.

Recent comments

After Ellen home page on logo online