As the countdown continues for the premiere of Season 1 of The L Word on Logo, we're coming up with new and different excuses to vlog. This week, we want to share with you the joy that was the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's Women's Night. (And the joy that was Dara's friend's wedding, because that's where Dara was when Jill and I went to Women's Night.)

By now, Sharon Stone's auctioneering skills are the stuff of legend, but that doesn't stop us from giving you our version of how she took command of audience and scolded a bunch of lesbians into dropping some extra cash for a good cause.

We also talk about the dreamy yet unconventional wedding Dara attended (the ring bearers were unicorns!) and share some of our home videos from Women's Night. Thanks to Robyn Dettman for shooting the footage of us — which includes Bridget McManus and Cathy DeBuono — even when some of us were hopping up and down on one leg on the red carpet. (Jealous?!)

Welcome to the first episode of Retro Reviewing, a new bi-weekly vlog by four Boston-area lesbian/bi film students (Katie, Caroline, Danielle and Rina) focused on reviewing lesbian classics and not-so-classics, as well as queer indie movies, and other under-the-radar film fare.

This week, the girls take on Basic Instinct in all of its cheesy, sexy, stereotypical glory. Special attention is paid to the campy sex scenes, crazy stereotypes, awkward sexual politics, and of course, the amazing 1992 dance moves.

While the movie may be comical and borderline offensive today, it was a real eye-opener when it premiered, kicking off a a dialogue about lesbian and bisexual representation in media that continues today. For this, and for Sharon Stone’s knockout performance, ¾ of them applaud Basic Instinct.

But that doesn’t stop them from having their way with the film – Catherine Tremell wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you have a request for a classic film you’d like to see skewered (or praised) in a future episode, be sure to let them know in the comments!

One of my childhood memories is a time at my cousin's 12th birthday party when I thoughtfully said, "Twelve is such a ripe old age." I don't know what led to that pronouncement, but I remember it often, even several multiples of 12 later. Age is like that. Each milestone seems far away, then one day you realize that a lot of them are behind you. It's not a bad thing — older really is better — it's just surprising. A few weeks ago, one of America's favorite children reached one of those milestones when Caroline Kennedy turned 50.

Kennedy certainly has accomplished a lot in her adulthood, but to many of us, she always will be JFK's little girl. And "Sweet Caroline." … continue reading

FHM has an interesting list of what they consider the 10 best female movie villains. They also have some disturbing, yet fun, video clips to go along with their choices. And it got me thinking: What exactly makes a villainess a grand dame in the baddie world? So here's my take on the qualities that make a villain truly great.

1. The hotness factor

OK, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I can get swept up by a villain just because she's hot. I'm not alone: Malinda has her own list of baddies who are also hotties. Both Malinda and FHM include the likes of Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct) and Catwoman as played by Michelle Pfieffer. O-Ren Ishii makes the FHM list and mine as well. I'd also like to suggest two more recent villains to add to the "hot" list: Sarah Corvus and Caprica Six (Battlestar Galactica).

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ABC apparently noticed the success of recent cable shows with strong women as leads. The network has ordered a script about the most powerful woman in New York — The Fixer. Russell Gewirtz, who wrote Inside Man, will write and produce the pilot. The show’s lead character was inspired in part by Madeline White, Jodie Foster’s character in Inside Man.

Although Madeline’s character was not fleshed out in the movie, we know that she was in the business of cleaning up image problems for her clients — at any cost. Foster even described Madeline as a “fixer figure” in an interview for Inside Man. Gewirtz says that the woman at the center of The Fixer is “a single mother who is very clever, influential and powerful.” And, like Madeline White, she is morally ambiguous. No word on sexual orientation, but given the character profile, I'm not sure we want her to be the network's first leading lesbian.

The important question for us, of course, is who will play The Fixer? Stepping into a role associated with Jodie will be no picnic (just ask Julianne Moore), so the actress needs some powerful acting chops to make it her own. The first person to come to mind, unfortunately, is already headed to another ABC show.

Can’t you just see Dana Delany as a smart, sexy, manipulative power broker? She could even wear that suit she almost took off when her Senator Grisham seduced Bette. Excuse me; I need a moment.

Another TV powerhouse we haven’t seen enough lately is Sela Ward.

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Now that Lord Voldemort has returned, I've been thinking about villains lately. In particular, sure, He Who Must Not Be Named is scary, but why is it that male villains are usually so unattractive? What is it about evilness that makes male villains turn into hairless, unicorn blood-drinking tyrants with no fashion sense? (See Darth Vader for another option: still hairless, but that helmet clearly makes him fashion-challenged.)

Female villains, on the other hand, tend to be uniformly hot (and sometimes uniformed). Maybe it's because the female villain partly emerges from the long (and, dare I say it, glorious) tradition of the dominatrix: She'll whip your ass, and she'll look fantastic while doing it. And no, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 female villains:

10. Jordana Brewster as Lucy Diamond in D.E.B.S.

Clad all in black and bent on world domination, Lucy Diamond doesn't let her previously foiled plots (including an attempt to sink Australia) get her down. In D.E.B.S., she sets her sights on D.E.B.S. agent Amy (Sara Foster), and she quickly succeeds in seducing her.

Here's a (mysteriously silent) video of Lucy smooching Amy: … continue reading

The Observer is reporting that after seven years of trying to get her movie about Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (Triumph of the Will) off the ground, Jodie Foster has settled on a script by British writer Rupert Walters (Restoration) and is now searching for a director. Shooting will reportedly start by the end of next year. Riefenstahl, who died in 2003 and was the subject of the documentary The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, was lauded for her pioneering abilities as a filmmaker but became infamous for creating powerful Nazi propaganda.

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Several years ago, Billie Jean King figured out that sometimes, if you want something to happen, you have to do it yourself. She wanted equality in tennis, so she started a tennis tour: the WTA. She wanted equality in women's sports, so she built her own sports organization for women: the Women's Sports Foundation. And when she wanted to honor women in sports, she created two separate events.

The Annual Salute to Women in Sports is held in October, and specifically honors the achievements of female athletes and those who have contributed to the landscape of women's sports. In April, Billie hosts the Billie Awards, which "recognize media excellence in women's sports and physical activity." The Annual Salute has been around for 27 years, while the Billies event is only in its second year.

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I chatted with Billie Jean King at the 2007 Billies a few weeks ago. "It's not just about famous athletes," said King. "Tonight is about the celebration of women's sports coverage in the media. Women only get about eight percent of the sports coverage in the news from the major sports outlets."