In honor of gay pride celebrations going on around the country this week, the retro reviewers pour into If These Walls could Talk 2, which stars Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon Stone, Chloë Sevigny, and Michelle Williams.

Everyone liked the film and its examination of the progress queer women have made in the last 50 years. The three different story lines range from the early ‘60s, the swinging ‘70s, and the early 2000s.

Make sure to check back next week when the reviewers pack up for a special beach review of Blue Crush – a movie with enough lesbian subtext (and girls in bikinis) to qualify it as retro-reviewable.

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

On Mondays, I find it easier to look at pretty pictures than put together sentences. So here are some movie posters for your visual pleasure. (You could also call this a preview of 2008, which isn't looking great so far ...)

1. Hellboy II, starring Selma Blair:

I didn't see Hellboy, and even if I had, I probably wouldn't feel compelled to see the sequel. But Selma is mesmerizing in this poster. So I might reconsider. Her eyes, they follow me everywhere!

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (the poster was just released today): … continue reading

You are about to learn a precious secret. No, not The Secret, or whatever self-help magic is making somebody else rich today. This secret will help you get to know a woman quickly, accurately and without pretense. It will give you the insight of a dozen deep conversations at a glance. And it's as easy as one, two, tee.

Yes, the only thing more revealing than a woman's T-shirt is, well, a woman without a T-shirt. But that's a different post. Alyson Hannigan's rubber ducky tee was a gift from John Ritter after he guest-starred on Buffy. Needless to say, Hannigan treasures it.

Hannigan is one of 15 celebrities pictured in EW.com's "15 Stars In Their Favorite T-shirts." You can see Portia de Rossi in her prophetic Iggy shirt in the latest Best Lesbian Week Ever. … continue reading

Word has it that Terminator 4 has risen from the depths of development hell to the point of listing a release date and creating casting buzz. In fact, rumors are rampant that Chloe Sevigny and Rachel Weisz have been gallivanting about town trying to convince the producers to cast them in the new flick.

Now, I don't know about you, but as much as I liked watching Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken chew up scenery in Rise of the Machines, things just were not the same without Linda Hamilton and her biceps. … continue reading

For the most part whenever a public service announcement comes on my eyes glaze over as I passively agree with its sentiment. (Yes, yes, click it or ticket. Good, good, give blood, give life.) Still it's the rare PSA that makes me get off my ass and actually do something. This weekend, thanks to Natalie Portman, Kyra Sedgwick and Chloe Sevigny, the figurative (and literal) light bulb finally went on over my head.

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National Geographic had the bright idea of having Natalie, Kyra and Chloe tell us all about the benefits of compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs, for short). These energy-efficient lights use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than your standard incandescent bulbs. But don't let me bore you with the numbers, instead check it out for yourself (for better quality video, click here):

HBO's early renewal of Big Love for a third season is great news for those of us hooked on this compelling series about a polygamous family in Utah. Yes, I said a polygamous family in Utah. And you should watch this, why?

Well, here's the easy answer.

Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin play the three sister-wives at the core of the family. And they inhabit their parts so completely, it’s hard to imagine them in previous roles.

Tripplehorn, whose movie debut was as a psychiatrist in Basic Instinct (she was the one who did wear panties), plays Barb Henrickson, the first wife and only one legally married to Bill (played by Bill Paxton).

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As a teacher and the sister-wife most visible in the community, Barb’s story feels all too familiar at times. A recent story line saw Barb’s nomination as her community’s Mother of the Year crumble when she was outed as a polygamist. Ouch.