BY Women and Hollywood
Jane Fonda Goes All the Way in Peace Love and Misunderstanding
I was able to attend the Women’s Media Center premiere of Peace, Love and Misunderstanding on Monday evening. As I was watching the movie, and the great Jane Fonda play a hippie stoner grandma...
TV Critics Organizations Roll Out Their Nominees
The Critics Choice Television Awards and the Televisions Critics Association have both released their list of nominees. It is clear that the critics in both organizations love Downtown Abbey,...
Trailer Watch: Shadow Dancer
Starring Andrea Riseborough a single mom running with the IRA. It premiered at Sundance and will open in the UK on August 25 and will open in the US in 2013. Description from imdb: “Set in 1990s...
Guest Post: Why Female Actions Heroes Need to Be Role Models
This blog post was created in response to a question I asked after reading the piece Are Recent Action Heroines Really Role Models? in Boxoffice Magazine. We need female action heroes to be...
The Third Annual Lilly Awards
In advance of the Tony Awards next Sunday where no women writers were nominated, The Third Annual Lilly Awards (named after playwright Lillian Hellman) were handed out in NYC. The awards are...
Guest Post: People Cannot Stop Talking About Girls
It’s impossible to read a pop culture blog or check out a review of your favorite TV show without noticing commentary about HBO’s most talked about series this year, Girls. That simple single...
Kristen Stewart Covers Vanity Fair and Tells Off The Voracious, Starving Shit Eaters
Fame is a bitch for Kristen Stewart. She used to be the kind of actress where as she said she could sit on her stoop and smoke pot in her underwear with her boyfriend and dog and nobody would care....
Hollywood Reporter Drama Showrunner Panel — Four White Guys and Two Women of Color
It’s great to see Shonda Rhimes and Veena Sud here. Honestly, I don’t know how they could have done a panel with drama showrunners without including Rhimes since she has three shows on the air....
Author Jennifer Weiner Keynotes BookExpo America’s 2012 Bloggers Conference
Jennifer Weiner is one hugely successful author. I’ve liked many of her books especially her really early ones like Good in Bed and In Her Shoes (and the movie of the book is a seriously...
Sarah Jessica Parker Hosting Dinner for Obama
And one grassroots supporter will get a paid trip to NYC and will have dinner with Parker, the President, the First Lady and probably a bunch of other high profile New Yorkers. Hope those people...
Kathleen Kennedy Named Co-Chair of Lucas Films
Uber Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy was named co-chair of Lucasfilm and apparent successor to George Lucas as he moves towards his retirement. Kennedy who worked with her husband and producing...
Charlize Theron Has a Pretty Good Weekend at the Box Office
Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron opened in the US and in number of overseas countries this past weekend. It grossed $56.3 million in the US, and $35 million...
Jane Fonda Talks About Her Life on the Eve of the Release of Peace Love and Misunderstanding
I’m the lucky girl who gets to go to the premiere tonight. Here she is talking to CBS This Morning. The film opens on Friday.
Women’s Film Opening — June 1, 2012
Pink Ribbons, Inc. (doc) Ever since I saw this movie — which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall and is directed by Lea Pool — I have been obsessed. Now, since all the Komen...
‘Snow White and the Huntsman’
If you have to deal with another version of Snow White (which I don’t understand why we do) you would think that a kick-ass Snow White might be the answer to your prayers. Not so much. Kristen...
‘Wish Me Away’: Directed by Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf
Wish Me Away is the incredibly moving coming out story of country music star Chely Wright. When I read a little over a year ago that Wright (who I did not know at the time) had come out my first...
There’s Nothing Pretty About the Pink in the New Documentary ‘Pink Ribbons, Inc.’
Ever since I saw this movie — which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall and is directed by Lea Pool — I have been obsessed. Now, since all the Komen crap over the last...
Wish Me Away: Interview with Directors Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf
This is a repost of the interview I did at the premiere of the film last summer at Newfest in NYC. The film opens in NYC today and is also available on demand. Info here. Women and Hollywood: How...
Cross-Post: Quote of the Day: Scarlett Johansson Tired of Sexist Diet Questions
Wow, who knew I could love Scarlett Johansson so much?? At The Avengers press conference in London, a reporter proceeded to ask Robert Downey Jr. an in-depth, thought-provoking question about his...
‘Borgen’ Is Back
I have been a huge fan of Borgen since the moment I started watching it. It has become a huge success and won the BAFTA last weekend for International TV show. Season two starts this Sunday, June 3...
Book Excerpt: The Twitter Diaries by Georgie Thompson & Imogen Lloyd Webber
Media personalities Georgie Thompson, one of the faces of Sky Sports out of England, and Imogen Lloyd Webber (yes, she is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s daughter), an MSNBC commentator, have teamed up to...
Interview with Pink Ribbons Director Lea Pool and Producer Ravida Din
This is a repost of an interview with the director Lea Pool and producer Ravida Din of the terrific and anger producing documentary Pink Ribbons that was conducted shortly after last fall’s...
Silver Docs 2012: The Women
The 10th edition of AFI Silver Docs Festival will take place in Washington DC from June 18–24. It will open with Ramona Diaz’ crowd pleaser DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY. If you...
Trailer Watch: Les Miserables
Not woman centric but the trailer features Anne Hathaway singing I Dreamed a Dream. This looks really great. Opens December 7. h/t The Playlist
Guest Post: One Woman’s View of Composing In/Out of Hollywood
Writing a blog for a website called Women & Hollywood presents an interesting opportunity for this film composer who dwells primarily in the world of independent documentaries. While not really...
Guest Post: One Woman’s View of Composing In/Out of Hollywood
Writing a blog for a website called Women & Hollywood presents an interesting opportunity for this film composer who dwells primarily in the world of independent documentaries. While not...
Cannes Wrap-Up: Festival President Admits They Need to Work Harder to Include Women Directors
Cannes wrapped up this weekend with Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke winning the Palme d’Or for Amour. He also won the Palme d’Or in 2009 for the last film he had in the festival,...
Trailer Watch: Fast Girls
Just in time for the Olympics here come Fast Girls. Could this be a new Bend it Like Beckham? Opens in the UK on June 15.
Women’s Films Opening — May 25
Films About Women Now Playing Girl in Progress — directed by Patricia Riggen Where Do We Go Now? — written and directed by Nadine Labaki The Perfect Family — directed by Anne...
Viola Davis Gets Honorary Degree from Providence College
Viola Davis received an honorary doctorate degree from Providence College. She also gave the commencement address. Great lines: Your authentic self is constantly trapped under the weight of the most...
Stockholm International Film Festival Special Focus on Women Directors
Last year we reported on the creation of the Stockholm Film Fund Feature Film Award which gives a female director over $700,000 towards her film. Using the lack of women directors in competition as...
Nicole Kidman Hits Cannes With Two Films
I continue to be impressed with Nicole Kidman because the woman does not take the easy road in terms of her parts. She arrived in Cannes with two very different films — Lee Daniels’ The...
Gender Watch: The Firing of Community’s Dan Harmon
I have been watching with interest all week the press regarding the firing of Dan Harmon the creator and showrunner of Community after three seasons. The whole incident would have passed without a...
A Look at Prometheus
I am as intrigued as the next person about Prometheus. Ridley Scott of Alien and Thelma and Louise back directing sci-fi written by one of the dudes that created Lost. And Noomi Rapace — the...
Cross Post: Women Writing Pilots — Nice Work if You Can Get It
Last week the networks announced the pilots they are picking up to series from among the ninety or so that were produced this year for ABC, CBS, CW, FOX and NBC. Certainly the relative success that...
Natalie Portman to Team Up with Lynne Ramsay for Western
Natalie Portman was one of the people who was most excited about Patty Jenkins getting the gig to direct Thor 2. When that fell through one could imagine that she might still be interested in...
See Jennifer Garner in Serena
This is the first short from WIGS a new You Tube channel created by Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs). Here’s the description: WIGS is an innovative new YouTube...
Sexism Watch: Comment from Critic in Cannes
Here’s how Financial Times critic Nigel Andrews ended a recent piece on Cannes Film Festival On screen, at least, there is great work by women in this festival. So pay no regard to the...
Cannes 2012: News Update
Here’s some movie news picked up from the trades coming out of Cannes Saoirse Ronan will star in Testament of Youth, which Calendar Girls co-writer Juliette Towhidi adapted from the 1933 Vera...
Quote of the Day
From Katie Couric during her University of Virginia Commencement address: Some said I lacked gravitas, which I’ve since decided is Latin for testicles… Awesome. Couric helps to send off 6,400...
Lightning in a Bottle? Teaming Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy
Could this be the successor to Bridesmaids? Sandra Bullock is returning to comedy (remember how good Miss Congeniality was?) this time teaming up with Bridesmaids breakout star Melissa McCarthy for...
Jane Lynch Gives The Commencement Address at Smith: Yes, And
One moment from the speech: You will have many opportunities to embrace what the world has for you. I can’t wait to see the ways in which you say “AND.” Remember that Smith Woman entitlement I...
Cannes 2012: Sexism Watch Continues
One of the things I am proud of regarding the work many people have done to raise awareness about the lack of opportunities for female directors is how we were able to interrupt the narrative which...
Julie Taymor Speaks Out
Julie Taymor has not been able to speak out since she was removed as director of Spiderman over a year ago. The legal documents have been speaking for her. But it looks like she is finally trying to...
Cross-Post — Cannes: Festival Opens in a Boys Own Adventure
There are rumbles around the world about the lack of women directors in the official competition. Dr. Lisa French adds an Australian perspective. The `Festival de Cannes` opened with the usual...
Cannes Watch: Woman With a Camera
Here’s a video that interviews women about the lack of women directors in Cannes. It is created by Donna Don. Here’s why she made it: To draw attention to the appalling low number of female...
Cannes Trailer Watch: The Sapphires
The film premiered to wild applause in Cannes. The Weinstein Company has already snapped this Australian film up. It opens in Australia in August. The rest of the world TBD. Here’s the description...
Cross-Post: Cannes 2012: The Stories Aren’t By Women but They’re About Women
It’s hard not to notice sexism when it is everywhere. After dealing with a person named Chris for three years trying to find lodging in Cannes I was stunned to find out that Chris was a woman....
Kristen Wiig Says Goodbye to SNL After Seven Years
She can now be a full time moviestar. NBC.com Video Widget
Women’s Films Opening — May 18, 2012
Recommendations for the week: Hysteria directed by Tanya Wexler and Polisse by Maiwenn. Films About Women Opening This Weekend Virginia Virginia stars Jennifer Connelly in the title role as a...
Sign the Petition! Where Are the Women Directors?
It’s been very interesting to watch the opening of the Cannes Film Festival. In light of the fact that there are no women directors in competition and the great work of La Barbe, at the opening...