Pop Culture Curmudgeon

Women Are Moving Beyond Their Franchises

Last week (was it really only a week ago?), the latest in the Underworld franchise was released, sans Kate Beckinsale. Now, there is talk of making a third Tomb Raider film without Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Rumors are swirling that Megan Fox will be the new Lara Croft.

These two women gained worldwide fame since the release of their action films, and now they have moved to more artistic endeavors.

Jolie has been ever-present at awards shows the past couple years, with her roles in A Mighty Heart and The Changeling.

Beckinsale has been very open lately about the fact that she made the Underworld movies and the abyssmal Van Helsing simply to make money to support her daughter. I am glad for Beckinsale that she can return to the types of movies that make her proud, not rich. My husband, of course, isn’t sure why anyone would bother seeing an Underworld movie with Beckinsale. (He is not alone, as one writer likened her decision to hatred of men.)

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Winners and Losers of the Award Season So Far

I’m still shaking my head at Mickey Rourke’s surprise win at the Golden Globes. Many commenters thought he should win, but that the HFPA would go with a safer choice. I haven’t seen The Wrestler, so I can’t really comment on his performance, but I am happy for him. His rags to riches to rags story has been compelling to follow as he made his comeback after a disastrous turn as a pro boxer.

Anyway, on to my analysis of the awards season so far.

The Winners

Cable. Mad Men remains a critical favorite, and HBO racked up impressive wins at Sunday’s Globes, with actor nods for Anna Paquin and Gabriel Byrne and an impressive showing for John Adams. In fact, the only non-cable winner in the television categories at the Globes was 30 Rock. Thank god NBC has stuck with this great comedy!
Small films. It was nice to see a return to honoring the smaller films and the risks they took. Other than The Dark Knight and Wall-E, the Globes favored a host of independent films, awarding Slumdog Millionaire the top honor.

The Losers

The people. I love small, independent films and quirky cable shows, but I know that they don’t appeal to everyone. And when the blockbusters don’t make it through the awards gauntlet, the average viewer gets turned off from the process of honoring the highest achievements in film and television.
Network television. Not all shows on cable are award-caliber masterpieces, and not all shows on network television are utter crap. But the awards shows sure make it seem that way. Friday Night Lights is an amazing show that starts its run on NBC this week, and it never gets any award love. And, Supernatural showcases a brilliant actor (Jensen Ackles), who never gets award recognition because he is on a genre show on an afterthought network. (And what happened with the People’s Choice Awards? Heroes? Really?)

I can’t wait to see how the rest of the award season progresses.

What have been your disappointments so far? Your pleasant surprises? Will you now rush to see Slumdog Millionaire?

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Brooke Busey Is My Hero

Brooke Busey (more commonly known as Diablo Cody) is the new Rachael Ray. Now, I don’t mean that she whips up a mean meal in 30 minutes or less or helps viewers save money on great food when they travel. Diablo Cody is the new it girl of the minute, and she is smart enough to cash in on that good fortune while it is fresh.

After being “discovered” by a literary manager looking for porn, she dazzled Hollywood with her fresh voice and interesting perspective. On the strength of her first screenplay (Juno), she got further screenwriting work, including a pilot for a show based on an idea by Steven Spielberg, and loads of media attention. And this is where she becomes my hero: she is successfully walking the fine line between wonderful success and overexposure.

Sadly, I think Rachael Ray crossed that line when she got her syndicated talk show. I’m not a Rachael Ray hater, but I did get a little tired of seeing her everywhere I went.

I’ve spent a fair share of time visiting Cody’s blog and reading some of her older columns for City Pages. I enjoy her writing style, and I hope she continues to keep that same voice as she progresses through the biz. She’s gotten a new column at Entertainment Weekly, so I’m excited that I’ll be able to continue to read new content by her on a site that doesn’t run the risk of being blocked by my work’s filter. Even the folks at New York magazine think it doesn’t suck.

I hope you will also check out some of Cody’s work (if you haven’t already).

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