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Friday, December 31, 2010
I thought quite a lot about what entertainment moved me this year. Certainly it has been a mix. From the exhilarating artistic high of "Black Swan" to the unexpectedly delicious chemistry of "Rizzoli & Isles," there has been plenty to enjoy. But out of all the things I watched and heard and felt this year, nothing stuck with me like Annette Bening's Nic in "The Kids Are All Right."
Those of you who hate this film or want to get into yet another drawn-out discussion about the "lesbian sleeps with a man" thing will have to just agree to disagree with me. That's not what this movie is about for me. That's not why it matters. That's not what makes it great. What makes this movie great is family. "The Kids Are All Right" speaks to the heart of what it means to be a family. How wonderful it is. How difficult it is. How you fight for it with everything you have. How you fail more often than you care to admit.
At the center of the film's complicated ball of life is Nic. The rock of the family, the taskmaster, the breadwinner. Yet Annette makes her more than just the prickly doctor who spends more time with her red wine than her wife. She makes her human. She makes her face, with it's delicate latticework of emotions, the face many of us see staring back at us in the mirror.
We work too hard, we worry too much. We let sharpness and silence fill the spaces of our familiarity with one another. Yet we do it all for the family we cherish. If pushed, we would do anything in our power to protect that family. When Nic slams the door on interloper Paul, it's with a simple, declarative truth: "This is my family." And in that moment there is no such thing as a lesbian mom or a same-sex marriage or a gay family. There is just a mom and a marriage and a family, doing what it takes to make everything all right. Happy New Year, all.
Labels: Annette Bening, My Weekend Crush
Thursday, December 30, 2010
If I could be a third as cool as Ms. Blanchett, that would be awesome, too.
p.s. Have you seen the “Hanna” trailer yet? If not, sweet fancy Moses, you should.
Labels: Cate Blanchett, Vacation Vixen
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Labels: Janelle Monae, Vacation Vixen
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Labels: Amy Adams, Vacation Vixen
Monday, December 27, 2010
Labels: Olivia Wilde, Vacation Vixen
Friday, December 24, 2010
The one, the only, the original Dorothy. Merry Christmas, or happy whatever you celebrate. Make the yuletide gay.
p.s. Just don’t go decapitating all the snow people like Tootie did afterward in the movie.
Labels: Judy Garland, Just Me
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I’m on vacation for the next week. But fear not, I’ll have Vacation Vixens up each day to make like those proverbial sugar plums and dance through your head. I also plan to have a special year-end Weekend Crush to share on Dec. 31. Until then, please let Jane Lynch express my most sincere wishes for you this holiday season. May your days be merry and bright, just like a basket full of sick kittens.
Labels: Jane Lynch
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Labels: Wardrobe
Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Johansson made her film debut in the 1994 film North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in 1996's Manny & Lo. Johansson rose to fame with her roles in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and 2001's Ghost World.




Kelly Brook (born Kelly Ann is an English model, actress, occasional swimwear designer, television presenter and Playboy Girl. Brook was born in Rochester, Kent, England. She is the daughter of Sandra, a cook, and Ken, a scaffolder; she has a younger brother, Damian, and an older half-sister named Sasha. Ken Parsons died from cancer on 26 November 2007, during Brook's time on Strictly Come Dancing.




The line between awestruck appreciation and smutty sensationalism is lovingly straddled here at Surrenders. I will freely admit to giving in to my weaker (boobs) impulses (tank tops) sometimes (usually on Tuesdays). So today, I had a bit of an internal struggle about whether or not to post this. You see, it is most definitely smutty, but it’s also pretty fucking sensational. It’s the sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis from “Black Swan” that leaked onto the internet earlier this week. But it’s also Christmas. And at Christmas you tell the truth. The truth is this is just too hot not to post.
Though here is the thing, if you plan to see the movie you shouldn’t watch. No, really, you should watch it in the theater. In context, it’s even better. In context, it’s a revelation. In context, it’s not just two incredibly hot actresses going down for a little stimulating simulated sexytime. Context is everything. Of course, the urge to click play is probably irresistible and you won’t listen and you’ll watch and rewatch and rewatch. Honey, I do not blame you one bit. I’ll take my ladies loving – and other things that start with an “L” – on other ladies wherever I can get it. But you’re doing yourself a disservice and you’ve been warned. Don’t worry, I also realize how incredibly mean it is of me to post something and then tell you not to watch it. What can I say, sometimes I suck.
Though if you were somehow still on the fence about seeing “Black Swan,” perhaps this clip will be the one to, shall we say, sway you. I saw the film again last night and can attest to its continued magnificence and madness the second time around. The second time around, you can really enjoy its masterful claustrophobia and punishing perfectionism. And, yes, you can really, really enjoy each and every delicious moment of stimulating simulated sexytime – oral or otherwise. Though, the film is so much more than those two minutes in heaven (see, the conflicted thing again). The sex isn’t even really about the sex – it’s about control and release, passion and paranoia, unrealized longings and unexplored selves. The movie is a grand temple to the elegant, invigorating pursuit of art at any cost. Yes, fine, OK – it’s also hot. Right, at this point you’re probably thinking, “Jesus, Snarker – shut the fuck up so we can click play already.” Which I will now do. Hope it’s as good for you as it was for me.
Labels: Mila Kunis, Movie Madness, Natalie Portman
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wow, almost another whole year is in the history books. As with every end of the year, I tend to get a little retrospective. But instead of just reflecting on the historic and personal milestones for the year, I like to think about what really matters – tank tops. Or, more specifically, the women I failed to feature throughout the year in tank tops. I only have a few days left to right this terrible wrong. But, you know what they say, better late than never having Naomi Watts waiting for you in a tank top, fedora and wingtips on the kitchen counter.
She has been MIA since “Slumdog Millionaire,” but we’ll see that beautiful face back on screen where it belongs next year.Margaret Cho
Getting bounced off “Dancing with the Stars” early was actually a good thing. The less you’re around a Palin, the better for your mental health.Maggie Siff
I’m not into biker gangs, but suddenly I can see the appeal.Molly Ringwald
I think I speak for all children of the 80s when I say, damn girl.Catherine Bell
On second thought, I think I like her out of uniform better.Olivia Williams
Oh, “Dollhouse,” if only you’d been given a chance.Rashida Jones
I know, I know – I can’t shut up about how happy I am “Parks & Recreation” is coming back.Natalie Portman
I know, I know – I also can’t shut up about how great “Black Swan” is.Jessica Alba
This picture is so hot I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in 32 states.Whew, now on to 2011.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Ding dong, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is dead. The Senate voted to repeal the policy 65-31 on Saturday, finally ending the more than 230-year ban on gay and lesbians serving openly in the United States military. You’ve come a long way, soldier. Granted, the legislation (which President Clinton Obama* will sign this week) did not immediately lift the ban – the military leadership ultimately controls the timing and implementation of the new policy. But it certainly doesn’t have long left. So there you have it, history. One step close to that more perfect union. Each step matters, each step is huge. We should savor this sweet victory, for they seem to come so slowly. We should salute all those who fought so hard for this day and served so proudly even while the country they were fighting for asked them to hide who they really were. And, to be slightly more shallow, we should celebrate how many more women will now be able to look really fucking hot in uniforms.
So while we wait, let’s enjoy some of the loveliest ladies to wear the U.S. military uniform on screen. Ten-hut, indeed.
Glenn looks great in a uniform and a suit, it’s almost unfair.Dana Delany, “China Beach”
God, green is her color.Loretta Swit, “M*A*S*H”
Hot Lips is one of the best nicknames for a character, ever.Goldie Hawn, “Private Benjamin”
Still my favorite Goldie Hawn movie.Catherine Bell, “JAG”
Finally, a color other than green.Meg Ryan, “Courage Under Fire”
Remember when Meg did that serious movie about that first war in Iraq?Kelly McGillis, “The L Word”
She didn’t get to wear a uniform in “Top Gun.” To her credit, Mama Chaiken rectified that on her show.Rose Rollins, “The L Word”
Oh Tasha, how I miss that smile.Demi Moore, “G.I. Jane.”
The shaved head, the one-armed push-up. Where do I enlist?At ease, soliders. A grateful nation thanks you for all the hotness.
*Wow, now that was an impressive typo. I love how you all assumed I meant Hillary, but alas I was actually probably thinking about Bill. I had researched DADT's creation and signing before I wrote this and had too much Bubba on the brain.































