Being a film director is a tough job. From managing egomaniacs to picking the perfect costumes, directing is one of the most demanding, intense, and rigorous jobs in the art world. But good film directors can have a huge impact on the success of a film. Female directors have made a major impact on the film industry, and their entertaining contributions to the genre have garnered substantial critical acclaim, especially in recent years. Here are the top 10 female film directors of all time:

1. Sofia Coppola

   It’s no surprise that Sofia Coppola, daughter of esteemed director Francis Ford Coppola, followed in her father’s footsteps, but it wasn’t until she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation in 2003 that she received the kind of attention and respect she deserved. This was a major accomplishment for the mostly amateur filmmaker, who had only directed two other movies before making it big. In 2010, Coppola did it again with her successful drama Somewhere, which earned her a Golden Lion, the highest prize awarded at the Venice Film Festival.

2. Lone Scherfig

   Lone Scherfig is a Danish director who has developed a reputation for “mastering the art of subtle characterization” in her critically-acclaimed films. Scherfig made her international directing debut with the 2000 romantic comedy Italian for Beginners, which earned her the Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Scherfig’s involvement in the Dogme 95 filmmaking movement has helped her gain recognition for her excellent directing and given her a chance to truly connect with the audience through the Dogme’s rules that forbid props, lighting, and costumes from the set. Scherfig made an even bigger splash with her 2009 independent masterpiece, An Education, which was nominated for three Academy Awards.

3. Mira Nair

   Mira Nair is an Indian film director, best known for her gritty documentaries, independent shorts, and feature films that are moving and culturally enlightening. Nair’s breakthrough film, Salaam Bombay! told the story of a young boy’s struggle to survive alone on the streets of Bombay. The movie earned Nair a great deal of respect worldwide for her impressive directing skills and poignant storytelling.

4. Maya Deren

   Maya Deren was one of the greatest female film directors of the ’40s and ’50s. The avant-garde filmmaker was best known for her silent movie Meshes of the Afternoon, which has become regarded as one of the best experimental movies of all time. Deren was a trailblazer in cinema and helped pave the way for other experimental and independent filmmakers with her unique perspective and keen eye for details.

5. Kathryn Bigelow

   Kathryn Bigelow is one of the most well-known female film directors in Hollywood, and rightfully so. She is the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director, which she earned for her 2008 war drama The Hurt Locker. This achievement put Bigelow on the map as a notable director, but it wasn’t her first movie. The former wife of Hollywood director James Cameron has been making movies since the early ’80s, including action flicks Point Break and K-19: The Widowmaker. Known for her use of violence and action-driven plots, Bigelow isn’t afraid to make people squirm and that’s one of the things that make her movies so great.

6. Jane Campion

   Jane Campion is a critically-acclaimed New Zealand director who has entertained audiences for years with her films, An Angel at My Table, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Piano, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and best director award from the Australian Film Institute. Despite her denials of being a feminist, her films are notorious for featuring strong, independent women who defy all odds.

7. Nancy Meyers

   By directing films like The Parent Trap, It’s Complicated, and Something’s Gotta Give, Nancy Meyers has become one of the most accomplished female directors of our generation. But she’s more than just a successful director. She’s also the mother of two daughters. In fact, the two young girls in The Parent Trap, one of her most successful movies, were named after her daughters. Meyers has worked with some of the biggest stars in the showbiz industry, like Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin. Meyers has also written many of her movies, in addition to directing them, such as the blockbuster romantic comedy It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep.

8. Julie Taymor

   Julie Taymor is a very talented lady. She directs films, Broadway musicals, stage productions, and even operas. She’s also an accomplished writer of both books and music. Last but not least, she’s an accomplished actress. But it’s Taymor’s directing skill that has earned her two Tony Awards. She is perhaps best known for directing the Broadway Musical The Lion King, and in recognition of her work on that play, she was the first woman director in history to receive a Tony Award for directing a musical. But her prowess is not limited to the stage. She’s also directed critically acclaimed filmed such as Frida, which was nominated for no less than 6 Academy Awards in categories like Best Makeup and Best Original Score.

9. Nora Ephron

   Nora Ephron is an accomplished director focusing on the genre of romantic comedies. She not only directs successful romantic comedies, such as Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, but she also writes films with her sister, Delia Ephron. In addition to films, Ephron has also written multiple books and is active in the academic community. Recently, Ephron teamed up with her sister to write and direct Julie & Julia, which starred Meryl Streep and has received positive reviews.

10. Catherine Hardwicke

    Native Texan Catherine Hardwicke is the directing force behind the Twilight saga. For those individuals living under a rock for the past four years, Twilight has been one of the most successful films of all time and has spawned a rabid following of fans and critics alike. In fact, the opening weekend of Twilight was the biggest opening day for a female director of all time. However, Hardwicke only directed the debut, and turned her attention to other projects before the successful Twilight sequels were launched. More recently, Hardwicke directed the critically acclaimed film Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried.

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There’s no doubt about it–exams are the pits. Being stuck in the library for hours, bored out of your mind is the absolute worst. Oh, and trying to get motivated to study instead of Facebooking? Forget about it. As much as you want to skip studying and play Call of Duty instead, you’ve got to snap out of it and hit the books. If the pressure of crunch time isn’t keeping you focused or getting you excited about philosophy or molecular biology, then check out these seven great movie quotes to get you through exams.

1. “Show me the money!” (Jerry Maguire)

   Just think, you’ll be saying “Show me the money” as soon as you’re done with exams and start looking for jobs. In the meantime, check out this hilarious clip and dance around like Cuba Gooding Jr. to get motivated about studying.

2. “My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.” (Animal House)

   Think you bombed that chemistry exam? Worried about what Mom and Dad will think? Don’t fret; just follow the advice of the ever-so-wise Bluto from Animal House, who tells his fraternity brother, Flounder, to “start drinking heavily” after they wreck his brother’s car. Of course, you should probably wait to start drinking heavily until after all of your finals are over.

3. “Do, or do not. There is no try.” (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

   The incredibly wise Yoda can teach us all a lesson or two about doing our best to succeed, especially when it comes to exams! Just like Yoda tells Luke Skywalker to either do something right or don’t do it at all, you should either study hard for your exams or not even bother if you’re only going to “try.”

4. “Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” (Billy Madison)

   If you’re preparing a speech or presentation and you’re afraid of looking dumb in front of the class, watch this hilarious Billy Madison clip and you’ll feel 100 times better. No matter how nervous or unprepared you are, you’ll never have to worry about receiving an outrageous insult like this from your professor.

5. “Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart kid, and you’ll never go wrong.” (The Sandlot)

   Children of the ’90s know and love The Sandlot dearly. Just the thought of the movie can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it’s the wise words of Babe Ruth that make it even more awesome. So when you’re stuck in the library studying and wondering if you’ll ever make it in the history textbooks, remember what “The Great Bambino” said about heroes and legends and follow your heart, kid.

6. “Stupid is as stupid does.” (Forrest Gump)

   Feeling stupid because you can’t remember the rules of exponents or who won World War I? Well, Forrest Gump would tell you, “Stupid is as stupid does.” This Southern saying means that no matter how stupid you or others think you are, your actions are the only thing that really matters. So, if you don’t study for your exams, but still expect to get all A’s, you might be, well, stupid.

7. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

   Take it from wiseguy Ferris Bueller; he knows a thing or two about living life to the fullest. OK, so you might not be able to play hooky or get out of taking your exams, but as soon as you’re done with the grind of finals, get outside, dine at an upscale restaurant, go to a baseball game, jump on a parade float, and just have fun, the Bueller way.

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Women’s history is everyone’s history. Just like men, women have molded and shaped the known world for better and for worse alike. Throughout this month dedicated to honoring women’s history, you’ll find a great opportunity for recognizing great movies for, by, and about women. Organize a movie night and get educated about some of the seriously cool ladies–both real and fictitious–populating the cinematic sphere.

Biopics



1. La vie en rose dir. Olivier Dahan: Singer Edith Piaf led a life at once beautiful and wholly tragic, reflected in this heavily acclaimed film starring the haunting Marion Cotillard.
2. Julie & Julia dir. Nora Ephron: Even audiences who manage to burn water can still love and appreciate the absolutely charming Julia Child – played here by Meryl Streep – and enthusiasm for the culinary arts.
3. Selena dir. Gregory Nava: Learn all about Tejano music sensation Selena Quintanilla-Perez, whose life shockingly and tragically ended when the president of her fan club committed a wholly unexpected murder.
4. Evita dir. Alan Parker: Argentinians either adore or despise struggling actress Evita Duarte and her husband, President Juan Peron, and this cheesy-but-beloved musical illustrates their wild days and mad existence.
5. Amelia dir. Mira Nair: Amelia Earhart may have failed in her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, but as an aviatrix still serves as an inspiration to girls and women hoping to succeed in traditionally male-dominated industries and hobbies.
6. Persepolis dirs. Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi: This striking animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s seminal graphic memoir delves deeply into the changing face of Iran following the deposition of the shah and the personal prejudices she encountered living in Europe.
7. Joan of Arc dir. Victor Fleming: Even some nonreligious women find Joan of Arc and her fearless battlefield prowess a strong role model, and she pops into vivid life here depicted by the stellar Ingrid Bergman.
8. Erin Brockovich dir. Steven Soderbergh: Like all films adapting real people and situations, liberties regarding the nonfiction inevitably occur here. But that doesn’t diminish the core environmental justice, public health, and consumer rights messages at the center of this biopic.
9. The Runaways dir. Floria Sigismondi: Joan Jett herself intimately participated in the production of a movie all about the early days of her influential teenage rock band The Runaways.
10. Silkwood dir. Mike Nichols: Explore the very real, very terrifying true story of Karen Silkwood, who witnessed some awful human rights violations while working at a plant processing plutonium and died under mysterious and suspicious circumstances.

Chick Flicks/Comedies



11. Waiting to Exhale dir. Forest Whitaker: Forest Whitaker’s second full-length feature adapted Terry McMillan’s novel, which traces the trajectories of four African-American women as they attempt to navigate changing roles and romances.
12. Secretary dir. Steven Shainberg: This sexy, sultry viewing pleasure demonstrates that absolutely no shame exists in women assuming a submissive role in S&M scenarios–provided that’s genuinely what sexually satisfies her, of course.
13. Caramel dir. Nadine Labaki: Originally titled Sukkar banat, this movie takes place in a Beirut beauty shop and peeks at the diverse lives and loves of the workers and customers alike.
14. Thelma & Louise dir. Ridley Scott: Critics and audiences often tout Thelma & Louise as one of the all-time greatest buddy movies ever committed to celluloid because of its riveting central characters, who murder a rapist and find themselves on the lam.
15. The Joy Luck Club dir. Wayne Wang: Women’s history doesn’t get much more intimate than the bonds between mother and daughter, and Amy Tan’s novel and its subsequent film adaptation highlight two generations of Chinese-American ladies to showcase this near-universal theme.
16. The Devil Wears Prada dir. David Frankel: Power struggles between two extremely different approaches to life as an office lady form the crux of this movie’s central conflict, juxtaposing the competitive “ice queen” edifice of yesteryear with today’s pluckier ingenues.
17. Amelie dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Movies don’t get more charming and whimsical than this without Muppets, and Amelie is classic viewing for feel-good times.
18. Calendar Girls dir. Nigel Cole: To fundraise for a Yorkshire hospital, the Women’s Institute members compile a nude calendar in this encouraging comedy that proves young ladies don’t corner the market on beauty.
19. Dancer in the Dark dir. Lars von Trier: Despite existing as one of the most moving tearjerkers that ever jerked tears, Bjork’s killer performance of an immigrant woman whose American dreams splinter deserves watching at least once.
20. Steel Magnolias dir. Herbert Ross: Steel Magnolias centers around a beauty parlor in Louisiana and reflects on the experiences and cultural memes that made them simultaneously as soft as flowers and as hard as metal.

Documentaries/Women’s Issues



21. The Invisible War dir. Kirby Dick: Female soldiers who experienced rape and sexual assault while serving in the United States Armed Forces speak out about their suffering as well as the nation’s failure to properly address and acknowledge it.
22. The Perfect Vagina dir. Heather Leach: Host Lisa Rogers launches an exhaustive inquiry into why so many women risk losing sexual sensation by paying for expensive labial, vaginal, and other genital reconstructive surgeries.
23. Born Into Brothels dirs. Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman: Explore Calcutta’s squalid red light district through the eyes of poverty-stricken children born to prostitutes, who receive their own video cameras and training to document their daily experiences.
24. Pray the Devil Back to Hell dir. Gini Reticker: Beginning with one lady and one church, a strong, solid, effective Liberian peace movement comprised of the nation’s women spread to other houses of worship–eventually culminating in the election of its first female head of state.
25. The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter dir. Connie Field: No less than the United States National Film Registry wants to preserve Connie Field’s film about the women who hit the work force during World War II before societal expectations forced them back into the kitchen.
26. Cruel and Unusual dirs. Janet Baus, Dan Hunt, and Reid Williams: Transwomen who wind up in the prison system often experience far more inhumane treatment than their traditional counterparts, with the horrid details popping into shocking light here.
27. The Line dir. Nancy Schwartzman: This thoroughly sex-positive short documentary tries to make sense of how American society tends to marginalize female rape survivors who aren’t virgins or otherwise “perfect victims.”
28. Good Hair dir. Jeff Stilson: Comedian Chris Rock delivers a somewhat sociological analysis of African-American hairstyles–particularly those of women–and the expensive (sometimes unethical and/or hazardous) practices that spring up as a result.
29. Miss Representation dir. Jennifer Siebel Newsom: The media’s track record for portraying the true diversity of women remains, to put it nicely, rather awful, and Miss Representation tackles the problem unapologetically.
30. The Business of Being Born dir. Abby Epstein: Along with Ricki Lake, documentarian Abby Epstein delves into the disconcerting downsides of giving birth in America, which she surprisingly ends up experiencing firsthand when she gets pregnant during filming.

LGBTQ Interest/Social Issues



31. Transamerica dir. Duncan Tucker: Central character Bree Osbourne receives very different news at once–she finally received approval for sexual reassignment surgery and has a previously unknown, troubled son living in New York.
32. The Color Purple dir. Steven Spielberg: Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning novel springs to vivid, heart-wrenching life through this celluloid classic, which chronicles the life of a heavily marginalized, African-American woman from adolescence until mid-to-late adulthood.
33. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days dir. Cristian Mungiu: Romanian women in the 1980s were barred from securing abortions for unwanted pregnancies, meaning a thriving, and sometimes dangerous, underground flourished. The boiling drama showcases what lengths the female population will take when denied body autonomy.
34. Boys Don’t Cry dir. Kimberly Peirce: Based on a true story, the visceral Boys Don’t Cry depicts popular boy Brandon Teena whose life winds up a fatal nightmare when his small town pals discover he’s biologically a woman.
35. Hairspray dir. John Waters: Lively and life-affirming, one of John Waters’ more mainstream-accessible works features a confident, strong, and refreshingly non-waifish heroine who wields her new-found popularity to promote integration.
36. Real Woman Have Curves dir. Patricia Cardoso: Issues unique to the children of Mexican immigrants as well as women in the workplace–and, of course, their frequently frustrating unequal intersections–form the central themes of this film about a young woman trapped between college or career.
37. The Apple dir. Samira Makhmalbaf: This movie is a narrative about one family’s extreme measures to shelter the young daughters from outside influence.
38. Sarafina! dir. Darrell Roodt: This film pulls from the schools involved in the Soweto Riots and dissects how teachers can hold hefty influence over their students during times of political oppression.
39. Fish and Elephant dir. Yu Li: Chinese censors attempted to suppress one of the nation’s first-known LGBTQ-themed productions, which involves a simple narrative of a lesbian couple, returning lovers, and oblivious mothers.
40. Fried Green Tomatoes dir. Jon Avnet: Adapted from the Fannie Flagg (who also penned the screenplay) novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, this movie celebrates the power of friendships across generations and follows the inspiring romance between two Depression-era women.

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A year later, and the film’s cast has only grown more impressive. Ed Harris plays an exhausted John McCain whose own campaign ran away without him once Sarah Palin was introduced to the American public, and Woody Harrelson plays adviser Steve Schmidt who tried to cover up Palin’s inexperience, limited scope of foreign policy knowledge, and incompetence by banking on her charisma to carry her through the campaign.

Check out the following trailer for Game Change; the film premieres on March 10th at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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Everyone knows Angelina Jolie the Oscar-winning actress, mega celebrity, and international activist, but with the release of the new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, Jolie can add writer and director to her resume. To celebrate this accomplishment and promote the release of her film, Angelina Jolie will be readily available to fans everywhere on January 12th as she conducts a live Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask the actress your burning questions and receive an answer live!

The application below features a countdown to the January 12th Q&A, as well as the official theatrical trailer, behind the scenes footage, and you can even purchase tickets to see the film, which is currently playing in select cities.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” has been nominated for a Golden Globe. The film tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kosti?) and Ajla (Zana Marjanovi?), two Bosnians from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a Bosnian Serb police officer, and Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim artist, are together before the war, but their relationship is changed as violence engulfs the country. Months later, Danijel is serving under his father, General Nebojsa Vukojevich (Rade Šerbedžija), as an officer in the Bosnian Serb Army. He and Ajla come face to face again when she is taken from the apartment she shares with her sister, Lejla (Vanesa Glodjo), and Lejla’s infant child by troops under Danijel’s command.

As the conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship changes, their motives and connection to one another become ambiguous and their allegiances grow uncertain. “In the Land of Blood and Honey” portrays the incredible emotional, moral and physical toll that the war takes on individuals as well as the consequences that stem from the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict.

Giveaway

Do you have a question you’re dying to ask Angelina Jolie? Leave it in the comments on this post and you could also win a In the Land of Blood and Honey limited edition poster.

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This giveaway was made possible thanks to PartnersHub. No compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

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If you happen to be a Twilight fan, Fangs for the Fantasy has a great giveaway going on where you can enter to win a Twilight Breaking Dawn Celebration Package. Included in the package (pictured above) is a Robert Pattinson watch, Breaking Dawn 2012 calendar, and tote bag.

The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the U.S. and ends November 30, 2011.

Because this giveaway is not happening here I have disabled comments on this post. Head over to Fangs for the Fantasy to enter to win the Twilight Breaking Dawn Celebration Package.

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There are some movies that seem to be made especially for the nerd community. Even though there are hundreds of types of nerds, divided by areas of interest and social tendencies, these films just seem to speak to geeks across the board. They feature relatable characters in situations most nerds find themselves in or wish they could stumble into. If you’re a self-proclaimed nerd and haven’t seen one of the movies on this list, you should check it out. If you’re trying to woo a nerd, it wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of these movies on your DVD rack when your date comes over. You’ll definitely earn some brownie points.

1. 
   

   Shaun of the Dead

   Many nerds either love zombies, British humor, or British humor making fun of zombies. This film will satisfy any of those categories. Shaun, a guy who’s struggling with all the relationships in life, finds himself in the middle of an uprising of the undead and tries to save himself and his loved ones. Of course, that sounds like the plot of most zombie flicks, but this one takes you through a story with a care-free, comical air that you won’t find in just any movie. Hot Fuzz, which is from the same creators, will give you the same kind of laughs, but it’s not quite on the same hilarious level as Shaun of the Dead.

2. 
   

   WarGames

   This film is nostalgic for any ’80s-era nerds or those who like to remember the good old days of computers. Matthew Broderick stars as a hacker who accidentally breaks into a military supercomputer during the Cold War. The computer’s purpose is to run through the possible outcomes of a nuclear war, and when Broderick’s character simulates one thinking he’s playing a game, world war nearly breaks out. Not only does Broderick play an excellent nerd, but the idea that one witty computer genius could change the entire world is enough to make any geek proud.

3. 
   

   Rushmore

   Wes Anderson’s films have a special place in the hearts of those with big brains and a few neuroses. Rushmore plays on the interests of a wide range of overachievers as it focuses on the exploits of one strange student of Rushmore Academy. Max Fischer is the face of every kid that’s smart but doesn’t care about his grades. Instead of focusing on his academics, he joins club after club to find what he’s really interested in, from the fencing team to stamp collecting club to yearbook staff, because he believes that finding the one thing you really love is what will make you happy. And he’s actually already found his true love: his school. Now if that’s not something a nerd can relate to, nothing is.

4. 
   

   Pi

   If you’ve ever known an extreme math or science nerd, they probably liked Pi. Not just the number, but the movie. From the strange mind of Darren Aronofsky, Pi deals with an obsessed mathematician (are there any other kind?) who thinks the whole world can be explained in numbers. When he stumbles onto a number that seems to explain everything, from the stock market to religion, he gets into all kinds of trouble and cracks under the pressure. It may serve as a warning for other single-minded nerds out there, or might make them more eager to analyze the strings of digits they find and use them to explain the universe.

5. 
   

   Monty Python and the Holy Grail

   Don’t watch this movie with a nerd if you’re not prepared for a full-blown quote-along. Every scene contains at least a few ridiculous, well-known lines that you’ll remember long after the movie is over. It was made by the British comedy troupe, Monty Python, and loosely (very loosely) follows the legends of King Arthur and his knights. Some of the high points of this film are the Knights Who Say Ni, the killer rabbit, and the Black Knight who continues to fight even after all of his limbs have been cut off. British movies are so unlike those produced by Hollywood that may of them find an eager audience in the U.S. who prefer dry or absurdist humor over corny romantic comedies.

6. 
   

   Weird Science

   Anthony Michael Hall was a role model for all geeks growing up in the ’80s. He always had a way of showing us that nerds could be kind of cool and that there was more to life than getting shoved into lockers. In this John Hughes film, Hall plays a kid who creates the perfect woman with his friend using his computer. How many of you tried to figure out how to do the same thing after seeing this movie? Their Frankenstein woman can given them anything they want, and she not only gives them her undying devotion, but also sports cars, popularity, and girlfriends. The movie may be a bit campy, but it depicts the ultimate dream scenario for the 14-year-old boy in all of us.

7. 
   

   Almost Famous

   When you watch Almost Famous, there are two things you want to do: sing loudly to “Tiny Dancer” and get as close to rock stars as any nerd can by writing for Rolling Stone. The film is based on the adventures of director Cameron Crowe as a teenage writer for the music magazine, and the main character finds himself on the road with a rock band and its groupies. Not only does the dorky 15-year-old manage to get some loving from the hot ladies who hang around musicians, but he also ends up with a cover story for Rolling Stone. Any music or writing nerd loves to live vicariously through the rock ‘n’ roll exploits in this movie.

8. 
   

   2001: A Space Odyssey

   This film speaks to several different categories of nerd: sci-fi nerd, technology nerd, special effects nerd, etc. Stanley Kubrick’s imagined future (which thankfully didn’t turn into reality by 2001) shows humans exploring serious mysteries of the universe, battling a supercomputer, and becoming strange space beings. Most of us are fascinated by the idea of HAL 9000, the computer who realizes that the astronauts are planning to turn him off and tries to kill them all as a means of self-preservation. This kind of evil artificial intelligence is a popular theme in some of the best nerd movies.

9. 
   

   Annie Hall

   If there was an election for the ruler of all nerds, Woody Allen would certainly be in the running. His films introduce us to all of his neroses and pet peeves, and you really feel like you’re in the head and the life of this guy. Most viewers can either relate to Allen or feel a little bit normal in comparison, which is never a bad thing. Allen’s comedic musings on love and relationships in Annie Hall are the nerd’s alternative to romantic comedies and also might provide some useful insight for real-life dating scenarios.

10. 
    

    Brazil

    Terry Gilliam is a legendary director among the super-nerdy crews. He directed The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys, but Brazil has a special cult following. It’s part sci-fi and part satire in its portrayal of a dystopian society that relies on silly machines and involves too much bureaucratic nonsense. As a member of the comic troupe, Monty Python, Gilliam knows how to find the dark humor in a situation, even one where the wrong man has been killed because of a mechanical malfunction that caused a minor typo. Anyone who enjoys critically thinking about society and government, and likes jokes that involve the two will love this movie.

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I think the reason why Harry Potter has done so well is due very much in part with the fact that the series lasted a substantial amount of years. I was in the fifth grade in 1998 and by the time I was in middle school, entire friendships had been fostered through the mutual fondness of the first Harry Potter book. Today, I am 25 years old and while I may have hopped off of the Harry Potter bandwagon not long after I had hopped on, this series has not just an undoubtedly loyal fan base, but also the unique ability to bring people who are separated by generations together.

Ten years after the first Harry Potter movie was released, we have reached the end of an era. On November 11, 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released on DVD, bringing the entire series–in both book and movie form–to an end.

The final face-off between good and evil is finally upon us as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ is released on DVD, just in time for the holidays! Join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they do battle against Voldemort in the epic conclusion to the film series everyone is talking about!

Giveaway

If you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and are looking for the perfect holiday gift for your Harry Potter-obsessed loved one (or yourself!) you’re in luck because we’re giving away a copy of the DVD to one lucky Woman Tribune reader.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is currently available on DVD at retail stores nationwide and is also available on Amazon.

This giveaway was made possible thanks to PartnersHub. No compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

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This past summer audiences returned to the Hundred Acre Wood for the latest adventure featuring the world’s beloved bear with the new Walt Disney Pictures Winnie the Pooh movie inspired by five stories from A.A. Milne’s original books.

With the charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo–and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. “Well a tail is either there or it isn’t there,” said Pooh. “And yours isn’t…there.” Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some hunny.

Giveaway

The new Winnie the Pooh movie was released on DVD and Blu-Ray October 25th. To celebrate its arrival, we are giving away a Winnie the Pooh DVD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack!

Winnie the Pooh is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray at retail stores nationwide and is also available on Amazon.

Disclosure: This giveaway was made possible thanks to PartnersHub.

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Starring (the voices of) Joey Lawrence and Mayim Bialik, The Dog Who Saved Halloween is filled with engaging magic and mystery and is sure to help families get into the spirit of the season of Halloween.

Everyone’s favorite four-legged friend Zeus (voiced by Joey Lawrence) and the Bannisters are back in The Dog Who Saved Halloween, an all-new adventure jam-packed with family-friendly thrills and chills! When George, Belinda and their kids Kara and Ben Bannister move into a new house–just in time for Halloween!–everything seems to be fine…until they notice eerie glowing lights and strange sounds coming from their neighbor’s house where creepy Mr. Cole (Lance Henriksen) lives with his protective pooch Medusa (voiced by Mayim Bialik). When a black cat suddenly goes missing, George Bannister (Gary Valentine) insists on investigating the matter himself–and ultimately enlists an odd yet familiar pair (Dean Cain, Joey Diaz) to help. But after the trio and Belinda Bannister (Elisa Donovan) get trapped inside the spooky house, it’s once again up to Zeus to save the day!

Giveaway

One Woman Tribune reader will win a copy of The Dog Who Saved Halloween on DVD.

The Dog Who Saved Halloween is currently available at retail stores nationwide and is also available on Amazon.

Disclosure: This giveaway was made possible thanks to Grand Communications.

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Bad movies come in all shapes and sizes: boring, too long, filled with plot holes or terrible actors. But there’s a strange phenomenon that can occur when these bad-film qualities are combined in the right proportions. The movie becomes a cult classic; so ridiculous or poorly made that people can’t help but be entertained by it. Here are 10 enjoyably bad movies that have gained cult followings for their strangeness, low budgets, or campy qualities.

1. 
   

   The Room

   This film was written, produced and directed by Tommy Wiseau, who also happens to be the lead actor. It’s also one of the best bad movies out there. Wiseau plays Johnny (and also looks like he’s made of wax), whose future-wife is cheating on him with his best friend. The Room could be a moving story about betrayal and love if it weren’t for the terrible writing, acting, character development, and pretty much everything else. Wiseau’s strange use of English and thick accent, along with his dubbed lines and bizarre timing, make him the worst actor in his own film and make The Room more comedy than drama. Though the movie played briefly in Los Angeles, it can be seen at midnight viewings across the U.S. and other countries where fans throw spoons at the screen and toss footballs to each other as references to strange occurrences in the film.

2. 
   

   The Beastmaster

   It’s easy for fantasy movies to go wrong, but a fantasy movie that goes so wrong that it’s right again is a rare gem. The Beastmaster is that kind of film. Even the beastmaster Dar’s birth is ridiculous; before he was born, he was transferred from his mother’s womb to a cow’s by a witch. Maybe it’s this strange origin that gives him the ability to talk to animals and see through their eyes. The whole plot revolves around Dar trying to defeat the people who destroyed his village. He does this all with the help of animals, most notably, his two ferret pals. The movie about a shirtless guy and his ferrets wasn’t a strong performer in theaters, but became a fan favorite as it was shown on TBS and HBO almost daily sometimes during the ’80s.

3. 
   

   Plan 9 from Outer Space

   Made in 1959, this movie about things to come was directed by Ed Wood, Jr., who is famous for other bad exploitation films like Glen or Glenda and The Violent Years. In fact, he was given the Golden Turkey Award for worst director ever. Quite an honor! Plan 9 from Outer Space is the story of aliens who release zombies on Earth to create panic and keep Earthlings from creating a doomsday weapon. If the low budget didn’t make the film bad enough with boom mics and strings on UFOs visible, Wood clinched the poor quality of the film by letting deceased actor Bela Lugosi “star” in the film by using unused footage of him, and then alternating in Wood’s wife’s chiropractor to play the same character throughout the film. The movie became very well-known after it was called the worst movie ever made by someone with movie authority, and has since been referenced countless times in pop culture and adapted for the stage.

4. 
   

   Showgirls

   Showgirls was released in 1995 and features Saved by the Bell‘s Elizabeth Berkley playing a hysterical Vegas stripper-turned-showgirl (if there’s any difference). Between Berkley’s overacting, her character’s dream of headlining in a topless dance show no matter the cost, and the bizarre dialogue, the movie is a seedy, awkward attempt at eroticism. The film begins to spiral out of control when Berkley pushes another showgirl down the stairs, followed by revenge attacks on other enemies. The film was rated NC-17 because of nudity and gratuitous sex, and though it saw a wide release in theaters, it received bad reviews. The home movie sales were surprisingly high, however, and cult status has been achieved through midnight showings and Showgirls irony parties where viewers make fun of the film.

5. 
   

   Mommie Dearest

   Based on a book that was undoubtedly better than the movie, Mommie Dearest stars Faye Dunaway as actress Joan Crawford. Crawford came to be known through her daughter’s autobiography as the worst mother possible, worse than any Tiger Mother or girl on Teen Mom. And the movie came to be known as one of the best worst films of all time. Though the story itself is supposed to be true and horrible, the movie straddles the line between campy horror film and soap opera, and Dunaway is a maniac like you’ve never seen a maniac before. She flips out over unclean bathrooms, overacts her way through fights with her boyfriend, and wields an axe like a serial killer. Catch a showing of this classic, but be sure to leave your wire hangers at home.

6. 
   

   Death Bed: The Bed That Eats

   If you have a hard time going to bed after seeing a horror movie, watching this movie isn’t a good idea. But probably because you’ll be laughing so hard you can’t get to sleep, not because you are afraid that your bed is going to eat you. The Death Bed in this movie was possessed by a demon and now has some sort of acidic stomach foam under its sheets to devour people and telekinetic powers to lure them to their deaths. There’s also a man trapped in a painting, but his relevance is questionable at best. Death Bed was made in 1977 but wasn’t released until 2003, and earned cult status almost immediately. The director says he forgot about making it, but that sounds highly unlikely. Who could forget about a bed that eats?

7. 
   

   Reefer Madness

   This is the movie that teaches you that smoking marijuana will get you addicted, make you crazy, and ultimately lead to your death. Granted, it was made in 1936 when the effects of the drug weren’t as well-known, but that hasn’t kept Reefer Madness from becoming a classic among today’s population, particularly those who smoke pot. Originally meant to serve as a warning and titled Tell Your Children, the movie shows good kids turned into marijuana’s slaves, which leads to debauchery, murder, and insanity. From the uncontrollable bouts of laughter to the hallucinations suffered by cannabis’ victims, the movie is over the top and ridiculous. Because of its popularity, the film was re-released in color in 204, with even more campy visuals, and has been made into an off-Broadway musical satire.

8. 
   

   The Rocky Horror Picture Show

   When people think of cult classics, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is likely the first thing that pops into their heads. When the film was originally released, the audiences were very small, causing it to be pulled from theaters and canceled in other markets. But when it was tested in the midnight movie market, it gained an instant cult following. Midnight showings happen throughout the year with fans showing up dressed as their favorite characters and talking back to the screen, and the film even earned a tribute on Glee, a movie which would never be allowed in a real high school. The movie itself is a strange parody of other bad horror films combined with a campy musical and circus freak show. The bizarre nature of the film is what has made it the longest-running release in film history.

9. 
   

   Big Bad Mama

   In this ridiculous revisit to Bonnie and Clyde, the audience is treated to a terrible William Shatner character, lots of unnecessary nudity, and one small plot basically on repeat. You can essentially get the idea of the movie by looking at the video cover where the three main female characters are topless with guns. Angie Dickinson plays Mama and takes her daughters on a crime spree, where they share men and kill people. It starts with innocent moonshine and progresses through a Shatner love scene and a kidnapping. If you want to see more of Shatner than anyone should ever see, plus uncomfortable love triangles, this movie is right up your alley. The quality of the movie is bearable, and the bad acting and ridiculous plot are entertaining, which have earned Big Bad Mama a place in the hearts of those who love so-bad-they’re good films. It’s now sold as a double feature with Big Bad Mama II in director Roger Corman’s Cult Classics line of DVDs.

10. 
    

    Killer Klowns from Outer Space

    Out of all the strange alien depictions directors have come up with over the years, this has to be the strangest. Aliens that look and act like clowns come to Earth to eat humans and enjoy the overall merriment of death. They fly down in a circus tent and run about the town covering corpses in cotton candy, releasing popcorn monsters, and making fatal balloon animals. But don’t worry; the Klowns can be killed if you shoot them in the nose, obviously. The oddities in the film get even more bizarre when the heroes of the story make their way deep into the alien spaceship in order to defeat the man-eating Bozos. You’ll probably never look at a circus the same way after seeing this movie. The comedic horror film has gained quite the following, even though it was made in 1988, there are still collector Klown masks, costumes, and figurines available.

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Bad guys are almost always more fun than heroes, or at least more fun to watch. Maybe it’s because we know they probably won’t win, so we have a good time watching them try. Or maybe it’s because they’re allowed to do the kinds of things most of us never will. Whatever it is, classic villains stick with us, and the 1980s had some great ones. The era was defined by over-produced art buffed to high gloss, and its bad guys were just as puffed-up and crazy as you’d expect from the decade that gave us real-life villains from cult leaders to day traders. Here are eight of the best:

Dean Edward Rooney

Ed Rooney is not a smart man. It’s one thing to take an active interest in your students, even to the point of investigating fraudulent absences; it’s another to break into the kid’s house to try and catch him playing hooky, only to get attacked by a dog, lose your wallet, have your car towed, and shuffle off in shame. The villain of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off never had a shot at stopping the titular hero from having a great day in the sun, but he was still determined to try. Rooney’s a great comic villain because he’s unceasing but ultimately harmless. He doesn’t even catch up to Ferris until the end of the movie, and even then he gets the boot. He was the ultimate fantasy villain for kids in the ’80s: the authority figure you could actually defeat.

Principal Richard Vernon

“Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?” Nobody respects their high school principal, but Richard Vernon (played by Paul Gleason) really got the brush-off from the detention-bound students of Shermer High in The Breakfast Club. To be fair, he asked for it: His brand of rule was authoritarian and petty, and he clearly delighted in getting into shouting matches with 18-year-olds. (Yes, Judd Nelson was in his mid-20s when the film was shot and looked close to 30, but narratively he was a kid. It’s a mind-bender.) He probably wasn’t a bad guy, just a bureaucratic tool. He never seemed to understand that kids didn’t care about getting the horns; they just wanted to mess with the bull.

Professor Jerry Hathaway

William Atherton specialized in playing obstinate men throughout the 1980s, from a snotty EPA official in Ghostbusters to an odious TV newsman in Die Hard. But Real Genius‘ Jerry Hathaway is the worst. The other characters were minor annoyances, but Hathaway’s a full-on bully to his students, from the suck-ups to the rebellious Chris Knight (Val Kilmer). This being an ’80s comedy, Atherton gets his comeuppance–his house is filled with popcorn as Tears for Fears plays on the soundtrack, an era-appropriate ending–and the hero saves the day.

Johnny Lawrence

“Sweep the leg, Johnny.” Although Bill Zabka played a number of villains in the 1980s, he’ll always be remembered for his role as uber-jerk Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid. Johnny hated Daniel (a tiny Ralph Macchio) for all the right ’80s reasons: Daniel was poor, Daniel was vaguely ethnic, Daniel was the new kid who inexplicably won the attention of the popular blonde. Johnny was the ultimate bully, ready to fight Daniela t every turn and even willing to follow his sensei’s instructions to brutally hurt the other kid in a tournament showdown. Of course, we all know how it ended: Daniel beats Johnny with the crane kick, Johnny’s little bully heart breaks open, and peace is restored to the universe. If only real life were so easy.

Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Iceman is many things: ace pilot, class hotshot, homo-erotic foil for rival naval aviators. But most of all he’s the man who actually beat Maverick. Top Gun is weirdly anticlimactic like that: Instead of Maverick bouncing back from Goose’s death (25-year-old spoiler alert), he skates to graduation and loses the trophy to Iceman, only to wind up finding some half-hearted closure by flying with him in a mission to scare off some Soviets. That’s the utter power of the Iceman: He beats everyone, even the guy who’s supposed to win. He’s cocky, petty, snarky, dismissive, and probably not that much fun at parties.

Freddy Krueger

Freddy Krueger appeared in five A Nightmare on Elm Street movies in the 1980s alone, making him the ideal representative of mainstream ’80s horror bad guys. True, Jason of Friday the 13th fame was more prolific–he was in a stupefying eight movies in 10 years–but Jason was always a mindless killer even as his movies got worse. Freddy, though, warmed up and became an audience favorite, driving from his dark roots as a burned-up child molester to something of a camp anti-hero. He ceased being scary and became kind of dopey and fun, even though he was still, you know, a psychotic killer who slaughtered people in the netherworld of their dreams. He defined ’80s cheeseball horror. Not even a 2010 reboot of the franchise could change the way people remembered him.

Biff Tannen

About as smart as a screen door on a submarine, Biff Tannen lived to torment generations of McFly men and try to steal their women. He was rude, domineering, pig-headed, and maybe even a little insane. He became an iconic villain thanks to the pop culture success of the Back to the Future franchise, even as he and his family were destined to repeat the same mistakes and suffer the same defeats. (No matter where a Tannen man is, there’s a pile of manure nearby.) Like all classic bullies, he’s a total pushover too: One good punch and he’s down for life.

The Joker

The ’80s were a special time: Only then could you have a comic book movie villain strut through town to the strains of Prince songs while decked out in orange satin. Tim Burton’s Batman is a pop pleasure anchored by Jack Nicholson’s performance as the Joker, a giggling lunatic that straddled the border between charming and evil. His Joker was so definitive that no filmmaker bothered touching the character for 20 years, when Heath Ledger reinvented the role for Christopher Nolan. Nicholson’s Joker absolutely stole the show, though he also paved the way for the increasingly cartoonish villains that would clog the series and inspire the eventual reboot.

Photo by crammus

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Easter has never been more “egg-citing!” Wubzzy and his friends Walden, Widget and Daizy from the Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. preschool TV series, “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” will give preschoolers and families even more to celebrate this Easter with a brand new, special seasonal DVD. In addition to the six “egg-ceptional” episodes, this DVD also includes holiday-themed coloring sheets and activity pages.

The winner of this DVD giveaway is Nicole Hatch

Congratulations!

If you didn’t win through this giveaway, “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” is available in stores nationwide. You can also purchase it on Amazon for $14.99.

Disclosure: Grand Communications provided me with a promotional copy of “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” in order to write a review, as well as the opportunity to host this giveaway.

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We have had the awesome opportunity to spread the Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! love with Woman Tribune readers since last summer. After giving away a copy of the back to school special, “Wubbzy Goes to School” and the Valentine’s Day extravaganza, “Wubbzy Be Mine”, we’re back again with a review and giveaway for a brand new, Wubbzy holiday DVD release, “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter”.

Easter has never been more “egg-citing!” Wubbzy and his friends Walden, Widget and Daizy from the Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. preschool TV series, “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” will give preschoolers and families even more to celebrate this Easter with a brand new, special seasonal DVD.

All the kooky action of Easter in Wuzzleburg comes to life in six “egg-ceptional” episodes featured on this DVD. In “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter”, Wubbzy and his pals celebrate the first day of spring with a game of kickity-kick ball and discover new ways to decorate eggs for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. And when the holiday is suddenly cancelled, it’s up to Wubbzy to save the day!

For even more cheer, “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” includes holiday-themed coloring sheets and activity pages.

This charming new release is the perfect answer for families on the “hunt” for affordable Easter gifts and it is a great way for families to celebrate spring together–the Wubbzy way–with relatable, age-appropriate life lessons and lots of heartfelt humor.

“Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” is available in stores nationwide. You can also purchase it on Amazon for $14.99.

If your child is a huuuge Wubbzy fan, there is an awesome sweepstakes going on right now that you will definitely want to check out. The “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” Sweepstakes is going on from now until April 10th, 2011, where you can enter to win a piece of original artwork from the creator of the show, Bob Boyle.

Giveaway

I not only had the pleasure to review this delightfully fun and absurdly cute DVD, but I also have the opportunity to give one copy away to a lucky Woman Tribune reader.

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post telling us what one Easter tradition your family has or you had a child growing up.

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  Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Win a copy of “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” from @WomanTribune http://ow.ly/4rHLg ends 4/7

This giveaway ends Thursday, April 7th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

Disclosure: Grand Communications provided me with a promotional copy of “Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Easter” and the opportunity to host this giveaway.

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March is Women’s History Month and it’s a great time to reflect on all of the ways that women have left their mark on the world. A fun way to learn about and celebrate women in history is through the movies, whether you’re watching biographies on iconic women, or learning about their struggles through documentaries and historic films. Read on to find 50 great movies celebrating women and their history.

1. Our Times: American women aren’t the only ones with a reform struggle to tell. Our Times focuses on Iranian women in the 2001 presidential election.

2. One Woman, One Vote: One Woman, One Vote documents the passing of the 19th Amendment by one vote.

3. The Amasong Chorus: Singing Out: This movie shares the growing subculture of lesbian and gay signing choruses through the rise of this feminist and lesbian chorus.

4. Iron Jawed Angels: Hilary Swank stars in this movie about the women’s rights movement in America.

5. The Passion of Joan of Arc: See the story of the powerful Joan of Arc in this movie.

6. Sisters of Selma: Catholic nuns had a large part in the efforts to secure voting rights for African Americans in Selma, Alabama, and this movie tells their story.

7. Nine to Five: These women show their boss that they can do a much better job than he can.

8. The Miracle Worker: The Miracle Worker shows Annie Sullivan’s amazing work as Helen Keller’s tutor.

9. Not for Ourselves Alone: Watch this movie about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to learn about the struggle for women’s rights.

10. Two Women: Two Women is about two women who attended University of Tehran through the Islamic revolution.

11. The Sound of Music: Watch The Sound of Music in a different light–as the sexual awakening of a woman.

12. The Education of Shelby Knox: This girl transforms from a conservative Southern Baptist to feminist liberal Christian who fights for sex education and gay rights.

13. Mama Flora’s Family: See America in the 20th century through Flora, a black woman.

14. Lioness: Although policy forbids women from serving in direct ground combat units, these five female support soldiers ended up in direct ground combat in the Iraq war. They share their experiences through footage, journals, interviews and more.

15. Far From Heaven: This woman realizes that picture perfect isn’t always perfect.

16. Evita: The musical Evita shares the life of a child from the lower class who rises to the role of first lady and spiritual leader of Argentina.

17. The Joy Luck Club: Amy Tan’s novel comes to life in this movie about a Chinese-American woman’s understanding of her roots.

18. Missing Peace: Watch Missing Peace to learn how war fails women of faith in various religious backgrounds.

19. The Magdalene Sisters: Watch this movie about women in an asylum for “wayward women” in Ireland.

20. V for Victory: Watch V for Victory to see how important women were to WWII.

21. The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter: Rosie the Riveter celebrates the achievements of women in World War II, sharing interviews with real workers as well as footage from women working in WWII.

22. Sylvia: Gwyneth Paltrow stars in this movie about the poetry and life of Sylvia Plath.

23. Elizabeth: Elizabeth shows the growth of the new Queen Elizabeth.

24. Isa B. Wells: A Passion for Justice: This movie shares Isa B. Wells’ life as a black female journalist, best known for her anti-lynching campaign.

25. Around the World in 72 Days: Journalist Nellie Bly’s life is explored in this biographical documentary.

26. A Midwife’s Tale: Martha Ballard was an 18th century midwife whose life is told in this movie.

27. Warrior Queen: Warrior Queen offers the story of the Celtic queen Boudica, who shook the Roman Empire.

28. Madame Curie: Learn about the Polish woman scientist who discovered radium in Madame Curie’s biopic.

29. Mona Lisa Smile: The female students in this movie are bright, but seem to be just waiting around for the right man to marry, but their teacher helps them reach their potential.

30. 14 Women: Study the 109th Congress that had 14 women in the Senate through 14 women.

31. Navy WAVES & Coast Guard SPARS: Particularly produced in WWII, this movie shares the role of women in the military from the 40s to the 70s.

32. Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl: Watch this movie about immigrant women at the turn of the century.

33. The Circle: The Circle shows how a woman and her baby daughter are unwanted in Iran.

34. Phat Girlz: Mo’Nique’s movie discusses women living life to the fullest.

35. License to Thrive: License to Thrive depicts the journey of the legislation that opened doors for women in educational programs and activities.

36. Trouble the Water: Follow aspiring rap artist Kimberly as she finds redemption in surviving Hurricane Katrina.

37. Amelia: Amelia tells the story of Amelia Earhart, the young aviatrix who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for being the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

38. Frida: Learn about the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

39. Erin Brockovich: Erin Brockovich’s movie shows the power of one woman who took down a power company polluting a city’s water supply.

40. Secrets of the Dead: Secrets of the Dead shares the lives of the race of warrior women, the Amazons.

41. Fly Girls: The story of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran in particular is told in Fly Girls, through archival film and home movies.

42. Companeras: Companeras offers the story of America’s first all-female Mariachi band.

43. North Country: Watch this movie about Josey Aimes, a woman who went to work in the iron mines.

44. Norma Rae: Sally Field stars in this movie about a textile worker who stands up against deplorable working conditions.

45. My Brilliant Career: Sybylla rejects the opportunity of marriage to maintain her independence and take a job as a governess.

46. Three Sovereigns for Sarah: Three Sovereigns for Sarah shares the true story of the Salem Witch Trials.

47. Born Into Brothels: Kids who are the children of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red light district were chosen to photograph their lives, and their work is shown in this movie.

48. Burning Times: The Burning Times takes a look at the with persecutions that took place in Europe.

49. Salt of the Earth: Salt of the Earth tells a powerful story of feminism, as the wives of miners in a strike for wage parity play a pivotal role in victory.

50. Rosita: Rosita shares the journey of a 9-year-old Nicaraguan girl who became pregnant from rape, and became the subject of political and religious debate.

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Thursday night, Sarah Palin appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity, who asked Palin how she felt about Julianne Moore portraying her in Game Change, in which she replied:

“Well, I am all about job creation, and I guess I could provide some of these gals who pretend like they’re me some job security. I would ask, though, that–if they’re of the mind of spreading the wealth around–that perhaps they want to spring for one of my kid’s braces or something as they capitalize on pretending to be me.”

Wow, bitter much? It seems that Sarah Palin believing that there are people who would like to be her is the only way she could get through this particular question of Hannity’s without throwing a temper tantrum of epic proportions.

I think Julianne Moore is just fine with portraying Palin in this movie, though. She is an outspoken liberal who supported Barack Obama in the 2008 election. Game Change, the book, paints Palin in a very bad light and spilled some damaging secrets and quotes from the campaign trail. In one story, it is said that McCain adviser Steve Schmidt was quoted telling Palin’s foreign policy advisers “You guys have a lot of work to do. She doesn’t know anything;” and that was after testing the candidate before the 2008 vice-presidential debate.

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As for as the winners of the night, and you know, the whole reason the Academy Awards exist, there weren’t too many surprises. Unlike the shocking wins we saw at this year’s Grammy Awards, the Oscars were pretty much business as usual in the film industry, handing out awards to the movies and actors that have been slotted as obvious Oscar runners since they had first been released into theaters. The biggest honors of the night, Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress went to “The King’s Speech”, Colin Firth for “The King’s Speech” and Natalie Portman for “Black Swan” respectively.

As for the entire list of winners, read on…

[Those in bold signify the winner in each category.]

Best Picture

• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter”
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3″
• “True Grit”
• “Winter’s Bone”

Best Actor

• Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”
• Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”
• Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”
• Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
• James Franco, “127 Hours”

Best Actress

• Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”
• Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”
• Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”
• Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
• Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine”

Best Director

• Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”
• David O. Russell, “The Fighter”
• Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech”
• David Fincher, “The Social Network”
• Joel and Ethan Coen, “True Grit”

Best Original Song

• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
  Music and lyrics by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
• “I See the Light” from “Tangled”
  Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater
• “If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
  Music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
• “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″
  Music and lyrics by Randy Newman

Best Film Editing

• “Black Swan”
  Andrew Weisblum
• “The Fighter”
  Pamela Martin
• “The King’s Speech”
  Tariq Anwar
• “127 Hours”
  Jon Harris
• “The Social Network”
  Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Best Visual Effects

• “Alice in Wonderland”
  Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1″
  Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
• “Hereafter”
  Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
• “Inception”
  Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
• “Iron Man 2″
  Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Best Documentary Feature

• “Exit Through the Gift Shop”
• “Gasland”
• “Inside Job”
• “Restrepo”
• “Waste Land”

Best Live Action Short Film

• “The Confession” – Tanel Toom
• “The Crush” – Michael Creagh
• “God of Love” – Luke Matheny
• “Na Wewe” – Ivan Goldschmidt
• “Wish 143″ – Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Best Short Subject Documentary

• “Killing in the Name”
• “Poster Girl”
• “Strangers No More”
• “Sun Comes Up”
• “The Warriors of Qiugang”

Best Costume Design

• “Alice in Wonderland”
  Colleen Atwood
• “I Am Love”
  Antonella Cannarozzi
• “The King’s Speech”
  Jenny Beavan
• “The Tempest”
  Sandy Powell
• “True Grit”
  Mary Zophres

Best Makeup

• “Barney’s Version”
  Adrien Morot
• “The Way Back”
  Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• “The Wolfman”
  Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Best Sound Editing

• “Inception”
  Richard King
• “Toy Story 3″
  Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
• “Tron: Legacy”
  Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
• “True Grit”
  Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
• “Unstoppable”
  Mark P. Stoeckinger

Best Sound Mixing

• “Inception”
  Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “The King’s Speech”
  Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
• “Salt”
  Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
• “The Social Network”
  Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
• “True Grit”
  Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Best Original Score

• “How to Train Your Dragon”
  John Powell
• “Inception”
  Hans Zimmer
• “The King’s Speech”
  Alexandre Desplat
• “127 Hours”
  A.R. Rahman
• “The Social Network”
  Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Best Supporting Actor

• Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
• John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
• Jeremy Renner, “The Town”
• Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are All Right”
• Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

Best Foreign Language Film

• “Biutiful” – Mexico
• “Dogtooth” – Greece
• “In a Better World” – Denmark
• “Incendies” – Canada
• “Outside the Law” – Algeria

Best Original Screenplay

• “Another Year”, Mike Leigh
• “The Fighter”, Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson
• “Inception”, Christopher Nolan
• “The Kids Are All Right”, Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
• “The King’s Speech”, David Seidler

Best Adapted Screenplay

• “127 Hours”, Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy
• “The Social Network”, Aaron Sorkin
• “Toy Story 3″, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
• “True Grit”, Joel and Ethan Coen
• “Winter’s Bone”, Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini

Best Animated Feature Film

• “How to Train Your Dragon”
• “Illusionist”
• Toy Story 3″

Best Animated Short Film

• “Day & Night” – Teddy Newton
• “The Gruffalo” – Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
• “Let’s Pollute” – Geefwee Boedoe
• “The Lost Thing” – Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
• “Masagascar, carnet de voyage” – Bastien Dubois

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams, “The Fighter”
• Helena Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech”
• Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”
• Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”
• Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom”

Best Cinematography

• “Black Swan”
  Matthew Libatique
• “Inception”
  Wally Pfister
• “The King’s Speech”
  Danny Coen
• “The Social Network”
  Jeff Cronenweth
• “True Grit”
  Roger Deakins

Best Art Direction

• “Alice in Wonderland”
  Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara

• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1″
  Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• “Inception”
  Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
• “The King’s Speech”
  Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
• “True Grit”
  Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

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“Wubbzy Be Mine” is an irresistible compilation of three episodes from the Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. preschool TV series, featuring the series’ well-loved characters, Wubbzy, Widget, Walden and Daizy. In “Mr. Valentine,” Wuzzleburg’s trusty mailman falls ill on Valentine’s Day and Wubbzy steps in to deliver all the valentines, but he soon discovers there are none for him. To Wubbzy’s surprise, his pals personally deliver his valentines, saving the best for last! In “Cupid’s Helper,” Cupid pays a visit to Wuzzleburg, but loses his prized bubble-blower. When Wubbzy finds it, he starts blowing bubbles bringing together some of Wuzzleburg’s oddest couples. And, in “My Speedy Valentine,” the third love-filled episode on the new release, Wubbzy and his pals try to find the fastest way ever to make their own valentines, but something keeps bugging Walden.

The winner of our “Wubbzy Be Mine” Valentine’s Day giveaway is…

jeannine m who left comment number 14!

Buy It

To those who didn’t win, you can still purchase “Wubbzy Be Mine” for $10.99 on Amazon.

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During back to school season, we hosted a great giveaway for children, specifically for children who would be entering school for the first time this year. Our “Wubbzy Goes to School” giveaway went over very well and we’re super happy to have the opportunity to give away another Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! DVD to one lucky Woman Tribune reader.

“Wubbzy Be Mine” is an irresistible compilation of three episodes from the Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. preschool TV series just in time to Valentine’s Day, featuring the series’ well-loved characters, Wubbzy, Widget, Walden and Daizy. In “Mr. Valentine,” Wuzzleburg’s trusty mailman falls ill on Valentine’s Day and Wubbzy steps in to deliver all the valentines, but he soon discovers there are none for him. To Wubbzy’s surprise, his pals personally deliver his valentines, saving the best for last! In “Cupid’s Helper,” Cupid pays a visit to Wuzzleburg, but loses his prized bubble-blower. When Wubbzy finds it, he starts blowing bubbles bringing together some of Wuzzleburg’s oddest couples. And, in “My Speedy Valentine,” the third love-filled episode on the new release, Wubbzy and his pals try to find the fastest way ever to make their own valentines, but something keeps bugging Walden.

Giveaway

Thanks to Grand Communications, we are giving away one copy of “Wubbzy Be Mine” along with five packets of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! candy hearts.

Required Entry

To enter to win a copy of “Wubbzy Be Mine” all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what your plans for Valentine’s Day are.

Extra Entries

Leave a comment for each additional entry.

• Subscribe to Woman Tribune
• Follow @WomanTribune on Twitter
• “Like” Woman Tribune on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the following tweet or write your own. (This can be done once a day, leave a link to your tweet in your comment.)
  

  Win Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! DVD “Wubbzy Be Mine” for Valentine’s Day from @WomanTribune http://ow.ly/3TACL ends 2/12

• Leave a comment on any other Woman Tribune post and come back here and leave a comment telling us what post you commented on
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and details about “Wubbzy Be Mine”. (This entry is worth five entries, so leave five separate comments with the link to your blog post.)

This giveaway ends Saturday, February 12th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

Disclosure: Grand Communications provided me with a promotional copy of “Wubbzy Be Mine” and the opportunity to host this giveaway.

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Have you ever read a movie review that was a unique step away from the countless other reviews of the same movie out there; each sentence crafted just perfectly and every thought just flat-out snicker-inducing–and you haven’t even seen the movie being reviewed? Well, that is exactly how I feel after reading Elvis Mitchell’s review of The Roommate at Movieline.

I have yet to see the college-age thriller that opened this past weekend, but I have seen the trailers many times. I was mildly interested the first time I saw the trailer, only because it is a complete rip-off of Single White Female, which I love, and the premise never seems to get old; it has been done countless times.

Movieline gave The Roommate a score of 0.5 out of 10 and includes phenomenally hilarious thoughts, like:

“It’s the kind of live-action sub-mediocrity that usually comes with 3-D glasses. And the only fear this movie will inspire is when you realize the goggles being passed out at the ticket counter are for the far luckier patrons of Sanctum.”

“[T]his movie doesn’t scream anything, except that the cast was too young to ever have seen Single White Female or the dozens of ripoffs that have come in its wake — many of which were probably produced by the very studio that made this one.”

“In the theater where I saw it, the tedium was broken only by the sound of Angry Birds being played on iPhones.”

Apparently not a whole lot of people sought out reviews for this movie before heading out to the theater; that or they didn’t run across Movieline’s review or more people were willing to take their chances rather than wait until it hits Netflix. The Roommate topped box office charts, debuting at $15.6 million. Its biggest contender, Sanctum, raked in just $9.2 million.

The Roommate scored a B- rating from CinemaScore moviegoers and it drew a large female audience; 65% of its audience was female, in fact, and 61% were younger than 21.

The consensus is that The Roommate will plummet from here on out and Jezebel put it perfectly, saying that “women would rather watch women stalking each other than football.”

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Here’s a little about the holiday movie:

The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation follows the Bannister family to a beautiful Rocky Mountain ski lodge for their long-awaited holiday vacation. Upon their arrival, however, it soon becomes clear that this trip will be no dog walk in the park!

Obnoxious relatives and their prissy poodle Bella are staying at the house too, and they want little to do with the Bannisters or Zeus, despite his growing “puppy love” for the cutest new pooch in town. Meanwhile, the hooligans who attempted to ruin the Bannister’s Christmas last year are up to their old tricks. They’ve made their way to the ski resort too–with plans to snatch a diamond necklace from a resort guest. When the necklace is mistaken for Bella’s dog collar, the cantankerous crooks kidnap the pampered poodle and it’s up to Zeus to once again save the day.

The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation was released at retail stores nationwide on December 7th. You can also purchase this movie on Amazon for $13.99.

Giveaway

One Woman Tribune reader will win a copy of The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation on DVD.

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite holiday tradition is.

Extra Entries

Leave a comment for each additional entry.

• Subscribe to Woman Tribune
• Follow @WomanTribune on Twitter
• “Like” Woman Tribune on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the following tweet or write your own. (Can be done once per day.)
  

  Enter to win a copy of the family holiday movie ‘The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation’ from @WomanTribune http://ow.ly/3qLAY ends 12/20

This giveaway ends Monday, December 20th at 11:59pm ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: This giveaway was made possible thanks to Grand Communications.

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The Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster, is about a “troubled husband and executive [who] adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating.”

Seriously, couldn’t you see Mel Gibson doing that sort of thing now? I know I would surely believe it and in the background would be Whoopi Goldberg and Jodie Foster assuring people everywhere that he’s really such a stand-up guy and recalling the many times he has been to their house for dinner. Speaking of which, in case you were wondering why Jodie Foster has went on-record so many times to convince people that Mel Gibson is great is because he is starring in this movie that she just so happens to be directing. Foster absolutely needs the public to like Mel Gibson in order to justify paying to see him act in her movie opening weekend.

I know you’ve been waiting for it, so check out the official trailer for The Beaver below:

The Beaver is scheduled for a Spring 2011 U.S. release.

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Matthew Wilder, director of the Linda Lovelace biopic Inferno has announced that the movie is moving on without Lohan, saying:

“We are withdrawing out offer from Lindsay Lohan. We are currently in negotiations [with another actress] and working out the legalities of bringing her onboard. We have stuck by Lindsay very patiently for a long time with a lot of love and support. Ultimately, the impossibility of insuring her–and some other issues–have made it impossible for us to go forward.”

And that other actress that has so quickly filled the shoes of Lindsay Lohan and will be starring in the role of Linda Lovelace is Malin Akerman, who has previously appeared in Watchmen, The Proposal, The Heartbreak Kid, and Couples Retreat.

While Wilder had previously praised Lohan repeatedly as an actress and as a promoter when she was in Cannes to help sell the film, which as you’ll remember landed her in jail for probation violation after missing several appointments to complete her drug and alcohol classes with the Right On Program. However, it may be in everyone’s best interests to not have Lohan star as Linda Lovelace in Inferno.

A source close to Lohan told E! News that Lohan was not happy with the direction of the movie, saying that “wanted them to tone down a lot of the racy scenes” and that it “wasn’t going to be good for her to play someone with substance issues when she is going through her own recovery.”

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Trademark Films and The Weinstein Company have announced that principal photography has started on My Week With Marilyn and the first image has already been released, and it’s what everyone who is excited about this film wants to see–Williams in character as Marilyn Monroe.

So what do you think, does Michelle Williams make a good Marilyn Monroe?

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