Mars Needs Moms? Pear-Shaped Shrewish Aliens Not 'Hip'

Crone, left, Warrior Chick Martian

In Mars Needs Moms, odd stereotypes raise their big alien foreheads.

'...If sci fi plots allow their creators to work out real-life issues, then here we see a bunch of angry Hollywood males crying out against their feelings of emasculation with nostalgia for a reinstatement of the nuclear fifties family. Hmmm.'

CONTINUE TO READ REVIEW HERE

Thelma Adams
ThelmaAdams.com
Us Magazine

From The Housing Wars: WBAI Woman On The Front Lines: Mary Ann Miller with sister cellmate Claire Birmingham and State Senator Bill Perkins, discussing the status of the rent regulations.

And...Midnight In Paris: A conversation with Woody Allen. Woody talks icons, inspirations, pharmaceuticals, communism, Gertrude Stein, Groucho, Bergman, Fitzgerald, related literary time travel in the movie, and the closing of famed artist gathering place, Elaine's.

Tenant justice cellmates Miller and Birmingham will report on May Housing Actions, when they chained themselves to Cooper Union site of the Rent Regulation Board Meeting. And give updates on their May 30th court hearing. 

While movies have grown increasingly generic to appeal to all demographics and nations in a cynical bid for maximum box office cash appeal, Woody Allen still stubbornly resists such financial imperatives by moving in the opposite direction. Which translates in Midnight In Paris, his latest cinematic voyage to other realms both foreign and in the imagination, as determined egghead sci-fi fantasy. And in supremely bon apetit, arty 'Unblockbuster' mode, where the PG level rating could actually indicate Post-Graduate degrees as helpful.... 

Woody's guy Cinderella, spaced out sci-fi tale is the best yet among his collection of lunatic satirical travelogues. And the furthest that the director has taken a stroll himself lately out of his own more characteristic insular ivory tower world, among all those peculiar swells. While toning down the interactive punchline dialogues for a refreshing, heartier gourmet narrative stew. Even if the supernatural sightseeing literary references at times overstay their welcome, and are more high IQ insider jokes than they need be.

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Acclaimed Latina author Isabel Allende talks slavery and memory, the Middle Passage, and revolutionary uprising in 18th century Haiti in her current novel, Island Beneath The Sea. And her own journey into political and emotional exile after the 1973 CIA orchestrated coup in Chile; remembering Salvador Allende, her uncle and the president of Chile, and the tragic victim of that Pinochet coup; and why she gets mad whenever she reads history.

And...Anthony Weiner was considered to win the future mayoralty easily. But now he will never be an 'Oscar Mayor Weiner.' Mary Ann Miller takes a look at the other 113 men - and they've all been men - who have held that office. And here to discuss that is Ralph Caliendo, who has written a book on the subject.

Also...Rent Regulations Update.

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From The Housing Wars: WBAI Woman On The Front Lines. A Rent Regulations Update.

Mary Ann Miller [far right] with rent hike activists, just prior to their arrests last month for protesting new Regulations Board rent hikes.

From The Housing Wars: WBAI Woman On The Front Lines. Tenant justice activists assembled during May Housing Actions, when they chained themselves to Cooper Union site of the Rent Regulation Board Meeting. A rent fightback and court hearing update.

Desperado Housewives: The Honeymooners' Joyce Randolph Revisits Trixie

The Honeymooners: A Conversation With Joyce Randolph: The Honeymooners' Joyce Randolph aka Trixie, takes a trip down memory lane with NYC Classic Movie Sites Tours [Screentours.com/classics], and reminisces during this conversation, about Alice, Ralph and her small screen spouse, Ed Norton. She also sheds light on the enduring appeal of the show in its unique depictions of genuine workingclass people, the first ever small screen feminists in a sea of doting housewives and Barbie bimbos, and the inner sourpuss of funnyman Jackie Gleason. Here's Joyce Randolph, mulling the itinerary of those upcoming Classic Movie Sites, and the very few traces of The Honeymooners around town:

Listen To The Interview Here:

Women's Work: Triangle Fire, 100th Anniversary

Triangle Fire: A commemoration and remembrance of the buried history of the 146 immigrant sweatshop workers, mostly women and teenage girls, who perished behind locked doors on March 25, 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan at Washington Place and Greene Street. Imparting special meaning to the labor protests breaking out now in Wisconsin and across the country, to defend the rights for which these unsung workers had fought so hard up until their senseless deaths at the hands of unscrupulous bosses. And where it all began. Also, an interview with the filmmaker.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

*Airing on PBS stations throughout March, Women's History Month

...And the buried history on this 100 year anniversary of the worst workplace carnage in NY history prior to 9/11, killing these labor activists who had so valiantly struggled for union rights that workers possess today.

**Cop Beat: What's going down with the NYPD at Occupy Wall Street: Former cop and regular commentator Stephen Ryder talks police macing of women protesters, lead gloves and swinging clubs. And why 'Deputy Inspector Anthony 'Tony Two Shoes' Bologna needs to be fired. And then arrested.' Ryder was also bodyguard to the late Lou Schweitzer, founding father of WBAI Radio. 

**News Beat: Newsday's freelance reporter Emily Ngo talks Dominique Strauss-Kahn developments and other recent news events.

**Jerry Stiller In Conversation: The Seinfeld and King Of Queens feisty seasoned comic phones in from LA and doesn't want to hang up. As he delves into the big thrill of always devilishly playing against type as an actor, surviving McCarthyism, and stealing silverware with Anne Meara.

Refusing To Play The Star Card: A Conversation With Amy Ryan

By Winnie Bonelli

Amy Ryan refuses to play the “star” card. Packing a lifetime’s worth of credits into the past quarter century, the “actor’s actor” or “journeyman” turns in a unique performance each time. Whether it’s capturing Michael Scott’s heart on NBC’s “The Office” as Holly Flax, the dorky human resources rep, or serving as Dr. Paul Weston’s therapist on HBO’s “In Treatment.”

This month finds her on the multiplex screen as a loving wife, who opens her heart and home to an abandoned teenager in “Win Win.” Her spouse is Mike Flaherty, a morally upright man, husband and father. Economical times are rough, so who could blame him for crossing the ethical line just once. That’s the setup for Tom McCarthy’s grownup comedy-drama that casts Paul Giamatti as the financially strapped, New Jersey suburban lawyer and coach for a losing JV wrestling team.

Pocketing an easy $2,000 a month for assuming guardianship of his elderly client, who he packed off to assisted living, Flaherty encounters an unexpected consequence. The oldest’s runaway 16-year-old grandson, Kyle (newcomer Alex Shaffer) turns up on the doorstep with no place to stay.

Kyle gets the basement couch. Mike gets a talented wrestler. However, “Win Win” is about much more than a championship season, it’s an emotionally honest tale about redemption, second chances, today’s parenting and marriage.

Penning the script with Joe Tibone, McCarthy always had Ryan in mind to play Mike’s feisty wife Jackie. Singing her praises, McCarthy stated, “She’s very direct and she can be sharp, but underneath that there’s always a great sense of warmth and caring – and at the same time she is naturally funny. I think in many ways she is the heart of the movie.”

Striving to add an extra layer of authenticity, McCarthy maintained an element of secrecy while filming. The attractive blond-haired 41-year-old actress explained during a recent interview at Trump’s Soho hotel, “Tom kept us in the scene. We only knew what the characters knew as we went along. It was intended to stay away from any sense of judgment or betrayal on my part.”

So convincing were Paul and Amy’s on-screen chemistry that several journalists actually inquired whether they were husband and wife. Laughing, she admitted, “I feel like we went to grammar school together. We have this naughty electricity between us and I don’t mean that in a sexual way.”

Setting the record straight, Ryan is engaged to Eric Slovin. The couple has one daughter, Georgia Gracie, born in Oct. 2009. Already a well-traveled 17-month-old, Georgia can usually be found on location, since she first trekked to Rockville Center, Long Island daily for the filming of “Win Win.”

Ironically, it was an entirely different approach to parenting that first pivoted Ryan onto Hollywood’s A list. Ryan’s sympathy-invoking portrayal of a drug-addicted welfare mom in Ben Affleck’s 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone” garnered both an Oscar-bid and Golden Globe nomination.

Offers followed, only Ryan refused to be pigeon-holed and completely shifted emotional gears, landing a guest star turn on “The Office.” Originally, a one shot appearance, it evolved into 15 episodes, including Steve Carell’s wrap-up departure.

The final episode was recently filmed and the actress was involved, but Ryan isn’t revealing any plot secrets. “It’s just a phone call. I did a conference call table read, when it was over it was very emotional. People are sad to see him go, but I hope Will Ferrell’s four episode story arch will help,” stated the Queens, NY born, Manhattan resident, who’s television credits include a five year stint as Port Authority Officer Beatrice “Beadie” Russell on HBO’s critically acclaimed series “The Wire.”

She can also be seen on HBO’s “In Treatment” as Gabriel Byrne’s unruffled therapist Adele. Extremely intense, Ryan compares sitting in a single room with Byrne for up to 12 hours at a time to playing poker without ever revealing one’s cards.

Winnie Bonelli writes for The Newark Star-Ledger, Life & Style Magazine, and Herald News. She is a member of The Women Film Critics Circle.

The Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2010

The Women Film Critics Circle is an association of fifty-five women film critics and scholars from around the country and internationally, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. We came together in 2004 to form the first women critics organization in the United States, in the belief that women's perspectives and voices in film criticism need to be recognized fully.

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
Mother And Child

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Winter's Bone

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]
The Kids Are All Right: Lisa Cholodenko

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening/The Kids Are All Right

BEST ACTOR
Colin Firth/The King's Speech

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence/Winter's Bone

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Annette Bening/The Kids Are All Right

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN: *TIE*
Mother
Women Without Men

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Conviction

WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Black Swan

BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: *TIE*
Another Year
The King's Speech

WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Jackass 3D

BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN [Includes films released on DVD or TV, or screened at film festivals, in recognition of the limited opportunities available for films by and about women on screen]
Temple Grandin

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES: *TIE
Another Year
Fair Game

BEST ANIMATED FEMALES
Despicable Me

BEST FAMILY FILM
Toy Story 3

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Helen Mirren

ACTING AND ACTIVISM
Lena Horne [posthumous]: [6/30/17- 5/9/10] As an anti-racist activist, she refused to appear before racially segregated US Army audiences in WW2 Italy-since the army was officially segregated, the policy was to have one show solely for white troops and another show solely for black troops. Horne insisted on performing for mixed audiences, and since the US Army refused to allow integrated audiences, she wound up putting on a show for a mixed audience of black US soldiers and white German POWs. Horne was also branded a 'communist sympathizer' by many right-wing conservatives because of her association with Paul Robeson and her progressive political beliefs, which led her to be blacklisted in the 1950s. Lena Horne passed away on Mothers Day at the age of 92.

*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women:
Winter's Bone

*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America
For Colored Girls

*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity
Fair Game

COURAGE IN ACTING [Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen]
Helen Mirren/The Tempest

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD [Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored]
Q'Orianka Kilcher/Princess Kaiulani

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY A WOMAN
A Film Unfinished

WOMEN'S WORK: BEST ENSEMBLE
Mother And Child

BEST SCREEN COUPLE
Another Year: Jim Broadbent/Ruth Sheen as Tom and Gerri.



*WFCC TOP TEN HALL OF SHAME*

*Please Note: The WFCC Top Ten Hall Of Shame represents the 'don't tell me to shut up' sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie.


MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOMS OF THE YEAR AWARD:

*Melissa Leo
The Fighter

*Jacki Weaver
Animal Kingdom





BLACK SWAN
*For turning 'everything was beautiful at the ballet' into a horror venue populated by female stereotypes.

CATFISH
*The documentary exploits the woman who 'invents' Facebook personalities (if indeed this all is to be believed). It's a smarmy movie in every respect.

*For it's blatant audience manipulation without any honesty. These filmmakers clearly used a real family for personal gain.

I AM LOVE
*Did Tilda Swinton really need to stand up her dead son at his funeral in order to dash off like in a late for a date emergency, to lock lips with her lover? Mommie Dearest Award runner-up.

INCEPTION
*For making sure that one (& only one) 'good' female character is on hand for the express purpose of killing the one (& only one) 'bad' female character so none of the men have to do it.

JOLENE
*Based on a story by Doctorow, it's a flagrantly misogynistic story, an excellent example of how tales about abused women are turned into porn films.

*Ditto, THE KILLER INSIDE ME, see above.

KICK-ASS
*For the exploitation of a 12 year old girl.

 *I resent the film's implication that the best way to empower a girl is to portray her as a chirpily sadistic killing machine (and one who uses the 'c' word, to boot).

THE GHOST WRITER
*At large Polanski sets up Olivia Williams' Lady Macbeth spouse as not only the instigator of UK's collusion in Iraq, letting Blair off the hook. But the predatory extreme seductress aggressor nearly rapes the gullible Ghost as well, when cornering him in his tub with an offer of towels to dry his tush. The Female Made Me Do It defense.

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
*This film tells young girls, it's okay to sell your soul for a guy.

YOU AGAIN
*For perpetuation of the same-old same-old stereotypes of hysterical insecure women and reasonable, sage men.

The Women Film Critics Circle