film stars you have an unhealthy fascination with...past and present

[Nigel Irritable]

the absence of good roles for women over 30,

Oh come on, they can play mothers or harridans. Sometimes both! And it's not as if the film world is just bursting with challenging and complex roles for women under 30.

scripts written by men for male directors with all the interesting roles for men...I could go on

Natalie Portman was spot on about that in an interview in the dvd extras for the thinks-its-more-unusual-than-it-is "Garden State". She pointed out that most female roles are written by men and essentially exist around the male characters. If I remember correctly she described the writers thought process as being along the lines of "uh, well she's really HOT!... and uh, she likes to take her clothes off" and if they go for additional depth they will giver her a quirk like "she really loves sports!".

 

[May Kasahara]

I have often been told that my mild fixation with David Warner is unhealthy.

 

[Brainaddict]

Do I spot a murakami reference? excellent

 

[El Sueno]

I can't get enough of that giggly minx Kirsten Dunst, I even bought a dodgy DVD of 'Wimbledon' for fuck's sake, as if that would bring me any closer to her perfect tits. She's sent me regressing back to my schooldays, I honestly feel like I've got a childish crush on her and sometimes I daydream about how I'm going to marry her one day...



Guys wise, I always had a thing for Steve McQueen. And I could watch anyting with Sean Penn in it, he's well good.

 

[poului]

I have often been told that my mild fixation with David Warner is unhealthy.

he's an awesome actor - though not exactly someone you'd expect people to have a crush on.


anyways, for me it's either Isabelle Adjani or Tilda Swinton.

 

[haggy]

nastassia kinski

for paris texas, cat people and that horror film she made in the 70's based on a dennis wheatley novel (to the devil a daughter?) - altho that comes close to making me a nonce, i guess...

i used to carry a clipping of her around in my wallet throughout the 1980's

 

[DaveCinzano]

'hotel new hampshire'?

 

[haggy]

'hotel new hampshire'?

i don't think i've seen that. did she get her kit off, or just dress up as a bear?

(now yr talking...)

 

[lyra_k]

In terms of pure lust, it has to be Salma Hayek, the most beautiful actress of the last 20 years. And one of those rare women who can be described as both 'beautiful' in the traditional sense, and 'sexy' with it.

mr kitten spent a couple of days with her flying around in helicopters taking her picture in Bosnia when he was an army photographer. He says she was annoying, but I know he's just trying to sidestep the hysterical jealous wife thing.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

mr kitten spent a couple of days with her flying around in helicopters taking her picture in Bosnia when he was an army photographer. He says she was annoying, but I know he's just trying to sidestep the hysterical jealous wife thing.

 

[maya]

Oh come on, they can play mothers or harridans. Sometimes both! And it's not as if the film world is just bursting with challenging and complex roles for women under 30.

i was talking about american films, love.

i'm not claiming there's a splendid range of roles for young women, either-
makes it even more depressing really.

but as you said, there's always exceptions.
so- yay for those!

 

[Flashman]

Joan Greenwood

and Valerie Leon

 

[poului]

nastassia kinski

oh yeah, how could I forget Nastassja!

*slaps head*

 

[May Kasahara]

he's an awesome actor - though not exactly someone you'd expect people to have a crush on.

Yeah, it's not really a sex thing, more of a general 'I think you're so awesomely cool' kind of loving. It all started with Time Bandits, which is one of my favourite films anyway, and spiralled from there. I love Angela Carter - he turns up in Company of Wolves. I'm having a retro 70s horror moment with The Omen - there he is getting his head sliced off. And as a lover of lame-ass horror films of all kinds, I can only salute his dedication to the craft, even though I now know it was because he had crippling stage fright and had to take what work he could get.

I would love to see him on the stage in something. Maybe someday...sigh.

 

[Bomber]

Juliette Lewis is my most recent movie star obssesion and I saw her live with her band the Licks in Liverpool recently, which was nice !! I think she is great in Natural Born Killers and sexy as hell in a very disarming manner

 

[ICB]

Cary Grant. He was called Archie and was from Bristol you know. And partial to LSD.

Born and raised on Hughenden Road, just round the corner from where we lived in Horfield. He's one of my all time favourites, a massively charismatic but troubled person.

I wouldn't say I've ever had an unhealthy fascination with any film star really, although as a youngster I was very into Jenny Agutter, esp in Logan's Run. Having just done a google image search I can see why. Ahem.

 

[jodal]

I had an unhealthy fascination with Claire Danes during her 'Angela - My So-Called Life'.

 

[spanglechick]

Ohh...
Robert Mitchum - too effing sexy / bad / cool / just... manly really
Vince Vaughan - Physically, my perfect man - really tall, dark, sideburns, a little heavy built... *thud*
Then...
Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine.." - I fancy her in that sexless way that small girls have crushes on their teachers. I want to be her, I think...
And...
Robert Downey Jnr. - I had a very vivid (and slightly erotic dream about him once) and feel this worryingly irrational connection with him now - like, he'd know me if he met me, kind of thing? Hmmm, time for the men in white coats...

 

[Nigel Irritable]

i was talking about american films, love.

i'm not claiming there's a splendid range of roles for young women, either-
makes it even more depressing really.

but as you said, there's always exceptions.
so- yay for those!

I think that perhaps my little experiment with the use of irony has proven to be less than entirely successful.

When I made reference to older actresses having opportunities to play mothers, harridans or both, I was agreeing with your point about the lack of roles for women over thirty rather than pointing out exceptions. Female characters are normally written by men and in most films they are essentially defined by their relationships with more central male characters. Older women get to play mothers, younger women to play girlfriends or damsels in distress. The girlfriend roles are better paid but they aren't any meatier or challenging.

 

[spartacus mills]

Kate Beckinsale
Katie Holmes
Kym Valentine
Isabelle Adjani
Margaret Rutherford