Thursday, August 23, 2007

Women my own age, Part Eight

(for those who came in late)

Rebecca Gayheart, born August 12, 1971. Always on the cusp, this one. She's obviously beautiful, but whether because of bad luck or not, she can't find many good and/or successful movies or TV series, to save her soul.

Or, put another way, what can you say about someone whose best film probably remains Scream 2?



Carla Gugino, born August 29th, 1971.



Gugino has been kicking around in movies & TV since the early '90s. But...well, is it me, or did her career not take off until she started to take her clothes off?

I'm not complaining exactly, and I'm certainly not putting her down (although I do not support her decision to go blonde).

I kind of hate to think that's it. Because I had my eye on her as a potential star as far back as the early episodes of Spin City.

But, unless I've missed something...

Ione Skye, born September 4, 1971. Oh, Ione, Ione, Ione. I've never even seen Say Anything, and yet at some point she cast a spell on me from which I've never fully recovered.

Was it in 1986, when I watched her walk the River's Edge? Or was it six years later, when I stopped for Gas, Food, Lodging, and she was the bad girl with heart (and her younger sister, BTW, was Fairuza Balk, who is not my age but otherwise would have made this series in a heartbeat)?
Or was it three years after that, as the half nude witch in one of Four Rooms?

Well, let's not kid ourselves.

But--easy jokes aside--I actually thought she was good in that segment of the movie, and not only because she was half nude. Possibly better than it deserved. I remember reading a review at the time which said that the most interesting thing about the segment was noting which of the women had the power to refuse to do nudity in the film.

According to Biskind's Down & Dirty Pictures, all the segments directors were very rushed, except the critics' darling, Massa Tarantino. So I have a feeling that who was going to go topless or not was decided very much on the day, and on the fly.

Which would be fine-I'm perfectly capable of enjoying a film with fewer or even no topless women, honest I am. It's just that it makes for an odd little coven of witches. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but as I've always pictured it...not that I've done that very much...nudity in these rituals is kind of an "all or none" kind of thing.

And I'm quite sure that covering your nipples with X's of black electrical tape isn't strictly Wicca kosher (we're looking at you, Alicia Witt!). But...that's another post.

6 comments:

Johnny Bacardi said...

I like all three of these ladies, especially Gugino, who's always been wonderful in everything I've seen her in.

Rebecca Gayheart was good in Dead Like Me, but she left the show for some reason...

Anonymous said...

As far as nudity in rits go, it really tends to be a personal decision, and it doesn't have to be an all or nothing, it depends mostly on personal comfort level (and how public the rit is!). It also depends on what tradition is being practiced.
A'mee

Ben Varkentine said...

So you're saying Little Witches-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116897

-is not an accurate depiction of pagan ritual?

What next, Rush Hour 3 not an accurate reflection of real police work?

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Rebbecca Gayhart, murderer. She commited vehichular murder and she got off scot free.

Ben Varkentine said...

That's not the impression you get from the IMDB bio (depending on what you mean by scot free).

I knew of the accident but chose not to mention it. I'm keeping most of these on a pretty professional level.

Anonymous said...

Lol, well, you said you weren't sure, so I thought I'd let you know!