the buzz log

The culture wars are on in the Buzz Multiplex. Will the box office fall to torturous horror or vampire interns? Or will the fearless flying female uplift ticket sales? Turns out this may be a weekend when each generation gets its own outing. Who doesn't make the top 3: The boy superhero with the cowlick.

Top Three Movies of the Week, as ranked by Yahoo! searches

1.  "Amelia" (PG). Director Mira Nair, known for smaller films, landed the mega-biopic assignment of aviatrix Amelia Earheart...but some critics don't think the story ever quite took off. The allure of Amelia is strong, but mostly among people ages 35 on up, which might not bode well for big box-office receipts. Star Hilary Swank might make the difference.

2. "Saw VI" (R). A sickening indulgence, or a covert way to teach Roman numerals? Unlike "Amelia," the under-30 set is all over inventive ways to off victims in modern-day villainous occupations. Expect a "Saw" DVD marathon weekend, given the online nostalgia. This ranks as the teen-boys-sneaking-in-or-get-cool-older-brother-as-"guardian" movie of the week.

3.  "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" (PG-13). Comedy + bloodsuckers + circus freaks = child-friendly, if not teen-frenzy inducing. And we didn't even mention the Salma Hayek as Bearded Lady factor. Adapted from the book series, the tale of a teenager who joins the freakiest circus on earth gets the love from the under-18 crowd.

Filed under: Movies, Books, Horror, Women

Lesson for the gator world, and some general advice for folks all around: Avoid women with crossbows. Two gators recently found out the hard way.

The Gator vs. the High School Girl
The first fell victim to 16-year-old Cammie Colin, who may be the youngest gal ever to bring down a South Carolina alligator. After snagging one of 1,000 lottery permits, she went out in the dead of night on Sept. 13, surrounded by male kinfolk and a family friend. The 10th grader opted for a crossbow over a harpoon (the other preferred weapon of choice in gator-bagging). One 10' 5"-footer and four arrows later, the Colin family now have 40 pounds of alligator steak in the family freezer.

The Gator vs. the Mom
Another first-timer, new Florida mom Arianne Prevost, brought down an 11-footer. She had to miss last gator-hunting season because of her pregnancy. Apparently, her new maternal instincts made her plenty proficient with a Viper Rattler crossbow with NcStar laser sight.

The New Mom vs. the Cheerleader
Although Provost's critter reportedly beat out Colin's by almost a foot, Colin's getting the attention (like this Fox interview, during which she opines that alligators taste like fish-flavored chicken). She plays softball and likes algebra, but it's her extracurricular activity as a junior varsity cheerleader that's getting the buzz. As they say in cheer parlance, Colin brought it on.

Gators vs. Florida and South Carolina
Both states allow "harvest quotas" as a means to control their alligator population, and open the process to residents and non-residents alike. Florida has been running what it calls its international  "model program for the sustainable use of a natural resource" since 1988.

South Carolina started its hunt in 2008—the first in 44 years (and not without controversy). With such a new program, the state has posted a hefty how-to "alligator hunting guide"(which includes a biological history of its native gator denizens) online. Not in the guide: the use of pom-poms. That's optional. 

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Filed under: Hunting, Alligators, Women, Girls

Since when did Labor Day weekend become a dumping ground for movies? Sandra Bullock is in a bomb of a female stalker comedy, "Beavis & Butthead" creator Mike Judge is out with a snoozer, and "Gamer" decided to leave the bloodletting on the screen and ducked out of showing previews to critics.

And lackluster searches show it: Only Bullock is getting affection, although not for her movie. So either folks stand in line for another showing of "District 9," or they head to an old-fashioned video store and score some stalker flicks.

Rotten Tomatoes and Ask Men have compiled an impressive list, mostly of the truly creepy ilk ("The Hitcher," "Taxi Driver," "Fear") although "There's Something About Mary" and the dark comedy "Chuck & Buck" made its top 10. Light-hearted stalking's not an easy topic, and it's a preoccupation more likely done by a man .

Much critical analyses (including at Cinematical) have been done about the type of women who end up being stalkers (AKA the threatening single career woman). For better or for worse, Hollywood has created enough movie stalkers of all ilk, so it may be less of a feminist issue than in the '90s.

But, you can decide. If you want some guilty, shivery pleasures of menacing ladies or pesty chicks, here's a quick list of what to dig up in the DVD bin:

Ten  Female Film Stakers (Plus A Bonus)

• "Obsessed" (2009). The 21st-century update to "Fatal Attraction," Ali Larter wants her co-worker and good family man Idris Elba. Beyonce, as his wife, does the patootie-kicking. 
• "Notes on a Scandal" (2006). A refined version of female stalking, Judi Dench plays a spinster teacher who specializes in emotional blackmail, and Cate Blanchett her convenient victim. Both received Oscar noms.
• "Swimfan" (2002). Another homage to "Fatal Attraction" but tailor-made for teens. Erika Christensen takes a one-night stand with jock Jesse Bradford very very seriously. Not many surprises, but EW thought Christensen better than the plot.
• "The Crush" (1993). What happens when Lolita doesn't get what she wants? Sweet Alicia Silverstone got her not-so-sweet start as a 14-year-old sociopath who really likes her parents' tenant Cary Elwes.
• "Single White Female" (1992). In the days before Craigslist, people used to advertise for roommates in newspapers. Bridget Fonda opts for seemingly meek Jennifer Jason Leigh, who becomes her doppelganger.
• "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (1992). All those ripped-from-the-headlines stories got bundled up in a complicated plot with Rebecca De Mornay as a woman who miscarried after her husband—accused of molesting patients—commits suicide, and takes elaborate revenge against his accusers by becoming the evil nanny.
• "Misery" (1990). The line ("I'm your number one fan") and her way with a sledgehammer put Kathy Bates on the map in this Stephen King-inspired thriller.
• "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985). Not a stalker film in the strict sense, you still get Rosanna Arquette as a bored housewife who wants to be just like Madonna (who's Susan) but gets entangled with the mob.
• "Fatal Attraction" (1987). The staple of film classes about women roles, the savor-it-or-despise-it update on "Play Misty for Me" cast Michael Douglas (the '80s bad guy even when he pretended to be good) as the philanderer, and Glenn Close as the other woman who doesn't like being spurned.
• "Play Misty for Me" (1971). Clint Eastwood stepped behind the cameras for the first time here, and directed himself as a radio DJ and Jessica Walters who really really really wants to be his gal.
• "All About Eve" (1950). The name that inspired the title "All About Steve," this classic stars Bette Davis as a top-notch Broadway star, and Anne Baxter as the conniving understudy who wants her life.

Filed under: Movies, Women