Seduction is the name of the game in Red is the Color of, the feature writing and directorial debut by Anne Norda. The film, which recently won Best Feature Film at the La Femme Film Festival, spins a tantalizing tale about a love triangle involving a husband and wife, both artists, and the husband's model, a sexy, manipulative young woman who plays head games with both of them.

Mary Shaw (Irina Björklund) is a successful artist known for painting with her own blood; her art has spawned a cult of followers who call themselves the "Bloody Marys," who have an unsettling habit of stalking Mary outside her studio and her home. Her husband, David Stellar (Peter Franzen) is also an artist, albeit a less successful one. And like a lot of marriages where the wife is more successful than the husband, David's unspoken, perhaps unacknowledged (even to himself) resentment of his wife succeeding while he struggles forms a powerful undercurrent beneath the surface of their marriage that's threatening its very foundation, although neither of them have yet realized it.

As can sometimes happen when once-happy marriages start to hit roadblocks that threaten their serenity and stability, an outside force comes along to shake things up ... in this case, in the form of Julie (Eliza Pryor Nagel), a blond beauty who looks the picture of innocence, but is really anything but. Julie has her own motivations for playing with Mary and David's marriage, and none of them have anything to do with keeping the couple intact. Julie begins her game with subtle flirting with David, which grows increasingly not-so-subtle over time. David's loyalty to his wife and his attraction to Julie are dueling contradictory forces within him; once David is caught her her spell, Julie ups the stakes by flirting with Mary.

Oh, you knew there was a reason for staying in on a Friday night and surfing around Cinematical. And you'll want to read this story because -- trust me here, folks -- it's definitely a doozy. Apparently, Beyonce Knowles and Eva Longoria have been offered roles in Tipping the Velvet, an adaptation of the Sarah Waters novel. Though nothing is official yet, it appears this will be Sofia Coppola's next film, and both actresses have confirmed their possible involvement. Says Longoria, "Yes, it's true, we're talking about doing that. It's such a wonderful novel, a beautiful love story."

While I've never read it (sorry, but 472-page lesbian stories set in the 1890s aren't exactly my cup of tea), according to the amazon description, this one seems delicious. Here, this should get you started: "With a title that's a euphemism for cunnilingus and a plot awash with graphic lesbian sex, this lush tale fearlessly and feverishly exposes the political, social and sexual subversions of Victorian-era gender-benders: sapphists, libertines and passing women." Great, I'll take that with a side of sweeet! For those of you interested in learning a bit more about Tipping the Velvet (like I really have to ask), the book was already adapted into a BBC television drama serial back in 2002. And it's on DVD. And now you have something to do this weekend. You're welcome.

For reasons that have not been even slightly explained, Mike Figgis made an eight minute film shilling for lingerie house Agent Provocateur. The bad news is that he's a total sellout. The good news - depending on what interests you - is that he's sold out to make lesbian porn. Seriously. Titled Tied Up at the Office, it's shot in grain black and white and features some women, lacy underwear, lots of touching, some panting, and a touch of bondage at work.

While I'm afraid I'm a little light on details (I couldn't tell any of the women apart - there were either like six or only two of them. And there either was a Mannequin-style transformation thing going on, or there wasn't. What do you want from me? It's poorly lit, ok?), the thing really is pretty sexy, in a voyeuristic sort of way. I don't, however, feel a greater need to buy trashy fancy lingerie than I did before watching it, so I'm not sure it actually worked as an advertisement for the company. But at least I've heard of them now, so that's something. Good work, Mike.

So in case you somehow missed it, the "Read" link below is NSFW.

[via fimoculous.com]

It took me a few days to work my way through The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival DVD after I received a review copy. I don't like watching a number of short films one after another; I prefer to view one or two at a time, then taking a break to let them soak in and reflect on what I saw. Too many films at once can make your brain glaze over, whether they are shorts or features; ask anyone who's ever submerged themselves full-force into a film festival.

"Ultimate" seems rather strong to describe the content of the DVD. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from an ultimate DVD of lesbian films. Apart from a screening at aGLIFF last year, my exposure to lesbian-themed short films has been fairly limited, but I enjoyed the shorts on this DVD. The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival runs the gamut from comedy to drama to fantasy, with only one film explicitly addressing sex.

I liked the fact that nearly all the films treated lesbians and women in general with dignity and respect. Blow  presents a funny and touching look at Australian teenage girls who don't seem to much like the boys, but who are quite realistic young women. Tina Paulina: Living on Hope Street is a short documentary about a one-eyed gay homeless woman whom the filmmaker happens to meet on a street corner. Many filmmakers might consider the woman a prime subject for slyly mocking comedy, but Michelle Boyaner and Barbara Green portray her as a multi-dimensional human being ... in under 10 minutes, yet. Dani & Alice provides a glimpse into the end of an abusive relationship, but offers some understanding of both parties involved.

• "Our poor little Dogtown movie is going to be crushed by Star Wars." Emile Hirsch, star of Lords of Dogtown, sulks through dinner in Venice.
• Saving Face is "The first movie wholly about Chinese-Americans bankrolled by Hollywood since Disney released The Joy Luck Club in 1993." Ed Leibowitz explains how it got made.
• Terrence Rafferty on James Dean: "Dying young means never having to rebrand."
• Luis Mandoki, a Mexican-born director best known for a handful of irrisistibly drippy Hollywood romances (Message in a Bottle, White Palace), has gone back to his homeland to make a documentary about a highly-charged mayoral election.
• Joel Topcik timelines School of Rock vs. Rock School, allows doc director to vent.
• Blah blah blah Jane Fonda is old, blah blah blah let's figure out what to do about that.