People say that Mommie Dearest destroyed Crawford's reputation. Joan did quite a number on herself without anyone's help with her crazy choices.

By FAR the best part of Straight-Jacket is Joan's performance…and not in a good way. Just the sheer lunacy that she thinks that she's not only capable of pulling it off, but, in fact BELIEVES that SHE IS, just makes it so incredibly fun to watch. The scene where she incredibly uncomfortably tries to pick up her…

Uh, Alien? Ellen Ripley?

I think in one aspect, Stone would have not worked in the role, and that's the beauty thing. If there's one thing that Stone absolutely cannot play (see: Sliver,) it's insecurities about her looks and age. And I might add that Stone frequently tries to play the 'everyman' roles, such as the mom in that "kids killed…

God, Sharon Stone in the role would have either been brilliant or just brilliantly bad. She's most definitely a crap shoot. (And as much as Crawford was beautiful, Sharon Stone has aged INSANELY well and was hotter than the sun in her heyday. I might have a hard time buying her in the 'feeling old' aspects of the…

To be fair to Lange (again,) it's probably not in her best interest to remotely attempt the Dunaway portrayal. We are, after all, talking about the role that defined Faye Runaway's career and for all practical purposes ended it. I can see how Lange probably decided to humanize Crawford as much as possible. So far, I'm…

No, she didn't. If anything, she preferred the nickname "Billie," but for the most part, she was proud of "Joan Crawford." Bette, in calling her "Lucille," was suggesting that the entirety of Joan's work, which is to say all the effort that she put into creating the persona of "Joan Crawford," was mere artifice, was…

I think the southern accent s supposed to evoke Joan angry and it coming out (I think she was from some dump in Texas?) And Lange does have a great "Joan Crawford" moment when she's angry over Bette's contract. The little half-smile/half-anger moment at the end? Brilliant.

To be fair, Glenn Close is a man, right? :p

It's an insult. It's to remind her that "Joan Crawford" is a creation and that she's really just a backwards street rat playing dress-up, still.

I think that's the general consensus: that it is racist and we do call it out for that, although I can see how it rankles the mind and the heart to hear people talk about how "they focus on the romance." That's just as myopic as not watching it in the first place because racism.

…which means that you're missing out on a terrific book AND a look into the cultural mindset of Imperial England and their justifications for ruling over all those wretched 'savages.'

In most of modern society, that idea of the South wanting to keep slaves is condemned and not celebrated. And yet, all over the country, you'll find memorials to the "heroes" of the South. I personally think we should keep 'em all and place them in context. Like GWTW. Then again, I never looked at GWTW as anything but…

Well, two things. "Half as entertaining" is subjective. I'm quite entertained. And clearly, enough people find it to be quite entertaining or it wouldn't resonate so pervasively. Your "forgiveness" isn't required.

I was referring to the 80 Days book, actually.

From All About Eve:

It can both be racist AND a classic. The Mikado is both racist and classic. So is Around the World in 80 Days.

There are plenty of pieces of art, entertainment, architecture, and more that we humans venerate and elevate, despite their (or perhaps because of) their origins. Perhaps the trick is to place the work in the proper context and then still appreciate it. For example, Triumph of the Will is brilliant. It's also a…

I think it's less about Song of the South being hounded out of existence and more about Disney protecting, curating, and securing its brand image. No other studio has such a clean link between the studio's brand itself and the product that it releases into the market. In addition, GWTW was released by a movie studio…

I love GWTW, but you almost have to view that movie as taking place in a stylized unreality, like it's Moulin Rouge! or something. And while Bette Davis is certainly a better actor than Vivien Leigh, her Scarlett is just divine. That shot of her in the red dress, looking all kinds of hot and guilty is just stunning.