Guinevere Turner Movies
Recognized as one of the more important players in the 1990s independent film scene, Guinevere Turner began her career as the star, co-writer, and co-producer of Rose Troche's groundbreaking lesbian ensemble film Go Fish (1994). A native of Boston, where she was born May 23, 1968, Turner gained a substantial dose of art house recognition for her work on Go Fish, which ultimately became touted as one of the seminal gay and lesbian films of the '90s, as well as one of the most important independent films of that decade. Following Go Fish, Turner starred in another noteworthy independent, Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman (1996). Although the film received only lukewarm reviews, it became caught up in controversy when actor Alec Baldwin cited it in his much publicized defense of NEA funding. Turner subsequently appeared in a number of diverse films, including the S&M comedy Preaching to the Perverted (1997) and Kevin Smith's Dogma (1999). In 2000, she again made headlines as the co-writer of Mary Harron's controversial adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho; Turner also had a supporting role in the film. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi- 2010
In 2009, a handful of well-respected names in lesbian filmmaking came together to create a new collaborative project -- director Cheryl Dunye, screenwriter Sarah Schulman, and actors VS Brodie, Skyler Cooper, Deak Evangenikos, Lisa Gornick and Guinivere Turner teamed up to make the independent drama The Owls, which used the framework of a murder mystery to examine the changing shape of same-sex relationships and how different generations view issues of concern to the queer community. However, when a number of talented but strongly opinionated artists join forces to work on a project, sparks can fly, especially when money and time is at a premium. Filmmaker Anna Margarita Albelo was on hand to document the making of The Owls, and her film Hooters is a witty behind-the-scenes look at the trials and tribulations of making an independent film, as well as the challenges of keeping the peace among a group of opinionated creative minds with healthy egos. Hooters was an official selection at the 2010 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2009
Pioneering feminist filmmaker Cheryl Dunye directed this independent drama about four women struggling to make sense of their past and live down one particular evening. Iris (Guinevere Turner) and M.J. (V.S. Brodie) are a Lesbian couple who live in Los Angeles, while their friends Lily (Lisa Gornick) and Carol (Cheryl Dunye) are another couple with a home nearby. Iris, M.J. and Lily were all members of a once-successful all-female rock band, but now that they're middle aged, they're in an uncomfortable position where they feel culture and politics are passing them by while a new generation of women is hardly aware of the struggles of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A year before, the two couples were at Iris and M.J.'s house for a party when a younger guest, Cricket (Deak Evgenikos), got into a drunken argument; the cross words turned into a fight, and Cricket was accidentally killed. The four women buried Cricket's body and have been keeping the matter a secret, though fliers posted by Cricket's friends suggest they're still looking for her. One evening, a strong, androgynous young woman named Skye (Skyler Cooper) pays a visit to Lily and Carol's home, and Carol, clearly attracted, lets her in even though they've never met. However, Carol soon realizes she's made a mistake -- Skye clearly believes Carol knows something about Cricket's disappearance, and isn't about to leave until the finds out the truth. The Owls (the title is meant to be an acronym for "Older, Wiser Lesbians") was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Guinevere Turner, V.S. Brodie, (more)
A secretary turns small-scale revolutionary in this satiric comedy drama from director Jamie Babbit. Anna (Melonie Diaz) is a woman in her early twenties who has recently graduated from college but is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life. Anna works as a receptionist for a plastic surgeon, but has mixed feelings about how he manipulates women's negative self-image for profit. Anna is also single and a lesbian, and is having a hard time meeting new women after breaking up with her latest girlfriend. One evening, Anna sees a woman spray painting graffiti on the side of the building where she works, encouraging women to not get breast enlargement surgery; Anna is intrigued and introduces herself. The vandal is Sadie (Nicole Vicius), the leader of a group of lesbian counter-cultural pranksters who call themselves "C*nts in Action," or the CIA. Sadie takes a liking to Anna and invites her to join fellow members Shulamith (Carly Pope), Aggie (Lauren Mollica), and Meat (Deak Evgenikos) as they deface billboards and put up homemade sculptures of feminist icons in public parks. Anna likes the CIA and their aggressive style, and she is strongly attracted to Sadie; eventually, they sleep together, but Anna soon learns Sadie already has a longtime companion, Courtney (Melanie Mayron), and she begins to wonder if she can support every position the CIA has embraced. Itty Bitty Titty Committee was voted Best Feature Film at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Melonie Diaz, Nicole Vicius, (more)
The war against the forces of darkness becomes a family affair in this cinematic prequel to the popular video game Bloodrayne. In 16th century Europe, Lord Kagan (Ben Kingsley) is an evil ruler who holds more power than any man alive, but he still dreams of having more, and when he's told of three magic talismans who, when united, will give him intense supernatural strength and the gift of immortality, he will stop at nothing to attain them. However, three warriors who have learned how to battle the forces of darkness -- Vladimir (Michael Madsen), Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez), and Sebastian (Matt Davis) -- have formed the Brimstone Society, with the goal of stripping Kagan of his power and restoring justice to their land. They can't accomplish this on their own, though, so they enlist the aid of Rayne (Kristanna Loken), a half-human, half-vampire who can approach Kagan's sinister gifts while having a desire to do good. However, Rayne is torn about signing on with the Brimstone Society, and for a good reason -- Kagan is her father. Scripted by actress, screenwriter, and video-game enthusiast Guinevere Turner, BloodRayne also stars Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Billy Zane, Michael Paré, and Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez, (more)
- 2005
Fresh from appearances in gay and lesbian film festivals around the world, Roberta Marie Munroe's 12-minute short Dani and Alice stars Yolonda Ross and Lisa Branch, respectively, as the pair of the title, entwined in a passionate lesbian affair that turns volatile, exploding into a fit of violence that will tragically end the girls' relationship forever. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yolonda Ross, Lisa Branch, (more)
Celebrated and vilified in equal measure, the pinup goddess Bettie Page inspired a legion of followers -- and an indecency scandal -- by appearing in a series of nude, sado-masochistic, and/or revealing magazine spreads in the 1950s. An era later, writer/director Mary Harron casts a knowing eye upon the woman who indirectly gave birth to modern pornography in the biopic The Notorious Bettie Page. As a teen, Page (Gretchen Mol) is a smart, plucky girl with ambitions beyond her Tennessee roots. Suffering varying degrees of abuse from her father, her first husband, and suitors of dubious virtue, Page makes her way to New York City, where an amateur photographer discovers her lounging on the beach. It isn't long before images of the shapely brunette reach Irving and Paula Klaw (Chris Bauer and Lili Taylor), brother-and-sister entrepreneurs who publish illicit magazines dedicated primarily to men's fetishes. The casual nudist Page eventually finds herself acquiescing to their requests to don thigh-high boots, whips, and chains, which raise the ire of the smut-fearing senator Estes Kefauver (David Strathairn). The Notorious Bettie Page had its North American premiere at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gretchen Mol, Christopher Bauer, (more)
A plumber looking for love hopes to find romance by impersonating a movie director in this offbeat independent comedy. David Kulovic (Martin Donovan) is a single guy who doesn't have much luck impressing the ladies, a dilemma he attributes to the poor opinion most people have of his trade, plumbing. One day, David is mistaken for a well-known film director, and discovers people, especially women, seem a great deal more friendly toward him when they think he works in the movies. David's case of mistaken identity gives him a brainstorm, and with the help of his pal R.J. (Kevin Carroll), he decides to pass himself off as a struggling independent filmmaker, hoping to meet aspiring actresses at his bogus casting calls. Of course, a filmmaker needs a script, and David swipes one from one of his neighbors, Toni Edelman (Mary-Louise Parker, who is trying to get her own foot in the door of the film business). As it happens, Toni's screenplay happens to be quite good, and soon David's nonexistent project is developing a very real buzz in indie film circles. Seeing this as her big chance at a career in Hollywood, Toni begins coaching David in how to act like a filmmaker in the hopes they can actually get David's phantom picture off the ground. Writer and director John C. Walsh based Pipe Dream in part on his own experiences as he was making his first feature film, Ed's Next Move. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker, (more)
A woman looking for some familial support as she tries to break things off with her no-good husband finds that her sister-in-law's interest in her troubles is more that just friendly in this drama. Darla Carter (Guinevere Turner) is a woman living in the rural south with her husband, Myers (Bill Sage). Myers is handsome and sporadically charming, but that's about all he has going for him; he can't hold a job, he drinks too much, he often disappears without warning or explanation, and he has a violent streak. Darla has just about had her fill with Myers, and wants to kick him out of the house. However, when Darla discovers she's pregnant, she hesitates, wondering if keeping Myers around might be the best thing for her child. Concluding that she'd be better off without him, Darla decides to confront Myers with his misdeeds, and asks her sister-in-law, Jolene (Dot-Marie Jones), to join her for moral support. However, Darla is seemingly ignorant of the fact that Jolene is a lesbian, and shares her brother's attraction to Darla. Stray Dogs was the debut feature from director Catherine Crouch; Crouch also wrote the screenplay, adapted from a stage drama by Julie Jensen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Guinevere Turner, Bill Sage, (more)
Bret Easton Ellis's dark and violent satire of America in the 1980s is brought to the screen in this unsettling drama with blackly comic overtones. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy Wall Street financier, is pursuing his own lucrative career with his father's firm. Bateman is the prototypical yuppie, obsessed with success, fashion, and style. He is also a serial killer who murders, rapes, and mutilates both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or reason. Donald Kimble (Willem Dafoe), a police detective, questions Bateman about the disappearance of Paul Allen (Jared Leto), whom Patrick murdered several days earlier. As Kimble stays on Bateman's trail, Bateman's mask of studied, distant cool begins to fall apart. American Psycho also features Reese Witherspoon as Bateman's girlfriend, as well as Samantha Mathis, Chloe Sevigny, and Guinevere Turner; the latter also co-authored the screenplay. Controversy followed the production from the start, when speculation that Leonardo Di Caprio would play Bateman sparked concerns that he would lure preteens to an R-rated movie. Di Caprio soon bowed out of the project, and original leading man Bale was reinstated. Later, a group of Toronto residents attempted to block filming in that city after Canadian serial killer Paul Bernardo claimed that Ellis's novel inspired his murder spree. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, (more)
Would you believe that the last living descendent of Jesus Christ is a woman working at an abortion clinic in Illinois? And that she's been sent on a holy mission with two minor characters from Clerks and Mallrats as her guides? Prepare to suspend any and all disbelief as you watch the religious satire Dogma, the fourth film from writer/director Kevin Smith. Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) has been disappointed in life and has found her faith severely tested after her husband leaves her when she discovers she cannot have children. So Bethany is all the more puzzled when she's approached by Metatron (Alan Rickman), a grumpy angel. Metatron wants her to help him stop Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), two fallen angels who were ejected from paradise, have escaped from exile and are heading to New Jersey. If they are able to pass through the arc of a certain church, it will prove God is fallible and the world will come to a swift end. Bethany has no idea what to do or why she's been given this project, but she heads out anyway, with her assigned assistants Jay (Jason Mewes), an appallingly rude former dope dealer and self-styled ladies man, and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Along the way, Bethany picks up more helpers, including a celestial muse named Serendipity (Salma Hayek) and Rufus (Chris Rock), who claims to have been the 13th apostle and that Jesus owes him 12 dollars. Boasting a huge supporting cast -- including George Carlin, Jason Lee, Janeane Garofalo, Bud Cort, and Alanis Morissette (as God) -- Dogma proved to be highly controversial even before its release. Miramax Pictures, owned by Disney, financed the film, but several weeks before Dogma's world premier at the Cannes Film Festival, they announced they would not release the picture and intended to sell it to another distributor (which would turn out to be Lions Gate Films). Director Smith, however, has always contended that Dogma is a film about the importance of faith, if not organized religion. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, George Carlin, (more)
- 1999
Treasure Island is an experimental, 16 mm black-and-white drama written, directed, and photographed by producer Scott King. The loosely constructed plot shows the private lives of two British code-crackers (Lance Baker and Nick Offerman) during WWII who decode letters and look for hidden meanings behind the words. As a counterintelligence ploy, they decide to drop a dead body off the coast of Japan before a discovered invasion. The film then turns to these men's personal lives and the problems with the women they love, along with the secrets they hide. Frank is married to two women yet is pursing a third, while Samuel and his wife Penny are in a ménage à trois. As the pressures of their lives begin to eat away at them, the dead body starts to enter Frank and Samuel's subconscious, interacting with the private stories of their lives. The film continually asks the question, "What is real and what is fiction?" Treasure Island won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lance Baker, Nick Offerman, (more)
A cold-blooded jewel thief seduces an innocent Death Valley girl longing to escape her bleak surroundings in this thriller, which proves temptation can come in all forms. In the aftermath of a jewel heist gone awry, Samantha leaves her dying boyfriend at the scene of the crime. Later, when Samantha's truck breaks down in the scorching heart of Death Valley, young, innocent June approaches her and the pair strikes up a fast friendship. Though June is immediately drawn to Samantha's free spirit, it doesn't take long for the murderous thief's dark side to emerge and plunge the pair into a harrowing journey from which there may be no return. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Del Sherman, Brett Harrelson, (more)
A young man learns that love hurts (or at least it does if you're doing it right) in this saucy comedy from England. Henry Harding (Tom Bell) is a member of British Parliament and a self-styled moral crusader who is deeply disturbed by reports that Tanya Cheex (Guinevere Turner), a dominatrix from the U.S., has opened a night club for S&M enthusiasts in England. Harding is determined to put Cheex out of business, but first he needs to collect evidence of her activities, so Harding persuades Peter Emery (Christian Anholt) -- a young man with political ambitions, Christian principles, and his virginity intact -- to attend the club incognito and videotape the proceedings. To Peter's great surprise, he discovers that he rather likes a bit of spanking and leather fetishism, and he soon becomes quite infatuated with Tanya, making him all the less inclined to help shut down her club. Preaching to the Perverted presented Guinevere Turner in her first starring role after her breakthrough in the acclaimed independent feature Go Fish. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Guinevere Turner, Christien Anholt, (more)
The first film by and about an African-American lesbian, writer-director Cheryl Dunye's fantasy is a "mockumentary," focusing on recapturing the life and times of a fictionalized 1930s Hollywood actress. Dunye plays herself as a video store employee who yearns to be a director. She decides to make a documentary about Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson), a forgotten African-American actress from the 1930s. Dunye discovers the woman, who often played degrading roles as a "mammy" in Hollywood films, was the secret lover of a white director, Martha Paige. Dunye interviews feminist historian Camille Paglia (playing herself), who explains Richards' career and its importance. While researching the project, Dunye falls in love with Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white customer. But her unceasing work on the film project interferes with her relationships with Diana and also with her friend and fellow video store employee Tamara (Valarie Walker). ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, (more)
This hit arthouse ensemble piece traces the romantic and political ups and downs of a group of multicultural Chicago lesbians. The central story involves an unlikely romance between Max (Guinevere Turner), a hip young babe, and Ely (V.S. Brodie), a slightly older woman involved in a long-term, long-distance relationship that's basically a smokescreen for her fear of romantic risk. When the pair are introduced by Max's roommate, teacher/activist Kia (T. Wendy McMillan), Max isn't interested in Ely, whose long hair, hippie accoutrements, and fondness for decaffeinated herbal tea don't impress the younger, more fashion-conscious woman. Soon, though, fate, friends, and Ely's butch new hairstyle conspire to push the women closer together. As this new romance inches along, the pair's friends have problems of their own: Kia must help her closeted girlfriend, Evy (Migdalia Melendez), come to grips with the disapproval of her conservative Latina mother, while their pal Daria (Anastasia Sharp) incurs the disapproval of the lesbian community for her decision to sleep with a man. Filmed in black and white on-location in Chicago, Go Fish features a number of non-standard narrative devices, most notably the Greek chorus, or "jury," of lesbians who comment on not only the plot, but also the political and social ramifications thereof. Shown in competition at Sundance in 1994, Go Fish went on to earn critical and commercial success and establish the careers of director Rose Troche and actress Turner, who together co-wrote and co-produced the picture. Turner would appear in several additional indies and co-write the script for American Psycho, while Troche would go on to helm 1998's Bedrooms & Hallways. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Guinevere Turner
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