Hello lesbians! Goodbye gays!

The boys have had their fun in recent weeks with an award-winning gay film (Lan Yu), gay characters (in Four Brothers and The Wig) and a gay director (Stanley Kwan showcasing two films).

But for the next two weeks, it will be the dykes' turn to burn up the screens.

Yes, Sapphic sisters, starting this Thursday, the cinemas will be overrun by strong dykes from all over the globe.

Top on the list is the South Korean film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, the third and final part of the superb revenge trilogy by director Park Choon-Wok (the first two are Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Old Boy). It stars Lee Yeong-Ae as a woman who was wrongly convicted for murder. Released from prison after 13 years, she goes about exacting her revenge. Though she is not a lesbian, the film has quite a few lesbian characters.

Next up, slashing in from France is the gory horror flick High Tension, with a very cute lesbian character in the lead. Cecile de France (who resembles a young Patricia Arquette) plays a hot college student who must save the girl she fancies from a male psychokiller.

The third film that might interest lesbian viewers is the airborne thriller Flight Plan, starring Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster who's long rumored to be gay.

But the real icing on our big Sapphic cake is the film that opens not this week, but the next — Saving Face. As you girls already know, Saving Face is the wonderful Asian-American lesbian romance about a beautiful dyke surgeon who falls for a sexy dyke dancer. Yummeee… And as if that wasn't enough, the young surgeon's mother is played by the siren for all seasons, Joan Chen.

So girls, come on in and jump on those seats! It's been awhile since you got to have this much fun...

She bangs, she bangs…

Serious movie buff have been waiting two years for Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, the concluding part of the acclaimed revenge trilogy by South Korean whiz-director Park Chan-wook. Having wowed the world with his Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002) and Old Boy (2003) — the first two hyper-violent films — Park returns with the final story of a woman going to hell and back to exact revenge.

Willowy beauty Lee Yeong-Ae plays a naïve woman who is arrested for murdering a young boy. She maintains that she is innocent, but the court rules otherwise. Imprisoned for 13 long years, she becomes smart as a whip and tough as nails (her friends in jail include a few lesbians). When she is released from prison, she goes after the men responsible for her misery...

Now, if you're expecting to be shell-shocked by hyperbolic violence and implausible body-counts — as you were by the first two films — you may be a tad disappointed. Compared to them, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is more mired in melodrama, as it tells a story of a woman coming to grips with the ugly ways of the world. The hard-hitting carnage only kicks in the last part of the film. So lovers of gore and violence, who lapped up Old Boy, have to be a little patient.

Still, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is a must-watch for serious movie buffs. Director Park is a virtuoso of the modern action film, a supremely talented stylist to rival the likes of John Woo and Sam Peckinpah. Though this final film is the weakest of the three, Park's revenge triptych is undoubtedly one of the most daring trilogies in contemporary cinema.

Aaaah… when it comes to art films, the French still do it better than most. The French Film Festival returns to Singapore this week, bringing a few gems for the discerning LGBT viewer again.

One of them is Son Frere (My Brother, showing on 28 Oct, 3 and 6 Nov). This extraordinary film tells the story of Thomas, a weak and dying heterosexual man who seeks help from his gay brother Luc. Despite the fact that Thomas previously rejected Luc because of his sexual orientation, Luc nonetheless takes him in and cares for him. A strong bond develops between the two.

Directed by Patrice Chereau, the film takes a long and hard look at the issue of disease, death and dying. But the weeping centre of the movie is surely the touching relationship between the straight and gay brothers. Not to be missed. more>>

Also of interest to LGBT viewers is Douches Froides (Cold Showers, showing on 30 Oct). This homoerotic film about a school captain of a judo team is filled with loving shots of him in judo practice, the locker room and shower. And let not forget the three-way sex he has with his beautiful girlfriend and buddy. more>>

Look out also for Gazon Maudit (French Twist), a Golden Globe-nominated comedy of mistaken (sexual) identities. Wildly hilarious. more>>

For a full list of films and schedule, visit www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg. Tickets can be purchased online at www.sistic.com.sg.

Here's a slasher flick for lesbians — that is, if you can take its high quotient of gore and violence. (Don't say we didn't warn you…)

Cute-as-a-button Cecile De France plays a sexy dyke who goes to stay at the farmhouse of her best girlfriend (Maiwenn Le Besco). Maiwenn is straight, but Cecile has a crush on her anyway. On the night that they arrive at the farmhouse, a lunatic killer comes a-knocking. Maiwenn is kidnapped, and it is up to Cecile to save her.

Now, as much as we love horror movies and slasher flicks, this one really made our stomachs turn. Director Alexandre Aja seems to know no bounds when it comes to depicting the gruesome acts of the psycho-killer. His specialty — the killer's as well as the director's — seems to be slashing the throat or cutting the entire head of the victim, so that blood can gush out like water from a broken fire-hydrant.

Yuck... Don't eat before you watch this.

Submarines used to be the most popular settings for thrillers (Das Boot, U-571, Crimson Tide, The Hunt for Red October). Characters are stuck at the bottom of the ocean in a dim and gloomy vessel. How can that not be scary?

In a post-9/11 America, however, it's the airplane that's become the dim and gloomy vessel for characters to be stuck in. After Wes Craven's recent hit Red Eye, the latest airplane thriller to take off (or not) is Flight Plan starring Jodie Foster.

Jodie, who's long rumoured to be a lesbian, plays a steely single mother of a young girl. Taking her daughter onboard a flight, they both fall asleep. When Jodie wakes up, her daughter is gone. However, all the passengers on the plane claimed to have not seen the little girl, nor is the girl's name registered on the passenger list…

Jodie, who's won the Oscar for Best Actress twice, really knows how to play strong-willed women. But apart from her stellar performance, Flight Plan just isn't that great a movie. It tries its darnednest to keep you on the edge of your seat, but after awhile, the plot just feels tedious and implausible.

Singapore censors has finally allowed this landmark gay film to be shown in the cinema, after banning it four years ago. The beautiful gay story stars Hu Jun as a wealthy businessman who has flings with boys but ultimately wants to settle down with a woman. He meets Lan Yu (Liu Ye), a beautiful waif of a boy who exudes more mystique than a bottle of expensive cologne. Their tumultuous on-off affair lasts for several years.

Directed by gay Hong Kong director Stanley Kwan, the film is soaked in old-fashioned melodrama. But what keep it watchable are the stellar performances by the lead actors. Winner of four Golden Horse awards as well as a handful of international awards. Don't miss it.

READ Fridae Lifestyle Movie Review. Also in Chinese.

Korean megastar Bae Yong-jun may be worshipped by middle-aged aunties everywhere. But he seems to have zero appeal among gay men, what with that woman-ish curly mop of hair and waxy mannequin features.

His latest big-budget melodrama, however, is very watchable. Bae plays a man whose wife gets involved in a serious car accident. At the hospital he meets Son Ye-jin, a woman whose husband is also involved in the same accident. It slowly dawns on them that their respective spouses were having an affair.

Director Hur Jin-ho is a sensitive helmer who manages to draw good performances from the stars and make all the various elements work quietly together.

The Wig stars Yu Son and Chae Min-so as a pair of sisters, one of whom is tragically diagnosed with cancer and may die within the year. When her hair starts to fall out, the healthy sister buys her a wig to cover her bald patches. Little does she know that the wig is cursed…

The Wig is a mediocre horror film that may interest GLB audiences because of the substantial gay element in the plot. Revealing more, however, would ruin the surprise.

You girls might want to watch this horror movie for the simple fact that Kate Hudson walks around in her underwear two-thirds of the time — even though the plot is as flat as Kate's stomach and the characters as thin as her arms.

Kate plays a hospice worker who has been hired to care for an invalid (John Hurt) at a big 'ole spooky house. She notices weird things, such as the locked attic and the trail of red powder around the house. Did someone say hoodoo?

Sammi Cheng plays Wang Qi Yao, a famous Shanghainese beauty whose fate and fortunes are closely intertwined with the political changes in China. Qi Yao's romances with various handsome suitors (Hu Jun, Daniel Wu, Huang Jue) will make gay viewers green with envy.

Directed by gay filmmaker Stanley Kwan (Lan Yu, Centrestage), the mise-en-scene is lavish in the beginning. But as the reels roll on, the film starts to lose steam. Anxious to cover the epic scope of the book, the film moves from one crucial episode to another without much dramatic depth. Sammi also has great difficulty ageing her character in the second half.

Still, fans of Chinese cinema, politics and history shouldn't miss this ambitious production.

READ Fridae Lifestyle Movie Review.

You were going to watch this flesh parade whether the reviews are good or bad, right? After all, which girl can resist the prospect of seeing Jessica Alba and Ashley Scott in itsy-bitsy bikinis? And who can deny that Paul Walker's naturally buff body ("I don't lift weights — I surf," the actor says in real-life) will thrill the boys to no end?

Into The Blue tells the story of a group of friends (Paul, Jessica, Ashley and Scott Caan) who go treasure-diving one day, only to find a plane full of cocaine and a legendary shipwreck filled with jeweled artifacts. This finding leads to a lot of chases and fights that climax in a 15-minute fit of violence.

Kim Ki-Duk is the South Korean maverick who brought you such sublime, contemplative films as 3-Iron and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… And Spring. He is back with The Bow, which tells the story of an Old Man (Jeon Sung-hwan) who lives on a boat with a teenage girl.

As with his past films, Kim Ki-Duk explores the essence and enigma of love within an abstract narrative. The two lovers never speak to each other, but their gestures are enough to convey their thoughts. The result is a delicate love story that should send some fans into rapture, and spawn some new fans. But others may find his themes and style repetitive.

If you looove comedies, then we strongly recommend The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Indeed, some of you might conclude that this is the best movie of the week.

Steve Carrell plays the titular character Andy, a friendly nerd who's never had sex before. Because of some weird teenage incidents that scared him off sex, he has managed to turn 40 without even knowing the touch of a woman. Enter Catherine Keener, a jaded divorcee who's been hurt too many times and looking for something else. Sparks ensue..

Anyone looking for a good laugh won't regret spending their hard-earned dollars on this one. It is truly, genuinely funny.

Sexy 26-year-old Garrett Hedlund plays a gay musician and one of the brothers in this new action-packed movie. Yup, you heard right — a “gay” character in an “action-packed movie”. There are not many action movies that treat GLB characters with respect. But this one does.

Garrett plays the youngest of four brothers who are out to avenge the murder of their mother. And while Garrett gets teased about his sexuality a lot, his macho brothers don't love him any less.

Directed by action maestro John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, 2 Fast 2 Furious), Four Brothers boasts some terrific action sequences, including a smashing car chase sequence.

READ Fridae Lifestyle Movie Review.

We've always adored writer-director Tim Burton for his wonderfully dark and macabre imagination. And indeed, he is much better at making up creepy graveyard tales (Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow) than stories that are shot in daylight (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

It is no surprise then that he is thoroughly at home in his new animation, Corpse Bride. It tells the wickedly strange tale of a man (voice of Johnny Depp) who's about to be married to a sweet young woman (voice of Emily Watson). Just before the wedding, the nervous young lad decides to rehearse his wedding vows at a cemetery. Unwittingly, he finds himself married to a dead woman (Helena) instead…

This animation may filled with skeletons and zombies. But it has more heart and soul than most movies about the living.

This Hollywood version of Japanese horror film Dark Water stars the impossibly beautiful Jennifer Connelly as a woman who was recently separated from her husband.

She brings her young daughter to live in New York's Roosevelt Island, but the new apartment they're moving into is haunted. The puddles in the elevator and the wet stain in the ceiling all point to a strange past involving water…

Unfortunately, the Hollywood version isn't quite as thrilling as the original. The Japanese way of generating scares using minimalist means does not always translate well in Hollywood terms.

The original is available in DVD shops here if you want to check it out.

Here's the big-budget epic-adventure from Hong Kong that many are eager to watch. Shot in various parts of China, it stars action figure Jackie Chan as a modern-day archaeologist who stumbles upon a hidden mausoleum.

Thanks to an ancient spell, Jackie is transported back in time to his previous life as a Qin dynasty general who is in love with a Korean princess (Kim Hee-seon). She, however, is betrothed to the Qin emperor.

Written and directed by Stanley Tong (Police Story 3), this ambitious project has been hyped to the max. But it doesn't always deliver. Its Indiana Jones-type storyline takes audiences to some magnificent locations and sets, but the story itself has loopholes and implausible moments.