D.E.B.S.

Though it is probably difficult to remember, D.E.B.S. was released earlier this year to a mass critical pan and box office receipts comparable to a Canadian independent film. A few months later, it has found its way to DVD and, in the lesbian community at least, toward the possibility of "cult classic" status. As far as the mass criticism goes, it appears that Ebert and friends may have missed the point. D.E.B.S. is a satire of female action films (see Charlie Angels, etc.) that seems to intentionally lack plot or credible acting to further its point. It stars Jordana Brewster as crime boss Lucy Diamond, who is being trailed by a foursome of post-secondary spies. When they square off, the leader of the "D.E.B.S.," Amy (Sara Foster), goes missing and the remaining girls begin a search to track down Lucy's "secret lair." But as it turns out, Lucy and Amy share a common interest in the ladies, and thus begins the most extreme send-up of a lesbian relationship to hit mainstream audiences since, well, ever. D.E.B.S. is a lot of fun for any orientation and doesn't use the lesbian storyline for shock value or humour but instead manages to create a new subgenre in "girl-on-girl action movies." The DVD contains a ho-hum batch of extras though, including a fairly lively cast and director commentary, deleted scenes, a "making of" featurette and a "comic animatic" that sounds more interesting than it is. However, the movie is certainly interesting and worthy of fulfilling its proposed status as a lesbian cult classic. (Columbia/Sony)