Sue's Corner- Finale

A week-long celebration of the fierce Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Whether you're a Gleek or not, you gotta love the woman.

Move over Chuck Norris, Sue's in town!

I have to call the Ohio Secretary of State notifying them I will no longer be carrying photo ID, wanna know why? People should know who I am.

And That's how Sue C's it!

Sue's Corner- The Hair

A week-long celebration of the fierce Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Whether you're a Gleek or not, you gotta love the woman.

Move over Chuck Norris, Sue's in town!

I don't trust a man with curly hair. I can't help picturing small birds laying sulphorous eggs in there. And I find it disgusting! 


You're too busy chasing tail and loading your hair with enourmous amounts of product. I mean today it just looks like you put lard in it.

I want to bring some Asian cookery to rub your head with. Because right now you've got enough product in your hair to season a wok.


To be honest Will, I'm having a really difficult time hearing anything you have to say today. Because your hair looks like a briar patch. I keep expecting racist animated Disney characters to pop up and start singing songs about living on the bayou.

Oh hey, William. I thought I smelt cookies wafting from the ovens of little elves who live in your hair.

Outstanding!

Green Porno and Seduce Me

Best biology lessons ever!


Synopsis
'Green Porno' and 'Seduce Me' are a series of short educational movies on animal's sex life. The projects are produced, directed and written by Isabella Rossellini.


Review

 'How did Noah do it? Hermaphrodite, transvestite, transgender, transsexuals, poligamy, monogamy, homosexual, bisexual... How can it all be, a heterosexual?' 

These short films are a great exercise in human humility and tolerance. They show, in an incredibly effortless and quirky way, that we are very much part of the animal kingdom. Nature is full of all types of sexual activities. Nothing that humans do haven't been done before by a sneaky cattle fish or creative spiders. Nothing that humans define themselves as haven't existed among animals for quite some time.


'Seduce me' and 'Green Porno' also explore the creative possibilities of new technologies. They were initially developed for small screen use (mobiles, IPods). The production costs are low. But, they suffice for couple of minutes of informative and funny videos. In other words, they are a perfect type of smart entertainment for a ride on the bus or a tube.

I am crossing my fingers for another season!


All episodes can be found at The Sundance Channel under this link

Sue's Corner- Sneaky Gays

A week-long celebration of the fierce Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Whether you're a Gleek or not, you gotta love the woman.

Move over Chuck Norris, Sue's in town!

On gays:

Sue (to Kurt): So you like show tunes, it doesn't mean you're gay. It just makes you awful.

Sue (in the headteacher's office): Gay parents encourage rebellion. There are studies on this.

The weekly buzz

I'm catching up with the wonderful ladies from Women in Enterteinment at their annual breakfast. I am also sharing some love for the Women in Film and TV Award.



Sharry Lansing Leadership Award and Women in The Entertainment Power List.

'In 1992, The Hollywood Reporter published its first Women in Entertainment List. The Power 100 list is a chance to celebrate how far women in the industry have come. But, more importantly, it also forces everyone to consider how to move forward' wrote Janice Minn in her Letter From The Editor. 


Helen Mirren was given a Sharry Lansing Leadership Award. She was introduced by the amazing Halle Berry (for some odd reason, I can't embed the video to Halle's speech. I hope to rectify it soon).

In the interview Helen gave to The Hollywood Reporter, we read:

THR: You’ve won fans as a role model for having sex appeal in your 60s. How does that make you feel?

Mirren: A bit cross, actually. We have to let go of this crap. It creates even more pressure on women, and I certainly don’t want to be a part of that. I’m not beautiful; I clean up nice. Why don’t we talk about the fact, for example, that I just did Arthur, and the cinematographer was a woman, the film operator was a woman, the whole camera team were women? That’s where we should be putting our attention. The fact that I look good at the age I am is bloody irrelevant.

Helen Mirren's acceptance speech:





Women in Film and TV Awards

WFTV is a British organisation which provides a great networking chance for thousands of women in the media industries. It also conducts a mentorship programme. This year, Sheila Hancock received a special award. "When I started in the business, there were no women in executive positions, no women producers or directors and certainly no camera women," said Hancock, who got her first big television break in the early 1960s. Carey Mulligan won the award for best performance at Friday's ceremony. Andrea Arnold won for best director. Jane Goldman won the writing prize.

Sue's Corner- Motivating cheerleaders

A week-long celebration of the fierce Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Whether you're a Gleek or not, you gotta love the woman.

Move over Chuck Norris, Sue's in town!

Sloppy, freak-show babies! 

You think this is hard? I'm passing a goldstone as we speak! That's hard!

This is what we call a total disaster ladies. I'm going to ask you to smell your armpits. That's the smell of failure and it's stinking up my office.

Sue (to Brittany and Santana): I misjudged you. You may be two of the stupidest teens I've ever encountered. And that's saying something. I once taught a cheerleading seminar to a young Sarah Palin.

Outstanding!

Ginger Snaps vs The Company of Wolves

Ginger: [suicide note] No comment. 

Ginger Snaps- Synopsis

Ginger and Brigitte are sisters. They enjoy your average teenager's games. Like, taking photos of each other while pretending to be dead. They have the usual girly chats, mostly about offing yourself ('Suicide is like.. the ultimate fuck you'). One day they run into a warewolf. Just another day in a teenagers life.


The Company of Wolves- Synopsis
Based on Angela Carter's book 'The Bloody Chamber' a feminist deconstruction of folk tales. Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) falls asleep and through her dreams we are told the story of a certain wolf and a girl in the red hood.

Review (spoilers)

The reception of 'Ginger Snaps' was enthusiastic. The movie almost immediately was hailed a feminist warewolf film. In fact, its writer (Karen Walton) was convinced to take part in the project only after being reassured it is not going to repeat cliches of women that are so abundant in horror. The movie is a low-budget production that exceeds in its professionalism many of the blockbusters. It's a hilarious dark comedy, amazingly acted and with a superb directing. I can't imagine anyone not having heaps of fun watchig it. The only question is, is it really a feminist movie? And how does it compare to the one based on Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber: The Company of Wolves?

Brigitte: Just say you won't go average on me.

Ginger: Just 'cause some gonad gets his zipper going? I'd rather be dead. 

Ginger Snaps' plays on the 'gowing through puberty' motif in an extremely smart way. The story focuses on two sisters who try to live through the high-school. They walk the walk and talk the talk of the outsiders in this world. What they have is each other, that's all they care about. If they rebel, it's internal and more to do with their life philosphy, than with getting waisted and laid. On one full moon night things change. Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) gets her period and has an encounter of the third kind with a warewolf. The inevitable force of nature takes her over. Her body changes, she starts fooling round with boys, the works.

A warewolf as a metaphor for puberty and sexuality is an old theme. Unfortunately, I don't think 'Ginger Snaps' introduces anything new. Ginger changes are dangerous. She is the one who needs to be cured from her insanity. Brigette (Emily Perkins) represents the conservatist view. She's the pure virgin who tries to save her sister from the evil temptations of the flesh. In that, she is resourceful and independant. She inevitably becomes the embodimenet of The Final Girl. Her phallic weapon of choice is a needle, which she acquires from Sam (the emasculation phase). The struggle is magnified by the fact that these two are sisters. In the greater scheme of things, you might see the fight between them as an internalised conflict of the same person.

Ginger: [to Brigitte] A girl can only be a slut, a bitch, a tease, or the virgin next door.

There is also an issue of other people reacting to the stuation. In the first scene, we see a boy who discovers a brutally killed dog in his backyard. His mother screams at the sight and tries to hide her son away. She runs onto the street with him, shouting. A group of young boys play outside. They ignore her and keep on playing. These are interesting choices that the writer made to establish the story. We have a protective mother-figure. She turns for help (outside of her property/comfort zone), that never arrives. The boys are entirely indifferent to her struggle. All they care about is their game. The only connection between the male and female element in this scene, is in the function of motherhood. The biological bond that will be superseded by the much stronger (as seen by the unmoved boys reaction to the mother) relationship with other men, as soon as the boy will be old enough to play outside (the outside/inside symbol having a powerful meaning). The depiction of the male/female dynamic in families in Ginger Snaps' is very traditional. The mother takes care of the household (we see her doing the shopping, making the dinner). The father comes home from work and doesn't really seem to be interested in the lives of his daughters. When a whole family finds out about Ginger's first period, the father is embarrased and doesn't want to talk about it.

I understand why so many have been swooned over by the movie and thought it's a feminist project. On the surface, 'Ginger Snaps' creates a world with two independant female leads. Sisters who love each other. Two girls who are together in their fight. Unfortunately, the film doesn't challenge the established agenda, it repeats it. In the end, we get a story of a girl whose sexuality is seen as a threat (the monstrous feminine motif), she needs to be destroyed. Nothing new about that. A female is denied the power of her womenhood. She isn't allowed to enjoy it. She needs to die. The movie also doesn't work as a parody. It's sharp and witty alright. But, it duplicates the cliches too close to the skin to exist as a satirical commentary.

     

 

 'The Company of Wolves' is, just as 'Ginger Snaps', a fantastic piece of cinema. It's attention to detail and an amazing mise-en-scene are incredible. And, despite not being particurarly gory, it has my personal favourite/scariest warewolf transformations. The movie introduces us to an Angela Carter's feminist retelling of a Red Hood story. Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) falls asleep and in the realm of her dreams we discover, Red Hood can bite back, if needed.

The symbol of a wolf in both the folk story and any of the warewolf movies stands for the same. Although, comparing 'The company of Wolves' and 'Ginger Snaps', the latter plays on the symbolism far less and in a less sophisticated way. In 'The company of Wolves' we have wonderful dream visions, populated by childhood's referances (creepy human-size teddy-bear getting a little too handsy with Rosaleen), menstruation referances (the white lotus flower changing colour into red) or religious commentary (the vicar whose too death to hear grandamother's tale). That is not to say that either of the approaches ('Ginger Snaps' boldness versus 'The Company of Wolves' finesse) is better than the other. It is what they try to convey that is really setting them apart.

Thanks to Angela Carter's brilliant book that has been skilfully adapted by the director, Neil Jordan, the story is given social and cultural depth. In the characters of The Grandmother, Mother and daughter we find three generations of women with entirely different attitudes towards the wolf. In the end, the animal is basically tamed by Rosaleen. She looks straight into the eyes of a wolf and makes a decision not to shoot. She almost feels sorry for him, when she realises all the other wolves abandoned him. There is nothing to be afraid of left anymore. She accepts the inevitability of the meeting with the beast. She also realises that the strange half-man, half-wolf is part of the nature, just as he is part of the village. He belongs in both worlds. And, as soon as she accepts that, she is no longer frightened. In the words of Rosaleen: And that's all I'll tell you, cause that's all I know. 

Ginger Snaps IMDB Page 

The Company of Wolves IMDB Page 

Castle

Castle: We make a pretty good team, you know. Like Starsky and Hutch, Tango and Cash...Turner and Hooch.
Beckett: You know, now that you mention it, you do remind me a little of Hooch.




Synopsis
Castle (Mr Firefly) is a mischievous writer who works with a detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) on solving murder crimes. Castle finds the experience exciting and an inspiration for his novels. She quickly realises that his contacts and a different approach to solving cases, might be an advantage for her. Win:Win


Review
It's also a win for the audience because we get a show that is perfect for making us feel (nothing to be ashamed of) good. The story's filled with easily-to-fall-in-love-with characters, who have great banter. It ain't no 'The Wire'. But it doesn't pretend like it is.

Rick Castle is surrounded by women. He lives with his daughter (Molly C. Quinn) and his mother (Susan Sullivan). They all have fantastic relationship with each other. There are no 'evil mother' cliches, nor does his daughter walks around in skimpy clothes.

And yes, there is a 'do they? don't they?' chemistry with Beckett and Castle. But it's not like she can't live without a guy. As Martha says in one of the episodes, 'Beckett did fine before you came along and she will do just fine, if you leave'.


One might say that the Castle/Beckett relationship has slightly too much mothering involved. Castle does play a role of a man who acts like a little boy when he gets excited. And Beckett is the one who supposed to bring the logic and stability to the table. On the other hand, Beckett addresses this issue in one of the episodes admitting that, with her serious job, she needs a vent. And he is the one who provides it.

To a geek in us, the show has some fun references and even more interesting cameos. Like, Michael Trucco...

*drools*
so, um, what was I? Oh, right, Castle. Fun watch.

IMDB Page

Supporting characters in tv- part two

Debra Morgan: Look, don't make me come up with thought bubbles to put over those silent looks of yours. Just say what you're thinking.


Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) works for Miami Metro Police. She is a no-nonsense kinda gal with quite a temper. For some reason, she thinks she is broken. It might be because her father didn't pay as much attention to her as he did to her brother, Dexter (Michael C. Hall). Or maybe because her love life has got a serious case of bad juju. That sense of guilt that forces her to take responsibility for everything that happens seems to be a rather old-fashioned attitude in portraying women. Young generation of females don't turn themselves into martyrs anymore, it's time writers recognised that. Despite her low self-esteem, Debra's actions make her one of the strongest, most moral characters in tv at the moment. Not to mention, the one-line swearing awesomness she has to keep us forever entertained.

The weekly buzz

I know, I know, this is supposed to be the weekly post on the women in the industry. But, I have just read that The Kathryn Bigelow picked up a small project before shooting 'Final Frontier' in Autumn 2011. Geekasm!

One of my personal favourite director's of all time will work with Mark Boal on a black ops story (details not revealed yet). That means we will see next Bigelow movie sooner than expected. My mind. Blank. So much. Excited.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hedwig: 'It is clear that I must find my other half. But is it a he or a she? What does this person look like? Identical to me? Or somehow complementary? Does my other half have what I don't? Did he get the looks? The luck? The love? Were we really separated forceably or did he just run off with the good stuff? Or did I? Will this person embarrass me? What about sex? Is that how we put ourselves back together again? Or can two people actually become one again?' 


Synopsis
By the traditional standards, Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell) is one of the most unfortunate girls in the neighbourhood. Her sex-change operation didn't work out. Now, she's in-between sexes. Her rock band's audience is rarely bigger than few confused souls in the mid-town diner. A boy, whom she falls in love with, doesn't accept her. And, when the sparkle hits him too, he turns out to be a jerk. But, we're not supporting traditional standards here, are we? So, let me back up and start again:
Hedwig is a talented, beautiful person who is looking for love and a chance to create music. Throw some glitter on that story and a whole lotta rock'n'roll and voila!


Review

Hedwig: How did some slip of a girly boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally ignored song stylist barely standing before you? 

This movie is our generations 'The Rocky Picture Horror Show' . It's a musical speaking up for the artists who's ideas are pushed aside, purely on the basis of their sexuality and looks. When Hedwig's music is stolen from him and re-packaged into the mainstream looking emo band, it suddenly becomes popular.

It's a movie that is a vessel for Mitchell's (who's also a director and a writer of the project) personal musical fascinations. (great article/review: link)

Hedwig: Love the front of me, honey!

'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' is also a wonderful gender-bender. There is a little animation implemented in the movie that gives the story a clever emotional footnote. It goes back to the Aristophane's Speech in Plato's 'Symposium' :

'In the first place, let me treat of the nature of man and what has happened to it. The original human nature was not like the present, but different. The sexes were not two as they are now, but originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two, of which the name survives but nothing else. Once it was a distinct kind, with a bodily shape and a name of its own, constituted by the union of the male and the female: but now only the word 'androgynous' is preserved, and that as a term of reproach.' (link)

The patriarchal system took away from us the freedom to be whomever we decide to. Gender is a social construct. Does it matter, whether Hedwig is a he or a she? Hedwig is a person first and foremost, that's the only thing that matters.

 Tommy: Eve just wanted to know shit!

There also are the religious undertones in the movie. Apparently, Mitchell was inspired by Elaine Page's 'The Gnostic Gospels' . In the book, she explores the Gnostic texts that have been excluded from Christian canon. According to the texts the symbol of God should be considered as both the Father and the Mother. Also, Eve holds an entirely different place in the gospels. She is equal to Adam. 

I could go on dissecting the layers of the film for a while. The bottom line wouldn't change though: I love this movie with all of my everything.

IMDB Page

Coffy

She's the Godmother of them all.



Synopsis
Coffy ( drums...: Pam Grier) has three things: consciousness, empathy and cojones the size of Texas. The consciousness helps her see the dark side of the city she lives in. The empathy aids the feelings of despair when her sister gets into drugs. The cojones set her on a mission of revenge, bringing the justice to the dealers.


Review
Let me get something straight. I don't like exploitation movies. The idea that they might be in any way empowering is ridiculous to me (I'm looking at you 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!') . They usually are just another vehicle to glamorise the patriarchal agenda. However, there have been (very few) films of that genre that are simply put, amazing.

  Coffy might be running around in revealing outfits. But, as Pam Grier explained it in one of her interviews, the social revolution of the 70s gave her look an entirely different context. By accentuating her sexuality, Pam was re-claiming it for black women. Back then, short skirts were shocking. But, short skirts on black women were tabu.

Coffy is a woman of her own in every sense of the word. She is a single working female who, when faced with an obstacle, takes control. She doesn't rely on men. In fact, her actions expose the weakness, greed and corruption of men in her life. 

It's also an incredibly fun action movie. The story isn't particurarly complicated. But, so what? There are so many simple shoot'em up films with men in lead roles. Why not have them with women too?

So, as much as some features of the movie seem now outdated (Coffy use of her sex-appeal), it's important to remember when it was produced. And, appreciate it for the role it played in the reaffirmation of black women in their strength.
 




IMDB Page






 

The weekly buzz

This week we have: The Princess is Dead; cowards behind the 'Brave' project; The Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Patricia Norric and Buffy reboot.


The Princess is Dead
Disney announced it will not be producing fairy tale stories anymore. That means the death of the princess crappola! It's things like that that make me think that maybe, just maybe, something is changing in the rusty Hollywood. Disney has an awful record of making girls look like retards. Because, lets face it, thats what a princess is. She has no opinions of her own, dreams only about getting married (which, in this context means, changing the owner from her father to another man) and worries only about what to wear. Not to mention, that any other women in these stories are either demanted and/or evil. Burn Down The Tiaras, I say!

Obviously, whether we are going to see any difference in their bizzare production politics, is another issue. There is an absolutely phenomenal study, released by the Stacy L. Smith and Marc Choueiti from University of Southern California, on gender disparity on screen in the kid movies. According to the study in the films released between 2006 and 2009 in the US:

- 29% of the speaking characters were females and 70% were male
- a higher percentage of females than males (24% vs. 4%) are shown in sexy, tight, or alluring attire
- females are more likely than their male counterparts to be physically attractive (14% vs. 3.6%) and portrayed with some exposed skin between the mid chest and upper thigh regions (18.5% vs. 5.6%)
- though not depicted, waist size is also related to gender with a higher percentage of females than males shown with a small waist (22.9% vs. 4.5%). The percentage of characters with a large chest (males=15.3%, females= 12.6%) or an unrealistic body ideal (males=2.9%, females=7.5%) varies significantly -- but not meaningfully (less than 5%) -- with gender

I can't really put into words how much this pisses me off. The study also provides us with this sad stat:

the biological sex of 1,565 directors, writers, and producers was ascertained.11 Only 7% (n=10) of directors, 13% (n=56) of writers, and 20% (n=200) of producers are female. Stated in another way, 93% (n=134) of directors, 87% (n=376) of writers, and 80% of producers (n=789) are male. Taken together, these numbers calculate into a ratio of 4.88 males to every one female in key production occupations. If the film is the unit of analysis (rather than the individual), a total of 8.2% of the movies feature a female director, 32% feature at least one female writer, and 80.3% feature at least one female producer (source)





Unfortunately, this news connects with the Cowards Behind 'Brave' Project story or The Bigelow Effect (great article by Melissa Silverstein: link)

Meet Branda Chapman. The first female director hired by Pixar. And, to everyone's surprise, the director fired from working on studio's first girl-centered movie, 'Brave', just after few weeks time.

Chapman is no stranger to the industry, she has worked on many acclaimed animations thus far. 'Brave'  seemed like a perfect fit for her. The movie tells a story of a princess who instead of being all princess-like, prefers to become the best archer in the kingdom. The release has been pushed to Christmas 2012.

Branda Chapman has apparently been fired from the project due to 'creative differences' (which basically translates to: studio is being a dick). Miss Brenda Chapman remains on staff at Pixar. The studio is being secretive about the future of the film.





Now, onto some good news.

Patricia Norris is going to be awarded with Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Arts Directors Guild event in February. She has worked as both a production designer and a costume designer on many film sets, including 'Lost Highway'; 'The Singing Detective'; '2010 The Year We Made Contact', to name a few.

She is only a second woman to be awarded by the guild. In the words of the Guild's President: 'by celebrating Patricia's life and career, the guild reaffirms the hopes of every young designer regardless of their background or gender, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and overcome the status quo in the pursuit of their creative aspirations'





Buffy Reboot

 Now, there's the scoop that got the fansites traffic steaming. Buffy reboot is going off under Warner Bros. There's an entirely new writer, Whit Anderson who is going to take over Joss Whedon's spot. The pressure on this woman's shoulders is enormous. Because, for Buffy fans, Whedon is god. No discussion.


The idea of another Buffy movie, after a terrible flop of a first one, seems shaky. But, after Warner got Charles Roven (producer of Batman reboot franchise) on board, the internet seems to be more hopeful.

Fingers crossed. After all, there's a whole generation of people who are brought up on the Twilight, instead of Buffy goodness.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

 

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

The only princess story worth watching.


Synopsis

Nausicaa might be the princess but she doesn't wait for her prince to be happily wedded. She doesn't take century-long naps nor does she have slaves *coughs* sorry, house help. It's thousand years after the war that almost wiped out the whole of the human race. The earth is a hostile place with poisonous winds and giant insect-like Ohms, living in toxic forests. Nausicaa protects the Valley of Wind from any dangers of this post-apocalyptical world. One day, a ship from a powerful state of Tolmekians crashes in the Valley of the Wind. Turns out that the leader of Tolmekians- Princess Kushana plans to awake the Giant Warrior and with his aid, destroy the forest. People of the Valley of the Wind know that this could only mean a war between Ohms and humans.


Review   
The character of Nausicaa was born out of two wonderful stories: a tale about Nauiscad from 'The Odyssey' and a princess mentioned in 'The tales of the past and present'  (source). Miyazaki became fascinated with Nauiscad after reading Japanese translation of a small book on Greek mythology. When he got to read 'The Odyssey'  he thought it didn't deliver on the sheer awesomness of this heroine. As Miyazaki imagined from reading the Japanese book 'Nausicaa was a beautiful and fanciful girl, quick on her feet. She loved playing the harp and singing more than the attention of her suitors or pursuing earthly comforts. She took delight in nature and had an especially sensitive personality. It was she who, unafraid, saved Odysseus and nursed his wounds when he drifted ashore covered with blood. Nausicaa soothed his spirit by improvising a sing for him.' The heroine from 'The tales of the past and present' was called the "princess that loved insects." Miyazaki states that 'she was regarded as an eccentric because even after reaching marriageable age, she still loved to play in the fields and would be enchanted the transformations of a pupa into a butterfly. Her eyebrows were dark and her teeth white - unlike the other girls of her era, she did not follow the custom of shaving off her eyebrows and blackening her teeth. According to Tales, she looked very strange!' I think that this amazing creative process behind the movie tells an equally mesmerising tale, as the film itself. Nausicaa was born out of stories about strong, independent women who were regarded as outcasts by their societies because they broke the patriarchal rules. That's how you re-define the ridiculous Disney cliches!

In the movie, Nausicaa flies this:

 

She fights these guys:

And these guys:

She saves Lord Yupa:

And these people:

And basically protects the whole planet from this:

She rocks. Nuff said.

IMDB Page

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Synopsis

Jeanne is a widow who lives with her son. She supports the household with government's money and prostitution. Throughout over three hours of the movie we witness her mundane life. During these hours, the stealthy, suffocating existence of a woman trapped in her own tragic life is unveiled. It's a difficult, complex cinema. The film, almost immediately after its release, became a cult classic and one of the most important feminist movies. 

Review

The film, made in the 1975, is a clever re-telling of Zavattini's (one of the main names in the cinema's neorealism movement) motto ' the ideal film would be a ninety minutes of the life of a man whom nothing happens.' We see Jeanne confined to a space of her apartment, doing everyday housewife chores and serving her son. She seems mechanical and controlling. The movie speaks the loudest in details. Because, on the surface of things, there is nothing unplanned and/or unwanted in Jeanne's life: from the encounters with other people to making a dinner, there is no freedom of casuality.

'The first blow against the monolithic accumulation of traditional film conventions (already undertaken by radical filmmakers) is to free the look of the camera into its materiality in time and space and the look of the audience into dialectics, passionate detachment. There is no doubt that this destroys the satisfaction, pleasure and privilege of the 'invisible guest,' and highlights how film has depended on voyeuristic active/passive mechanisms. Women, whose image has continually been stolen and used for this end, cannot view the decline of the traditional film form with anything much more than sentimental regret.' (source )

Akerman's film-making is intentionally avoiding the voyeurism. Static shots, no close-ups, camera fixed on a continually same height, all to make sure the audience 'always knows where I (the director) am'. These formal decisions help in not only stressing out the feminist factor of the project. But also, to support the intensity of the narrative. Strict editing (no fades), no score and a stark mise-en-scene make the disconnected life of Jeanne that much more difficult to watch.

The claustrophobic feel of this woman's daily routine slowly reveals her complete lack of self. Take away the peeling of the potatoes, the groceries shopping and ironing and Jeanne disappears. She holds onto those things so closely because when one day she starts making small mistakes (the burnt dinner, the messy hair), she is left with literally nothing but a threat of facing herself. Realising onself and admitting to the consuming void, seems to be the greatest of fears. It is up to a debate, but many think that her unfolding happens after she, for the first time in her life, experiences climax with one of her clients. If it is true, it adds yet another layer of meaning to the story. Is she rejecting the idea of pleasure or is she not comfortable with her experiencing the pleasure? Is the orgasm unaccaptable because it's so human and not-mechanical; or is it because it means connecting with ones body? From that moment on, the audience knows, the tragedy is close. And even when it arrives, it happens quietly. In the patriarchal system, a woman isn't allowed to experience any extreme feelings. She is deprived of any freedoms. That's why, when Jeanne commits a crime, she is passive, emotionless. She acts like nothing happened. “When she bangs the glass on the table and you think the milk might spill, that’s as dramatic as the murder,” stated Akerman.

'Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles' is a painful but necessary viewing.

IMDB Page 

The weekly buzz

This week was buzzing with three stories: 'Made in Dagenham' ; MPAA ratings controversy and Mark Twain's Award for American Humor for Tina Fey.



'Made in Dagenham'

The movie tells a true story of a group of women working at a Dagenham's Ford car plant. In 1968 they decided to take action against unequal pay. 'Made in Dagenham' is receiving enthusiastic reviews. And thank gods! High time there will be more fun movies telling history from a women's perspective!












 What is shocking, is the R-rating movie got from MPAA. Yup, you heard me. You know what an R-rating means for a film? Box-office death.



Which leads us to the next big story: the MPAA rating.
Harvey Weinstein is a little bit like a pitbull, retired from dog fighting. He doesn't have to seek the attention and fight for his position in the industry like he used to. Everyone knows his name. But, from time to time, when someone or something crosses his path, he gets in the pitbull mode, old style. This time, it's the MPAA. I sense the disturbance in the force.

Weinstein's two films: 'Blue Valentine' and 'The King Speech' have been given highest ratings. And within few weeks time, Weinstein assembled a team of the best lawyers to battle 'the Ratings Appeal of the Century'. Sounds fun, doesn't it? And, a long time coming for a dated MPAA system. What is exciting about the story is Ryan Gosling's ('Blue Valntine' actor) commentary:

“You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex. It’s misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman’s sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film.'

(source)

I always liked Ryan. But, from now on, he is one of the sexiest man alive to me. So. Much. Love.


Last but not least:

Supporting characters in tv- part one

Leslie Winkle
'The Big Bang Theory' 

 Leslie: Listen, neither of us are neuroscientists, but we both understand the biochemistry of sex. I mean, dopamine in our brains is released across synapses, causing pleasure. You stick electrodes in a rat's brain, give him an orgasm button, he'll push that thing until he starves to death.
Leonard: Well, who wouldn't?
Leslie: Well, the only difference between us and the rat is that you can't stick an electrode in our hypothalamus. That's where you come in.

Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert) is a physicist working at Cal Tech, Passadena. She's not only clever but also outspoken, witty and (the shock! the horror!) likes sex. She's not emotionally fussy when it comes to men. If you wanted to see her aggravated, try arguing that loop quantom gravity is a lesser theory compared to the string one. You might as well walk up to Sarah Connor claiming terminators are cool as long as they look like GlauBot.  




Sheldon: Who told you you could touch my board?
Leslie: No one.
Sheldon: I don't come in to your house and touch your board.
Leslie: There are no incorrect equations on my board.
Sheldon: Oh! That is so, so...
Leslie: I'm sorry; I've got to run, if you come up with an adjective, text me.

 Now, imagine these two having a spin-off show together, with never-ending bazingas and the physics banter. What a little nerd heaven that would be.

Maria Riva - First TV Star

A Nightmare on Elm Street '84

 

Meet Nancy (Heather Langenkamp). Lately, she hasn't been sleeping well. 

Synopsis

Teenagers on Elm Street begin to have nightmares. In their dreams, a bizzare creature appears. He has disfigured face, wears a striped, red and green sweater and has metal hands with long claws. His name is Freddy Kruger.

Review

When we meet Nancy, she and her friends seem like typical teenegers. However, looking closer, the difference between the girls and the boys is clear and, may I say, it is not flattering for the latter. Nancy and Tina (Amanda Wyss) might seem silly (boys talk and lots of giggles) but they have the capacity to spot there is something out of place and disturbing about their nightmares. They pursue the issue, finding out more strange details. Meanwhile, all Rod (Jsu Garcia) ever thinks about is how and when to jump his girlfriend. And, Glen (Johnny Depp's first movie) acts like a cute but completely useless puppy (failing at making a simple phone call).

Freddy begins his killings shortly after we are introduced to the Elm Street bunch. The movie would have been perfect, if Mr Kruger didn't turn out to be a bit of a misogynistic pig. His male victims are killed with a lot of splash and fully clothed. Whereas girls face Kruger either wearing hardly anything, or nothing at all (the bath time scene). Their killings are highly sexualised and far less bloody. Other than that, Nancy kicks ass. She is the only one who is smart enough to figure out what is really going on. She proves she can think and act on her own. Whenever a guy is asked to help, he fails spectacularly and the neighbours life and sanity lay entirly on Nancy's shoulders.

Turns out, these suburban girls can fight, who knew?

IMDB Page



 

She's the Man

 

'She's the man' is an impossible teen movie and an implausible romantic comedy. The lead (Amanda Bynes) isn't a shopping obsessed, man chasing, silly girl. She is genuinely clever and funny.  If you are still not sold, how about some of this to sway you:

Synopsis 

Viola (Amanda Bynes) plays soccer. She not only loves it, she's also pretty damn good at it. Unfortunately, her school cuts the female soccer team (Money makes the world go round, that clinking, clanking sound). It might be unfair but Viola isn't easily put down. She wants to join the male soccer team. She's rejected, laughed at by the whole guy's team (Don't you know girls aren't as good as boys at sports?). She reaches out to her boyfriend, also a member of a team, to support her and admit that he, just the other day, said she was better than the majority of his team. He lies and denies it and joins in on laughing at her. Viola breaks off the relationship then and there. She also vows to prove they're wrong. She pretends to be her brother and joins, as a boy, his university's male soccer team. The hilarity and gender twisting ensues.

Review

(Before I start, there are spoilers in this review. I will indicate when needed. But, a word of justification, with this type of cinema, I think it's safe to say, we all know the ending. It's the journey that matters)

It's easy to fall into pitfalls of lazy gender cliches reinforcement with so called chick-flicks. First of all, I resent the name. In my vision of the perfect world, we wouldn't have a male nor a female cinema. Chick-flicks would be an awful reminder of an ancient past. An old and forgotten times, when a movie focused on a female market would tell a story of a woman who never feels fullfiled, unless with a male partner. A women who might even have a succesful career but deep down wants a white wedding,  bunch of kids and a closet full of designer clothes. It's also very easy to repeat the gender stereotypes in a film where a man dresses up as a woman or vice versa. The fact they changed clothes doesn't really make any difference. Boys are still typical boys, same goes for girls. Also, it's always so funny to see a man wearing a dress, isn't it?

'She's the man' might sound like yet another one of those movies. It's not only anything but: it's so much more! Viola doesn't dress up like a boy to get a guy. She does it to prove she is equal to a man. She does it to follow her passion. Not once during the whole movie does she need to be saved. ( Spoilers!) In fact, she saves the whole male team. She might be ending up with a guy on her shoulder. But, it's her who gets the guy. NOT the other way round. 

This movie's better than any other teen movie you've ever seen. It's better than 'Bend it like Beckham' which might show some strong girls but they still play on their designated female field. Viola crosses that artificial border. All in all, it's an effortlessly funny (the whole cast is amazing) and very clever movie.

IMDB Page 

The Descent

In terms of strong females in the cinema, this is the new 'Alien(s)' and 'Terminator 1&2'. In fact, it can be argued that 'The Descent' achieved more than what its predecessors: a cast consisting of females almost in its entirety (there is one male character and some extras who don't appear on the screen for longer than a minute). Did I mention the movie aces the infamous Bechdel Test ?


Synopsis
The story focuses on six women and one hell of the caving expedition. Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) has lost her child and her husband a year prior. And, althought we don't get too many details on the rest of the characters, we get enough to gather they are all charismatic and independent young women. They all venture to the Appalachia Mountains to explore a mysterious cave. Little do they know, the cave holds some dangerous surprises.


Review 
The movie begins with an amazing scene where Sarah, Juno (Nathalie Jackson Mendoza)and Beth (Alex Reid) raft through some rough looking river, while Sarah's husband waits with their daughter on the shore. Now, that is some clever and subtle (for a splashy horror) way to communicate the relationship between these people! We have the outdoor type of women (read: tough), sharing the adventurous experience. And, a man, who passively supports their efforts from the safety of the shore. While coming home from their rafting Sarah and her family get into a car accident. Her husband and her child die.

The next scene is somewhat foretelling of Sarah's fate. She wakes up in the hospital with an image of her daughter blowing birthday candles. She struggles into an empty corridor, trying to find her girl. She notices something is terribly wrong. The lights at the end of the corridor go off one by one. The menacing darkness tries to reach her. She tries to escape and screaming, runs into the arms of Beth. Only then, the reality of events truly hits Sarah. The memory of her daughter's birthday is the echoing reflection on the life she ones had and the bitter reminder of the loneliness of her present life. The corridor resembles narrow cave passages. And, in a greater scheme of things, the hospital's corridor might symbolise Sarah's life. The darkness hunting Sarah holds all fears she tries to run away from. She will realise them only in the arms of her friend, Beth. What an absolutely brilliant way to show the strength of female friendship and support!

A year later, the undertaking six women decide on will force them to face their fears and deal with issues they might have with each other. Neil Marshall (the director) does not patronise his protagonists. No cliches of histerical women when confronted with danger. No,so often typical for horrors, scenes with females just screaming and flapping their hands around. This is some serious shit these characters are in. And, trust me, they won't stop fighting until their last drop of blood. What a movie.

IMDB Page

If I had my way...

 

There comes a day in every women's life when she just gets tired. Exhausted of all the laziness we fall into so easily. Me, you and everyone else; we are all guilty. You might say, I am clearly going overboard here. I mean, it's just cinema; it's just tv. At the end of the day, humankind has so much on its plate. But, you see, I can't imagine living withouth the magic of the moving image. And, for me, it's enough to speak out for a better day for it. 

I am bored of laziness of reviews I've been reading. The tv/film critics follow the rules that don't apply to the postmodern society. I'm surprised there's so little on-line talk about feminism in cinema. There should be more buzz about truly independent women characters in the cinema/tv stories. There should be more commotion about some amazing women in the industry. We all (women and men) should not allow the inequality and exploitation. Because, it harms us all. 

So, this is my on-line say, little blog in which I plan to just speak my mind. And, maybe, at some point sparkle some discussion... a girl can dream, right? :)

My plan is to focus on strong women who are really independent. They don't play the helpers role. They don't need to be saved. They stand tall and tough on their own. 

Hang in there, baby!