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Girls on Film: The Academy's Shallow Actress Pool
Filed under: Awards, Girls on Film
With the werewolves out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming. A few weeks ago, The Hollywood Reporter ran a piece called "Shallow pool for Oscar's actress contenders." The basic premise: While the list of female directorial hopefuls is stronger than ever for the 2010 Academy race, the actress nods aren't so hot with Meryl Streep leading only a handful of other front-runners (Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe). The piece also noted the other potential Best Actress candidates, the possibility of notable performances in the remaining releases, the struggles women still face in Hollywood, and -- egads -- the fact that some are talking about Sandra Bullock getting a nod for The Blind Side.
Reading the article through, I quickly had a thought .... and it was most definitely not about that previously mentioned werewolf flick getting any award love. Usually a discussion like this might be disheartening or aggravating, but the thought wasn't negative. It was, in fact, quite positive.
Why don't we use this "shallow pool" as a reason to celebrate unconventional roles and performances?
Girls on Film: Sparkly Vamps, Sweaty Wolves & Skin Flicks
Filed under: Fandom, Movie Marketing, Girls on Film
I had a whole other topic prepared for this week's Girls on Film, but to follow that plan would ignore the large, sparkling elephant in the room. I'm sorry, but I've got to write about New Moon. I'd been planning to hit a screening sometime mid-week -- a nice and early matinee that would free me from the headaches of super-excited fans under 18 (which goes for any cinematic fandom for the pre-to-teen lot ... Harry Potter? egads...).
But then I read Eugene's aside in his weekly Box Office report: "Along these lines, I wonder if the egregious objectification of men in New Moon's marketing campaign is a victory for feminism. I vote yes." While I don't equate my feminism with show-me-yours-too ideology, it brings up a really good point that really hadn't occurred to me before: Twilight isn't just a rampant fangirl phenomenon of pent up adolescent and homemaker lust. It's a female skin flick for the younger set, both in marketing and execution.
And no one seems to know how to react to that.
Girls on Film: The Femmes Who Defy Convention
Filed under: Fandom, Columns, Girls on Film
A big revelation hit the wire yesterday. Belle de Jour -- a writer named after the film by Luis Buñuel -- came out of the literary closet. She's the British woman who anonymously blogged about her time as a London call girl, wrote books about her experiences, and saw them morphed into television form with the Billie Piper series Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
Her name is Dr. Brooke Magnanti, and as the Times describes: "Her specialist areas are developmental neurotoxicology and cancer epidemiology. She has a PhD in informatics, epidemiology and forensic science and is now working at the Bristol Initiative for Research of Child Health. She is part of a team researching the effects of exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos on foetuses and infants." Not quite what you were expecting, eh? Over the years, many have sworn that she couldn't be real. She must be a figment of some man's imagination, writing to make sex work look glamorous and ease the mind of lonely types who buy their sexual gratification. But here she is, 100% woman, 100% real, adept not only at the written word, but also medical pursuits.
On the one hand, I worry that this will inspire Hollywood towards a new torrent of prostitution-laced fare, adding to a business that's already over-saturated as if every Jane, Sue, and Mary have a side gig giving sex for cash. The biz already has more than enough of it, and they really don't need extra encouragement. On the other hand, I find myself enamored with her guts and how perfectly she challenges assumptions on sexuality, intelligence, and artistic flair. Naturally, this made me think about the women of film who defy convention.
Girls on Film: Domestic Violence and Media
Filed under: Girls on Film
Only a few years ago, Evan Rachel Wood was Lolita'd up, wearing heart-shaped glasses and having super-sexy sex on-tape with Marilyn Manson. It was one apt metaphor for a relationship between a couple with an eighteen-year age difference. Fast-forward to the present, and Wood has moved on, leaving Manson to do what he does best -- lather in controversial thoughts and stretch every boundary and opinion of decency. But this time, it's taken a new turn. His new video "Running to the Edge of the World" watches him sing with a tortured look in his eyes for a good four minutes before twisting into a domestic violence fest, a girl looking like Wood's doppelganger getting the living crap beat out of her and then looking around, scared, with blood dripping all over her.
Girls on Film: The Hollywood Dollhouse
Filed under: Fandom, Girls on Film
Being an actress can be a real pain in the ass. By definition, the gig is simple. You pretend your someone else; you perform. In reality, however, there's a whole added can of worms -- especially when Hollywood is involved. There's this ridiculous and particular mold an actress has to fit into, and pitfalls she must deal with -- especially in terms of superstardom.
There is literally no way to completely avoid the possible pitfalls of celebrity -- especially if you choose to be involved with any film project. We live in a world where potential blockbusters can tank and the $11k, uber-small Paranormal Activity can become a phenomenon. There's always a chance -- the possibility of being thrust into the ever-scrutinizing public eye, finding any semblance of privacy fly out the window as the paparazzi camp out at your front door and fandom rains down.
Welcome to the Dollhouse.
Girls on Film: Villains Without Strong Heroines Aren't Very Fun
Filed under: Horror, Fandom, Girls on Film
Even at a young age, I drew definitive lines for myself when it came to horror movies. I swore off the Friday the 13ths because the first not only plagued me with nightmares since my sneaky eyes caught it at a way-too-young age, but it also helped give me a healthy fear of the rural darkness. Yet I adored the Nightmare on Elm Street series -- whether I was watching the film drastically cut for Saturday afternoon TV or renting the flicks in their full horrific glory. It was campy fun, and I always figured that a mixture of laughs and horror was the magic mix that made things interesting. But there was another reason I made a distinction, one that didn't become clear until much later in life.
I adored Debbie Stevens and Alice Johnson, Sydney Prescott and Tatum Riley because they didn't just scream and quiver -- even if they didn't survive. They fought in a real, flawed, and human way. They weren't some sort of Kill Bill gang of women wildly skilled and powerful. They simply did what they could, and if they were lucky enough to survive the first few rounds, their fighting prowess would grow accordingly.
They were scared -- who wouldn't be? -- but they didn't let fright immobilize them. They were a nice and welcome comfort in a world where women usually were good for nothing but screams and bloody death.
Girls on Film: Women -- Villainous Scourge of Hollywood
Filed under: Fandom, Girls on Film
There was a time, I know I was there, when men were men, women were women and sometimes a cigar was just a good smoke. But 40 years of feminism have taken their toll. The war against masculinity has been won. Everything has turned into its opposite, so that what was once flirting and smoking is now sexual harassment and criminal. And everyone is more lonely and miserable as a result. --Dirk Benedict
To some, there is no villain more evil, more destructive, and more unwanted than the female race. We're a scourge that needs to be stopped, having mutilated the business industry and now ravaging the hallowed halls of media. Yes, this is a criminally outdated mindset, but nevertheless, the idea thrives for many groups as Hollywood and television diversify the ranks. In essence, adding more women to the mix has evoked a territorial "Give me my man-tainment!" outcry -- just one step away from a "Girls have cooties!" defense.
I bring this up for two reasons. First, as I stated last week, we've got villains on the brain this month at Cinematical. Two, a little surfing over at io9 brought up this: "Is Science Fiction Feminized Or Is It Sexist? Both." That led to reading the original rant that inspired the post, and then something I can't believe I missed: Dirk Benedict -- the man who played the original Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica and Faceman in The A-Team -- ranting about the castration of manly entertainment.
Naturally, reading all that made me want to jump into the topic here and add my own .02.
Girls on Film: Maleficent's Reign
Filed under: Animation, Fandom, Girls on Film
We can't go through a month of villain themery on Cinematical without gushing over Maleficent. But since there's much to talk about, I wanted to give her more than a brief ode via "Villains We Love." She's one of the biggies when it comes to villainesses, so naturally, she should have a week's reign on Girls on Film.
Maleficent first appeared after the stirring of a strong wind and dramatic music. From a green fog she emerged, a loyal crow at her side, but she didn't just delve into evil in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. She looked around her, at a celebration including royalty, nobility, and gentry. She saw her fairy foes, and asked where her invite was. Naturally, there wasn't one for the weird and powerful faery, so she decides on a curse: Before the sun sets on the princess' sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die.
Devilish and evil, yes, but also layered with enough mystery and what-ifs to make her dynamic well beyond the world of family films.
Girls On Film: 'Whip It's Undeserved Box Office Bust
Filed under: Box Office, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Girls on Film
I picked a good year to start writing a column about women in film. More than ever before, women are gaining ground in Hollywood. We've got seasoned pros like Kathryn Bigelow finally getting mainstream clout. A number of high-profile projects are being made by women. And we're also seeing a distinct rise in the do-everything femmes like Felicia Day and Diablo Cody.
But it's not all roses. First Jennifer's Body went from long-term big-buzz to big-time flop, and now Whip It is sadly following suit. If you caught Eugene Novikov's Weekend Box Office, you might have noticed that while Zombieland kicks all sorts of living butt, and the 3-D Toy Story double feature grabbed spot #3, Drew Barrymore's kick-ass roller derby pic came in a supremely disappointing 7th Place.
One could argue that Body's questionable showing was at least partly due to the mixed reactions from critics and fans. Cody's horror pic couldn't even grab a half-and-half balance, nestling in at 42% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. Some loved it, others hated it. But even with some really bad reviews, it still beat Drew. Whip It! earned almost double the critical love (82% fresh), but pulled in a whopping $2 million less than the Body in its opening weekend ($4.85 million). 2 mil might not mean as much when you're in the hundreds, but it sure as heck means a lot when you can't even bring in 5.
What went wrong, and how can we fix it before this excellent cinematic momentum is halted?
Girls on Film: Defined by Looks
Filed under: Girls on Film
Last week, Peter Bart of Variety wrote "Unlikely Rivals on the Oscar Circuit," outlining how Jane Campion and Kathryn Bigelow were a part of the Oscar race with Bright Star and The Hurt Locker. But rather than simply outlining their accomplishments and discussing their talents, Bart gave the piece this weird, "at odds" theme, kicking it off with their looks. It's apparently strange that the "cerebral, somewhat severe, leans toward post-hippie attire" Campion could helm an all-out romance* while Bigelow -- the "tall, model thin" director with a "gracious manner" -- could bring us The Hurt Locker. As if looks are inextricably tied to theme. As if Wes Craven has to look like Freddy Krueger, or James Cameron has to be a beefy Terminator.
To be fair, kind words are given to both filmmakers; it's just fueled by this strange desire to make things at odds. Its execution doesn't relay a sense of distaste in Campion's and Bigelow's accomplishments, but rather an inability to discuss them without noticing a woman's physicality, without struggling to make connections between their looks and interests. It continues right down to the final line -- "Keats vs. Iraq: Now that's downright weird." -- as if Campion's Piano didn't already face off against the likes of Schindler's List and The Fugitive, as if Juno never faced off against No Country for Old Men, and so on and so forth.
As if women are some sort of alien species that cannot be understood without their physical presence -- they must be judged by it, defined by it.
*Let alone the ridiculousness that Campion has to be characterized as the "severe" woman to Bigelow's cuteness.
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