Archives for May 2011

Bridesmaids: Bringing Gender Equality to Raunchy Humor

Before getting into the movie, I’d like to give a little introduction to the co-writer and leading role, Kristen Wiig. For the past five years, she (along with Bill Hader) was one of the few reasons I (and many others) watched Saturday Night Live at all. She often played quirky and energetic characters, and her humor usually blended bizarre, off-color ideas or characters with an awkward tint of realism, which results in hypnotically hilarious sketches like this one.

Not A Chick Flick Version Of The Hangover

At its core, Bridesmaids is an extension of Wiig’s excellent sense of sketch comedy and improvisation. Co-written with Wiig’s friend and fellow improvisational comedian Annie Mumolo, the script is packed full of jokes and gags in every scene, often progressing through goldmines of extended out-take, improve material.

Bridesmaids also demonstrates astonishing flexibility toward a variety of styles of humor, from a non-stop stream of casual one-liners to the most epic poop and puke scene ever performed by an all-female cast, pushed into the film by producer Judd Apatow.

That being said, there are two types of audiences who will be disappointed by this movie: those who were expecting The Hangover, but with chicks and those who wanted their typical chick flick. Bridesmaids does have elements of both, but is not decidedly one way or the other (sorry Hangover fans, only one poop joke and no full-frontal male nudity).

Also, those wanting the female power-posse dynamic (a la Sex and the City) might be slightly put off that the film mostly centers on Maid of Honor Annie, played by Wiig and her bride and best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) although there definitely are enough bridesmaid moments to warrant the title.

For those seeking an intelligent, clever, and hilarious flick that portrays women as the diverse and interesting people they truly are, this is a must see. Unlike the slew of boring or plastic female characters that are sold in every other chick flick, Bridesmaids delivers unique and different personalities that still manage to retain a relatable, every woman feel.

Bridesmaids Challenges Sexual Norms

For anyone claiming that this is simply an Apatow bro-fest masked by a female cast, I say you have a narrow definition of what being a woman is. Women can be just as raunchy, vulgar, and pathetic as men, and this film, in a way, sets out to prove that idea. Besides, just by looking at the first scene alone (an extremely awkward and funny sex montage between Annie and her “f***buddy,” as he puts it), it is abundantly clear that this movie is written from a woman’s perspective. Bridesmaids pokes fun at both genders, but I think it’s much better at poking fun at men.

Bridesmaids challenges sexual norms even further by disregarding the typical formula and focus of the chick flick genre. Sure, Annie has a love interest in the movie and the plot pivots on her best friend’s wedding, but her primary motives and actions are driven completely by her friendship with Lillian, which the film really does get right. The other chick flick elements are there for sure, but female relationships seem to have much more importance throughout the movie.

Regardless of what this movie really means or represents under a meticulous feminist scope, it delivers the classic, tilt-and-scratch-your-head-before-bursting-into-laughter humor of Kristen Wiig that so many of her fans have come to know and love. A must see for any fan of quirky, clever sketch comedy.

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at Online College about education, college, student, teacher, money-saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

What did you think of Bridesmaids?

New Chick Flicks March Down the Aisle This Summer

All women want to get married, right. We love weddings, wedding dresses, wedding cake and according to recent movie releases, Hollywood thinks we love wedding movies. Three new movies hit the big screen this month, Something Borrowed, Jumping the Broom and Bridesmaids. The potential for horrible chick flickery is tremendous. After seeing 27 Dresses and Bride Wars, I lost faith that a really good wedding chick flick can be made. I have not mustered enough courage to see any of these movies yet. But I will do it for you. Perhaps I should have a few drinks or eat a whole chocolate cake first.

Something Borrowed

Based on the novel of the same name by New York Times bestselling author, Emily Giffin (Something Blue, Baby Proof and Love The One You’re With) Something Borrowed stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson, two best friends who both want Colin Egglesfield.

Poor Ginnifer Goodwin falls for the handsome Egglesfield, but in the worst and usual fashion of many chick flicks, along comes her best friend (Hudson) to steasl her man. Because that’s what we do to our best friends, right?

Jumping the Broom

Paula Patton and Laz Alonso star as the happy couple in Jumping the Broom, bringing together her uptown family headed by Angela Basset and his downtown folks with Loretta Devine, Mike Epps and Tasha Smith (who was hilarious in Why Did I Get Married). Surprisingly this movie is not directed by Tyler Perry, but by Salim Akil who also directed the TV series, Girlfriends. Also starring Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Gary Dourdan (CSI) and Laz Alonzo who was Tsu’tey in Avatar.

Bridesmaids

The movie features the Saturday Night Live stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph.of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie (Wiig) looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.

The post with a brick wall background reminscent of Resevoir Dogs, even tBridesmaids has been alled the chick flick version of The Hangover. The Red Band trailer gives just a hint of the raunchy humor that fills Bridesmaids. This is not surprising when you know that Knocked Up, 40-Year Old Virgin and Superbad producer, Judd Aptow also producer Bridesmaids. You tell me, does that type of humor appeal to you?

Stay tuned for my list of the best and worst wedding movies.

Elizabeth Taylor Is The Queen of Texas in Giant

Edna Ferber’s novel comes to life in the film Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Director George Stevens who also worked with Miss Taylor in A Place in the Sun took the cast to Marfa, Texas to shoot the movie, which also helped show the vastness (and flatness) of the Texas landscape.

Made in 1956, Giant tells the story of Jordan ‘Bick’ Benedict Jr., a wealthy Texas rancher, played with the appropriate amount of swagger by Rock Hudson. Bick goes to Maryland to pick up a horse for his ranch and meets the stunningly beautiful Leslie Litton. How could he help but to fall head over heels in love. They marry and Bick brings Leslie back to Texas, where she experiences total culture shock. It is quite a contrast to go from the beautiful, green rolling hills of Maryland to hot, dusty Reata. Leslie is also not used to the barbecuing whole cows, the oppressive heat and the ill-treatment of Mexicans. The film spans more than 30 years, through the discovery of oil by Jett Rink (James Dean) and how that impact Bick and Leslie’s family.

Elizabeth Taylor shines as high-spirited, Leslie Benedict. She starts out as an outspoken schoolgirl who insults Bick about Texas history. (Texans are very touchy about the “this used to belong to Mexico thing” ) She goes from the cultured daughter of a Northern horse-breeder to the wife of a macho Texas cattleman who believed that women were like pretty little vases — to be seen, displayed, but not heard. When she wants to join in a conversation with the men about politics she is sent away to ‘sit with the ladies and be good‘.

“This is men’s stuff. You wouldn’t be interested. No don’t you go worrying your pretty little head about this”. –Rock Husdon

You mean my pretty empty head!“–Leslie

After visiting a Mexican family’s home to check on a sick child, she is reprimanded for interfering with ‘those people’. You can see the fire in Elizabeth’s eyes when Bick tries to tame her. Over their 25 year marriage, Bick tries to tame Leslie, like one of his horses, but he picked the wrong girl!

I love the scenes with Liz and James. The two of them are very comfortable with each other and it allows you to see more of the inner workings of their characters. While Jett is in love with Leslie, she enjoys their friendship.

James Dean’s portrayal as the ranch hand turned oilman is so understated and brilliant, it is not hard to understand why he earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jett Rink. Dean’s performance and the images of him sitting in the back seat of that car are iconic.

Elizabeth Taylor is perfect for the part of Leslie Benedict. Leslie was not a woman who was willing to be defined by her beauty , but a woman who had a mind of her own and was willing to express herself when needed. Elizabeth Taylor lived her life that way in movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Taming of The Shrew (1967), Elizabeth Taylor embodied the beautiful high-spirited woman who could handle her own business. It didn’t mean that she didn’t need or want love, but she didn’t need a man to tell her what to do. She was her own woman. A GIANT of a woman!

Watch GIANT on NetFlix on demand. This post is part of the LAMB Acting School Series about the films of Elizabeth Taylor. Each month the LAMB (Large Association of Movie Bloggers) focuses on the careers of a specific actor, director or filmmaker.

See My Other Posts Related To Elizabeth Taylor

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Guest Post on The Lingerie Addict)

Fantasy Movie Casting: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

ABC Brings Fairy Tales and Charlie’s Angels to the Fall Line Up

Movie theaters are no longer the only place to watch a good chick flick. ABC TV has announced their line up of Fall shows and a couple of show caught my eye. Once Upon a Time and a new version of Charlie’s Angel’s produced by Drew Barrymore are just two of the new female focused shows. Here is your first look at these new shows:

Once Upon A Time

The producers of Lost created a show where fairy tales and the modern-day coexist. House’s Jennifer Morrison stars as Anna Swan, a 28-year old bail bonds collector. Abandoned as a baby, Anna has always taken care of herself, but everything changes when the son she gave up years ago finds her.

Young Jared Gilmore (Bobby Draper on my favorite TV show, Mad Men) is 10-year-old Henry, who desperately needs Anna’s help because he believes that his long-lost mother, Anna actually comes from an alternate fairytale world where Prince Charming and Snow White’s are her parents. According to Henry’s book of fairy tales, Snow White and Prince Charming sent Anna away to protect her from the Evil Queen’s curse which trapped the fairytale world, frozen in time forever. Ginnifer Goodwin, the star of several chick flicks is Snow White and Josh Dallas (recently seen in Thor) is Prince Charming.

Not one for a lot of foolishness, Anna doesn’t believe a word of Henry’s story. But when she arrives back to Storybrooke with Henry, Anna finds herself drawn to the fantasies of the strange little boy and this strange New England town. So she decides to stay for a while and soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It’s a place where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close… where fairytale characters are alive, even though they don’t remember who they once were–including the Evil Queen who is now Henry’s foster-mother. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Anna will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.

The cast also features Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin, Lana Parilla as the Evil Queen and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket. The trailer looks good, with elements of Ever After and The Princess Bride. Once Upon a Time looks like it will be a thrilling twist of our most beloved stories from the master storytellers who kept us engrossed on that island in Lost.

Charlies’s Angels

Leonard Goldberg, producer of the original Charlie’s Angels series and Drew Barrymore, producer of the Charlie’s Angels movies join forces to deliver the adrenaline rush of the completely new reboot of the Charlie’s Angels franchise.

Set in hot and sexy city of Miami, the elusive Charlie Townsend (Robert Wagner) recruits a thief, a street racer and a cop as his ‘angels‘ to help him solve cases the police can’t handle. With the help of Bosley 2.0 (Ramon Rodriguez), a hot, young technical expert, and the guidance of their enigmatic boss Charlie (Robert Wagner), these angels are an unstoppable crime fighting force.

The new Angels are Abby, a Park Avenue Princess who became a world-class thief. Then there’s Kate, a Miami cop who lost both her career and her fiance. Finally there’s Gloria, a disgraced army lieutenant who has a way with explosives. When one of the angels’ missions ends in Gloria’s tragic death, Charlie persuades them to partner with Gloria’s childhood friend, Eve, a street racer with a mysterious past. Don’t we love a mysterious past? These all fearless head-turning beauties are played by Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital), Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) and Rachel Taylor (Grey’s Anatomy).

I would love to see what they do with this popular series and how the new cast compares with Farrah, Kate and the other one. Drew did a great job with the Charlie’s Angels movies, mixing in the right about of tongue in cheek humor with high-tech explosions and heart pounding action. I bet she can pull the same thing off on the ABC series.

Take a look at the trailers and tell me what you think of the new shows.

My Super Summer Of Comic Book Super Heros Movies

This summer your local movie theater will be invaded by a horde of tall handsome men with super powers and super abs! This is the Super Summer of Comic Book Super Hero movies. Starting with the release of Thor, in May you can look forward to the men in your lives dragging you to theater to see at least one of these comic book inspired movies. But do not dispair, my fellow chick flicks fans. All is not lost. Even though I can’t tell you the difference between the Green Lantern and the The Green Hornet. I know which one is cuter. Sorry Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), but Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) is the “Sexiest Man Alive”.

You can check out the Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide to get all the ins and outs of the comic book characters. And as a public service for upcoming date nights, I will preview the Super Summer of Comic Book Super Hero movies and add my usual comments about possible chick flick elements in the storyline.

Thor

Director Kenneth Branagh is known more for his dramatic and Shakespearean movies, so I was a bit surprised to see him associated with a comic action movie like Thor. Chris Hemsworth is the man with the hammer. You might remember Chris as George Kirk in the opening scene of Star Trek. Veteran actor Anthony Hopkins plays Odin and Idris Elba is Heimdall, the golden god of Asgard. Also starring Natalie Portman, who must be the hardest working actress in Hollywood. Since Black Swan she is everywhere.

The mighty Thor is a powerful, but arrogant warrior who is banished to Earth where he is forced to live among humans. What must they think of Earth if sending him here is his punishment? Of course, some dangerous villain from his world invades Earth. So it’s a good thing Thor is here to save us.

There are some comic book fans who can tell you all about the epic battle of the gods of Asgard. But for my money, Thor has two hot hunks with rippling muscles who are sure to be shirtless as some point in the movie.

In Theaters: May 6, 2011
Thor Comics: The Mighty Thor

X-Men: First Class

An X-Men movie without Hugh Jackman? Even so, with the Scottish cutie, James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier and the super sexy Michael Fassbender as the young Erik Lensherr, I don’t mind so much. X-Men: First Class goes back to the days before they were archenemies, when the two men were friends. Other mutants in the class are Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who will also star as Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming The Hunger Games movie (don’t get me started on that).

Betty Draper aka January Jones is the telepathic, diamond-skinned, Emma Frost. Zoe Kravitz, the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet stars as Angel Salvadore, a mutant with insect wings. That really doesn’t seem like the best mutant power, but it beats being blue. Kevin Bacon is Dr. Shaw, another mutant who can absorb kinetic energy and transform it into raw strength.

The movie takes place in 1963 and from the trailers you can surmise that there is a plotline that involves the mutants helping President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It is also the time when the mutants start to be persecuted, which correlates with the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. I only mention that, because in my research, I read that Stan Lee created the X-Men as metaphor for social issues like racism, anti-semitism, and other forms of prejudice.

In Theaters: June 3, 2011
X-Men Comics: The Uncanny X-Men

Green Lantern

All I know about the Green Lantern comics is there’s a ring and some kind of oath that turns the hottest of Ryan Reynolds into test pilot, Hal Jordan and gives him the superpowers of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps.

Hopefully the Green Lantern will fare better than the Green Hornet, which totally flopped. Green Lantern is sure to have incredible special effects, evil forces, villains and an epic battle in which Ryan saves the girl (Blake Lively) and at some point….you got it…he takes off his shirt!

In Theaters: June 17, 2011
Green Lantern comics: Green Lantern: Blackest Night

Captain America

Chris Evans leaves behind The Flash character and The Fantastic Four to become Captain America. As Steve Rogers, Chris plays a wimpy little guy who volunteers for a top-secret research project that turns him into Captain America, the beefed up super hero dedicated to truth, justice and the American way. Oh, wait…that’s Superman and Captain America battles Nazis and other forms of evil.

The trailer shows a scrawny Chris Evans entering a machine and exiting as a fantastically muscled hunk of a man. Where can I get one of these machines?

In Theaters: July 22, 2011
Captain America Comics: Captain America, Vol. 1

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon is not really a comic book series, but more of a toy franchise, Michael Bay brings back Shia LaBeouf in the role of Sam, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley taking over for Megan Fox and Tyrese Gibson joining the cast as Robert Epps.

In the third installment of the Transformer series, there is a battle between the Autobots or the Cybertbot or the Decepticons which will have lots of explosions, car crashes and over the top special effects.After all, it is a Michael Bay movie. There are some exciting new cast members like John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Patrick Dempsey and Leonard Nimoy is on board as the voice of Sentinel Prime.

Let me know what you think. Have you seen any of the Super Hero Comic Book Movie? Which was your favorite?

Jane Eyre and A Sexy Mr. Rochester

There have been numerous movie adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s, Jane Eyre. Charlotte and her sister Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights were the queens of gothic romantic novels. The most recent adaptation of Jane Eyre, directed by Cary Fukunaga stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are Alright) , Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, X-Men: First Class) and a grown-up Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot).

Plain Jane

Mia Wasikowska’s pale skin and square jaw looked as thought she belonged in the period. Something in here eyes and her voice give you a hint of Jane’s inner strength.

After a sad and lonely childhood, the mousy Jane Eyre takes a job as a governess to the young French ward of the elusive and moody Edward Rochester. Having grown up in a household where she was unloved and unwanted, Jane is a young woman who is as plain speaking as she is plain. In a time where it was a woman’s primary vocation to find a husband, being pretty is very important. Jane has no illusions about her looks, so a comfortable and stable governess job is more than she could hope for.

Life in the north of England teaching Adele and living under the friendly and watchful eye of the housekeeper, Miss Fairfax (played by Dame Judi Dench). Things going bump in the night, strange noises and muffles screams don’t even bother her. The master of Thornfield Hall, Edward Rochester is gone for extended periods of time. The boss being gone for months at a time sounds like the perfect job to me. Everything is going along peacefully until the master comes home suddenly. Then thing change…

The Sexy, Moody, Handsome Mr. Rochester

A tortured man, with a terrible secret, Mr. Rochester is the perfect gothic hero. Unlike some of the actors who portrayed Mr. Rochester, Michael Fastbender is a young, sexy man who looks as though he is longing for love. He will make me look at Magneto in the upcoming X-Men: First Class in a whole new way. Perhaps that is what attracted him to Jane Eyre in the first place. He could tell that Jane could be depended upon when the crazy wife you have locked in the attic stabs you in the middle of the night.

The fact that Rochester kept his crazy wife in his home instead of sending her to some hell hole asylums or ‘get rid‘ of her in some more permanent way tells you something about the kind of man he is.

When Rochester’s terrible secret is revealed (right in the middle of their wedding), Jane runs away. After a miserable, cold, wet, rocky trek across the English countryside in the rain, Jane finds herself in the home of St. John Rivers a pius young minister and his sisters. During her time with the Rivers family, Jane manages to get another marriage proposal. (That’s 2, so far) Young Reverend Rivers wants a helpmate for his ministry in India. Not a loving wife.

The memory of the sexy Mr. Rochester call her back to Thornfield Hall which has been burnt to the ground by the crazy wife. Jane finds Edward, scared and blinded. Even so it is a happy ending.

Have you read Jane Eyre or any of the Brontë’s sisters novels. Which one is your favorite? Do you have a favorite film version of Jane Eyre?

Jane Eyre: Masterpiece Theatre, Starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens

Jane Eyre (1944) Starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine

Jane Eyre (1997) Starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds