Best Action Heroines: The Ravings of a Fangirl

Santa Baby - Spoofed!

2011-12-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

And to SHEER PERFECTION! The last time "sexy" patronizing Christmas was spoofed this well was way back in "Mean Girls". But they got it so, so, so note-perfect on "Community". Sexy is never annoying in and of itself. But it super icks me out when sexy = dumb girl needs help of big strong man. That's why this is so funny. I can't believe they're taking this show off the air...it's one of the few shows on TV that passes the Bechdel. Plus, you know...there's that whole "just plain hilarious" thing.

Click below to see the song...

"Oh Sure...NOW It's Cool." or How a Once Unpopular Slave Leia Sentiment is Now Cool...Thank the Maker!

2011-12-16T03:52:00.000-08:00

Complaining about stuff. Will it make you popular? No. But will it maybe help to change things? You bet. When I saw the following video (below the jump) I felt vindicated.

(Then...selfishly and unrealistically, a little bit ripped off. It's more likely that there were a lot of us feeling the same way, slave leia fatigue was in the zeitgeist I think. But I think I'm the only nerd who really raged about it at the blog level way back when it got picked up by the Huffington Post over a year ago. I'm so embarrassed to even be trying to take credit, what a "misplaced geek rage" thing of me to do, but there it is. I said it. I feel a little bit better, if not like 10% more comic book guy-ish.)

So what's my point? Talking about stuff, nay, even complaining about stuff, does make a difference. Mostly, I haven't been blogging here because I've been too busy. I had to leave the protective bubble, the warm nest of academia after finishing my M.A. and...gulp...get a real job! "Freedom, horrible, horrible freedom!"

Gone are the days when I could sit in my teaching office and spend my time writing about women in movies that I love and have it count toward my thesis or matter to my writing "career". (I almost got a book of essays on action heroines published almost FOUR years ago! How can it be so long ago now?) But I admit, a part of me just got so freaking tired of the backlash and so when I really did get busy, I saw it as a bit of a chance to get away from talking about stuff just before it turned cool, feeling the heat for it, and then having to watch as everyone else decided it was okay now. (Someone call humblebrag...see how I tried to slip one over one you? I practically just called myself a pioneer...gag.)

The Slave Leia backlash exhausted me when everything first went down. It's so funny to even say that anything "went down". I published an essay, first on Forces of Geek, then here, then it got picked up by a few websites, then I got like a million nasty emails and ten supportive ones.
But here we are, a couple of years later, and Kaley Cuoco (Who I love, by the way.) makes a hilarious video about the very same subject I ranted and raved about, and the world can kind of collectively laugh at it and go, "Yeah, that's totally true." Of course, the video also spoofs freaks like me who get so wrapped up in film and pop culture that this stuff genuinely matters to us. But I can definitely take that in stride. Like most film-obsessed super nerds (Or any caliber of the super-obsessed, really.) movies to me are really about something else. I fixate on action heroines because there were times in my life when I was surrounded by some serious (and eerily dominant) male chauvinism. Action heroines blasting guns and dominating a movie screen seemed like the perfect counter-action to me in a world in which I was (I thought, back then.) powerless.
For starters, I just really really really like all the movies that I obsess over. The silly ones, the good ones, the ones that are so bad they're a collective joke to most people. What can I say? It's what I like. Some people would say that makes me a sucker, that I plop down my ten bucks for every movie that traipses through the theater in which a woman holds a gun or has a cool slo-mo action scene.
But in fact, it's why I miss writing here so much. Because that's still even a debate about whether or not it's "okay" for me to like that stuff and still be a feminist. Without naming names or getting into specifics, just this morning I couldn't sleep thinking about a conversation among several of my fellow female film critics via email I've been having this week. Or rather...one I've watched unfold because I've been too intimidated to chime in.
One side says that Charlize Theron's character in "Young Adult" is a breath of fresh air because for one, a flawed and interesting three-dimensional character is onscreen doing something DIFFERENT. The other side says that unique female characters are portrayed so seldom that we shouldn't applaud it when they pop up as dysfunctional messes.
"Young Adult" is a movie I've been dying to see and when I see it tonight or tomorrow, I'll be able to cast my own vote. I get the distinct feeling that I'll fall into the first category. The one that appreciates the performance and enjoys it.
Like a lot of bloggers, critics and fangirl feminists, I struggle with the doubts and insecurities of hanging onto what I care about as I get older. The, "Oh just shut up!" sentiments of the masses. The voices in my head are sometimes those of the AICN messageboards, the people that used to make fun of me in junior high or even some of the baffled adults who used to look at me in grad school like, "You want to talk about WHAT now?"
But you know what? As Danny Glover might say, "I'm getting too old for this s*!t." I like this stuff. Even when I try to get away from it, I can't stop thinking about it. Every TV show I watch, I start writing essays in my head. I've been DYING to blog about a recent episode of "Castle" and Annie's hilarious send-up of "Santa, Baby" on "Community". So I'm un-shunning myself from this blog. Even though I get like nine nasty or negative comments that I delete (Yeah, I'm that girl.) for every one that's sane and/or positive, I like what I like. I miss writing about it. So I'm going to do it.
Oh...and I'll let you know what I think about "Young Adult".

Ashley Eckstein Saves the Fangirls

2011-06-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

To read Audrey's full interview with Ashley Eckstein, click here.

Breaking out of Hiatus For Just a Moment

2011-04-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

*pretends to be Dwight from The Office* "Unshun"

I swore I wouldn't break my hiatus for anything, not even when this massive slew of female-lead action movies was released this spring...RIGHT after I went on hiatus. But this is too good not to share.

All I'm saying is, if Geena Davis says it's true and brings it to your attention, can all my fellow fangirls out there PLEASE stop giving me the business for pointing out gender inequalities in film? I mean come on...it's GEENA DAVIS! Can we stop yelling at each other and just acknowledge this? I've tried to explain it a trillion times. I'm not anti-sexy, I'm just tired or "sexy" being the only option. That played a huge part in what I like to call "SlaveLeiaGate 2010". All the Slave Leias came after me saying I was a woman-hater. I was just pointing out the disproportionate amount of Slave Leias at conventions, and how almost all the costumes are designed to appeal to the male eye. As a lady geek, I just get tired of it...why do all the men get to be badass in a very practical way while the women have to look like hookers? Now Geena Davis is hunting down the facts and statistics to prove some of what I've been saying for a long time. And well, it just makes me feel like saying, "Told you so!" I'm such a good sport, right?

READ MORE ON "WOMEN IN FILM" HERE

READ MY PRE_RELEASE THOUGHTS ON "SUCKER PUNCH" HERE
(That one also kind of makes me want to say "Told you so!")

I'll be back when I finish my Master's Degree in a month...

"Re-shun"

On Hiatus

2011-02-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of exciting action heroine news happening out there in the world. Sucker Punch is about to come out, a new Wonder Woman has finally been cast, and there's more news than you can shake a stick at. (Though I don't know why you'd want to do that.)

However, I'm taking a hiatus while I finish my thesis and before I jump back into the world of writing again at full speed this summer.

It's been tough not having the time to comment and write reviews on all the exciting news. So I look forward to returning as soon as possible. Until then, here's to the paradigm-smashing women of strength coming at you from TV screens, movie theaters, and comic books everywhere. In the meantime, remember to check out all the archives located directly to your right in the blog sidebar. Feel free to comment and debate all you wish.

Geek Culture Feminism WIN!

2010-12-23T03:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for the bit of bad language, but this image is
just TOO good and too spot-on not to share...

I accidentally found the (say it long, like "theeeee") most amazing blog today that makes me feel so (soooo) reaffirmed in my convictions.

When you're feminist and geek, it's easy to succumb to the constant grade-school taunting of, "You should just lighten up." But THIS BLOG will rock your geek feminist socks off.

I feel more empowered than ever! What to do first? How about admitting that Olivia Munn's, "Suck It, Wonder Woman" made me roll my eyes until they nearly fell out of my head? Yes, that will do just fine....baby steps...

Women of Ninja Warrior on G4: Female Empowerment WIN or Feminism FAIL?

2010-12-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a huge Ninja Warrior junkie. I could (and frequently do) watch the show for hours. The TV show, also known as "Sasuke", is a Japanese TV show that now airs on cable network G4 and has resulted in several American spin-offs. (Some comical and not officially tied to the franchise such as "Wipeout" and some directly tied to the show like "American Ninja Warrior" that sends the winning competitors to Japan to compete on Sasuke's legendary obstacle course.

If you've never seen it, here's an example of what it looks like...

Allow me to play devil's advocate for myself here right off the bat. If you're the type of person to be looking for feminist-friendly content (See: Shows that treat women with a modicum of respect.) then keeping G4 on all day long is inevitably going to make you angry. I mean, good luck finding any television channel that offers feminist-friendly content. (Or racism-free programming, or politically unbiased news coverage, etc.) That's just the world we live in. So I realize that I watch TV at my own risk, and anything I say in this article is not a formal complaint against the network that offers lots of fun programming. Now I'm done being politically correct...

So, that's out of the way. Now let me just say to G4, and every other network on the face of the planet, there are more people who want to watch your content than just twelve-year-old boys. Right off the bat, sex appeal is a huge part of the network, you can tell by some of the promos and a lot of the commercials, sex sells, and it's all over this network. Not that there's anything wrong with a beautiful woman, but let me give you an example of how some of the selling of female sexuality can turn a viewer like me away.

I was watching, "Women of Ninja Warrior" yesterday. Yes, the show is sometimes funny and a lot of the participants know that. But the English-speaking promo scripts were just plain grossing me out. Once before a commercial break, one of the announcers said, "Can any of these women prove they're more than a pretty face? Find out when we return." Annoying.

So, that's what the women are competing for? To prove they're more than a pretty face? I don't think so. There's no equivalent that gets said about the male competitors. They don't say, "Can any of these men prove that they're more than a handsome face?" No. It just isn't mentioned, because male sexuality isn't a part of the competition, it's not even factored in. So why is it automatically included in the promo scripts for the women?

Then later, before another break, the announcer said that a former beauty queen would be competing. He teased that whether she made it across the course or not, viewers should come back to see what happens, especially because you had the chance to see her soaking wet. Har, har. Get it? 'Cause you might see her bra.

It kind of went on from there, obnoxious junior high comment after obnoxious junior high comment. The worst part is that because the added commentary was in English, the contestants probably have no idea to this day that some American writers were making these leering and smarmy statements about them. I'm sure that legally, it's all good. And I know most people will tell me I'm being too sensitive. But I get so tired of geek programming being so blatantly skewed toward young male audiences. And really, there's no excuse anymore. I don't really even think there's an illusion out there anymore that maintains the idea that geek culture is comprised mostly of men.

The idea that the only people (or the only people worth targeting advertising toward) who like to watch TV shows like Ninja Warrior or gaming shows are over-sexed males is getting old, old, old, old, old. I'm a 28 year old female professional without children. I've got money to spend. Target me.

Yeah, I know. If I don't like it, change the channel. And I did. But I don't think I should have to. The real question here is, what century do we live in? Are the female Ninja Warrior contestants less worthy of respect just because they're women? Is it funnier somehow to make those comments because they're women? Do they deserve comments like that, comments that would be called sexual harassment in a workplace, just because they want to compete on the show?

I would love to have some kind of filter to watch stuff like this that would remove any comments that would induce eye-rolling or fist-shaking on my end. Then again, I guess that's what the mute button is for.

So, any other women out there that are obsessed with Ninja Warrior that get weary of "see through t-shirt" jokes and "pretty face" anecdotes? Or is it so common on channels like G4 that you just sort of gloss over it? Or do you think those comments are funny? I'd love to hear from people with varying opinions on the subject of feminism in the geekosphere.

At any rate, I love the show, even if I hate some of the things that American producers do to make it more palatable to male audiences. (I guess that's what they're shooting for...I don't really know.)

I just went looking for a YouTube video of the Women of Ninja Warrior to embed as a finish to this post and the written comments and video titles are far worse than any of the comments I've heard on TV. Am I missing something about this show? Is it some epic creeper magnet that I just didn't know about?

What's your verdict? Is the show as empowering and exciting as I want it to be, is it constructed specifically to be creepy and fetishistic and I'm just not picking up on it, or some combination of both?

I like it, so I'm going to continue to watch it and try to just ignore the comments. It's like junior high, you don't let the pervs ruin anything for you, you just pretend like they're not there. But I'd like to believe that we live in a world where we can advance past some of this someday soon, and that networks created specifically for geeks will eventually get on board with the fact that geeks come in all genders and ages and create some programming that won't drive me up the intellectual wall and maybe someday, G4 won't feel like it's run by "The Todd". (The oversexed and immature surgeon from, "Scrubs".)

I'll just keep on enjoying the inspirational runs these real-life action heroines make on the show. And you?

Will "Tron" Deliver a Great New Action Heroine

2010-12-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

It sure looks that way...and I'm getting excited about it! Just a few more days, and we'll all get to see if "Olivia" costumes start showing up at cons everywhere! I'm digging the full-body coverage of the costume and the super cool Velma Kelly hair and all the action in the trailer. Since this is a Disney film, I'm hoping she will be a character little girls can look up to, because goodness knows we need more action heroines that little girls can aspire to be...or even dress up as for Halloween! (Come back Wonder Woman.)

Nolan's Third Batman Movie and The Call for Action Heroines to Pass the Bechdel Test

2010-11-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

Any hope for Harley, Catwoman,
or Poison Ivy? How about Barbara
Gordon?

The third Batman film is in the works, and I for one am really curious about whether or not we will have the chance to meet any strong female characters in Nolan's dark and gritty version of Gotham. There are a plethora of action heroines to choose from in the DC universe that run across Batman's path, but even if we don't get Catwoman or Poison Ivy, how about a young Barbara Gordon at least? We know that Rachel Dawes is officially gone from the universe, Bruce Wayne's lifelong love interest in this version of DC's world. Which is okay with me.

But with Nolan's ability to bring to life some of the, up until now, secondary characters from the comic book story lines (such as Scarecrow, Lucius Fox and Ra's A Ghul), I wonder if there is any way he is considering bringing in Paul Dini's Harley Quinn to avenge the Joker? Or any one of the aforementioned female characters at all?

I admit, I'll be frustrated if we don't get at least some kind of mention of the women of Gotham. We don't have to see The Birds of Prey in action or anything, and a lot of the strong women of the DC universe are inherently flawed, big time. But give me at least a hint of something. If they're completely ignored, I'd be interested in hearing the reasoning as to why from a writing standpoint, they aren't even acknowledged as existing.

Sirens of Gotham

I've been reading the new comic series, Sirens of Gotham, and I'm loving it. Which is what got me started thinking about the third Batman movie in the first place. When the Dark Knight rolled around, I was pretty disappointed at the roster of potential female characters that were overlooked.

I would just love to see an entire series of comic book films come out with the gender stats reversed. Let's have an action/comic movie filled with almost all women (If only Wonder Woman would've survived pre-production hell!) in which there are only one or two men, and all those men only talk about the women. Eh, forget that. Just give me a balanced cast. Just once. Not every movie has to be even, but let's see it happen in this genre just once.

How about you, what action heroine would you like to see in the next Batman film? Also, what actress would you like to see cast? Let's talk about it in the comments section.

Birds of Prey

What's that? What's the Bechdel test you ask? Well, if you haven't seen it, there's a very popular YouTube video that breaks it down. It's a feminist way of critiquing a movie, and it's sort of astounding when you stop and think about it. We need more movies featuring action heroines that will pass the Bechdel test. (The X-Men movies almost did it. Iron Man 2 was one of the first, and even then, it was by a slim margin.) But just imagine a Birds of Prey movie done with the quality and conviction with which Nolan's Batman films have been made...can you even imagine? That thing would ace the Bechdel.

Funny thing...I went to embed the video, having not watched it for a while and guess what the first film is that pops up?

Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes - Classic Action Heroine in the Making?

2010-11-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

I accidentally spiraled into a rant about action heroines when reporting on a new still from the set of the Sherlock Holmes sequel on my other blog...surprise surprise. Do you want to see Adler back in the Sherlock sequel? Click here to read my rant on Adler and the need for verisimilitude in the world of action heroines...

See Jane, See Jane Be Strong, See Tina Fey, Roxanne Ritchie, and Lois Lane

2010-11-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

We recently saw Megamind. The movie as a whole was fun and made me laugh. (Of course, the mere sound of David Cross saying anything at all usually makes me laugh.) But I confess that the biggest reason I went to see it was for Tina Fey. I'm a total geek for Fey. I love 30 ROCK, she owned SNL, I can't wait for her book of essays, and I tend to ramble on hopelessly about how cool she is in a generally incoherent manner a lot. I sort of lose my words when I try to explain how cool I think she is. You should've seen me watching her get the Mark Twain prize for Humor at the Kennedy Center the other night...it was kind of pathetic. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't bang on the floors, I was laughing so loud at her speech.

I wouldn't exactly say that her character Roxanne Ritchie, a hard-nosed reporter, is an action heroine per say. She's more like an intelligence heroine. She doesn't flinch when faced with cliche dangers inflicted upon her by a half-wit super villain, and even though she has no super powers of her own, she's the character that takes the most effective action throughout the story. She's the brains of the operation, for sure. The smarts without the ego, the person actually trying to solve the problem.

But it wasn't even her actual character that I found myself thinking about after seeing the movie. I found myself thinking about Lois Lane. Of course, the entire concept of Megamind is built around the Superman mythology. An alien baby blasted into space when his planet destructs uses his superpowers to protect his new home on planet Earth. It's just that this time, there are two alien babies and one is kind of a loser. (That would be Will Ferrell's character, Megamind.)

But Ritchie sort of stands in for the Lois Lane character. The reporter with an edge who worships the hero who saves the day, not so much because of how she feels about him, but because of what he stands for and the way he offers her consistent opportunities to get a good story.

When I was little, my mom made sure I had some of the original Superman cartoons from the 1940's around the house. And let me tell you, the Lois Lane from my childhood in the earliest Superman cartoons was not only different, she was barely sympathetic. The Lois Lane of Smallville, and even Margot Kidder's movie portrayal, is far more likable than the original Lois of the early cartoons and comics.

Lois Lane was a breakthrough character for several reasons. For one thing, she wasn't a homemaker, a teacher, a nurse or a seamstress. It wasn't that long ago that women were only really allowed to do a handful of jobs and be considered respectable. There's not a thing in the world wrong with any of the above professions, but they were once the only real options for women. Lois Lane worked in what was still a man's world in the first half of the 20th century...journalism. So her character had to be tough and defiant, at times downright ruthless, in order to keep her career intact. She was cutthroat, and it was glorious.

Lois was constantly stepping on Clark Kent to steal his stories and opportunities, and that's part of what made Superman seem so heroic. When the viewers wanted her to get what she deserved for, oh say...beating Kent to the punch by jumping in a cable car to the top of an erupting volcano to get a story before him, Superman saved her anyway even though she brought the danger upon herself.

It may be hard to believe now, but Lois was once a villain. Which was great.

Oh how the times have changed...

True, it put her into the role of something of a stereotype. The femme fatale with a bit less "fatale". But still, even though she was in constant danger, she wasn't a wilting flower either. She took risks, she worked hard, she did a job that back then was less socially acceptable, though it was certainly getting better (slowly) for women in the workforce every day.

The great thing about the character of Roxanne Ritchie is that she shows that female leads don't have to be pushed into stereotypes to be believable anymore the way they once did. Tina Fey brings some of her trademark sass and nerdiness to the role, but Ritchie is sort of the only sane person we get to ground us in the movie. A woman doesn't have to be a villain to be believably tough anymore. Now I know, I know...it's just a CGI movie for kids. But the more strong female leads we get to see, the more strong female leads meant for children, the better.

Geena Davis has even started an organization called "SEE JANE" devoted to expanding the portrayals of strong women in children's media. And who better than to do it than one of our greatest action heroines ever onscreen?

So here's to Tina Fey, Roxanne Ritchie, Lois Lane, and the incomparable Geena Davis! Because really...can more strong women in the media possibly be bad?

Watch a brief clip of Davis speaking at a benefit for See Jane below...

Don't Go See, "I Spit On Your Grave".

2010-10-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is not a movie review. Because I won't go see it. But this will be called empowering. It will say that because it's a movie about revenge, it's feminist. Let me tell you right now, it's not.

The original movie was done in 1980 and features the horrifically graphic rape scene that became the stuff of exploitation legend, in which one character is raped by several men. And the scene goes on for minutes...

The remake is no different. It may show less. But it's still doing the same thing. Exploiting the idea of rape to make money.

These movies are the definition of exploitation and they try to masquerade as empowerment. They're not. They're doing that so that people who love action heroines or Kill Bill will come to the theaters to see this, most times unwittingly. But the level of graphic violence is offered for the sheer thrill of audiences who want to see something deeply disturbing. Or again, will surprise people who may not know what they're getting themselves into. A similar movie, though far tamer, would be 1996's Eye for an Eye, which had several extremely graphic rape scenes. There's also, The Last House on the Left. They're all the same. They all use the same formula. There's no character development. No merit. It's all shock disguised as righteous indignation. They figure, the worse the rape scene, the better the revenge scenes.

But promoters will tell you that it's a movie specifically for feminists. You know, because the victim gets revenge. Riiiight. You know, sort of the way that if you get sexually harassed at work, you should take it because it's a compliment.

These movies are like snuff films. They're the worst of the worst. Please don't give them your money. Rape is a real crime that happens to women everywhere, and though these movies claim to bring awareness or whatever it will be that they will say, they're actually just capitalizing on real life horror.

I don't make many outright stands as a writer. I try to give everything a fair shot, play devil's advocate. But some things deserve to be called out, a line needs to be drawn. Here is where I draw mine. These people get none of my money and I hope they won't get yours either. I don't believe in censorship or the banning of films, I just think that when tripe comes along, it should be ignored. I wouldn't even write about it, except for the fact that I don't want people to go to these movies because they think it's going to be some action film with a strong female lead. This is exploitation horror, plain and simple. An excuse to film minutes of something that perverts will consider titillating on screen. A freak show. A money maker. Just so you know. And they are probably okay with that. I just want you to know the difference. They probably feed off of blogs like this, because they like the negative attention.

Oh, and if you're wondering how I can form such an opinion without first seeing the movie...just take a look at the poster and tell me what the film's motivations are. Sheer sexualization of the victim through imagery, which adds to the problem, and trust me, will only be fodder for perverts.

Don't. Go.

If you're interested in films that deal with the fallout from rape or the consequences of rape, you can find them. They exist. There aren't many though. Some TV shows have even handled the subject matter not with kid gloves, but with a lens of maturity. Medium did an episode last season that dealt with an avenging angel stereotype and did a great job. On the episode that aired in March 2010, Prepon played a self-defense instructor who murdered rapists by night. The show dealt with the idea of revenge itself being a crime and it didn't sexualize or exploit the idea of the crime or the victim and also didn't promote murder or revenge.

Feminism in Comic Books: Setting Female Characters Back or Pushing Them Forward?

2010-09-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

For years, this hung on my wall.

It's been one of those synchronous days for me, where comic books and feminism are meshing. I got an email from another blogger who writes about action heroines wanting to talk shop. (My Leading Lady) In the same hour, Dr. Mix, a professor at the college where I teach wanted to pick my brain on some comic-related issues. It's a good day when anyone wants to talk to me about comics, let alone a Doctor and a fellow blogger. So there must be something in the air.

Dr. Mix wanted to know if I had any recommendations for comics to consider teaching to an honors undergraduate class, comics that might say something specific about American culture. Of course, I recommended Gaiman's "1602", which is a "what it" scenario with the X-Men. But naturally, my mind drifts toward feminist topics in comics, of which there are no shortage in the critical world.

I want to say right away that there are convincing arguments on both sides of the idea of feminism in comics. (The same can be said of film.) Action heroines can probably be said to be equal parts empowering and equal parts destructive to viewers. It all depends upon who is watching, why they are watching, what they are watching/reading, etc. There are too many factors to ever say definitively that action heroines are ultimately good or bad. (Though if you know me and you read this blog, you know that I believe that are ultimately, forces for good in the pop culture sphere.)

So I started telling Dr. Mix some of my philosophies of feminism in comics.

1. Comics spring from pulp fiction, in which most female characters were being victimized in some way. (Usually sexually.) So to go from pulp fiction to comic books was a pretty great move for female characters in pop culture. It was a step up, for sure. So though it's sometimes disconcerting to see covers from the 50's (or present day) where Wonder Woman has been taken captive and she's in some kind of lusty pose and only Batman or Superman can save her...back then, it was a natural moment of growth. So we've retained some of those images and had them passed along, like in a game of telephone. Also, action heroines, just like action heroes, are always in some kind of trouble. So we have to look at every image in context.

2. However, by today's standards, it starts to seem ridiculous to us to constantly see action heroines with their chests bouncing around, saving the day in pantyhose and little else. It can be frustrating. Some costumes are clearly just there to work as eye candy. (Though not all are impractical, Catwoman dresses fairly practically for bouncing around rooftops without having clothing get snagged on corners and what-not.) Not that there's anything wrong with a beautiful woman. Ever. But you get my drift...who could really save the day in a leotard? Again, the flip of that is that the men wear some pretty ridiculous outfits too. So, fair is fair. But most of the female characters are dressed far more scantily. Typically in the style of what was attractive for entertainers to wear in the 1950's, a la the shape of Betty Grable's famous pin-up outfit.

3. Also, can we argue that there are truly any strong female American action heroines in comic books? (Surely there are plenty on the indie scene.) What I mean is that a lot of figures of female strength on film and in literature have to be born of their strength through trauma. Whereas, many male figures can simply decide to take up a cause and then become strong in order to live that out. Most female action heroines are orphaned, traumatized, isolated, attacked in their youth, etc. This is a tradition that dates all the way back to Puritan times, when in order to write a female-centric adventure and not offend the powers that be, there had to be an excuse for the leading lady to go on the adventure. (Being kidnapped by Indians, shipwrecked, etc. Explored more in depth HERE.) But when it comes to popular comics, let's take a look at the female figures of power and how they might be accidentally carrying that tradition of trauma with them.

a. Wonder Woman - From an isolated island of Amazon women. America's hero, but not, ultimately, an American. She wears the American flag, essentially, but she has an exotic appeal with her Amazon heritage. This exotic appeal is repeated in many action heroines of comic books.

b. She Hulk - Biologically altered, there is something "wrong" with her. Her strength is freakish.

c. The Black Widow - Russian spy.

d. Storm - African princess, super powers are considered a mutation.

e. Elektra - Greek figure of power, almost mythical. Again, not a traditional American, built upon that same "exotic" foreigner appeal. (A tradition dating all the way back to the artist Josephine Baker, who used this idea of "exoticism" to profit off of curious American audiences.)

f. Rogue - Definitively American, from a poor/middle-class Louisiana background, has strength that keeps her separated and virginal.

g. Jean Grey - Arguably weak, only at her most powerful when possessed and somewhat "evil" in behavior.

h. Catwoman - Not super powered, often considered Batman's female counterpart...but not really. She's a thief, a bad guy. She is strong, but uses her strength for selfish gain.

i. Batgirl - Admittedly, a little wimpy...always "in training", sometimes just there as Robin's girlfriend. (Also, the implications of Batman being the Dark Knight, and this was Dr. Mix's point, automatically create an antithesis for the female characters. They must be damsels or villains to play opposite the knight mythology. Harley Quinn is desperate for love, Poison Ivy is a cold man-hater, etc.)

j. Sue Storm - Her power is disappearing. Talk about feminist implications. Sue is often portrayed as the weakest of the Fantastic Four and is frequently left separated from society by her powers. But in all fairness, so are the Thing and Superman and every super action hero or heroine...

I could go on and on, but are you seeing a pattern start to emerge? There are so many qualifiers for action heroines...

Have we ever seen a truly unique, empowered, non-internally tortured, not formed by trauma, not freakish action heroine in comic books? Surely I'm missing several on the indie scene. Buffy would probably count...but do you see how all of the mainstream action heroines from the most popular books are still born of their 1950's post-pulp roots?

Not that I care of course. I still read and love these comics. I'm not arguing against any of their strength. But it's interesting to take a look at the lack of diversity in female action heroines and the way that their origin stories have to be so similar, like we have to create an excuse for a woman to become strong instead of the fact that male characters (The Green Hornet, Batman, etc.) can choose to be strong.

Does that make sense?

Again, I'm not arguing for one point or the other. But there are some uniquely American traditions forming in comic books specifically regarding action heroines, and we can see those traditions springing from patterns. Examine the patterns, look at the way that they have emerged from history, and then ask yourself, what would a more diverse range of origin stories for action heroines in comic books look like?

What do you think?

Are images of action heroines in this state harmless, hurtful, or empowering? Some mix of all of the above? Would we still be as interested in these action heroines if they lacked their sex appeal, what is the ratio of sex appeal in action heroines vs. sex appeal in action heroes? Do these images carry on some American tradition in heroism, female or otherwise? So many questions...

Action Heroines Over-Exposed? (and will the CW's new show, "Nikita" survive?)

2010-09-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

The reviews are coming in for the CW's new action-heroine based series, "Nikita" based on Luc Besson's original film, "La Femme Nikita". The reviews are essentially in agreement that the show doesn't offer us anything fresh and only delivers cliches. (This AintItCool.com article just about sums it up.)

That got me thinking, are action heroines over-exposed right now? Did they become too popular, will there be a down shift in their appearances? (Was the cancellation of Joss Whedone's, "Dollhouse" last year the first sign of things to come?)

Probably. But believe it or not, that's good for the genre. Because that means someone, somewhere, will have to do something fresh with the action-heroine genre. Prepare yourselves fangirls, we may hit a lull.

Not just yet, but maybe sometime over the next five years or so. People may become so sick of seeing them that they disappear for a while, genres are known to ebb and flow like that. Before the success of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy, you couldn't find a new fantasy movie that wasn't hilariously bad quality, no matter how hard you tried. The last time when that genre was popular was the 1980's with films like, "Willow". But then it hit a lull. Until Jackson reinvented the genre with his years-long, highly stylized, technically advanced version of fantasy.

But remember, TV shows, in particular, take time to develop. If you watch the first season of, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", it's a hollow shell of it's future self. And audiences have become far more fickle than they were when Buffy premiered in 1997. Networks also edit their schedules far more harshly and much more quickly.

So what do you think, will you give "Nikita" a chance? Will it survive? Is it a cultural harbinger of a near-future dry spell? Or will the newly intense emphasis of comic books in modern pop culture keep action heroines alive in strong numbers in film and television?

I may not even watch the show, just for reason of time constraints, as I pretty much have zero of that thing called time right now to watch any television while finishing my thesis, except the occasional rerun of, "The Office" at bedtime. But I'm curious to see how this all goes down...

Are Action Heroines Dangerous for Young Women?

2010-08-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

I really like what this blogger has to say. Read her blog responding to the question HERE.

Of course, since I consider myself something of a feminist and a critic and a lover of action heroines, this really got me thinking.

A.) If action heroines are dangerous, they are no more dangerous than the age old male counterpart, the action hero.

B.) I absolutely think you can check your inner critic at the door when you go to see something like, oh say...the latest Resident Evil film. Why? Because the key to action heroines, the key to any genre types, is the idea that we should have VARIETY. There isn't one magical standard that all action heroines should live up to, the more the merrier. The more diverse examples, the better. From those grounded in realism to those living in a candy-coated 3D world...bring 'em on.

After all, have we not had a plethora of diverse male leads in action films, or even dramatic films with moments of action, or comedies that spoof action, etcetera, etcetera? Women and men and critics alike want to turn the debate into a simplistic one. They want to point to one action heroine and say, "Be this!" Some see a successful action heroine as one who makes bank at the box office, others see a successful action heroine only if the female character is ultra-feminine, some think they should be more gender neutral in order to be fair portrayals. We all have a different definition of what makes a strong woman on film "strong".

How about instead of turning against each other in the debate, we embrace all the examples? I'm not saying we have to love them all, not all action heroines are my cup of tea. But does there have to be a winner? One that reigns supreme?

One of the reasons why I started this blog was to discuss the diversity among action heroines, who are only appearing in the media with more and more frequency. A fairly recent uptick when you look at our decades of history without them.

But anyone who would argue that action heroines are a danger to young women is sorely mistaken. The only thing that could be more dangerous to young women would be to stick to one type of female figure in the media. Or to tell them that there is one "right" way to be a woman, or to be strong, or feminine.

I guess I just don't understand why there wasn't this type of arguing over the Lone Ranger back in the day? Maybe there was...I just wasn't around to hear it. But I certainly never hear this type of outrage over G.I. Joe and little boys, so why should we be so worried about little girls running around pretending to be Tomb Raider? We shouldn't be...

Crossfire - Charlize Theron Portrays New Action Heroine

2010-08-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sure, nothing will likely ever come of it story-wise. But as far as music videos go, this one is extremely cool. Pardon the annoying pop-up at the bottom that eventually goes away, and then watch Charlize Theron rescue singer Brandon Flowers several times in the video for his song, "Crossfire". If you could write the story for this, what would it be?

I mean, I've always wanted to shoot a nitty gritty all cowgirl Western saloon shootout to the U2 song, "Desire". But up until now, I thought it was just me who pictured action heroines when listening to good music...

Elvira Returns!

2010-08-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

She may not so much be in the "action" category, but she's certainly a strong female figure in entertainment!

Read about Elvira's return (and a brief rundown on whether that's bad or good for feminism) on my other blog HERE.

Action Heroes

2010-08-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Took a quick break last night from analyzing action heroines and turned my attention briefly to a few action heroes.

READ ON...

I thought it might be nice to take a break from some of the hate mail I've been getting since my opinion on Leia's bikini in geek culture appeared on a couple of websites last week. Simmer down everybody...simmer down...that's the one thing I hate about being a writer sometimes. If people read a contrary opinion, they automatically assume that you are personally attacking or insulting them. The great irony is that it's totally counter-intuitive to feminism for women to be telling other women to just shut up and not speak their mind on something...about feminism. Come on ladies, can't we all just get along? You can disagree with someone and still get along you know.

How Buffy Saved My Faith

2010-08-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Buffy TV Pilot

I'm going to get a little bit more personal than I usually do on this blog, because I've been thinking about this show a lot lately. And I can't think about Buffy without thinking about the time in my life when I watched it the most...

Strength. I needed it and Buffy had it. Sure, there was the minor setback that she was on television, and not in fact, a real person. But still. If she could get through high school and college while worrying about saving the world from hordes of undead vampires and various occult plots to destroy the town of Sunnyvale, then I could get through college and over an ex-boyfriend.

I started watching Buffy back in high school, and I found myself swept up into her world once a week for a few years. I watched the season-ender where Buffy sacrificed herself to save Dawn from my dorm room my freshman year at Ball State University, and I cried like a baby sitting in my crummy black futon. Every generation of people end up having their own heroes. My parents had The Lone Ranger. My sisters (ten years older than me) had Michael Keaton's Batman. Buffy just so happened to be almost exactly the same age as I was when the show began in 1997, my freshman year in high school. Therefore, girls my age got to grow up with Buffy and hit milestones (graduation, college, first love) with her. It was all in the timing.

Just after a bad breakup in 2003, Buffy was a welcome distraction that I used to stay motivated. I lived alone, in a tiny little shoebox of an apartment, and I was far too poor to pay for cable, even basic. So I borrowed one season at a time from a friend and watched them straight through anytime I wanted to watch television. In the beginning, I started watching because I was already burned out on most of the DVDs in my library, which I had been relegated to for over a year. That’s life without cable, and as a movie geek, I wasn’t complaining.

I’m sort of an addict in phases, going through entertainment like it’s brought on by strong pregnancy cravings. I’ve always devoured film, television, and music in this way. I’ll have the desire to watch a movie, I’ll watch it, I’ll re-watch it, I’ll dig into the special features, I’ll Google it, I’ll go to the website, I’ll watch it again, I’ll join the fan club, I’ll do various activities that revolve around the movie, and then I’ll put it back on the shelf and move on to the next one that strikes my fancy before I throw the movie into my regular rotation.

Not all entertainment garners my obsession this way. Sometimes I’ll watch something once a year. (“Empire Strikes Back” is for decorating the Christmas tree.) I hate a lot of movies. But if something strikes my fancy in just such a way, look out. I’m well on the road to an obsessive compulsive infatuation. Is it a problem? Is it an artistic quirk? An addiction? I stopped caring long ago and have simply embraced it. It works for me. Maybe I’m just the female Rain Man of movies.

The television show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was officially canonized as an Audrey obsession in that obnoxiously vulnerable autumn of 2003, when I needed a little something new. An action heroine that wouldn’t be gone in two hours. A new role model. A little girl that seemed to be entirely innocent and weak in appearance, but who was, in fact, very dangerous and strong. She was everything I wanted to be times ten.

That's in addition to the fact that Joss Whedon, the show's creator, is an amazing writer who knew how to create quippy dialogue and down-to-Earth characters that were easy to love. It was just a really good show.

Buffy had a lot to worry about, a boyfriend from the wrong side of the tracks, responsibilities that kept her constantly stressed out, a pretty major exercise regimen, and the normal social problems of a teenager who ran in the sensitive loser crowd. Maybe that was what made her so appealing to me. Her problems.

Other action heroines seemed immune to reality. Lara Croft lived in a mansion with endless financial resources. The Bride had some pretty major problems, but she also lived in a world over and above the rest of us mere mortals. Her problems were too big to comprehend, having to fight 88 samurai and what-not. She lived in the world of the Gods, not unlike The Man With No Name. Ripley was probably prepared for crazy science-fiction sized issues when she signed up to be a trucker in space, and a lot of the other women I adored onscreen were superheroes.

Buffy had super powers, sure, but she didn’t ask for them. She didn’t want to be anything other than a normal functioning teenage girl with a normal functioning teenage life. I wanted to be a normal early twenty-something girl with a normal twenty-something life. Instead I was a drippy, over-sensitive, needy girl running in a crowd of people who were maybe a little bit out of touch with their humanity. But it’s not their fault.

She stakes vamps through the heart...symbolism?

You see, I ran with the church crowd. Of all the things to be when you’re in college, I guess that wasn’t too shabby. I found my faith in high school and continued with it when I found a church I liked to attend on-campus at BSU. But just like the downsides to running in every crowd, being a church girl had some negatives. I say it’s the church that created some of the problems not because I’m angry, not because I’m anti-church. Just because I don’t want to blame it on my faith, which still remains intact. I don’t even want to blame it on church culture at large. Everyone was well-meaning. And I was over-sensitive. It was just…well…I'm being too diplomatic. Let's just say, my church at the time had it's own unique set of problems.

The people I went to church with, a lot of them wanted desperately to be good. To be perfect. To be something less than human. But we weren’t good or perfect. We were college kids. Human beings. So all of the usual drama unfolded. Who was dating who, who wanted to date who, who was in love with who? But in our world, dating was a very serious affair. A precursor to marriage. If you kissed someone, the conclusion was that you were well on your way to marriage. Which lead to a lot of couples getting together not because they wanted to, but because they felt they had to make something right, atone for their sin of being attracted to someone and not being married to them.

I was raised in a liberal universalist home. So all of this pent-up, over-sheltered, over-mothered business was all new to me. It was a foreign culture. Like being on another planet. Everything had to be run by someone else. If you were interested in someone, you had to be “held accountable” in groups of three with your peers to talk about your relationship. Actually, you were encouraged to have that anyway. You had to have an advisor, be mentored by an adult from the church. None of this was required of course, to attend the church. But it was sort of understood. The way things should be done. And I fell hook, line, and sinker for the entire process, being drawn in by the idea of such a well-organized life. Such a “good” life. There were wonderful things about it. It was a clean culture. No drugs. No alcohol. Lots of healthy introspection and maturity and good clean fun like you might find in a 1950s film strip about how to throw a party. For the most part, I liked it. And for the record, most churches are naturally messed up places. Because a church is just a collection of imperfect people, and often times, churches are the only places who will accept everyone into the fold. Which indefinitely makes for an interesting mix of people with unique backgrounds and ideas. But it was also a culture of repression and I was an outgoing, loud-mouthed geek girl who was raised in an uber-liberal environment. You do the math.

And then…

I dated a worship leader, really fun guy. We barely held hands during our couple of months dating (Which meant going out to meals together and hanging out in big groups.), but when I broke up with him because I didn’t see a future together, that was the beginning. I was a jezebel in the making. A traitor. A heartbreaker.

P.S. She fights robots too.

In fact, if any boy liked you and you dated him once, maybe kissed him, but didn’t marry him, you were considered a tease. Well, I didn’t marry a lot of boys. Naturally, I was always enemy number one after the break-up. It was misogyny light. A culture of "good" boys with hurt pride and "bad" girls with guilt complexes. A culture of pressure and shame. A group of well meaning, but misguided people. The blind leading the blind.

I had finally “settled down” with one guy after dating two guys from the church. (Again…hand holding, maybe a kiss, and it was always WWIII afterward.) But this guy, this was my winner. My pick. We would date and be married, all according to a plan, we even talked about it often. Envisioned our wedding. I finally got with the program.

Then we broke up.

He sort of disappeared emotionally after the first year of dating, and probably feeling tethered by guilt, didn’t want to end the relationship. I didn’t make things any easier and we dragged the whole mess out for another year in the style of some over-dramatic soap opera. All because of this cultural pressure to get married. So eventually, I broke up with him. But we still ran in the same circles. Still did the same church activities. In short, it was torturous. Probably for both of us. Never having a clean break. Having to go to the same church where at least two men thought I was the devil in disguise and where one felt guilty for not marrying me, the old ball and chain…all of this before the age of twenty three.

There’s a hilarious picture of me floating around somewhere from this time. At a weekend church retreat. Everyone is down by the water in a lake on the last day, doing baptisms in the bright yellow sunshine framed by an explosion of autumn colored trees on the horizon at the far side of the lake, looking happy and refreshed. Jubilant. Like something out of a velvet painting.

I’m entirely apart from the crowd, standing by a tree, looking depressed and wearing a bright red coat and Jackie O sunglasses. You could’ve drawn an arrow above my head and written the words, “alone and desperate for attention” over it. Much of it was self-imposed. But still. When that picture played in a slide show at a church event later that fall, it was as if I was looking at a microcosm of my life. A perfect representation of what was happening with me. The cheese, or in this case, the jezebel stands alone.

I could tell you horror stories of encounters with men who hated women at the church, things they said to me, but I'll spare you because part of me still feels like I have to be quiet about the whole thing. When someone does something cruel to you, they don't want anyone to know about it. So they scare you into being quiet...and I was quiet. (It wasn't the boyfriend by the way, and nobody hurt me physically. There were some wicked barbs and insults thrown my way though...maybe someday when I'm not so tender, I'll write about it. But probably not.) Suffice it to say, I was in a culture where I didn't belong anymore.

But that’s what Buffy was for. When I was emotionally confused, feeling this strange sort of guilt and shame for…oh I don’t know, having breasts or being unmarried, I could turn on the television and watch Buffy staking vampires. Buffy walking the cemetaries of Sunnyvale late at night, defeating demons. Knowing the clear difference between right and wrong. Good guys from bad guys. That was it. I couldn’t get rid of my demons, but Buffy had enough strength to kill an entire town’s worth.

Of course, my demons weren’t really demons. I thought I was bad. Not good enough. Not pretty enough. Nor spiritual enough. Classic low-self esteem, temporary insanity, lapse in good judgment, early twenties issues. My faith had ceased to become about God and had temporarily become about other people and a social culture. Again, I was suffering all the pitfalls of youth in any other crowd, but with the added pressures or needing to be perfect. Of needing everyone's approval. And that's not the church's fault.

Sometimes God wipes our slate clean, and I can look back now and see that he was separating me from that crowd. Not because they were bad, but because he had something new for me. But at the time, it felt like death. Sometimes, the mercy of God comes in an unexpected form. That of separation. God was getting me out of there. But I refused to go quietly.

When I would get home from some church activity that fall, all pent up with rage and angry at the sometimes misogynistic culture, and feeling like a bad person because of it, watching Buffy could release that anger for me. All the punching and kicking sounds, all the training montages with her Watcher, all of the secret weapons that she could find and use were cathartic to watch. I'd take that energy to the gym with me and work it out on a treadmill when I couldn't say it out loud.

As I’ve always done with action heroines of film and television, Buffy (and yes, God) became my lifeline out of depression and my light at the end of the tunnel. When I (wrongly) felt like I couldn't stand up for myself and just say, "Pardon me, but I won't be taking your culture of woman-hating crap anymore," I could watch Buffy say, "Hell no!" to vampires and stand her ground and be totally sure of herself. She could do what I didn't have the strength to do at the time, be mad as hell and say she wasn't gonna take it anymore. Go her own way. Against the culture. She dated a vampire for crying out loud...the character lived life on her own terms.

As I worked through these feelings, and I’m sorry to say that it took me years to separate my actual feelings from the guilt and shame imposed on me by wrong thinking people, I found my Buffy watching tapering off. I didn’t need her as much anymore. She was like my geek security blanket. My mascot. And when I felt strong enough, I didn’t need to get vicarious thrills watching her defeat evil anymore.

For the record, I’m still a Christian. (Even though I hate that word for what it implies sometimes.) I believe that certain types of shame come from a messed up culture of religious people who are doing it wrong. That time ended up strengthening my faith and setting me on a path that I hope will help me help other young women being burdened under wrong-thinking in the church about shame.

I can look back now and see everything so clearly, how and when I should've stood up for myself, the obvious line between my spiritual and social life. The differences between what God thought of me and what people thought of me. But back then, it was all so murky...and I found myself drawn to watching Buffy because...well, back then, I had no idea why. I just knew that something about watching that girl kick ass every week felt right. I know now that I needed that type of strength, not in that hyperbolic and violent form, but in my strength of conviction. I find that when I'm drawn to something or nostalgic for it, it's because there's something about whatever I'm thinking of, something that I need from it. I don't so much need Buffy anymore the way I did then, because I'm stronger now.

Maybe it's hereditary, when I was a kid, and my mother was depressed, all she needed to set the world right again was Peter Sellers. She could pop in any one of his movies and her smile would return, her depression would lift, even if temporarily. Not because he fixed the actual problems, but because he reminded her that life would be funny again. That it could be funny again, and as a professional clown, that was the kind of light she needed at the end of her tunnel. So maybe I learned then to turn to film and television to ease whatever pain life brings. Between prayer and inspiration, I found my way back to reality after the worst phase in my entire life. Not because a TV show could fix my problems, but because it triggered something in my brain that I needed to know, even if subliminally...that I could be strong again eventually.

But I still love Buffy and when I think of some of those wasted college years spent in depression and self-doubt, and I wish so much that I could go back knowing what I know now and do things differently, I pop in one of her DVDs and delight in the way that she punches the bad guy right in the face.

Over and over and over again.

The Buffy Comic

Fiona of "Burn Notice" in the episode, "Where There's Smoke"

2010-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Last night's episode of Burn Notice proves that writers (and Gabrielle Anwar) are paying attention to the character development of the show's resident action heroine, Fiona. It also had me squealing with delight, taking me to some frantic heights of fangirl joy that I haven't been to in a long time. Because last night's episode was all about Fiona, and we haven't had very many of those. But when we get them, they're oh so good. (For example, I can tell I'm hard core geeking out about something when I want to start dressing like the character, which sent me right to this website to look for goodies like Fiona's trademark leather pouch belt and other accessories.)

When the show began four seasons ago, Fiona didn't feel very real. In all fairness, all of the characters were two-dimensional in the beginning. That's what a pilot is for. To give a network and a viewing public a rough sketch, a concentrated version of the characters and the plot that will catch their interest and ink the show a deal.

For the first season, Fiona was written as a character who was only around to chase Michael as a love interest. But as the seasons have progressed, Fiona herself has set up shop in Miami as a security expert, and yes...an illegal arms dealer. She has her own apartment, her own contacts, and her own operation. She's full of interesting contradictions and provides us with regular butt-kickings that would make even Milla Jovovich flinch. She's tough, she's sassy, she's written perfectly for geeks like me who go to the comic book store and just scout for the female driven books. (Sirens of Gotham, for example.)

Last night's episode, "Where There's Smoke" was a big developmental leap for Fiona's character. (I realize that I'm approaching my thoughts from a writer's point-of-view because, well...I'm a writer.)

First of all, the episode was a lot of fun. Bruce Campbell had more of a presence in the episode, which I enjoy a great deal. His character started out as a fully retired, inactive, cocktail drinking contact and has since become an irreplaceable member of "the team". Seeing as how I bleed geek, more Bruce Campbell in anything is always good. Nay, great. The dynamic that the writers have created for his character and Fiona is a fun one that I never get tired of seeing and I'd like to see them take a shine to each other more than they have in the past. With Sam's seemingly newfound respect for Fiona in last night's episode, maybe we can see a new dynamic emerge between them. (Of course, I may be projecting just tad...love me Bruce Campbell!)

But back to Fiona. Last night, Fiona had one line that, I think, fully encompassed why female viewers everywhere love not only the show, but her character in particular. A line fully representative of what Fiona's character stands for. She said, "Sometimes you have to be your own white knight." And last night, she was. She rescued herself, though Sam did play into the situation as back-up. Not only did she rescue herself, she also sacrificed herself in the beginning of the episode in order to keep someone else safe. Because she had confidence that she could take on the "bad guys", no matter what situation they put her in. And she was right.

Part of the joy of watching her character in general and last night's episode in specific is that every week we get to enjoy a sort of reverse Cinderella story. Fiona is a dangerous character, well educated in self-defense, and able to play on people's perceptions of her and use that as a weapon. In short, we LOVE to watch her lie in wait, pretending to be a weak little girl when in reality she is a serious threat that can take down any villain, basically anytime she wants. There was a similar thrill to the show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". It's the role reversal that's so much fun to see. She's the woman we'd love to become.

The writers are so smart too, because Michael didn't save Fiona last night. He helped. He was concerned (which keeps the romantic tension between the two alive), but she did it all herself.

Also, how great was the, "My name's not Charlotte!" moment? There was something so adrenaline-pounding about that scene in the end where Fiona finally revealed herself to be a real danger. That scene with Sam and Fiona taking down the bad guys has been by far my favorite this season. My husband and I just looked at each other with delight, like it was Christmas morning for us TV geeks. It's the kind of thrill you'd expect from a blockbuster.

This is why, "Burn Notice" is so successful. An action heroine every week. Bruce Campbell every week. Fun spy technology. It's all fun all the time on this show, and the writers and actors have proven time and again that they know how to write an action heroine into the story in a believable way that continues to deliver and build a strong female character that grows and lasts. (Someone should take away my ability to italicize.)

Don't be surprised if, "Where There's Smoke" becomes a fan favorite, particularly among female viewers.

There seems to be waves or trends on the action heroine scene, and between "Burn Notice" starting up again and, "SALT" coming out last weekend, the latest trend to me is that action heroines have become so much more acceptable and influential in film and television than they used to be. There's a wider variety now than there ever used to be, and I can only hope that it's a trend that continues. I feel like if fangirls unite and keep watching the shows and seeing the movies that deliver the great action heroines, or heck, any action heroines at all, the entertainment industry will keep them coming.

Have you been watching, "Burn Notice"? What do you think of Fiona? Personally, last night's episode moved her into "classic action heroine" status forever in my book. Thoughts? Anyone else wanna be Fiona when they grow up?

SALT - Jolie Gives Us the Female Early Nineties Hero We've Always Dreamed Of

2010-07-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

A girlfriend and I went to see, “SALT” this week. We’ve both been looking forward to it all summer, so it only seemed fitting to leave the husbands and kids at home and go watch a good-old-fashioned action movie.

“SALT” delivered in every category that we’ve come to love and hope for in an Angelina Jolie action movie. She’s tough, she’s believable, and this time saving the world has nothing to do with her gender. In fact, Jolie can not only be thanked for jump-starting the action heroine franchise a decade ago with, "Tomb Raider", but she's almost making up for missed action heroine opportunities of decades past with this espionage thriller. (Spoilers throughout…)

You probably know that the original script for, “SALT” was written for Tom Cruise, who then turned it down feeling that it was too similar to his Mission Impossible role. Well, the studio then turned to Jolie who played the part originally written for a man with note perfect clarity.

As we left the theater, my friend and I talked about how nice it was to see an action movie starring a woman that had virtually nothing to do with the fact that she was a woman. She never seduced anyone for secrets. She never used her appearance or looks to get anything done and she also never had to take on any maternal roles over the course of the movie. She was just a spy. Not a sexy spy, not a Bond girl, just a spy.

Conspicuously missing from the film were cutaway scenes seen in the trailer of Jolie in her underwear with a man. I can only assume that these were scenes we would've seen before the opening of the movie where Salt is being tortured in her underwear in a North Korean prison. Whoever decided to cut them out, thank you, it was a nice change of pace.

Which goes to show just how far we’ve come in the decade since Jolie’s first action flick, “Tomb Raider” was released, when sexy absolutely had to be a part of the equation in order to make bank at the box office. Of course, Angelina Jolie is a beautiful woman, so no matter what is written in the script, I’m sure her appearance is a draw. What I mean when I say that sexy isn’t a part of the equation in this film is that we have no half-naked shower scenes. Nothing shot for the sole purpose of putting her body on display as an artifact. Again, and I feel like a broken record, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It just gets old if you’re a female viewer who loves action heroines to have to put up with the femme fatale stereotype. We want variety in our female characters. Salt is a happily married woman no longer interested in playing the field, and that's a unique character choice for a lot of action heroes in film, be they male or female.

“SALT” could’ve belonged in another time and place. With the nuclear threat/assassination plot line, it could’ve been lifted right out of the early nineties or a Jack Ryan story. Which might sound like a drawback, but was in fact for me, a big bonus. We’re used to seeing male superspies saving the world from clandestine bad guys. From Bruce Willis to Tom Cruise to Arnold Shwarzenegger to Matt Damon and on and on the list could go. We have years worth of male lead action films. Again, nothing wrong with that at all.

But in most female-lead action films, there has to be a twist involving gender. Sometimes this is novel and well thought out, such as Tarantino’s psychologically in-depth look at a mother gone haywire with grief in, “Kill Bill”. Sometimes it’s fetishistic and clearly just there for the male gaze, as in “Ultraviolet”, and sometimes it’s a mix of both, “The Long Kiss Goodnight”. I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with any of those choices.

But in, “SALT”, we have a truly unique story that does something different not only in the script, by barely making any mention of the fact that the lead character is a woman, but it also does something very different visually. Jolie’s character becomes less feminine as the movie goes forward. In the final scenes of the film, Jolie’s trademark long hair is cut off, completely gone and shaped into a modern male hairstyle. She has no makeup on. (Correction, she’s made up to look like she has no makeup on, but you take my meaning.) Her clothing is men’s clothing, not designed to show off her female curves. Her gender becomes neutralized visually, as the plot takes her to the White House disguised as a male.

Now, apart from some hilarious visuals my friend and I conjured up imagining Tom Cruise sneaking into the White House in a ball gown, this plot point is a great example of why the movie was so refreshing for this female viewer. They could’ve changed the script to make it more suited to Jolie’s sex appeal. They could’ve had her sneak in as a secretary to a diplomat in a smart suit and chic fake glasses. They could’ve made a million cliché choices visually. Instead, they kept the part in the script where she sneaks in as a man, which was not only surprising for an audience, but also made the most sense story-wise. If they’re looking for a woman, they’d never think twice about trying to find her in a man’s clothing. Not since Nightcrawler's breathtaking invasion of the White House in, "X-Men: United" has there been a more fun, "Let's watch some creative espionage." scene.

Of course, the symbolic interpretations of this scene are endless. Does a woman in an action film have to act male to be tough? Does she have become gender neutral to be taken seriously? These are questions feminist critics everywhere will tackle. And I’ll let them. My main point about, “SALT” is that it’s not a film for men or women, it’s a film for both and a movie that shirks off the clichés we’ve come to expect. And that’s a nice change of pace.

My final thoughts on the film, the lasting impressions that have stuck with me in the days since seeing it, have been of the large action set-pieces at the beginning of the story. Watching Angelina Jolie do what she does best, jumping from tuck to truck in a traffic jam, speeding off on a motorcycle, killing bad guys, and yes…saving the world. It’s also left me with a serious desire to cut bangs as soon as possible. But that’s beside the point.

Was this movie the most interesting one I’ve ever seen or the most creative in this genre? Admittedly, no. But I can’t tell you how exciting it was, after seeing the massive shift in the action heroine consciousness over the last decade, to be able to say that I went and saw a run-of-the-mill, standard, fun, explosive action flick starring a woman. It’s such a gift for me and my girlfriends to be able to go to the movies together and take in a female-lead action movie.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that. In fact, I know I won’t.

I don’t know if Jolie is staying away from the, “Tomb Raider” franchise on purpose. If the studio is avoiding it because the second film flopped. But that’s all Jan De Bont’s (the director) fault. This movie, more than any other she’s made since the last Tomb Raider, just makes me wish that they could, or would, get the Tomb Raider franchise out of development hell and crank out another one . It’s a fun franchise with endless adventure potential, one that can easily be saved with a better script, and one that’s just aching for another sequel with Jolie.

Seeing what she’s capable of in the genre only serves as a reminder that they should give Tomb Raider one more chance.

NPR Recognizes the Power of Action Heroines

2010-07-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to listen to or read this NPR story that addresses the issue of what happens when Hollywood chooses to replace male roles in films with female actresses. (Hint: You can either be funny or tough.) Also, I'll be seeing "SALT" soon and posting a review here as well as some writing about all the action heroines presented to us this summer.

Introducing the Black Widow - Did She Sink or Swim?

2010-05-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the thing about action heroines on film, they work or they don't. Audiences will buy them right away or dismiss them as silly and unbelievable. Same thing goes for their male counterparts. It's a tough sell to begin with, the idea of a costumed super hero especially, and movies have about thirty seconds where an audience will make their decisions. Yesterday, I saw Iron Man 2, and Scarlett Johannson is on screen for almost the entire film as her secret identity, a buttoned-up hyper intelligent assistant to Tony Stark and Pepper Pots. So when she finally shows up in her trademark black catsuit near the finale and starts doing her real job, it only took me a few seconds to love it...

I've never been a Johannson fan. I've never disliked her, but she's never won me over in other roles. She was most convincing in, "Match Point", but she did have a tick that has always bothered me. She, along with Julia Stiles and Kirsten Dunst, doesn't often act with her eyes. She doesn't express herself from the chin up very well, and as picky as that is, it's always bothered me. But yesterday it worked. Becasue it was her job to play it cool and collected, an action heroine that's been trained to fight and doesn't panic in the face of danger. So the trait that has always bothered me in her other films actually worked really well in this case.

Also, this is one of the first times I've seen her in a role that requires her character to act and not simply be acted upon. Her role in, "He's Just Not That Into You", and many others she's taken have cast her as a pseudo villain or a girl you yell at through the screen, "You're doing the wrong thing!" Frustrating characters that we just want to push in the right direction. So seeing her alongside an also more active and likeable Gwyneth Paltrow was a great step in the right direction to making her more accessible for people like me who have never really been able to get on board with her before.

I'd run into the Black Widow a few times over my years of comic book reading, but I never really was a great fan. Again, didn't dislike her, just didn't see her often enough to form much of an opinion. Which also worked in the film's favor. When your favorite makes the leap from comic book page to movie screen, the pressure is always on. But when a virtual unknown, in my case, the Black Widow, makes the jump, you can relax and enjoy the show. And that I did. Tremendously. I cheered for crying out loud.

So in a way, Johannson and the Black Widow were tied together, making this either a break-through role for the actress or a flop. I see it as a break-through performance, even though it was such a small part of the film. Johannson has seen a lot of critical success and is already an A-lister. But it takes a special kind of sensibility to pull off an action role, and I think she fit in really well with the rest of the down-to-Earth, you could run into these people on the street cast and Favreau's fun and relaxed directing style.

When Black Widow finally has a job to do, her action scene is intense and exciting. Instead of just punching and kicking, she (thanks to an incredible stunt woman and some great work by Scarlett Johannson) has a fighting style all her own. It involves a lot of sliding around, a lot of graceful martial arts, some dirty tricks, and a good old fashioned can of mace.

In fact, there was something almost humorous about her attack style. At one point, she punches a man in his nether-regions...which usually annoys me because it's a cliche. But what do we always hear at self-defense class ladies? Eyes or groin. Also, the fact that the Black Widow carries a can of mace just tickled me. She's not above using the same tried and true self-defense tactics that we have to use. Why? Because they work!

There was something extra empowering about seeing a cat-suited action heroine up there on the big screen defending herself the same way that we regular Janes do. Though God forbid we ever have to do so, it was almost a wink and a nudge, or so it felt, to an appreciative (in my case) female audience.

A trained super agent would use her natural advantages, such as her grace of movement, if she lacked super strength or any other super power. The same things that I love about Batman (I know, different universe) made me appreciate the Black Widow. She's just an ordinary woman with a lot of dedication and discipline. Now that's an action heroine I can get behind. Because I'm not familiar with her comic story lines, I don't know how true to her origins she is, but I like that she's not imbued with any supernatural powers.

I also appreciate the casting of Johannson for another reason. Even though I felt that she was far skinnier than she usually is, at least the woman has some curves! I'm so sick and tired of, as Bridget Jones would say, American stick insects being the only actresses to get the action parts. What's wrong with having a shape for crying out loud? I love it when people are fit, and my goodness they have to be in roles like this, but I also appreciate it when a woman is allowed to have an hourglass figure and a chest!

I'd love to see the aesthetics of beauty shift back to the 1950's. I'd even take the early 90's. What if action heroines started looking like Jane Russell instead of Madonna-bots? Wouldn't that be amazing? Though the last time that happened was Alicia Silverstone in the unfortunate, "Batman and Robin", and she was leveled as being "fat". Which she wasn't, she was simply closer to normal. If the movie had been salvageable in any way critically, I wonder if the response would have been different somehow?

I just hope that the next trend in beauty is shape and form and not just over-exercised spindles with veiny arms. There, I said it. Rant over. The point is that I approve of the Black Widow having hips! At least she's got something for her trademark belt to rest upon!

Before I saw the movie, I saw a quote from Johannson somewhere talking about how she hoped audiences liked her so she could get the Black Widow her own movie. To which I say, bring it on! If an over-criticalnit-picky geek like me can get with the program in this case, then by all means, make that woman her own movie. I'm starved for action heroines. The ratio of male to female action-centric movies is still grossly ill-proportioned in favor of male stars. With the geek community growing as it is, trust us movie studios, the female audiences want their own action stars, and not just in bit-parts and cameos and not just as tortured love interests!

What about you, what did you think of the Black Widow?

Roots in the Past - America's First Action Heroine (1767)

2010-04-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

So...you may think that my obsession with action heroines is just limited to my geekosphere, movies, video games, and comics. Wrong! I take it all the way into the classrooms of my graduate school experience. During an Early American Literature studies class this semester, we read a book from 1767 titled, "The Female American". I was shocked to see just exactly how closely her fictional life followed that of so many other contemporary action heroines...

She was orphaned. Just like Princess Leia, Marion Ravenwood, Lara Croft, and many others who are even symbolically orphaned, such as Leeloo from, "The Fifth Element". She also had the same kind of isolated experience that so many action heroines do. After all, you can't just grow up a regular gal and magically become super one day. No, often the origin stories of action heroines involve long periods of painful isolation or rejection from society. As in the case with the majority of the X-Men.

Why is it that the majority of action heroines come from these broken or traumatic backgrounds? Well, I may have formed a working theory on this one kids. It's not fully developed yet, after all, Batman was orphaned too...so it can't be 100% gender specific. But there are very close ties from our modern mythical women of strength to our early days as colonists?

I haven't even touched yet on the trends of other women in Early American Lit. Cora from, "Last of the Mohicans", Pocahontas (in her real and fictional form), and Hope Leslie and Magawisca of the book, "Hope Leslie". Then there's the captivity narratives of Mary Rowlandson and Elizabeth Hansen, violent and bloody tales of racism and retribution. Take my word for it, there's a trend, a common thread running through all of these people and characters that shows up in our cineplexes and video games. But where can we begin to better understand these connections? Why should we even bother?

Well...that's why I wrote this...have a read and see if you agree with me. I'm open to any and all questions!

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Note: The Picture above is the cover of the book, not an actual photo of Unca Eliza. There are only engravings from some original versions of the book, illustrations, as Unca Eliza is a fictional character.

Six Famous Female Action Heroines of Television

2010-03-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick little sampling from some of my favorite shows which proves that not all action heroines are trapped on celluloid or in the pages of a comic.

Scully - The X-Files - Scully was constantly saving the day for all mankind. She and Mulder took turns playing the hero. But during the show's nine year run, Scully was seen punching Nazis (episode Triangle), fighting off a serial killer (episode Orison), and even squaring off against a Tomb Raider-like digital villainess that bested all of the Lone Gunmen and Mulder combined (episode First Person Shooter: picture featured above). These are just a few of her exploits outside of her every day duties investigating and arresting criminals, handling firearms, performing autopsies, and saving Mulder whenever he fell too far down the rabbit hole chasing one of his many conspiracies.

Buffy - Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Buffy has a hard life. During her most formative years, she was busy making sacrifice after sacrifice to protect innocent life, and quite frankly, the job was pretty thankless. Buffy was constantly staking vampires, chasing monsters, solving mysteries and protecting the very gate of Hell. This on top of needing to keep up with homework, look out for her Mom and sister, and try to maintain some kind of normal social life. While it's true that Buffy had some slightly supernatural aid on her side in regards to her physical strength, it's also true that she had to train often and train hard to take advantage of that gift. This was a very well written show, extremely clever, and filled with a lot of humor. Come for the butt-kicking, stay for the funny.

Fiona - Burn Notice - Fiona is in a very pure state of action heroinedom. (It's my blog, I can make up words when I want to...) She walks a fine line between criminal and hero, never really needing to be on the right side of the law to do the right thing. She's interesting for many reasons, one being she's not afraid of being out for personal gain. Which is kind of a nice break from the, "I'll sacrifice myself for everyone else," model, which is quickly morphing into a stereotype for strong women. (It seems to be more palatable for audiences.) Fiona was born of a bitter battle, a former member of the IRA, but she's never claimed she was pushed into anything she has done, past or present. She is a women of strong opinions, strong conscience, varied skills (including weaponry and explosives), but she doesn't really seem like she dwells on a tortured past in order to posess these qualities. Though we know that past is there, the writers have made sure that she takes advantage of it instead using it for sentimental cues and dramatic ploys.
Fiona is a fun character, who always seems to enjoy all of her assignments, especially the dangerous ones. She's an enigma for lots of viewers. When I first started watching the show, her sultry nature bothered me, but her character has grown and grown on me as well. The more you watch the show, the more you begin to understand that Fiona does things her way and nobody elses, which makes it easy to be at peace with her desires and goals, whatever those may be pointing toward. She's a character written in three dimensions, never just a faceless visual there for exploitation, and she's a lot of fun to watch.

Allison - Medium - I know what you're thinking, Allison isn't a traditional action heroine. But I'd like to make the argument that we expand our canon to include her. It's typical for most action heroines of film and television to be young and single. (One exception would be the Geena Davis flick, The Long Kiss Goodnight, which suggests in its plot that our leading lady ended up coupled with a child by accident.) Allison, however, is married with three children, entirely by choice.
She's a realistic woman, she could be your next door neighbor. But she's tough. She chases and faces down criminals, both dead and alive, and has risked life and limb on more than one occasion to do the right thing. She may not have the fighting skills of a mutant or a video game vixen, but she's got extreme power of will and is physically capable and emotionally willing defend herself, her family, and anonymous citizens when necessary. I think she makes an intriguing role model for the real modern woman, an attainable goal. Not of psychic powers, but of grit, determination, and behaving like an action heroine in the absence of superpowers or intricate training. Who is more brave? The action heroine born and bred to defend, or the one who does so anyway despite the lack of standard accountrements.

Aeryn Sun - Farscape - If you've never seen the show before, you should check it out. It was highly underrated. The character of Aeryn appears as an almost mindless universal solider type. Over the course of the show, she has to shed some brainwashing in order to claim an individual identity. This is an arc that could be considered highly allegorical in modern society, with the messages coming fast and hard at young women through all manner of ubiquitous advertising. Also, she's extremely beautiful, but not in a contemporary way. Hang on...before you mis-read what I just said, let me elaborate. The actress, Claudia Black, is what I would call classically beautiful. Watch an episode of Baywatch or a soap opera re-run from a decade or two past, and you'll see what I mean between contemporary beauty and classic beauty. Contemporary beauty is trendy. It's in the hairstyle and color, the plastic surgery trend of the moment, the fashion of the day. Classic beauty is always beautiful. But I hate to dwell so much on appearances...
Like all of the characters on this list, Aeryn has leadership qualities, though she may need to cultivate some patience. She's physically strong and tactically intelligent, and she's universally strong. Meaning she's not strong, "for a girl", which is a popular character trait written for action heroines today, but one that can be repulsive to female viewers. (Men tend to write women this way often so that they won't be intimidating to male viewers. That way the character is strong, but never stronger than the male viewer, allowing that sense of power over the character. If I'm over-reading, forgive me...I'm in graduate school at the moment...) Aeryn is never shy about her opinions and never leverages herself for any reason. You could say these qualities are true of all of the women on this list. But Aeryn probably displays them without any hesitation whatseover for procedure due to the conditions of the show, which finds the characters as rogues in the middle of a massive conflict.

Tasha Yar - Star Trek: The Next Generation - See how Tasha is standing in front of Worf, the big bad Klingon? Yeah, that's how she stood in front of everyone as head of security for an entire galaxy class starship. (Hang on, I have to push my glasses up my nose and adjust my pocket protector now.) Tasha didn't discriminate. She would use her tactical and defense skills on anyone, anywhere, anytime that she felt she needed to. She's a professional in the field of action and she was always exciting to watch, even though she was only on for one season. When the show first aired, I was very young, and I had never seen a character like her before. She was definitely breakthrough in regards to portrayal of female action heroines on television.

Of course, there are so many others. This is by no means a definitive list. My picks are from the shows that I like to watch, but I know there are so many more that I don't have time for or just never caught onto growing up. I've heard good things about Alias, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica, all of the Stargate series, and many more. Who are your favorite action heroines of television?

Milla Jovovich in Bandages vs. Video Girls Everywhere

2010-02-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

I want to attempt to explain why Milla Jovoich wearing little more than a few Ace bandages in the sci-fi favorite, The Fifth Element is not offensive to some lady geeks. But many women in music videos, often wearing more clothing, are.

Disclaimer: I don't claim to speak for the entire movie geek community, and I don't claim to be speaking for all feminists either. I'm kind of a middle-grounder when it comes to both films and feminism. Not that I'm lukewarm in my thoughts. But, there are movies that I like that would get me shunned by my fellow movie geeks, and there are opinions I have that would whip many from the feminist community into a frenzy. So I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of representing anyone but myself. Moving along...

Milla Jovovich is a bonafied lady geek mascot. At least, she is to me. She appears in more action films than probably any other actress or character on my list at this blog. Whether you like any of them or not is beside the point. Jovovich consistently performs as an action heroine, in fact, you could easily call it her specialty. But it all began with Luc Besson's exquisite science fiction adventure film, The Fifth Element. One could argue that visually it's a bit dated now, but to me, that's part of the charm. The explosion of color, the use of puppetry and costumes, and the fact that it manages to look nothing like Star Wars really sets it apart for me. (Also, is it just me, or is Ruby Rhod the prototype for Perez Hilton?) Long story short, it's a great film.

Jovovich plays the character of Leeloo in the movie, a perfect being created by aliens to save the world. And if you want proof that this character is big on the lady geek scene, just Google image her. There have been a stunning amount of replica costumes crafted by fans, usually for conventions like Comic-Con. The frequency of its appearance was even spoofed on the most recent Halloween episode of The Office thanks to the brilliance of Mindy Kaling. (If I could get away with the outfit, I definitely would. But I can't. Consider my restraint a free gift.)

When Leeloo first appears in the film, we see her being generated by a machine that can recraft an entire human being from a single strand of DNA. After her body is fully constructed, bandages are placed over her in her nakedness. Now, it's this scene where a lot of feminist critics take issue. Why? Because the costume crafted, albeit artistically and in a design-conscious way, is also obviously for the purpose of showcasing Jovovich's body. Case in point...

Now, first of all, there's the bathing suit argument. She's wearing more than what most women wear to the beach nowadays. But that's not why her outfit doesn't bother me. It doesn't bother me because of who the character is underneath that outfit. It's not the appearance of a woman's body that could ever be considered innately offensive. If that were true, then everything in nature should be considered shameful along with it. A woman's body is a natural and beautiful sight under all circumstances.

It's what Jovovich isn't made to do that makes the costume okay. She doesn't wink at the camera, doesn't arch her back suggestively or look lustfully into the camera. It's quite the opposite. It's the absence of the sexual actions within the scenes that include the costume that make's the appearance of the costume perfectly acceptable.

When she does act, it's from a place of strength. She breaks through walls and walks on the edges of a building, makes a great leap, and just generally ignores anyone in her path. As a character, she's completely innocent, though not naive. That, to me, is a well written and complex character.

The issue at hand is exploitation. This is where the opinions begin to splinter. What constitutes exploitation of a woman's body on film? This question matters because this is a regular battle ground for women like me, who find most action heroines of film to be empowering and not exploitative.

To me, exploitation begins with intent, but doesn't end there. Did Luc Besson intend for people to enjoy the sight of Milla Jovovich's body in that costume? Sure. Of course. But did he intend to make her purely an object to be viewed, objectified, or only used for a man's pleasure? No way. There's a character in that costume, and if viewers ignore that, no matter what their agenda, then they are also the ones guilty of objectifying the character and the actress. (I know, I have italics fever...but I love them so for their emphatical power!)

Just to play devil's advocate, because I think it never hurts to try to understand your opponent, I'll make the caveat that okay...you could argue that it's problematic to create a character and label her the "perfect" woman. How will young girls who watch that and don't look like Milla Jovovich (98% of us) respond to that?
BUT, I don't want to play devil's advocate. I want to say that every filmmaker, writer, actress, artist and costume designer on the planet can make whatever artistic choices they see fit all day long and answer to no man. (Yes, even the ones I don't like.) I want to point out that this film came out when I was a freshman in high school and it made me connect with the possibility of female power in a completely new way. It was the woman out to save the world in this movie. Sure she needed a little help, but so did Rambo and the Terminator. Fair is fair, right?

So where do the music videos come into play? Well, I just watched the new Justin Timberlake/Timbaland music video today. I just ran into it on the internet and watched. I don't have MTV and sometimes I wonder what "kids today" are watching. (Psst, that was a joke about me being old. Get it?)

The song is called, "Carry Out" and makes parallels to women's bodies as carry out food. The video has a flood of imagery that I personally would lump into the category of objectification. Women making eyes at the camera, multiple women dressed in lingerie and hanging over one man, women eating food suggestively, women putting their fingers in their mouths, dancing in a way that would shock your grandma, bending over, you know the drill. The women in the video are simply present to titillate, what one can only presume, are the straight male senses. Nothing new, it's called "eye candy". Oh look...another food metaphor...

I know I sound like an uptight snob. I really do. For the record, I am not pro-censorship or anti-beautiful women. Am I shocked by videos? No. Am I personally offended by them? No, they honestly don't affect me. But I bring this up to hold one artifact up against another. To try to create a line where people can differentiate why we, women who love action heroines, don't see our favorite female movie characters as offensive in any way, but can still be irked by Playboy or music videos. Not from some kind of judgement seat, but from a place of differentiation. A place where character and intent matter. A place where people can begin to understand why Leeloo from The Fifth Element is completely different than the monthly centerfold. I guess I'm being so careful with my words because I often get accused of being a hypocrite. How can someone who likes Tomb Raider cast a dissaproving eye on suggestive videos?

Well, let me tell you...

A strong female character can still be a symbol of strength because of who she is within the context of a film, scantily clad, drop dead gorgeous or not. Beauty or the amount of skin exposed doesn't negate strength. But the women who end up in music videos and girly magazines have no character to speak of, they are there strictly to entertain the viewer with their appearance only. I'm not judging anyone who likes videos or the women in the videos either, I'm just trying to prove a point here. And that point is, there's a difference. If not to you, to us...okay, I'll be brave. To me.

Plus...to put it in a simpler vocabulary, Milla Jovovich absolutely rocks. Am I right? I can't tell you how many times I've played this scene over and over, especially back in high school. In fact, once I rigged up my own editing system using two VCR's and cut together a reel of my favorite scenes from movies where women were the heroes. This shouldn't surprise you, but the following scene made the cut.

If you've never seen the movie, just don't worry about context. Otherwise your brain may ache a little. "But why is she punching monsters, and who's that nice blue lady?" Doesn't matter. Watch this first, enjoy the sight of a David and Goliath style battle, and then go rent the film.

If you enjoyed the clip and you're new to action heroines, you may want to visit this entry to get started...also, I would highly recommend a trip to your local Comic Book shop.

The Case for Cutthroat Island

2009-11-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Geena Davis is a legend in the world of action heroines as far as I'm concerned, but her action films were widely panned at the box office and are mostly known today through "cult classic" status. I don't know why that is, so I'll break it down for Cutthroat Island here.

So why did it fail?

Cutthroat Island is just about as concentrated a pirate film as you will ever find. Within the first three minutes, we’re treated to a double-cross, a lavish horse-riding on the beach scene, plank-walking, and such pirate iconography as a skull and cross bones, a monkey, a map, and a peg leg...

And within the first six minutes, we have our first underwater scene. For the rest of the film, we are treated to lush tropical scenery, impressive stunts, huge caverns full of Spanish treasure, authentic period costuming, Fairbanksian antics from a leading man, and some very large, very amazing pirate ships. And let’s not forget one seriously huge explosion at the climax of the film. It’s the stuff pirate geeks’ dreams are made of, and this movie plays out like a veritable “best of” reel of pirate standards, visuals, ideas, scenes, and characters. This makes the mystery of its failure all the more intriguing.

To date, Cutthroat Island is the biggest financial loss ever posted by a film, so sayeth the Guiness Book of World Records. It bankrupted the production company behind it, Carolco Pictures, the company also responsible for the first Terminator movie. Perhaps it was an unwilling public in 1995 that killed the film. Some films released around the same time were Father of the Bride II, Sabrina, Sense and Sensibility, Grumpier Old Men, and the closest thing to a fantasy adventure was Jumanji.

This was pre-Lord of the Rings, before new life had been breathed into the action/adventure/fantasy genres. Cutthroat Island was like the new kid in some small Midwestern town, wearing clothes that nobody had seen yet but that would be popular in a few years time.

This was also post-Alien and pre-Tomb Raider, so a woman at the center of an action film may still have been an oddity for some people. Though the ratio of male driven action films is still far larger than those of female driven action films, by a ridiculously large margin, the general public is now well acquainted with the action heroine. That was not the case in 1995. And as far as a movie about Pirates…it seemed laughable at the time. It would be eight years before pirates were “in” again with masses of moviegoers thanks to Disney.

Today, movie fans are more acquainted with the “making of” process to a film. We can track news about upcoming and underway film productions via websites like Aintitcool.com. We can hear what the directors are saying as they are making the film, and even see YouTube videos about what’s going on during the filming.

There is a way now for fans of fantasy and adventure epics to support the making of the film the whole way through, even just with word of mouth. But in the mid-90’s, the internet was still fairly new and the production of Cutthroat Island was essentially isolated. So the massive (and impressively independent) undertaking of CI’s production went unappreciated and built no buzz or excitement. By the film’s release, it’s entirely possible that a few bad reviews by some critics who had gone too many years without having fun at the box office had the power to kill the film.

You may think I’m blinded by my love of all things pirate, but I can make a few concessions about the film. It’s far from perfect. It’s a little slow in segments and perhaps a touch too long, but these are qualities typical of all escapist movies. Try sitting through a Bollywood musical or any Bruckheimer movie without going to the bathroom. I dare you.

Also, there are some real whoppers of one-liners, especially coming from the film’s central villain, played by Frank Langella, who doesn’t make the most convincing pirate in the world. Though he seems to give it his all, and is good at being despicable and making mean faces, so in my book, he makes up for a distinct lack of pirate-ness. There are some early 90’s comic touches that may not have aged very well. And in keeping with the pattern of a movie featuring a monkey, there is far too much time spent with said monkey. But nothing approaching Anaconda or Outbreak levels of screen time, not even close.

But the sheer concentrated nature of this movie is what makes it great, what gives it the ability to rise above its flaws. This is an action film. A long, violent, exploding action film! It’s every bit as exciting (and delightfully implausible) as the Die Hard films, and yet it’s treated as something to be embarrassed about liking, whereas Die Hard is treated like a timeless classic.

Why the double standard in blockbuster preferences? I don’t want to be the writer that blames Cutthroat Island’s lack of success on sexist critics…so I’ll stop that line of thought now, and encourage you to think long and hard about the ratio of action films starring men to that of action films starring women, and leave the rest up to you.

Geena Davis

I want to talk about Geena Davis, easily one of the single most under-appreciated actresses ever by film geek standards. And Pirate lovers should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring her too. You can’t talk about Cutthroat Island without talking about her. Davis has a hugely significant role in film history. Aside from her diverse career, she also has a place as one of the most notable women of the action genre.

It’s not often that a woman gets to star in an action film, though far more common today than it was when she was starring in movies like the uber-violent, The Long Kiss Goodnight. Again, Davis was working in the "women of action gap”, midway through Sigourney Weaver’s amazing performances as “Ripley” in the Alien films and pre-Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. (Which was the only movie at the time to make as much money as Alien did upon its release. Yes, there was a 22 year gap in history between leading women in a financially well-performing action flick.)

As Captain Morgan Adams, Davis positively soars. She’s so convincing as a violent pirate, that I’d wager she could defeat any other fictional female pirate ever featured onscreen. She commands a ship full of men convincingly, when she yells, she really yells. None of that namby-pamby fake yelling that some actresses do. You know the kind of actress, the one who is afraid to attempt her own stunts in case she'll look silly, the one who is afraid to make an angry face for fear that it will give her a wrinkle.

The character of Morgan dresses for practicality, unlike many other onscreen heroines who end up in a leotard or a Halloween costume for the duration of their story. She handles tough dialogue well. Dialogue like, “Open fire” and “Hoist our colors” that would sound outrageous delivered in any other way. It may seem silly to suggest that playing a pirate can be a dignified thing, but Davis brought her natural dignity onto the set, and it was a credit to the film.

They’re not just playing with gender stereotypes in Cutthroat Island, they’re reversing them and are willing to pay up on that idea the entire way through the film. Davis takes on the role of what would be the traditional leading male character. The film stays self-aware that mass audiences will be hard-pressed to accept a lady as a pirate captain, addressing it several times through plot.

The one man who directly propositions Morgan for sex in the film is very quickly stabbed by the tip of Morgan’s knife as she tells him quite unemotionally, “Now leave this place and go far away.” If Davis was the leading man, then Matthew Modine became every bit the stereotypical “damsel in distress”. It is Modine’s character, Mr. Shaw, who is kidnapped, held hostage, in constant danger, and in need of rescuing throughout the film.

The Disney Factor

With the still resounding success of the Disney “Pirates” franchise, one simply must take a second look at Cutthroat Island today. Oh sure, it’s cool now to make a pirate movie. But for years upon years, pirate movies were to the silver screen what the Scottish play (MacBeth) is to theater. A cursed endeavor, a sure financial failure, and something few people wanted to see. So in that sense, Cutthroat Island and its producer/director Renny Harlin, deserve a lot of credit. Credit for showing the team at Disney that a large blockbuster pirate film could still be done. Even though there was no guarantee of success, such a feat could be accomplished. And despite its lack of financial gain, Cutthroat Island is just as much of a visually rich film treat as Disney’s efforts. It’s just as much fun to watch, and shares many plot points as well.

I'm just sayin'...

With the internet becoming so commonplace since the film’s 1995 release date, more and more people have joined in on the rumblings of suspicion that Disney’s 2003 blockbuster smash, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl may have borrowed a little from Cutthroat Island. Who can definitively say for sure?

But one thing can be said for sure, all pirate movies share strong conventions and similar storylines. In fact, both Pirates of the Caribbean and Cutthroat Island (as well as nearly every other pirate film ever made) feature ship to ship battles, historical settings, and plot similarities. Did Disney rip off Cutthroat Island? No more than Cutthroat Island ripped off Treasure Island, or Muppet’s Treasure Island, or every other pirate film. Comparing the two films is like saying we should make Coke and Pepsi fight to the death until only one soft drink remains. It’s silly. There are people who love Coke and people who love Pepsi, and some who will drink both. To be loyal to one Pirate film over another is a waste of time, appreciate them all for their different qualities. Can’t we all just get along?

Closing Arguments

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it? Re-watch Cutthroat Island, give it a fair shake. Forget what you’ve heard about the film or what you yourself have said about it in the past. Watch with an open mind. You try to figure out why it flopped, and POTC soared. You try to figure out why you can’t find it at your local Blockbuster or Hollywood video or Wal-Mart. If you enjoy the movie, tell your friends, have a viewing party, buy it for your library and set it proudly on your shelf with Hook, The Goonies, and Disney’s Pirate films. Do what you can to de-stigmatize this excellent adventure flick.

And if by the end, you aren’t convinced of this movie’s awesomeness, then you win. If you don’t like the huge explosion, the piratey goodness, the endless final battle, the saluting monkey…well, then I’ll concede. I’ll say it’s not for mainstream viewers. But you’ll never get me to say that I don’t LOVE this movie, and I’ll never stop recommending it. The box office may be a fickle thing, but people who love Pirates will always know a good pirate movie when they see one.

And Cutthroat Island is one fine example of a pirate movie.

How Uhura Changed the World

2009-11-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

The best thing in the world about Uhura isn’t that she’s better than any of the guys. It’s that she’s one of them. She fits in with the crew. She can wear a short skirt and still do her job. She can be beautiful and speak 3 different dialects of Romulan. The character of Uhura is a reminder that you don’t have to look like a man or behave like a man to be a strong woman...

That’s a message that I think all women/people could benefit from, and it's an ongoing argument in the world of film geeks regarding female characters of strength. But it doesn’t have to be one or the other, you can be both if you want to. Because as women, we are typically both. The same way that men are who they are and can do their jobs. No sense hiding our genders, just be comfortable with who you are and do your job. Uhura wears earrings, and some pretty rockin’ 60’s eyeliner, and nobody on the bridge seems to care. Because she’s an integral member of the crew and does her job well and that's all that matters. (It also seems that sexual harassment has been conquered in the future, so that's something we can all look forward to.)

Nichelle Nichols always played the character of Uhura as incredibly strong, so I don’t dare come out and say that Zoe Saldana plays her with more strength than her original creator. Most Trek fans know the character of Uhura was unprecedented in television history. As a bridge officer, she was a black woman in a position of authority, which was never seen before on television at that point in time.

Until Uhura, almost all black women appearing on television had done so as servants. When Nichols was tempted to leave the show because she felt her character lacked substance after the first season, she had a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that changed her mind. He urged her to stay, and she did. The character of Uhura grew and changed over the years, and I’m so grateful that she stayed on.

Because of Nichols’ role in Star Trek and her participation in a project designed to recruit minorities and females into the space program, NASA had their first female astronaut and their first African American astronaut. That’s one of the things I love most about Nichelle Nichols, she didn’t just leave everything up to inspiration…she got physically involved in making changes in the world that related directly to her role as Uhura.

WARNING: It gets pretty nerdy past this point, and also major film spoilers ensue. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This may be slightly up for debate, but some people saw Sigourney Weaver’s character in, “Galaxy Quest” as a parody of Uhura. I think it was more so an original creation of the film’s writers and Weaver herself, because Uhura did far more in the series than repeat the computer. She translated, she spoke multiple languages, and there was skill involved in her work on the bridge intercepting and sending transmissions.

But I readily admit to being completely biased about the whole thing. I wasn’t there for the birth of Star Trek in 1966. So I can only tell you what’s true about the character for me, having first met her in 1986.

All I can tell you is that as a kid, I saw her as no different from any other members of the crew. She seemed authoritative, smart, and tough. She got sent on her own away team with Chekov in, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” and participated just as much as anyone else in the film.

As kids, I sometimes think we have a better sense of the world as it is, not how people fear it is or want it to be. So it speaks volumes to me as an adult being able to look back on the history of Uhura and Nichols about just what Star Trek accomplished in the ongoing fight for racial equality. Through my four year old eyes, she was equal. That was that. That is that. This can be the power of film and television, to shape the next generation of adults and their perceptions about the world. But I digress.

All that aside, I want to talk about the re-emergence of Uhura in the newest Star Trek film. I saw it six times in the theater, I tried to pay special attention to Uhura specifically over the last two viewings.

Because after the first viewing, quite frankly, I was a little nervous about where they were taking her in the future films. My fear was that they were only using Uhura, setting her up for a “Dawson’s Creek” like storyline in later films and only using her as an object of tension between Kirk and Spock. I wasn’t thrilled with the underwear scene initially, but in all fairness and after I thought about it, they did cut the scene with compassion. No lingering on her body, no exploitative undergarments. It was no less than a bathing suit, so it honestly didn’t bother me at all. After all, Kirk was in his underwear in the same scene for the same duration of time.

It would have bothered me if they hadn’t given the character some of the key moments that they did. Uhura arguing with Spock when the fleet is preparing for launch, for example, made me happy. Even the first time when I saw the film and I didn’t yet understand the sub-text of that scene, I was glad to see Uhura being persistent. They’re allowing Uhura in that scene to be her own advocate, and I like seeing a self-confident character onscreen.

As the story revealed itself, and I started to understand that Spock and Uhura were in a long-term relationship, I was surprisingly fine with it. If you would’ve told me that storyline before I saw the film, I would’ve told you it was the worst idea ever. But somehow, it worked for both the characters.

It also gave me another layer to look for as I’ve gone back and seen the film again. Saldana works hard to show Uhura’s emotions without being captain obvious about it. It’s a real treat to see her interact with Spock for the first act of the film when you know what’s going on behind-the-scenes. There’s also something about the idea the opposing personalities of Spock and Uhura appealing to one another. They’re equally talented, but operating on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. The characters do complement each other in that way.

*pushes glasses up nose*

I also enjoyed the way Orci and Kurtzman wrote her rise to the bridge crew. She’s quite integral to the plot, thank goodness. If Uhura hadn’t been talented enough to intercept the transition that she did from the Klingons, the movie itself never would’ve happened. Kirk wouldn’t have known trouble was ahead; they wouldn’t have had their shields raised coming out of warp, and likely would’ve been toast with the rest of the fleet.

Thank you, Uhura.

I’m looking forward to what they have for her next, hopefully a little more responsibility next time. (I’d like to see her sent on an away team.) I hope Orci and Kurtzman are hired for the second script, because I’m comfortable with their respect and love for the characters. So I can trust that they won’t “Dawson’s Creek” her if they come on and continue where they left off with her development. Here’s to all that Uhura has been in film and television so far, and all that we nerds can hope she’ll continue to be!

I’m so glad to see her again, famous skirt and all. How about you?

Princess Leia and the Ubiquitous Bikini or Why Fellow Fangirls Hate Me

2009-11-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Princess Leia is famous the world over for many of her finer character traits. There’s the fact that she wields a blaster with deadly accuracy, she’s a better leader than most of the men she’s surrounded with, and she’s highly assertive. Leia even sets some cinematic feminist standards for the way that she prioritizes. Her fight against the Empire comes first, her crush on Han Solo comes second. Resisting Han? Now that’s devotion.

Visually, she has some instantly recognizable trademarks. There’s the intricate hairstyles, the flowing white robe from the first film, and her winter Hoth get-up. But I bet when I say the words “Princess Leia”, one thing comes to mind first. The golden slave girl bikini. This costume, featured in the Jabba’s Palace and Sail Barge sequences of Return of the Jedi, is probably the single most popular costume among lady geeks today. But unlike Leia’s innocuous trademark buns, (insert rim shot here) that bikini holds extra significance.

It’s legendary on the convention scene and around Halloween. It’s by far and away the single most popular costume for lady Star Wars geeks the world over. Of course, I don’t have the stats to prove that. But chances are, if you’re reading something on this website, you know exactly what I’m talking about...

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude. As someone who loves female action heroines and comics in general, I’m no stranger to women taking charge in any number of strange costumes. Different universes allow for different costume variations. Marvel seems to fancy the spandex suit angle. DC does a decent job of convincing me that animal costumes can strike fear into the heart of any criminal. Hey, the Black Canary is perfectly fit to fight crime wearing a leotard and fishnet stockings, with her hair down, usually while riding a motorcycle. So…

But there’s just something so jarring about the prominence of Leia’s bikini in geek culture today. Yes I know, Jabba made her wear it. And yes, I think that Carrie Fisher looks fantastic in it. I’m not arguing with that. But seeing a million carbon copies of her running around all over the place looking like they could be coming right off the pages of Playboy magazine is just too much for me sometimes. After all, Leia looks miserable in that outfit for the entire duration that she has to wear it. It’s the closest she comes to being a victim in the entire trilogy. She’s obviously humiliated, and I’ve never once seen her making that “come hither” magazine cover face that I seem to see in so many fangirl photos.

As someone who loves the character of Leia and sees her as a role model, I resent that women wear that costume like a badge of honor. I know that statement makes me like a geek deserter and believe me it’s my least popular opinion, but it’s honestly how I feel.

I resent it because of what it has become for lady geeks today…an easy way to get attention. It’s counter-intuitive to our very nature as lady geeks. We’re notoriously snobby about not getting attention in easy ways. If all we wanted was attention, we’d just do whatever it takes to fit in with majority culture and suppress our deepest desires to discuss lightsabers and droids.

But that’s not us. We want knowledge, we crave expertise, we like to appreciate things and obsess over small details.

I’d like to think that a true lady geek would take an unhealthy interest in recreating the details of any other Leia costume, rather than go get the easy-to-find slave girl rental outfit. And some do. If you simply must wear it, at least have the decency to make it a labor of love. After all, there are women out there who do an incredible job faithfully recreating the details of the bikini. I’m highly impressed with their mad geek skills. Honest.

As a matter of fact, any woman who dons the world’s most recognizable bikini without knowing the significance of what she’s wearing disrespects all the women out there who do get it. If you don’t know what “Alderaan” is, put the bikini down and back away.

I know sometimes being a lady geek is a business nowadays. It’s still a world dominated by men, and yeah…we get patronized. A lot. I’ve spent my fair share of time proving my worth on any number of pet geek topics to men who seemed to think that I only got into Star Wars or comics to meet guys. (Which is really funny when you stop and think about it.) But we don’t have to wear low cut tops and short skirts to gain attention in the geekosphere. Well, for attention that definitely works, but for respect…that’s a whole other matter.

Let me be clear, I am not anti-costume and I am not anti-sexy. I’ve donned the occasional outfit for first showings of geek standards and Halloween parties. I love costumes. I just resent the fact that out of all of Leia’s actions from the entire Star Wars trilogy, this is the moment that has been removed and sanctified.

That would be like the majority of male Star Wars geeks wearing a diaper and saying that they were dressed as Luke from the Bacta tank. But they wouldn’t do that, because it wouldn’t get them any attention. Because women don’t find men in diapers attractive…and now I’m getting off topic.

It’s true, Leia killed Jabba in this outfit, so it’s not entirely without significance. But you rarely see anyone dressed up like Hoth Leia or coronation Leia. It’s mostly just that blasted bikini. And if a gal can get away with it, I guess I’m required to say the obligatory, “more power to her”.
But what I want lady geeks to understand is that they don’t HAVE to do it. They can get attention in so many other ways; the ratio of male to female geeks alone will see to that.

The slave girl bikini has become the equivalent to the ubiquitous trampy Halloween costume and I just feel like Leia, and Star Wars on the whole, deserve more respect than that. I’d rather see a woman in a camouflage poncho with a blaster at her side than half-naked with a chain around her neck.

But I’m just a lady geek, so I guess that explains that.

Why Lara Croft:Tomb Raider Still Matters

2009-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

With the ever present possibility of a Tomb Raider reboot and the steady release of new games, I’m reminded of the significance of the character of Lara Croft and just how divisive she can be in the geek world. Even outside of discussions on whether or not the first two movies were “good”, there’s a lot to consider. (For the record, I thought the first one was action/adventure fun and the second one…may have been a little too Bond for me. And yes, it might echo Indiana Jones, but guess what? Indiana Jones echoes a whole set of other films, so that makes that particular argument void. But I digress.)

I saw the first Tomb Raider movie the summer it was released, the night it was released in fact, with my best friend. I still have my ticket stub tucked away in my wallet. Female heroes have always been slim pickings for women who love action movies. In fact, the last action movie to hit it big at the box office before Tomb Raider that was headlined by a woman was 1986’s Aliens. Needless to say, we were really really excited. A huge summer blockbuster like this starring a woman was unprecedented at the time...

Thankfully, we have more to choose from today, but not by much. That’s why I think so many characters like Princess Leia have become so iconic. They come few and far between, so those of us that love that kind of thing have to cherish what we can get.

With all the reflective discussions going on in the wake of the constant remake rumble, I think people are forgetting to look at the reasons behind why the movie was so huge in the first place. Women want their own action movies and that movie was the start of a new wave of female driven action flicks. We’d experienced heroism in the past in figures like the incredible Marion Ravenwood and a few others. But this was a completely new version of a female hero, one completely independent of a main male storyline.

I remember seeing clips from the world premiere of Tomb Raider on TV before it opened nationwide, where teen girls were lined up on the red carpet and screaming their heads off for Angelina Jolie. That image will always be etched in my mind, because I had never seen a moment like that before. There were no pop stars there, or famous teen boys, or Disney icons. It showed that both grown women and young girls really do want to see action heroines. They can get excited about something that has nothing to do with their hormones. Laugh if you want, but when I went to see it, I was absolutely amazed.

The movie didn’t contain a significant love story vital to the plot and there were no love scenes. In fact, it was almost the polar opposite of a Bond film in that the biggest “nearly nude” scene belonged to Daniel Craig. It’s almost like he played a Bond girl before he played Bond.

All of the sudden I knew what little boys all around the world must’ve felt like when they saw Indiana Jones crack his whip for the first time. I wanted to be Lara Croft when I grew up, despite the fact that I was already 18. This was just a movie about one woman who had to save the world. Simple as that, and she wasn’t a bimbo. She was smart, disciplined, and composed. Her character wasn’t affected by her physical image, significant though it was. She was who she was, noticeable figure or no.

It was only after the movie that I started in with the games, which I still love today. But the games can present an even bigger challenge for women than the movie, as the character in the gaming world is so obviously built to appeal to the male eye. Does it make a woman a sell-out, an anti-feminist, a deserter…if she can love the character of Lara Croft?

Thanks to the glory that is Netflix, I was watching the documentary Searching for Debra Winger one random day. The movie is all about women in the film industry. It’s about age, power, motherhood, what roles are available, etcetera.

In one particular scene, Rosanna Arquette is standing next to Roger Ebert during the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, and directly behind them is a giant poster of Lara Croft. Ebert, who I love, didn’t miss the chance to talk about how he feels actresses don’t get a large enough variety of roles. But then he went on to say something I disagree with in total. “They’re [women] made into substitute men. I mean look at this,” he said sarcastically, gesturing to the poster, “this is the kind of women they want in the movies now, is somebody really tough, who’s gonna kill everyone.”

Yes, I wanted to see a movie with a woman was really tough and who was gonna kill everyone. I was getting bored to tears with only seeing men who were tough and who were gonna kill everyone, while the female love interest pranced around in a bikini. Why is it that a tough woman onscreen is accused of just pretending to be a man?

For a while in my life, I didn’t tell myself that I couldn’t do things. I went through a “Lara” phase. I would think, “Lara could do this, so can I”. I ran a half marathon, then a full marathon and I just began to start taking advantage of life. That character gave me license to do the things I really wanted to do. You’re only as brave as you pretend to be, and there’s no braver character that I can think of, in that summer blockbuster way, than Lara Croft. That’s the power of an action heroine for women, to inspire. It gave me the same giddy feeling that I had as a kid when I was running around pretending to be She-Ra.

That’s what I hope they remember if they reboot the franchise. Even though this is “just” a video game movie, it means something to lots of us lady geeks. We love Lara, we care about her. Personally, I don’t want a reboot. I want to see Angelina Jolie back one more time, though there seems to be a plethora of great choices out there should she decline.

Let the character go to Egypt once and for all. Let’s not try too hard to avoid the clichés, after all, the game is made up of some really fun clichés. Just take your time and do it right, and don’t let Jan DeBont near the set. Spend some more time on the script, and reference the game more often with more puzzle sequences and acrobatics and less fighting and relationship drama.

Explore the mansion. Make it a mystery. Tweak the adventure to action ratio a bit in the favor of adventure. But whatever you do, take good care of Lara. Treat her with respect, and we’ll show up. Time and time again. I know I will.

Kill Bill as "Women's Film"

2009-11-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

*This was originally written for an April 2009 ForcesofGeek.com column.*

This April will mark the five year anniversary of the theatrical release of Kill Bill Vol. II. I know five year anniversaries aren’t too impressive, but that paired with the recently released trailer for Tarantino’s next film, “Inglourious Basterds” got me thinking about it again.

Nothing prompts a good debate like mentioning the name “Tarantino” in a room full of movie geeks. I’d be willing to bet money that the same debates will be heard all over again with the release of this next film. Why? Because his use of violence is so prolific, it manages to surpass even Coppola or Scorcese. I fear that as this old debate gains new life, the Kill Bill movies will be put up on the chopping block all over again.

Underestimated, used as fodder for people who want to argue against violent films in a simplistic way, and lumped in with meaningless movies where they don’t belong. Believe it or not, there’s more to the Kill Bill films than revenge.

Quentin Tarantino’s first installment of his homage to 1970’s revenge films was massive for the female-driven action film. Despite it’s over the top gore and highly stylized appearance, this movie provided a wider spectrum of complex female characters than the majority of most populist movies. I don’t know if that says more about the movie itself or the lack of variety in roles for actresses today.

Contrary to how it may appear, most revenge films are not about female empowerment. They’re about getting people into theater seats to make money. But the Kill Bill films are different. Sure, they play on the old exploitation themes, and yes, that’s probably why a lot of people went to see them. But instead of being a voyeuristic thrill, these films are a man’s nightmare. They’re the complete opposite of the exploitation of women. The male characters are almost completely secondary, and they play less intelligent and shadier parts.

Women have been relegated to playing the powerless roles in cinema for so long, that when those roles did start to arrive, they came as overtly violent and powerful characters. (I’m thinking of Foxy Brown and the exploitation films of the 70’s as well.) Much like the beginnings of any change in perception of a people-group, the first rumbles sometimes come in the form of violent protest.

It’s the pendulum swinging the other way. If the extreme portrayals of violence were not about how long women waited to be in the role of an action hero, then it’s at least about the frequency of how often women get to play that role. In the grand scheme of film, that's almost never.

Believe it or not, Kill Bill is a cathartic experience regarding grief, loss, and pain. It could almost be considered a, “women’s film”, despite the fact that there are no montages of women grieving over a break-up and eating ice cream. (Ugh… so insulting.) But I honestly think, considering the theme, the Kill Bill movies qualify for airing on the Lifetime network.

For all the sword slashing and blood spurting, there are also moments of extreme tenderness, such as the moment in the hospital (Vol. I) when the Bride wakes up and realizes that she has lost her baby. The entire film raises interesting topics for women, such as our primitive maternal instincts.

There is a side to motherhood that can be vicious, and this movie explores that concept. Mothers are often relegated to certain roles, even in today’s far more diverse films and television shows. They are typically secondary characters or women with stereotypical emotional problems who are clingy and unbalanced.

Brilliantly played by Uma Thurman, the Bride is a mother character who is such an extreme opposite to that stereotype, that she could’ve been laughable. The concept is so concentrated, it could almost be considered a parody. Instead, Thurman’s performance takes the character to legitimate heights of hysterics and back again several times. But never simply to torture us. So many other movies put a leading lady in distress just for the novelty of the idea.

Other revenge movies like, “I Spit On Your Grave” or the lesser known, “Eye For An Eye” have become legendary for their horrific and unnecessary depiction of violence against women. They’re too difficult to watch, let alone enjoy. The same can be said for many horror films. Many of them end up playing like fictional snuff films.

Kill Bill Vol. II also breaks ground for women, as it gives them their first realistic western starring a woman. Her journey mirrors that of some of Clint Eastwood or John Wayne’s most famous characters. But somehow, the outcry that the Kill Bill films were more tasteless or offensive permeated many film reviews that came out at the time.

Yes, I realize that I’m saying a Quentin Tarantino film is realistic. What I mean is that it’s not romanticized in the same (sometimes patronizing) way that “Bad Girls” or, “The Quick and the Dead” were. The violence is still there, and it’s uncomfortably real in some scenes. In Vol. II, The Bride is shot in the chest with rock salt, buried alive, and shot in the leg with a poison dart. And it's not played for laughs or "wow" factor.

These films usually go on to depict the woman as victimized and traumatized. Movies like “The Brave One” show them as having mental breakdowns post-attack, thus effectively ruining the illusion that our heroine has any sense of control over her own strength. Those movies often feel like long slow death marches, not only for our leading women, but also for us. Who wants to go sit at the movies and watch someone be victimized, only to lose their mind and spin out of control? To become a victim yet again.

The Bride gives us calculated revenge, thoughtful analysis at each and every step, and she ultimately keeps her cool no matter what happens to her. In this way the movie works as a metaphor for motherhood and a breakthrough for victimized characters in film.

Yes I know, it’s a very colorful and unrealistic metaphor. But so are most fairy tales and romantic comedies, and we still accept those. The Kill Bill films take visceral female fears such as heartbreak, weddings, marriage, babies, and give them the same treatment that most action films give to male fears of commitment and intimacy. Despite being a victim of other people’s actions, the Bride does not simply allow herself to stay helpless. It’s Dirty Harry for women, and it was about time.

Take that, Lifetime.

How to Fail as an Action Heroine

2009-11-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

Princess Leia - Action Heroine - Success!

This article originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of, "Geek Monthly". But I thought it quite relevant considering the subject matter at hand here...

Intro

Becoming an action heroine? Extremely difficult. Failing as an action heroine? Piece o' cake.

Step 1 - Be Desperate.

Don’t you know all action heroines are independent? Even when they’re in a tough spot, a la Marion Ravenwood being kidnapped, they don’t panic. They assess their situation, and deal with it. Even when they need help, they demand it. They don’t whine for it. So if you want to fail as an action heroine, act needy, completely helpless, or pathetic.

Step 2 - Scream. A lot.

Not that Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t without her merits, and to be fair…she usually only screams when cornered. But once you start screaming, it’s hard to stop. Consider yelling instead, or grunting with effort while ducking and dodging. Screaming out of fear tends to give away your position, which makes it very hard to hide from bad guys. Especially ninjas.

Step 3 - Laze About.

How do you expect to throw a good punch when you can’t even do one push-up? Honestly…what would Lara Croft say if she could see you sitting on that couch eating those chips?

Step 4 - Wear Inappropriate Clothing.

There’s a reason why spandex suits are so popular among the heroic set. They don’t snag. They don't get caught on anything, and it’s much easier to jump from rooftop to rooftop or fight zombies if there’s nothing for someone to reach out and grab. You may want to reconsider those giant hoop earrings too. And please note: Booty shorts, spaghetti strap tank tops, mini-skirts, tight denim, stiletto heels, and low cut tops can also be hazardous to your heroic efforts. Anything that restricts movement or leaves you vulnerable is bad. If you simply must dress like Paris Hilton, (say if you’re undercover) at least consider fireproofing these hideous garments.

Step 5 - Wear Too Much Makeup.

Heroism is hard work. You don’t want mascara and/or eye shadow running into your eyes as you sweat.

Step 6 - Never Spend Any Time Alone.

You’ll need plenty of time to develop your special skills, keep yourself physically fit, and think of ways to do clever things like escape from traps. If you spend all your time socializing or attached to a cell phone, you’ll never have time for any of these things. One added bonus to spending some time alone is that it could really add to your mysterious or brooding image.

Tips & Warnings

• Please, do not attempt to save the world if you are a novice.

Marion Ravenwood: The Survivalist Action Heroine

2009-11-12T16:15:00.001-08:00

Marion Ravenwood is not the toughest of the action heroines. Lara Croft or Leia Organa might be able to out-gun her and Ripley from Alien or the Bride from the Kill Bill films could probably have her beat in brute strength and special skills.

But nobody, and I mean nobody, beats her in feistiness. She’s tops in the will-to-live department. She owns the, “I don’t care who you are, I’ll punch you square in the jaw” category.

No character since Raiders of the Lost Ark has taken the same approach that she did of getting through the adventure she was unwittingly pulled into. In a way, she’s the survivalist role model for all action heroines. Because Marion never set out to take down an evil empire or save the day, she doesn’t have any ulterior motives in her toughness. She just wants to live and she doesn’t want to be pushed around.

Sure, Marion Ravenwood is written to be a tribute to some of the dames of movies gone by, but she’s also very original. For anyone in my generation (the millennials), she was one of, if not the first, feisty women we’d ever laid eyes on in a film. She was completely original to those of us who didn’t realize that Marion, and in fact the whole of Raiders of the Lost Ark was an homage to the old serial adventures from the 1930’s. If you put her up next to many of the leading ladies of today’s action films, she’s still a one of a kind. It’s odd that a character constructed to be a tribute could still seem so non-formulaic and modern.

This Marion sits on my desk at work,
a daily reminder not to take any guff...and
that a frying pan can be very useful in a
pinch.

She may have been one of the first leading ladies of the action genre that gave women a reason to come to a film because there was a character that was a part of the adventure with whom they could identify. As attractive as she was, Marion wasn’t simply eye candy. As much as we loved to watch our hero, Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood was equally admirable. Especially for those of us who watched her when we were little girls.

I do believe that old Fred Astaire quote is relevant in this circumstance in regards to what Ginger Rogers had to do in order to dance with him, “She has to do everything that I do backwards and in heels”. So it was with Karen Allen, who went into a pit of snakes, a sweltering airplane, a tomb full of corpses…just to name a few set-ups, wearing nothing but a gauzy white ball gown and either toeless heels or bare feet. Tell me, who had to be more brave in those situations, the man with the gun and the whip, covered from head to toe, or the barefoot
lady in a backless dress?

One of her greatest strengths is that she’s in touch with her anger. She gets mad, a lot, and rightfully so. In fact, she is so frequently annoyed with the men in her life and how they complicate it that she isn’t afraid to express her feelings at all times and under any circumstances.

There is nothing tragically stifled about her, and she doesn’t suffer from that ivory tower syndrome that so many leading ladies seem to be written with. (Not that it’s an entirely bad quality story-wise; it can be an interesting character trait.) Marion is refreshingly expressive compared to many damsels in distress. She lets it all out, and she knows who she blames for her circumstances. She blames Indy for breaking her heart, her father (Abner Ravenwood) for leaving her stranded in Nepal, and whoever has their hands on her when she has not given them her permission.

This is also where that survivalist mentality kicks in, because when Indy finds her stranded in Nepal, she’s not wasting away. She’s flourishing, even under circumstances that she hates. She’s a business owner, she’s winning drinking contests with men twice her size, and she’s not under any kind of false illusions about who she is and what she wants.

She slaps, she yells, she screams, she punches, and she even hits someone over the head with a frying pan. But she plays it completely straight. There’s nothing simpering about her, even when she’s screaming for Indy’s help…she still sounds strong and demanding. There may be a touch of impatience, but hey, if you were being carted away in a basket by a gang of strangers, you might be a little testy too.

Marion never asks anyone for permission for anything. She joins the adventure on her own terms, naming herself a partner in order to protect her investment (her father’s medal). Instead of waiting for Indy to save her in the tent at Tanis when she’s been captured by Nazis, she comes up with her own escape plan.

It should also be noted that even when she’s put through the ringer, she doesn’t stay down for long. She’s easily one of the most resilient action heroines of all time, especially toward the end of the film. She gets kidnapped, thrown into a pit of snakes, assaulted by corpses and then manages to have enough wits about her to hi-jack a plane. Even though it doesn’t go picture perfect for her, she was sharp enough to come up with the idea and brave enough to take the risk to do it. Now that’s resourceful. Leia typically had a team of people to command to help her accomplish what she needed to get done, Marion was just half of a team of exhausted people trying to stay alive.

Marion’s decisions also affect the story, which is a rare quality for leading ladies. Many times women in film are counted upon to “ooh” and “ah”, but never to take any actions that lead to their own salvation or the resolution of the plot. But Allen as Ravenwood convincingly takes charge of her own situations as often as she can. This sometimes puts her in more danger and sometimes ends up saving her life.

For example, if she had sat passively in the tent at Tanis, what would’ve become of her when the Nazis raided the boat she was on? She likely would’ve been executed. Instead, she cleverly took the time to acquaint herself with her captors, making her harder to kill later. However, if she had just given Abner’s medal to Indy at the beginning of the movie, she wouldn’t have been exposed to any danger at all. I’m convinced that she could’ve asked him to fly her back to America and he would’ve done it and continued on by himself. But she wanted to be involved.

Even though the character is written in such an unforgettable way, it was Karen Allen’s performance that sent Ravenwood skyrocketing into my memory as a cinematic role model. What could’ve just been a likeable character has now become legendary to film geeks and a good example to women everywhere. She redefined what was permissible for a leading lady, and as a character, she has the ability to make you stop and take stock of the areas in your life where you could stand to use a little more gumption.

Willie Scott: The Reluctant Action Heroine

2009-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

On behalf of Willie Scott, may I request that everyone please stop referring to her as, “the worst Indy girl”? Not that I feel like such a title is necessary when it comes to the three women featured in the Indiana Jones films, but if such a title did exist, should it not go to the greedy Nazi sympathizer trying to steal and profit from a holy artifact? I thought so.

I think that Willie Scott just might be one of the single most misunderstood film characters of all time. After all, when Lara Croft shows up, most people immediately sniff and say, "Hmph, like anyone could possibly be that tough." Yeah...I've heard 'em say, "hmph".

Willie Scott is essentially the personification of the action heroine’s rebuttal to the phrase “That could never happen in real life.” She gives us a healthy dose of realism via her vocal chords. Even Kate Capshaw was amazed at how much screaming she did. Capshaw talks about reading the script for the first time on the Bonus Materials DVD in the box set of Indiana Jones films, “…and then she screams, and then she screams. Hello? Can she do anything else besides scream?” (So please take a note, it was in the script. And if there simply must be a whipping boy, why not George Lucas or Steven Spielberg?)

Think of it like this, what if Judy Garland got dropped into the middle of “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, because that’s essentially what happens to Willie Scott. The character is an entertainer, not an adventurer, so she’s completely and totally out of her element.

Therefore, her reactions are very realistic and they also provide comic relief. The story in, “Temple of Doom” is centered on incredibly dark subject matter. If Willie wasn’t along for the ride and reacting, it might just be too depressing to even watch. She also gives scale to the character of Indiana Jones. By watching Willie Scott be completely terrified by this adventure, we realize just exactly how good at handling a crisis Indiana Jones really is. She's our Rosetta Stone as film viewers for an action star that could feel too untouchable to be real. Though let's be honest...Jones takes his fair share of hard knocks in TOD.

Sometimes when I'm mad, I
just yell, "Lao!"

So let's go with this. Just imagine that you get whisked out of your job one evening, put on a plane that crashes, forced to eat bugs, dragged through the Indian jungle, and then almost die a horrible death via a boiling hot lava pit. I bet you’d do an awful lot of screaming too.

Willie Scott is representing the normal ladies of the world, the big babies that could in no way, shape, form or fashion actually withstand a real life Indiana Jones adventure. She’s our advocate, our stand-in, and that makes the movie even more fun to watch, because we can picture ourselves in her shoes.

In fact, I’d put money down on the fact that if Marion Ravenwood had been put through the adventures in, “Temple of Doom” even she would’ve screamed her head off, despite her status as a legendarily tough dame. If Marion Ravenwood is Indy’s equal, then Willie Scott is his polar opposite, and she still made it out alive. Take that naysayers.

Also, Willie learns a thing or two along the way. By the end of the film, she’s pushing mine carts, climbing up a destroyed rope bridge, kicking the bad guys and even though she’s still scared, she might just be enjoying the thrill of the adventure a little bit.

I also want to point out what an excellent job Kate Capshaw did of making Willie Scott funny. She was perfect casting. If the tough guy act that Harrison Ford had to create needed to be over the top to be believable, than the comedy that Kate Capshaw had to bring to the table to exist in that world needed to be broad. If Karen Allen pulled off an Irene Dunn-like performance, than I definitely think that Kate Capshaw managed to give us something akin to a Lucille Ball. But such stylized comedy might not be immediately recognizable to people who aren’t familiar with the fiery comediennes of the 1930’s and 40’s.

Her reactions, her line deliveries, everything she did was actually note perfect for the genre trying to be accomplished and the time period being emulated. Her performance created a kind of comedic duo out of herself and Harrison Ford, with Harrison being the straight man to most of her reactions and facial expressions.

I honestly think that the people who don’t enjoy Willie Scott as an Indy girl are watching the film with the wrong perspective. Watch it again expecting Willie to be Indy’s opposite, watch for the moments that play as comedic, and don’t compare her to Marion Ravenwood. Make these little changes in perspective and I honestly think that you’ll be seeing the film in a whole new way.

Also, what kind of a movie would we have on our hands if there was no conflict between our leading man and woman? Say what you want about Willie Scott, but don’t call her weak. She might scream a lot, she might complain, but she doesn’t let Indiana push her around and she certainly doesn’t keep quiet when she’s told to. She’s got gumption, and in her own way, she’s a rebel.

I also think that Willie Scott has become the scapegoat for people who don’t like the film as a whole. It got very negative reviews from critics upon its release. But Capshaw/Willie can’t possibly take the blame for that. The person to blame there would be George Lucas who chose the Kali cult as the subject matter and who Steven Spielberg said made the choice to make it the darkest of the three films. It’s the second act downer, the way that, “The Empire Strikes Back” was the darkest of the Star Wars films. Even Spielberg is on the record saying it’s his least favorite of all the Indy films. (Which kind of bums me out.)

Capshaw talks about taking some of that criticism in the documentary about the making of the film, “The other thing they didn’t like was the portrayal of the female…here I am being called on the carpet for creating this female that was stereotypically not a feminist, with her fingernails and her this and her that and her whining and complaining and screaming. I couldn’t have had more fun doing it. I just said, we’re making an adventure movie, we’re telling a tall tale.”

If you watch Martha Raye in, “Monsieur Verdoux” or even Eve Arden in, “Cover Girl”, you’ll understand just how perfectly Kate Capshaw nailed that sassy 1930’s personae. As a matter of fact, I think we’re sorely lacking in sassy dames onscreen nowadays. Many action heroines have a new type of quiet strength, but I’d like to see some more Marion Ravenwoods or Willie Scotts running around in film and television today.

For further scientific study of the origins of the sassy dame, please watch Katherine Hepburn in, “The Philadelphia Story”. Much like Willie Scott, Hepburn’s character, Tracy, may not have it all together, but she’s still strong-willed and as Chris Farley would say, “doesn’t take no crap from nobody”.

To be fair, “Temple of Doom” was my favorite Indiana Jones film growing up. Why? Because it’s the only one we owned, and I practically wore the VHS tape out by playing it over and over again. But maybe that nostalgia has given me a better appreciation for a misunderstood adventure classic. It’s not the worst of the Indy films; it’s just the most divergent in tone.

I beg of you, please give Willie Scott another chance to make an impression on you. Watch with a little compassion, expect some humor and employ a different perspective, and I think you’ll grow to love Willie Scott just as much as I do. It’s a classic role, and one that Kate Capshaw doesn’t get nearly enough credit for creating. Thanks to her, we now have a comedic entry into the canon of female action heroines. That’s nothing for anybody to apologize for or justify, it’s something to be appreciated. Like it or not, I say she deserves a spot as one of our all time best action heroines.

Now...let the flame wars begin! But first...enjoy the best opening title sequence EVER.

10 Unique Leading Ladies of Film

2009-11-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

The women on this list don't wait for permission before they take action. They attempt to live by their own rules, sometimes successfully and sometimes toward their own destruction. But they're all fiercely independent.

Maybe they don't all qualify for action heroine-dom exactly, but the ones who don't are certainly in some kind of a proto-action heroine stage I think. One nuclear accident away from a lycra uniform and unique new skill-set.

Some of the characters here will get their own entries later, but hey...who can resist a good list every now and then.

1.) Ana Pascal - "Stranger Than Fiction"

She's tattooed, anti-establishment, and she makes one heck of a chocolate chip cookie. She's passionate and stands up for what she believes in. She's not a snob, she gives back to her community, and she doesn't bow to governmental authority. (Not that I recommend this course of action on a regular basis.)

2.) Leeloo - "The Fifth Element"

Orange hair, stronger than an ox, not afraid to eat in front of people, and here to save the world. As a character, she's a little naive, a bit oblivious to the way the world works, and disappointed by the state of modern affairs. And I like that. Milla Jovovich is a powerhouse of the action heroine world, but that's for another day.)

3.) Clementine Kruczynski - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Clementine has the art of self-expression down. She has emotion in spades and she's highly spontaneous. Every time I watch this character, I just want to reconnect with all my inspirations. I think we all have a voice inside our heads saying, "You're too old for that!" to everything we really want to do. Clementine makes me want to rebel against that voice.

4.) Lola - "Run Lola Run"

Lola is the very incarnation of the phrase, "won't take no for an answer". She's a motivator of a character and a visually stunning reminder to make no excuses for yourself. (And I'm really starting to notice a theme here, what is it with me and women with artificially colored hair? Hmmm...)

5.) Morticia Addams - "The Addams Family"

She looks like she stepped right off the page of a Gorey drawing, and yet somehow...it works. She is our anti-hero. Everything we wish we had the courage to be, our dark side incarnate, completely in touch with herself and a devoted spouse, protective, maternal, and loving all at the same time. She's concentrated womanhood.

6.) Allison - "Yes Man"

What if you invested yourself in everything you were interested in and did everything you said you wanted to do without worrying about being self-conscious? You may be spread a little thin, you may not be very good at any of the things you're doing, but you wouldn't have any regrets. You'd be Allison from, "Yes Man". (Consequently, you'd have a lovely singing voice and resemble Debra Winger too...)

7.) Mary Poppins - "Mary Poppins"

Sure, she seems straight-laced at first. But she flies and makes paintings come to life and magic follows her wherever she goes. What's her motivation? Why does she seem to have two faces? Why won't she let Burt love her? Why, why why?!

8.) Sally - "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

Like the rest of our leading ladies, Sally is smart. So smart that she sees everything coming long before anyone else does. This creates a very lonely life for Sally as she waits for everyone else to catch up. Then there's the metaphor of "falling to pieces" and feeling, literally in her case, like she's never whole or complete. Who can relate...anyone, anyone?

9.) Bellatrix Lestrange - The Harry Potter Films

You know, Helena Bonham Carter herself could count, but since we're talking fictional characters here, I figured Bellatrix was a natural choice. Sure, she's pure evil. But sometimes evil on film is far more interesting than good. More complex, understandable, stylized, more...everything.

10.) Catwoman - "Batman Returns"

Catwoman is a political activist, a thief, and she's "mad as hell and she's not gonna take it anymore!" She turned the very idea of the crazy cat lady on its ear, making a female stereotype into a symbol of power and control. And let's face it, you have to be pretty weird to follow through with a plan like that, anything that involves a costume and an alias scores extra points for uniqueness.

Best Action Heroines Introduction

2009-11-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Cinema and comics are full of heroic women, action heroines, and female characters whose choices make all the difference in their stories. Sure, there are lots of damsels in distress and princesses too, and there’s room for everyone. Without those in distress, there would be nobody to save. But as film and comics begin to grow older as an art form, it’s more and more important that we not forget the amazing action heroines who have already come and, in some cases, gone.

We’ll take a look at some of the most unforgettable women who have taken charge onscreen. From simple characters to classic literary heroines, from those who were mutated and super, to others who were complicated and realistic.

We’re going to explore character by character, and in some cases, actress by actress, and discuss why they made such a big impact. This will, by no means, offer a complete listing. I’m happy to report that there have been so many amazing women in film and comics that such a feat would likely be impossible. But there will be many top 10 lists and blog entries to come that will attempt to cover decent ground.

Some characters started pop culture revolutions (See: Princess Leia and the Bikini), some were the absolute “firsts” of their kind, some hit box office milestones, and others have inspired women the world over to take a second look at what kind of role they play in their own lives.

Reasons to Love Sigourney Weaver

2009-11-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

Alien was only Sigourney Weaver’s third film role. Her third film role, and it was her first starring role. Not only did she manage to kick off her career by starring in one of the biggest and most influential sci-fi films of all time, but she also managed to turn around and brilliantly spoof the roles that women are often relegated to in the 1999 comedy gem, Galaxy Quest. (Which initially looks like the ultimate Trek spoof, but turns out to be the greatest non-Trek cinematic love letter ever written to Roddenberry's franchise.)

Weaver has played both strength and weakness convincingly throughout her career. Maybe it's because her breakout performance was that of one of our most definitive action heroines that gave her license to do whatever else she wanted with her career and not be typecast. Once you've played such a convincing hero, does anyone ever have the right to accuse you of playing a female stereotype? Sure, they have the right...but you could probably just punch them square in the jaw...

Sigourney Weaver is immensely beautiful, but she’s not traditional "movie star" beautiful by today’s standards. She is realistically beautiful. Like someone you might run into on the street and think to yourself, “Wow, they’re truly striking.” This as opposed to what you might think running into Ms. America. (Which, depending on how spiteful you are, might range from rolling your eyes all the way up to making some kind of Barbie Doll quip. Not that I’ve thought this through or anything…)

Weaver’s beauty is unprocessed, which makes her strength just that much more believable on film. Let’s keep working with the Ms. America analogy, shall we? Can you imagine Ms. America with a grenade in her hand screaming at an Alien queen? Would you believe that? I wouldn’t.

Not that pageantry doesn’t have a place in the world. I myself once competed in Junior Miss, I won the Judges award, which is based on talking, my main talent in life. It’s just that one doesn’t typically associate pageant style with action heroine strength. The very idea is the wacky contradiction that brought you, “Miss Congeniality”. (Please, feel my sarcasm...)

But you take someone like Sigourney Weaver and put her in that situation, and the tension is palpable. Because you BELIEVE it. She is able to transform herself physically for her roles since she’s not starting from a silicone-injected/hair extension-ed canvas. She is a realistic woman and has more dynamic range as an actress because of that fact.

Then there’s the underwear thing. Weaver is frequently in her underwear as her character, “Ripley”. But again, because she doesn’t look like some kind of a bouncing, be-wigged caricature of womanhood, it’s not offensive or gratuitous in the least. At least, not to me.

To me, that just makes the character of Ripley much more vulnerable, so much more human. Pair that with the fact that the entire cast of the sequel, Aliens, also appears in their underwear and it just becomes the great equalizer. “See? We’re all wearing underwear. We could all be eaten by aliens because we’re puny humans…look how puny we are, standing here in our underwear.” It’s a wincing vulnerability. What’s worse than being eaten by an alien monster? Being eaten by a alien monster while only wearing your underwear.

The character of Ripley is tough, but she’s not untouchable. She panics and she screams, which gives her a more real-world quality. Yes, I’m aware I just pronounced an alien-fighter as feeling “real world”. But these are not always traits that make it into the more modern action films.

There’s a whole trend out there of calm and collected action heroines who barely flinch when fired upon. (A la Angelina Jolie in everything.) This is okay (I heart Tomb Raider), and it’s partly due to the boom of superhero films we’ve experienced over the last decade. It’s just a different style.

But I think it’s Weaver’s genuinely terrified performance in Alien that keeps it from feeling like grade B schlock. If she were immediately tough when confronted with a big slimy alien with many mouths, we’d think, “Yeah right.” And roll our eyes.

But watching her fight for her life makes you so uncomfortable, that you can’t help but picture yourself in that situation. That’s exactly how a horror movie should make you feel.

Sidebar: Think of all the horror films that didn’t feel scary even though they had impressive effects. Why weren’t you scared? Likely because you didn’t believe in what was happening onscreen. It’s the difference between the original “House on Haunted Hill” and the remake. Sidebar over.

Here’s something else to chew on. Is the character of Ripley a horror vixen, an action heroine, or a sci-fi star? She allows us to be afraid and vulnerable via her experiences, and again, she’s in her underwear a lot. So that qualifies her for horror vixenhood.

She wields giant guns, has some pretty wicked arm muscles, sweats, and doesn’t “take no crap from nobody” which obviously makes her an action heroine.

Lastly, she outsmarts aliens and pilots spaceships. There you have it, she’s also a sci-fi star.

There are so many reasons to love Sigourney Weaver, especially in the realm of geekdom.

There's her voice work from Futurama, again, her comedic genius in Galaxy Quest, and her classic role from Ghostbusters. (In which, I'd like to note, she was smarter than any of the men appearing in the film, barring Spangler, of course.)

Weaver is one of my ultimate geek role models for a plethora of reasons, too many to mention here on ye olde blog. How about you, what do you love about her as an actress?