Quentin Tarantino, Community, and the Art of the Homage

Crossposted on and commissioned by Film.com

Being a fan of Quentin Tarantino can be a perilous place. For people like me, his work is gold; I’ve been obsessed with most — or liked a lot, at least — everything he’s ever touched. He speaks my language. He shares my taste. He does with film what I think film was meant to do. But this isn’t necessarily the popular opinion.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been around Tarantino haters. My parents and friends were never fans of his initially, so growing up, neither was I. I had never seen a Tarantino movie, but assumed he was everything I had heard about within my limited scope: unoriginal, kitschy, overly violent, and the list goes on. It wasn’t until I was assigned a paper on him at age 17, while attending NYU, and watched Pulp Fiction that things started to change.

Now, at age 25, I adore the man, both as a visionary behind the camera and the insane ball of frenetic energy he is in person. And as much as I’ve heard people complain about his endless homaging, diluting what originality may exist in his material, I couldn’t even begin to agree. In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that borrowing from that many genres and that many specific movies, and blending them together, creates something new and unique every time. While his films may make us think of Westerns or war movies or Kung Fu pictures or grindhouse shlock, they still always feel distinctly Tarantino.

Late last month, Tarantino’s next film Django Unchained, was announced and it reportedly “…pays homage to both the Sergio Corbucci original Django, not to mention Takashi Miike’s Sukiyaki Western Django….[and] Elmore Leonard’s 40 Lashes Less One.” A summary making the Internet rounds is as follows:

Django is a freed slave, who, under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) becomes a bad-ass bounty hunter himself, and after assisting Waltz in taking down some bad guys for profit, is helped by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner.

When this news broke, there was a wave of excitement from film fans, especially those familiar with the iconic character Django and the influence of the original film. And you know why? Because it’s Tarantino choosing to homage, however subtle or not, one of the greatest spaghetti Westerns of all time. We are excited for his take on this, whatever that may be. If anyone else announced a film by this title? I guarantee the reaction would not have been as positive. We would wonder, is this a remake? A reboot? A parody? There would be no sense of faith that something incredible was about to be shot. We trust Tarantino with our homages like we can trust few others.

And who are those few others? Strangely enough, my biggest argument in support of homaging when it works (other than from the master himself,) is the television show Community. While it’s been funny from the start, it wasn’t until homages, references, and deconstruction became a fabric of the show that it truly found both its voice and originality. So much so that I’m almost disappointed when an episode doesn’t contain some sort of gesture to pop culture from the past. The show does homages extremely well and shows off both a strong love for and understanding of everything it nods to — exactly the case with Tarantino and another great example of this, the UK television program that any proper Edgar Wright fan adores, Spaced.

But homaging doesn’t always work. In general, it fails more often than it succeeds. References can sometimes seem inauthentic or pandering when not handled correctly. For example, I have not seen Paul yet, but one of the reasons I stayed away from it in theaters was because I heard the fan service was so on the nose, so cutesy, so not backed up in quality by the movie, that it became almost cringe-worthy to watch. When I opened up this question to Twitter, and asked when references or homages seemed hokey, forced, or not genuine, I got answers like “every line of every Dreamworks animated movie in the ever?,” Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Scream 4, the time The Simpsons crossed over with The Critic, Dawson’s Creek, later episodes of Veronica Mars, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, even fan favorite Chuck. Because there is a fundamental difference between most of these properties and properties like Spaced, Community, and especially anything Tarantino makes — the latter group features a pure, unbridled, loving, intense addiction to film and genre at large that is funneled through the mind of pure, unbridled, intense talent.

What we sometimes seem to forget is that properly homaging something is a feat that requires such a deep knowledge and respect for the subject at hand, that it is something to be admired, not railed against.

I think Quint, in reference to the Django announcement, said it best:

Looks legit and if Django is the jumping off point for a Tarantino Western (wholly spaghetti or not) that’s only good news for cinephiles all over the world… Especially with [Franco] Nero and Christoph Waltz involved.

So if you think Tarantino should stop homaging, I urge you to take another look at his work and maybe even the films that inspired him, and reconsider. If you don’t care to do this, then hey, just see his next flick. There’s magic to his mash-ups that I’m sure Django Unchained will be further proof of. I’m salivating already. See full post

Goodbye until June 3rd!

 Going out of the country until June 3rd - blogging to start up again when I get back, readers! See full post

Pitch Meeting: Something Borrowed

Crossposted on and Commissioned by Film.com

Late 2009. Three fancy executive types sit in a fancy executive type office, trying to come up with the Next Great Movie Idea.

EXEC 1: You know what there aren't enough of?

EXEC 2: Where - wait - in what - what context - what are we talking about? Like, endangered species, or -

EXEC 3: Bagel chips. In Chex Mix. Proven. I have the AP Statistics end of year project from 1989 to prove it.

EXEC 1: Romantic Comedies

EXEC 2: Oh! Movies. That makes sense. Just sometimes it helps to begin a discussion with the discussion topic, but that could also be just a personal preference

EXEC 3: But also bagel chips in Chex Mix. But also, go on, you're right, I'm intrigued, I like where this is going, continue

EXEC 1: When was the last romantic comedy?!

EXEC 2: Just this year? He's Just Not That Into You, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Proposal, The Ugly Truth -

EXEC 3: Can't think of a single one. Ugh. What is the state of cinema.

EXEC 2: I actually just named -

EXEC 1: So I'm thinking, let's break out of the box. Let's make a romantic comedy. And get this - based on a BOOK. How many light, frothy, fun, romantic movies are based on books?!

EXEC 3: GENIUS!

EXEC 2: Well, Bridget Jones' Dairy and its sequel, The Devil Wears Prada, The Nanny Diaries, again with the Confessions of a Shopaholic -

EXEC 3: It's simply not done!

EXEC 2: So, are we not listening to me? Is that what's happening?

EXEC 1: And then, here's the real kicker, I thought to myself - who hasn't done enough light, fun movies? Who needs to shift their image a little, say to the world, I can do a dramatic movie AND a comedic one?! Wait for it. Wait for it.

EXEC 3: I CANT WAIT ANY LONGER

EXEC 2: Just please don't say -

EXEC 1: Kate Hudson AND Ginnifer Goodwin

EXEC 2: Took the words right out of my mouth. Can I go?

EXEC 3: What an amazing step for both of their careers.

EXEC 2: Considering they are both pretty much associated cinematically PURELY with romantic comedies, I'm not sure this actually does much of anything for either of their careers. Are we caring about my opinion yet? Or....

EXEC 1: So glad you guys like it. Because this book, Something Borrowed -

EXEC 2: Such an original name...

EXEC 3: ISN'T IT THOUGH?!

EXEC 2: .........

EXEC 1: - it treads new territory. Girl likes boy. Boy likes girl. Boy and girl don't know the other is interested, so boy dates someone else. But soon their feelings come out and boy and girl get together!!!

EXEC 2: So we are just pretending every other romantic comedy that's ever existed hasn't used that plot? I just want to make sure we're on the same page here.

EXEC 3: Cinema will never be the same. I'm witnessing history in the making.

EXEC 1: So what do you think guys? Should we greenlight this baby?

EXEC 2: No

EXEC 3: GOD YES, PLEASE, YES

EXEC 1: And did I mention we're looking at John Krazinski AND a guy from the Melrose Place reboot for the male leads?

EXEC 2: Oh. Well, in that case.

EXEC 3: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

EXEC 2: I was being facetious. And can someone stop giving Wilson espresso shots or lines or red bull injections or whatever the hell he's been putting in his system right before our meetings, it's distracting

EXEC 3: I JUST LOVE KATE HUDSON SO MUCH

EXEC 2: No you don't. No one does. Stop it.

EXEC 1: So....that's a greenlight then?

EXEC 2: You know what, sure, consider it greenlit, I don't care, I have to leave this room, I can feel my brain melting.

And thus, Something Borrowed was born! See full post

Hell-Walk 2011: Holy Crap

 The final lap count!

A little while back, I interviewed this awesome dude, Josh Tate, who is an employee of the greatest company EVAR, Bad Robot, and was prepping for his charity event, Hell-Walk, where he would walk in a 100 ft circle on a sound stage for 24 hours straight, in an effort to raise 25,000 for Children's Hope Chest.

A little while after that, I went to his pre-event fundraiser, held at Sonny McLean's in Santa Monica, where the fantastic Broken Numbers Band played, amazing prizes were being raffled off (I was hoping for the complete series of Lost, the limited edition Serenity statue or the framed Star Trek poster signed by JJ. Alas. But to no avail.), mini desserts by Jose Andres and a really great group of supportive people, including, much to my surprise, JJ Abrams himself, who it turns out might in fact be the coolest boss in the history of time. Details of the big day itself after the jump!

See full post

Game Of Thrones Preview: Episode 4

Here are a couple of clips from Sunday's episode, Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things,

Ned looks to a book for clues to the death of his predecessor, and uncovers one of King Robert’s (Mark Addy) bastards.  Robert and his guests witness a tournament honoring Ned. Jon takes measures to protect Samwell (John Bradley) from further abuse at Castle Black; a frustrated Viserys clashes with Daenerys in Vaes Dothrak; Sansa (Sophie Turner) imagines her future as a queen, while Arya envisions a far different future.  Catelyn rallies her husband’s allies to make a point, while Tyrion finds himself caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm so addicted to this show. I've already decided to name some of my future kids/pets Daenerys or Catelyn and I've started reading the book right after what happens airs, so I'm experiencing things for the first time in the show, but then supplementing it and expanding my knowledge with the book. I'm already sad that there are only ten episodes this season. See full post

Blu Ray Review: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part One

Crossposted and commissioned by Film.com

As a die hard Harry Potter fan whose first blu-ray purchase was the gift pack containing the first six Harry movies, you can imagine how ecstatic I was at the prospect of reviewing the blu ray for the seventh film - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One. I loved this movie when I saw it in theaters and - surprise - loved it just as much watching it again in gorgeous high definition on my 82 inch screen. But the question at hand here isn't so much "Is the movie good?" because we know the answer to that. Yes. It's great. (If for some reason you don't like it, read the books, then watch it again. If you're one of those people who refuses to read the books, I'm not sure we can be friends.) The real question is, "Should I buy the blu-ray?" So here is a breakdown of what the three disc combo pack has to offer and if it's worth the $34.00 list price.

Disc 1 Special Features:

Maximum Movie Mode

In lieu of a standard commentary, this blu-ray has the option of "Maximum Movie Mode", apparently a feature that can be seen all over the place these days, but not by me, as this one was my first experience. Jason Isaacs hosts a journey through the entire film, extending it to almost three hours. Every so often, a snippet of a behind the scenes "Focus Point" pops up (along with the option to pause Maximum Movie Mode and watch the entire 2-4 minute piece, see below) and even more frequently, various actors & crew members pause the action to really go in depth in regards to what we're watching, whether it's an actor on his motivation, makeup effects designer, Nick Dudman, on creating Harry's swollen face or the details of Voldemort, someone from the fx department teaching us about the seamless effects we didn't know existed, or the (genius) production designer, Stuart Craig, specifying his inspirations, from Citizen Kane to Nazi propaganda. We are also treated to history lessons of sorts, seeing a recap of Harry's love life, where we've seen items like the deluminator and the Gryffindor Sword before, and at last being told who the creators of the Maurader's Map were, all providing context we may have forgotten or for those who haven't read the book, never knew in the first place, and my favorite bit, passages from the book read aloud (quite well, I might add) by Tom Felton, that provide a bit more insight into the current scene.

Keep an eye out for the commentary pause during the Ministry of Magic sequence - the escape at the end was the last shot ever filmed of the entire series and the footage of the wrap is really wonderful. Perhaps my favorite shot of the entire blu-ray is contained here, when a tear-filled Emma Watson & Rupert Grint share a hug. During Maximum Movie Mode, we're also informed of the original ending of the film. I think you'll agree with me when you see it that extending the film through to where it *did* end was ESSENTIAL.

Needless to say, I absolutely adored watching the movie in this fashion. I was most taken with the parts about the special effects and makeup that literally never occurred to me as existing (Three Words. Mad-Eye. Moody's. Eye.) The attention to detail on this film was astounding and it got me especially hoping that Part Two will get to take home a ton of Oscars next year to reward the entire crew for 10 years worth of hard work.

But Maximum Movie Mode wasn't perfect. There was a little too much focus on the experiences of actors who played extremely small roles, and while I loved hearing their stories, I found myself yearning for something similar from Rupert Grint, Emma Watson (complete with post-Harry pixie cut), or Helena Bonham Carter. This is the type of film I would watch with commentary of all kinds, so not having after the fact reflection from the main characters was kind of disappointing. My only explanation for this is that they are holding off on the big guns for the blu-ray release of the final film, or for the inevitable complete series package.

But regardless of what's missing, Maximum Movie Mode is still a must watch for any fan, especially right before seeing Deathly Hallows Part Two. The whole thrust of this mode of watching is preparing the viewer for the final movie, so if you don't get around to rewatching every film or rereading every book before July, the Maximum Movie Mode of Deathly Hallows Part One makes a totally suitable substitute.

More on the rest of the special features after the jump!

See full post

Is Scream 4 The Perfect Date Movie?

Crossposted on Film.com

For some sad reason, there has been a severe lack of good, original slasher movies over the past 10 years. Was Scream 3 so bad that it just killed the genre? What happened, guys? The 2000s brought us new horror movies, sure, but with new horror sub genres and new horror rules, none of which have delighted me the way any of the Scream movies have, even the bad one. And consequently, the 2000s seemed to have killed the concept of horror-as-date-movie. Which makes sense. I don't want to see something that is nothing but gross with a boy I want to make out with afterwards. I just don't. I don't think mutants raping people before they brutally murder them is particularly sexy.

But with Scream 4 we see a return to the genre that isn't a remake or a reboot, but a good old, classic, original team in place, sequel. And in spite of being a sequel and filled with pop culture references and self referential humor from top to bottom, it still manages to be....original. And as I applauded the random appearance of Mary McDonnell, accidentally screamed at the top of my lungs multiple times, punched my boyfriend in the shoulder during the silly moments and recalled exact references to the first Scream, I realized that not only is this a return to the genre - this is a definite return to the tradition of horror-as-date-movie. Because Scream 4 is the *perfect* date movie. Check out why after the jump
See full post

Top Eleven Most Anticipated Movies Of Summer

Crossposted and commissioned by Film.com

 Traditionally spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the summer movie season has begun moving earlier and earlier over the past decade and now

May is usually just as jam packed with tent-poles and huge budgets as July. This year is no exception. In fact, this year is...kind of insane. So packed, I'm not sure many films will have a chance to grow beyond their opening weekend or how your average movie goer will be able to afford to see that many damn movies. But which 11 will end up being the ones movie fans actually head out to in droves? Here are the most anticipated movies of summer 2011.

Honorable (April) Mention
It doesn't technically come out in the summertime, but every single specimen of the male gender I speak to is massively anticipating the April 29th release of Fast Five, so it will receive an honorable mention on this list. I've never seen a Fast and the Furious movie and don't really have any interest in ever starting. I'm sure the stunts are awesome, and in general I do love a good action movie, but they have just never ever piqued my interest. Still, it will make all of the moneys. Another honorable mention goes to Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams, which opens on the same day and is highly anticipated by me personally.

11. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (August 12th)

A young girl moves in with her father and his girlfriend and discovers they are sharing the house with devilish creatures.

This film is only so low on this list because as of right now, it's only highly anticipated by the fan crowd, but I believe the excitement will only grow and grow in the months ahead. Is it possible that the scariest movie of year and Katie Holmes' comeback film are one in the same? With Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, it's very possible.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Weekend

10. Friends With Benefits (July 22nd)

A headhunter recruits a magazine editor and since each is too busy to find  a mate, they agree to sleep together with no strings attached. Things  get complicated when the guy falls for the girl, who's dating someone  else.

It does feel kind of awkward throwing a little romantic comedy on a list containing almost all genre pictures, but Will Gluck impressed many with Easy A last year, great word of mouth landing the film a perfectly lovely slot in teen comedy history. This time he is applying his skills to a movie starring current It Girl, the stunning and talented Mila Kunis. I don't love Justin Timberlake but the Gluck/Kunis combo outweigh any Timberlake fatigue I might be experiencing and may actually add to the must-see factor for some, after his "look, I can act!" turn in The Social Network.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Week

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20th)

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain  of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after  it too.

The fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series is highly anticipated because of the apparent return to form, barely there in the  second and utterly missing from the third. Sometimes we all forget how much we loved the first film and if this movie can even touch it,  we're in store for an incredibly fun summer popcorn flick. Which is totally acceptable. As long as this movie isn't a piece of boring shlock, it'll  be a step up.

My Anticipation Level: Second Week

8. Super 8 (June 8th)

No summary for you! I won't be responsible for letting you know a damn thing about this movie.

Everyone loves a Bad Robot picture. Or at least I do. Even Morning Glory. The anticipation here stems from the fact that the film is shrouded in mystery, as is Bad Robot's MO. Yes, there is a new trailer out and yes, some members of the press got a peak at some footage, but Bad Robot  makes it extremely easy for those of us who want to stay in the dark to  get to do just that. I still only know maybe one or two things about Super 8 and that's the way I like it. Can't. Wait.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Weekend

More after the jump!

See full post

The Greatest Fundraiser A Geek Could Ask For [Event]

Why is that you say? Check it out,

Sorry for the tardiness on getting a new post up lately. Things have just been crazy busy, both with Hell Walk and my day job at Bad Robot.

For those who don’t know, the big Hell Walk Fundraiser is going to be this Saturday, April 9th at one of my favorite places in the world, Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub. I’ve watched the Red Sox win both of their World Series titles here, as well as the Celtics triumph over the Lakers a few years ago. Though it may seem like an odd choice to some, I couldn’t think of a better place to have my fundraiser and would like to extend a huge thanks to owner Grant Woods for offering his amazing bar up to Hell Walk.

The last three weeks have been a tornado of contacting business after business in an effort to scare up some awesome prizes for our raffle. So far we are doing really well, with gift certificates from awesome restaurants like A.O.C., The Lobster and Fritto Misto, more athletic apparel from K-Swiss and, of course, a whole bunch of amazing things from Bad Robot.

The fundraiser will begin at 7 p.m. and go until 10 o’clock. Raffle tickets will be sold all day at Sonny McLean’s. At 8:30, the Broken Numbers Band will come onstage to play an hour-long set, followed by our raffle at 9:30 and what I’m sure will be a very boisterous karaoke session at 10 p.m. We are up to 23 prizes right now and hope to blow that number away over the next several days.

In the next couple days, I’ll be writing a huge post about the actual day of Hell Walk — May 1st, 2011. For those who haven’t heard, we will be holding it at a sound stage in Santa Monica. The day will feature several bands, free adult beverages courtesy of brewmaster Jon Nail, food from some of the best food trucks in Los Angeles and — rumor is — a bouncy castle. Details on all of that soon!

Emphasis on the RAFFLE PRIZES FROM BAD ROBOT.

But seriously, this is for a great cause AND is mildly associated with Bad Robot AND my favorite LA band is playing. Come join and hang out! For more specifics on what will be included in the raffle, check out the Aint It Cool write up!

Tonight, 7-10pm (But karaoke starts at 10, so the party will keep going!) See full post

How A Bad Robot Employee Is Making The World A Better Place Once Mile At A Time

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of getting to chat with Josh Tate who is using his power for good this Spring and holding a charity event called Hell Walk to raise money for Children's Hope Chest. Part of our chat involved a visit to the offices of Bad Robot, a relaxed, yet invigorating environment filled with tons of collectibles and friendly faces. The waiting room alone is something to be marveled at. They encourage you to create art with their supplies while whoever you're meeting with heads over to fetch you. Spoiler Alert: I drew a cartoon cat.

Josh Tate himself is completely down to Earth, but not without a healthy dose of snark, as all awesome people should, and fits right in to the eclectically tranquil yet enthusiastic atmosphere of Bad Robot. His desk, around the corner from the front desk lined with toys of famous robots, features a statue of Starbuck, signed by Katee Sackhoff. When I ask him for recommendations, as I often do in interviews, he lists off amazing bar after amazing bar,

It probably sounds terrible, but I really like to go to bars (and miss them terribly while I’m training for Hell Walk). Here are some of the best: 

West 4th and Jane, James Beach, the back room of the Terrace, Ye Rustic Inne, The Drawing Room, Covell, the back bar at Hobo, The Arsenal, the back bar at Wilshire and the Shack in Playa Del Rey. And of course, Sonny McLean's, birthplace of Hell Walk.

Yeah. This dude is cool. Definitely my kind of person.

So what is Hell Walk and why should you care? Read on to find out.

*****

For the uninitiated, what is Hell Walk?

So Hell Walk is a 24 hour walk-a-thon around a hundred foot circle to raise money for providing schools and shelters for Orphans in Russia and Swaziland, Africa. It is heroically noble (laughs) - no, it was invented because I had not done a lot of charity work in my life and it got to the point where I thought, I've got to start doing better, and so I started volunteering for some charities around town and I enjoyed it, but there was still something missing. And so I talked to my friend Melanie one night at a bar, and I literally just described this whole conversation to her, I was like "I want to do this and I want it to be like this and this" and then at the end, we had this terrible idea called Hell Walk (laughs) it was just the worst. It's gonna hurt, it's gonna take forever, I can't drink for five months, I have to change my life, but that's what it is and it's actually kind of great. I mean, I have a love/hate relationship with it cause I have to live with it every day but it's changed my life for the positive like, infinitely, it's been really great.

What's the name of the charity?

The name of the charity we are raising money for is Children's Hope Chest and what they do is they work in orphanages all over the world. They're an international organization, so they have local chapters and the chapter in LA works with orphanages in Kostroma, which is a region in Russia and then Swaziland and so we just figured we liked the idea of an international charity and we like the idea of local people benefiting from it cause a lot of people who donate are from LA and it just felt like a good fit. They're great, they are nothing like me, they are devoted people who literally dedicate their lives to helping people they don't even know have food and shelter and safety and education. They're a small enough charity that I thought when we raise this money for them, it could really change their lives. And I think it sort of has so far.

What is your goal?

We want to hit 25,000 and right now we, at the end of February are at 7800. Most of the larger fundraising stuff is still in the future so I feel we're going to make 25,000.

How are you training?

Here's my day. I wake up at 5:30. I leave my apt in Los Feliz at 6. I drive to the west side cause I work on the west side to train at the gym in the morning. Then I go to Bad Robot, I work there til 7pm usually, like 8-7 every day usually unless it's a busy day and then I go to the gym after that to do weights. Then I go home and I watch a half hour of MSNBC and I collapse. And then on the weekends, I usually try to take Saturday off if I can, and then Sunday just do like a full 8-10 hours of something, whether it be the LA marathon course (If you go the LA Marathon website you can print out a list of turn by turn directions...and you can do almost the entire course..) or I go to USC a lot and just circle the track for 6 hours or so. Most of that's mental. There's a certain point where - if you and I had to walk 24 hours right now, we probably could if there was like, an army behind us, chasing us. But most of it is mental, getting past that block is going to be a mental hurdle, so that's sort of why I [train that way]. Hell Walk is gonna be, it depends on how much I degrade over time, but it'll be at least two marathons, almost three. My pace is about 3-4 miles an hour and so that comes out to about 80 miles.

More after the jump!

See full post

CONTEST - Hanna Prize Package!

In celebration of Hanna opening this weekend, we're doing a little giveaway for you wonderful readers out there!

Here's what we're giving away,

· Unisex T-shirt

· Hooded Sweatshirt

· Skullcandy Earbuds

· Micro Fiber Cloth

· Bumper Sticker

To enter, all you have to do is the following:

1. follow our writers on Twitter
@Eruditechick
@Loquaciousmuse
@Castling
@TooAdorkable

2. Shoot an email to allthingsfangirl at gmail.com, containing your name and shipping address, with the subject HANNA IS AWESOME

For more info on the film, check out the article What To Expect When You're Expecting Hanna or watch the trailer below!

See full post

Best Finds of Wondercon 2011 [And How To Get Some For Yourself!]

Crossposted on Film.com

I've been attending comic book conventions since I was two years old and perhaps my most favorite part of every experience, no matter how many stars are in attendance, no matter how much footage I see, no matter how amazing the cosplay is, no matter how much drinking with fun folk occurs (don't worry, that part didn't start until I was 16. I mean...21...), is raiding the dealer's room for awesome swag and merchandise. ESPECIALLY at Wondercon, which may be packed, but not overly filled to the brim or ginormous enough to make the Dealer's Room bridge on the stressful and wholly enervating experience it can be at big brother Comic-Con. So I thought for the rest of you dealer's room loving geeks out there, I'd give you a taste of some of my favorite items seen and acquired on the show floor.

Green Lantern Light Up Ring
The most coveted swag of Wondercon 2011, these official Green Lantern rings, licensed by DC comics, were given out at the DC booth throughout the weekend. The only guaranteed way to get one was to wait in an epic line, so very few of our cohorts actually got their hands on one. I feared that because of this reason, I wouldn't be able to get an extra one for Da7e, but because the Universe quite likes us, I found one sitting on the floor during the Femme Fatales panel and nabbed it up. Buy one on ebay for 100 bucks, or better yet, don't. Are people insane?!

Star Trek/Reservoir Dogs Tote Bag
Of all the things I tweeted this weekend, a photo of this tote bag hands down got the most response. Expect to see some Retro Outlaw items getting some love across the internets this week. The tote was only *five* dollars and the sole reason I didn't nab it was so Robert Meyer Burnett (or another huge original Trek fan) could. The design is also on a shirt, but as far as I know, you won't be able to find it online. If you are headed to Comic-Con this year, remember to look Retro Outlaw up as soon as you arrive so you can grab yourself one to carry your swag in for the weekend.

The Walking Dead Hoodie
Continuing my trend of owning WAY too much The Walking Dead merchandise, I couldn't resist buying this adorable hoodie from the Image booth for only a meager discount off the retail price. Not only is it comfortable and cute, but it's for The Walking Dead and there was only one size small remaining! And I do mean the COMIC mind you. So the hoodie is only and exclusively full of win. I expect to never take it off. Apparently it isn't available anywhere else yet, but you can pre-order one for yourself here.

More after the jump!

See full post

Review: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book

Crossposted on Film.com

It had me at "spurty in their lady place."

It's been almost three years since the writer's strike and the release of arguably the most wonderful project to have emerged from that tumultuous period in Hollywood history (what else did the writers strike produce? Oh yeah. Transformers 2. Point made.). Thanks to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, we have not only a great web-series we can watch over and over, but toys, soundtracks, musical commentary and endless cosplay to geek out over and this week, a brand new book to add to the list. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book. And that's exactly what it is. A book. Of Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It's pretty badass.

Normally with this kind of publication, the bulk is made up of art and photos, great to own as a fan, sure, but not practical in any way. But Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog The Book, much like Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog the web-series, isn't your typical book....slash.....web series. No, yeah, that makes sense. That sentence definitely was cohesive and was not nonsensical. Oh god. I've been reading and watching so much Whedon-speak, I can almost feel myself becoming a Whedon...self-deprecation! Meta jokes! Sonheim-esque musical interludes!  Attempts at jokes awkwardly placed in the middle of an article!

Now that that's out of my system, back to the topic at hand. To start, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book, features both the original shooting script and the complete sheet music, which I was pretty astounded to discover. I was expecting page after page of photos and behind the scenes commentary, like most other coffee table books of this nature, but was thrilled to find out it's so much more. Sure, I couldn't actually keep the book upright on my piano to play the music, it is a giant coffee table book after all, but once I photocopied the pages I wanted to play, I spent hours futzing around with both my piano and guitar. Anything that gets me to musical instrument futz is an instant win. The book also made me want to rewatch the web series - and I did - (it's on Netflix Instant Watch!) - while following along. Singing with the songs, seeing where actors deviated (It warmed my heart that Simon Helberg (Moist) said all of his lines word for word), where moments changed from script to screen, and how actors handled stage directions like "a beat as he realizes he said that sarcastically" and "Captain Hammer isn't thrilled, but he's hiding it from her." I especially liked following along during Commentary: The Musical (not on Netflix Instant Watch, actually had to get up and put a disc in my Xbox to watch that one...Netflix, you shifty bastids, you....) because this time, I actually didn't miss any of the jokes. You really start to notice things like, wow, Neil Patrick Harris sure does know how to enunciate, because he's the only one I understand without this book in front of me! Well, to be fair, I didn't need to book to make out what Maurissa was saying either, but Neil is truly the king of proper musical enunciation. It is a thing to be admired.

The introduction alone is worth the price of admission, as Captain Hammer explains what we're about to read and reminds us that he is Teh Awesome by saying things like

"People often ask me to write the introductions to their books. They ask me to speak at their school, be Godfather to their child, or make a spurty in their lady place." 

Immediately followed by

"I usually say no. Books don't interest me (Stop calling, Michael Chabon!), school is for sissies, and the Godfather was a bad man who did mob crime. The lady thing is okay, as long as it's between consenting adults and no one gets hurt/slapped with a paternity suit (stop calling, Mrs Michael Chabon!). But to conclude this word section, books are for coffee tables." 

And it only gets better from there.

After the intro, the book then goes into a lengthy discussion of the pre-production process with the whole pre-pro team - Jed, Joss, Maurissa and Zack - still infused with that trademark Whedon humor. Well. It better. Considering that's four Whedons right there. The flow and tone of the conversation really makes you as the reader feel like you are in the room, especially because The Whedons Four let us in on fun facts that people *not* in the room may not want us to know, i.e. how Neil, Nathan and Simon all separately forgot about the first table read. Oops. Although Simon actually recalls the moment he realized he forgot about the read through in his "A Horrible Memory," one of four accounts from the actors, which also include "A Horrible Experience" from Felicia Day, a haiku by Nathan Fillion, and a lovely afterward from Neil Patrick Harris.

There also may or may not be scans of call sheets. I happen to love call sheets, with their lines and numbers and organization! Really. I actually do. Seeing the "official" parts of the production is a fun aspect of the book, because it reminds us that despite having zero studio involvement and zero pay, everyone in the production still fell back on their professional habits. There was no slacking off, no foregoing of call sheets, costume continuity shots, sketches, music demos or multiple read throughs that all the actors did eventually attend. And when such talented people bring their A game to a project with no studio interference, it shows.

On that note, the book also features several behind the scenes photos from events celebrating the finished outcome, like The Emmys, The Streamys and Comic-Con. There's even a scan of a reserved seat badge from the 2008 Dr. Horrible panel (sorry forgers, except I'm not sorry at all, the reserved seat passes change pretty much every year) and a shot of the audience watching said panel. I happened to be in that room and experienced what is still one of my favorite Comic-Con memories. Nathan Fillion recited his famous "The Hammer is my penis" line to an adoring crowd, which was immediately followed by a small child behind me asking "Mommy, did he just say the hammer is my penis?" But the aftermath chronicling doesn't stop with Comic-Con and award shows, there are also multiple shots of cosplayers, merchandise, and even some from a couple of amateur Dr. Horrible productions.

Overall, it's a must own for any fan of Dr. Horrible, especially if you don't yet own the sheet music. For some reason, there is actually quite an overlap in terms of Joss geeks and Musical Theater nerds (myself included), so if you know people who fit that criteria, this is certainly the gift for them. The fact that it even exists thrills me - that a webseries gets its own behind the scenes coffee table book. And reading through it got me to rewatch, listen to the commentary, play the music both on iTunes and with my instruments, and all in all remind myself how much I love Dr. Horrible and want a sequel. It's been three years. Enough of this already, Whedons. Moar please!

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Book 
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Warning: This book may cause you to speak like a Whedon for roughly 3-5 hours upon completion. The only cure is more cowbell. There is no cure. See full post

HAPPY POETRY MONTH!

April is National Poetry Month. So go read a poem today, tomorrow, or just at some point during the month! Or go write your own! Here's a poem I love:

We Have Not Long To Love

We have not long to love.
Light does not stay.
The tender things are those
we fold away.
Coarse fabrics are the ones
for common wear.
In silence I have watched you
comb your hair.
Intimate the silence,
dim and warm.
I could but did not, reach
to touch your arm.
I could, but do not, break
that which is still.
(Almost the faintest whisper
would be shrill.)
So moments pass as though
they wished to stay.
We have not long to love.
A night. A day....

-Tennessee Williams
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=27204 See full post

Top Eleven Part Deux: This Is Gonna Be REALLY Difficult

No pictures this week - computer's being cray cray. But here's my recap anyway!

I love the footage from last week. I love Casey. Last week's results episode ruled. Casey almost died. American Idol, I'm loving you right now. Please don't change that tonight. ROCK IT, CASEY AND PAUL! DOOOOO ITTTT!

Heather Morris is in the audience! Man, I wish I were on a Fox show so I could go be in the audience and make Paul date me.

I really wish tonight wasn't Elton John night. Lame.

Dominic Monaghan IS young Elton John.

Idol finally has a segment with EW and it's the year Dalton Ross takes over? Michael Slezak FTW!!

I'm ready for songs now.

Scotty McCreery - Country Comfort
He has a natural elegance. Okay. Sure. We'll go with that. The words "One Trick Pony" are used. I agree. WOAH. Scottie plays guitar. Clever girl. Good choice, country boy. Can't be a real country guy if you can't play guitar. Playing the grandma card, are we? As much as Scotty doesn't do it for me, he's hands down the best Country contestant since Carrie Underwood. Great job. Especially with that last note. He knows what the audience wants.
Steven - Something about boots and grandmas. Did it again.
J-Lo - He has amazing instincts about performing and what's right for him. Encourages him to keep grounded and stay right there. Never doubt himself.
Randy - Thought he was at his concert like he was already there, so comfortable, so in the zone. That song could be on his record. Very nicely done.

Does Scotty have a crush on Scar-Jo? Never gonna happen, kid.


Naima - I'm Still Standing
Reggae spin! Okay, I could be into this. Naimia seems to be one of the only ones coming up with her own arrangements. Which I definitely commend her for. Oh she is MADE for this genre. This sounds like it's always been reggae. Pretty badass if I do say so myself. Sounds better and gets more interesting every week. Kind of into it. I'm allowing people in the room to vote for her tonight.
J-Lo - Loves her and her reggae swag. Wasn't sure the song was suited to it, but loved the way she performed. Respects that she took it where she wanted to take it.
Randy - Came off kind of corny, and she isn't corny, she's cool. Didn't quite work for him.
Steven - Boomshakalaka, good for her for picking a song that fits her.

We TOTALLY disagree with the judges. Thought she nailed it. Whatevs. Having never heard the original, I thought that was right on.

My brother just told me Haley and Casey are dating!!! First time in Idol history, right? EPIC! Love it.


Paul - Rocket Man
PAUL! He's so sexy. His band covered this song years ago. DO I HAVE THE SAME SHIRT PAUL IS WEARING IN THE VIDEO? Loving this. Love love love. Best he has sounded yet. SO adorbz. I love him. No back up vocals. YAY!
Randy - Couple pitchy moments. (DISAGREE!) He's here, he's got this, go further, they believe.
Steven - Loves his voice. Always does a little something. When he starts hitting every note, he won't like him anymore, loves his character.
J-Lo - More to his voice that he knows, he just has to go there. Wants him to push push push, especially in the upper register.

DON'T SAY BAD THINGS ABOUT MY PAUL. I thought that was great. He makes me giggly and happy.

More after the jump

See full post

Book Review: Whedonistas! A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them

To be truly considered a formidable geek, one has to have experienced a mind altering, bridging on unhealthy, obsessive love for at least one movie and/or television show before reaching an age where one is cognisant enough to understand that it may not be "cool". Something that cemented in one's psyche the idea that loving a piece of fiction is not only valid, but something to be celebrated, something that isn't full of shame, but pride. And fandom doesn't ever come down to one artist or one universe. Fans of all ilks bond because of a mutual understand that loving a property - any property - enough to be compelled to dress up as characters, write fan fiction, own way too many collectibles, watch every episode multiple times, so on and so forth, is totally, 100% acceptable and awesome. It's why I've always loved conventions so much. We're all there because of how much we love a genre property, and whatever that property is, we support each other, sans judgement. If your specific corner of fandom overlaps with someone else's, than hey, even better.

For me growing up, my first loves were the original Star Wars trilogy (a tale of profound obsession that I will save for another time) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy aired during the exact years I was in middle school and high school and while I took fandom vacations into other things like Xena, The Matrix, Scream and Spiderman, Buffy was my constant. At age 12 I had a life goal to own every piece of Buffy merchandise every created, and between seasons 1 and 2, I think I actually did accomplish that, for a few months at least. Between seasons 2 and 3, I met the whole cast at Comic-Con and wrote a poem about it. I loved Xander, Oz and Spike. I wrote fanfiction. I listened to "Once More With Feeling" until I knew every word to every song. Buffy was always there for me, no matter what I was going through and I'm still grateful to Joss Whedon for giving me characters to look up to, a group of friends who would die for each other (and have) to remind me that just because I didn't have it yet didn't mean I never would, and love stories of all shapes and sizes, all meaningful, whether born out of friendship, initial attraction, hate, respect, common interests or zero common interests, I learned from each one. I wanted to be successful to get the chance to one day be a part of something like Buffy. It was the impetus for so much in my life - *all* positive.

But I don't think about this often. In fact, I hadn't thought hard about Buffy in a while, not since rewatching the first two seasons with my roommates at the time 4 years ago. But last week I got my hands on a copy of a new book, Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them and it awakened something in me. Here is a book filled with essays, an "eclectic and exciting collection of essays that touch on nearly all aspects of the shows, the fandoms and the people to whom they made a difference", written by writers, artists, and fans alike, that flooded me with memory and emotion of my time watching Buffy. And while the pieces on Buffy connected with me the most on the surface, every essay, no matter the subject, felt familiar, like a part of my brain being explained and explored. I haven't even seen all of Firefly, yet I found myself tearing up during Dae S. Low's "The Browncoat Connection", in which Low details finally finding a group of people to connect with in her fellow Portlandian Browncoats.

More after the jump

See full post

The Hunger Games and Jennifer Lawrence: Is This Going To Work?

Commissioned by and crossposted on Film.com



On the heels of the announcement that Jennifer Lawrence won the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games has come a lot of discussion as to whether or not the naturally blond, 20 year old actress is right for the role of the 16 year old, olive skinned brunette. Many fans (mostly purists, natch) are complaining that Lawrence is poor casting for these reasons. But how much does it matter that Lawrence is four years older and has the wrong complexion? Is it really warranting all this uproar?

I too was bothered when I first heard the announcement, but not because of Lawrence's hair or hue of skin, the cosmetic aspects aren't a huge deal as far as I'm concerned, they can be altered easily. What did made me uncomfortable was her age. Part of what made The Hunger Games so harrowing for me to read was imagining a 16 year old - a Nicola Peltz, a Hailee Steinfeld, someone who is young enough to still *look* like an actual teen - forced into Katniss' situation. Part of the reason the upcoming Hanna is so effective is because the teen assassin is played by a 16 year old. It's difficult, yet thrilling to watch. Imagining the images coming alive as I read, I feared for Katniss, was amazed with Katniss, wanted to protect Katniss. Casting a 20 year old, even a 20 year old who just played a 17 year old, as Lawrence did in Winter's Bone, immediately does away with all of that. When I imagine Jennifer Lawrence in the part, I am suddenly not concerned for Katniss' safety, I'm not questioning her ability or moved by the fact that someone so young only knows how to do what she can do because of the poverty she was raised in that forced her to grow up so quickly. Instead, I see a woman. A young looking woman, sure, but a woman nonetheless.


However, these were the thoughts I had when I had only read two thirds of The Hunger Games.

A few days after the announcement that Lawrence got the part, I sat down to finish The Hunger Games with only part three of the first book, entitled "The Victor," to go. And boy did that change things. Imagining Lawrence and rumored contender, Hunter Parrish, in the roles of Katniss and Peeta during the last third of the book just about sealed the deal for me that when it comes to casting, The Hunger Games may not in fact be an epic fail. The Jennifer Lawrence and Hunter Parrish in my mind have *amazing* chemistry, you guys. And it made me think of something no dissenters seem to be discussing.

While casting actual teenagers would certainly provide an audience with that unique, frightening feeling of seeing children, more or less, forced into an awful situation like the hunger games, something important would be lost: the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. The sexuality. The romance. The chemistry. The maturity. It's the reason all "teen" shows are cast with twenty somethings. No one wants to watch an actual fifteen year old make out with another fifteen year old. That's when something that should be exciting to see come to fruition becomes sweet at best, child porn at worst. Do you really think there would be however-many-thousand videos dedicated to the kisses of Chuck and Blair if the roles were played by high school juniors? Are you telling me you don't feel even a little dirty watching the younger characters on Skins? How many people are going to watch 90210 if the "hot new sophomore" who sleeps with someone's thirty year old sister is an actual sophomore? Have you seen an actual high school sophomore lately? If sexuality is important for the characters to posses, the casting will skew slightly older, plain and simple.

I didn't realize how important chemistry would be until finishing the first book, but now I can't imagine having anyone younger than eighteen in the role, and even most eighteen year olds look too young for me to want to watch them have chemistry with anyone. Even Logan Lerman, who I think is adorbz town central, has too much of a baby face for me to want to see him in any sort of sexual situation. In a few years, sure, but not right now. And I can safely say I do *not* want The Hunger Games film to shy away from the violence or the romance.

Which brings me to Katniss' counterpart. Obviously if our leading lady is to be played by an actress slightly older than teenage years with a maturity way beyond teenage years, the actor playing Peeta must have a similar sensibility. Lawrence's casting immediately rules out actors too much younger than she is. Aside from Hunter Parrish, Alex Pettyfer is apparently under consideration. But let's nip that in the bud before producers put an offer out, shall we? While Jennifer Lawrence is blond and no longer a teenager, everything else about her is Katniss. We know she can be tough, we know she can be vulnerable, we know she can look like dreck, we know she can look drop dead gorgeous, we know she can skin an animal and we know she can cry. And to hear the way director Gary Ross talks about her audition, you know Lawrence will bring it and subsequently kill it. Still not convinced? Here's an except from author Suzanne Collins' letter on the casting, published in EW (If you've read the first book, read the rest of the spoiler-tastic letter here),

“Jennifer’s just an incredible actress. So powerful, vulnerable, beautiful, unforgiving and brave. I never thought we’d find somebody this amazing for the role. And I can’t wait for everyone to see her play it.”

Which is why I worry about all this Pettyfer talk. The ALREADY notorious jerkface (trying to keep my language clean here), after only TWO studio films, could not be more wrong for the role of Peeta. Pettyfer reads as mean as he is rumored to be, as well as cold, stiff and humorless, the opposite of everything Peeta is supposed to embody. And despite being three years younger than competition Hunter Parrish, he looks about five years older. Let me tell you, the Jennifer Lawrence and Alex Pettyfer in my head have zero chemistry. Zip. And if we're going the route of casting slightly older so the audience is invested in the romance, whether or not this film will work now relies entirely on who gets cast as Peeta.

I like the idea of Parrish so much because of his natural warmth and sweet sexuality. He isn't classically handsome, he's unique, bridging on goofy, but tall, built and good-natured, exuding sort of a "you simultaneously want to make out with me and cuddle me" sort of vibe. I can buy the necessary vulnerability and I can buy the necessary snark. Blandy McDoucherson Alex Pettyfer? Not so much.

With a movie like say, Let the Right One In and its American take, Let Me In, casting actual 12-14 year olds was essential because the film hinged on the vampire trope of an older soul stuck in a pre-adolescent body. At the start of Marvel's Runaways, most of the characters are 15 and while there is a kiss between two of them at one point, sure, the important relationships don't happen until a bit later, so there is some freedom to actually go the young route, to see what it looks like when real teens are fighting super villains and let them grow into young adults with feelings and sexuality and romance over the course of the films a la Harry Potter. But because so much of the first Hunger Games book really does focus on the relationship between Katniss and Peeta, I ultimately am in support of this casting and recommend re-reading the book with them in mind. You may be surprised with how naturally you can imagine them in the roles.

So to answer the question if this going to work, I say if it doesn't, Jennifer Lawrence won't be the reason. Her casting is actually a great sign that despite the fact that The Hunger Games is technically a Young Adult novel, this movie will be leaning more on the side of an adult sensibility than that of kids or tweens. Now we just have to cross our fingers and hope the rest of the casting falls into place. And you know, the script and direction and production design and special effects....But I'm optimistic for now.

What do you think of Jennifer Lawrence at Katniss? Who would be your preference for Peeta? Looking forward to your thoughts, readers. See full post

In Defense of Sucker Punch

Let’s be clear that this article is not about whether or not Sucker Punch was good. Good and bad are subjective values and -- except for something egregious like The Last Airbender, which failed at filmmaking -- there is no right or wrong answer when people’s opinions come into play.

However, there are more or less right answers when it comes to whether or not something has meaning, which is what this article will argue. And even something that has intended meaning can still fail to convey it to every member of the audience. But just because you glean no meaning from a piece of art doesn’t mean that there isn’t a message being conveyed and that other people aren’t appreciating it.

My problem with the less-than-loving reception of Sucker Punch is not that people don’t like it -- there are plenty of films, books, and pieces of art that I love and others hate that I don’t argue about -- but that the people who hate Sucker Punch are overwhelmingly dismissing other people’s readings and enjoyment of Sucker Punch and ripping the film’s message apart in three unforgivable ways, 1. they are making up info/depictions not in the film, 2. they are picking and choosing the evidence they want and ignoring the presence of contrary evidence, and 3. they are bringing their own expectations into why the film failed, e.g they think that a message can only be expressed in one certain way and so they ignore any other method or mode.

All right, you’ve read this far and I have to go make breafast, so let’s skip to the meat of the manner: the question of feminism in Sucker Punch.

Female Escapism vs. Male Fantasy, or, How I Learned to Fight the Patriarchy While Looking Good

Many arguments about Sucker Punch involve the statement that Sucker Punch and its two dream levels (the brothel to be known as Lvl 2 and the action sequences Lvl 3, henceforth) are the pure embodiment of male fantasy (e.g. hot girls being sex objects in Lvl 2 and hot girls fighting samurai in Lvl 3) and thus cannot be representations of female empowerment.

Let’s get one thing straight, if there is anything explicitly conveyed in Sucker Punch (and boy there is a lot, which rankles my movie-watching nerves at times) it’s that Lvl 2 and Lvl 3 are versions of Babydoll’s mental escape for her more-or-less reality on Lvl 1. (I say “more-or-less” because even Lvl 1 is framed by a curtain rising on the theater, suggesting it too is a metaphor.) So let’s all agree that Lvl 2 and 3 are in Babydoll’s mind as many reviewers have done so and the film even includes the narrator telling us that sometimes we need to retreat to our inner-selves/worlds to triumph. Now the argument brought up by many at this point, is that Babydoll’s fantasy worlds would never be a real girl’s fantasy worlds and that they are instead Zack Snyder’s (and most men’s) own masturbation fantasies come to life, thus invalidating any claims Sucker Punch might make to feminism.

The first problem: Babydoll’s fantasies have been and could be the fantasies of many women, especially given that Lvl 2 and Lvl 3 are fantasies doubling as coping mechanisms for the harsh realities of Lvl 1 that render Babydoll and her friends powerless. Babydoll doesn’t dream of a brothel in Lvl 2 because all girls want to be sexed up or fucked for money, but because it is a more manageable parallel for what is happening in Lvl 1. The girls are clearly being abused and taken advantage of in Lvl 1 (though nothing explicit happens on screen) and so Lvl 2 is the metaphorical level where we recognize that yes, these girls are being used for sex by the chief orderly Blue and many others with a key difference: the girls have more power on Lvl 2. They can walk around, be considered sane, and use their sexuality -- the only value given to them by the patriarchal confines of Lvl 1 and 2 -- to their advantage. In Lvl 1, they can’t even do that as their sexuality is completely out of their hands. But more on that in the next section. For now let’s skip to Lvl 3.

Lvl 3, with its genre mash-ups and hot girls in hot outfits killing things, uh, hotly, is also criticized as being a male fantasy. Well, I hate to shatter your visions of femininity but many women, even as girls, have daydreamed about kicking ass and taking names, and many as they got older have added looking attractive to the mix -- this last bit is arguably a reaction to the pressures of societal norms of attractiveness that girls are subjected to growing up, but let’s be honest that even men have daydreams in which they are irresistible morsels of sexual delight. The point is that Lvl 3 could very well be the daydreams of a girl in a terrible situation. It’s an even more fantastical form of mental escapism where actual power, in the form of weapons and warfare, stand in place of the sexual power given to girls on Lvl 2. In Lvl 3, Babydoll and her crew are equals to any man, taking on faceless hordes and never having to flash so much as a little leg to catch the enemy off guard. Female sexuality is beside the point in Lvl 3.

If the girls look hot in Lvl 3 -- debatable really considering how much more clothed they are there than in Lvl 2 and even when compared to many other action films in which women have but an inch of clothing hiding their frame -- it can be argued that this is for one of two reasons: 1. that the girls in Lvl 3 are as sexual and attractive as they want to be but they control it and it’s only a side factor in their real fantasy of defeating the patriarchy, and/or 2. the sexual nature of their costumes is supposed to subverted by their actions portraying them as real action heroes not to be underestimated by the sexual fetishes (e.g. school girl, hot nurse, fantasy chick, etc.) that are placed upon them by the male gaze. In the case of item one, the explanation is in direct play with the plot and characterizations of the girls, while in item two this is a meta-commentary aimed at undermining expectations in the audience. (Again, I’d like to submit that Lvl 3’s costumes, especially compared to other films like Sucker Punch, are not as sexualized or hot as people are making them out to be.)

At any rate, this brings us to the second section that looks a little bit more at Lvl 2. A place, I admit, whose dialogue and acting pains me but whose importance I won’t dismiss.

Ownership of Sexuality vs. Objectification Thereof, or, Why Being Hot Isn’t a Crime But Being Raped Is

When last I mentioned Lvl 2, it was in setting it up as female escapism informed by the tethers of the male patriarchy found in Lvl 1 and that Lvl 3 is an “even more fantastical form of mental escapism where actual power, in the form of weapons and warfare, stand in place of the sexual power given to girls on Lvl 2.”

This is possibly the most important evidence in arguing that Lvl 2 is escapism from a terrible world, and neither male fantasy nor anti-feminist. Consider, for a moment, the fact that we are never shown the most titillating aspects of female sexuality in Lvl 2. Not only do we never see Babydoll’s purportedly sexually over-the-top dancing, but we never see any of the girls being used for sex, or being raped. Instead, any time Babydoll begins her dance, the movie jumps with Babydoll to Lvl 3, a place where the girls don’t have to use sexuality but instead can use real strength to overcome their enemies. Lvl 3 is not only a coping mechanism for the sexuality Babydoll and the girls have to use in Lvl 2, but it’s also a coping mechanism for the fact that in Lvl 1 it’s likely that the girls are mutely being raped with no way to fight back other than to bide their time while planning their escape and stealing the items they need while their rapists and abusers are occupied.

The latter statement, of course, is an informed opinion based on the metaphorical parallels established in the rulebook of the film, as we never explicitly see rape or abuse in Lvl 1. The point in outlining these differences is to establish that yes, Zack Snyder has created a world in which women are being victimized in Lvl 1 and 2 but that 1. they are being shown fighting back without losing their spirit and hope and 2. the absence of their sexuality being shown on the screen means that their victimization is not there to arouse the viewer but to serve as a narrative point.

The message of the film is not, then, to watch the sexual victimization of women and like it (goodness knows that plenty of other movies and TV shows do that) but to convey that even in a time in which a victim feels they have no agency, they can still overcome their abusers by retreating into the world of how things should be and gaining strength and action from there.

Sucker Punch is clearly a movie following the internal machinations of abused women who feel they have no agency. And contrary to what some say, Babydoll is not ultimately powerless in this equation. Her dreamworld is a metaphor for what Lvl 1 Babydoll is setting out to achieve but in a more candy-coated and manageable way. In Lvl 3, Babydoll learns what she needs to escape Lvl 1. In Lvl 2, Babydoll takes her sexuality away from her oppressors and uses it to ensnare them instead – a classic case of subverting the patriarchy and using the only tool you have left to your advantage. In Lvl 2, after all, none of the women are seen as people but as sex objects. And so Babydoll, the unobtainable sex object as she is being saved for the High Roller, can use the thing they can’t take from her to her advantage.

Eye of the Audience vs. Aim of the Actor, or, Zack Knew Some (Not You) Might Interpret It This Way

For all those watching Sucker Punch and thinking that it’s anti-feminist because attractive girls are fighting things, I submit to you that your reading is entirely too simplistic based on the above evidence and that you are actually having the reading that Zack Snyder thought you might have as conveyed through none other than Blue.

When we first really see the mental asylum in Lvl 1, our introduction is via “The Theater,” a place where the girls go to act out their victimization and cope with it by letting others know about it and showing their pain. Whether or not this is a valid form of therapy is beside the point, as what’s important is what Blue says to Babydoll’s stepfather. He too doesn’t know whether the therapy works but he thinks it’s something damn fun and salacious to watch, even mocking it. Blue’s perception here doubles as the worst reading of Sucker Punch, e.g. “Hot girls trying to fight being raped? That’s kinda hot. More tits!” And it seems that people dismissing Sucker Punch as meaningless and anti-feminist think that Snyder’s point was to garner a reaction like Blue’s. But having such a statement made by Blue himself within the context of the film shows that Snyder anticipated that a small amount of people would feel that way about the movie, and that, as a result, another segment of the audience might accuse Snyder of intending this reaction from the repugnant first group.

Thus, with Blue’s comment, Snyder seems to say, “If you think this movie is here to turn you on, you’re wrong. It’s here to help out girls in situations like this and give them hope. Maybe it won’t work and maybe some people will just see boobs and bangs and go home to wank, but that doesn’t mean it’s not meant to have more meaning than that. And that for the characters in this film and for some of the audience, it does.”

And that’s all I have to say about Sucker Punch here. If you want to read more of my opinions/defenses, you can head to my twitter at twitter.com/scarletscribe.

Sidenote: Let me reiterate that I don’t think Sucker Punch is a perfect movie. (It has plenty of problems.) I just think that the movie has more meaning than people give it credit for and I am completely enamored of its storytelling technique. See full post

Brief Sucker Punch Thoughts...

For those of you that are curious, and because I'm one of 12 people who seemed to both not COMPLETELY miss the point AND appreciate the point, here are some of my thoughts that I tweeted last night.

I love the whole idea of her escaping into this fantasy world, where what we see IS what happened in reality, but the way she sees it, the way she is dealing with it. A mental break turning a situation where she is helpless into one where she is ostensibly helpless, but actually in control, makes perfect sense to me. Unfortunately, because she wasn't actually in control, she didn't have the men in the palm of her hand, the fantasy could only take her so far before reality set in and she had to face her fate. Eh, works for me!

I find a more cohesive story in it than many are, it seems. Comes down to a connection to it or not perhaps, pure and simple. The movie is for sure not perfect. The most I'm arguing is that it isn't worthless, it connects/makes more sense to some people than others, and it isn't anti-feminist. Oh and it's really fun to watch if you just let yourself, even if that means laughing at the dumb stuff

I'm kind of sick of man after man writing pieces on why Sucker Punch is anti-feminist or fails as a feminist film. Much more interested in a fellow fangirl's perspective, even if she disagrees with me, than reading unconscious male guilt (also kind of the point of Sucker Punch) translated into not appreciating what Snyder set out to do here. I repeat, this movie is NOT perfect, and I am enjoying all the debate, the 140 character quotes of people who hate it are actually pretty hilarious, but I do take issue with the argument that the film is harmful to women in any way. For whatever inexplicable reason, I did connect to Sucker Punch, I understood the multiple layers she used to escape, I understood that while the story was hers, it was also ours, that sometimes you have to do the best with what you're given, even if the only option is help ONE person to make it out alive, help ONE person to escape, help ONE person make something of herself. Especially when that one person was only trapped in the first place out of a desire to protect her younger sister. Sweet Pea didn't belong there and Babydoll got her out and in the end, even though Babydoll lost her mind completely, she took down both her stepfather and Blue in the process, empowered to the very end.

Was it heavy handed? Yes. Was it at times cheesy? Yes. Was it super far from perfect? Of course. But I loved the conceit, the themes, the action, the costumes, the production design, the soundtrack, most of the performances, really everything but the dialogue/aspects of the script structure (could have done without the final voiceover). Perhaps in more capable hands aka a seasoned screenwriter, the screenplay would have been dynamite, in which case I definitely think everyone would be loving this movie.

With Battle LA, the bad screenplay ruined it for me, but many people I talked to (side note....mostly men....) could acknowledge the script sucked, but loved it anyway. For me, that's kind of the situation with Sucker Punch. I can acknowledge it has problems, but it doesn't really matter. It connected to me on a gut level. I get it. And I love that Snyder, even if he failed, failed so boldly and gloriously.

But seriously, throw me some insightful criticism from a fangirl please. I don't want to read any more pieces by men telling me Sucker Punch is bad for me. I will tomahawk you in stilettos and you'll never see it coming.

Update: Upon seeing the movie again, I began wondering if Baby Doll's purpose is to act as an angel, both for other girls put in unfortunate situations, (both at the asylum in the world of the movie and in the audience, for those watching,) and most specifically, Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea should have never been in there in the first place (a second viewing also makes it very clear that the 2nd level is almost exactly mirroring the 1st level if you take away all references to the location/sex. Everything that happened on the 2nd level is Baby Doll's slightly altered projection of reality, which may also explain the specific role each girl plays and why they may not be "fully fleshed out characters". I believe in the 1st level, Sweet Pea still is only in the asylum out of a desire to protect Rocket and doesn't belong there) and while Baby Doll's grip on reality is loosening, she has fight in her, she has the inner strength the other girls don't, and her arriving at the asylum is equivalent to the arrival of an angel on Earth. With her determination (and realization that her own sacrifice is the final necessary item), she brings down the entire establishment and stepfather in the process, and allows the one girl who had a chance the opportunity to experience real life. What made Baby Doll different was her FIGHT. It's why real-Blue was obsessed with her and ultimately lost his mind and fucked up his own evil doings. The message is even when you are in the worst situation, you already have your weapons, all you have to do is fight, it may save you or it may save someone else, but it's better than the alternative of sitting there not trying, already dead.

PS - Please check out this on-the-money review from Devin Faraci
PPS -  If you would like to read a super positive review, head to First Showing
Other reviews to check out: Mr Beaks, Jack Giroux See full post

Dragon Age 2: The Mass Effectening

AKA Dragon Age 2: The Consolizationing. Or Dragon Age 2: The Not Quite As Engrossing As Dragon Age: Origins And Not Quite As Cinematic As Mass Effect 2 But Still Quite A Fun Gamening. It has, as you can plainly see, many titles. My personal favorite is Dragon Age 2: Templar Boogaloo.


The non-spoilery rundown is as follows: You play Hawke, the young refugee from Lothering, who travels from Ferelden to the Free Marches city of Kirkwall in search of an ancestral home to reclaim. You play through the next decade of Hawke's life as he or she rises from impoverished nothing to become hailed as the Champion of Kirkwall. You make friends, you make enemies, you make money, you make corpses- typical fair for any adventurer, and in the end, you make some very big choices that have huge ramifications on the lives of the people of the Free Marches and, potentially, the world.

The game bears a passing familiarity if the only Bioware title you've played is Dragon Age: Origins. It kind of looks the same, sort of. It's much prettier- the characters are rendered in better detail and are largely more attractive (Highlite the text for a spoiler: Until you see Alistair in one of his cameos and go WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?! NOT THE FACE. NOT HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE. The same goes for Zevran. Somehow, the characters from DA:O are not nearly as good looking as they were. It positively boggles the mind.) Their hair sways almost naturally as they talk or fight. It's quite charming. The environments bear a lot of the same structuring as DA:O, but are more lush, are fuller and more detailed, particularly the coasts and mountains. There are far, far fewer locals to visit, however, and this is disappointing. We finally see the world outside Ferelden (not counting the locations visited in the expansions for Origins), and find ourselves contained to one very small part of it. We have only one city to explore, one and sort of a half mountains, and one seaside. When new quests arrive, they only occur in the same recycled hotspots of each map. In terms of scale, DA2 is dwarfed by DA:O.


Despite it's uncanny, permeating and intentional resemblance to Bioware's other franchise, DA2 is similarly anemic in scope when compared to Mass Effect 2, the game on which DA2's conversation and decision-making mechanisms are based. The combat is pulled back enough to allow you to manage your entire group, not as much as in DA:O and is actually much more fun to play on a console than the first installment. In appearance and gameplay, DA2 is a very solid bastardization, taking what ostensibly should have been the best parts of Origins and ME2 and then fundamentally missing the point.

There are many places in which Dragon Age 2 succeeds. The characters are colorful and interesting, the combat is fluid, the decisions are hard, it's just that none of them reach the standard set in the two games that influenced DA2 the most. The character voicing is wonderful: Jo Wyatt moves seamlessly but distinctively through the noble, sarcastic and hard ass options, always managing to sound like the same character despite the extremes in the choices of response. Nicholas Boulton, for all that I'm only four hours into my dude!Hawke playthrough, seems so far similarly adept at managing this balance in the character. He has a nice voice, and unlike ME2, I don't feel obligated to make him a douche bag. Side note: If you haven't played ME2, do so, and play as dude!Shep, and make him as mean as possible, because nothing but hilarity will ensue. Howden, Roth, Emery, Kruger, Newman and Myles all deliver well nuanced performances as your hero's traveling ensemble, and their banter is interesting and human, but the truly stand-out performance of DA2- as Steve Valentine (Alistair) was of DA:O and Michael Beattie (Mordin Solus) was of ME2,  is Brian Bloom as Varric Tethras. Regardless of who you decide to romance in the game, Varric will probably be the one relationship you care about the most. Roguish, charming, mercenary, laconic, sharp- Varric not only has one of the coolest weapons of the game, but is by far the best developed of the companions. He is also your questionably-reliable narrator.


Dragon Age 2 is a story being told. Varric, being interrogated by an operative of the Chantry, is recounting the tale of the Champion's involvement in the plot's main event. This leads to some truly wonderful moments, particularly when Varric lies. It's a device that works tremendously well for the story, and a unique take on linear gameplay, especially when massive time-jumps are involved, that I quite liked and that Bioware really has a knack for (see also: the opening act of ME2).



In so far as Romancing goes, your options are automatically doubled as most of your companions swing both ways. Very cool. I found the lack of interaction opportunities a little vexing, though. There was always something both fun and reassuring in the fact that at any point during our travels, my Grey Warden could turn to any companion and have a conversation. In fact, the player feels encouraged to do so throughout the course of Origins, because initiating random conversations, particularly in conjunction with gift giving, frequently led to fantastically written exchanges that you had no prompting at all to experience. It felt very organic, and was extremely cool. Being instructed by the game to talk to your fellows makes it feel like a mission, and this is mostly because one is usually attached to any chat you may have. I also miss being approached out of the blue by a companion with an issue or a question. Sometimes they'll show up at your house to give you a quest- your home and theirs having replaced a 'camp' where everyone congregates- but not often. The crew in ME2 felt more disparate, and each individual crew member was not so predictable or one-note as the DA2 companions are. This is not a comment on the performances, bear in mind, but the way the characters are written. They are cool and they are interesting, but not as cool or interesting as those in ME2. They are idiosyncratic and they are human, but not half so much as the characters in DA:O.  This seems to be the ultimate trend of Dragon Age 2- the whole is not necessarily greater than the sum of its parts, but every component is somehow lacking when held up against its predecessors.



In ME2, I didn't mourn the random conversations that made DA:O so real and so engrossing. The game works seamlessly, and I didn't find any one part lacking, although during a second playthrough the planet probing aspect was tedious; In DA:O, I didn't mind not having a voiced main character, because the dialogue trees were so extensive and the performances by the companions so complete; and in both games, the mission was so grand, the tasks so epic, the world so vast that at times I felt overwhelmed by possibility, but never impatient- except in combat. Difficult fights in DA:O were messy and repetitive, and this has been vastly improved for console users in DA2, though I hear the PC gamers' experience has been less thrilling. As for everything else, DA2 just doesn't quite hit the mark.


Now, it can be argued that DA2 is a much more personal game. You're following one person's rise and possible fall in one city. Much like I think the Iron Man movies showed, a hero's journey can be personal and the stakes don't have to be world endingly high for the story to be grand and feel important. DA2's sort of doesn't, though, and at the end of the game I was left with the feeling that the choices I had made didn't really affect the outcome that much- everything is very binary in DA2. You are for the mages, or you are for the templars, there is no middle ground. At every major plot point, all the little things you thought you were doing, all the times you tried to be fair and balanced, go out the window and you're left with a black or white decision to make. So what's the point of all the little decisions in between? The overall experience just wasn't as fulfilling. This has nothing to do with any attempt on my part to replace human relationships or success in my career with video games. Shut up.

Overall, the game is very pretty and very fun, but fails to surpass what came before.


Now for the spoilertastic fangirly bits. You can stop reading now, I'll just be over here freaking out.

(More after the jump)

See full post