Greatest deed Luke Skywalker ever did was take down the Death Star, right? As far as I'm concerned, that's what everybody needs. You need that one bad-ass thing that lets you live on forever, you know.

Time for another movie that didn't get the chance it deserved. Fanboys. This poor movie suffered from delays to the release date, recuts, attempts to make it more mainstream and ultimately very low distribution. I saw it (and own it) on DVD and I think it is a great movie. Not perfect. Certain parts drag on for a bit and some of the humour doesn`t appeal to me too much, but overall I think it is great. I enjoy it every time I watch it.

I am also a Star Wars superfan so I love a movie about being a Star Wars fan. I had the novels, the Trivial pursuit game, trivia books, the vhs copies and now the dvds. I stood in line from the time I got out of school when Episode 1 came out. And it didn't matter that The prequels weren't great. Just like in Fanboys, it was never about the movie. It is about the experience. I saw 2 of the prequels as a teenager who waited in the lineups as early as I could. For Episode 3, I worked at the theatre. I worked the midnight show and the first full day of showings, then saw the movie. And again, it was the experience that made it o great.

Now back to Fanboys, I think it is severely underrated. It wasn't given a fair shot. Why wouldn't a movie intended for Star Wars fans be given a chance? Clearly Star Wars has a huge fan base. Lots of people can remember being so excited for Episode 1. And ultimately, it doesn't matter that the movie didn't live up to the hype. For the characters in Fanboys, it is more about the journey they take and the strength of their friendship than it is about the quality of the movie. The best line is the final one: "What if the movie sucks?" 

The movie had lots of fun Star Wars references and jokes. It also had a more serious story under the surface. There were some good messages, particularly about the strength and power of friendship. Ultimately this movie isn't really about Star Wars. It is about friendship. And it deserved a better chance of being seen than it got.

Look me in the eye then tell me that I'm satisfied

Generally hated movies, take 2: Adventureland. I am not really sure how many people other than me actually like this movie, but I love it. I think it was a victim of poor marketing, but that is a separate issue. I like that it reminds me of a certain period of time in my life. And it has one female character that isn't a completely terrible stereotype. Sure, from a feminist perspective, it is rife with problems. It is another white, heterosexual male's story, straight romance is the ultimate reward, the women are male fantasies, and all the other problems common to Hollywood films. Still, there is an element of realism that I felt from this film that is usually absent.

Adventureland reminds me of the second summer that I worked at the theatres. None of the events in the movie actually really happened to me, but it still had the same feeling. It reminded me of how a job like working games at a sketchy amusement park (or scooping popcorn and cleaning theatres as it was in my case) can end up being more than that. The people you meet and get to know, the things you learn that have nothing to do with your job, the amount that you grow up, that changes you. I felt Jesse Eisenberg's character grow and change from his experiences at his job in some of the same ways that I have changed from my experiences. So maybe this movie meant nothing to anyone else, but to me it spoke to a very memorable time in my life.

I think part of why this movie is so disliked is the way it was advertised. It looked like a lighter comedy from the trailers. It has funny moments, but is more of a coming of age drama. And I love coming of age stories. Also, I love the music. It is set in the late 80s, but most of the music is not the mainstream pop music, but more like the Replacements, David Bowie, Big Star, Crowded House, and a heavy emphasis on Lou Reed/ Velvet Underground music. The soundtrack to a film can definitely influence how much I like it.

My point to featuring some movies that few other than me like is to offer my perspective and to suggest that bearing in mind what I have said, consider giving them another chance.

You may or may not have noticed that the public arena is entirely dominated by phallocentric imagery, chauvinistic political leaders, male fantasies of women.

Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a rare breed of movie. It is about a group of young, queer radical feminists. It also starts what may turn into my personal love-fest of movies that most other people don't like. This movie was kind of panned for its plot and some of the characters and dialogue. It felt semi-real and also a fantasy of what I could have been like in another life. I sway between rradical and postmodern feminist views, but I have never been part of a radical (or any other) feminist group. Not for lack of interest, but lack of availability. And now it isn't practical. I have a job that I take seriously. I focus more on career advancement than on reclaiming public space for women. Realistically, these characters do not resemble me or anyone I know. But  still can't help but smile at all of their missions and discussions. It doesn't really matter so much that it isn't like reality. It is a fantasy that I can get behind.


I can't emphasize enough how refreshing I found Itty Bitty Titty Committee. To see gay/trans/queer/butch women on screen is a rarity, particularly all in the same movie. Add in the fact that they belong to a radical feminist group (Clits in Action! CIA) and I am happy, even if the conclusion is a little out there. Part of what I love is the different representation of what women can be, think and look like. These are not the women you typically see in movies. These are young women with stories worth telling.


So I stand by my love for this movie. I don't really care what anyone else says, I love it. We need to hear women`s voices, to see women`s stories told. So this is a niche film. So maybe only queer feminists will like it. It doesn`t matter. We deserve our stories and our movies too.

Well I haven't done much blogging lately as I was pretty tied up with moving to another city and working like crazy, but yesterday I had a chance to sit down and watch some movies that left me thinking.

The first was Romeo is Bleeding which I was pretty excited to find on Netflix. Then I watched it and found myself rather disappointed. Here were my problems with it, other than the overdone, predictable plot. #1: I was rooting for Lena Olin's character, who was the villain. I didn't care at all about the protagonist as he was kind of a jerk. #2: the female characters were poorly written male fantasies, not real characters. Juliette Lewis was only there to dance around in lingerie. Annabella Sciorra's character really didn't do much of anything, and even Lena Olin's Mona Demarkov served as a representation of a male fantasy version of a woman, although at least she got to kick some ass along the way. But in all honesty, she spends most of the movie in a lingerie dress thing and sleeps with the main character for no real reason. I didn't even bother to watch the end of the movie. I read the synopsis and then moved on to something better.


My second movie worth noting yesterday was an Argentine film called XXY. This film is about an intersex teenager named Alex. Alex takes pills that help her appear more female. Her parents had moved away after she was born to escape the judgements and ridicule of other people. The film starts when Alex's mother invites some friends to visit, including a plastic surgeon and his son. Her mother is considering the idea of surgery for Alex, while her father seems to be happy with her as she is. The film explores ideas around gender identity, how we treat people who are different in any way, and sexual identity. It is a coming-of-age tale as Alex explores issues of gender, sexuality and identity. It deserves all the critical acclaim. This is a beautiful portrait of a life that you would never get to see in a Hollywood film.

It happened. There's no avoiding it. No forgetting.

I watched the 2004 movie Speak just the other day and it reminded me that excluding the Twilight franchise, Kristen Stewart is actually a good actress with a respectable body of work, such as this movie, Adventureland and The Runaways. Directed by a woman, based on a book written by a woman, this film dares to tell a young teenager's story following her rape at a party and her subsequent withdrawl from everyone around her. She can barely admit to herself what happened, let alone tell anyone. It is a moving, important story.

Speak is a beautiful and poignant film, one that I wish more people had seen. It is certainly a story worth telling. All roles are wonderfully acted, including Kristen Stewart in the lead, a role that involves more in her head voiceovers than actual speaking lines. But she acts. You see Melinda, her character`s pain, rejection and gradual healing and return of confidence in her face and body movements as she slowly accepts the reality of what happened to her. I consider this a must-see movie.

The cast was well rounded with excellent performances by Elizabeth Perkins as Melinda`s mother, Steve Zahn as Melinda`s art teacher who inadvertently helps her deal with her pain and anger over what happened, and Hallee Hirsh as her ex-best friend who is angry with her for calling 911 at the party, not knowing what happened. This movie is a giant piece of truth amid the typical glossy crap that usually adorns movie screens. Probably why people haven`t seen it. But you should. I cannot stress the importance and quality of this film. It needs to be seen. Women`s voices need to be heard and our stories need to be given the same level of respect as men`s on the silver screen. This is the kind of film I can wholly support.

War is show business, that's why we're here

Last week, courtesy of Netflix, I got a chance to watch Wag The Dog. According to Netflix, it was a top pick for me, predicting I would love it. Turns out, the prediction was right. This is a spot on, fantastic political satire. I love this movie. Very well acted, particularly great performances by Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. The plot kept me interested and it was eerily relevant to my life.

Watching this movie, I felt like it should have been made more recently than it was. Wag The Dog came out in 1997. Yet it features a presidential sex scandal, a fictitious war, the CIA being suspicious (their usual) and this speech below on fighting a war to preserve one's way of life:

           Well, I have, too. Would you do it again...? Isn't that why you're here? I guess so. And if you go to war again, who is it going to be against? Your "ability to fight a Two-ocean War" against who? Sweden and Togo? Who you sitting here to Go To War Against? That time has passed. It's passed. It's over. The war of the future is nuclear terrorism. It is and it will be against a small group of dissidents who, unbeknownst, perhaps, to their own governments, have blah blah blah. And to go to that war, you've got to be prepared. You have to be alert, and the public has to be alert. Cause that is the war of the future, and if you're not gearing up, to fight that war, eventually the axe will fall. And you're gonna be out in the street. And you can call this a "drill," or you can call it "job security," or you can call it anything you like. But I got one for you: you said, "Go to war to protect your Way of Life," well, Chuck, this is your way of life. Isn't it? And if there ain't no war, then you, my friend, can go home and prematurely take up golf. Because there ain't no war but ours!



This feels more like it could have been written in 2003-2004ish times than 1997. I laughed a lot at this movie, but at times the laughter got to the awkward point where it was only funny because the other choice was to cry at how true it has become.


This movie is not perfect. Like many, it doesn't measure up well when considering the Bechdel test (see http://bechdeltest.com/ for more information - unrelated thought, I should consider an entry on this topic) but at least it features an interesting female lead. It is certainly worth watching if you enjoy a good political dark comedy.

Fish Tank

I am a little in love with Netflix. For only $8 a month I can watch all kinds of movies and documentaries that I wouldn't normally get to see. Case in point: Fish Tank. This British Indie piece of genius didn't play many places or do much business in North America although it is considerably better than a lot of other films that do. Written and directed by Andrea Arnold, this film revolves around a lower class teenager, Mia. It is a gritty and unflinching look at her life. She acts so tough to cover up anything that might hurt. She drinks, swears a lot, gets into fights and lashes out at people. She finds solace in hip hop dancing. Her mother's new boyfriend changes things when he comes in to their lives.

Andrea Arnold presents a poignant portrait of this angry young woman as she tries to navigate a life where she spends too much time alone and doesn't have many options. I could feel that this film was written and directed by a woman. First off, it revolves around a female character. Mia is not some ideal woman nor is she weak or spending all of her time searching for a man. Her story is presented as one worth telling regardless of gender, something that does not happen enough. Also noticeable is the absence of the "male gaze" in the presentation of the film. This film looks like how life can feel. To me, that means something. It is a harsh look at what life can be. Fish Tank is certainly worth watching and I highly recommend it to anyone who bothers to read my musings on the movies I watch.