By Claire

--

I want to share some things with you:

Number 1. I love this movie with my entire life, and nothing I could write would ever be what this movie deserves. 

Number 2. I have not see the original 1984 Ghostbusters.

And while you gasp in shock, let me tell you that I probably will watch it one day. It has always been on my radar, but I just never got around to it. However, I can't help but also think that I no longer need to watch the original, because now I have this fantastic all-female version.

The most prominent reactions, when I share this point of view, are scepticism, confusion and judgement. I realise the first film is probably great, but you need to let me have this moment.

Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy) and starring some of America’s funniest women, Ghostbusters (2016) is one of my favourite films of the year. 

From left: Leslie Jones as Patty, Melissa McCarthy as Abby, Kristen Wiig as Erin and Kate McKinnon as Holtzmann

First, there is the amazing cast: Melissa McCarthy (who is no stranger to being directed by Feig, with Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy) as paranormal researcher Dr Abby Yates; Kristen Wiig as particle physicist Dr Erin Gilberts; SNL’s Kate McKinnon as nuclear engineer Dr Jillian Holtzmann and Leslie Jones as New York historian and MTA worker Patty Tolan.

These women are hilarious together. Their ability to play off each other and their chemistry is perfect. In press junkets, Kate McKinnon describes the set as summer camp, because of how much fun they had on set. For a comedy film, it is important the cast have fun with each other, because it shows so well on screen.

The new Ghostbusters are extremely smart and kick ass without their gender explicitly being mentioned, or called out in a negative or blatant way – except for the villain, who is never shown to have any redeeming qualities, and in a call out to internet misogynists in a YouTube comment gag.

This film means a lot to young girls, and women, who love STEM. According to director Paul Feig, the film inspires women and children to pursue STEM, which is an issue discussed previously in [THIS] blog post.

It was so refreshing for me to be able to sit back and not feel uncomfortable about the way the women were being represented. I didn't have to fill the role of voyeur and constantly worry the heroine was going to break an ankle wearing heels in action scenes. Their “uniforms” were sturdy and practical: safety over style. Abby and Erin are allowed to have their hair in ponytails, rather than allowing it to whip around their heads in action sequences. How often do you see women allowed to have their hair out of their face in battle?

Busting some ghosts

Favourite moments include Abby’s love of wanton soup, Holtzmann explaining her gadgets to the group, her slow-motion take-down sequence in the battle of Times Square (Holtzmann’s general everything, actually. McKinnon’s deadpan delivery of lines and reaction comedy is bar to none), and Patty versus the possessed mannequins.

Finally, as much as I loved Chris Hemsworth’s character Kevin, as hilarious as he is (my sides were hurting during the scene we first meet him, in his job interview as a receptionist for the Ghostbusters), I do agree, to some extent, how regressive the dumb blonde trope is. It is overworked and was used to an epic scale in the film. To my understanding, the receptionist in the original films was not a dumb blonde, so why make Kevin one in this film?

HOWEVER, I think the use of Kevin as a dumb piece of eye candy is a good device for highlighting the sexist trope and forcing viewers to reflect on the absurdity of it.

Chris Hemsworth as Kevin 

Ghostbusters is not perfect. We need more women of colour in lead roles, playing a variety of characters. This film, though, is an excellent start, and paves the way for more female-led, non-sexualised action and science franchises in the future.

Compare it to the original films all you want, but we must not forget this film’s cultural significance, and how much this film means to women and children everywhere. 

--

Cause a Cine do not own any of the images in this post.

By Claire

-

Women--and humans--are complex by nature. We run with our emotions, seek adventure, love and grieve, and have a tendency to lose ourselves. When life gets us down, it's not uncommon to seek isolation, and nature, to figure ourselves out and reset.

You know what I'm talking about. In every movie or tv show, there's that scene when life gets to be too much, the sad or wronged protagonist gets up and drives or runs away, and sit's on the hood of their car or on a hill, looking out into the ocean pensively as the sun sets around them and a familiar song plays in the soundtrack. I often like to recreate these scenes on the train back to my hometown, ipod playing the perfect song to set the mood as I stare out the window.

Wild (2014) is all of this, and yet so much more.

Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in Wild (2014)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (who is a male, but bear with me, this is relevant), 'Wild' is the second film produced by all-female production company Pacific Standard (Reese Witherspoon and Australian Bruna Papendrea).

When Pacific Standard was announced, I flipped. Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papendrea saw the lack of strong female characters in films, and decided to center their production company exactly around that, by optioning for books with strong and interesting female leads, starting with 'Gone Girl' and 'Wild' in 2014.

Originally a book, 'Wild' is like the female counterpart to solo-adventure book, 'Into the Wild'. 

Into the Wild is a book predominantly read by young men, and is herald as a must-read book for all men in their 20s. First published in 1996 by Jon Krakaeur, 'Into the Wild' is a non-fiction novel, telling the story of Christopher McCandless, who in 1992, not long after graduating, he gave away all his money and possessions and started to hitch-hike across America to Alaska. He was then found dead after 100 days. Now, this book has received much critical acclaim, and is used as a high school text.

In 2007 Sean Penn (ew) directed the film adaption starring Emile Hirsch as McCandless. The score was written by Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and the film won awards across the national and international film festival circuit, as well as two Golden Globe and two Oscar nominations. 

Theatrical poster for Sean Penn's adaption of Into the Wild (2007)

The whole thing, as a girl, seems a bit wanky to me. From what I've seen, Into the Wild is probably a beautiful movie, but I can't tell if the story is inspiring or a cautionary tale. Let's not forget, this kid was found dead in Alaska. He came from a "well-to-do family" (which is stressed in the first sentence of the blurb, and even on the front cover of the book because this is Very Important Information), and one day decided to give away all his possessions, donate his entire savings ($24, 000)  to charity (which was actually very nice of him), burn the rest, and just decide to go on his wilderness trek with 10-pounds of rice and a rifle. 

How is 'Into the Wild' a story to look to re: finding yourself and great solo adventures? This guy was unprepared and died. It feels like a very male indulgence, believing you can give up everything and just live in the wild with no preparation. 

As a woman, when I was feeling lost and felt the itch for adventure, 'Into the Wild' seemed less than ideal.

This is why I am so thankful for 'Wild'.

'Wild' is an adaption of Cheryl Strayed's memoir of the same name. Published in 2012, Strayed shares her story, motivations and experience of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a hike spanning form the Mexican-Californian border all the way up to Canada, solo. After the rapid loss of her mother to cancer when she was 22, Strayed distanced herself from her family and husband. Moving constantly around the country, Strayed started taking heroine and got a divorce form her husband. One day she comes across a book about the Pacific Crest Trail, and uses the journey as a way to "walk [herself] back to the woman [her] mother thought [she] was." 

Witherspoon in Wild

The PCT is a space away from conventional standards of beauty placed on women. The first time we meet Witherspoon as Strayed at the very beginning of the movie, Strayed is ripping dead toenails off of her battered feet. Here is a female character without makeup, without her hair glamourously done, covered in dirt and sweat and grime. Her body is not sexualised while she is hiking, her body is bruised, battered, grazed, tortured: her body is a warrior. 

'Wild' is a story of self-discovery, of a solitary woman hiking a trail predominantly walked by men. The scenery is beautiful, the sound-track nostalgic for a life lost, and exactly what I need as a woman in her 20's. 

When I was feeling lost, like I was floating and in need of an anchor, I had Cheryl Strayed, and 'Wild' and the PCT to look to. I need to go on my own journey. Admittedly, not to the extent that Cheryl did, but just a quick train ride through regional Victoria to my home town and watching 'Wild' a couple of times was more than enough to help me find that anchor, and satisfy this restless feeling, if only momentarily. Something that I do not believe 'Into the Wild' can provide. 

My favourite part?

Cheryl survives the journey. 


** Cause a Cine do not take any ownership of images used

By Claire

Last night, I watched the Australian broadcast of FOX’s production of Grease Live, and boy oh boy did it resurface some emotions. 

Obviously, these emotions started with my love of live theatre and the bitter realisation that I’ll most likely never be in a production of Grease now that I’m 2 years out of high school. Then arose my new-found love for Jordan Fisher, the guy who played Doody (Hello babe, where have they been hiding you?). All of these emotions are evidently displayed in my live-tweets of the 3 hour broadcast, (including one that was broadcasted on the television—Mumma, I’m famous!) where the most potent and obvious emotion I was feeling was, OH MY GOD, I FREAKING LOVE GREASE.

This isn’t new, I have always loved Grease, and this love would come and go, resurfacing from time to time. In Year 11, studying for my Studio Art exam, in Year 12, backstage at West Side Story gossiping on the rumours of doing Grease the next year (note: I wouldn’t have been able to do it anyway, since I was heading to University, but the excitement was still there.  They actually ended up doing Legally Blonde instead. CAN I LIVE?!) And this glorious picture of the Pink Ladies, which represents most of my emotions, has been my cover photo on Facebook for about two years now.

 So obviously, my Grease-lover card is in check.

Grease, however, is a Feminist Nightmare. The backdrop of 1950s America is the hub of blatant sexism, particularly amongst the T-Birds. The T-Bird side of Those Summer Nights perpetuates rape culture and the sexist notion that girls are only good if they put out. The song is also riddled with the damsel in distress trope. Furthermore, the T-Birds pressure Danny into thinking he can’t show his true emotions for Sandy when they reunite, turning him into an outright dick. Let him love his girl, dammit.

The T-Birds during Those Summer Nights

There is also the constant reminder that you need to change in order for people to like you: Sandy at the carnival in the infamous black spandex number, Danny joining the track team; naming and shaming Frenchy for being a Beauty School Drop Out like Frenchie is a wounded animal and needs to scurry along back to high school because Ya Blew It, Kid; slut-shaming Rizzo for being a promiscuous woman, and virgin-shaming Sandy for being a “good girl”…

Sandy's famous transformation is complete

And I could go on.

Grease has many faults, but despite acknowledging this, I can’t help but to love it. It seems hard to justify, but bear with me.

Is it the dreamy 1950s costuming and aesthetic that I have always loved (sexism aside)? The catchy songs that I seem to know all the words to and will always make me happy? It’s definitely both of these things, but most of all, I love the Pink Ladies.

Not only did I need a Pink Ladies jacket, like, yesterday, but no matter how flawed they are, they have redeeming qualities which I have always remembered and carried with me.

Frenchy, who is nice to the new girl without the bat of an eyelash, and continues to root for her despite Rizzo’s immediate distaste for her. And who can forget the legendary “Men are rats” wisdom I hold with me to this day?

Jan, who loves to eat and sing along to the toothpaste ad, and ends up going to the dance with a guy who likes her just as she is (“I think there’s more to you than fat” even though she is not fat at all, thank you very much Mr. Putzie).

Sandy, who sticks up for Rizzo when Patty Simcox slut-shames her, despite Rizzo being less than friendly previously. The girl who is teased for sticking to her “good girl” values, and feels like she has to change in order to be worthy of Danny, in a country that isn’t her own.

Rizzo, who is unfairly treated because she likes to have control over her body and take charge of her destiny. There Are Worse Things I Could Do, while perpetuating heteronormativity and the idea that men-and-women-need-to-be-together-and-that’s-the-end-of-that, is heartbreaking, demonstrating the pressures and stereotypes placed on Rizzo as a woman who enjoys fooling around, who, like Danny, feels like she can’t display her true emotions.

I love these women. And I will hold them dear to my heart, flaws and all. I will resume my search for a Pink Ladies jacket on Etsy or EBay, try to wear as much pink as I can and be singing the entirety of the Grease soundtrack for the rest of time, because Grease may be inherently flawed, and problematic, and made in the 70s, set in the 50s, perpetuating antiquated gender-roles but gosh darn it, I love it so.

--

Cause a Cine do not own any pictures used in this post.