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The Lo-Down: WantedIn this week's Lo-Down, Sarah P. and I give you our review of the new Angelina Jolie movie Wanted, which just opened last Friday. In the movie, Angie plays a deadly assassin with some fantastic tattoos and extremely large guns. These assassins used to be weavers. Yeah, like people who made carpets.
If you just said "Huh?" then you're right with us. We won't give away the ending of the movie or any of the key plot points, but we do have a lot of fun poking fun at this strange and comedic backstory. But before we get into the movie, we have an exciting edition of the Crock P.O.C. in which we give advice on whether or not you should go topless at your local Dyke March, among other things. We hope you enjoy it, and please leave your Crock P.O.C. topic suggestions in the comments! The Lo-Down: Wanted Submitted by on June 30, 2008 - 9:00am. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
Weaving fairy tales
Putting The Matrix and comics aside, this movie makes me look at the whole spinning and weaving mythology in a completely new light ....
Just think about it: Rumpelstiltskin, The three spinners, The six swans, Sleeping beauty. They were all assassins or surrounded by ones.
Eery!
Thanks for a great vlog, as always!
The fates in mythology
Bear with me here - I'll try to get this right: In mythology, there are the Fates, also called The Three Sisters or the Three Witches. One is very young, one is middle aged, and the other is old. One of them weaves all the time. She is weaving our fate. She has complete control over our lives. She can make events happen that seem physically impossible to happen. (Have you ever thought about an event in your life and wondered, 'How in the world did that happen? It didn't seem to follow any logic!' So causing bullets to follow an illogical path would be a cinch for her!
In the first writings, these women were regarded as goddesses. They wore white robes with golden adornments. With the advent of Christianity, these images were transformed into images of witches. For example, MacBeth opens with the scene of the three witches who dress in rags and live on a barren knoll. Macbeth forces them to tell him of his fate. At a moment's notice, they can disappear into "thin air," an act which defies logic. Like fate, they can be cruel and they can be kind.
Just an aside - the woman that stands with the light in New York Harbor is sort of related to them, because one of the witches stands with a light at every corner of our lives to show us the way. It is our decision whether or not to follow her.
The surprising thing about these witches is that they are within us all! We have the ability within us to perform acts that defy logic. We also know deep within ourselves what our fate will be if we take certain paths. Inside of each of us is a young witch, a middle aged witch, and an old witch. We weave our fate with every moment or thread of our lives.
I didn't see this movie and I just saw this clip that was provided below. But as I recall, the main character wrestles with his own fate at the end. My assumption is that this character has met his inner witches (Jolie, etc) whom he wants to direct him along his path.
Reviewing Wanted/ Crock POC/LGBTQI Pride
I enjoyed the review of Wanted. I could've seen it yesterday but I bought books instead. I think I'll see the movie later. I just don't to shove out $5.00 plus popcorn and a drink for a movie that's not that great. I'm glad used my intution.
Hey Hadas, I didn't think about that. You're right weaving in some children's stories come from myth and folklore oral stories pass down in storytelling.
I'm glad Malinda Lo and Sarah Pecora you mentioned your multi-racial background. I'm considered to be African-American though despite my non-African features and hair. The south is different. If you claim you're multi-racial in the A-A community. They'll scoff at you and roll their eyes ighnoring the stupid questions they ask about your look. I just hope America will dump the one-drop rule and embrace multi-racial as another race.
Anyhoo,
Lately,there has been some heated discussion about dating someone younger and older and the apporiate age of someone who is younger to date who want to date older. I feel this issue needs to be address since so many teens are now coming to Afterellen. I know you two being very mature will give really good and sound advice. I have given some and counteless others to the younger generation. But hearing from AE.com vblogger may make a difference.
I hoped you enjoyed pride. I didn't go this year to my hometown LGBT b/c I didn't like the attiude of the organizer when I offered to help bring a different entertainment to pride especially music. No offense to people who like acoustic folk. I'm sick of tired it being the only music I have to listen to b/c they're tryin' to keep it Family Friendly at Pride. I constantly network online scouting indpt musicians who are LGBTQI or friendly LGBTQI. No one cares. I might go to LR's Black Gay Pride but I don't know.
I ranted enough
Blessings to you!
lolz
I'm glad I'm waiting to go see this with a bunch of my friends, it sounds like the type of movie we'll have fun at. (an unintentional comedy)
"No knitted brow" - Sarah, I almost did a spit take at this. A movie about weavers and fabric but there was no knitted brows? Maybe they had woven brows then? :P
Edward Norton wannabe...
James McAvoy was Mr. Tumnus in the Chronicles of Narnia too.
Yes, Morgan Freeman definitely deserves an Oscar for being able to talk about the Loom of Fate
with that much gravitas!
Edward Notorn is the Son Of God....of Actors...
How could you forget...
So you ladies are telling me...
That for only seventy bucks some freak can own a loom with which they might knit a warm pair of pants and strangle me with them because the pants told them to? Oh great, now I feel safe. It sounds like a spin on Son of Sam with the dog.
I did read some of the comics before and I am disappointed that they cast Jolie for Fox because I thought they might cast someone with more of the Halle Berry persuasion.Because in the comic I believe she looks like this:
Another question, did you see McManus in the picture?
Anyway I missed this vlog and I have to say it was quite entertaining. I won't see "Wanted" but you almost made me want to.
As for your Crock P.O.C. topic I don't know...How about if you are going to date a musician which would you go for? Drummers or Guitariest? Guitarist have the calloused fingertips but they do keep their nails trimmed but drummers aren't always the most popular in the band. Your take?
Never met a pearl quite like you that could shimmer and rot at the same time through
Yes
Yes, you can see Bridget for literally two seconds in the film. Her scene was cut down though, and you can tell. In my opinion it's a really awkward scene the way it was edited because the guy looks like he's about to talk to her and then next scene.Just be patient for someone to post the caps because it's not worth the 7 bucks just to see her for two seconds.
wanted
I saw the movie yesterday, and I was quite entertained, but it must have something to do with the free tickets that I had :) Otherwise I would leave the theater with great disappointment.
By the way, you should absolutely see Atonement. It's a brilliant movie and James McAvoy is great in it. Strongly recommended.
Hehe :)
yeah, you're back! and with a hilarious and yet thoughtful vlog :)
the meeting someone is a tough question and difficult to answer, you will find interesting people in the most unexpected places and situations. That is mostly the best because, as you said, you are not purposely looking and behave differently, you are just more at ease. I like going to queer events like movie nights, club sessions etc. although there are not too many around. but you can also meet people at not-queer events, we are everywhere! ;)
for the crockpock: what kind of "magical" loom would you like to have? *lol* still cannot believe that they had a "loom of fate" in the movie, it already sounds like a cracking up-idea just hearing it. I hadn't planned on seeing this movie anyways (am also not a big Angelina fan, seriously).
don't know if you already had this: coming out - when, to whom at first, experiences
luv this show
Thanks for talking about the multi-racial topic. I have 2 nieces who are biracial and they are taught to embrace all of what makes them who they are. It is beautiful to see that we are moving toward a society where there are so many more multi-racial children. I think it says something about less hostility between different races. Or maybe I'm just being hopeful.
Love the show as usual, can't wait to see what you have in store for us next.
decided not to see Wanted
after reading a damning review in the Guardian. Here's a snippet:
"I have to say I don't think I've seen a film recently that expresses hatred of women as openly, and fervently, as this one. In a way, Wes's boss is the most vivid female character in this film, more powerfully and pointedly conceived than the others: more than Wes's horrible, duplicitous girlfriend, who gets to be humiliated by seeing Wes kiss Fox and more than Fox herself, who is basically an honorary male. This is a film where womankind is represented by irrelevant sleek babes and obese comic foils, an ugly whorehouse aesthetic which really does sock over its contempt for femaleness very, very powerfully indeed."
For the full review:
http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,2287303,00.html
wanted
this vlog was really funny! i saw the movie. i laughed my ass off too.
what did you think of Bridget? i loved her! haha
she had perfect form as she checked out that peanut butter.
Bridget's scene
If anyone wants to see Bridget's scene, go here:
http://www.zshare.net/video/14412109837393c0/
It might take a while to load. She's seen at around the 25 second mark.
thanks, Martina
I appreciated the post. I wanted(!) to see Bridget but not the movie, so now I don't have to spend the money for the movie or the chocolate-covered raisins.
All this dark, sweaty, muscular flesh in the movie seems to speak of some primal energy. Everyone in the movie is suspicious of everyone else. (Sounds like DC - where I live!) Most of the expressions are animal-like, eyes darting from side to side.
Bridget's two seconds reinforce this feeling. Her character is nameless, like most of us. She's simply a cashier, just one of the anonymous taker-givers in a consumer society. Except lately, society is not behaving well. People shoot cashiers, rob stores, kill clerks just for fun, so cashiers must be suspicious of their customers in order to live. She is just another animal in the woods, trying to survive. In fact, I think the movie is trying to convey that we live in a time when people act like animals, and distrust is the norm. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else. It's every woman for herself.
So enters dark, handsome Bridget. She is Everywoman. She is unpretentious. She is primal nature. The camera starts with her unadorned hands and makes its way up her muscular arm. She wears no jewelry. No fancy attire. She's not here to make a pretty show to customers. Everything is about the transaction. The sale. Survival. The camera finds the expression on her face that tells the whole story. Deep suspicion of the customer. Wariness. And it's not sarcastic or flippant. Anyone who doesn't take the other person seriously in this society could be eliminated at any moment. No, it's a healthy fear of the other. Then, the camera shifts to her viewpoint, and we see the main character making his purchase. In the frame is Bridget's long, dark hair, the stuff of primal nature.
In short, I thought she did a great job!
The irony is that Bridget, the person, really exudes an almost primal trust of the world in the way that she puts her whole self on the stage for her audience to see. She shows us her mother, sister, friends. She shows us photos of her least physically flattering years. She flips birds at us, and then tells us she "hearts" us. She's not in it for any transaction. She's not for sale! Maybe that's why she's so priceless!!
Please forgive me if I go on too long. I'm working on my writing and thought that I might practice on this site!
Wanted
That movie was too funny but the plot was kinda silly. ( Crap my Grandma could be an assassin )
Crock poc suggestion:Lesbians and collared shirts ( maybe that sucks but idk whateva )
Hmmm....
I guess I'm one of the few that enjoyed this film... while the movie is certainly far fetched, the action and style of the film itself was worth the money I paid to see the film. I'll admit to being an Angelina Jolie fan, so perhaps that increased my enjoyment of the movie (even though her part is like one reviewer noted "window dressing", but she kicks major ass when she's onscreen).
I was sad to see that Bridget's part was so heavily edited that the majority of it ended up on the cutting room floor, but I had to control myself from shouting out when I saw her on the screen!
The whole "loom of fate" thing was a bit much and there were certainly a number of groan worthy moments in the film, but if you like your movies laced with some comedy, a lot of action, little plot, kick ass chicks (well, one.... in this case), and if you can suspend your disbelief, this movie is definitely worth checking out!
All that being said... I don't want anyone to label me based on my enjoyment of this film. I do enjoy great movies with plots and fantastic acting just as much as the next person, but every now and again, it's just nice to not think for a few hours and just enjoy a wild ride, and that is most certainly given to you with this movie!
(Self Appointed) "#1 Bridget McManus Fan"
oh my goodness I so had to
oh my goodness I so had to control myself too when Bridget came on. There was a party in my head, I had such a huge smile on :D I was like YAY BRIDGET!!!
peace!
i thought it was great.
First off, I Loved the Crock
"They made sweaters!"
Okay, so I knew going in that Wanted was based on a comic book, and I'm actually a pretty big James McAvoy fan (the dude that looks like Ed Norton) and had enjoyed Night Watch and Day Watch (Russian movies by the same director) and I was still pretty disappointed in the whole thing. So I was glad to hear I wasn't the only one who thought it was pretty goofy--and you're right, I think it would have been improved with a flask!
Thanks for your candor and seriousness when talking about being multi-racial. As far as a Crock Pot idea--I'd be interested to hear your opinions about lesbians in Academia. It seems like a lot of lesbians are interested in pursuing careers in this area (at least it seems to me a pretty large percentage of the women I know who are getting PhDs and hoping to be academics are lesbians). I'd be interested to know your thoughts on that.
Wanted
I enjoyed Wanted.
I enjoyed Wanted. Without analyzing it I would give it an 8/10 (if Angelina Jolie wasn't in it then I'd rate it a 6.5) I hated the ending!! But the other twists were really good. I wish Fox was naked a little more in the film too!
Re: The Lo-Down, this was the first episode I've watched and I really like it, especially the Crock Pot thing. I'll be going back and watching the previous ones (instead of studying for this stupid medical terminolgy test!).
Boobs and weavers
Topless marching, really? Hmmm. Weird.
Wanted sounds like a crap movie, but the kind of crap movie I will probably enjoy.
It cracked me up how you kept making fun of the Weavers and saying it was funny, like it was a comedy.
- - - - - - - - - -
-Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.
For the Roses
I liked Wanted!
It was cheesy and a complete total action flick, but I really liked it. It had awesome actors, awesome action, awesome gore (and I don't even normally like gore!) and again, really awesome actors. Angelina Jolie! Morgan Freeman! and James McAvoy! I don't care if it was cheesy and totally unbelievable, it was a great action flick.
James McAvoy and Ed Norton don't look alike... or do they? I'm an embarassingly big fan of both, so perhaps that suggests that they are. Hmm. James McAvoy had a pretty good American accent though, as opposed to Ed Norton's very bad accent in The Illusionist.
Topless marching sounds amazing! We don't have any pride celebrations, events or open mic readings or even specifically lesbian bars or clubs, so thousands of topless lesbians sounds like a pretty damn good time.
Suggestions for the Crock Pot - do you ever feel you have to choose between two kinds of minority, being lesbian and being non-white? Do you identify with one more than the other? or what about being non-white and gay in San Francisco specifically? I've always figured that the area is pretty special in that respect, and is therefore probably totally different from the more, uh, conservative and uh, geographically middle bits of America.
you must remember
Several things in regards to this movie:
1) Its based on a comic book ergo it is fantasy...
2) If it was as realistic as everyone wishes it to be...it'd be a documentary...
3) Angelina Jolie was in mourning of her mother while filming this movie...
4) Action films such as this are designed to entertain, and as part of that it is often a given that belief would be suspended...
I enjoyed it and accepted it for it was ...a comic book brought to the screen...if Bridget was in the movie, "THE INCREDIBLE HULK", which is also based on a comic book, or even "IRON MAN", another comic book...would you be as derisive of how impossible the plot is in comparisons to reality? I think not...
I got a huge kick on seeing Bridget in the film albeit all too briefly. I had to laugh at her extremely bored expression on her face as she scanned all those jars of peanut butter. The scene was designed to be funny, and Bridget nailed it! I even emailed her on her myspace page, jokingly asking if she couldn't be even more bored looking than what she was in the film...it was killer!
I enjoyed everything in this vlog except the movie review which made me roll my eyes and be anxious to post a comment...
As far as the discussion on being "Multi-racial", it brings to my mind a mathematical expression of "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts"...meaning, as in regards to the dna cocktail...Sarah's a beautiful, exotic looking woman as a result, and for Malinda, it softens the asian lines and fleshed out the symmetry of the same asian features. By having such a diverse mixture of "races" or ethnicities, 'nature' drew on the best of the dnas to create fine beauty. It creates balance. Sometimes the finest culinary cusines combines different types of food groups together that you'd never would think would taste good together and it surpringly does...
Better sign off before getting way too long in the tooth...
Be Well,
patti
Crock POC topic
Thank you!
For letting us know that the Loom of Fate wants Jenny Schecter killed off. I knew I liked that loom for a reason.
How about this for the CrockPOC-
Your best tips on avoiding "lesbian drama." And while you're at it, is there such a thing as "lesbian drama" or is just regular drama in studded belts and chap stick?
Thanks as always for a fun vlog.
CrockPOC lover
i am so happy you two have been posting vlogs so frequently. You ladies are diamonds in the rough here on after ellen. I agree that Wanted was not what the previews portrayed it to be. i expected more i guess. i went to see it at 12:01 am for a midnight viewing and left the theater thinking i wish i had waited to see it later instead of losing sleep. ha ha.
thank you for the great CrockPOC session, also i enjoy the serious topics because although the funny ones make us laugh the conversations you two have are refreshing.
i have some possibly lame ideas for topics: 1 how about the level of distraction a crush or attraction to a proffessor can cause in class, 2 thoughts or comments on the Big Gay Sketch Show on LOGO, and finally 3 your thoughts on female MMA (mixed Martial arts) fights being shown on regular cable.
thank you again for keeping me laughing and thinking!
Crock POC
What about diffrent job professions and other people's perceptions of the person and the job?
"So put me on a plane, and fly me to anywhere...with you"-Augustana
wanted
Loved that someone reviewed this movie. I went and saw it and thought it was kinda bloody also. Ya'll had me laughing at these three lines:
"Matrix mixed with Martha Stewart. Before Prison"
"God, those damn sheep"
"It's warming and tells you who to kill"
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sometimes the only sense you can make out of life is a sense of humor