Safety Lights Are For Dudes

I was going to like Ghostbusters if it killed me.

OK, that’s not precisely true, but the only other movies I’ve gone into so aggressively hoping to like them were the Star Wars prequels and The Force Awakens, and Batman V Superman. Obviously, this does not always work out the way I hope it would.

But I did actually like Ghostbusters. I didn’t fall head over heels for it, but it’s charming, funny, makes excellent use of 3-D, and is definitely my favorite Paul Fieg movie. (I’m not crazy about Bridesmaids, I know, I KNOW OK?)

I can’t praise some of Feig’s instincts enough is this film. From focusing on Kate McKinnon, (she’s genius here) to figuring out a new way to use Leslie Jones’s schtick, to finally, finally showcasing the Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig as straight-women, to once again, the use of 3-D.

Rather than just using the technology to make the ghosts pop or add depth the world, Feig made the decision to use it as a gag. When a ghost ecto-vomits onto Wiig’s Erin Gilbert, it goes right at the audience. As the team fights a supernatural vortex, things fly at us. It’s goofy, old fashioned, and perfect.

The cast all acquit themselves well, but man is this a starmaking turn for McKinnon. Between this and the fact the she plays the Democratic Nominee on SNL, comedy nerds will look back on this as “the year of McKinnon.” (For The Record: I’m obsessed with her Hilary.) But the other three women in this cast should not be counted out, nor should their director, or their hunky, hunky costar. (This movie gives me DANCING HEMSWORTH, and it’s a delight.)

The original Ghostbusters shook the earth. This doesn’t, but it builds something new on those foundations. And I really appreciate that. I also really appreciate anything that gives funny women a shot.

Rankings!

1. The Nice Guys
2. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
3. Ghostbusters
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. X-Men: Apocalypse
6. The Legend Of Tarzan
7. Finding Dory
8. Independence Day: Resurgence
9. Alice Through The Looking Glass

Comedy is kicking the butts of the superheroes this year. An interesting trend…

Trailers

Jason Bourne…again.

Nerve – I’ve seen this trailer a few times and always seem to forget about it before I write up. I think this movie looks vaguely interesting, and I’m always here for the Dave Franco. Less so for the Emma Roberts, but she’s good too.

 

Do The Math, Solve The Problem

I realize that I said this same thing last week, but GOD this has been a killer movie season! And I assume it’s just going to keep getting better, because otherwise I will have to assume that it will get worse, which would mean that Mockingjay and The Force Awakens are probably not good.

Anyway, this is all a way of saying that The Martian is insanely good and I can’t believe I waited a month to see it, what is wrong with me exactly?

So, here are the facts as I understand them: Matt Damon is phenomenal actor who’s natural charm and charisma makes me emotionally invested in whether or not a potato is going to grow. (This is literally what happened, I’m not using hyperbole.) Ridley Scott has once again proven why he’s a master of his craft and has created a new gold standard of hard science fiction for me. (Granted, this is not a genre that I’m terribly literate in…)

Also, this is a supporting cast full of actors I love. Michael Pena is giving Keegan Michael Key a run for his money in “Movie Season Supporting MVP” between his role here and in Ant-Man, he’s wonderful here. Kate Mara is moving far away from “that actress who I always want to punch everytime I see her on screen” territory, and Sebastian Stan and Donald Glover have both restoked the crush fires by being distinctly adorable and handsome. Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig and especially Chiwetel Ejiorfor all deliver as well.

And then there’s Jessica Chastain, who has now reached, “just put her in everything,” status in my eyes. I have never seen this woman give a performance that isn’t exceptional.

The Martian is diverse, smart, funny, adult, engaging, moving and beautiful. So there’s that.

Rankings

1. The Martian
2. Straight Outta Compton (Let’s all take a minute to mourn it’s place at the top. I still, given what I’ve seen, think it should win Best Picture this year. But I think Scott should get Best Director and Matt Damon Best Actor. Note, I have not seen Bridge of Spies yet, and which might change this opinion.)
3. Crimson Peak
4. The Man From UNCLE
5. Ant-Man
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
7. Inside Out
8. Trainwreck
9. Tomorrowland
10. Jurassic World
11. Ricki And The Flash
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron
13. Minions
14. Fantastic Four
15. Terminator: Genisys
16. Entourage
17. Pitch Perfect 2

Trailers

Secret In Their Eyes,  oof, this movie looks like it’s going to be tough to get through. But I am excited to see Julia Roberts take on this role. It’s so different from what any one would expect from her.

Mocking Jay Part 2: I have cried at the Hunger Games trailer, which means that we’ve fulfilled all of the movie season traditions. It looks pretty great. I’m excited.

The Revenant: Hey! Leo grew another beard! I generally like when he grows beards, but usually only when it’s for Scorcese…hmmm….

In The Heart Of The Sea…zzzzzzz…Oh, I’m sorry, I fell asleep.

Joy It’s time for, “how are David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper going to entertain us this year?”

Women Aren’t Funny

Obviously, this is one of those big, “not true,” statements. I’ve railed against misogyny in genre already, but it’s nothing compared to the misogyny involved in mainstream comedy, that seems to be starting to dissolve, but like all elements of the patriarchy, has caused a pervasive and seemingly harmless undercurrent to attitudes.

I grew up admiring the beautiful, strong and funny women I watched on television. I wanted to be Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper. I adored Lucille Ball. As I got older Tina Fey became my role model, I got in to Sarah Silverman, and admire Whitney Cummings and Chelsea Handler (even if what they do isn’t really my thing) and generally, I want be Amy Poehler or Mindy Kahling. (Really Mindy, especially Mindy.)

Read her book. It’s really very funny.

Something amazing is happening in television comedy right now, when it comes to women. 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Up All Night, Two Broke Girls, Whitney, Happy Endings, Girls and Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 all are going strong. The Mindy Project starts next week. (I am so excited to watch The Mindy Project I might explode. I haven’t watched the pilot which has been available for a month, but I am SO EXCITED!) 

SO EXCITED!

Women are all central to these shows and their success. As a huge TV fan this gets me excited.

But then you get something like Bridesmaids. I liked Bridesmaids. I thought it was a funny movie. I appreciated the work and thought that went in to it, and I basically think Maya Rudolph is infallible. Again, like Handler and Cummings, it’s not really my thing. But what I hated, absolutely hated, was every critic, piece of marketing and actual human being that said, it was “proof that chick flicks can be funny.”

There is so much wrong with that statement, I don’t know where to begin. First of all, what defines a chick flick? That women were the primary crafters? OK, so When Harry Met Sally is funny. Most people think it’s funny, not just most women. It was written and produced by Norah Ephron. Mean Girls is the defining teen movie of the 2000s, my friend Joe is even including it in his class for Literature About Society.

Pictured: Educational Comedy (Joe is actually a really good teacher, I bet, but sometimes I fear for the future. I’ve known him a long time.)

It was written by Tina Fey and is entirely about teenage girls and their problems. Clueless, Legally Blonde, I could go on, but I won’t.

These movies are funny. These movies were orchestrated by women, and are about women. No one said, “Anchorman is proof that an ensemble in ridiculous haircuts can be hilarious.” I don’t think that anyone would argue such a thing is funny, but that movie was funnier than it’s premise had any right to be. No one said that, because while it was a surprise, the surprise wasn’t that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are funny. We knew they were funny. Everyone watched them be funny on SNL. But for some reason, Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph having done the same thing, it was surprising that they made a funny movie.

That’s sexism, plain and simple. It wasn’t, “Of course this movie is funny. These are funny people,” it was , “Hey! These people we’ve known are funny for years made a funny movie. What a surprise!”

People are idiots.