ALIENS
When you're six years old growing up with Arnold, Stallone and all the other male focused action movies, you kind of get the idea that this is how genders should word. ALIENS took that concept and blew it out the water. All throughout the film I was wondering why this lady was the focus of the film and why the other guys weren't taking charge. The biggest and most important moment that I will never forget is when that lady gets into the elevator alone and gears up. Pulserifle strapped to a flamethrower herself covered in grenades. Yeah, ladies can do that to.
Star Wars: Episode III
"She's lost the will to live." is a line that will forever be engraved in my mind as not only the reason I stopped caring about ALL STAR WARS in general, but also made me more aware of how women are treated in many mediums. Padme was not some hopeless romantic girl that Anakin just stumbled across on the street. She was the Queen of an entire planet! In one entire movie, she manages to fool the Federation, turn the entire senate against a galactic chancellor, make peace with the hateful Gungans, wage war against the Trade Federation with a mere police force and WIN. In Episode III, she's reduced to a character who's sole purpose is to be in love with Anakin. There is not one scene with her where she doesn't go on about Anakin this or Anakin that. It's like she has zero interest in anything else but loving this mass murdering jerk. And when the galaxy turns to chaos and the oppressed citizens seek capable leaders who will stand up for them, she decides to just give up and die.... AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO TWINS. So if anyone has ever wondered why I'm so insistent on the treatment of female characters in anything, there's your answer.
Back to the Future
Have you ever tried writing a story where you had to make sure everything you did was worth something, and that you weren't simply padding out the story with pointless nonsense just to make it longer? Well, Back to the Future is the perfect example of a film where EVERYTHING you see, hear and experience is not wasted. Everything is relevant and will pay off in ways you probably won't expect. One example of the writers figuring out how something should work is the "Save the Clock Tower" flyer. Is there any teenager out there who would want to keep a flyer for something he or she doesn't care about? The story needs Marty to keep this flyer! Having him not be a litterbug isn't enough. Writer's solution? Have his girlfriend Jennifer write down a number that Marty doesn't know on the flyer since she's going out to her grandmas. It fits! Todays writers? Promote Kirk from academy student to first officer on the spot and give him command of the Enterprise in the end. Why? Because he's Kirk. :thumbsdown
Did I mention the movie is fun, has an incredible score by Alan Silvestri and probably has the best performances of any actor in the film.