It's Sunday evening, and...

[eurydicebound]

Well, actually it's Monday morning because I'm up way too damn late. Today I finished cleaning my kitchen, more or less, got most of the yard cleaned up, finished the bathroom. sorted through a bit of stuff in the living room. folded every scrap of clothing that had been languishing in the laundry room, washed the couch cover, and helped the kids clean up roughly half their bedroom. I now have 1 1/2 days to finish cleaning the living room and pick up my bedroom. I watched two movies today (2!), V.I. Warshawski and The American President. I actually only watched part of the latter one, but I've seen it often enough to be able to recite most of the rest anyway.

V.I. was interesting. I can see why it didn't do well back in the day, really, and it isn't because it sucks or anything. It was actually at least as good as Fletch or Beverly Hills Cop, for example, and those did very well at the box office. No, it's because Kathleen Turner (and I really, really want to be her when I grow up) curses and gets beaten up -- and this in an era when women still didn't curse, and they never got beaten up unless it was off camera (or obviously faked) in an ABC movie of the week where an abused wife finds the strength to leave her marriage -- or the girl is a sidekick to the Action Jackson of the team. There might be a hint of shadow around an eye, or a busted lip, or being held uncomfortably while threatened with an improbable weapon/revolver. In this movie, though, the woman is an action lead in a noir-esque crime film (it isn't really noir, not by a long shot, but it definitely draws inspiration from Sam Spade -- and damn it, it should have been). It was made by Hollywood pictures at a time when Disney really didn't know what to do with this "adult" studio of theirs, and the film suffers for it. Every now and again it gets past the plucky kid sidekick and pseudo-clever oneliners and Turner actually acts, and it's a damn good scene in a film that could be really good -- then the scene ends and the ghost of ol' Walt's Money descends over the film once more, and it becomes a cookie cutter 80's cop movie. The one thing it did for me, though, is encourage me to seek out the novels by Sara Paretsky. Sure, the movie only vaguely resembles them, but it's easy to spot what came from the novels and what was thrown in/glossed over in the film. It's enough that I'm intrigued and wish to see more of her newsletter, basically. It could have been tons better than it was, which is regrettable, but I don't find myself wishing for those hours of my life back, which actually surprises me.

Honestly, I wonder if the US is ready for a gritty movie/TV show with a female action lead. Are we ready to see a woman get beaten up on television just like any other P.I. who sticks his or her nose in where it doesn't belong? Are we ready to see her insult the bad guy's dick size or sexual performance just because? Could she curse like a sailor with the proper situations, and would we be okay with it? I don't know. We get it in comics and books sometimes, but it's a whole different thing to see it lifesize on the screen in front of you. I think things have changed enough since the 80s that culture would pretty much embrace it, but it's hard to say. *shrug* I'd love to see someone try it, though.

Comments

[mercuryeric.livejournal.com]

I suspect, in part, the VI movie failed because -- as much as I enjoy some of Ms. Turner's acting -- she's a bad fit for the role. She doesn't LOOK capable of withstanding much of the punishment V.I. takes on a regular basis. A grittier actress -- and one that, in the case of this film, had enough juice to stop the studio suits from messing with the script (which was, sadly, the case here) -- would suit the role better.

Katie Sackhoff, in about fifteen years, will be just about perfect, I expect.

You should read the books, if you haven't already. That's what makes the film painfull. You could see some really good stuff from the books there, and it was just produced HORRIBLY.

Alas.

-E

[anaka.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, but when it comes to it many of the male leads in the cop films of the time didn't look particularly capable of taking a hit either. Tom Hanks, say. Agreed about the rest of it, pretty much. The curse of Hollywood Pictures strikes again--responsible for the deaths of promising movies since 1986.

[mercuryeric.livejournal.com]

Tom Hanks, say.

...mercifully, he tends to take hits in movies where, upon taking the hit, his character has the good grace and courtesy to, y'know, die.

;)

[anaka.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, except for say "Turner and Hooch," where the dog was the only one with the decency to bite it (IIRC). Actually, between the earlier comment and now I figured out why they cast her -- they were hoping to get sort of a Lauren Bacall thing going. Had this been a noir movie, that could have been cool.Something like The Big Sleep with Lauren in charge would have rocked, as no matter how pretty she was, you could believe she could take a hit and keep coming. Still wouldn't have been anything like the books, from my understanding, but it could have been far cooler. Alas and alack.

[anaka.livejournal.com]

And y'know, upon consideration, was there an actress in the mid-90's who would have had enough juice to keep that from happening? Granted, her star wasn't at quite at its peak in '91 when the film finally released, but it wasn't far past it, either. I don't know. Meryl Streep, maybe, though perhaps not. Glenn Close would be a better bet. I don't remember that as a time where there were a lot of actresses with enough star power to call the shots.