Yesterday, Darren Franich of EW.com published an article titled 10 Comic Book Heroines We Want to See in Movies! and I have to tell you: it's really great. The choices are excellent -- from the obvious "Why didn't we get this five years ago?" Wonder Woman movie to the obscure-but-no-less-amazing Fantomah movie starring Lady Gaga! (Can she act? Does anyone care?) -- and the list is clearly written by someone who knows and loves comics.
I'm surprised at how good this article is because in my experience mainstream articles on comic books, even if they're not the obvious "Bam! Pow! Comics Aren't for Kids Anymore!" type, are usually written by people without a knowledge of the genre. Thus we get articles where Mark Millar can say he sets his comic books in the real world and the journalist will just write it down and Maxim can declare Robin the lamest superhero ever. Yet when you read the article you can tell it's by someone who has a knowledge of the original stories and who is thinking about these female characters as characters and franchise starters, not as a way to get a sexy actress into a skintight suit.
I also find this article significant because it's by a mainstream source and it naturally assumes that audiences want to see good movies about superheroines. Since Warner Brothers apparently can't, this is also something remarkable.
Some years back, I was interviewed by a Canadian newspaper about superheroine movies, and why they didn't do well. Is the public not interested? the reporter asked. Is it sexism? I told the reporter the reason why most superheroine movies don't do well is that they are bad. It's not that nobody wanted to see Catwoman, Elektra and Supergirl fighting bad guys, but Catwoman, Elektra and Supergirl were not good movies, so nobody went. Unfortunately, that's never the message studio executives get.
I unfortunately can't see that mentality changing any time soon. Even when women turn out to be the big spenders for a franchise, like the unavoidable Twilight series, Hollywood tends to be tone deaf. Still, it's nice to have an acknowledgement that yes, the audience for superheroine movies is out there, and from such a major source as Entertainment Weekly as well.
Also, I don't know about Franich but I want a She-Hulk movie. Preferably a meta-one where our heroine teases Edward Norton about Fight Club and breaks the fourth wall. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
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Lady Gaga as Fantomah is the most brilliant thing I've ever heard.
ReplyDeleteMaxim can declare Robin the lamest superhero ever.
Kind of like how every "Worst Superhero Ever" list includes Dazzler just because she wore a silly disco costume at one time? Aw, fuck it, GAGA FOR DAZZLER
sandoz-iscariot:
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga as Fantomah is the most brilliant thing I've ever heard.
It really is!
Kind of like how every "Worst Superhero Ever" list includes Dazzler just because she wore a silly disco costume at one time?
Hell, she was also on that list. Of course, Superman and Wonder Women were also on this list, so at least she's in good company.
It's not that Hollywood is tone-deaf when it comes to female-centered movies.
ReplyDeleteBut, understand that Hollywood has no reason to fund a marginally profitable action movie featuring a female lead when movies like Twilight and Sex and the City will make money hand over fist.
Such is the nature of corporate-controlled mass media.
So, yes, Hollywood is listening. And will continue to make more Twilights and SATCs especially when the numbers support doing so. This will continue to be the case until this part of the equation is understood by everyone looking to change the kind of movies Hollow-wood produces.
heavyarmor:
ReplyDeleteYou misunderstood what I said. Movie studios have trouble understanding that women are moviegoers IN GENERAL. It's not just the Catwomans they ignore, they ignore the Twilights and the Sex and the City as well. Nia Vardolas made a very popular female-centric film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding yet a studio suit told her women just don't go see movies even though she saw many of them DO go see movies. The director of the first Twilight movie was fired from the job, even though the first movie broke records as having one of the highest-grossing opening weekends for a female film director.
It's not just numbers. Even when the numbers work out they still don't go for female audiences. It may be getting a little better but there is some sexism at work.