GIRL HEROESThe movie Kick-Ass, based on the comic book of the same name, is ostensibly about a nerdy teenage boy who decides to take a stand against evil by trying to become a superhero. But the character who steals the show is purple-wigged and foul-mouthed vigilante, Hit Girl. Played by 13-year old Chloe Grace Moretz, Hit Girl is a pre-pubescent weapons expert and cold-blooded killer. True, Hit Girl has an alter ego, a conventionally adorable, pig-tailed schoolgirl named Mindy; but Mindy only exists to literally disarm the bad guys, allowing Hit Girl access where a more conventional (i.e. adult and male) hero might fail. Blood, gore, sudden death, and the C-word then fly.
Sound fun? Lots of people think so and Kick-Ass has done pretty decently at the box office, earning mostly positive reviews. Yet Kick-Ass also drew fire from disconcerted movie-goers like film critic Roger Ebert, who found the film "morally reprehensible." You could definitely conclude that this is one of those "my cup of tea/not my cup of tea" calls; after all, if the idea of a potty-mouthed girl killer creeps you out, you can always head next door to, say, How to Train Your Dragon. And, in fact, that may very well be what has happened. For months hyped as the next mega-blockbuster, the heir apparent to Avatar, Kick-Ass instead experienced a surprising 50% drop-off in box office last weekend and ended in relatively ignominious fifth place.
I think we do crave female heroines, especially with a sincere lack of them around recently. What do you think? Where is the next gen of Buffy? Or Sydney Bristows?THE RAVEN: RICARDO DE MONTREUIL'S EXCELLENT NEW SCI-FI SHORT MOVIERicardo de Montreuil's latest short film is "The Raven," a futuristic science fiction thriller that follows Chris Black, who "possesses a power that could lead to the destruction of the current regime, and they will stop at nothing to destroy him. The chase is on as Chris runs for his life in this sci-fi thriller set in an alternate and futuristic Los Angeles."
It's really well-done, and on a bare-bones budget of $5,000.
That look good - what do you think? It's amazing the talent coming out in web series and short films like this.
READ MORE HERE: http://openbooksociety.com/article/movie-news-part-3-for-april-28-28-04-10/
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