December 10, 2009

Women Behind the Camera

And now a little something from the New York Times:
Women in the Seats but Not Behind the Camera
by Manohla Dargis

Certainly women have been a considerable force this year, whether flocking to “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” in record numbers or helping to turn “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” from an unknown quantity into the most passionately debated women’s picture in memory. Meryl Streep (in “Julie & Julia”) and Carey Mulligan (“An Education”) have scooped up loads of critical love. And Sandra Bullock, at 45, has hit gold with “The Proposal” and, more recently, “The Blind Side,” in which she plays a sexy Christian mother who, from her faith to her high heels and gun, is right out of the Sarah Palin playbook.

“New Moon” and “The Blind Side” might not make a lot of critics’ Top 10 lists, but their popularity with audiences is good for women in film — and might be too great for even Hollywood to ignore.

Manohla Dargis goes on to explore the presence of women directors in the industry, and she does a brilliant piece on one of our most talented action directors Kathryn Bigelow. A must read to say the least.

:: bogna ::

December 6, 2009

Ladies at the Box Office

And now a little something from CNN's article "Yes, Hollywood, women do go to movies"

"There's no difference in movie-going by gender; women are just as likely to go to the movies as men," says Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

If you give women movies reflecting their experience and interests, Lauzen says, they will go -- even on opening weekend."

[AND]

"Women are a dramatically underserved segment of the moviegoing population, and if the industry would produce films that are not, by the way, just about shoes and clothes, but really had multidimensional female characters doing interesting things, women will go to see these movies in droves," Lauzen says.

Well, I know what I think about this gamechanger. What do you think?

:: bogna ::