Tag Archives: Misogyny

X-Men First Class gets B- (but kind of hates women and minorities)

The re-boot: what an intriguing concept. A production company just Etch A Sketches the previous narrative to start a new one.  One motive is the hope of re-invigorating a franchise that’s hobbling along; both Spider-Man and X-Men got their re-boots (Spider-Man hits next year) after weak third installments. Or maybe you just don’t want to spend the money to maintain your now-expensive lead actors and directors.  For the audience it’s almost like losing the lottery: you spend three films (over the course of a decade) investing in the characters and their narrative, only to be told you’ll have to re-invest (maybe that’s more like the stock market).  Fortunately X-Men First Class offers some legitimate incentives to do so, but it’s not without its flaws. Continue reading →

Blue Valentine tinged with misogyny?

The initial brouhaha surrounding Blue Valentine‘s rating by the MPAA has receded to the background–the filmmakers won their appeal for an R rating rather than an NC-17. The film, now circulating in limited release, is being met by strong critical praise.  Upon seeing the film though I wonder if it is unintentionally misogynistic? Continue reading →