Josie and the Pussycats

Josie and the Pussycats is a fun, silly satire about teen obsession for bands and a mild criticism of the commercialization of the music industry specifically, the entertainment industry more generally. Steve Madden, Hostess, Puma, Reebok, Rite Aid, Starbucks, Motorola, McDonalds, John Frieda, Bugles, Target, TGI Fridays, Bloomingdales, Adidas, Revlon, TJ Maxx, Evian, Sega... all of these brands and more are visible in the movie. Certainly this is nothing new nor absent 9 years later - in Lady Gaga's video for Telephone, several brands are represented. Of course, with the increased availability of digital music, it's harder for artists and record companies to make a profit, so this promotion is mutually beneficial.

Coming Soon...

Just for kicks, I thought I might do a brief mid-week update, based on new and soon-to-be releases I'm looking forward to (in no particular order):

Mean Girls - Janis Ian

It was only a matter of time before I tackled Mean Girls. While this movie has a diverse cast of female characters, I've picked Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) as our beta-friend. This movie was incredibly popular when it was released in 2004, and was Lindsay Lohan's most successful film. The story is about Cady Heron (Lohan), but we actually have an alpha-female who is not the main character: Regina George (Rachel McAdams). Based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, and written by Tina Fey, Mean Girls is essentially an anthropological satire about bullying, cliques and the social hierarchy in high school. It also addresses friendship, relationships, trust and identity.

Whip It! - Pash

Whip It! is the best female-driven movie of 2009, as far as this feminist is concerned.  The tag line is empowering as well: Be your own hero.  The story of Bliss Cavender's (Ellen Page) Roller Derby-ing into womanhood as Hurl Scout 'Babe Ruthless', this movie addresses many real issues young women face:  creating an identity while living under the influence of parents; finding a place in a new community; discovering one's sexual desires; first love; first heartbreak; taking a different road from your best friend; living up to one's passions and ambitions...

If you dig this blog (or happen to be a friend of mine)...

Check out some more chick-flick related blog articles!  Via Jezebel: Why does Katherine Heigl make such crappy movies? and Look at how funky he is.  This weekend I will be reviewing Alia Shawkat as the bestie in Whip It! starring Ellen Page, directed by Drew Barrymore.  It is quite the tour de female force!  I know y'all are excited...

No Blog Post This Week

I had initially planned to write up a post this weekend, but I was unable to make time to watch a chick flick  - I was on a mini-vacation with my mom to Martha's Vineyard, and then when I got home my desktop got attacked by some malicious virus!  I know!  Fortunately my ex is good with computers and was able to consult with me over the phone as to my best path of action.  Of course,  I threw a bit of a temper tantrum - there were tears, and I stomped my feet and screamed expletives at the internet gods - perhaps disturbing the upstairs neighbors, which, serves them right, as they have the bass pumping at all hours of the day and night sometimes.  Gotta release the stress somehow!  I'm backing up my files as I type (thanks for the netbook, Mom!  You're the greatest!) and I should have everything settled by Wednesday with my desktop.  I don't know what I'd do without it.  My netbook doesn't have the greatest graphics for watching video.  So, moral of the story is, hope to whatever deity you hold sacred that you never experience such a vicious, inconvenient attack, and I will do a proper review next week.

-Liz

Baby Mama - Angie

Baby Mama stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and is the tale of Kate, an aging, single executive with a T-shaped uterus yearning for a screaming, pooping, puking spawn of her very own.  Angie is an aspiring designer with a useless common-law husband whom she leaves to move in with Kate.  Kate's controlling nature and Angie's childishness are a recipe for disaster, right?  Well, the story doesn't go very smoothly, with Angie initially lying about carrying Kate's embryo, then finding out she's pregnant after all, only it's got her DNA and not Kate's.  This is a tricky movie for my blog, because Kate and Angie's dynamic isn't exactly a traditional friendship - Kate is paying Angie for a service, essentially outsourcing her pregnancy.  They are an unlikely pair, friendship wise, because of their drastically different upbringings and social expectations.