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Sunday, February 8, 2009

Poopy Chick Movies Do Good

I wasn't convinced that there was a real problem with garnering support for films that were for a female audience. Naively, I thought, perhaps it's just that films for a female audience don't perform as well so they are harder to get made. 

But, now that I am pushing a film for a female audience, I am being slapped in the face by the exact issues that others have experienced and lamented: There really is a stigma out there about making and marketing films for women. I'm here to say: This has to change! 

Thank God we have bloggers like Melissa Silverstein who has brought a great deal of attention to the women and film plight at her Women and Hollywood blog. 

After the performance of He's Just Not That Into You this weekend (it received higher than expected results at $27.5 million), I am even further convinced that there is a conspiracy to not make or market films for women as there is obviously a hungry audience for these kind of films.

Honestly, I am tiring of the denigrated status of every female-centric film being tossed in the category of "chick flick" or as my bro-in-law would say, PCM or Poopy Chick Movie. I love PCMs. The Notebook had me crying for two days straight. There's something really cathartic about crying over a really romantic, emotionally draining piece of cinema. I'd rather cry at a movie than at my own sucky life challenges. 

My bro-in-law and others like him just don't want to admit that PCMs are important to the emotional development of society. Without them, we'd all be stunted.

Just because I like PCMs doesn't mean I can't get stoked by someone's head being blown off. I love big, shoot-em up films. My fav has always been Terminator. I am super excited that another Terminator  is being made. But I am equally excited for the next Joe Wright film (director of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement). 

Girls know how to have it all in their movie-going experience. Give us laughter, tears, and joy in the PCMs then mix it up with a Bourne Identity and Pulp Fiction. Girls are just too cool! 

3 comments:

Melissa Silverstein said...

I just wish poopy chick movies weren't the only options for women. We need a wide variety of options. Problem is that in most cities these are the only types of movies marketed for a female audience. How many cities actually got to see Frozen River which is one of the best flicks I saw all year long -- starring a man or a woman.

He's Just Not That Into You was universally panned yet women flocked to it.

Sabina E. said...

UGH that "He's just not that into you" is such pure woman-hating, mysogynistic, desperate crap.

Women like me are NOT interested in that crap-- we want intelligent, well-done movies with strong female characters, please.

I hope that "FROZEN RIVER" will get more notice after the Oscars, hopefully.

Anonymous said...

Of course there is no "conspiracy", there is just a huge demand from the female market! :) Hollywood is in the business to MAKE MONEY...not good films.

Great blog, love reading your posts.


- NYFA Film Student