I’ve linked, grudgingly, to “Big Hollywood” – the ‘nominally-conservative-has-been-filmmaker-pity-party’ arm of Andrew Breitbart’s despicable New Media empire – in the past mostly for cautionary purposes, but I’ll give them a modicum of credit for actually putting something up worth reading.
For context, this was supposed to be part of a series on “Hollywood Feminism,” which has mostly been what you’d expect: A succession of would-be Church Ladies whining about too much sex on TV. But to editor John Nolte’s credit, he’s also put up an “alternative” (to put it mildly) take by his friend Lexi Alexander – the German-born female kickboxing champ turned director of “Green Street Hooligans” and the monstrously-underrated “Punisher: WarZone.”
Give it a read HERE – it’s probably the most reasonable thing that particular site has EVER bothered to post.
MOVIEBOB CENTRAL 
Bob, you of all people shouldn't even acknowledge War Zone as a legitimate Marvel movie. For a movie/comic book/game geek and independent filmmaker, you should recognize that the narrative of that film is blatantly plagiarized off of the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film.
Seriously. Watch them back-to-back. It's really creepy. If the film hadn't bombed at the box office, DC/Warners would've sued the crap out of Marvel/Lionsgate/Columbia Pictures over it.
It's a bad knock-off, sure, but it isn't even a creative pastiche of events like in The Crow (the 1994 one with Brandon Lee).
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Whenever you post links to that site I can't help but read some of the comments posted. I'll never understand how they can just blame “liberals” for everything wrong with the world. How is it possible to be that cose minded yet still come off as being a generally smart person. Because it's not just the ones that start “Liberal sexuality is killing babies” its relatively reasonable arguments for alternate methods of raising children wrapped in a blanket of hate for progressives. How do you stand it Bob?
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Punisher WarZone? Monstrously over-rated? Dear god, what film were you watching? As a 5-year fan of The Punisher comics, I can safety say the movie was complete and utter garbage., very VERY painful garbage.
We all have our own opinions but that took me pretty damn off guard.
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@Keith,
I spend more time reading things by people I disagree with than by people I agree with, I consider it mental-exercise. In the case of Breitbart's sites, I also consider it a chance to feel smugly – but not unwarrantedly – superior to thousands of people all at once 😉
@Bourne,
As a TWENTY year fan of The Punisher comics, it was exactly what I'd been waiting for – i.e. an almost note-for-note translation of the original “Punisher” comics from the mid-80s. Though I can understand how folks more familiar with the more recent Garth Ennis re-imagining of the character might find it a bit “off.”
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Thank you for that Bob, I needed that.
And I am not sarcastic, she is putting many of my own feelings into word.
I am a girl, and sometimes I want to wear small dresses because I don't think I am all that bad looking, But that doesn't mean that I am stupid. yet it is often the stereotyping, and so for the film culture, it is often out of hand. I also think sometimes it is often because they hire really bad hot actresses, like Jessica Alba, Megan Fox or Beyounca (seriously, I don't really have an opinion of her as a popstar, but she makes a very poor actress) who is clearly not that intelligent a person. Instead of hot good Actress like Catherine Zeta Jones, Nicole Kidman or Angelina Jones, who are both really hot and have what is called a brain between their ears.
All though, I do also think a lot of the problems is rooted in the developers, both of reality TV-shows where I have the picture that it is actually fat greasy old men who's dicks long since withered away because of lack of exercise and brains is the seize of a pie because of lack of common sense.
Plus Hollywood writers and producers which is pretty much a mans world.
It always baffled me beyond reasons that there is a distinct rule in Hollywood that says if you write about Black people, you need to have at least one black writer.
Why the hell does that rule not apply for women? it is not because the world is lacking female writers, or just aspiring female writers who wants to do it, in fact, most of the people I know who writes are in fact women, so why is it only the men who makes it to the professional level? and why do they not bring the female in when they write reality shows and Hollywood movies which concerns females?
I am sincerely baffled,
And I should stop writing now before this gets the better of me oO;
And yeas, like the article writer, I am very much a European female.
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Completely understood. I'm not a big fan of listening to the preacher of my own choir either. But, I rather listen to those that disagree and who are not idiots.
I guess I'm more of a bleeding heart than you, I just feel bad for these people. Up until a little while ago I used to read IGN and Joystiq comments as well, but since I have been engaged in several political forums I just can't them seriously anymore. While I agree that fight over abortion is a contentious issue, it is important, and when I look at “fanboy” comments who have the same amount of venom I can't take it seriously. Thank you by the way for recommending Extra Credits. It's great. Now I have three things to watch at the escapist.
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Well, that explains it. I am a massive Garth Ennis fan and his run on the series is why I love The Punisher.
Very understandable and didn't know you were a fan of The Punisher. Sorry!
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Alright, the rest of the article is fine except on thing in the middle.
“A young Sarah Palin”?
Yes, because when I think of a new role model for women, I think of an insane moron who was only successful in politics because she's somewhat bangable and later abandoned her responsibilities so she could sell books.
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@ RestamSalucard
Second. Also, she doesn't seem to understand the concept of hypocrisy.
And as far as Angelina playing a part written for a man? Ellen Ripley was originally Allan Ripley, so Sigorny Weaver did it, 30-some years ago. Not exactly a milestone, that.
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I have to agree War Zone was probably the best 80s action movie of the last 20 years. The action there was what The Expendables should have aspired to. I have great respect for Ms. Alexander's ability to balance over-the-top black humour with gratuitous carnage (the RPGing of the leaping parkour goon was probably the highlight for me). My friend, a devoted fan of both the 80s Punisher and Ennis' run, loved it as well.
@tyra,
Well, a bit of context there. Ripley in the first Alien isn't that far removed from the Final Girl of your typical slasher film. Maybe a bit more resourceful. She gets upgraded to badass in Aliens, but that's because James Cameron was the only mainstream director in Hollywood at the time who'd dare cast a woman in a serious action role. (Leia in the Star Wars films doesn't go quite far enough.) The only other place you saw female action heroes on the big screen before the mid-90s were B and exploitation films, e.g., Pam Grier. Or occasionally some of the Bond girls.
I think Salt is a milestone because after a series of bombs with female action leads that were basically set up to fail (Catwoman, Aeon Flux, etc.), the thinking in Hollywood was an action movie with a female lead couldn't be successful. Angelina Jolie finally broke that curse. Even though I found the plot of Salt utterly ridiculous, the action and the acting were top-notch and a lot of the credit must go to Jolie.
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@ Joe,
Consider, however, that Alien was done before the flood of slasher movies, in the 80's. It wasn't so typical, then. And, as I said, the part was written for a man, Ridley Scott just took a chance by casting a woman, instead. Her whole point, in the article wasn't that Jolie was a successful female action hero, but that the part was written for a man, originally, and a woman filled the shoes. Granted, the original Alien isn't the same genre, but that's irrelevant, for the point she's making, in the article.
Then there's the case of Linda Hunt winning an Oscar for actually playing a man, in The Year of Living Dangerously, she didn't just take a role that was written for a man, she actually played a character that was a man. Of course, that's not sexy…
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@tyra,
You're right. I thought of yet another role written for a man but played by a woman: Amy Madigan's turn as ex-soldier McCoy in the underrated 1984 film Streets of Fire.
Can you think of any other examples between 1985-2010? Maybe this was a rising trend in the late 70s/early 80s, but was stopped for decades for some reason until Jolie and “Salt”.
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