0 Elysium (or not)

NOTE: I am not an expert in any of the things I talk about on here, these are just my own thoughts. If I've made a huge mistake anywhere just let me know.

I recently went to see the film Elysium, which for a futuristic dystopia film in a recent flood of futuristic dystopia films really was quite good; the attention to detail was fantastic, it was refreshing to see Jodi Foster as the bad guy, and they wove together the different thoughts of the rich and poor citizens perfectly.

However, there reached a point in the film when I realised I was bracing myself. The renegade bounty hunters had taken the protagonist's girlfriend hostage, and I was waiting - because I knew exactly what was coming.

There is a trend in sci-fi films that has repeated so often lately that it might even be a trope. It goes something like this:

Bad guys kidnap girl.
Bad guy leader make explicit threats at girl.
Bad guy leader makes girl as uncomfortable as possible with sexual aggression.
Bad guy leader hands girl over to bandits.
Bandits attempt to rape girl.

This is how I found myself in the cinema the second poor Frey was loaded into an aircraft. I felt stupid, because how could I possibly know it's going to happen? I'm overreacting, it won't happen, it doesn't always happ--

Oh.

The psychotic Kruger, leader of the renegades, starts on the familiar routine almost as soon as he's next to Frey.

I thought it couldn't get worse, but later in the film one of the bandits again tries to rape her.

To be honest, I didn't think it was that much of a pattern until I started thinking about it; I remembered my dad - a fifty year old man who has disagreed with me in the past on feminist things - fast-forwarding awkwardly through an extended rape attempt scene in Book of Eli because I was visibly uncomfortable and it was making him uncomfortable. The same thing happened with an episode of 24, Dredd...

What I'm not saying is that rape should never ever be depicted in any media because it's wrong/no-one wants to watch it etc. For me, there are a two key points that are flying past both audience and writer thanks to the way it currently goes down, and I'd like to try and outline them here.

1) Not all rapists are the scary bad guy stranger
The first point of the Rape Crisis: Myths page has, in highlighted letters, that 90% of  rapists are men known to the woman. However, in every one of these sci-fi dystopia situations, a woman is attacked by some evil strangers. Every time. Usually so she can be rescued by her boyfriend.

2) It's lazy, and pretty sexist
(We're going to have to detach from emotion a bit here, so give me a bit of leeway.)
In Elysium, Matt Damon's character was electrocuted, beaten, forced into crime, given radiation poisoning, forced to become half-robot, had things shoved into his brain, contracted a computer virus, and had a one-on-one fight with the psycho bad guy, and that's just what I can remember. Frey was nearly raped. Do you see the difference? Rape is used as the ultimate threat for a woman, which is bizarre; it almost seems like these writers don't want their women to get in fights, so this is the only option. I would much rather see a woman try to kick some ass and fail hideously, I'd rather see a woman threatened with electrocution like the other guys, I'd rather see her covered in blood and losing a finger, anything as gruesomely complex as the men.

Again, I'm not saying that rape should never be depicted at all (or that I want to see women tortured - it's more that I don't want to see them raped), but it's only ever used against cowering women who don't stand a chance unless someone turns up and saves them. When was the last time you saw the same tactics being used against a male character? I'm more than certain the threat would have the same potency, that is would be just as uncomfortable, but it never ever happens.

I'm mostly fed up of going to see films in a genre I love and being treated to some unexpected sexual violence; I'd love to see Elysium again, but I'll have to wait, now, until it retails and I have my own copy I can fast forward.

0 I bet you've never been jealous of someone else's post before

My mail has just been delivered, which at two in the afternoon isn't unusual for the Royal Mail, but it contained a couple of surprises. I have really bad impulse control at the moment since I spend the majority of my day alone, dog-sitting, and in my pyjamas in front of a computer; so a few days ago I asked my dad to take my bank card and only give it me back if I'm leaving the house. Some of my outstanding purchases have yet to arrive - a couple of Threadless shirts. a camera tripod - but this morning I received a long black cardboard tube, and a smaller bottle-heavy packet. I wasn't expecting them, because I completely forgot about the other impulsive thing I do - enter competitions.

Revlon UK were giving Facebook fans the chance to win their new Nearly Naked foundation along with an art print. I entered and promptly forgot, but I'm glad I did because the smooth line art work is both lovely and massive - it's more poster than print. 

I opted for the Ivory shade, and it's pretty much a solid match. It might be a little too warm a tone for me, but this was the palest one I think. To be honest, it doesn't make much difference once you start to blend it, as it stays true to it's name - it's dewy, smooth, and barely there. I'll probably use it as an alternative to my BB cream, if I'm doing a full face of make-up for a night out rather than just everyday.

My other surprise was actually less of a surprise, and really more of an eagerly awaited gift from Not Another Bill. Its a ten-vial Penhaligon's scent library, along with a beautiful pocket square. When I lived in London, I would walk past their Covent Garden store and stare lustfully in at all the bottles, thinking about how I'd never be able to afford anything from them, and would die a lonely bland-smelling woman. You have no idea how excited I was when I read they'd partnered up with Not Another Bill; there'll be a follow up post where I go through all the vials like a basset hound with internet access and post my thoughts, so stay tuned.

This is a pocket square, which means I now have an excuse to start wearing pocket squares.

If you haven't already signed up for Not Another Bill, I really recommend it - you get a month free during the first few months, and its £17/month afterwards. Everything from the packaging to the mystery product is exquisite. So far I've received everything from a model of a small boat to a slingshot I had to build myself, a strange felt bowl, morse code jewellery, and a fine art print that now sits on my mantelpiece. They partner up with some great people, including a previous project with Tatty Devine which I sadly missed out on, but if there's anything that really catches your eye you can usually buy it afterwards in their store.

0 The new Lara Croft and That Scene

When I woke up this morning, I was looking forward to reading all the first-play reviews of the new Lara Croft instalment (and a bit for reviews of Sims 3: University Life, but the less we talk about my addiction to that the better). I was so excited that I completely forgot about the highly talked about and criticised 'rape origin story' until I logged into Twitter and found it waiting for me.


Violence towards women in video games has a sadly rich history. If female characters aren't being beaten, they're being sexualised, or quite often both. I wanted to give an example of an early playable female character in my gamer life, but the only one I can think of really is Lara Croft;  she was touted as the bad-ass woman every girl can look up to, but as a rather short nine year old it would have been difficult for me to do that with her comically large breasts in the way. One of the most recent examples I can give is from Batman: Arkham City, where every thug was calling Catwoman a bitch and making inappropriate comments about what they'd do if they found her. No-one was calling Batman a bitch, partly because there is no male equivalent to the word, partly because he will promptly arrive and grind your face into the concrete. However, even if we take all of that into account, what surprised me was how many people were shocked that men would say nasty, sexist things. So (for me, anyway) the question becomes whether, in the fight against sexism in video games, we remove sexism and violence towards women altogether or portray it properly.


Everything about the Tomb Raider revamp had me ready to play it as soon as possible. I had no idea the last incarnation of Lara even had a backstory, since it was never played out by the character and only really mentioned quite hammily every now and then - "Oh Alfred, I must go and fetch that artefact from that guy because my parents died in a plane crash and he served them some peanuts and lived." Much like everyone else, though, I was somewhat shocked by the 'rape' scene that would form part of her back story. She was already going to be pretty tough after surviving on a hostile island did she really need to be raped as well?


One of the main problems was that it all escalated quickly from being an attempted rape scene to a rape origin story - apparently, it turned out to be neither. Rihanna Pratchett, the story writer for Tomb Raider (and whose glorious existence I only learned about this week) had this to say about the scene:

"When you see the scene in context, you see the light leave the guy's eyes [...]. She just can't believe what she's done. She's not thinking, 'Oh my God, I was almost raped.' She's thinking, 'Oh my God, I've just taken a human life.' It's unfortunate that if you have a female protagonist and male antagonists, and they're coming after her, people see that vibe." - from an interview with Eurogamer

All the playthroughs so far back her statement up, and every trope has been disproved; it isn't glorified, she doesn't enjoy it, she doesn't automatically lose, she isn't weaker, and it wasn't her fault.



The thought that popped into my still blearily sleep-fuddled head this morning was this: a lot of the arguments are talking about rape like it's a thing that never happens to young women, like its a rare thing that's never ever used against them - like the genuine attempt to use violent sexual behaviour to overpower a young woman is unrealistic. When men are told about the rape statistics for women, and how women can feel threatened even when they aren't being threatened thanks to a society that doesn't talk about rape and blames the victim, they rarely, truly, understand it. In the new Tomb Raider game they have to play through an attempted sexual assault on a woman, and for a lot of male gamers it's going to be uncomfortable and confusing because they've never experienced it from that side - but most importantly, they're talking about it.



Ultimately, I feel the attempted assault on Lara has it's place. Some dick who thinks he's tougher than this frail-looking stranded survivor is likely to try and take violent advantage of her; it isn't about him, though, it's a scene about Lara being forced into a corner and taking her first life. This doesn't mean the game industry should start cranking out games with female characters who are rape survivors or it'll just become another form of origin story, but the new Tomb Raider feels like a step forward in the realistic portrayal of women in video games.

UPDATE: like a rough to cover a diamond in more rough, Team Fortress have decided to give their Croft Crest badge this super flattering description. (via @DickMandrake)

0 Books, the Thinking Edition

For the past few months, I've either been busy at work in a thrilling retail job, or looking after my new dog (who is alternately OH MY GOD ADORABLE, and Satan). Yesterday I finally had a blessed day to myself; I wasn't required to meet anyone, go anywhere, do any work, or look after anything with four legs or more, so I decided to go for a quiet lunch at the art gallery in town.

I ended up wandering into Waterstones on my way back, and after ten minutes found myself holding an armful of books with no memory of having picked them up. Nevertheless I cashed in my hard earned loyalty points and blew them all on five books that I saw no real theme in - until I sat down and really looked at them all.

They were all very distinct books intended for the same purpose; to provoke me into thinking, and mostly about thnking of writing.

Politics and the English Language - George Orwell
This is only a pamphlet, less than thirty pages long, but it's a witty discourse on the nature of language and how it can be folded, shaped, broken, and remade into exactly what we need it to be. I'm only a couple of pages in and it's fairly hard going, but I think the payoff will be invaluable.

Essays in Love - Alain de Botton
There were several of his books available, but I chose this one because I often see de Botton pop up on my Twitter feed, and the most recent quote from him I read was about love. A quick bit of Googling has also revealed that this is, in fact, his first book, which generated a film and, indeed, most of his fame.

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
One of my favourite books, a book that thrills me, and a book I already own - but I don't own this version. The cover has been cleverly designed to look censored, thick black lines block the title out. Yet when you tilt it just the right way in the lighr, the words reveal themselves. I'll probably have to give my other copy away to feel less guilty, but I just couldn't resist...

The Fault In Our Stars - John Green
I've no idea what this book is about, and picked it up because I needed a book to complete the 'half price' offer. It's a book that has been recommended to me by so many people, including the woman who served me in Waterstones, and I follow John Green's Tumblr blog avidly, despite having never read his books, because he seems to make a lot of sense. I know quite a few passages of his books by heart (though I couldn't tell you what book they were from) simply through constant exposure to them on the internet - so it's probably about time I actually read something of his.

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
Another 'half price' offer book, that tickled both my psychological and creative sides. Other than that, I couldn't tell you what it's about beyond the title.

On the bus ride home, I felt more content than I have in a long while, and it was punctuated with an event that brought my literary-loving day to a funny (if slightly smug) close. A woman in the seat in front of me started complaining loudly about 'teenagers' and 'their music' - admittedly there was a boy further back on the bus, obnoxiously blasting his music like he expected Skrillex to be perfectly sited to octogenarian tastes. Rather than rebuke him, she kept turning and giving me sharp looks, until finally she turned fully and told me to be respectful and turn my childish music down.

I removed my headphones and calmly informed her that, if my music was really that loud, she would know I was listening to an audiobook.

0 Film review: Skyfall

The Bond films have always been a difficult target to hit; one moment the audience wants something campy with impossible gadgets, the other, they want blood. It's a difficult balance to strike, but in Skyfall they have found not a balance, but a rebirth.

Resurrection was pushed as the theme of the film; Bond left and rebuilt himself, an old ally rears up as a powerful enemy, there is painful loss and new beginnings, but none of it was heavy-handed. Throughout the plot threads you didn't even realise were there are picked up and spun into view, woven together neatly until the last stand, quite symbolically, at Bond's childhood home.

I have always been impressed with Daniel Craig's interpretation of Bond, harking back to the gritty darkness of Timothy Dalton; for me, there's no point having double-oh status if you're going to rely on fancy gadgets and flying cars - you've got to be prepared to give, and on occasion take, a beating. This is why Craig makes Bond so striking. He doesn't rely on good looks and cheesy lines, rather showing charisma and style though his behaviour. He is a Bond you can imagine chatting you up as easily as he could break someone's nose. The only scene in the whole film that struck a little off for me - and it probably is just me, but still - is when Bond meets up with the clearly frightened and trapped Sévérine on a boat, sauntering up behind her in the shower like it's no big deal. It bothered me because she was not a sultry seductress, there was no flirting between her and Bond that wasn't backed by fear, and to sleep with her in that situation didn't really fit for me.

The introduction of the new Q was refreshing - the quirky old man we had all become used to under Pierce Brosnan's campy reign replaced by a young yet quietly confident genius. Apparently it was Craig who insisted on Q's return, and I think it was a wise decision. Q is a cornerstone of the Bondverse, and it fitted, once again, with the theme of ressurection. He was not the only character to be rought back - Miss Moneypenny makes a welcome return, as does the ever pristine Aston Martin DB5 (with original licence plate).

Overall, this film was a triumph, from the cast to the plot there was something to entertain both newcomers and die-hard Bond fans.

Watch again: as part of a Bond marathon
Favourite cast member: Javier Bardem, whose performance was hugely unsettling
Favourite moment: Silva trying (and failing) to make Bond blush... or possibly Silva's speech to M
Least favourite moment: the Sévérine shower scene
Bechdel test: sadly not passed, despite some very strong female characters, but I guess the film is all about Bond

0 Film Friday #3

Hello, this is a late post, but I did only get up at half twelve today so technically this is about right. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Three TV shows everyone likes but I don't

1) The Sopranos

I know, I really do, but I've tried and it just isn't happening. I want to like The Sopranos so much, I love anything involving organised crime (apart from, you know, actual organised crime) but I struggle - if someone was willing to hunker down with me, a box set, and some terrible food for a few days, I could definitely get it done.

2) Mighty Boosh

When I was still a teenager, this was the funniest show I'd ever seen; I ended up gong to the Mighty Boosh festival, and Mike Fielding DJ'd at my university. A couple of years later I thought, hey! I'll watch that show, I loved it so much - and it just wasn't funny any more. I was astounded at how profoundly stupid it all was, and the magic was just over. People still buy me the merchandise for presents, so hopefully they'll read this and stop because I've got two copies of the book now.

3) Next Top Model

This is supposed to be the paragon of entertainment for girls my age, but for me it's just another show about things I didn't really need to know about in the first place. I like models, I think they're essential to the fashion industry, but any episode I've ever watched has left me feeling twice as inadequate as I did the hour before. The blatant over-hype of looks and skinny flatness is not what bothers me, though; its the fact that, like all of these shows, the people that win them are not going to be the next top anything. You can't win a position like that, attention isn't going to automatically swing in your favour because you won a show - in fact, its probably a disadvantage more than anything. Sure, you'll be handed connections and money, but no-one will ever really think you worked to earn it, even if you did.

0 Film Friday #2

Four films that are so bad I've never watched them all the way through

1) Chances Are (1989) Robert Downey Jr, Cybill Shepherd

Louie Jeffries, a happily married man, is killed while crossing the road on his first anniversary. He is reincarnated as Alex Finch (Downey) and twenty years later an encounter with Louie's daughter starts bringing back memories; he decides to pursue his now-widowed wife (Shepherd), and hilarity ensues.

Well, I imagine it was all supposed to be a joke, I really hope they weren't trying to be serious. It's not the overall premise I disagree with, in fact I consider it in the same vein Ricky Gervais' Ghost Town, but the ending - oh, the ending. I'm telling you what happens, it probably won't spoil the film for you. Louie's daughter is attracted to Finch, which is how he ends up going home with her, meeting her mother, and remembering his past life. Ultimately, he's 'cured' of his memories and hooks up with the daughter - despite everyone knowing he used to be Louie. They all remember him proving who he was, they know deep down that he's the girl's father, but they end up together anyway. I was so incredulous I've never been able to watch the movie without an impending sense of dread, usually resolving in me giving up and watching Kiss Kiss Bang Bang instead.

2) High Plains Invaders (2009) James Marsters

In 1892, a man is about to be hanged for his crimes, but first - he must save the town from giant alien bugs.

If I could reach through the screen and slap some sense into my favourite Buffy actor, I would. The whole plot can be summed up in one sentence. This review is already longer than the plot. Its easy to draw parallels with Starship Troopers, but you could get Neil Patrick Harris to guest star as the space bugs' tapdancing, jazz-handed leader wearing nothing but hotpants and a bowtie and I still wouldn't watch it.


3) Lady In The Water (2006) Paul Giamatti

A superintendent finds a mermaid-like creature trapped in the pool of his hotel.

One can only assume M. Night Shyamalan had a nervous break while making this film; I wouldn't be able to explain the plot of this film to you if Bill Murray signing up for Ghostbusters 3 depended on it. The worst part, though, is the character of Vick Ran (played by Shyamalan himself), a writer so inspirational and brilliant the whole fate of the government rests with him. His foil is the despised, idiotic film critic, who meets a violent and unecessary end.

He's basically nailed his personal emotions to a baseball bat and beat you over the head with it. Surprisingly the film was panned by almost all film critics, and Shyamalan has never really bounced back from it.


4) Battle of Los Angeles (2011) Nia Peeples, Kel Mitchell

I know what you're thinking; Battle: Los Angeles was a good film, how could you not watch all of it? No, no - Battle of Los Angeles, a film so bad there is a game running on iMDB to see how long you can manage watching it before switching off in disgust.

I couldn't even find a screencap for this, no-one wants to do it.