Big Screen Girl Gang

I stole this idea from last month’s Cosmopolitan, not going to lie. It was lying around in the gym last night and I take my inspiration where I can get it. Cosmo’s version has more of a single girl flavour though, choosing to celebrate the solo babes of cinema in line with the release of Bridget Jone’s Baby.

I’m just picking the 8 movie women I’d most like to hang with and why, because why wouldn’t I? It’s an awesome plan.

In no particular order:

Who? Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Why? Look, Lisbeth isn’t exactly warm and fluffy, I know this. Hugs might be a little light on the ground but when it comes to loyalty, there’s nobody more so. I’m all about that and appreciate it in friends. Plus, if I accidentally ever send a dodgy email to somebody, who better than Lisbeth to intercept it before it gets read?
What she’d teach me: How to actually use my laptop for more than just streaming Netflix and buying toot.

Who? Beatrix Kiddo AKA The Bride (Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2)
Why? She’s just very cool and focused. I could use inspiration like that in my life. She also has the whole revenge thing down pat so I know, if anyone ever really hurt me, she’d have some tips on how to deal.
What she’d teach me: How to be handy with the Japanese steel, or failing that, a stick from the park.

Who? Alabama Worley, née Whitman (Patricia Arquette, True Romance)
Why? Alabama is sweetness personified with, like me, a love of martial art movies and pie. She also believes in true love and girl, you got me there. Love is the only thing that really matters in life as far as I’m concerned, be it romantic, parental, whatever – there’s a reason it makes the world go round.
What she’d teach me: How to be creative and strong in a fight, whilst rocking the shit out of leopard print and candy-coloured Lycra.

My tribute to Alabama, here.

Who? Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle, American Mary)
Why? Mary would be the hot friend I had a bit of a thing for. She’s an academic but she’s also open to trying new and bizarre things. The desire to accompany her on these adventures would hopefully rub off on me. She’d likely be the most open-minded of the gang and ferociously feminist, which is fine by me.
What she’d teach me: To express myself better. How to be braver when I get piercings.

My review of the film, here.

Who? Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy, Ghostbusters)
Why? She’s so fun and smart, and rocks a boiler suit like nobody’s business. She’s also not afraid to fight for what she believes in (ghosts), even when the rest of the world is rolling their eyes at her and her team. She’d probably make me look cleverer just by association.
What she’d teach me: Sciencey shit and how to wield a proton pack (like I wouldn’t ask to try it).

My review of the film, here.

Who? Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop, Gilmore Girls)
Why? Not technically a ‘big screen’ character but Emily stays. (She was in Dirty Dancing and a load of other films, what more do you want from me?). Em might seem like a controversial choice with a few decades on the rest of us but man is she good fun. Appreciates a damn good drink, always comes through for her loved ones and is the sassiest person in the Stars Hollow area (yes I know she’s a way out of town). You’d always be drunk and/or laughing your arse off round Emily’s.
What she’d teach me: How to burn my haters with the flick of my tongue (not like that, you pervs).

Who? Margaret (Lisa Haas, The Foxy Merkins)
Why? Why not? She’s so adorable. A bit bumbling but then so am I. She’s a hooker in the loosest sense of the word and one could argue, the worst of all time which just makes her more endearing. Margaret would most certainly be the ‘Bad Sex’ storyteller of the group. TBH I’ve just been reminded of the single best quote in cinematic history, uttered by Margaret about her plus size vagina to “The Mumbling Erotic Accessory Salesman” trying to sell her a merkin.
What she’d teach me: How to be resourceful when I’m down and out.

My review of the film, here.

Who? Barb Holland (Shannon Purser, Stranger Things)
Why? Barb’s another small screen sensation but I was hardly going to exclude her from my dream girl gang, was I? Every squad needs a sensible type and Barb’s not a great drinker, is the designated driver and will worry about my morals for me (although p. sure that ship has sailed and circled the globe several times already). I’d keep her away from pools and beer cans though, she’s a bit of a liability.
What she’d teach me: To make the right decisions. Maybe. Probably not. But she’d try.

My tribute to Barb, here.

~

Who do you choose for your Girl Gang? ❤

The Foxy Merkins (Film) Review

Jillian’s pick this week and the next thrilling instalment in our Big Fat Gay Blog Collaboration 2015.


If I’m honest I don’t really want to go back to hetero programming if I can help it. I don’t want to see James Marsden kissing girls ever again, if it can be Margaret instead (read on) or, indeed any of the main protagonists of the last few weeks.

Incidentally, Jill chose this film after reviewing Madeleine Olnek’s 2011 Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (read her thoughts on it here).

I didn’t really know what to expect, though from the above review, I knew that all bets were off , and that the best thing to do would be just to sit down and enjoy the ride.

*Spoilers*

The Foxy Merkins (2013)

Director: Madeleine Olnek
Stars: Lisa Haas, Jackie Monahan, Alex Karpovsky, Susan Ziegler

IMDB Synopsis: Two lesbian hookers wind their way through a world of bargain-hunting housewives and double-dealing conservative women in this buddy comedy, an homage to and riff on iconic male hustler films.

My Review: 

Margaret isn’t doing great. Down on her luck, homeless and not exactly setting the world on fire, she’s just about making ends meet by selling sex to women. We open with a couple of frankly hilarious sexual anecdotes starring our protagonist which quickly made me realise I was in for an absolute treat.

Rebels

One evening, after swapping sex for a Talbots gift card, Margaret bumps into Jo on the door of an all night cafe and they become instant friends, wandering the city together and sometimes sleeping on the bathroom floor of the Port Authority.

Jo decides that Margaret needs some sort of guidance in the hooking stakes, not a pimp type situation, more of an advocate to fight her corner. She imparts her lofty experience on Margaret and they find themselves in several sexual scenarios that frankly will have you chuckling like your life depends on it (if you like bad sex stories, which I BLOODY DO).

“Do you have one that looks like the heart eyes emoji?”

Along the way, the two BFFs decide to go and find Margaret’s mum but don’t get that far. They do wind up in a graveyard checking that none of the headstones belong to her though. Here they meet Ray Ploshansky from Girls or “The Mumbling Erotic Accessory Salesman” who tries to sell them merkins. It is here that the single most perfect line of the film is uttered and I’m torn about whether I should share it.

(Course I fucking will).

When Ray asks the girls what size merkin they’re looking for, Margaret mumbles that she has a plussize vagina. Loooolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

“I thought you said this was Jurassic World?”

I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of this movie by giving all the little gems away, but let’s just say, under Jo’s tutelage, Margaret enjoys an unconventional cinema date, shares a bizarre evening with two homophobic lesbians (Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable) and meets a very kinky Republican.

The latter is the source of some of the movie’s best scenes, though they grow increasingly uncomfortable as they play out. Kinky Republican Lady, you see, is into having her date busted by the cops, preferably naked (yeah, who isn’t, right?).

“I sometimes also like to pretend to be a squirrel, is that cool?”

It takes a nasty incident involving the shooting of Ms. Republican’s maid for Margaret to work out that these scenarios are a set up and that Jo may have been in on it from the get go. Which Margaret ain’t happy about, given that she thought it was all real. This causes a few ripples between the ladies which don’t last long, though there may be a bigger fish to fry coming up on the horizon.

I might park this review here because there isn’t much more to say without giving the ending away. The girls travel further on their road trip and things change. But, could there be a happy ending for both women?

Oh sorry, did I forget to announce the Questions section? 

Will Margaret get the girl? And if so, which girl? Will she ever move out of the Port Authority? What’s the big deal with Talbots, is it the American version of Debenhams?

Should I give it all up and become a lesbian hooker? Especially if it means cinema in the day time. All these questions and more will be answered.

“At least I’m wearing my best socks, I guess.”

My Thoughts:

My first thought as the credits rolled was: The fuck did I just watch?! That feeling hasn’t faded but I know I enjoyed every minute.

Marry me, Margaret

Lisa Haas is a real diamond and I’d like to see her exercise her acting chops in other movies. Her gentle, mumbling turn in this lends her a special vulnerability and that makes you root for her. I’m all about the Underdog and Margaret is the adorable poster-girl.

Jo, in contrast, has a hardness that would no doubt serve her well on the streets. They make a good pair. Jackie Monahan reminds me of Connie Britton in some lights and that can only be a good thing.

There’s not much more to say other than this is a gloriously bizarre, touching-in-places, hilaire-in-others buddy movie. With a happy ending? (Watch it and see).

I’d like to see more from Olnek, much more from Haas, and I’m not even kidding, maybe I need me one of those merkins too, because why not shake things up a bit, eh?

My Rating: 4/5 – definitely recommend!

What did Gillian think? Well wonder no more right here.