Warrior women on TV, in the movies, and in comic books still have to be sexy - by Vijaya Schartz

September Release. Find more titles at BWL HERE

In the male-dominated society of our ancestors, few women emerged as rulers or generals, or even warriors, although some did find a place in history. Nowadays, women are welcome into the military, and a recent decree subjects them to the draft. We’ve definitely come a long way in terms of equality.

But the entertainment world still resists the change. Superheroes are overwhelmingly male. In the Hollywood movies of the 1930s, all women wore dresses. Then during WWII, we saw a few women working in factories wearing pants.

The movements of the sixties brought us Barbarella but the first sci-fi or warrior women on the screen were more of an excuse for men to leer over semi-naked female bodies in action… and their fighting prowess seemed improbable at best.

Every beautiful actress wanted to be a Bond Girl.

In the 80s and 90s, came Charlie’s Angels - Xena Warrior Princess, and although still exploiting the female form, they portrayed strong, independent women, sometime in position of power, and they could fight for themselves, for others, and for justice.

Also of note, the ALIEN series with a kick-butt heroine, acted by Sigourney Weaver, and GI Jane (1997) with Demi Moore.

With this century came the rebirth of Battlestar Galactica with a female Starbuck. It was criticized at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed the switch. One of my favorite sci-fi series.

Then came a blue heroine in Avatar. A hunter and a warrior. More than capable, powerful, and also wise.

The most recent Star Wars movies have a strong female fighter in Rey. Star Trek, unfortunately, wasn't as kind to women. 

In Black Panther, the female warriors of Wakanda play an important role.

Also welcome to the big screen from comic books, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. They manage to remain sexy as they definitely kick butts.

Not to forget, Mulan from Walt Disney studios.

I hope many more warrior women appear on the big and small screens to inspire the generations to come.

In the meantime, check out the fierce heroines of Science Fiction in my novels.

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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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What I Have Learned From Actors by Victoria Chatham

 

 

 AVAILABLE HERE

As a writer, I have learned my craft from many sources. Books, workshops, sessions at conferences, other authors, and reading as much as I can from a range of genres and not only my genre of choice, Regency romance. One avenue that is often overlooked is watching movies.

I have to say I am an avid movie buff but, much as I now read differently, I also watch movies differently. I listen more to the dialogue, and I watch the actors' faces more, jotting down notes about their expressions. It is so easy so write that he/she grinned, winked, frowned, or twitched a smile. But what does somebody’s face actually look like while they are grinning, winking, frowning, or twitching a smile? What does that even mean?

Watching any good actor is a learning experience from the way they move to the timing and delivery of their lines. Think of the great dames: Joan Plowright, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Emma Thompson. Another of my favourite UK actors is Maggie Steed. In the US, anything with Katherine Hepburn, Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger - especially her seduction scene in the movie Appaloosa, Sandra Bullock, and Anne Hathaway is worth watching.  

As far as the male line-up goes, and I don't mind dating myself here, I hark back to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Laurence Olivier. Denzel Washington, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins are also up there, and the list could go on. I’m sure many will disagree with my choices and have their own favourites whether they are writers or not.

Old movies are available from many sources, and it was only recently that I was able to watch Casablanca and The Black Falcon all the way through without any interruption. I also like foreign movies such as the Deepa Mehta Elemental trilogy, Earth, Fire, and Water which looked at controversial issues and social reform in India.

 

I recently watched a 1980’s era movie, Withnail and I. Much like the American classic Easy Rider, it moved into something of a cult status. I had heard of it, but never watched it and wasn’t sure the story of two seemingly continually drunk, hapless, helpless out-of-work actors in London in 1969 was something I particularly wanted to watch, but I’m glad I did. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, and loosely based on Robinson’s own story, Withnail and I runs the gamut of emotions of friendship, love, sexuality, humour, letting go and loss. It is a tragi-comedy reminiscent of some of the works of Shakespeare. One of the final scenes shows the I character (never named in the movie) walking away from Withnail, played by Richard E Grant. The look on his face is a tour de force of despair, even to his flesh seeming to melt from his face. The monologue at the end, filmed at the wolf enclosure at the London Zoo, is one of the best ever.

The elements of great movies can be found in great books, and in many cases vice versa. Portraying the actors’ facial expressions in words to improve my own writing is an ongoing exercise, and one I shall continue to work at. 

 

Victoria Chatham

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Images from internet sources.

Darcy—Matthew or Colin? Tricia McGill

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Find this and all my books here on my BWL page

I have recently viewed the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice once again and of course could not avoid comparing the portrayal of Darcy as done by Matthew Macfadyen with Colin Firth’s version in the 1995 TV series. Much as I like Matthew as an actor, Colin will always remain my favourite and favourite to many others it seems. To me Matthew’s portrayal was much too severe for my liking, even though we all know that was how he was meant to play it, he came across as just plain bad tempered to me. There were many times when I wanted to shake a smile out of him. We all know that Darcy and Jane had their many differences and it is most likely that my annoyance with Matthew came from knowing of course that he would come round in the end and succumb to the wit and charm of Elizabeth, splendidly portrayed by Keira Knightly in this version. But even then he didn’t seem too enchanted to me. 

I have to admit that from all the characters, my favourite will always be Mr. Bennett, portrayed in this version by Donald Sutherland. His humorous patience with his twittering wife whose abiding aim in life is to marry her daughters off to wealthy gentlemen and his witty comments on all that is going on around him in that hectic household are outstanding. Above all, despite his seeming detachment, his love for his daughters shines through and steals the show. How times have changed. Although there are many differences between 1830 and now, there will always be mothers who are set on finding the best partners for their daughters. And always mothers who are disappointed with the choices made.

Another of my favourite characters is Elizabeth’s friend Charlotte who does not view life through tinted lenses. Realistically she sees that she is never likely to win the affections of a handsome gent who will sweep her off her feet for she is no beauty, although not plain, and knows that she will have to be satisfied with second best. To Elizabeth’s dismay, she accepts that a marriage with the pompous and idiotic Mr. Collins will bring her a house that she can call her own. It is a blessing that she does find contentment in this house. But isn’t this so true to life even these days when many are forced to accept second best matches. 

I wonder what Jane would think of her book being played out in so many different ways on the screen. Most authors desire to see their work made into a movie or TV series, I know I do, and are forever disappointed. Perhaps she is up yonder somewhere enjoying the fame. I do hope so. 

Tricia McGill Web Page

Thoughts on a movie-Tricia McGill

Find all my books here on my BWL Author page

The other day I watched a movie called ‘Green Book’. I previously had no idea what this movie was about or what to expect from it. Being brought up in London in the 40s and onwards I was ignorant about racial prejudice and its effect on people. I should rephrase that. I knew about religious prejudice of course, as my mother had strong opinions about certain religions and I could never really understand this, and still do not. I had no idea how her opinions were formed or why. It was just something I never questioned. Ideally, we all want to live in a world where all races and colours get on with each other and find a way to live peaceably together, but it seems inevitable that this wish may never come to pass.

The movie is set in the 60s and concentrates on a journey taken by Don Shirley, a musical genius I have to admit I had never heard about. An extremely talented Jamaican-American, he was set on touring the Deep South in the pre-Civil Rights era. The Green Book in the title of the movie contained information on the places a black traveller could safely stay or dine while touring that part of the country. Thank goodness, times have changed. The sound track contains many tunes that were popular in that era, and added a great atmospheric background to the film. Details on the soundtrack can be found here:

 https://open.spotify.com/album/4VgBFfzmGO4xN6FwkuznGS

The driver/protector he hired was a nightclub bouncer called by all Tony Lip, and the differences between the two men is stark. They became unlikely friends by the end of the movie. Tony’s wife, Delores, was a delightful woman who loved her man despite his brash and often crude manner. For me one of the standout parts of the movie were the love letters Tony sent back to Delores, which Don coached him on how to write.

The main reason this story resonated with me is that in my latest release, Challenging Mountains, I dwell briefly on the struggle our Indigenous Australian people suffered in the early days when settlers took over the land they had nurtured and called their own for centuries. When Tim sets out to travel across the land from Sydney to the new settlement down south that would become Melbourne, Jo, a headstrong young woman intent on finding adventure, joins him. She brings along a companion who was taken from his family as a child and sees this journey as a chance to catch up with members of his lost tribe. But after years of living amongst white folk, he finds he has lost his true identity and belongs totally with neither the black or the white.

A short clip from the book:

The native lad sat alone, his back against a solid eucalyptus, so Tim went to his side. Along the way, the boy had barely spoken more than a few words. What words he did utter could not be criticised, for he sounded as if he too had shared in Jo’s lessons and was as well-spoken as some men Tim knew who had attended King’s School alongside him. “Tell me, Billy…” Tim said as he sat beside him. “Do you have a notion of where you might find members of your lost kinsfolk?”

Billy shook his dark head. His hair was as black as the night sky and as curly as a sheep fleece. “No sir, I was told my people came from down south.” He rubbed his chin as he shrugged. “A lot of my kind have been killed, so perhaps I may never find my close kin.”

“That’s sad.” Tim meant that sincerely. He could not comprehend a life without knowing his family, or where he came from.

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What Has Liam Neeson Wrought? by Stuart R. West

Laughs, mystery, no Liam Neeson, just a click away!

Liam Neeson has single-handedly revolutionized the plots of suspense thrillers. Not necessarily in a good way, either.

But, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. The shocking, highly researched results of my studies may surprise you...
 
Over the holidays, my wife and I were traveling to Oklahoma and got bored. On her IPad, I sought out the most critically acclaimed films of the year that we needed to see. That grew predictably dull. Yes, the movies are supposed to be good for you. So are lima beans, doesn't make 'em any more tasty. So for grins, we ventured over into the worst reviewed films of the year.

Much more fun. And very eye-opening.

Several actors popped up three or four times each. And none of these films ever made it into theaters. I got excited.

Nicolas Cage! Bruce Willis! John Travolta! Pierce Brosnan (I always confuse him with the Perfect Strangers "Belki" guy.)! These actors...several academy award nominated...apparently have shifted into direct to DVD territory. The winds of change.

Oddly enough, all of them appear in a crummy movie with plots that go like this: "Rock Hardguy is an ex Navy Seal. Bad guys have kidnapped his son. Rock won't stop 'til he gets his son back. And cause all kinds of mayhem and destruction--call it collateral damage--doing so."

Thank you, Liam Neeson! This guy cornered the market, made revenge a genre unto itself. And he just won't quit. There's even a TV series based on the Taken movie series. Seriously, how many times can one father's kids be kidnapped? 

The above-mentioned actors are all prancing onto Liam's bloody turf. Keanu Reeves, of all people, got into the act, violently enacting revenge over his dead dog ("Whoa. Dude you killed my dog.").

First of all: kids, if your dad's Liam Neeson, seek emancipation. Second, are people really watching all of these ridiculous revenge films? Is this the future of suspense books? Personally, as a parent, I can't think of anything less entertaining than reading about a kidnapped child.

And when did Liam Neeson become a tough guy? Wasn't he kinda' a Shakespearean, hoity-toity actor, all up in art and what-all? What's next, the brothers from Fraser in a Death Wish remake?

Anyway, my wife and I tried to watch some of these awful movies. Wine helped, but didn't quite diffuse the stink. We cringed while Kevin Spacey turned into a cat. We sighed as John Travolta played a redneck power and light man whose brother is electrocuted in a tragic line accident (and do I have to tell you he raised his arms in the rain and screamed, "Nooooooo!"?). I slept when Nic Cage flew a plane while the rest of the world was whisked away by the Rapture. And, of course, the endless revenge flicks.

So thank you, Liam. Thanks a whole lot!

Wholesome fun even Grandma won't hate (totally).

What movie would you watch again and again? By Jamie Hill

 

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Anyone on Facebook has seen the status game: "Name a movie you've watched over and over again". I can think of several, mostly they're ones that are being shown on TV. When I channel surf I'll stop to watch parts, if not all. Sister Act I and II were playing a couple weeks ago on Saturday and Sunday, and I watched parts of both of them again. We never miss a showing of Jaws, Pretty Woman, parts of Titanic and probably the favorite in our house, Jurassic Park. Our consensus is that the first movie was best, the second was so-so, and the third was pretty good, better than the second. I liked Sam Neill's character better than Jeff Goldblum's, and was tickled that they included him and Laura Dern in the third.

A while back word came out of a fourth Jurassic Park movie called Jurassic World. Chris Pratt is an up and coming Hollywood actor and seems to fit the leading character role just fine. From the little I've seen from the previews, it looks like there's a mother who allows her two sons to go alone to the Jurassic World theme park which is finally open. (Excuse me, didn't she watch any of the movies?)

Anyway, June 12 is just around the corner and although we don't go to the theater to see many movies, my family will be making a trip to watch this one on the big screen. Absolutely can't wait!

I got to wondering if this theory also applies to books. Is there a book you'd read again and again? I have a few that I've saved and reread over time. Go Ask Alice is one that I can start reading and will sit there until I've finished the whole darn thing. I'll reread parts of The Horse Whisperer. But generally, my reading time is short enough as it is, and my 'to be read' pile is too large to reread books when there are so many new and interesting ones out there. 

I must admit, when I open my own books to grab an excerpt or something like that, often I'll get caught up reading and will follow thorough to the end. When I finish I get that happy feeling that readers get when they close a book, only it's multiplied when you're also the author of said book. That's one of the most amazing feelings there is.

If you're in the mood to reread, or perhaps read for the first time, some hot cop romantic suspense, why not start with book one of my series, A Cop in the Family? Jack and Crystal remain close to my heart to this day. Enough so that I wrote two more books which included them, so readers could see where they ended up. 

I just love happy endings! (And watching dinosaur movies from the comfort of my chair.)

Find Family Secrets and my other titles at Amazon and other book sellers, also available in paperback by request at a bookstore near you.

Family Secrets: http://amzn.com/B004478IN6

Jamie Hill's website: http://www.jamiehill.biz/

Jamie's Publisher, Books We Love: http://bookswelove.net/authors/hill-jamie/

"Let's Go to the Movies!" "No, I'd Rather Stay Home." by Shirley Martin

 Recently I saw a wonderful musical from the early fifties, "Showboat."  Whenever I mention this movie to a friend, I invariably get the reply that they don't make movies like that anymore. Doubtless there are many who may not care for musicals, but I feel that there are many more who miss the films of yesterday.

    Oh, for those great dramas from the '40s, black and while films such as "Laura" or the very suspenseful "Woman in the Window." Those films of yesteryear, with their great plots and intriguing story lines, are sorely missed. Actors employed good diction then, an attribute sadly absent from today's movies, when we're forced to turn the volume up on the remote, just so we can understand what the actor is saying. 

    The early '40s covered World War II, so war movies proliferated during this period. Movies such as "A Walk in the Sun" or "Purple Heart" told a great story, well done. Unfortunately, many war movies were poorly made, with American actors posing as German soldiers and speaking English with a German accent.

    As a kid growing up in the forties, going to the movies was the high point of my week. My older brothers and I walked several miles to the nearest theater. For a dime, we saw the feature film, plus various extras, such as Movietone News, "The Phantom" (an adventure series), The Three Stooges and/or "The Passing Parade", a special interest extra. Often, the theater showed a sing-a-long, with words to the song on the screen, so that the entire audience could sing. (Yes, I know. Corny.)

    The early fifties heralded musical extravaganzas like the aforementioned "Showboat," "Carousel," "Kiss Me, Kate" and many more, all in technicolor. This period also brought us biblical epics, such as "The Robe" and "The Ten Commandments." 

    An innovation of the fifties were drive-in theaters, soon dubbed "passion pits."  (I wonder why!)

    My mother was born in 1906, so she came of age when silent movies were still in vogue. One memory must have stood out in her mind. The film showed a train hurtling down the track. Everyone in the audience jumped from their seat and ran out. They thought the train was coming after them!

    We've come a long way since then. These days, more sophisticated audiences are treated to realistic battle scenes, with all of its attendant blood and gore. On the other hand, special effects can create a truly enjoyable movie, such as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, with its terrifyingly realistic monsters and walking, talking trees. Great battle scenes here, without the gore. 

    As we ventured into the '70s, former restraints and restrictions fell away. Sex, violence, nudity and foul language became common movie fare. These changes prompted a codification of movies, from G for general audiences, to PG (parental guidance), and on to PG-13 and R rated. It remains a mystery--at least to me--why Hollywood produces so many R-rated films, since by their very content viewership is reduced.

    Another change came with the seventies, this one quite undesirable. For reasons I can't  understand, theatergoers--not all of them, but many--became unbearably rude. Lots of people, with apparently nothing else to do on a Saturday night, headed for the movie theater and loaded up at the concession stand with a large bag of popcorn, munching throughout the movie. But it didn't end there. These same people threw the box on the floor when they were finished, then headed to the concession stand again to get a soft drink, all this while most moviegoers just wanted to watch the film.

    Just in time, video cassettes came on the scene. Now you could watch a movie in the comfort of your living room, and not worry about noisy theatergoers. Now, too, DVDs have replaced video cassettes. You can find a wide range of movies at your local library or rent them through Netflix. And you can buy them from Amazon. With streaming, you can watch movies on the Internet. Actually, there are many movies you can access with just a click of the cursor.

    Watching movies is fun again.

    And if, besides watching movies, you like to read, do I have a great selection for you. Click on this link:

http://amzn.to/1zN7YAq  and you'll find my historical, paranormal, and fantasy romances. Two of them--"Night Secrets" and "Dream Weaver" are also in print. Check at your local bookstore. 

Shirley Martin

http://bookswelove.net/authors/shirley-martin/#