Women Who Wow Wednesday

Lara Croft

Posted on March 20, 2013March 19, 2013 by Jack Flacco

How can I describe her without my jaw collapsing in on itself? Do I concentrate on her large almond eyes, her puffy lips and her sporty braided ponytail? Or do I try to describe her well-endowed frame in a meaningful way so I don’t seem like I’m drooling? My regular readers already know what I’m going to say, but I’ll say it anyway—welcome to this edition of Women Who Wow Wednesday.

My first introduction to Lara Croft was in 1997 with the PC game Tomb Raider II. To say the game was long is an understatement. It took me a solid two months to complete. I fell in love with the character right out of the box. She was the first female hero I had played that actually had a set on her, if you know what I mean. Tough, tough, tough chick. I was in need of some serious R&R once I’d finished with her.

Lara might be a game character and may seem a tad two-dimensional (at least in the old PC games), but once Angelina Jolie breathed life into her, Lara became greater than life itself. I was one of the first guys in the theater opening night. I was also one of the first ones to have gotten the DVD several months later on release day. I don’t remember having slept that night either. The special features consumed me to a little nub.

What is it that I like the most about Lara? What’s there not to like? She’s attractive, intelligent, has one of those wicked English accents that would drive any young boy bonkers. Nothing fazes her. Machine gun fire could follow her up a wall and she’d laugh it off as if it was a game of hopscotch.

No matter how many assassins appear in any given moment, she can dispatch them without misplacing one hair on her head. Most of the times, the smirk on her face says it all, “I am easily entertained by your efforts. But today, you will die.” An expert marksman, weapons come easy to her. She carries two silver Heckler & Koch USP Match 9mm handguns, each holstered to her thighs. Custom mag holders dispense 18-round magazines at almost the same time.

What else can she do? Oh, boy—she can perform summersaults, back flips, layouts, tucks, pikes—I’ve seen her toss herself from the edge of a cliff, grab a crag on the other side, slide the length of a crevice, and hop the opposite side of a rock formation to land on a ledge barely wide enough for her fingertips. Excuse the pun, but Lara Croft: Tomb Raider rocks!

Have you played any of the Tomb Raider games? Have you seen any of the movies?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

AVP: Alexa Woods

Posted on March 13, 2013March 12, 2013 by Jack Flacco

The reluctant hero. Everyone knows who they are. Officer John McClane in the Die Hard series is one of them. The guy who’s caught in the wrong place at the wrong time but manages to save the day. Enter Alexa Woods, guide to an archaeological expedition to Antarctica, and the hero to my next installment of Women Who Wow Wednesday.

Billed as a doomsday movie of sorts with the tagline: “Whoever Wins…We Lose,” 2004’s AVP: Alien vs. Predator introduces us to a new reluctant hero. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the movie took in a healthy $173 Million at the box office with a budget of $60 Million.

They call her Lex for short and her stature may reflect that, but there’s nothing short about her. Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan) leads a group of ragtag experts deep below the Antarctic frost to explore a recently discovered, giant pyramid. Hired by Weyland Industries, Lex is the first to bail on the initiative declaring the project unsafe. How do you like that for great leadership qualities? She eventually cedes to direct the team with a few simple rules:

No one goes anywhere alone—ever
Everyone must maintain constant communication
Unexpected things are gonna happen

*** From this point forward, I may reveal some spoilers. Be warned. You may want to skip to the end. ***

When the team arrives at an abandon mining town to set up drilling equipment, they soon discover they may not be alone. A force, greater than anything on earth, bore a perfect thirty-degree tunnel through the ice to the base of the pyramid. As Lex takes one group into the tunnel, the other group meets an invisible force—a pack of Predators. The entire group is slain.

Making their way below the surface of the ice, Predators hunt and kill anyone who appears as a threat to their mission. Although Lex was able to save Mr. Weyland, played by James Cameron veteran actor Lance Henriksen, from a previous fatal encounter with death, nothing could have saved him this time. He is one of the first to go.

One by one, as Predators kill the second team, a new enemy emerges, even deadlier than Predators—Aliens. Aliens kill the remnant of the humans, while Predators hunt the Aliens, and on and on this fun circle goes.

Lex realizes she’s stepped in the middle of a war. When confronted face to face by the last surviving Predator, she bows her head to the ground in humility, and provides the entity the weapon it needs to defeat the Aliens.

And this is the best part. Just when we think it’s lights out for Lex, Predator turns its back on her to fight an oncoming hoard of Aliens. But one of them makes it through to reach Lex. Predator spots this and throws her its spear. This gesture solidifies their warrior kinship. Lex kills the Alien, running it through with the spear. Once the dust clears, Predator fashions for Lex a spear from the tail, and a shield from the skull of a dead Alien. Predator then marks Lex’s cheek with warrior markings with the acidic blood of her conquest. Lex earns the rite of passage from Predator.

She was now one of them.

*** End of spoilers. ***

The Indians who lived in our part of Canada more than two hundred years ago believed that if they ate the heart of the bravest enemy, they would in turn become brave. Lex didn’t have to eat the heart of an Alien, but she certainly earned her right of passage as a true warrior.

What are your thoughts about the reluctant hero, Lex?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Alice

Posted on March 6, 2013February 27, 2013 by Jack Flacco

The Hive. A secret research facility buried deep within the bowels of the earth. Red Queen. A supercomputer designed to maintain environmental control over The Hive. Alice. A wandering amnesiac. This is Women Who Wow Wednesday.

Resident Evil's Alice — Resident Evil’s Alice

There’s only one other badass chick who could even come close to Alice, and that’s Beatrix Kiddo of Quentin Tarantino‘s Kill Bill movies. Wait a minute. Correction. Hit-Girl definitely is in the same league as Alice, zombie killer extraordinaire.

She once played Leeloo in the 1997 movie The Fifth Element. However when Milla Jovovich took on the role of Alice in the Resident Evil franchise, she guaranteed her place in film history as the go-to character for zombie eradication.

Originally connected to director/producer George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead), Resident Evil blew away the box office in March 2002 taking in $102 Million worldwide. Not bad for a $33 Million budget. Based on the 1996 video game, the film spawned four sequels, a CG movie, countless other video games, and a novelization called Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy.

Besides dancers hired to play zombies and dogs that couldn’t keep their makeup on (they kept eating their blood and meat costumes), what’s the big deal with Resident Evil?

Alice.

The audience is never quite sure what to make of her. She can pound a zombie to a mush of goo but also can slink across a floor in her most vulnerable, naked state. Proficient in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, Alice’s greatest strength is not her physical skill sets, though she may take on a hoard of undead single handedly, but her penchant for keeping her team safe. The very team sent to destroy Red Queen, The Hive’s supercomputer.

As the film and the series progresses, it becomes obvious Alice is not like other females. She possesses a degree of cunning that always matches her sad countenance. Her eyes give away her heart’s loneliness, even in the course of arms flaying, bullets flying, knives wounding, and heads rolling. She is superhuman. Why? How did it happen? What made her that way? Who gave her that power?

The key with Alice is the welfare of others. No matter how bad things get, zombies could crash through a door, smash through a window, tear apart walls and attack from all sides, Alice focuses on one thing and one thing only—how can she help the others. Nothing else distracts this vicious vixen of voracious vindication.

Others first. Her last.

There’s almost an element of religion with Alice. It’s as if she knows the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Have you seen Resident Evil? What do you think of Alice? Although not called zombies in the film, what do you think of the creatures?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Sarah Connor

Posted on February 27, 2013February 26, 2013 by Jack Flacco

She’s only a waitress. Who knew she would give birth to a son who would become the leader of the resistance? In this edition of Women Who Wow Wednesday, tough-as-nails Sarah Connor of the Terminator series takes center stage.

Linda Hamilton was 27 years old when she played Sarah Connor in the film The Terminator. Originally written for a 19-year-old, director James Cameron (Aliens, The Abyss, Avatar), having been impressed with Hamilton’s audition, tweaked the screenplay to allow the part to fit the actress. It was a decision that would pay off big time in the future of The Terminator franchise.

A vast chasm exists between the character Sarah Connor in the movie The Terminator and Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

In The Terminator, released 1984, Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn, travels from a post-apocalyptic future to rescue the mother of the leader of the resistance against the machines. Kyle finds himself in a disco, the same place where a machine, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, steadies its laser-sighted gun on the target—Sarah Connor. In a bevy of bullets, Kyle stretches his hand to Sarah and says, “Come with me if you want to live.” From that point forward, the movie is one grand chase sequence that never lets up.

The film depicts Sarah as a vulnerable woman, weak, almost to the point of sadness. She relies on Kyle for her escape. She needs him and can’t run without him. Her countenance is that of a flower whose pedals are ready to blow away.

"The luxury of hope was given to me by the Terminator." — “The luxury of hope was given to me by the Terminator.”

In Terminator 2: Judgement Day, however, the fragile Sarah Connor of The Terminator is replaced by a strong and powerful, tough-willed juggernaut of a woman. No longer does she need anyone. From the very first frame of the film, the audience discovers Sarah is one not to be messed with. She’s buff, agile and a determined fighter with intense convictions. Her mission: Destroy the machines.

Years on the run made Sarah this way. She taught her son John everything she knows. Always be prepared for the machines. Always look before doing anything. Never assume anything. Be strong. Be a leader. The future is counting on you, John. Never give up. Never, ever give up, John.

Imprisoned in Pescadero State Hospital may have proven to be the perfect breeding ground for honing Sarah’s skills as a future resistance fighter. Strapped in a bed, she had ample time to think of how to best defeat the coming storm—the invasion—when machines finally become self-aware, sentient. That hatred for the machines is what makes Sarah protect John at all costs. Humanity depends on him.

But then, something happens. Another machine, a terminator, is sent from the future to protect John. The very machine trained to maim and kill humans was there to protect John with its life.

For a moment, Sarah didn’t trust it. Only for a moment. She then realized John needed a father figure in his life. The T-800 could provide that.

Huh, a terminator as a father. Who would have thought?

Sarah the parent let go. John had come to his own. His own mindset. His own man. His own life.

She did well.

Sarah Connor. Fighter. Mother. Friend.

What do you think of Sarah Connor? Have you seen any of the original Terminator movies?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Ana

Posted on February 20, 2013February 21, 2013 by Jack Flacco

One morning Ana wakes up noticing a little girl at the bedroom door. Her nightgown covered in blood. The attack begins. My Women Who Wow Wednesday series continues with this week’s spotlight on Dawn of the Dead’s Ana.

I remember watching fellow Canadian Sarah Polley on CBC’s family program Road to Avonlea back in the early Nineties. For those unfamiliar with the show, it featured an ensemble cast of kids growing up in Canada’s turn-of-the-century Prince Edward Island.

I found it hard to imagine that sweet little girl transforming herself into one of the most lethal zombie hunters ever captured on the big screen. Yet, that’s exactly what she turned into for her portrayal of Ana in the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead.

From the moment she woke up that morning, Ana had to battle a zombie child, her once-loving husband, neighbors, friends, strangers—all changed into the undead from an unknown cause—take refuge in a mall, escape in an armored bus, and fight off hoards of maggot bags all the way to the coast for an escape.

The whole movie is a crazy ride through a Milwaukee zombie apocalypse.

At 5′ 2″ (1.57 m), Ana’s the unsuspecting hero. Her job before this mess consisted of helping people. She’s a nurse. No way could she ever hurt anyone. It’s not in her nature. But when she faces the prospect of loosing the cop that’d helped her from a car wreck, she retaliates with a shotgun. She blows away one of the infected, making it a Twitcher in a pool of its own blood. Someone else steps in later on to put the beast out of its misery.

Ana gets stronger as the movie gets fiercer. In one instance, she aids a woman twice her size, attempting to keep her from dying. The woman doesn’t make it. A moment passes and the woman rises from her death, attacking Ana. Again, Ana uses her cunning and without a gun dispatches the woman in a most brutal fashion. In another instance, when confronted by one of her peers wagging a gun around, she simply states, “Get the gun out of my face.”

Dawn of the Dead's Ana — Dawn of the Dead’s Ana

As time passes, although hardened by the killings, Ana retains her humor. One day, she walks in on a group of survivors playing Hollywood Squares on the mall’s rooftop. The squares are the zombie collective below and the chalk is a sniper perched on the other side of the street. The dialog went something like this:

Steve: Oh, oh. Rosie O’Donnell. Tell him to get Rosie.
Kenneth: Oh, yeah. Rosie.
Tucker: No, too easy. Give him something hard.
Ana: You guys had really rough childhoods, didn’t you? Little bit rocky?
Steve: Hey, sweetheart. Let me tell you something. You, uh, you have my permission. I ever turn into one of those things? Do me a favor, blow my head off.
Ana: [nods] Oh, yeah, you can count on that.

I won’t reveal if Ana ever follows up with her promise to Steve, but I will say this: Ana makes a formidable opponent to anything getting in the way of humanity’s will to survive.

Have you ever seen Dawn of the Dead? What do you think of Ana? Do you see similarities between the movie and the TV show The Walking Dead?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Hancock’s Mary

Posted on February 13, 2013February 14, 2013 by Jack Flacco

Her name is Mary Embrey. She’s married to an ad executive who goes by the name of Ray. They have a son, Aaron, a healthy marriage, and a great place to live. If you haven’t seen Hancock, read no further, for spoilers lie therein as my series Women Who Wow Wednesday continues.

Hancock's Mary played by Charlize Therone — Hancock’s Mary played by Charlize Therone

In 2008’s Hancock, Will Smith plays a superhero who’s lost his memory. He spends most of his days in a drunken stupor. When he flies to the rescue, he does more damage to the buildings he runs into than he does doing good. The citizens of Los Angeles hate him. The media hates him. And no one can get rid of him. How do you get rid of a superhero impervious to all weapons?

That is until one day, Hancock saves Ray. Flying between a screaming train and Ray’s stuck car over the railroad track, Hancock body-checks the locomotive into a mangled pile of iron scrap. To show appreciation, Ray offers his services to clean up Hancock’s image.

It is during this time Hancock meets Ray’s lovely wife Mary. Unbeknownst to Hancock, Mary’s known him all her life.

One evening, while Ray is away, attraction pulls Hancock and Mary together. They succumb to temptation and kiss. This frightens Mary into grabbing the superhero by the lapels and hurling him through the kitchen wall, decimating the family fridge and three parked cars in the process. She’s superhuman, too!

In order to protect her family, she withholds vital information from Hancock. When he threatens to tell her husband of her superpowers unless she reveals their origins, she loses it. They get into an all out brawl on the city street while dark storm clouds churn in anger. I guess the universe doesn’t approve of their little spat. Well, if you consider Mary’s penchant for smashing a massive concrete mixer truck upside Hancock’s head a little spat.

Mary explains mortals knew them as angels and gods. They were created as a pair 3,000 years ago. No matter where they are in the world, they will always find each other. They will always draw near to remain as one. She goes on to say they are the last of their kind. If they remain together, they will lose their power. Just as it happened 80 years ago when an attack in an alleyway left Hancock with a fractured skull, causing his amnesia. Although she didn’t mention it at the time, Mary deserted him so he could regain his strength and live, in spite of him never remembering who she was. With that selfless act of kindness, she saved him.

Reminiscent of a Shakespearean tragedy, Mary is shot. Hancock remembers how she saved him. He repays Mary’s act of kindness by leaving her for dead in the hospital. Once she recovers, she lives without ever having to worry again of Hancock’s interference in her life or with the life of her husband and family. Hancock saves Mary by letting her go.

Have you had anyone in your life show you an act of kindness that led you to a changed life? Has anyone ever saved you?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Selene

Posted on February 6, 2013February 5, 2013 by Jack Flacco

What better way to kick off today’s Women Who Wow Wednesday post than with a kick ass, female Death Dealer.

Underworld's Selene — Underworld’s Selene

I like vampires. Well, I like vampire movies, not vampires per se. Otherwise that would make me weird. Then again, I do love zombies, so that makes me weird enough. But I like a good vampire movie. And I love werewolf movies too. Just not as much as zombie movies. So when Underworld came out a few years ago, I showered, shaved, and ran to the theater hoping to catch it opening night. How can a fan of both vampires and werewolves miss this gem?

That’s when I saw her for the first time. She stood perched on a building ledge, high above the torrential downpour, analyzing the street below. Looking. Wanting. Waiting. She leapt. Gliding a hundred feet to the bottom, she landed to a bounce. She struts her way through the crowd, hunting.

Played by the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale, Selene’s mission is to destroy Lycans, a species of werewolf that, unlike ordinary werewolves, can control their transformation. Selene is a vampire and can endure daylight. Old school vampires like the ones in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, burn in the daylight. Other vampires, dare I say it—sparkle. Shivers. Selene doesn’t have to worry about spontaneously combusting, leaving behind nothing except a big pile of ash. She has immunity to UV light. She can blend in like one of us. However, I’m not sure just how much she can blend in with all that leather she wears and her attractive features. It would be like a lion blending in with a flock of lambs.

Selene is also proficient in all manner of weaponry and possesses other abilities such as speed, strength and endurance. In one instance, a group of police officers had her cornered in a hallway with no escape, wearing their full compliment of armor. No problem. Equipped with only a scalpel, she blasted past the officers spilling their blood and leaving their corpses to rot. In another instance, she plows her hand right through a Lycan as if it were some sort of fruit.

In all this, what makes Selene special, though, is her gentle side. It’s the side only Michael, a human, sees.

As terrifying and vicious as she can be, Selene’s love for Michael makes her vulnerable to getting hurt. She trusts him. She gives of herself fully to him in order to allow their love to grow.

It’s that beautiful, delicate balance between good and evil, light and darkness, love and hate that makes Selene addictive. She represents the unattainable, defending her species at all cost.

Have you seen Underworld? Did you like it? What did you find the most interesting aspect of the film?

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