Trailer for Love Lies Bleeding

Kristen Stewart (Charlie's Angels, Snow White and the Huntsman) and Katy O'Brian (Jentorra in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) will star in this romantic crime thriller by director Rose Glass (director of Saint Maud). Supposedly the film is about "A romance fueled by ego, desire and the American Dream." No further plot details have been revealed other than it involving a romantic plot between its two main characters, one of them being a kind of deadbeat-like street girl and the other one a brawny beautie.

The film looks great so far and it's apparently going to have a nice underground vibe throughout it. I assume the main character's father will be the center of the conflict and the girls will have a troublesome relationship as the story advances.

This is a great treat to all of us who are always looking for more body diversity in Hollywood and mainstream media, not to mention the LGBT angle they are playing. It seems like an interesting new rendition of the seedy crime flick from back in the day, only with a female cast (Bound was a good addition but it's not a subgenre that's incredibly well known for most members of the public). Always great to see more genre movies with action ladies in them.   

We can expect a new trailer probably in a couple of months as the movie will come out next year in march. Very excited about it. 

Johnny Guitar (1954) Early mainstream example of a western gunslinger girl

When discussing the topic of western girls, one of the first images that may come to mind is that of a pants-wearing and gun-firing Joan Crawford in her red shirt as seen in the 1954 film Johnny Guitar directed by Nicholas Ray. Far from a total classic, this pure western melodrama hides a strangely endearing and passionate drive throughout it, one that comes mostly out of the rivarly between its two central female characters: Vienna and Emma. 

The tomboyish Vienna.

The ruthless Emma.

Vienna (Crawford) is a tough-as-nails saloonkeeper who is antagonized by Emma (Mercedes McCambridge), a local lady who managed to turn the townspeople against Vienna. Emma does this because she holds resentment towards the lad-ette for stealing her man (typical romantic motivation).

Crawford's portrayal of her butch-like character pretty much cemented her status as a queer icon, everything in her career; from Baby Jane to Mommie Dearest, just screams "camp and melodrama" which is an inescapable sensibility in LGBT culture. Here, she's described as "more of a man than a woman (even manlier than most men)" and frequently emasculates her workers when giving them orders (perhaps unintentionally). 

Emma doesn't mess around either, she takes action when needed and conveys a certain savage aggressiveness when attempting to bring down her nemesis. A worthy antagonist of more "feminine" and discreet lady-like charms than Vienna but equally as tough and bordering on the deranged.  

The final battle is a legendary western climax. The two ladies face off at a cabin as the males watch in awe. Emma lifts her weapon and Vienna does so as well but Emma shoots first, hurting her shoulder. Dancing' Kid cries for Emma and runs up to her but the lady puts a bullet in his head. She continues shooting and goes up to Vienna, who is already waiting for her and in one swift and precise shot she manages to kill the villainess, making her fall to the side of the stairs and roll downhill.

Classic stuff. Worth watching if anything for those small moments. 

Dirty Pair (1985) Retrospective - Episode 2: Do Lovely Angels Prefer Chest Hair?

Gooley (left) and Calico (right). The only two recurring male characters in the show.

This second episode is more typical than the first one. A ship is facing imminent danger, the owners suspect of a rival company. Kei and Yuri are sent to protect it but they are really only enlisted because as ladies they can go into places the main male agent, Mr. Nova Grave, cant. 

The girls are at first very antagonistic and they don't want to partner with the guy. Kei even dislikes him because he might have chest hair or something... I don't know. It's a very weird thing that becomes recurrent in the episode. The writers were always adding these odd things that they think women might find attractive or relatable but most of the time they come off as tone deaf and weird. 

The episode moves quickly between its enjoyable comedy, exposition and talky sequences and its action scenes, very swiftly setting the later ones into motion as soon as there's a small call for it. A stand out sequence involves Kei getting in an astronaut suit and beating bad guys in outer space. Laser gunfighting ensues. 

Silly Kei teasing some kids in the ship.

The Lovely Angels helping civilians.

The climax involves the girls defusing the bomb and fixing the ship but having a lot of trouble landing it, while the guy agent just sits there (kind of aiding them to pilot the thing) and witnesses them working. They manage to crashland the ship (ala Revenge of the Sith), saving themselves and the passengers. At the end, they realize the guy isn't really that bad, they kiss him and he shows them his shaved chest... yeah it's a comedic callback. Whatever. 

Someone just saw a naked chest.

It's a good episode, odd things aside. Entertaining and memorable. Moves fast and never overstays its welcome. Funny moments and cool battles with the Dirty Pair. A good time. 

They approve.