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so...hollywood has decided to make a TG movie...
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/161233-Tomboy-Gend...
"The script, written by Hill from a story by Denis Hamill, centers on an ace assassin who is double-crossed by gangsters and falls into the hands of rogue surgeon known as "The Doctor," who turns him into a woman. The hitman (now a hitwoman) sets out for revenge, aided by a nurse named Johnnie, who also has secrets."
Oh God this reads like a bad fic. I mean, why not just kill the guy? I mean really, and 'we need test subjects'. There are, literally, thousands of people who would jump at this chance.
Am I judging too harshly? Maybe, but oh god since when has hollywood been subtle about ANYTHING!?
Oh this is going to be awful, I can just tell.
Comments
How Bad?
It sounds like a few I have read.
First I am going to say;
"That is a typical web site news item, it is sensational and leaves you guessing at the detail, Not Enough Info!!"*
And you kind of fill in the rest with assumptions, which is never accurate.
The only thing I see wrong with that basic premise is doing something to a hit man then leaving him alive to seek revenge. Kind of stupid of the gangsters if you ask me.
Now whether this is a bad film or good film as far as "Gender Issues" go depends on how they treat those particular issues, regardless of the starting premise, An against someones will transformation can show case the issues properly if done right, I just hope it is done right. A willing gender change story could actually have worse effect on the issue if done wrong. The action premise will certainly attract more viewers then a straight up transgender story would.
Sounds like it might be a good action film.
If its good or bad in other ways, I can Not tell without more info, or actually seeing it myself.
It is hard to judge something by what is essentially just an over blown headline.
*hopes for the best*
~Hypatia >i< ..::
-
*PS. This kind of "Web News Item" is driving me nuts lately.
I says something different to each person who reads it,
Because,.... "They fill in the gaps with their own predispositions"!
I'm likely being reactionary,
I'm likely being reactionary, but I just can't shake the gut feeling of how bad it's going ot be. Hollywood isn't subtle; it's heavy handed and ridiculous and i can't help but feel they're going ot turn this whole thing into a disaster.
Sex and violence sells … and Hollywood wants their share
The kinkier the sex and the more gratuitous the violence the better it sells as far as the movies (and the media) are concerned.
It's not nice but we've seen the pattern before (the blaxploitation and sexploitation movies of the 1970's)
Whilst I personally really don't like it I'm not too worried. It's part of the normalisation process. Transgender individuals have gone from 'non existence' to 'persecution' to '(barely) legal tolerance' to 'celebrity status' over the last 60 years. In 20 years time no one will give a stuff.
Persephone
Non sum qualis eram
As if
As if it hadn't been done before with Ace Venture Pet Detective.
Or in some other low level budget movie for a quick laugh.
Even here in the Netherlands
Even here in the Netherlands it made the 'headlines' :). Imho Hollywood tries to spin some extra yarn from the increased awareness and positive hype that has risen since Caitlyn Jenner has 'moved the nation'.
As I gather, they want to make a movie about creating a FtM transgender from a 'normal' male assassin by changing the appearance of this man into that of a woman.
Well, this could be a comedy, like Switch with Ellen Barker, which was quite funny in the beginning. Though it ultimately degenerated into a rather bland interpretation of 'family values' and corny short romance.
Or, as he understandingly doesn't like this very much, he will embark on a furious path of exacting his revenge on the perpetrators in a little(?) orgy of violence and retribution.
It, being a Hollywood movie, will of course end in a heartbreaking romantic conclusion with the main lead finding love and (self)acceptance. With white doves, seagulls, and running on the beach with waves lapping leisurely while the rain gently falls on the pair when they'll finally embrace and hold each other in eternal bliss. Sun suddenly breaks up the clouds... The end.
Sigh.
If the producers in Hollywood would've had any balls ( pun intended ) they'd have searched for a genuine transsexual main lead, but that is of course to much of a gamble in the 'femaleness' of the transformed assassin. Wusses! :)
Jo-Anne
Exactly.
If the producers in Hollywood would've had any balls ( pun intended ) they'd have searched for a genuine transsexual main lead, but that is of course to much of a gamble in the 'femaleness' of the transformed assassin. Wusses! :)
Exactly. The Wachowskis and JMS did exactly that, by casting Jamie Clayton to play Nomi Marks in their Netflix series, Sense8. And Jamie nailed her role.
Honestly, the only TG film I am looking forward to is "The Sex Trip." From the previews, it looks like the standard cliche plot a magical curse turning a hot sexist man into a hot woman, as punishment.
But, the film is a comedy. The previews clearly shows the cast and crew know about the tropes they are playing with. They having fun making this film. And there are some wickedly funny jokes in the preview.
My favorite joke from the preview is as the end, and has the punch line, "Eddie. I said. Embrace it. But, this will kill you."
The comment makes sense in context, and is funny, but it is a NSFW joke.
That is an excellent point.
That is an excellent point. There is no excuse nowadays for not using an actual TG actress for the role. With all due respect to Michele Rodriguez, someone else could have played the part and done so much more believably. Seriously, who better to play a character who is in the wrong body than someone who was born in the wrong body!!!!
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
They probably can't
Union rules, you know.
"Whaddya mean, Othello has to be a black guy? Why can't any of our union actors play him? You some kind of racist?"
Penny
while true...
True, but there has to be at least one TG actress who has her SAG card who could play the part. I doubt they even considered any for the job, going with someone who had "looks" in that she has played non-feminine roles before. It's ridiculous.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Hit or Miss
This is a hit or miss type movie. Playing it save is the worst no win situation. Since the plot is not going to resonate with the audience, the other way to resonate with the audience is to get them to respect the process in making the film. And not just star attraction appeal, but the process of the film as a whole.
And hiring a mtf actress that is a skilled at acting, for the lead role would be a good star.
I don't want to get into a habit of having this be the go to example, but Sense8 did it right for their series, on all cylinders. They had respectable sci-fi producers and writers. Good music. While a bit slow, the plot and characters are good on several levels.
The cinematography is likely the best you will ever see for a live action series.
And their cast was spot on. Not just casting Jamie Clayton in a mtf character let, but others.
When it comes to the draw from the sci-fi crowd, if having the producers and writers being Wachowskis and JMS, casting Freema Agyeman (from Doctor Who series) as a supporting role basically drew the sci-fi fans in. And Ms Agyeman can pull off a good american accent. She is just as convincing as John Simm's (Life on Mars and Doctor Who) american accent in the Intruders series.
It should be noted that Ms Clayton and Ms Agyeman play very will off of each other.
When it came to mexican audiences, Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Actor and Athlete) and Alfonso Herrera (Actor and Singer) is enough for the mexican audiences to come. They play off of each other good.
Bae Doona is a very well respected actress in South Korea.
And while none of the cast are hollywood a-listers. Pulling quality skills cast and production crew allowed for Sense8 to be success. This is the type of audience appeal I am talking about. Because the plot is to strange to try to explain to people in a few brief words.
To be fair
Please try to be fair to the movie. this actually sounds like many of the stories you would read here and on other TG sites. Maybe we should try to figure out who the screen writers are ripping off.
So true!
The plot has a bit of similarity to some story here as a matter of fact. Can't remember the writer though.
Best case scenario...
Best case scenario we end up with The Skin I live In meets Face/Off, which is the kind of out-there schlocky premise I can get down for. Walter Hill hasn't made a good movie in a while, but he made some GREAT ones in his prime (The Driver, The Warriors, Southern Comfort)(And Streets of Fire is so, so much fun).
This movie also means that I get to watch what amounts to an adaptation of my short story Corpse Cut in a year or so, so... we'll see.
Hollywood : Rule No 1
is
Only make films that are guaranteed 1000000% to lose money according to the Hollywood accounting rules.
Even the biggest blockbusters (say Harry Potter) lost money. Yes folks they didn't make a profit.
Rule 2:
Distort the original story so that everything happens in the US or the USA wins the War singlehanded or saves the Heroine from a fate worse than death etc etc
Just look at U-571. It wasn't a US sub but a British one but according to Hollywood, the US was respinsible for breaking the Enigma codes (Well until a more recent film anyway)
So what is my point?
Hollywood is basicaly incapable of telling a story properly. IT has to have a load of angles. In this one, it has to be turning a man into a woman. Been done before so they have to make a 'hook' that will attract the punters (aged 16-30 in the USA). Any revenue in the rest of the world is a bonus.
If you think back, what Hollywood Studio would have comissioned 'Chariots of Fire'? None. But it was highly succesful and won best Picture. Then the next year, Ghandi won it. These are not normal fodder for Hollywood. What I'm saying is that Hollywood seems to have fogotten how to do serious stuff coz it don't put bums on seats (mostly).
So treat this as a bit of fluff that will soon be fogotten. Who knows, it might even go straight to DVD/Streaming.
I know one thing for sure and that is that it won't be on the sort list for Golden Globes/BAFTA/Oscars. Hopefully, it may even feature in the Razzies.
Many years ago I had the honour of meeting Stanley Kubrick when he was shooting 'Eyes Wide Shut'. We met in a London Camera shop where he was looking for a particular lens. A Hollywood non-conformist if ever there was one.
Exactly
as I said: it's going to be bad.
TG movie
Sounds like something I'd write...
:)