by talesin 28 Replies latest social entertainment
Cool pic, Sally. Although I've always enjoyed dressing up, it's nice that we no longer have to be Suzy Perfect all the time, huh? I wonder, whassup with the gloves?
Yes, rent it and see the first one, 'just in case'. I take it you never saw it? O'Neal is really creeeepy. You'll like it, I don't remember anyone that didn't. It's from '75, so might be a bit dated.
tal
I am very much looking forward to the new one. Andy has promised that we can go see it at the drive-in movie theater. Cool, huh?
Andy found the book for me at a used bookstore. It's a paperback version originally sold at K-mart for $1.12. I read the book which was a little different from the original movie.
I loved the original movie. Being a pre-teen and teen during women's lib, I can remember how upset men were over it. I wonder if the new movie will touch on the women's lib angle like the book and original movie did. There had once been a woman's club in Stepford but for some strange reason it was disbanded. Hmmmmm. Gee, I wonder if it had something to do with the Men's Association that was replacing wives with look-a-like-with-bigger-boobs robots.
Flyin'
PS
Let's all get together when the DVD comes out and watch the old and the new one. We could have a big slumber party. Girls only.
I hope it's creepy and eerie, too. Let Saturday Night Live will spoof 'em.
As a guy seeing that movie so long ago, the thing that was strangest to me was -- how many of the men in the movie thought it was such a great idea, that their wives were programmed. They acted like, as long as they could do their 'manly' stuff like country club, sports, meals were ready and the house was cleaned, etc., it didn't matter whether the wives could 'feel' or not.
That always bothered me...like men were being characterized in general in a bad light -- I knew I wasn't like that.
I've grown up since then...and realize it's mostly just men in religious orgs.that are that way. Really...I mean it.... lol
Talesin,
Yes, I have seen the original, more than once!! It's just been a long time since I saw it.
Rabbit,
The men in the film are portrayed as weak, lying, greedy and murderous, while the women's qualities, although more positive - are all used by the men in order to carry out their plan: their trusting nature means that they are literallly lambs to the slaughter, whereas, once Joanna starts to realise what is going on, the men use her maternal instinct to trap her in the mansion, by letting her think that they have kidnapped her children. The image where Joanna rushes upstairs, following the sounds of her children's screams, only to find an empty room with a tape-recorder in it, is one of the most powerful in the film.
The final denounment, with Joanna face-to-face with her double, harks back to the Invasion of the Body Snatchers - where alien doubles kill and replace their human victims. In some ways, the Stepford Wives is more terrifying, because of the huge human conspiracy that it implies. These are men who supposedly love their wives, but are prepared to have them replaced with toys. The aliens in the Bodysnatchers are born in a huge cocoon. In Stepford, they are created by engineers, but in a sense they are born from domesticity, into domesticity. Joanna encounters her double while she is brushing her hair, at a dressing-table in an exact replica of her own bedroom. Bobbie's double is first seen, almost literally emerging from inside a fridge
Sally, thanks ...I need to see that again, I've forgotten some of the finer points. When you mentioned the 'mirror scene' I had a little flash-back to that.
Flyin'
Oooh, what a good idea! It would be fun to watch it with a group, then discuss it later.
Sally
Thanks for posting those comments, I had forgotten the finer points, too! I have booked it from the local library (love the free movies!), so I can revisit it as well.
Rabbit
I think people do that a lot, they have a picture in their mind of what a 'wife' should be, or a 'husband', and expect them to fit some kind of mould. Lots of partnerships fail, imho, because we do not focus on the relationship and take joy in who we are as an individuals. Society's rules of marriage and partnership, which place unrealistic unexpectations on us as 21st century people, need to change.
talesin
who's looking forward to a good, creepy evening at home with the old flick, even if the new one sux!
talesin ~ thank you so much for your kind thoughts about my posts. I usually feel people are probably sick of hearing about it from me!
flyin' - can we have and at that film fest? Hubby insists he wants to come too tho.
4JWY
flyin' - can we have and at that film fest? Hubby insists he wants to come too tho.4JWY
Awwwww, tell hubby that though we'd love to let him in on the party, if we made exceptions for him then I'd have to bring Andy and Andy would like that too much. You let one guy and you have to let the others, you know? Pizza, beer, it's all good. Maybe we'll paint each other's nails and break out the pink sponge rollers and invite Rizzo/Stockard Channing.
Flyin'
flyin' - hey - the more the merrier I say! Oh well(hubby)
lol, the pink sponges!
I had moved to a new school as a high school freshman - on my first day there, I'm sitting in home room class at the start of the day feeling all self conscious and not knowing anybody, when the kid behind me taps me on the shoulder and tells me that I had a pink sponge roller in the back of my hair!! I just wanted to die and cried with embarrassment..
Yes, how could we all burst into song with guys around? "look at me, I'm Sandra Dee, lousy with virginiteeee!" mwaa ha ha ha ha
Oh my, I remember those rollers. They were better because 'you could sleep on them'. 4JWY, your first day in high school! How humiliating! A good story for the grandchildren. I hope you have one of those things stashed around somewhere so they will know what you're talking about when the time comes.
