Connect with us

News

5 Reasons Why Ellen Ripley Was a Boss-Ass Bitch

Published

on

Alien is a cultural landmark for horror and sci-fi. It showed us a version of space travel that was gritty, grimy, and blue-collar. For once, a spaceship wasn’t all shiny, white and chrome. We followed a group who were horribly under-prepared for the threat they encountered. There was no big bad security or military officer there to lead the charge. And we were introduced to the character of Ripley, one of the most badass bitches to grace the silver screen.

To celebrate Ellen Ripley and National Alien Day, let’s review some of the reasons why she was such a boss-ass bitch.

Ripley Won’t Take Your Bullshit

She’s got pride, she’s got power, she’s a badass mother who won’t take no crap off of nobody. Ripley calls everyone on their bullshit and their ego and it’s just the best. She calls out Ash when he overrules her order to keep Kane in quarantine and confronted him about Special Order 937. She calls out Lieutenant Gorman on his bullshit decisions. She doesn’t hesitate to point the finger at Burke when he locked Ripley and Newt in a room with two live facehuggers. She halts Hudson mid-breakdown to remind him that cooler heads must prevail if they hope to survive. The list goes on, because really, Ripley ain’t got time for your shit.

Image result for ellen ripley pinterest

It’s a great example of how the character isn’t some shrinking violet. She’s not afraid of confrontation and she’ll do whatever it takes – and sass the hell out of whoever it takes – to make sure her voice is heard.

Zero shit taken, and zero fucks given.

She’s Not Some Sexualized Murder Gymnast

Before Ripley was a superpowered Xeno-clone in Alien: Resurrection, she was just a warrant officer, stuck on the wrong mission at the wrong time. She’s not a back-flipping, high-kicking hyper-female killing machine with perfect makeup. She’s brash, strong-willed, and deeply human.

Related image

Ripley was originally written as a male character. Brilliantly, they didn’t try to make the character more feminine once Sigourney Weaver was cast. Ripley is not a damsel in distress, defined by the men around her or her relationship to them. She’s defined by her strategic intelligence, level head, and survival instincts. Ripley defies gender roles and is inarguably one of the most significant female protagonists of film history.

She’s Maternal As Fuck

After learning of the death of her unintentionally estranged daughter, Ripley is devastated. All she wanted was to return home safely for her daughter’s eleventh birthday. When she finds Newt, her first instinct is to care for her. She has a small idea of what Newt has gone through and understands how much that trauma would affect a child. Ripley is committed to protecting her – no matter what.

Image result for ellen ripley maternal

Enter one of the best lines of all time; “Get away from her you bitch!”.

Ripley is driven by her desire to protect. I mean, she’s even protective of Jonesy the cat in a time where most (cold-hearted) civilians would say “you’re on your own” and leave the furry friend behind. She shows that you can be a strong female character and still have a softer touch.

She’s Thorough as Hell

Ripley does not fuck about when it comes to killing a damn Xenomorph. In Alien, she shoves it out the airlock, shoots it with a harpoon gun, and blasts it in the engine. A totally necessary triple-tap overkill.

Image result for ellen ripley maternalIn Alien 3, Ripley requests a full autopsy – which she oversees – and burns the bodies of Hicks and Newt just to be certain that they would have no unfortunate surprises. She’s also the only one who insists on following quarantine protocol when Kane comes back to the Nostromo with an unknown alien entity firmly attached to his damn face. Sometimes you need to make the hard, unpopular decisions, and our girl will not hesitate.

She Was Thrust Into the Hero Role and Totally Owns it

Ripley is only third in command of the Nostromo but she attempts to take charge of the situation, trying to calm the other crew members when things start to go to shit. When Lieutenant Gorman ignores her pleas for action, she takes over and rushes in to save the surviving members of the platoon. And even though she has no military background, Corporal Hicks turns to her for advice, appreciating her input and often giving her final say when decisions are made. She may not be a dominant force, but she’s tough, ready, and capable. From Warrant Officer to Our Lady of Survival, Ripley defies expectations and comes out of her PTSD-inducing experience with a fresh attitude and a license to kill.

Related image

Ultimately, in her humanity, Ripley performs one final heroic act. When she learns that there’s a Xenomorph Queen growing inside her, she sacrifices herself for the sake of mankind, killing the Queen and stopping the Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s surely sinister plans.

There are many reasons to love Ripley. What are yours? Share with us in the comments!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

Published

on

Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

Published

on

Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

Published

on

The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading