Fatal Attraction

It was discussed in class that Beth, Anne Archer's character in Fatal Attraction, could be the one who is the  catalyst for the horrific chain of events that play out. It was argued that because she maintained a suffocatingly pristine home and family life, Michael Douglas' character was driven into a passionately raw, albeit dangerous, affair. But the only way I can wrap my head around the idea that Beth is the first domino to fall is to vilify the system she was brought into, the materialistic values of the upper-middle class. It is hard to say that it is Beth herself who is flawed.

But by that rational, societal blame can be displaced for any of the more blatantly amoral characters in the film. Michael Douglas' character, Dan, is a victim of an overworked position- A position that society led him to believe was essential to a lucrative and therefore stable lifestyle. Alex (Glenn Close), is the victim of society's strict guidelines in regards to stabbing people in their own homes. However, it remains my belief that there are personal responsibilities to be held by Dan and even Alex for knowing the risks involved and continuing forward anyway.

The final death scene in the film was used to support many arguments regarding Beth's power struggles with her home and her husband. *SPOILER ALERT* Because she was the one to shoot Alex, there was a lot of discourse concerning her part in the power play of this love triangle. The clip below shows that this wasn't always the creator's intention.



And this is just classic.

My "Female Expendables" List

Sigourney Weaver -> Sylvester Stallone
Milla Jovovich/Uma Thurman -> Jason Statham
Michelle Yeoh -> Jet Li
Pam Grier -> Terry Crews
Cynthia Rothrock ->Dolph Lundgren
Zoe Bell/Sarah Michelle Gellar -> Randy Couture
Jamie Lee Curtis-> Mickey Rourke
Michelle Pfeiffer/Madonna -> Bruce Willis
Linda Hamilton -> Arnold Schwarzenegger
Angelina Jolie/Lori Petty -> Eric Roberts
Lucy Lawless/Daryl Hannah-> Steve Austin
Tia Carrere/Salma Hayek -> David Zayas

As directed by Katheryn Bigelow, because a separate director is exactly what the male version needed.

Maybe not action stars, but honorable mentions for being badasses at life:
-Anjelica Huston, you can just be queen of the set. You don't have to do anything, just ooze your influence over everyone.
-Geena Davis (Between Beetlejuice and The Fly, I just cain't getchoo outta my mind, baybee.)
-Debbie Harry (You punk queen, you.)
-Judy Dench (She already gets to be 'M', people)
-Sharon Stone (Ugh, it's so hard to NOT choose some people... My heart is shaped like the alien hand in Total Recall for this woman.)
-Tina Turner (Her fabulousnessness prevents her from joining a miscellaneous cast.)
-Angela Basset (If Pam Grier weren't already your hero...)
-Juliette Lewis (If I were more convinced you could be action-oriented, instead of just crazy...)
-Hilary Swank (You were a Karate Kid, and for that, you must be respected.)
-Demi Moore
-Lucy Liu
-Karen Allen
-Margot Kidder

...this list is starting to lose its relevance. Good night.