Foxfire & Sucker Punch (with Ella Talkin)

Rotten Rewind

The male and female gaze clash in this week's Gaslight/Gatekeep/Girlboss double feature as we look back on two critically trashed stories of female empowerment and revenge. Illustrator Ella Talkin returns to the podcast to break down the opposing visions of Annette Haywood-Carter's 1996 adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates's "Foxfire" and Zack Snyder's ultimate blank check fantasy "Sucker Punch." One is a sensitive portrayal of young women united by their abuse in 90's grunge-era Portland starring Angelina Jolie in a star-making performance. The other is a teenage boy's wet dream where institutionalized women work through their collected traumas by engaging in fantastical battles against steampunk nazis scored to hip-hop remixes of Queen.

Did the botched release date of "Foxfire" sink its chances of reaching a broader teen audience? Was Angelina Jolie ever not going to be a movie star? Hey, is that pre-Rilo Kiley Jenny Lewis in her big screen debut?! Is "Sucker Punch" Zack Snyder's misunderstood take-down of the male-dominated comic book culture or does it just become the very thing it's critiquing? Why is Jon Hamm here? Why is Emily Browning covering "Where is My Mind?" and "White Rabbit" in one movie? When is Scott Glenn going to play Robert Durst? We're answering all your burning questions with a special podcast shout-out to Dash Mihok and Peter Facinelli.

You can find Ella's amazing illustrations on her website and find her on Instagram @ellatalkin!

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