Behind the Scenes

Movies were created as a source of entertainment for people to partake in. According to bell hooks reading "making movie magic", movies "give the reimagined, reinvented version of the real. It may look like something familiar, but in actuality it is a different universe from the world of the real. That's what makes movies so compelling". When you think about it movies give you false hope in similar situations you may have as the character in the movie is going through. What we see we take with us, and believe that our lives should fall into place as it is showed to us through movies. Just like with gossip magazines as much as we say that they're "garbage" we still catch ourselves becoming curious about celebrity lifestyles. We live in this fantasy world that helps us escape from our own reality by vicariously living through the lifestyles of the rich and famous. This creates anger and other emotions when we are disappointed when things don't go the "right" way or in other words what the movies tell us should happen.

It isn't just the movies that are blurring our vision of reality, but the people who create them. I never knew how much trouble women had in creating movies, and even if they were given the opportunity to direct or screen write for a particular movie, they had to be involved with movies that are directly "male movies". There is a limited open space about which a female could choose from. It saddens me to see that female filmmakers aren't recognizable and aren't given enough credit as male directors get. For example Katherine Bigelow was the first female to win an Oscar for best director, and only four women have been nominated in that category throughout the 81 years of Oscar history. That is extremely disturbing considering women have been involved with some of the most profitable movies out there.

According to Forbes magazine Twilight directed by Catherine Hardwicke written by another female Stephanie Meyers was the seventh highest grossed film making $360 million dollars. Mamma Mia! directed by Phyllida Lloyd made $585 million. As you can see female directors could create fantastic movies, and make the movie industry a ton of money. However they receive no respect because they are females. I believed that women were equal as men, and throughout the years were proving that they are capable of doing anything a man could do. I thought that society was adjusting to that idea and giving female more opportunities in different roles then being housewives, and mothers but I was wrong.

Penelope Speeris lived with her family in many different trailor parks throughout southern California. She put herself through film school by waitressing. She worked as a film editor and cinematogopher before forming her own company in 1974. Her production company called Rock N' Reel was mainly associated with creating music videos especially in the 70's and 80's. She was nominated for a Grammy for "Bohemian Rhapsody" music video for the movie Wayne's World. Speeris first featured film was debut in 1979, called "The Decline of Western Civilization". In 1991 Speeris directed her first studio film "Waynes World" which is a comedy about two stoners. She directed and produced "The Beverly Hilbilies", "The Little Rascals", "Black Sheep", " Senseless", and "The Kid and I".

As you could see women are capable of writing or directing films about things other than romance, or shoes. However even though women are able to see in a man's point of view, this is the only topic they are given to go with. They aren't given much freedom to follow their passion and let their image carry through in a film without it being turned down because they are a woman.