Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Fifty Shades Makes History For Women

The Hollywood Reporter states that Fifty Shades of Grey had a record-breaking launch, bringing in $248.7 million globally. Domestically, the release grossed $90.7 million, making it the biggest North American debut for a movie directed by a woman. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the film. You go, girl!
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39 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:04 AM

    The reviews on this prior to its' general release were mediocre at best. I'm surprised it did this well. Perhaps just the curious attending opening weekend.

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  2. SherryFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:06 AM

    And do perpetuates the myth. That women can only direct films for women and that this is what we all want. Lord there's going to be a whole butt load of these craptastic (spellczech actually suggested that word) soft porn movies in the next year as H'wd doesn't have an original idea in its head.

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  3. SherryFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:07 AM

    And so this perpetuates the myth.

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  4. FSPFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:08 AM

    My dog could have directed this crap and it still would have made money.

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  5. UnknownFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    Oh thank God. I edited my comments because I didn't want to come off sounding like some old biddy.

    OT (sort of) - what was the last romantic movie Hollywood produced? What was the last one that did well? What was the last romantic movie that was aimed at someone other than teens?

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    1. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 6:53 PM

      If you want some quality adventure and romance watch the Outlander series on cable. It's taken from REAL books and the writing, acting/actors and storyline are excellent. Seriously it's getting to where the best stuff to watch are the made for cable series on TV. The movies have been pretty lame for a long time now (with a few exceptions).

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  6. Bacon RanchFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    Isn't Sam Taylor-Johnson married to a teenager or something? Or am I getting her mixed up with Woody Allen?
    I bet Penny Marshell is NOT PLEASED. Not pleased at all.

    Hi

    F
    S
    P

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    1. FSPFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:17 AM

      BR
      AA
      CN
      OC
      NH

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    2. RobinTMPFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:40 AM

      She's married to Aaron Taylor-Johnson; IIRC, I think they met while making Nowhere Boy, and while he's around 20 years younger, he was of age when they got together. I believe they have 2 small children, and seem to be happy together, so good for them, and I wish them well.

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    3. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 6:59 PM

      I thought Aaron was really hot in Savages and then I saw him in Kick Ass and I flipped out when I realized how young he is (he looked way older in Savages). He was good in both of those flicks and in Anna Karenina too I thought. Sam Taylor-Johnson is a talented photographer but I haven't seen anything she's directed yet (and I won't be watching 50 Shades of Shit).

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  7. Brenda LFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:28 AM

    I'm a bit dumbfounded and confused by all this. First we had the Twilight series, which is basically a thousands-year-old dominant pedophile vampire who decides a clumsy passive high school girl is his true love. Then we have this 50 Shades business, based on the same couple, basically the same dominant/passive scenario with a whole lot of sex. What does it all mean and what does it say about our society right now? Why is this our top movie?

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    1. KrissieFebruary 17, 2015 at 1:44 PM

      I swear a lot of women today just don't give a fuck anymore about fighting for equal rights. Witness the trend of female celebrities saying "I'm not a feminist, I like boys, tee hee!" and how women flock to movies about asshole men treating their girlfriends like objects, and think it is all so romantic. I find it all terribly depressing. I don't know how things got this way.

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    2. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:05 PM

      I think it's a testament to how sad male/female/everybody relationships are now. People don't even talk to each other in person anymore, it's all online. Everybody is trying to be the next celebrity with their online bullshit selfies and sex tapes. There is no reality anymore. Can you even imagine being a teenager in this day and age and what your priorities would be based on society now? Frightening.

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    3. Lioness70February 18, 2015 at 8:26 AM

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    4. Lioness70February 18, 2015 at 8:29 AM

      Edward Cullen worship I kinda-sorta get, leaving out the stalking. Some women think men from a century ago were real gentlemen. They look at the video game and Tinder-obsessed dude bros of today and say fuck it, I want my own Edward.

      I didn't get past the first chapter of 50 Shades of Shit before I chucked it. I'm not into trying to healing damaged goods or putting up with abuse.

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    5. MinPinGirlFebruary 18, 2015 at 9:18 AM

      @Lioness I agree with ya the majority of younger to even mid 30's guys I see can't tear themselves away from World of Warcraft long enough to have a conversation. It's extremely weird if you ask me.

      I read the Twilight series way back before I had heard about it anywhere (way before the movie) and I liked it for the most part. Bella does seem to complain about shit way too much but I'm a long time vampire fan and I'll read most any vampire books.

      I can totally see the appeal of Edward Cullen (and I'm not at all talking about Robert Pattinson). It's the same thing I find interesting about the character Henry in the TV show - FOREVER or the guy in HIGHLANDER. The dude has lived many lifetimes and is interesting, AND he doesn't play video games. I get it.

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    6. MinPinGirlFebruary 18, 2015 at 9:21 AM

      BTW I saw the first Twilight movie and HATED IT! They totally ruined the appeal of the books by making those movies.

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    7. Lioness70February 18, 2015 at 10:21 AM

      Right there with you, MPG. I read the whole series, but absolutely refused to watch any of the movies.

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  8. JessiFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:47 AM

    Ok, who here will admit they went to see it, and then give us all a review.

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    1. califblondyFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:24 AM

      Raises hand....

      I did a review last week, but in a nutshell, Dakota good, Jamie not so much.

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    2. GelflingFebruary 17, 2015 at 4:12 PM

      I did last night. It was better than I thought it would be and really wasn't expecting a lot. Agree w califblondy about Dakota and Jamie.

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  9. kelliknowsFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:50 AM

    I picture every theatre filled with Ellen fans..they scream for everything like 12 year old girls meeting Justin Bieber.

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  10. RunswithscissorsFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:14 AM

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  11. RunswithscissorsFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:22 AM

    I'm happy for the director, it must've not been easy to sift through that book to find something to work with, you think she had to read the twilight series to be able to put this together? Ugh, I cringe at the thought.
    Agree with @BrendaL, why are those two stories so popular?
    Is the ideal man, secretly, for so many women, a manipulative abusive one?
    Is the idea of changing a man just with love that big of a fantasy? I guess much of classical literature has been based on this last question.

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    1. RobinTMPFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:48 AM

      I read a hilarious piece this weekend (I think it was from Marie Claire, but I'm not sure) by a writer who decided to spend a weekend w/her boyfriend doing as much stuff from the movie as possible. They did manage to survive the experience (just barely, in her boyfriend's case...), and her conclusion was that an awful lot of what goes on, when you get down to it, is missionary-position sex with a whole lot of oral sex for the woman--basically, she gets to lie back and receive pleasure. The writer wondered if that was the big turn-on, and that what a lot of readers really wanted was a man who was willing to take his time and make damn sure that they had at least one good orgasm; if that's what they're missing, then it doesn't say much for the average reader's sex life. :-( Considering Madonna's crack that it was totally unreal because "nobody eats that much pussy" (or words to that effect), maybe the writer was on to something...Also, in a good dominant/submissive relationship, it's the dom's job to take care of the sub, and the sub is the one ultimately in control, since they can always stop the action by using their safeword. So, maybe it comes down to being taken care of, being pleasured, and being in charge?

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    2. Tina MalletteFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:58 AM

      Women chasing the bad boy is a legendary meme in history, in literature and in life. The "I can change him" is yet another recurring meme just like the Cinderella story, a big strong prince is going to rescue you me from my dreary life and we will live happily ever after.

      That is why I love series like the Tudors, where women really had no options and even Anne Boleyn for all her wiles while she got the King for a time, she lost her head too.

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    3. BasilFebruary 17, 2015 at 10:17 AM

      I doubt Anne Boleyn was a wiley or manipulative as some historians made her out to be. She tried EVERYTHING to get away from the King, but he basically stalked her and harassed her until I think she just gave up and decided to make the best of a bad situation. I don't think she ever meant to be Queen, because such a thing was impossible, and that's why she kept putting him off from sleeping with her. She thought she would never have to. And that is my history lesson for the day. lol

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    4. RunswithscissorsFebruary 17, 2015 at 11:47 AM

      Wow! Thanks for the replies!! This is so much better than the stupid book club I go to!
      @Robin, I read that what angered those who are part of the S&M culture is how the writer was/is irresponsible about what really goes on in that world, it's obvious she didn't do research because, the responsible members, take trust and care very seriously, those relationships are not one sided and she didn't research/properly portray how things are done.

      Thank you for the history lessons.

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  12. auntliddyFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:31 AM

    How is soft core porn a victory for women??!!!! I am not getting that reasoning at all. I think its a victory for people who like crap.

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  13. Seven of ElevenFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    Right on, @auntliddy!

    Sam Taylor-Johnson is actually a good director, so it's not a huge surprise she made this crapfest work, but I think the only victory is making a crapfest not a crapfest. The whole story is basically a rape/stalker fantasy written as if women love to be stalked and threatened and made to sign an agreement that they won't go to the police if the partner doesn't honour the safe word.

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    1. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:12 PM

      I'm wondering why nobody has mentioned the book/movie 9 and 1/2 Weeks? I have read that book (back in the mid 90's) and when that movie came out people lost their shit. Honestly 50 Shades sounds like the author had read that book and decided to incorporate the twilight fan fic. The book 9 and 1/2 Weeks was much more graphic than the movie but I'm hearing a lot of similar themes.

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    2. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 9:00 PM

      No I meant I read the book around the mid 90's. I got the book quite a bit after the movie came out. Everyone went so batshit over the movie when I saw the hardback in a used bookstore I snagged it. Frankly I didn't even know it was based on a book (the book wasn't very long).

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  14. ethorneFebruary 17, 2015 at 8:52 AM

    :barf

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  15. Tina MalletteFebruary 17, 2015 at 9:03 AM

    Sam also had a good screenwriter writing the adaptation, Kelly Marcel, who wrote the screenplay for Saving Mrs. Banks and is Tom Hardy's partner in a production company. But you can only do so much with an adaptation., But its sounds like the author had way too much power over the script which was an unprecedented deal and making Hollywood wonder if more authors will get that kind of power. As it is they announced they are making two more films.

    Everyone keeps saying this is soft porn, now I have not seen the movie but you all must not subscribe to HBO because I believe I have seen hotter sex and more nudity on HBO almost every night.

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    1. MinPinGirlFebruary 17, 2015 at 7:16 PM

      It's funny because when the 9 and 1/2 Weeks movie came out it did NOT get a very good reception and it was pretty fucking similar on a lot of levels. The Times They Are A Changing!

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  16. JulieFebruary 17, 2015 at 9:11 AM

    I will never understand the book's appeal, so I will definitely not be seeing the movie. I'm one of those who is incredibly shocked that it has done so well, but I also don't get why anyone watches The Real Housewives (of any city).

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