double feature #1: voodoo dolls

one of the brightest of all illuminaria on the indianapolis film scene, ryan micheel(who needs his own blog if only so i can read it...daily) once told me of his theory that any two movies, when viewed as a double feature will share similarities beyond the method of production that will make them viable to each other within the format. with this i give you the first installment of what will be sure to become another massive hit on the net(thats what us hip kids who started our blog in 08 call the interweb) i submit for your(probably only zach's) audio/visual pleasure:

marked for death-dwight h. little 1990
cleo from 5 to 7-agnes varda 1962

while on the surface these films might seem far apart, i assure you they are not. steven segal hunting down voodoo drug kingpins shares many traits with cleo on her voyage of self discovery through the waters of impending doom. along the way both protagonists are forced to confront not only their world, but also themselves.

in much the same way segal hunts down the drug dealers thus attoning for the wrongs inflicted upon him, cleo must travel the streets of paris, attempting to reconcile the image she has of herself with the image she feels is being placed upon her by the patriarchal society that can only see her for her looks/voice and sex appeal. in the manner that segal realizes that he is not controlled by the voodoo that seems to hinder his pursuit of the bad guys, cleo too comes to the realization that she is not merely the object of the male gaze, but that she is a fucking badass popstar ready for you to hear her roar. the voodoo of institutionalized sexism can no longer define her journey through this world. in an act of defiance, she bolts from a meeting with her producers, longing to discover paris on her own terms, longing to discover herself away from the pressures of society that have been put upon her. she will no longer be manipulated like a voodoo doll, she is the one who will insert the pins.

in the end they both kick ass, steven segal in the traditional form, cleo in a more emotionally driven way. they both however do it in their own way, eschewing the societal constraints that have partly dominated their lives previously. whether overcoming voodoo or sexism, both walk away with a more pronounced definition of self, seeming to say "i am who i am." and if you dont like it that's tough.

now go enjoy...