The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen (book)
Encyclopedia
The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen (ISBN 0-87910-327-2) by Dominique Mainon
and James Ursini
, published by Hal Leonard/Limelight Editions is a non-fiction book documenting the evolution of the female action hero in cinema, television and pop-culture. From Barbarella
to Barb Wire
, the book surveys the public's seemingly insatiable fascination with the warrior-woman and amazon archetype in media. From the same authors who wrote Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies (book)
, this book also contains hundreds of illustrations, and a complete bibliography, an extensive 30 page filmography, as well as sidebars about trends, style, and trivia. The warrior-woman image throughout the past five decades is vividly explored, from the iconic Raquel Welch in the prehistoric adventure fantasy One Million Years BC in the "fur bikinis and jungle love" chapter, to the blaxploitation
films (Coffy
, Foxy Brown, and Sheba, Baby
) made famous by Pam Grier
, the first African-American woman to play a warrior woman within the action movie genre . Included also is Lucy Lawless' six-season portrayal of Xena: Warrior Princess
; Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in two Tomb Raider
movies; Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in the sci-fi Alien adventures, and all the various women who have played vampire slayers, superheroes (and villains), as well as assorted television, cartoon, comics, and video game fighter characters in the various movie action/adventure genres. In addition, the book highlights Hong Kong martials arts warriors such as Angela Mao
(Enter the Dragon
) and Zhang Ziyi
(Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
) and Cynthia Rothrock
, and also sexploitation films, even including the controversial Ilsa trilogy.
. The book includes analysis of both feminist and lesbian text and subtext in action movies, TV series, and cartoons, such as Powerpuff Girls. as well as - Tank Girl
, G.I. Jane
, La Femme Nikita, Ripley from Alien - but also not forgetting Pippi Longstocking
, Pepper from Police Woman
, and Clarice (Jodie Foster) from The Silence of the Lambs.
The book also relates a brief background on warrior women in history, myth, and literature, chronicling the effects of male fantasy and societal values on their portrayal in film and on television, and their overall portrayal in Hollywood. Revenge and loss of father, Oedipal conflicts, sisterhood make up just a few of the themes that underlie warrior-women movies are also discussed. The book also contains unique special features sections which include topics such as the "Weapons of Warrior Women," "Occupational Hazards of Superheroines," and the study of the representation of women as felines ("The Feline Woman") and the association of women and snakes in myths and history ("Woman and the Serpent").
Dominique Mainon
Dominique Mainon, born , is an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker living in Laguna Beach, California. She has written several books along with noted author and film historian James Ursini including Femme Fatale: Cinema's Most Unforgettable Lethal Ladies , Cinema of Obsession: Erotic...
and James Ursini
James Ursini
James Ursini is a teacher and writer living in Los Angeles. He received his Master's Degree in Theater Arts and a Doctorate in Film in 1975 from UCLA...
, published by Hal Leonard/Limelight Editions is a non-fiction book documenting the evolution of the female action hero in cinema, television and pop-culture. From Barbarella
Barbarella
Barbarella is a female given name, variant of Barbara. It may also refer to:* Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest; the origin of the story** Barbarella , based on the comic book; starring Jane Fonda...
to Barb Wire
Barb Wire
Barb Wire was a superhero published by Comics Greatest World, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. A regular series was published for 9 issues between 1994-1995, followed by a mini-series in 1998.-Creators:Regular Series:...
, the book surveys the public's seemingly insatiable fascination with the warrior-woman and amazon archetype in media. From the same authors who wrote Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies (book)
Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies (book)
Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies by Dominique Mainon and James Ursini is a non-fiction book documenting the history of obsessive love, amour fou and erotic fixation in cinema....
, this book also contains hundreds of illustrations, and a complete bibliography, an extensive 30 page filmography, as well as sidebars about trends, style, and trivia. The warrior-woman image throughout the past five decades is vividly explored, from the iconic Raquel Welch in the prehistoric adventure fantasy One Million Years BC in the "fur bikinis and jungle love" chapter, to the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films (Coffy
Coffy
- Track listing :# "Coffy Is The Color" - 3:03Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Ayers, Wayne Garfield# "Priscilla's Theme" - 3:58# "King George" - 3:00Vocals – Roy Ayers# "Aragon" - 2:55# "Coffy Sauna" - 2:16# "King's Last Ride" - 1:10# "Coffy Baby" - 2:26...
, Foxy Brown, and Sheba, Baby
Sheba, Baby
The action movie Sheba, Baby is a 1975 blaxploitation film starring Pam Grier as Sheba Shayne. In the film, Sheba returns to her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, to confront thugs who are trying to intimidate her father into dissolving or handing over his family business...
) made famous by Pam Grier
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette "Pam" Grier is an American actress. She became famous in the early 1970s, after starring in a string of moderately successful women in prison and blaxploitation films such as 1974's Foxy Brown. Her career was revitalized in 1997 after her appearance in Quentin Tarantino's film...
, the first African-American woman to play a warrior woman within the action movie genre . Included also is Lucy Lawless' six-season portrayal of Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
; Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in two Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
movies; Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in the sci-fi Alien adventures, and all the various women who have played vampire slayers, superheroes (and villains), as well as assorted television, cartoon, comics, and video game fighter characters in the various movie action/adventure genres. In addition, the book highlights Hong Kong martials arts warriors such as Angela Mao
Angela Mao
Angela Mao is a martial arts film actress best known for the string of kung fu films in which she starred during the 1970s. She is also known as Mao Ying, Angela Mao Ying, and Mao Fu Ying...
(Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
) and Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi
Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun...
(Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
) and Cynthia Rothrock
Cynthia Rothrock
Cynthia Rothrock is an American martial artist and actress specializing in martial arts films. -Martial arts achievements:Rothrock is five-time World Karate Champion in forms and weapons between 1981 and 1985...
, and also sexploitation films, even including the controversial Ilsa trilogy.
Theme
The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen is widely recognized as a sociologically sound study of strong women of this rapidly growing female action here genre in film and TV. It is quoted as having "an authoritative style that’s thankfully free of pretension and stuffiness." It is written from a female perspective (Mainon's) but balanced with scholarly data from verified popcult expert, James UrsiniJames Ursini
James Ursini is a teacher and writer living in Los Angeles. He received his Master's Degree in Theater Arts and a Doctorate in Film in 1975 from UCLA...
. The book includes analysis of both feminist and lesbian text and subtext in action movies, TV series, and cartoons, such as Powerpuff Girls. as well as - Tank Girl
Tank Girl
Tank Girl is a British comic created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin. Originally drawn by Jamie Hewlett, it has also been drawn by Rufus Dayglo, Ashley Wood, and Mike McMahon.The eponymous character Tank Girl drives a tank, which is also her home...
, G.I. Jane
G.I. Jane
G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action film directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions and Caravan Pictures, distributed by Hollywood Pictures and starring Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training...
, La Femme Nikita, Ripley from Alien - but also not forgetting Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...
, Pepper from Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
, and Clarice (Jodie Foster) from The Silence of the Lambs.
The book also relates a brief background on warrior women in history, myth, and literature, chronicling the effects of male fantasy and societal values on their portrayal in film and on television, and their overall portrayal in Hollywood. Revenge and loss of father, Oedipal conflicts, sisterhood make up just a few of the themes that underlie warrior-women movies are also discussed. The book also contains unique special features sections which include topics such as the "Weapons of Warrior Women," "Occupational Hazards of Superheroines," and the study of the representation of women as felines ("The Feline Woman") and the association of women and snakes in myths and history ("Woman and the Serpent").