Corky Was Here

If you didn’t think “The Matrix” movies were cool in the early 2000s you’re probably lying. And if you didn’t have an enduring crush on Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity you’re definitely lying. We all did, hon, get in line. And as convoluted and possibly overly ambitious as the sequels might have become, the films were a revolution in so many ways beyond their stylized, incredibly cool aesthetic. The benefit of time and perspective allows us to see them now as the trans and queer allegories their creators the Wachowskis meant them to be.

So imagine my delight when Twitter pointed out an Easter Egg for queer fans, particularly queer female fans of those talented Wachowski siblings. In the new, highly anticipated trailer for “The Matrix Resurrections,” Lana Wachowski gave all us gay ladies a true treat. As Neo stares up at the “sky” on the streets of San Francisco a sign looms in the background. A sign for “Corky’s Massage Spa & Salon” that includes a signature labrys. (Check out that bottom right hand corner in the above screencap, kittens.)

Yes, that Corky. As in Corky & Violet. As in “Bound.” As in 1996 lesbian noir crime caper that made us all either want to be and/or be with Corky/Gina Gershon and Violet/Jennifer Tilly.

I love that even in the meta, made-up & messed-up Matrix world, the power of Corky & Violet transcends. And, obviously, Violet runs the salon — and possibly the hidden, members-only tattoo parlor in the back.