My Weekend Crush

Like probably a lot of you, I watched the new “Matrix” movie over the holidays. And, I liked it. I really did. It straddled the line between nostalgia and innovation, while furthering its narrative about becoming the person you were meant to be. In the end it was an introspective and well-made (if not always entirely joyful) return to a universe that for better and too often much worse has been co-opted by the very people it hopes to enlighten. You know, all the red pill bullshit of the worst parts of the Internet. My favorite character, as with the original trilogy, was of course Trinity. I mean, I’m a queer woman and I have eyes. Duh. I’ve loved Carrie-Anne Moss ever since too. That hair cut and all that skin-tight black PVC makes an impression. The twist of turning her empowered, endlessly kickass character into a literal soccer mom (and naming her, horrors, Tiffany), was deliciously cruel. But even if the reboot doesn’t pack the visual wham-bam of the original movie, I will be endlessly grateful to it for bringing my favorite character back to life. And, in doing so, reminding us all you can’t keep an iconic female character down – or at very least you shouldn’t. Happy weekend, all.

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.

The Holy Trinity

There still is no spoon. But soon, there will be more of “The Matrix.” The return to the green-tinted, black leather world of falling code and angry computers will reunite original franchise co-creator and director Lana Wachowski and stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity.

To quote The One in pretty much every movie, “Whoa.”

I will freely and proudly admit to harboring the most intense crush on Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity. I mean, how could you not? She had an alternative lifestyle haircut and wore skin-tight leather/PVC pants and tank tops and could kick you backwards in the head like a freaking scorpion. Also, Carrie-Anne Moss is very good in the face and body and all those other superficial places. I also freely admit to having dozens of truly ancient probably 12-24kb photos of Trinity saved somewhere on some backup hard drive from the late 90s, early 2000s era. So there’s that.

Granted, I have absolutely no idea how they plan to resurrect her since she died in the third film “The Matrix Revolutions.” (Also, that movie is 16 years old so I don’t want to hear any whining about “spoilers” here.)

But I can say I am truly excited to see what happens next and how Lana and Keanu and Carrie-Anne return us to The Matrix in already endlessly online times. The films (the first, definitely, the rest to diminishing degrees) still feel so contemporary in their technological dystopia. And, let’s just admit it, they were so fucking cool. The story was cool. The actors looked cool. The technology was cool. I mean, I still kind of want one of those auto-slide open phones.

With trans filmmaker Lana at the helm I feel assured we will get a bold and queer-inclusive return to a universe we all couldn’t get enough of two decades ago. While The Wachowskis post-Matrix work has been a tad uneven, you have to admire the sisters’ singular vision and willingness to take enormous swings into the unknown. Plus, they gave us “Bound” which remains an iconic staple of lesbian cinema. And their truly terrible “Jupiter Ascending” is perhaps my favorite truly terrible movie of all time. I’ve unashamedly watched it like half a dozen times.

So bring on the skin-tight PVC and let’s all take another Red Pill (but not in the horrible Men’s Rights/Al-Right way) together. Time to reboot all those latent Trinity fantasies.

My Weekend Crush

So the first full “Jessica Jones” trailer is finally out and *low whistle* it looks intense. Descriptors like “dark” and “gritty” and “terrifying” are usually only deployed when talking about show’s starring men doing men things. Or superheroes doing men things (think Batman or Daredevil). But now, Netflix is offering us a woman at the center of all those adjectives. Needless to say, I’m in. I was in when I first heard about the concept. I was really in when I heard it would feature Carrie-Anne Moss playing a lesbian characters. And now that I’ve seen this dark, gritty, terrifying vision I’m ready. November 20, let’s Netflix and send chills down our spines. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. Only small complaint? The trailer needs more Carrie-Anne Moss and her haircut, duh.

Taking the Sweet Lady Kisses to the Streets

So I’ve already sampled a few of this fall’s new shows already (“Blindspot,” “Minority Report,” “Rosewood”) and while I can’t say anything has been abjectly terrible, I was also not too terribly impressed. Sure, I still have high hopes for “Supergirl.” And, yes, I am watching “Scream Queens” despite all of my continuing Post-Traumatic Glee Disorder. But the one show right now I’m most excited for, hand down, is “Jessica Jones.” The new Netflix series based on the Marvel comic of the same name features Krysten Ritter in the title role. She plays a former superghero who now runs her own detective agency in New York City. It has been billed as kind of a companion piece to the streaming service’s series “Daredevil,” a gritty crime series – but this time with a female lead. What makes it even better is Carrie Anne Moss (yes, Trinity) plays Harper, an ally of Jessica’s who also happens to kiss ladies in the street. Let me repeat that, Carrie Anne Moss kisses ladies in the street on this show. I know, SOLD! The series drops Nov. 20 on Netflix. So, make plans and arrange your binge-watching snacks accordingly.



p.s. For more on all of the fall TV shows with new lesbian and bisexual female characters, check out my column in Women & Hollywood today tomorrow.