Woman of the Hour 2023 Ac3.WEBRip Torrent
37/25
Greetings from the darkness again
Line of Events
Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV series, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that behind the man’s kind facade lies a deadly secret. Some of Sheryl’s bad experiences as an aspiring actress mirror those of Anna Kendrick. The comment about Sheryl’s breasts is “taken literally from something that happened to me when I was 19.” Quoted in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode September 8, 2023 (2023). As a single woman, being told you look like a model is a welcome compliment. As a runaway living on the streets, having a young man show interest in you is a welcome development.
What do all these situations have in common?
As a single woman moving into an apartment, having a charming young man help you move furniture is a welcome development. As a struggling actress, being cast in a hit show is a welcome job. They feature vulnerable women who cross paths with Rodney Alcala, a notorious serial rapist and murderer. This is the first feature film directed by the talented Anna Kendrick and it’s a blast. Director Kendrick also stars Cheryl Bradshaw, the struggling actress we first meet in one of her endless rounds of auditions where she doesn’t get picked because of her looks.
Coincidentally, the nubile woman questioning the three bachelors that day was Cheryl Bradshaw
It’s one of a series of misogynistic scenarios that play out in this film written by Ian MacDonald and based on the true story of the evil Rodney Alcala (played here by Daniel Zovatto). The film is primarily set in the late 1970s, though it does bounce around a bit. We first see Alcala charm a woman in 1977 Wyoming by using his camera and photography skills to instill a certain level of comfort and convince her to get in his car. There is very little violence on screen, but the aftermath does, leaving no doubt that Alcala is a monster. Aside from the murders, what made Rodney Alcala famous in the headlines was his 1978 appearance on “The Dating Game,” a very popular TV show at the time (except we don’t hear the iconic theme song and there’s no kiss at the end).
This sequence alone demonstrates Ms
As the show’s host, Ed Burke (not Jim Lange, played by Tony Hale) adds to the misogyny of the era, while the wigs and makeup artists silently applaud Cheryl as she rewrites the questions for the second half, exposing her level of frustration at playing an object of desire for three men. With no shortage of disturbing or horrifying moments, the film’s best sequence involves Cheryl and Alcala walking through a dimly lit parking lot after an exceedingly awkward post-show drink. Kendrick’s courage as a filmmaker: the tension is almost unbearable. Rather than simply retelling the tales of a 1970s psychopath, the film adds layers by reminding us of what women in that era faced: from subtle worthlessness to outright abuse and constant worry for their safety. Even Cheryl’s interactions with her neighbor (Pete Holmes) show the challenges faced in ordinary settings.
Premiering on Netflix October 18, 2024
The 1979 San Gabriel segment with the fugitive (Autumn Best) is both real and chilling, and further evidence of how much agency an educated white man like Alcala could afford (he had previously been questioned by police in 1977). If you somehow make it to the end of the film and aren’t completely disgusted by Rodney Alcala, just try to keep calm as you read the final slides about his trail of destruction and how brave that final fugitive proved to be. The final season of “What We Do in the Shadows” is one of the biggest TV and streaming premieres this month. Check out our October calendar for more!
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