20/35
Not 1979 or earlier
Chronology
Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor for a hit 1970s TV series, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that behind the gentleman’s facade lies a deadly secret.. The IMDb staff has compiled a list of some notable films of 2024 directed by women.. Some of Sheryl’s bad experiences as an aspiring actress mirror those of Anna Kendrick. Sheryl’s comment about her breasts is “taken literally from something that happened to me when I was 19”.. The coins stolen from the laundromat are modern quarters. You can see 3 different Washington heads.
Greetings from the darkness again
These would be National Park Quarters and later mintage.. Ed: That marks the end of our game. Alright, Cheryl, it’s time to make a decision!. Quoted in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode dated September 8, 2023 (2023). I Don’t Mind Doin’ It Written by Morris Bailey Jr. and Lee Phillips Starring Jackie Lavant and The Fashions Courtesy of Jamie Record Co..
What do all these situations have in common?
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. As a single woman moving into an apartment and 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 all feature vulnerable women who have crossed 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.
Coincidentally, the single woman questioning the three bachelors that day was Cheryl Bradshaw
Director Kendrick also stars as Cheryl Bradshaw, the struggling actress we first meet in one of her endless rounds of auditions where she gets passed over for her looks. 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 villain Rodney Alcala (played here by Daniel Zovatto). The film is set primarily in the late ’70s, though it bounces around a bit. We first see Alcala charming a woman in 1977 Wyoming, using his camera and photography skills to instill a level of comfort and convince her to get in his car. There’s very little violence on screen, but the aftermath does, leaving no doubt that Alcala is a monster. Besides 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) contributes 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 mettle as a director: 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 faced in that era: from subtle worthlessness to overt abuse and constant worry for their safety. Even Cheryl’s interactions with her neighbor (Pete Holmes) show the challenges faced in ordinary settings. The 1979 San Gabriel segment with the fugitive (Autumn Best) is both real and chilling, and further evidence of how much leeway an educated white man like Alcala could afford (he had previously been questioned by police in 1977).