My Top Ten Movie Countdown - Girl Power Edition!

Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest highjacks this week’s Monday Movie Meme. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m remixing the Ninja Captain’s blog fest instructions for a spotlight on lady directors – in a countdown of my Top Ten Movies Directed by Women – at least, the ones that I can remember.

Some of the films on this list do not make up a comprehensive representation of my ultimate favorite movies.

What they do have in common, however, is the fact that they meet both of the following criteria: I would watch them again and I would recommend that they be watched at least once. So, the theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme is inspired by my fellow A to Z Co-Host’s blogfest as well as Women’s History Month: Top Ten Movie Countdown - Girl Power Edition!

Share on your blog or in the comments section, your top ten favorite movies directed by women that you can think of at this moment. Also link back to this post and visit the blogs of fellow Monday Movie Meme and/or Top Ten Movie Blogfest participants.

Here are my selections – in no particular order -- for this week’s Top Ten Movie Countdown – Girl Power Edition! theme.

10. Born into Brothels

The children of Kolkata’s (or Calcutta) prostitutes learn how to use cameras and tell stories about their surroundings through art in this Oscar-winning documentary, directed by Zana Briski.

9. My Tehran for Sale

An aspiring actress is forced to lead a double life due to her country’s ban on the arts in this Australian-Iranian film directed by Granaz Moussavi. Actress Marzieh Vafamehr was arrested and sentenced to one year and 90 lashes in Iran, for appearing in “My Tehran for Sale” without a hijab.

Although she was eventually released – not without appeals from Amnesty International and the movie’s producers, there is something to be said about a person who literally risked her life to make art and aid in the freedom of expression.

8. Middle of Nowhere

A young woman’s life is turned upside down when her husband’s prison sentence creates a rough future that she didn’t ask for in this Sundance Film Festival-winning drama, directed by Ava DuVernay.

7. Player Hating: A Love Story

As he prepares for the launch of his album, Brooklyn-based rapper Half-A-Mill introduces viewers to an environment that many people would like to deny even exists in this documentary directed by Maggie Hadleigh-West. Maggie went through a heck of a time to make this movie. Hats off to her! Expect my long overdue interview with this director to be posted here soon.

6. Humpday

Two heterosexual male friends embark on making a gay porno in this comedy, directed by Lynn Shelton. What started as a drunken dare at one late night party gets serious enough to almost ruin one guy’s marriage. It also motivates both friends to question their state of overall happiness and where they fall on the quality-of-life scale. I wanted to see this movie so bad when it was showing at Rooftop Films Summer Series a few years ago – particularly because the film’s star Mark Duplass was in attendance. He is also a filmmaker and has made some funny movies himself.

Duplass aside, can you guess what’s so inappropriately awesome about “Humpday?” I especially like how at first glance, you’d have the impression that a man directed this movie. If I showed the poster and movie trailer to five random people on the street and asked them to guess the director’s gender, I’d be willing to bet my $5 IndieGoGo perk that most, if not all of them go the testosterone route.

5. Our Rhineland

Two sisters are faced with making the toughest choices of their lives in this short film, directed by Faren Humes. It is a beautifully shot and well-crafted story about an ugly part of history – the sterilization of mixed-race women. WATCH IT.

4. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

An around-the-way girl dates an older guy (I think…haven’t watched it since grade school) and all hell breaks loose in this movie, about teenage pregnancy, directed by Leslie Harris.

3. August Rush

A runaway orphan follows music wherever he can find it, hoping that doing so will lead him to his parents, in this drama directed by Kristen Sheridan. Despite this movie being as cliché as they come, I think it’s cute and have a soft spot for Kerri Russell, ever since “Felicity” graced the tube. I can still recall the day I went to see “August Rush” at The Roxy, a small movie theater that was independently owned until one of the local arts organizations bought it in 2012 – my bad to digress…

2.Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

Who knew that Patrick Swayze could parlay a wardrobe of dresses and high heels into a Golden Globe nomination?! If you don’t know, now you know – this road trip comedy about drag queens, directed by Beeban Kidron, is one of my all-time favorite movies…I mean, ever!!! I could not only watch this flick multiple times but would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of some afternoon laughs.

1. The Leesburg 33

This documentary, directed by Shari Thompson, is about the 33 teenage girls who were locked in an abandoned military stockade in Georgia, for protesting during the Civil Rights Movement. Adding “The Leesburg 33” film to this week’s Monday Movie Meme/ Top Ten Countdown list almost has me in tears – frankly because it seems like it was just yesterday – well, more like five minutes ago that I watched this movie.

I only saw it once, yet, experience the same thoughts and emotions when the movie comes to mind – not because of the subject that it touches on, which includes racism and the illegal incarceration and abuse of minors.

To this day, I may not remember most of the details of what the girls endured during those six weeks that they were held – but I do remember something that one of them said in a scene when asked if she was angry when looking back, now as an adult, on what happened: “No human gain is every made without somebody sacrificing!” For many reasons, some that I might not even be able to explain, “The Leesburg 33” is one of the films that sticks to me – one that I will likely hold dear for the rest of my days on this earth.

What are YOUR Top Ten Movies directed by Women?

3 Things Movies Taught Me About Fundraising

My IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for the film festival and television premieres of “Abyss” continues to be in full swing, with lots of work, sleepless nights and surprising sources of support. On Sunday, I started thinking about movies where people are collecting donations for a particular cause -- there are some Do’s and Don’ts that could be learned from fundraising campaigns on the big screen. So, it’s become the inspiration behind this week’s Monday Movie Meme: Show Me the Money!

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring some type of fundraising. The campaign could be a one-time occurrence or an ongoing effort led by one person or an entire group of people. Remember to link back to this post and visit the blogs of fellow Monday Movie Meme participants. Here are my selections for this week’s Show Me the Money theme, based on three things that movies taught me about fundraising.

DON’T - Lay Claim to another Man’s Generosity

As Seen in “Coming to America” Starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall

The scene where Akeem dumps a wad full of money into the collection plate at church is unforgettable, for reasons other than cash. You see, Lisa assumes that her hot-shot boyfriend Darryl gave this large donation to the church. Darryl a.k.a Mr. Scumbag himself, takes all the credit for that money, knowing darn well that he passed the collection plate to the next person without offering Lisa’s church one dime.

DO - Be Transparent with Donors on How their Funds Will Be Used

As Seen in “A Time to Kill” Starring Samuel Jackson and Sandra Bullock

While in jail, Carl Lee makes it clear to his pastor that he will reveal the church’s misuse of funds raised by the congregation. The pastor took a special collection for Carl Lee’s legal expenses and to help feed the jailed man’s family. Apparently, that money did not go toward those two causes and then the church had the audacity to bring in the NAACP with intentions of replacing Carl Lee’s current lawyer with one of their own preference.

DON’T – Choose a Market that is Difficult for You to Compete In

As seen in “Dodgeball” starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller

The staff at Average Joes gym hosts an all-male car wash to save their business from being bought out by a conglomerate competitor. Unfortunately, their timing and location choices put them up against a group of hot women in bikinis that drove most of the traffic to their own all-girls car wash. After sizing up their competition and realizing that this gym fundraiser’s sole customer was a perverted trucker, the staff cut their losses and accepted defeat.

What fundraising campaigns have YOU seen in movies?

Thank You for Smoking in the Movies

There is a scene in my "Abyss" movie where Manny starts smoking a blunt while Eric has an unpleasant phone conversation with the bus company. So, the theme of this week’s Monday Movie Meme is inspired by one man’s pastime during a tense situation: Thank You for Smoking.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring people who smoke. This includes cigarettes, cigars and weed. Remember to link back to this blog post and visit the blogs of other Monday Movie Meme participants. Here are my selections for this week’s Thank You for Smoking theme.

The Golden Child
There is a dragon lady in this movie who smokes cigarettes behind a screen while offering advice on how to find a kidnapped child in Tibet.

Set It Off
Three of the leading friends in this movie get high, smoking marijuana on a rooftop following their latest shift work as janitors. I’m saying three because the fourth friend named T.T.(played by Kimberly Elise) is a non-smoker who just chills with the group, imagining what the job market would be like if a nearby factory didn’t start laying off its workforce. This is the scene where Frankie’s (played by Vivica A. Fox) bank robbery suggestion gets serious.

Love Jones
One of the main characters, Darius, has such a heavy smoking habit that his married friend suggests that its the reason he couldn’t run fast enough through that train station. “Maybe if you weren’t sucking on those cancer sticks...you would’ve caught her!” is one of the lines that reference his smoking habit.

What movies have YOU watched that feature people with smoking habits?