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maleficent

First things first, I learnt far more from the film industry’s female ‘villains’ than I did from the so-called ‘heroines’. The ‘villains’ are simply exaggerated versions of the women some of us are desperate to be, but don’t feel brave enough to cast off the mask.

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As far as Hollywood is concerned, there are only two types of women- it’s your typical scenario of the femme fatale, a deviant who utilises her wily powers of seduction, or the Virgin Mary.

The angel or the devil, the child-like heroine or the evil queen. It’s limited at best, but there’s something so fascinating about the ‘villains’, they are more anti-hero than purely evil. No hero is all good, and no villain is all bad.

Society has always been suspicious of powerful women, it demonises them to try and create a backlash, to attempt to convince us that their ambition is wrong. It also plays the insanity card WAY too often to disregard them.

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Think of all your classic Disney villains, most of them are childless. This creates the preconception immediately that they are somehow unnatural, they are barren and cold and ruthless.

Ursula, the Queen of Hearts, the White Witch, Miranda Priestley, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Anything and everything is done to use the audiences’ preconceived idea of the natural to focus your judgements on how inherently wrong it is for a woman to want more than the cards she has been dealt.

After all, the idea of a witch came about from fear of female sexuality in the 15th century, women who were single and childless were assumed to be evil.

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We are fixated on these women because they revel in being all the things that we are told we simply cannot be. They allow themselves to get angry, to take action, to get even.

Most of the time they are just portrayed as being obsessed with regaining their youth through whatever means necessary, they use their jealousy to punish young and beautiful female characters. They sneer, they cackle, they are impeccably dressed, and their red lipstick is ALWAYS on point.

Personally I think this is an insult to women everywhere, we are complicated beings and beauty isn’t the pinnacle of our world.

It’s the pinnacle of what our society expects us to be for success and happiness, but women deserve better stories than this. Evil comes in all shapes and sizes, motives can often have substance and a moral grey area.

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They define transgression, and cross the imaginary borders into the dark unknown where society has ostracised them. They more than likely live in a lair, with some kind of animal side-kick, and don some luxurious fur coat.

They also always do this while looking flawlessly evil, and are more than likely single. They are portrayed as being loners, as being unwanted, precisely for desiring more than what they are supposed to. The poor men who cross their path are either demolished, disgusted or destroyed.

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Let’s take a look at some of the film industry’s most fabulous villainesses, and we guarantee you that some higher knowledge will be dropped by these fierce females.

Miranda Priestley: Dropping the knowledge bombs left, right and centre.

Based on the Vogue editor-in-chief Anne Wintour, Meryl Streep perfectly embodied the uberboss who terrorised interns day and night, who could make anyone cry over a cerulean blue sweater, and whose soft spoken voice could tear you down brick by brick and leave your self-esteem in tatters.

Meryl Streep Sunglasses GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

A simple “that’s all” and her classic arched eyebrow is all that’s ever needed to destroy everything you thought you knew.

Impossible to please, manipulative, and yet every intern who was unlucky enough to cross her path ended up with the thickest skin imaginable, and this later became their best asset in the cut-throat fashion industry.

A top female executive’s main priority is to teach those who come after her to be the best, because most of the time mediocre men can reach heights that only exceptional women get the opportunity to jump for.

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Miranda also epitomises the female sacrifice, and society’s obsession with rating women’s worth by their appearances.

The second she has seemingly lost her youth, they replace her with a younger model who is not even close to being as qualified as her.

It’s the only time we ever see a crack in her ice-cold persona, and the audience is given a glimpse into her life, which has revolved around a fashion publication. Her marriage, her family, her career; the impossible juggling balance that every woman is expected to do, like walking tightrope in a circus.

Miranda is fierce as hell, serves blunt reality checks to everyone in sight, and never wastes her time with pretending to be the glowing subservient heroine.

She shows the industry how good she is at her job, without the façade of aiming to please.

Second, is of course, Regina George. The woman who has everyone feeling victimised, second guessing their wardrobe choices and cutting holes in their t-shirts.

mean girls blow kiss GIF by Hollywood Suite

Regina is the constant reminder that appearances and perception go hand-in-hand.

Image is often pivotal to society’s understanding of women, but some of the most famous female characters have twisted this in their favour.

Regina George is queen of the put-downs, every girls wants to be her and every guy wants to get with her. Her power is the shallow angle of popularity, and she uses it to perfection.

Amy Dunne from Gone Girl is another classic example of a beautiful woman using her perceived image to manipulate those around her.

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If you’ve seen the boxcutter scene from the film, you’ll have realised just how evil Amy really is, and how intelligent.

She is easily one of the most dedicated villainesses you’ll see on screen, committing to her plot so much that she writes an entire fake diary to frame her husband of her murder, and writhes around in bucketfuls of blood. Bit much?

Evil in many ways for these characters is constrained by their womanhood; their identity is that of a jealous wife, a vengeful mother, or a scorned partner whose husband has been having an illicit affair.

These stereotypical gender notions limit their depth and complexity which is given to nearly every male villain, they are expected to fit a single mould and heavily penalised if they don’t. These villains push the boundaries, and don’t care about likeability, a rebellious act in today’s world.

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Some of the scariest female villains are those that inflict evil on other women, after all, gals need to stick together. Of the many lessons we can learn from a decent villainess, it’s that women are not the fragile creatures in need of protection that many heroines are conveyed to be.

The most badass female villains twist cultural norms of femininity into something else entirely. We need some more Dark Ladies to get the ideal balance, to show realistic, three-dimensional female characters on screen and on paper.

Power makes poison, but every villainess is a heroine in her own mind.

Feature image: Elite Daily

 

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With production of Disney's Maleficent 2 officially underway, stars Elle Fanning and Angelina Jolie have been teasing fans with a series of BTS snaps. 

Four years after Jolie first stunned fans with her haunting portrayal of the Disney villain,  Elle has taken to Instagram to share two adorable photos of her and her on-screen mother.

Rocking Maleficent's signature horns and sharp fangs, Angelina can be seen playfully flashing the peace sign in the background, as the pair joked around between takes. 

"It's bring your mom to work day on the #Maleficent2 set," Elle wrote on Instagram.

 

It's bring your mom to work day on the #Maleficent2 set!!!!! 

A post shared by Elle Fanning (@ellefanning) on

 

Ultimate Photobomb #Maleficent2

A post shared by Elle Fanning (@ellefanning) on

Meanwhile, Walt Disney Studios confirmed that Michelle Pfeiffer will indeed be joining the sequel as Queen Ingrith, while Harris Dickinson has been cast as Prince Philip. 

And as if that wasn't enough information to keep us Disney fans satisfied, we got an official plot synopsis which read: 

 "A fantasy adventure that picks up several years after Maleficent, in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney's most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora.

"Maleficent II continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within."

Maleficent 2, which will be directed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge's Joachim Rønning, doesn't yet have a US or UK release date.

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After the success of Maleficent, Disney have decided to tell Dumbo’s tale once again, only this time with a blend of computer graphics and real-world settings.

Ehren Kruger, who wrote Transformers: Age of Extinction, is set to write the script.

We can’t get enough of these Disney remakes – Cinderella is out next March and The Jungle Book is in pre-production. Bring on Dumbo!

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Angelina Jolie has a lot to smile about these days, after her latest film Maleficent raked in a whopping $520 million in worldwide box office sales.

The film topped her previous high earner Mr and Mrs Smith (she got a husband out of that one too remember!) which brought in $478.2 million.

We’ll have to go see this film now to see what all the fuss is about!

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Jimmy Kimmel can do no wrong when comes to creating viral hits and his new parody trailer of hit film Maleficent, is probably his best spoof yet.

The American host managed to convince rapper 50 cent, to dress up as Angelina Jolie’s scary character from the new Disney film.

50 cent is so good and funny in the trailer, you almost wish the film was real.

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Angelina Jolie’s make-up in Maleficent is dark and vampire-esque, but it is possible to create  the look for both day and night.

Thanks to MAC’s Maleficent inspired line, getting Angie’s wicked witch look is actually pretty easy.

Primer
Start with MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter to create a soft glow under your foundation.

Foundation
When it comes to foundation, you need to go for a light almost porcelain shade. MAC’s Pro Longwear SPF 20 Compact foundation is ideal for creating a flawless finish.

Powder
Set the foundation with Maleficent Beauty Powder or simply use it as a highlighter across the nose and cheeks.

Eyebrows
Angie’s brows are defined and striking so go for  MAC Eye Brows to define, colour and shape.

Eyeshadow
In the movie, Angelina’s eyes are intense, dark and sultry and you can easily achieve the look with MAC Maleficent: Eye shadow x4. With deep browns, gold and midnight carbon the easy-to-blend pigmented powder is perfect.

Eyeliner
The eyeliner is there to help create the perfect backdrop for your lashes so you don’t need to go overboard with it. Draw a neat thin line across the upper lashes but don’t do a flick at the end.

Lashes
MAC’s Maleficent inspired false lashes will help you create a dramatic look.

Contour
Maleficent’s cheekbones are amazing. To achieve the look, contour with sculpting powder from your ear right down to the side of your mouth.

Lips
Finish off the look with amazing red lips using MAC’s Maleficent Lipstick in red.

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SHEmazing! TV offers you your daily 90 Second Update rounding up the showbiz news!

Today’s highlights include:

– Kim Kardashian shows Kanye just how much she loves him!

– Brad Pitt gets attacked at Maleficent premiere.

– Selena Gomez has been diagnosed with a life-disabling disease.

– Find out Victoria Beckham’s natural and inexpensive method of keeping young!

– Which great poet admired by A-Listers has passed away?

Watch the video for the full report.

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Actor Sam Riley says he doesn’t really believe in fairy tales as girls are no longer waiting to be “rescued” by a prince.

Well said, Sam!

The British actor stars alongside Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, which tells the back story of the villain in popular fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

Sam said, “What I like about what they’ve done with this one, is it can work in harmony with the original.”

“They’ve not completely revamped the whole thing, electric guitar soundtracks and daft stuff like that… Some of the fairy tale messages are still true today, but we don’t live in a time where the little girl is waiting to be rescued by the prince. It’s more Spice Girls now; girl power,” he said.

The 34-year-old started off as a singer, but his breakthrough in film came when he played the lead role in 2007’s Control.

Oscar winner Angelina fought for Sam to be a part of Maleficent and it seems he’s a big fan of the actress!

“She was really very warm with me and the very first time I walked on set and I was there in costume, I was nervous and thought, ‘What am I doing here?’ but she made me feel relaxed,” said Sam.

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Disney managed to succeed in turning its classic animation film, Sleeping Beauty into the current hit that is Maleficent. But Disney isn’t stopping there, as its just revealed that they are planning to turn family favourite Cinderella, into a live action film.

The film will be released in 2015 and will star Helena Boham Carter, Lily James and Cate Blanchett.

After this amazing teaser, we are already excited!

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It has been reported that the investors over at Disney are becoming increasingly worried that Maleficent is going to scare away movie-goers and be a flop in the box office.

Although Maleficent has been targeted more towards a young adult genre than younger children, the Disney investors are worried that the movie could do badly and cost the company millions.

The movie does look quite dark and scary and it would seem that this could affect parents wanting to bring their little ones to see the movie.

Angelina Jolie, who stars in the terrifying lead role, has admitted that her daughter, Vivienne had to star as a young Aurora because other children were so scared of Maleficent’s costume.

However, she also spoke about the importance of Maleficent in teaching young girls an important message: “It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain…[Maleficent] is actually a good person. But she’s not perfect. In general, it’s a very good message to say, ‘Let’s look at something from the other side’.”

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We can’t wait to see Maleficient after Disney released another trailer today of what will be this years summer blockbuster.

Angelina Jolie steals the spotlight in Disney’s latest trailer; by showing more of the famous villain in her monster form.

Maleficient tells the tale of Sleeping Beauty from the evil fairy’s perspective featuring Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora.

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With the impending release of Maleficent, we take a look at the most frightening villains that Disney created to scare little kids into going to bed on time and eating their peas.

There are more but these are the ones that still freak us out a little. Enjoy!

1. Ursula – The Little Mermaid

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2. Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty

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3. Scar – The Lion King

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4. Jafar – Aladdin

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5. Captain Hook – Peter Pan

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