Of muscles and community

Yesterday I was watching one of my favourite Youtube reviews and it was mentioned about the difference between men and women being cast for Superhero movies.  Men pump up to look mega muscular, look at Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman and has anyone checked out how big Chris Helmsworth can get when he films Thor?  I mean, normally he is quite a slim guy.  Anyway, most of the time, women don't bother.  She talked about how awesome it was that Emily Blunt and Linda Hamilton got ripped for their action roles.  I happened to agree with her but it is by the by.

Hamilton must have still been on my mind because thinking about her started a stream of consciousness about the fact that she was in Children of the Corn which I watched as a child and probably was the first thing I saw her in, but MY Linda Hamilton was Beauty and the Beast  now for those who don't know, it wasn't a faithful retelling of the original story and of course this was years before Disney's version, instead it was a modern retelling set in an 80's NYC.

It was also my first Ron Perlman and of course as he was the male lead and hero in it, it has always saddened me that since that role he seems to prefer playing Asshats. (except Hellboy, but even so, Hellboy can be a bit of an asshat too so...YMMV.)  Anyhow, Ron Perlman is by the by too, because what MADE this show for me was not either of the leads, it was the community Victor, the beast came from, it was a vast subterranean community accessed via abandoned subway tunnels and inside it was lovely, the people in the community were very often runaways and other lost souls.  So here I am now, in 2016, looking back to about 1986 and recognising that very early need in me to live in a close community, be a part of a bigger whole with many people who love and care for each other and the children of their community.  Maybe as a child I felt cut off from things living in these modern cities and suburbs?   Ironically the only time living somewhere I thought might be like that I felt the most alone I had ever felt in my life, people were generally even MORE separate than I was used to even in the big city. 

I think it is a connection, it is having people who know you, having people know me by name, know my daughters and being ingrained with my community which makes me feel at ease even if it is not quite as much as I would like, I know from experience, it is better than nothing.


Now if I could only win that lottery.....