Leonardo diCaprio stars as the title character, Jay Gatsby in this movie, based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Carey Milligan stars as the love of his life, Daisy. Toby McGuire hangs up his Spiderman suit to play the writer/narrator, Nick Carraway.

The Hot New Music

Fitzgerald’s novel chronicles the Jazz Age, often referencing the hot jazz songs of his time. Baz Luhrmann has taken that one step further by using the hot music of our time, hip-hop. With songs from artists like Jay-Z, Beyonce’, Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine and Will.I.Am, the music From Baz Luhrmann’s film makes this a movie for a new ‘lost generation’.

 The Novel I Never Read

The Great Gatsby is one of those books you are supposed to read in high school. I am embarrassed to say, I must have used the Cliff Notes for that class. Now I feel compelled to read the book in order to give an honest review of the movie. How sad is that?

Have you read The Great Gatsby? What did you think of it?

Gatsby-Style Fashion

The glitz, glamour, ornate details of the fashion of Roaring 20′s has a style all its own. With Art Deco inspirations,  ”The Great Gatsby” is bound to show up in this summer’s fashion. Whether you are looking to enjoy a casual Gatsby themed garden party or don your most glamorous look at a fabulous cocktail evening, there are plenty of ways with ModCloth* to add a flapper-esque flair to any look this spring/summer.

• Details, details, details. Epaulets, pearls, rhinestones, and sequins were highly used during this time period to add glitz to an evening outfit.
• Slender silhouettes. While you could still see a full skirt, long hemline, and high neck, the robe de style dress featuring a drop waist and straight cut was the most popular style.
• Haute headpieces. To top off the entire look, add a whimsical & decadent headpiece from ModCloth. You can even DIY a fabulous headband with ribbon, feathers, and gemstones!

For more tips & tricks to achieve the perfect flapper-esque look, visit the ModStylists here: 1920′s Great Gatsby Fashion at ModCloth.*

Other Versions of The Great Gatsby

A beautifully golden Robert Redford and Mia Farrow starred in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby, with Sam Waterston (you might remember him from Law & Order) as the writer, Nick Carraway.

There have been other versions: Mira Sorvino and Toby Stephens starred in an A&E adaptation of Gatsby; and Alan Ladd and Betty Field appeared as Gatsby and Daisy in 1949. There was even a silient movie version of The Great Gatsby in 1926.

Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby is in theaters on May 10, 2013.

*This post includes affiliate links.

These shallow roles do not portray women in their true light- as strong, caring individuals who face the same struggles and hardships as men.

The following upcoming movies go beyond the typical rom-com roles and really show strong women in challenging roles. These roles show just how important strong female leads can be, and buck the tradition of placing women in “cute” or “sexy” roles 100 percent of the time.

Sandra Bullock  in Gravity

Sandra Bullock started as a vapid Hollywood star, but has moved past her early, silly roles. In Gravity, she plays an astronaut stranded in space. Her spacecraft and space station are destroyed, and she is left completely alone. This is a rare role for a woman.

Women are rarely given solo roles. This is an exciting step for the increase in serious roles for women in Hollywood. As the main actor in the film, and sometimes the only actor, Bullock gets the chance to show how gender doesn’t matter in a movie- only good acting matters. The movie is due to be released in the fall of 2013.

Dame Judi Dench  in Philomena

Judi Dench has played strong women in movies for years, which was a challenge in the early days of Hollywood. She has spent the last several years playing a major role in the James Bond franchise, but now she is striking out on her own. Philomena is the story of a woman who gave up her child for adoption as a young woman. Years later, she determines to find that child.

Elizabeth Olsen  in Therese Raquin

Elizabeth Olsen may be one of the youngest Hollywood stars, but she shows the world that inexperience does not have to equal bad acting. She has starred in heavy movie roles already, including Martha Marcy May Marlene and Kill Your Darlings.

In 2014, she stars in Therese , a movie about a young married woman in the 1800s who has an affair and then plots to kill her sickly husband with her new lover. Women as “evil” characters are still largely ignored in Hollywood, and giving the chance to such a young actress is an opportunity to show just how strong of an actress Elizabeth Olsen can be.

Angelina Jolie in Maleficent

Piggy-backing on strong women in evil roles is the story of Maleficent. This movie tells the Sleeping Beauty story, not from Beauty’s prospective, but from Maleficent’s.

In this dark role is strong actress Angelina Jolie, who has paved the way for many heavy roles for women throughout her career.

If these movies are successful, it will show Hollywood that women are tired of seeing themselves portrayed as minor characters in the lives of men. More movies should showcase characters for themselves rather than oversimplify gender stereotypes.

Movies with strong women will only continue to be made if they sell, so it is the responsibility of movie-goers to support the movies with leading women roles to show the world that women are more than simply sex symbols or sidekicks.

Writer Biography

This is a guest post by Lindsey Mcmahon. Her interests are entertainment, television, parenting and health but she is constantly extending her field of view to incorporate interesting news suggested to her by her readers. She currently works for DirectTVDeal.com.

Who was Billie Burke?

Well the reason we all know her is because she played ‘Glinda’, the good Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz – the 1939 classic. But the actress had already had a glittering career by the time she starred in her most iconic role by far. In fact, she had starred in more than 30 Hollywood films during the Depression Era of the 1930s.

She was born Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke in Washington, D.C. in 1884. Her father was the English clown, Billy Burke; a big name in the legendary Barnum & Bailey Circus. So performing was very much ‘in the blood’ as she spent so much time on the road in her formative years.

As her father’s career ended, the family settled in London where Billie saw numerous plays in London’s West End. She also went to the cinema in London during these years and the combination of all these factors inspired her to become one of the first true female greats of Hollywood – though she receives insufficient recognition, today, for her pioneering role. It seems the few people that do know who she was can’t quite get away from her seminal role (great though that was).

Billie Burke’s Acting Career

Billie first began acting on stage seriously in 1903, making her London debut in London in ‘The School Girl’. But she was to return to the USA where she quickly became the toast of Broadway as a musical and comedy star – before becoming one of the most famous faces in cinema.

She moved into movies in 1916, making this her full-time occupation from 1929 onwards. Her first movie was ‘Peggy’ in which she played the title role of a woman travelling to her ancestral home in Scotland.

The career that followed included over 80 films – most of these before the second world war. By the time she played the role that she will forever be associated with as ‘Glinda’ she was 53 and her greatest acting years were already behind her.

The year she played this role, she was also nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her part in ‘Merrily We Live’. Billie truly was a progenitor for women in Hollywood during its glory years and an inspiration for all those who followed her.

What is your favorite Billie Burke movie?

This is a Guest Post by Emma Carey: Emma is an avid film watcher and particularly loves the glamor and the romance of classic films. She enjoys rediscovering forgotten movies and writing about them to inspire others!

Far Away Places

Peggy is nervous about making yet another pitch to the Heinz people. Making matters worse Don takes the day off with Megan to drive upstate to visit, a potential client-Howard Johnson’s.  Megan hesitates leaving her co-workers with the big Heinz presentation due.

Peggy makes the pitch and no surprise, Heinz didn’t like. She is fed up and tells them that  “It’s young and it’s beautiful, and no one else is going to figure out how to say that about beans!” Oops! Peggy is off the account. So, like her mentor, Don Draper she heads to the movie theater to think.

Orange Sherbet Tastes Like Perfume

Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

When they  arrive at the Howard Johnson’s Don insist that  Megan try their special orange sherbet. Even though she doesn’t want to, Don continues to insist. I didn’t see it coming, but she snapped. Megan started shoving heaping spoonfuls of orange sherbet into her mouth. uh oh… trouble in paradise.

The Drapers have their first fight! Don storms out, but Megan won’t get in the car. Don leaves her, but returns right away to get her, but she is not there.

Don waits for Megan at the restaurant for hours. He makes several frantic phone calls to his home and office looking for her. Several hours later he finds Megan at home.

She caught the bus back to city.  Don,  on the verge of tears, thinking that he had lost Megan, falls on his knees and clutching Megan around her waist.

Roger and Jane Take a Trip

Jane Sterling encourages her husband to expand his mind with LSD.They attend a dinner party where the hostess hands out the drug to her guests. Under the hallucenagenic effects of LSD, Roger realizes that he doesn’t like Jane very much and wants a divorce.

You’ve been on love leave”

The next day, Bert  Cooper tells Don he should leave a ‘little girl’ in charge of major client accounts. “You’ve been on love leave,” Cooper warns. “It’s amazing things are going as well as they are with as little as you are doing.”

 At the Codfish Ball

Photo Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC

Don’s excitement about receiving a reward from the American Cancer Society is dampened by houseguest. Megan’s parents, Emile and Marie are visiting from Montreal causing tension in the Draper home.

As if their constant quarrelling in French isn’t enough, they plant seeds of dissatisfaction in Megan. Megan’s father reminds her that she came to New York to be an actress, not work in advertising. And on the other hand, Megan’s mother, Marie tells her that she may not have the talent to be an actress. Marie is also quite a flirt. Her mother is wonderfully played by Julia Ormond.

Emile Calvet: One day your little girl will spread her legs and fly away,”
Megan Draper:  “Wings, daddy“

Adding to the household tension, Bobby and Sally are also visiting for the weekend. We don’t see to much of Bobby Draper.

Megan and Marie take Sally shopping to buy an outfit for the ACS awards banquet. They dress up her with a mini-dress, white knee-high boots and make-up. Don is not happy with such a grown-up look on his little girl and he insists Sally take off the make-up and the boots. Even without the make-up and boots Sally is starting to look like a teenager.

But Sally is at the awkward age when she wants so badly to be an adult, but she is still just a little girl. Later that evening at the awards banquet, Sally wanders into the wrong room and gets a glimpse into the adult world. She see Megan’s mother and Roger Sterling engaged in an intimate act.

Men don’t take the time to end things, They ignore you until you insist on a declaration of hate.” –Joan Harris

Peggy thinks that Abe is planning to propose, but she is disappoint what he proposes is not marriage, but living together. This is a controversial decision. As modern as Peggy thinks she is, she doesn’t want to be one of those unmarried people ‘living in sin’ or ‘shaking up’.

Peggy invites  her mother over for dinner, to tell her about her decision to move in with Abe. Peggy’s mother gives her some loving and sincere advice. “This man will never marry you. He is just using you are practice for marriage“.

What was your favorite moment or moments in these two episodes?

This episode is very dark. The news of the news about race riots and the 1966 murder of eight nurses in Chicago permeates the show. Today, news of a mass murder or serial killer is barely from page news. But in 1966, this was unheard of. People were both horrified and curious.  Peggy’s friend Joyce come to SCDP with gory  unpublished crime scene photos from Life Magazine.  And even though  she is forbidden from watching the news that day, Sally sneaks a peak of the newspaper. The times really are a changin’.

My Bad Penny

Don and Megan ride the elevator on the way up to SCDP. Don, who is fighting off a bad cold stands on the other side of the elevator.  In walks someone from his past who obviously liked dipping into the Don Draper well. Andrea, the red-headed copywriter is really flirting with Don, until he informs her that Megan is his new wife. Apparently Megan is upset with this interchange, which is not the first and probably wont be the last. They would have to move out-of-state to stop running into Don’s ex-lovers. But Don loves Megan and he is really trying to be a faithful husband.

a bad penny always comes back

He managed to get through the Butler Shoes pitch, but Don is getting sicker by the minute. Megan urges him to go home to bed. Sweaty and sick with a cold and fever, Don gets ready for bed, when who should show up but the bad penny herself, Andrea. she is hoping to reignite their former “relationship“. Don tries to get rid of her, but eventually gives in to her sexual advances. How could this happen when he was trying so hard to be good? Andrea taunts Don and promises that she will return for more. Maybe out of guilt or to keep her from coming back, Don strangles  Andrea to death. It is a disturbing scene.

The Bad Husband

Joan is anxiously preparing for Greg’s return from Viet Nam. Most of that concern involves baby Kevin. Will Greg suspect that Kevin is not his baby? While her mother takes the baby for a long walk, Joan uses her feminine wiles to keep Greg’s mind off the fact that baby Kevin is almost a year old and her has been in Viet Nam for 9 months. But Greg is keeping a secret from Joan. He tells her that he has to go back to Viet Nam for another 2 years.

However, Joan finds out later that evening at a family dinner that Greg actually reenlist.

Greg’s reason for leaving his wife and baby…he feels important in the military. People look up to he and it makes him feel like he is a ‘good person’. Oh not he didn’t Joan quickly reminded him that he was NOT a good man. He must have forgotten about what happened in Roger’s office before they were married.

Finally sick of his crap, Joan throws Dr. Greg Harris, the rapist out.

Meanwhile Back in the Office

Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

Roger and Pete are sill butting heads over Mohawk Airlines. Pete informs Roger on Friday afternoon that the client wants a campaign by Monday. [I can't even write a letter to my mother that fast.] Ginsberg is with Ken and Don pitching Butler Shoes, in desperation Roger turns to Peggy for help. Peggy is not desperate, she has learned how the world works, so she tells Roger she will do it for all the money he has on him–$400. Peggy and Harry are going to rob poor Roger blind. 

Peggy works late and as she leaves the office, she hears a noise. Dawn, Don’s new African-American secretary is sleeping in his office. Because of the riots in her neighborhood, she is afraid to take the bus home. And most taxi drivers won’t go there either.

Peggy invites Dawn to stay overnight at her apartment. They have a little a lot of beer and some girl talk. This is probably the first time that Peggy has ever had a real conversation with a ‘Negro’. Peggy like most (white)  people of that era had many mistaken prejudices against African-Americans.

This is eveidene by the subtlety in the scene when Peggy  is ready for bed and notices her purse on the table (filled with Roger’s $400 in cash). Peggy looks at the purse and Dawn looks at Peggy looking at the purse. And you know what was going through their minds. “You know they all steal”  or “I know you’re thinking I going to steal your purse“.

Oh I forgot, Don didn’t really kill Andrea and stuff her limp dead body under the bed. It was all a dream…a sweaty, fevered dream. Don must have been drinking some of that 1960′s cough syrup that contained codeine.

Signal 30

John Slattery ( Roger Sterling) directed this episode. It looks at the lack of satisfaction that people feel once the finally have everything they ever wanted or thought they wanted.

Britain is in America Now

Lane enjoys a little bit of Britain, watching a soccer match with some English friends (Edwin Baker and his wife) at a pub in New York city. Over pints and fish and chips [that the only English food I know, except bangers and mash. And I am not entirely sure what that is.] Lane’s friend informs him that Jaguar is look for a new ad agency. Will SCDP finally get a car account?

Lane feels proud to take this important piece of business to firm. If he could bring in a car account, perhaps then he would be looked at as just a pencil pusher or bean counter. But Pete and Roger, like two ravenous dogs wrestle the account away from Lane. Instead of a proper English dinner, they take Edwin out on the town. When Baker says he wants more excitement, Roger days he knows of a ‘party’ nearby. I guess ‘party nearby’ is code for high-class brothel.

Don, Roger and Pete take Baker to the ‘party’ and their true natures soon come to the surface. Baker sheds his posh British exterior and dive head first into the ’party’. Pete find a young-looking party girl who makes him feel like king and Roger goes off with a tall buxom red-head. What about Don? He sits alone at the bar. The Madame wonders if Don might not like this kind of ‘party’. But he informs her that he grew up in a brothel, but not that fancy…it was more of a whorehouse.

On the taxi ride home, Pete feels Don’s disdain for him. While Don was the king of unfaithful husbands, he tell Pete that if he had met Megan first, there would not have been a second marriage.

Pete is Never  Satisfied and the Creepiest Continues

Pete Campbell should be a very happy man. He has a beautiful wife and daughter and lives in a lovely suburban home. So why is he lying awake at night, listening to a dripping faucet?

Pete get creepier (and balder) every week. He is attending driver’s education classes at the local high school. Here’s is where the creepy factor skyrockets. Instead of watching the educational video film, he flirts with a teenage girl in his class.

The Campbell’s Throw a Party

Trudy and Pete have a dinner party at their home in the suburbs. Ken and Cynthia Cosgrove and Don and Megan are the guests. Pete is happy to show off his house, his family and his fancy new stereo system. Dinner conversation rolls around to Ken’s writing and Cynthia reveals that he has published a few stories. [Remember how jealous Pete was of Ken's writing talent?] After dinner, the dripping faucet in the Campbell’s kitchen finally blows up. And it Don Draper [or should I say Dick Whitman] to the rescue. He grabs a wrench, takes of his shirt and crawls under the sink, leaving poor inept Pete searching hopelessly through his toolbox.

The key to keeping Don Draper happy…

After the party, Megan drives a drunken Don back to New York. Don asks her to pull over for a little romance. I guess I wasn’t the only one that found his display of manliness kinds sexy. Megan knows the way to keep Don happy.

Pete Get’s a Black Eye

Photo Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC

The morning after the guys takes Mr. Jaguar, Edwin Baker to a ‘party nearby’ his wife discovers chewing gum in a very embarrassing place. Lane is furious! Pete, being his usual self, demeans Lane. Before you know it, right in the middle of the partner’s meeting, the two mean have a fist fight. The best part is, Lane mops the floor with Pete.

Pete leaves the office that day with a bruised face, a bruised ego and a black eye. All of the  dissatisfaction in his life wells up into his eyes, as he rides the elevator with Don. Trying to hold back the tears of disappoint, he tells Don “I have nothing”.

Do you feel sorry for Pete?

View Mad Men Season 5 on iTunes or Amazon

This is your chance to refresh your memory on all of the happenings at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. If you are a fan of the show,  you might agree with me that Season 5 was probably the best season ever. Especially the episode: The Suitcase.

So fix yourself a cocktail and relax while I recap episodes 1 and 2.

A Little Kiss

It’s 1966 and the world is changing. The civil rights movement comes to Mad Men. The season opens with a group of African-Americans protesting Y & R,  a Madison Avenue ad agency for their unfair hiring practices. To shame their competition, Roger decides to place a newspaper ad stating that SCDP is an equal opportunity employer. Before you know it, the waiting room is filled with African-Americans applicants. And just as I predicted, Don Draper has a new secretary.

Peggy and the rest of the creative team are hard at work on the Heinz Beans campaign. The problem is,  how can they make a bowl of beans exciting? Peggy’s ideas do not impress the clients and Don is not supportive. So it’s back to the drawing board.

Joan is still on maternity leave. Feeling overwhelmed by caring for a new baby and that her job might be in danger, Joan makes a surprise visit to the office. There are a few awkward moments with Roger and Joan, and with Pete and Peggy as she holds Baby Kevin.

Our man Don Draper is now married to his former secretary Megan, the sex kitten. Apparently Don has confided the whole Don Draper/Dick Whitman story and she is OK with it. That kind of honesty in a relationship is rare for Don. At last Dick and Don are one and he is finally happy. He finally has a woman who knows the real him and loves him for who he is.

Megan, like the good little wife she is, plans a surprise 40th birthday party for Don, even though he hates surprises and doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday. And WOW! What a party! The Drapers live a an ultra swanky New York apartment, like the one in the 1960′s TV series, Playboy After Dark. She invited everyone, except Duck and Betty. There is a cool jazz combo, even some of Megan’s beatnik friends are there. What a party! But the night is not over yet. Megan performs a provocative French song for Don and causes quite a sensation. Watch Jessica Pare’ sing  Zou Bisou Bisou .

The happy couple has their first quarrel. Don wasn’t as happy as Megan thought he would be about the party. Also the party left their cool pad in a big mess. Lesson #1: Don’t have a party if you have white carpet. Unlike Betty, Megan knows how to handle Don. Starting with doing house cleaning in black lace underwear. She has Don totally whipped!

Tea Leaves

Jon Hamm directs this episode that shows the youth culture as it comes crashing in on the establishment. In life and in business this is a time when the world becomes increasingly concerned with what the younger generation wants.

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce  has moved into new offices on the  Time-Life Building, in  Rockefeller Center. They have all the trappings of a successful ad agency, but  business is not great. With the loss of Lucky Strike, Lane Pryce is watching the pennies closely and the need for new business is urgent.

The competition between Pete and Roger is getting more intense. Pete is still a worm, but now he is a worm with a rapidly receding hairline. Pete brings back Mohawk Airlines, which would is coup for the struggling agency.

Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

The new Mohawk account creates the need to hire another copywriter. Peggy, ambitious as ever, get permission from Don to hire a new copywriter. Enter the young and crazy, Michael Ginsberg (played by Ben Feldman) Do you remember in season 1 when they swore that a Jewish person would never work at  there. Another sign that things are changing.

Heinz is never satisfied.  They want something that will appeal to the youth. I don’t know…do teenagers like canned beans? The client’s idea is to get the Rolling Stones to do a jingle based on Time is on My Side…Heinz, Heinz, Heinz is on my side.  Just another reason clients shouldn’t write their own copy. Maybe The Stones song they really need is Can’t Get No Satisfaction.

Poor Betty did not get her figure back after the birth of Baby Gene. She has moved into a dark and depressing Adam’s Family-like mansion with Henry Francis and the kids. [Don actually refers to them as Mortica and Lurch] And of course, Betty is not happy. She never is. So she eats…and eats… and EATS.

In fact she is fat! [No angry letters please, it's part of the storyline] Ok…I will say she has a weight problem. Either way, it is strange to see the usually thin January Jones with a voluptuous body.

To make matters worse,  when she goes to the doctor for diet pills, he finds a lump that might be cancer. She is completely shaken by the news and turns to Don for comfort. But as usual, even when she gets the news the tumor is benign, Betty is disappointed. Why? Because instead of being overweight because she has cancer, she is just fat. Maybe she shouldn’t eat a whole box of Bugles.

This week, Just Chick Flicks will give you a recap of each episode of Mad Men, Season 5, every day until the 2-hour season premiere on Sunday, April 7th. Come back tomorrow for another recap of Mystery Date and Signal 30.

Does this mark the return of ‘Bad Don‘ or will ‘Good Don’ resist temptation and be faithful to Megan? Only Matt Weiner knows for sure. And we will find out next week when Mad Men starts its 6th season on AMC.

It’s Mad Men Week on Just Chick Flicks

What did you miss on Season 5 of Mad Men? Don Draper married his sexy, young secretary, Megan. The former Mrs. Betty Draper is now married to Henry Francis, along with the three Draper kids, Sally Bobby and Baby Gene. Roger’s marriage is in trouble. Peggy is getting more and more ambitious and Joan’s horrible husband is still in Viet Nam.

This week, Just Chick Flicks will give you a recap of each episode of Mad Men, Season 5, every day until the 2-hour season premiere on Sunday, April 7th.

Stay tuned for the first two episodes: A Little Kiss and Tea Leaves.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Comes to Blu-ray & DVD March 19th 2013

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

J.R.R. Tolkien‘s epic adventure follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an amazing quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers.

You Could Win a The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
on Blu-ray Combo Pack

Leave a comment about why you love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings -or- Post your score to “Are You 100% Hobbit” Quiz in the comments.

One winner will be chosen randomly, using Random.org. Winner will be selected on Friday, April 5, 2013. The prize will be delivered by mail.

Please note that the prize(s) in this promotion are in conjunction with Warner Bros. release of the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Blog App. Thanks to Warner Bros. who  supplied the materials for this promotion. All content and actions are the responsibility of Clarabela Media & Just Chick Flicks. This promotion complies with both local and international laws.