STRONG WOMEN DOIN’ IT FOR THEMSELVES

Hidden Figures is not just good; it’s in its own stratosphere! The Space Race drama – which tells the true story of three African American mathematicians working for NASA in the 1960s – is inspiring, eye-opening and fabulously entertaining…and it’s just arrived On Demand, to rent from €4.99!

 

 

It also set us thinking about our favourite heroines of the screen; the trend-setting, rule-breaking, independent women that we’ve come to love over the years. We’ve selected a few of our choice cuts below – perfect examples of strong women doin’ it for themselves…

 

ALIEN (Available On Demand from €1.99)

Can you believe that the character of Ripley was originally envisioned as a man? Thankfully, sense prevailed somewhere along the way, and Sigourney Weaver – then a relative unknown – was handed the role. One of the first (and fiercest) female heroes of an action/horror movie, it not only kickstarted both her career and the Alien franchise, but had a seismic effect on cinema at large. Also, as if it needed to be repeated – that gut-busting scene remains of the greatest in film history…

 

 

30 ROCK (Available for free via Virgin Boxsets)

OK, so Liz Lemon might not have everything together, but we’re still in awe of the TGS matriarch. It can’t be easy having Jack Donaghy as a boss – or the utterly insane Tracy Jordan as an employee! – but somehow Lemon always manages to keep the show on the road. The whole thing, of course, is the brainchild of the genius that is Tina Fey, who drew on her experiences working on Saturday Night Live; the mantle-troubling collection of awards amassed throughout its run proof positive that she can outwrite anyone in television.

 

 

GONE GIRL (On Demand from €1.99)

Ha, didn’t see this one coming, did you?! But if we’re going to talk about strong females, no list would be complete without mention of Amy Dunne, perhaps the most unsettlingly brilliant character of the past decade. Played with chilling presence by Rosamund Pike, the sociopathic siren is inarguably memorable…plus, let’s be honest, we were just scared to leave her off this list!!