As we wrap up Women’s History Month for the year, I want to take a beat to take a look at another woman whose work behind the camera has inspired me, and many other women too—director, writer, and producer, Rachel Talalay.
Rachel has been working in film and television since the 80s and is still going strong today. She’s a trailblazer who is not afraid to make waves, which makes me admire her and her work. Thusly, I’ve got four films to recommend from her resume this week.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
The sixth installment of A Nightmare on Elm Street is a controversial one among fans of the franchise, but in my opinion, it’s my favorite, besides the original. With some wild visual effects, a story about overcoming your trauma, and cameos by Alice Cooper and the Nintendo Power Glove, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare is a wonderful and underrated entry in the Nightmare franchise. It’s also Rachel Talalay’s first time in the director’s chair.
Ghost in the Machine (1993)
This is Rachel Talalay’s second time in the director’s chair. This is a cyberpunk horror thriller with a splash of dark comedy about a serial killer who murders people by the book, the address book, that is. Starring Karen Allen, Chris Mulkey, Wil Horneff, Ted Marcoux, and Jessica Walter, this film has hallmarks that will make their way into Talalay’s later work. If you’re into retro-futuristic elements, a bit of dark comedy, cyberpunk horror, or a film that’s just very early 90s, then Ghost in the Machine is the right kind of awesomely bad for you.
The Wind in the Willows (2006)
Adapting Kenneth Grahame’s novel of the same name, this BBC TV film features an incredible cast of (mostly) British actors, including Matt Lucas as Toad, Mark Gatiss as Rat, the late, great Bob Hoskins as Toad, Lee Ingleby as Mole, and Imelda Staunton as the Barge Lady. Utilizing creative costuming and fun, whimsical aesthetics, this is a great family film adaptation of a great book.
Tank Girl (1995)
The last film on my list today is 1995’s Tank Girl, a punk dystopian futuristic film, based on the British comic of the same name by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin. While I recommended this film two years ago in my episode on Lori Petty, it’s incredibly difficult to do an episode about Rachel Talalay without mentioning her defining work. Largely unappreciated in its time, if it were released today, no one would bat an eye. Tank Girl is edgy, fun, off-the-wall, irreverent, and a weird and wonderful ride from start to finish. Imagine if 2020’s Birds of Prey and Mad Max: Fury Road had a baby, and that baby dressed like Harley Quinn and drove a tank. That’s Tank Girl. Lauded now for its feminist themes and Lori Petty’s take-no-prisoners performance, this is the film that made Rachel’s career. It is my favorite of her works, and a film that I watch and rewatch multiple times a year.
Thank you, Rachel, for standing your ground and persisting when others would have stopped. For these reasons, I think you should check out these films and Rachel Talalay’s TV work here at the Video Store.
