Barbarella (1968)

Adapted from the French comics series by Jean-Claude Forest and produced by Italian film kingpin Dino De Laurentiis, Barbarella shared cast and crew with Danger: Diabolik and went through a slew of writers (including Terry Southern) before reaching its final form. It's odd to remember that Jane Fonda was far from the first choice for the starring role when one considers how strongly the part looms over her public persona, but even a cursory glance at her vivid, dizzying, salacious, and humorous performance will provide ample evidence as to how Barbarella became an enduring camp classic. Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for a thorough examination of this cheesy, sexy, loopy, and unique time capsule of a very specific era in pop culture history. Discussion topics for Barbarella include the nature of consent, Jane Fonda's complex relationship with socio-political issues, how Barbarella reflects attitudes apparent in second wave feminism, Barbarella's thorny interpretation through the lens of sex positivity, and how a modern version of Barbarella might play out.