Is there any weapon more destructive than a gun? Phallic in nature, this masculine tool is capable of causing life-changing damage from near or far with just the twitch of a finger. It’s no wonder many insecure men use guns to bolster their masculinity. Kathryn Bigelow explores this strange phenomenon in Blue Steel, an erotic thriller following an emasculated man who tries to reclaim his power with a stolen weapon.
Megan (Jamie Lee Curtis) has just graduated from the Police Academy when she finds herself in a shootout on her first night of patrol. The perp’s gun mysteriously disappears from the scene, leaving Megan unable to prove her version of events. That is, until bullet casings engraved with her name turn up at a series of connected murder scenes. Tormented by the so-called 44 Magnum Killer, Megan must abandon her allegiance to the system before the madman manages to ruin her life.
In the latest episode of Bloody FM’s The Lady Killers podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams, Sammie Roffman, Rachel Reeves, and Shelby Novak dig into this distinctly ’90s film and its exploration of masculinity. Why does Eugene (Ron Silver) steal the gun? What sparks his obsession with Megan? How does she justify breaking the rules, and who knew young Clancy Brown had so much charisma? They’ll answer these questions and more while discussing Bigelow’s surprisingly feminist film.
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.