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Since the dawn of the motion picture era, Hollywood has always had a strange fascination with firearms. As the legendary film director Jean Luc Godard famously said, “All you need for a film is a girl and a gun.” We at Girl’s Guide absolutely agree.

Of course, just like most things that come out of Lalaland, as we locals affectionately call it, Hollywood’s perception and representation of guns is at best, a little skewed. Most firearms owners, for example, don’t know how to “bend a bullet” quite like Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy. And the last time I checked, no one really shoots laser guns a la Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. Still, audiences all over the world can’t help but line up to see the next incarnation of filmic firearms.

Since Hollywood loves to celebrate itself (and oh how we love to watch), let’s jump on that bandwagon, shall we? Here’s a look my Top 10 list of the most glamorous gun moments in movie history.

10) Thelma and Louise – Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis star in this, the quintessential “girl and a gun movie.” Sad ending, but a super fun ride. Not to mention the three magic words: Brad Pitt cameo.

9) Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle – Demi Moore. Dual Desert Eagles. Done.

8 ) You may think I’m crazy about this one, but the fact that somehow Sigourney Weaver managed to fight off oozing creatures from space and do it with an undeniable gritty glamor is pretty impressive.  Alien from 1979 definitely makes the list.

7) The Matrix- After watching this film, who among us didn’t want to be Trinity?

6) True Grit – Hailee Steinfeld kept it super duper classy in this Cohen Bros remake. And wasn’t she just adorable at the Oscars? Can’t wait to see more from this little starlet.

5) Termiator 1 & 2 – Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conner. Again, a gritty but totally fantastic leading lady. And can someone please find me her trainer’s phone number?

4) Bonnie and Clyde – Faye Dunaway is cool and totally glam in this 1967 film.

3) Wanted – Angelina Jolie does it again.

2 ) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – Carrie Fisher is a legendary icon in this film. You know you’re doing something right if you can make millions of girls everywhere wear buns over their ears. Hats off to you, sister.

1) As time goes by, Casablanca continues to be, in my humble opinion, the greatest movie ever.  It just doesn’t get any classier than the gorgeous screen siren, Ingrid Bergman. Bonus: though it technically only shows up in one scene, she knows how to use that revolver. Better look out, all you Nazi bad guys!

Those are the Top 10 on my list. Did I miss one? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

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Date: Sunday, February 20th, 2011

Time: 11:00 — 6:00 PM

Where: Shiloh Shooting Range

Click here for our post on the event:

https://girlsguidetoguns.com/2011/02/15/good-cause-target-cancer-benefit-shoot-out/

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Night with the girls:

If ever there was an opportunity to introduce your weapons-shy girlfriends to the fine art of firepower, tonight is the night. Call up your girls and let them know that this will be a Valentine’s Day they won’t soon forget. Inform them that you’re on your way to an oasis of gunpowder and lead and they absolutely must attend. If they resist, throw in a mani/pedi for their trouble. Trust me, they’ll be thanking you for the introduction to their new favorite past time, not to mention the new men in their lives… Otis, Leupold, Winchester and Glock (he’s Austrian). After this night is over, they’ll be more relaxed and invigorated than if they had just sweated it out in a marathon session of Power Yoga. And for the record, the opportunity for flirting skyrockets at testosterone-filled locales such as the firing range, so make sure your sisters in arms get all dolled up for this particular shooting lesson.

Night with your honey:

For those of you who do have a significant other with whom to share a little romance, why not heat things up with a fully automatic firearm? …assuming you are in a state that allows such weapons, of course.  Ask your man to “teach you how” (as if you didn’t already know) to shoot such a hefty new gun.  It will be like the pottery scene from Ghost, only with projectiles and steel instead of clay.  As the bullets fly, so will the sparks between you and you mister.

Another idea- Tell your guy that carving your initials in a tree is sweet, but you know what’s cool? Shooting your initials in a target. This feat will likely require a scope and a bipod, but if y’all can pull it off, it will be a treasured memory for years to come. Plus it gets you all sorts of bragging rights among your firearm friends. Including me.

Spending it alone:

If you’re longing to escape all the lovey dovey couples (barf) to whom this day technically belongs, it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll be safe from them at the gun range. Unless, of course, they’ve read this post. Rather than sequestering yourself in your room with a copy of Pride and Prejudice or spending the evening on a double date with Ben and Jerry, why not head out for a night on the town with two more active and less calorically cruel gents… preferably a pair of bachelors by the name of Smith & Wesson? Again, the male/female ratio swings largely in your favor at any gun store or firing range. If you happen to be in the market at the moment, I say take advantage of these locations, sister! You never know when a flirt fest will begin between yourself and that lonely 6-foot-4 Clooney clone in the next lane.  Once you squeeze off a few rounds rather than drowning your sorrows in ice cream, you’ll feel like the fabulous femme that you are. Don’t be surprised if out of the corner of your eye you watch all those boys behind you pick their jaws up off the floor when you turn around to reload.  But then again, that’s just another day at the range for you, isn’t it? You gun toting minx, you.

Clooney Clone!

Send me reports on how you spend your V-Day at the range. I heart you very much! Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Armed and Female by Paxton Quigley

It’s a re-vamp of a book she wrote in ’93, simply titled Armed and Female.  Just like GG, she’s all about empowering women in the area of self-defense.  Here’s some of what she has to say on the becoming and “armed female” from her website:

If you’re a woman, I want to encourage and inspire you to step out of character, abandon age-old bonds of male dependence, and break free from the powerlessness, fear and depression that has plagued our gender for so long.

If you’re a woman reading this, chances are the men in your life have already tried to make you more pro-active in personal safety — because they love you and care about you. They may feel an old-fashioned responsibility to protect you wherever you go — but of course, that’s no longer appropriate nor practical.

Pretty great, eh?  Ladies, if you’ve ever been interested in purchasing a firearm for protection, her book might be a good place to start; men, if you have a woman if your life who you’ve been trying to get interested in firearms, you might want to check it out, too!

One of the best things about her interview this morning was that she, like us, emphasized that safety and information come first with self-defense and guns.  Check out her interview on Fox News from this morning by clicking here or copying & pasting this link into your browser: https://video.foxnews.com/v/4452057/this-years-must-have-accessory-a-gun/

You can also see her give some self-defense tips on the “Fox & Friends: After the Show Show” by clicking here or copying & pasting this link into your browser: https://video.foxnews.com/v/4452177/after-the-show-show-honor-restored

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Now, what would you normally do after a day, or week, or month like this?  Maybe head home, take a bath and open up a bottle of wine.  Or dive into that ice cream that’s in the fridge.  Or, perhaps, head to the spa?  Now, these are nice ideas and all, and we admit sometimes they hit the spot, but what about when they don’t? Or when it’s not relaxation, in the typical sense, you need.  Sometimes you want to take your frustrations out on something.  While we don’t condone violence, we do encourage you to get out to the range and go shooting!

Excited for the first shot!

There’s a few things shooting does that’s similar to, for example, taking a yoga class, cooking, or anything that requires all of your attention and leaves you feeling relaxed and de-stressed.

It requires nearly all of your concentration while you’re doing it. Why?  Because the number one thing about shooting is safety, which means that you won’t be able to think about your bad day at work, that break-up text, or your dirty house.  You have to think about many things while shooting, from your stance to your aim to your grip.  And if your braincells are not on all the moving parts, your shooting practice will suffer.

You can shoot, figuratively of course, whatever is causing you stress. If it helps you to see something on the target, you can either write it on the target or visualize it there. (But please, do this only with things or abstract concepts.  We do not, in any way, shape, or form, condone violence against other human beings.)  One great “tool” for this is old lipstick!  We all have those old tubes of that color we bought back in the early ’90s (remember Vamp?) that are sitting, unused, in our makeup drawers. Next time you go to the range, take it along and write a word of phrase on your target.  See how it makes you feel.  Does it help you let go of a grudge or release some of the stress that’s been bringing you down?  Do you somehow feel relaxed afterwards? GREAT!

You might even out-shoot your man! Finally, as you practice more, your aim will improve, and you’ll gain more confidence in your shooting and overall.  Let’s be honest, being a woman who knows how to shoot is incredibly empowering.  The first time you and a guy go to the range and you do better than he does feels awesome.

No stress & all smiles at the end of range time!

Now, we admit, having our own girly ways to de-stress are fun, but why not throw going to the shooting range in the mix for a new form of catharsis.   Schedule a “Shooting and Martinis” or “Range Date and Manis/Pedis” afternoon with the gals (and if you want to be reminded why you do the manis after, read this article).  Who knows, maybe the gun range will become your new spa!

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I love guns.

I love how sleek they are, how smoothly they function.  From the buttery slide of a Beretta 92 to the easy glide of the Henry Big Boy or Golden Boy, from the metallic clank of a Springfield M1A to the shiver-inducing pump of a Mossberg 500—I love them all.  It’s exhilarating to obliterate clay targets with a Browning single-shot, and satisfying to nail 100-yard targets with an SKS.  The precise machinery and the power leave me in awe.

I t wasn’t always a love affair for me.

I used to give all guns a very wide berth, certain that if I touched one it would go off and I’d kill someone, most likely myself.

What changed?

Well, my fear didn’t just disappear one day.  It took some time and the patience of a few experienced shooters.

I started working at a gun shop in May 2000 when the owner of the shop approached me at the bookstore where I worked.  He wanted me to come in part-time and do paperwork.  I needed the extra money—I was raising two growing sons by myself, and having a job drop in my lap was a relief.  I filed invoices and federal and state paperwork for at least a year before I touched a gun, and even then the revolver he handed to me was like a hot potato in my hands.  I mumbled something and handed it over hurriedly, anxious to go back to the paperwork.

But the feel of the gun stayed with me.  I was surprised by how heavy it was, almost as surprised as I was by the price.  $500!? No freaking way would I plunk down that much money for a piece of metal.  Five hundred bucks could snag some nice art, or a TON of books.  But a gun?  Please.  Still… it was kind of cool to heft the weight and imagine shooting it.

When my boss told me he wanted to teach me about guns so I could sell them, I decided to face my fear and to learn everything I could about guns.  I began fondling pistols—a Glock 23.  A Sig 229.  CZ 75.  Colt Officer’s Model 1911.  That Colt seduced me.  The balance was perfect in my hand, and the grip was just right.  I decided I wanted to go shooting, and I wanted to shoot a 1911.

A co-worker took me shooting.  Bless his heart, he brought ALL his guns out to the range: A 12-gauge.  A Smith and Wesson .357mag and a .44 mag.  A Colt .45, because I had asked for it, after all.  A 9mm something or other, a .22, and a couple of .40s.  Probably others as well.  It’s a blur to me now, 7 years later.  What I do remember: shooting was not fun.

I remember feeling like a bowling ball had exploded in my hands when I shot the .357 mag.  I remember the tiny Beretta .22 nearly jumping out of my hands.  A .22!  And I remember feeling like I had planted myself right behind a monstrous horse and let it slam my shoulder with a nasty kick when I shot the 12 gauge.

I told my co-worker that I would sell the damn things if I had to, but I was not going shooting again.  Ever.

When my boss discovered my animosity toward guns, he convinced me to take a private lesson with an NRA shooting instructor who promised to start me off with something that wouldn’t intimidate me.  It was right around this time that I first came across the Walther P22.

It was light, and the grip was molded to fit my hand perfectly.  Because it was a .22, I knew it wouldn’t feel like a firecracker going off in my hand, so I asked if I could use it for my shooting lesson, and ohhh, that day was the beginning of my passionate love affair with guns.

I’ll tell you more about the Walther P22 another day, but I will say this: if you master shooting with this pistol, there is no other gun, no other caliber you can’t handle.

For more information on Stacy and her writing, check out these links:
https://gunshopgoddess.wordpress.com
https://onegirlriot.wordpress.com
https://publicsafetytrainingassociation.wordpress.com

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We loved the revival of the braid in the summer of 2010 so much that we are absolutely demanding to keep it around. Evidently, we’re not the only ones.

Emily Rossum loose top side braid blends beautifully into her pony tail. This style is a perfect way to sweep long bangs away from your eyes so you can stay focused on your perfect sight picture.

Selena Gomez’s loose side not-quite-French braid is super practical for your time at the range and transitions well to any other occasion or event you might be headed to after you finish your target practice.

Updated Pony Tail

Minka Kelly of ‘Friday Night Lights’ fame brings a 50s-era ‘do back in a big way. Her stylist used a large barrel curling iron to create curls around her head, he said in an interview in InStyle online. Once the curls are ready, he suggests flipping your head upside down, brushing it up high and securing it. He covered her hair tie with strands of her own hair, but feel free to use extensions, if needed.

Kate Hudson’s stylist also used a large barrel curling iron to create her volumized, loose low pony tail. Bring down individual strands with a comb or fingertips to finish the polished look with an effortless quality.

Liv Tyler brings a sleek sensibility to this low, short pony tail.

It’s fun, sporty, and most importantly, it passes the ‘practical’ test for the range. Pair it with some fantastic earrings, as Liv does in this shot, and you’re good to go for any outing on the books after you squeeze in your target practice.

Take a cue from Kristen Bell and add a headband if you’ve got bangs you need to keep out of your eyes. Much like Liv Tyler’s ‘do above, simply add lengthening earrings- hoops or drop earrings work well – and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous style that will last long into the evening.

As you can see here, it doesn’t take much effort to give yourself a little style that makes you feel more feminine among all those boys at the range.  Be noticed first for your style, then wow them with your aim.

-GGtG

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As you’ve seen in other posts, we’re a big fan of women and guns. And fortunately this year’s TV lineup includes a great new show “Nikita”, featuring Maggie Q as a former spy turned assassin.  We’ll be featuring some articles of our own as well as bringing you the best reviews and highlights from elsewhere, like this one from USA TODAY.

By Donna Freydkin

By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

NEW YORK.  Her show earned killer reviews, and solid ratings, in its premiere last week.

But one thing is missing from the CW series Nikita, headlined by lithe actress Maggie Q.

“Nikita needs a dog. She needs to be on a mission and find one, a rescue,” says Q, sitting near the East River and stopping to pet a friendly Dachshund being walked past her. “She needs a mutt from the streets, who’s like her and went through a lot and is angry and is trying to be hot.”

FALL TV CALENDAR: Every show, day by day

‘NIKITA’ REVIEW: Maggie Q brings killer looks to killer role

Actually, she’s succeeding. And then some. Q’s Nikita is a deadly operative who escaped from a top-secret agency known as the Division that trained her to be a spy and an assassin. Now, she’s out for revenge. The show (tonight, 9 ET/PT), which averaged 3.6 million viewers last week, is loosely based on Luc Besson‘s acclaimed 1990 French thriller La Femme Nikita but has nothing to do with either its U.S. remake Point of No Return or the subsequent spinoff series starring Peta Wilson, Q says.

“I’ve only seen the original because I really wasn’t interested in the remakes of it,” says Q, 31. “The idea of this incredibly flawed heroine was incredibly interesting, and no one had done it. In the ’90s, it was new and controversial. I really respected the original vision.”

Story continued here.

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Rising country star Angela Wood is a Girl’s Guide Fan. What can we say? The admiration is mutual. She sent over some photos today in an homage to our favorite accessory: the firearm. Check out the talented Ms. Wood on MySpace Music: www.myspace.com/angelawoodmusic

The Girl’s Guide favorite is “Don’t Touch My Man.” Hysterical and rockin. This girl is blowing up very soon. Keep your eye on her!

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