Entertainment
Melanie Griffith's Steamy 80s Sci-Fi Actioner Replaces Women With Sex Robots
By Robert Scucci
| Published
The best part about dystopian sci-fi flicks from the 80s is living past the date where everything should have already collapsed and wondering how far off we are from actually experiencing what’s depicted. 1988’s Cherry 2000, set in the year 2017, is one of those films, and it’s an interesting watch because it explores themes that are relevant today, even though society hasn’t quite caught up with its fiction. We’re getting close, though. Technology has replaced intimacy, and our relationships with our devices in the present day result in the kind of isolation you see whenever you look up in public and watch people hanging out while simultaneously talking to the people they’d rather be with on their phones.
What hasn’t happened yet, but probably will sooner or later, is the common use of sex robots seen in Cherry 2000. Intimacy with a human counterpart is forbidden, but if you want to bump uglies with a clanker that looks like a Stepford Wife, you’re free to go to town so long as it’s in the privacy of your own home.
A Flood Of Endorphins And Detergent
The titular robot in Cherry 2000 (portrayed by Pamela Gidley) is the perfect partner for Sam Treadwell (David Andrews). She cooks him dinner and listens to him talk about his day. She’s also really into pouncing on her flesh partner at the worst possible moment, like when the dishwasher is overflowing. This sudsy, floor-bound rendezvous causes her to short-circuit, devastating Sam.
Though Sam is able to salvage Cherry’s memories, her body is kaput, meaning he has to venture out to the dangerous Zone 7. Legend has it that Zone 7 has a gynoid warehouse housing every make and model you could ever dream of, programmed to be your lifelong partner. Desperate to seek out a viable and identical replacement for Cherry, Sam hires a tracker named Edith Johnson (Melanie Griffith), who clearly longs for the old days. She drives a vintage, modified Mustang and has no qualms telling Sam he should just find a human partner instead of getting down and dirty with a robot.
With the help of the legendary yet elusive tracker Six-Fingered Jake (Ben Johnson), Sam and Edith breach the compound, but form a romantic bond along the way during their misadventures. Edith pines for Sam, who pines for the idea of a woman designed specifically for him, resulting in exactly the kind of sexual tension you’d expect. Sam becomes hot and bothered watching Edith competently navigate the wasteland and starts to wonder if this is what’s been missing from his life all along.
A Low-Budget Adventure Through The Wasteland
Cherry 2000, despite its meager $10 million budget, has surprisingly solid production values. Though it’s obvious Cherry is an actress during the scenes where she’s walking, talking, and interacting with her surroundings, the Zone 7 sequences are effective. Think of the clothing carousel you see at the dry cleaners and apply that same principle to a bunch of deactivated robot babes waiting to be charged up so they can pounce on their new owner as soon as they run their software updates.
Edith is a total badass, whether she’s flooring it in her Mustang or piloting a small plane. Actually, Melanie Griffith steals every single scene she’s in because the looks of disgust and bewilderment on her face while dealing with Sam are palpable. Here we have an end-of-days babe wearing flattering wasteland garb and never losing control of the situation. And how is she using her talent? Helping some schmuck named Sam track down a new sex robot that resembles the only “person” he’s ever loved: his old sex robot.
Cherry 2000 is schlocky and campy, but its charm comes from playing everything completely straight. Its premise is ridiculous but oddly prescient. Our protagonist finds companionship by isolating himself, when the solution to all of his problems is standing right in front of him, rocking a machine gun and looking for a real relationship. It just takes a while for Sam to see this, because he’d rather be alone with his device.
As of this writing, Cherry 2000 is streaming on Tubi.
Entertainment
Score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
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I live in an apartment, so I don’t exactly have a “whole home” to back up. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s losing power. There goes the AC, the internet, the food in the fridge — it’s a total nightmare. If you actually own a house and have been putting off buying a backup power system because it’s pricey, I have some good news.
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Just keep an eye on the countdown clock — it’s for the Flash Sale items that have even better, limited-time price cuts. If you miss the flash window, the standard Mother’s Day and Home Improvement deals (including a $700 installation discount for larger systems) are still valid through mid-May.
Mashable Deals
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Entertainment
Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before
Comedian John Early makes his feature directorial debut with Maddie’s Secret, an offbeat homage to melodrama that he wrote and headlines as its eponymous heroine.
As an aspiring food influencer, Maddie Ralph (Early) is passionate about her cuisine. And at first glance, she’s got a picture-perfect life: a loving husband (Eric Rahill), a devoted best friend (Kate Berlant), and a job at a culinary content studio called Gourmaybe. But as the title suggests, there’s a side to Maddie she can’t stomach sharing with her loved ones. And this secret could kill her.
Out of the movie’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, I cheered Maddie’s Secret, writing in my review for Mashable, “The film is silly and strange, but even amid campy bits, sincere. So, you’ll laugh at its parody elements, but may well be genuinely moved by Early’s commitment to this strange and splendid film.”
I also said “John Early is a better ingénue than Sydney Sweeney,” comparing Maddie’s Secret to another earnest (but less entertaining) TIFF offering, Christy. And I stand by it.
Maddie’s Secret opens in theaters in New York on June 19, and in Los Angeles on June 26.
Entertainment
Pride is almost here! Check out the best dating apps for LGBTQ women.
We know Pride is all year round, but there is something special about the month of June. We’re not there quite yet, but if you want a main squeeze for all the parades and parties, you gotta start looking now. How about on a dating app?
As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.
There are a few reasons why LGBTQ people might turn to online dating more quickly than straight folks. For one, you might live in an area without a thriving LGBTQ community, and in-person dating may be hard. If you don’t know other lesbians to begin with, how can you meet more IRL to date? (Sometimes, lesbian spaces can also be co-opted by The Straights.) Unfortunately, in-person dating may also be less safe, depending on where you live.
Hookup apps for everyone
AdultFriendFinder
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readers’ pick for casual connections
Tinder
—
top pick for finding hookups
Hinge
—
popular choice for regular meetups
Thankfully, we live in a time where we can find people like us with a few swipes. Lesbians are welcome on major dating apps, and there are also niche ones specifically for lesbians and other queer women and people. But which one to choose?
How to find the best dating apps for lesbians
Niche lesbian dating apps aren’t your only option for finding love.
Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable
In Mashable’s recommendations below, you’ll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you’ll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that’s probably not what you’re looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.
Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there’s no “Grindr for lesbians” — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble.
You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.
Diving into the dating pool isn’t easy, but the water’s fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.
Score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before
