Girl 6

Noted as a "Spike Lee Joint," Girl 6, like She Hate Me or School Daze, is one of Lee's more forgettable titles, still adhering to his template of sanctimonious politics, only focusing on the role of women more so than black male subjugation at the hands of "the man." The central victim here is an aspiring actress (Theresa Randle), introduced during an audition with Quentin Tarantino, where her talent is reduced to her willingness to take off her top on camera. Remaining nameless throughout the film, she is eventually forced to take a phone sex job in order to make ends meet, using her acting skills to satisfy the carnal cravings and fantasies of the many men that define the culture that relegates her to performance and a passive object of desire. And while the trajectory of the film smartly plays out with her getting a little too close to one of her phone sex regulars (Peter Berg), observing that her only escape from personal denigration is male proprietorship, Lee's particular flair is too stylized and voyeuristic to communicate the intended female anxieties. Preoccupied with the crudity of various phone sex encounters and nostalgic reminiscing about roleplaying endeavours, the eye becomes that of a man still objectifying the titular Girl 6. Still, hearing Naomi Campbell dole out perverse dialogue and watching Madonna point out that "shitting" is big in the erotic fantasy world has its own kitschy value. Included with the DVD is some genuine "behind the scenes" footage, insomuch as it's literally just background footage shown without context, as well as a "Making of." Being a mid-'90s "Making of," it's really just an extended trailer, with the occasional interview full of positive buzz terms.