The radical notion that women like good movies
I’m reposting my review of Vamps—which previously appeared at Bitch Flicks on May 3, 2012—in honor of Vamps opening in theaters (in limited release) tonight and releasing on DVD November 12. Movie poster for Vamps Vamps, the new indie film directed by Amy Heckerling and starring Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter (the upcoming star of … Continue reading “How ‘Vamps’ Showcases the Importance of Women Friendships”
The Final Girl Gone Wild: Post-Feminist Whiteness in ‘Scream 4’ by Jeremy Cornelius Wes Craven’s 1990s Scream trilogy completely rewrote the slasher genre in a postmodern meta-film. In March 2011, Scream 4 was released, ten years after Scream 3 was originally released, starring the original trio: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox-Arquette along with … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: The Roundup”
Vivien (Connie Britton) in American Horror Story Ladies, how many times have you been called a “crazy bitch?” Once? Twice? 5 thousand times?? Or is that just me? This oh-so-not-lovely term of endearment gets tossed around waaaaayy too often. It’s bad enough when we get labeled the sexist term “bitch” — and it’s very different … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: That "Crazy Bitch": Women and Mental Illness Tropes in Horror”
This guest review by Mychael Blinde previously appeared at Vagina Dentwata and is cross-posted with permission. Please don’t film the demons! I’m partial to the Paranormal Activity trilogy for three reasons: the clever camera work, the pitch perfect execution of tension building and release, and the films’ focus on women’s stories and histories. (The first … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: ‘Paranormal Activity’: The Horror of Waiting, of Watching, of Things Unseen”
This is a guest review by Allison Maria Rodriguez. “Wait a minute . . . who am I here?” is the central question posed by Jerry Blake in the 1987 slasher film, The Stepfather. It is a story of patriarchy in crisis. In a world in which “traditional” and “old fashioned” (both characteristics attributed to … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: Patriarchy in Crisis: Power and Gender in ‘The Stepfather’”
Guest post written by Deirdre Crimmins. Though I like explosions and interesting methods of execution as much as any other horror fan, it is always great characterization and relationships that make a horror film great. Actually, great characters and their relationships are what help make any film great, but often they are an afterthought in … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: ‘Absentia’ Showcases Terror, Strong Female Characters and Sisterhood”
Rock of Ages Warms Your 80s-Loving Little Heart With a Cheesy Two-Hour Music Video by Candice Frederick Even though its finest moments all boil down to well-intentioned, high energy karaoke numbers, and its script (co-written by Justin Theroux) left more cheese in the recipe than what was called for, Rock of Ages is still great … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: The Roundup”
This review by Libby White previously appeared at Bitch Flicks as part of our series on Animated Children’s Films. Based on the book by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach has been a favorite movie of mine since childhood. After all, what kid wouldn’t love a cast of singing and dancing insects? (Before I … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: James and the Giant Peach”
This review by Myrna Waldron previously appeared at Bitch Flicks on September 13, 2012. Corpse Bride Poster (Source: Wikipedia.org) Corpse Bride is that odd film that is both original and derivative at the same time. Based on a Yiddish folk tale, it is a stop-motion animated film directed by bizarre auteur Tim Burton, and featuring … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: The Reception of Corpse Bride”
Corpse Bride Poster (Source: Wikipedia.org) The Reception of Corpse Bride By Myrna Waldron Corpse Bride is that odd film that is both original and derivative at the same time. Based on a Yiddish folk tale, it is a stop-motion animated film directed by bizarre auteur Tim Burton, and featuring his three favourite people: Johnny Depp … Continue reading “The Reception of ‘Corpse Bride’”
Guest post written by Mychael Blinde. NSFW | Trigger warning for survivors of sexual assault Warning: Spoilers abound!! Splice explores gendered body horror at the locus of the womb, reveling in the horror of procreation. It touches on themes of bestiality, incest, and rape. It’s also a movie about being a mom. Though it received … Continue reading “Women in Science Fiction Week: ‘Splice’: Womb Horror and the Mother Scientist”
This is a guest post from Glosswitch Imagine this: You are a beautiful single mom. You get on well with your baby’s father – indeed, perhaps you are still in love with him – but you’ve decided it’s not to be. You’ve been offered a dream job on the other side of the Atlantic, in a country where … Continue reading “Motherhood in Film & Television: Hey, Let’s Do Some Mommy Issues! (Babies Not Required)”
