The radical notion that women like good movies
We had a great response to our Reproduction and Abortion series here at Bitch Flicks, and want to thank everyone who wrote a piece for us. Here they all are. The Dancer’s Dilemma by Myrna Waldron Dirty Dancing I was less than a year old when Dirty Dancing came out. It is known for the … Continue reading “Reproduction & Abortion Week: The Roundup”
Of the Best Actress nominations at the Oscars this year, two stand apart from the rest. Not because of the skill of the actresses, but because they depict real-life figures. Through these portrayals much can be learned about the ways women are represented on screen: The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, and … Continue reading “Best Actress Oscar Nominees: Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams”
This is a guest post from Megan Kearns. It originally appeared at The Opinioness of the World. When we discuss war and security, we don’t often explore its ramifications on women. Rape and sexual assault are common threats women face globally. But of all the artillery and tactics soldiers use, we rarely think … Continue reading “In ‘Women, War & Peace’s ‘I Came to Testify’ Brave Bosnian Women Speak Out About Surviving Rape as a Weapon of War”
Horrible Bosses (2011) This is a guest post by Byron Bailey and Kirk Boyle. Kirk’s Take: Claiming that Horrible Bosses is horrible understates the case and misleads one into thinking the movie is very unpleasant or disagreeable for formalist reasons: incoherent plotting, unsympathetic characters, humorless comedy. No. Horrible Bosses is an ideological atrocity, not just … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Horrible Bosses and the So-Called ‘Mancession’: A Review in Conversation”
Best Picture nominee Michael Clayton (2007) This is a guest post from Robin Hitchcock. Michael Clayton seems like an unlikely Best Picture nominee: a legal thriller that I would have sworn was adapted from an airport novel if I didn’t know that it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Can’t you see yourself reading this … Continue reading “Best Picture Nominee Review Series: Michael Clayton”
This guest post by Marcia Herring previously appeared at Feministing. A recent plot line in popular teen drama Degrassi: the Next Generation featured what was, for all rights and purposes, date rape. Instead of taking the standard track for the show, Degrassi ignored the issue and made the abusive actions of character Declan all right … Continue reading “Degrassi, Teens, and Rape Apologism”
This is a cross post from Feminéma Maybe I saw Sidney Lumet’s Network in high school — I remember the “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” scenes — but I wasn’t prepared to find its satire so brilliant 35 years after its initial release. What I’d completely forgotten … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Network”
The King’s Speech: An Intimate, Winning Look into a Powerful Male Relationship This is a guest review by Roopa Singh. Prince Albert is “Bertie” to his inner circle (Colin Firth), and has a debilitating stutter, but the British Empire needs him to step up into his father’s Kingly shoes (George V, played by Michael Gambon), … Continue reading “Best Picture Nominee Review Series: The King’s Speech”
True Grit (2010) This is a guest review from Cynthia Arrieu-King The Coen Brothers have triumphed in recognizing that their particular wifty and broad take on American violence could better the classic Western film True Grit. The original 1969 version drew from the campy Western novel True Grit by Charles Portis, and had a play-time, … Continue reading “Best Picture Nominee Review Series: True Grit”
Like a lot of women I know, superhero movies don’t really thrill me. It wasn’t always this way. I have a clear memory of parading through the classrooms of my elementary school, when I was in fourth grade, dressed as Batman. I remember clearly that I felt powerful—not just because I was the Caped Crusader, … Continue reading “Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: The Invisible Woman?”
