The radical notion that women like good movies
This is a guest review by Jason Feldstein. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been one of my favorite stories for years now. Artists have used the storyline of a young girl finding herself in a magical world numerous times. If there is one version that resonates with me, it is a film called Spirited … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Spirited Away”
This is a guest post by Katie Roussos. A rose bush inhabited by genetically modified rats who become murderous sounds more like a horror movie than a children’s story, but that is just one of the ways The Secret of N.I.H.M. breaks the mold. The plow has come early to the Fitzgibbons farm, a frightening … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Secret of N.I.M.H.”
Cinderella (1950) I would guess that in its long years of making animated features, Disney has made a mint on the princess formula. There is always a brooding prince, handsome, but distracted by his more worldly pursuits (i.e. war, evil, magic, etc.). There is a beautiful yet tragic young woman who is either on-her-knees humble, … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Cinderella”
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 go into a review of the movie, I must state that I have never read the book, and do … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: James and the Giant Peach”
The Princess and the Frog (2009) The Princess and the Frog is a Disney milestone for two reasons: it is the first hand-drawn animated motion picture from the company since 2004’s Home on The Range and features an African-American female heroine. Also keep in mind that the last film co-starring a human princess was 1992’s … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Princess and the Frog”
Shrek (2001) Fairy tales are important. A longish history of oral tales modified and set in stone by the likes of Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm. They don’t just capture children’s imaginations, they form them, setting them down a path towards developing their values and opinions against the background of certain … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Onions have Layers, Ogres have Layers – A Feminist Analysis of Shrek”
Nala to Simba: “Pinned you again.” This is a cross-post from Feminist Disney. Overall FeministDisney Rating: **, 2/4 stars (see below for specific categories that feed into this) The Lion King is an interesting movie to pick apart. I think when it comes to anthropomorphized casts, it’s almost more difficult, at first, to examine it … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Lion King: Just Good, or Feminist Good?”
Disney’s Mulan (1998) Much has been written about Mulan since its release in 1998, largely because the intentions of the film-makers are so obvious, and so crass. If you buy into the movie’s ethos, you’ll believe that Mulan is a truly border-crossing story, bringing the best of classic Chinese culture to a global audience with … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Mulan: The Twinkie Defense”
It was a short week due to the holiday, but here’s a recap of last week’s posts. Don’t miss the Animated Children’s Films series, which begins tomorrow (Monday)! Fire: Part One of Deepa Mehta’s Elements Trilogy The controversy surrounding the film may have superseded the film itself–which is beautifully shot, heartbreaking, and even darkly comedic … Continue reading “Sunday Recap”
Breaking Dawn, Part 1 opened in theaters last Friday, November 18th. I mainly know this because my sister, a self-professed “Twi-Hard” talked about it nonstop for about two weeks. She also went to the midnight showing. I’ve seen all the previous films in the series and wrote about New Moon awhile ago, and I’m well … Continue reading “YouTube Break: The Twilight Saga: An Interview with Dr. Natalie Wilson”
Billy Crystal: He’s gilded and swooping in to save the 2012 Oscars I’m one of those old-fashioned people who enjoys watching the Academy Awards every year. Movies, spectacle, the opportunity to throw a party complete with Oscar Bingo and a contest to see who can best predict the winners — I love it for all … Continue reading “Who’s the "Hero" of the 2012 Oscar Awards?”
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) This is a guest post from Carrie Nelson. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a story told in fragments. Interspersed in the narrative are flashbacks, dreams and hallucinations, so it isn’t always clear what events are happening when, and which ones are actually happening at all. But that’s part of the … Continue reading “Movie Review: ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’”
