The radical notion that women like good movies
Dirty Dancing poster This is a guest review by Myrna Waldron. I was less than a year old when Dirty Dancing came out. It is known for the chemistry between its stars, incredible choreography, and a fantastic soundtrack that balances the sounds of the 60s and the 80s. It’s a typical coming-of-age story, but one … Continue reading “Reproduction & Abortion Week: The Dancer’s Dilemma”
Heart Like a Wheel (1983) This is a guest post from Melissa Richard. Coming from a family of amateur drag racers (and a family where women outnumber men), it’s no surprise that my super-duper #1 female idol as a kid was Shirley Muldowney. A three-time National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel champion, Muldowney has been … Continue reading “Biopic and Documentary Week: Blast from the Past: Jonathan Kaplan’s Heart like a Wheel”
Thomas (Tom Hanks) and Oskar (Thomas Horn) This is a guest post from Jennifer Kiefer. Potential viewer beware: the trailer for this film is awful. Terrible. Even worse than Alexander’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But that’s because this film deals with, as young Oskar dubs it, “the worst day.” When I first saw … Continue reading “Oscar Best Picture Nominee: An Oscar for Oskar? ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,’ the Surprise Nominee”
Shame (2011) This is a guest post from Clint Waters. “We’re not bad people. We just come from a bad place.” Shame, Director Steve McQueen‘s second feature-length film (which he also co-wrote the screenplay for) tells the tale of Brandon Sullivan, played by Michael Fassbender. This is McQueen and Fassbender’s second film working together, the … Continue reading “Indie Spirit Best International Feature Nominee: Shame”
(L-R): Kat Dennings, Matthew Moy, Beth Behrs; ‘2 Broke Girls’ still frame Written by Lady T. Originally published at The Funny Feminist. Cross-posted with permission. I watch 2 Broke Girls. Do you watch 2 Broke Girls? Watching that show from a social justice perspective is a bizarre experiment in emotional whiplash. On the one hand, … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: ‘2 Broke Girls:’ How NOT to Respond to Criticism that Your Show is Racist”
Pariah (2011) This is a guest post from Carrie Nelson. I enjoyed many films in 2011. All of my favorite films of the year, however, were the ones that unnerved me with their honesty, sticking in my thoughts long after the end credits rolled. One of those films was Martha Marcy May Marlene, which I’ve … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Review – Pariah”
Wow. The response to our Call for Writers was so intense that we extended our series on Animated Children’s Films an extra week. Here are links to the reviews, all in one location. Thanks so much to the writers who contributed. This was a FUN two weeks, and–as Megan Kearns notes on her blog–an important … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Roundup!”
This is a guest review by Stevie Leigh Cattigan. ‘Hell, Doc … we just make a picture and then you professors come along and tell us what we do.’ – Walt Disney, Time Magazine (1937) With the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as their first feature length film in 1937, The Walt … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The History and the Legacy of Disney’s Original Fairy Tale”
This is a guest review by Amanda Krauss. Note: This is adapted from a review I wrote on March 28, 2009, after seeing the movie when it first came out. Although this was the fist movie to be fully produced in 3D, I didn’t see the 3-D/IMAX version. Nor had I seen the original, nor … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: Monsters vs. Aliens: Animation Finds Girl Power”
This is a guest review by Myrna Waldron. “The sarcasm is practically melting off the screen!” If you’re an internet and animation addict like I am, you’ve probably come across several sets of images, like the one above, that point out the sexist flaws present in Disney films. While I wholeheartedly believe in critical analysis … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: You Say Princess Like It’s a Bad Thing”
This is a guest review by Robert Poteete. Out the gate, this movie shows a lot of promise with great animated sequences. There were plenty of visually interesting scenes, such as a giant soup-making Rube Goldberg machine, and an advisor spirit composed of vegetables. The movie also features a rat protagonist who breaks the stereotype … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: The Tale of Despereaux”
This review, written by Stephanie Rogers, was originally published in June 2009. Drag Me To Hell. Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, and Adriana Barraza. Written by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi. Directed by Sam Raimi. The honest truth: I loved Drag Me To Hell. Even though I’m not familiar … Continue reading “Horror Week 2011: Drag Me to Hell”
