The radical notion that women like good movies
This is a guest review in conversation by Bexy Bennett and Amanda Civitello. Lady Van Tassel (Miranda Richardson) As a director, Tim Burton specializes in eerie, off-kilter films that frequently skirt the edge of light horror with a distinctive aesthetic; 1999’s Sleepy Hollow is one of his earliest forays into the genre. Starring Johnny Depp, … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: ‘Sleepy Hollow’: Deeply Shallow”
Horror films have a long-standing tradition of commenting on the social fears and anxieties of their time. Another universally recognized truth of horror is that scary children are terrifying–especially little girls. While an analysis of “creepy children” in horror films usually proclaims that they are providing commentary on a loss of innocence, and it would … Continue reading “The Terror of Little Girls: Social Anxiety About Women in Horrifying Girlhood”
Alexandra Breckinridge (l) and Frances Conroy (r) as American Horror Story‘s Moira This is a guest post by Paul and Renee In terms of the female characters on American Horror Story, there are quite a few problematic elements. There are the issues of violence and rape, but one that often gets overlooked is the treatment … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: American Horror and the Evils of the Sexual Woman”
Jennifer’s Body (2009) This is a guest post from Erin Blackwell. Jennifer’s Body, the 2009 horror chick-flick that was a coming-of-age for sex goddess Megan Fox after hyper-lucrative, career-building toil under the aegis of Michael Bay’s teenage-boy-centric Transformers franchise, now enjoys a cult following outside the Transformers demographic. And yet, on release, Jennifer’s Body was … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: Portrait of the Artist as the Demon’s Best Friend Forever”
Guest post written by Candice Frederick. Originally published at Reel Talk. Cross-posted with permission. Continuing our festive Halloween coverage, we bring you a list of our favorite female heroes from scary movies. Whether they’re your favorite characters are not, you have to give them props for not dying (right away, at least). Check it out: … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: 7 Great Heroines from Scary Movies”
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 Myrna Waldron previously appeared at Bitch Flicks on September 6, 2012. Phantom of the Opera Movie Poster (Source: Wikipedia.org) The Phantom of the Opera was my first musical; I saw it for the first time when I was 4 years old during its now legendary decade-long run in Toronto. I remember very … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: ‘Phantom of the Opera’: Great Music, Terrible Feminism”
[Trigger warning: for discussion of rape] | Spoilers ahead West Side Story is one of my absolute favorite musicals. I adore the catchy lyrics, the breathtakingly exquisite choreography and cinematography, the heartbreaking love story. A modern Romeo and Juliet taking place in New York City amongst two rival gangs — one white, one Puerto Rican … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: Female Friendship, Madonna/Whore Stereotypes and Rape Culture in ‘West Side Story’”
This is a guest review by Clint Waters. “From just some dumb mechanic’s wife, I’m gonna be Roxie. Who says murder’s not an art?” Roughly ten years ago, the Broadway musical Chicago was adapted for the silver screen by Bill Condon and directed by Rob Marshall. This film is oh-so appropriate for Women and Gender … Continue reading “Women and Gender in Musicals Week: ‘Chicago’”
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”
This is a guest review by Amanda Civitello and is published with permission. Note: this review contains no spoilers for Season Three. “Christmas at Downton Abbey” (The Christmas Special). Downton Abbey: Season Two Original UK Edition. Writ. Julian Fellowes. Dir. Brian Percival. Masterpiece Classic/PBS Distribution, 2012. The cast of Downton Abbey The Emmy-nominated second season … Continue reading “A Gilded Cage: A Feminist Critique of the ‘Downton Abbey’ Christmas Special”
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’”
