The radical notion that women like good movies
This is a guest review by Leigh Kolb. The 2011 film Drive opens by plunging the audience into an 80s-insipired neo-noir world, where the beats are hard, the car chases gripping, and the femme fatale seductively leads the real chase. Or at least it seems that simple. The protagonist, simply named Driver (Ryan Gosling), may … Continue reading “‘Drive’ and the Need to Identify the Virgin or Whore in the Passenger Seat”
In addition to Oduye’s Best Female Lead nomination, Pariah is also nominated for the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award. The film has received numerous other nominations and awards. This piece, by Carrie Nelson, first appeared at Bitch Flicks on January 25, 2012. Alike (Adepero Oduye) in Pariah I enjoyed many films in 2011. All of … Continue reading “Indie Spirit Best Female Lead Nominee: Adepero Oduye in ‘Pariah’”
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”
All the way back in January 2011, guest writer Amanda ReCupido shared her take on the first season of HBO’s award-winning Boardwalk Empire. Since then, the post has been getting steady traffic, and currently stands as #8 in 2011. ________ HBO’s Boardwalk Empire With its first season complete and two Golden Globes under its belt … Continue reading “Top 10 of 2011: Boardwalk Empire”
This is a guest post by Anika Guldstrand. At this time of year, it’s only natural that we pull our favorite holiday films down from the shelf as one way to celebrate the season. Whether you prefer old or new classics, the holiday films are, for me, an intrinsic part of the holiday tradition. However, … Continue reading “Where Are the Women in Christmas Movies?”
This piece by Emily Belanger originally appeared in June 2011. The first time I saw Howl’s Moving Castle, five or six years ago, I was delighted. I’d seen Spirited Away, but other than that I’d never seen any Miyazaki films, and as far as Miyazaki films go, HMC is a tad more accessible to Western … Continue reading “Animated Children’s Films: From the Archive: Howl’s Moving Castle and Male Adaptations of Female Work”
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?”
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’”
Black Swan (2010) As Mila Kunis’s character descends upon Natalie Portman’s in the (dream) oral sex scene in Black Swan, a college-age young woman in the movie theater audibly whispers, “And this is why every guy in the theater is here.” Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 Black Swan is a film about repression, perfection, and letting go. … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan: Viewers’ and Critics’ Miss-steps in a Dance with a Female Protagonist”
Arabic movie poster for Where Do We Go Now? This is a guest post by Kyna Morgan. Nadine Labaki is a pretty big deal. Following up her directorial debut, the 2007 film Caramel (which she also wrote and starred in), she brought her sophomore directorial effort, Where Do We Go Now? back to the Toronto … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Where Do We Go Now?”
Sleepaway Camp by Carrie Nelson The shock of Sleepaway Camp’s ending relies on the cissexist assumption that one’s biological sex and gender presentation must always match. A person with a mismatched sex and gender presentation is someone to be distrusted and feared. Though the audience has identified with Peter throughout the movie, we are meant … Continue reading “Horror Week 2011: The Roundup”
Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley Written by Megan Kearns. When I was 10 years old, the scariest movie I ever saw was Aliens. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Late one night, plagued with insomnia (perhaps a product of my tumultuous childhood), I heard the TV on … Continue reading “Ellen Ripley, a Feminist Film Icon, Battles Horrifying Aliens … and Patriarchy”
