The radical notion that women like good movies
(L-R): Jemima Kirke, Lena Dunham, Alison Williams in HBO’s ‘Girls’ I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am to see Lena Dunham’s new HBO series Girls. I mean, April 15th…hurry up and get here already damnit! After the first 3 episodes received rave reviews at SXSW, the buzz swirling around the indie darling’s new show … Continue reading “Lena Dunham’s HBO Series ‘Girls’ Preview: Why I Can’t Wait to Watch”
Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins This is a guest post from Peggy Cooke. I feel guilty bringing up Ann Perkins in any discussion of Parks and Recreation, mainly because the positive relationship between Ann and Leslie is one of the main things that makes the show so great (and groundbreaking!) for many people (read: … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Ann Perkins and Me: It’s Complicated”
(L-R): ‘Pariah’ Producer Nekisa Cooper & Writer/Director Dee Rees, winning John Cassavetes Award So I groaned the moment I discovered Seth Rogen was hosting the Independent Spirit Awards, which aired last Saturday night on IFC. I mean, after his shitshow appearance at the Golden Globes, making that sexual harassment comment to Kate Beckinsale on-stage, I’m … Continue reading “Women & Gender at the 2012 Indie Spirit Awards”
Shailene Woodley as Alexandra King in The Descendants This is a guest post from Martyna Przybysz. WARNING: SPOILERS! It’s almost disappointing to hear people discuss Payne’s new film The Descendants and not have them mention the absolute raw talent that Shailene Woodley is until much later in the conversation, almost in an ‘Oh yeah, she … Continue reading “Indie Spirit Best Supporting Female Nominee: Shailene Woodley in ‘The Descendants’”
Luckily, Season 2 will see an influx of new characters, including lots of female roles. Huzzah! The “Red Priestess” Melisandre of Asshai (Carice van Houten), female warrior (!!!!) Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), noblewoman Lady Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), Ygritte (Rose Leslie), the Ironborn captain (double !!!!) Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) named “Asha” in the novels. Wait, a sorceress, warrior and ship captain?? More women in leadership roles?? Sounds promising!
Megan Fox in Transformers This guest post by Melanie Taylor previously appeared at her site The Feminist Guide to Hollywood in June 2011. For a while on my blog, I had the pleasure of highlighting various men who were espousing impressive feminist rhetoric in the Hollywood landscape. Today, I do not have that pleasure. Actor … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Shia LeBeouf Mocks Megan Fox for Feminist Thinking”
Gina Carano as Mallory Kane in ‘Haywire’ Who is Gina Carano? That question might haunt you after watching Haywire or seeing its trailer. We need more women in films, especially in the action genre. But is having a film revolve around a tough, smart female protagonist who kicks ass enough to change gender roles on-screen? … Continue reading “‘Haywire’ Review: Gender and an Ass-Kicking Woman”
Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna and Kristen Stewart as Snow White in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ Woman obsessed with aging fights her fading beauty. Older woman jealous of younger woman. Younger woman rescued by a prince. Yep, it’s a tale as old as time that Hollywood keeps churning out. With fairy tales ingrained in … Continue reading “Trailers for ‘Snow White & the Huntsman’ and ‘Mirror, Mirror’ Perpetuate Stereotypes of Women, Beauty & Aging and Pit Women Against Each Other”
Since yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday, I thought it was more important to post something specific about race in the United States than an analysis of the Golden Globes. However, it turns out there’s still a lot to say about race with regards to the awards. More about that–and my … Continue reading “2012 Golden Globe Analysis”
This guest review by Molly McCaffrey previously appeared at her blog I Will Not Diet. I’m thrilled that it’s finally Oscar season, and I get to see DOZENS of outstanding movies between now and Sunday, February 26th when I’ll walk the red carpet with The Help‘s Viola Davis and The Ides of March‘s Ryan Gosling … Continue reading “Why We All Need to See Young Adult, a.k.a. How Diablo Cody Shines a Light on the Cost of Beauty”
When we think of war, we often think of soldiers, tanks, weapons and battlefields. But most wars breach boundaries, affecting civilians, mostly women and children. Soldiers, guerillas and paramilitaries use tactics such as rape, fear, murder and pushing people off their land. We need to shift our paradigm of war and look at how it … Continue reading “‘War Redefined’ Challenges War as a Male Domain and Examines How Violent Conflict Impacts Women”
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”
