Search Results for: the hurt locker

2013 Oscar Week: Feminism and the Oscars: Do This Year’s Best Picture Nominees Pass the Bechdel Test?

Written by Megan Kearns. When people watch movies, they often think it’s just entertainment. That they don’t really matter. But media impacts our lives tremendously. Films reflexively shape and reflect culture. Feminist commentary is vital.  It might seem like they don’t but the Oscars matter. The Oscars are the most visible celebration of filmmaking in … Continue reading “2013 Oscar Week: Feminism and the Oscars: Do This Year’s Best Picture Nominees Pass the Bechdel Test?”

2013 Golden Globes Week: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Raises Questions On Gender and Torture, Gives No Easy Answers

Jessica Chastain as Maya in Zero Dark Thirty Written by Megan Kearns. | Warning: Spoilers ahead!! Driven, relentless, bad-ass women in film always hold a special place in my heart. Ripley from Alien and Aliens, Patty Hewes from Damages, Carrie Mathison from Homeland. Maya, the female protagonist of Zero Dark Thirty, is no exception. But … Continue reading “2013 Golden Globes Week: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Raises Questions On Gender and Torture, Gives No Easy Answers”

2013 Golden Globes Week: Jessica Chastain’s Performance Propels the Exquisitely Sharp But Aloof ‘Zero Dark Thirty’

This is a guest review by Candice Frederick and is cross-posted with permission from her blog Reel Talk. Zero Dark Thirty teaser With her latest film Zero Dark Thirty, filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow continues her charge of completely eliminating any doubt that she’s going to be to that type of female director. You know the kind, … Continue reading “2013 Golden Globes Week: Jessica Chastain’s Performance Propels the Exquisitely Sharp But Aloof ‘Zero Dark Thirty’”

Weekly Feminist Film Question: Who Is Your Favorite Female Film Director?

Hey film lovers! Here’s this week’s feminist film question. Who is your favorite female film director?  Here’s what you said (along with some of their films): Chantal Akerman — Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles; A Couch in New York; The Captive; Tomorrow We Move Gillian Armstrong — Little Women, My Brilliant Career, … Continue reading “Weekly Feminist Film Question: Who Is Your Favorite Female Film Director?”

Guest Post: Can ‘Hope Springs’ Launch a New Era of Smart, Accessible Movies About Women?

Meryl Streep in Hope Springs Guest post written by Molly McCaffrey originally published at I Will Not Diet. Cross-posted with permission. If you watch the movie trailer for Hope Springs, you’ll see a lot of comical moments set against the backdrop of some lighthearted happy music… …including Meryl Streep’s character telling her kids that she and … Continue reading “Guest Post: Can ‘Hope Springs’ Launch a New Era of Smart, Accessible Movies About Women?”

Red Tails: Historic, Entertaining, Altogether Lacking Women…and Why that Is Okay

Red Tails (2012) I don’t see movies in the theatre very often. I know, for someone who co-founded and writes for a film site to say that is tantamount to treason. But, it’s true: there has to be a good reason for me to plunk down ten bucks (I’m a starving writer, friends!) to sit … Continue reading “Red Tails: Historic, Entertaining, Altogether Lacking Women…and Why that Is Okay”

Best Picture Nominee Review Series: 2010 Roundup

It’s over a year late . . . but here it is!  Avatar reviewed by Elizabeth Tiller “As much as I would like to sit through a movie like this and enjoy it for what it is (ground-breaking sci-fi entertainment that will go down in history), I simply can’t. James Cameron’s attempt to create a … Continue reading “Best Picture Nominee Review Series: 2010 Roundup”

Bitch Flicks’ Weekly Picks

Helen Mirren: ‘I Want to play Hamlet!’ from The Guardian The general media obsession with Mirren’s sex life has been replaced these days by a kind of awe, no less misogynistic, that a woman in her 60s can look attractive and happy. At 65, Mirren is adored and venerated; if it’s true that, after being … Continue reading “Bitch Flicks’ Weekly Picks”

2011 Post-Oscar Response

Might as well dive right in! Here is the list (short version) of the winners: Best Picture: The King’s Speech Best Actor: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale in The Fighter Best Actress: Natalie Portman in Black Swan Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo in The Fighter Best Animated Feature Film: … Continue reading “2011 Post-Oscar Response”

Calling All Writers!

The Academy Awards air February 27th, and we’d love to have some guest writers review the Best Picture nominees. We currently need reviews for: Black Swan The Fighter Inception The Kids Are All Right The King’s Speech 127 Hours The Social Network Toy Story 3 True Grit Winter’s Bone Obviously, some of these films deserve … Continue reading “Calling All Writers!”

Question of the Day: Do We Need a Best Female Director Category?

Last March, Kim Elsesser wrote an Op-Ed in the NYT called “And the Gender-Neutral Oscar Goes To…” in which she argues for a single acting category.  Since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, separate acting Oscars have been presented to men and women. Women at that time had only recently won the right to … Continue reading “Question of the Day: Do We Need a Best Female Director Category?”

Director Spotlight: Kathryn Bigelow

Welcome to our second installment of Director Spotlight, where we explore the biographies and filmographies of an often overlooked group: women film directors. (We’ve also spotlighted Allison Anders.) Kathryn Bigelow is all over the web right now for being the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing (not to mention … Continue reading “Director Spotlight: Kathryn Bigelow”