The radical notion that women like good movies
Rape revenge fantasies form a niche that has the ability to empower rape survivors by giving the story a twist that is rarely enacted in the real world. In these films, those who are made helpless, their humanity called into question, take control, fight back, and make their abusers pay for their crimes.
From Aristophanes’ Lysistrata to contemporary men-are-from-Mars neurobabble, there has been a Western cultural tendency to view male-female relations in military terms, as a “battle of the sexes.” As a veteran of both teams, and even more so as a feminist who disputes gender essentialism, binarism, and cissexism, I find this framing deeply tiresome and hopelessly passé, and it’s hard to know what to with cultural products that revisit it.
# 50/50 5 Broken Cameras 500 Days of Summer 45 Years The 40-Year-Old Virgin 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days 9 to 5 1971 101 Dalmations 127 Hours 10 Days in a Madhouse 10,000 km 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets 300: Rise of an Empire 12 Years a Slave 28 Days Later A Abuse … Continue reading “Film Directory”
Movie poster for Bridesmaids This guest post by Molly McCaffrey previously appeared at her blog I Will Not Diet and is cross-posted with permission. I keep hearing people say they aren’t going to watch Bridesmaids because it’s a rom-com or a chick flick, and since this is really an important movie for women, I want … Continue reading “Wedding Week: Why We All Need to See ‘Bridesmaids’”
Remember Linda Hamilton (playing Sarah Connor) and her guns in Terminator 2? This guest post by Holly Derr is cross-posted with permission from The Ms. Magazine Blog. Summer always makes me a bit nostalgic for childhood. I remember fondly the excitement of being out of school, the long days with nothing to do but read … Continue reading “Where Have You Gone, Sarah Connor?”
Call for Writers: Feminist Travel Films It’s almost summer in the states, and we’re thinking one thing: Road Trip! To gear up, how about some good feminist travel films? Whether by land, air, or sea, let’s look at how travel and gender are represented when movie characters take a trip. Want to take on a … Continue reading “Call for Writers: Feminist Travel Films”
Callie Khouri In a recent interview with Salon, Academy Award-winner Callie Khouri weighed in on how TV seems to be more friendly to shows about women. Khouri (who wrote Thelma and Louise for that Oscar) is the writer and producer for ABC’s new musical drama Nashville. Salon asked her about television telling women’s stories and Khouri … Continue reading “Quote of the Day: Screenwriter/Director Callie Khouri Weighs In On How TV Is Friendlier to Women”
Callie Khouri In a recent interview with Salon, Academy Award-winner Callie Khouri weighed in on how TV seems to be more friendly to shows about women. Khouri (who wrote Thelma and Louise for that Oscar) is the writer and producer for ABC’s new musical drama Nashville. Salon asked her about television telling women’s stories and Khouri … Continue reading “Quote of the Day: Screenwriter/Director Callie Khouri Weighs In On How TV Friendlier to Women”
As we shared last Friday, we launched a new interactive weekly series. Each week we tweet a film question and then post your answers here each Friday. To participate (c’mon…you know you want to!), just follow us on Twitter at @BitchFlicks and use the Twitter hashtag #feministfilm. Which women-centric films had a big influence on … Continue reading “Weekly Feminist Film Question: Which Women-Centric Films Had a Big Influence on You?”
Susan Sarandon (Louise) and Geena Davis (Thelma) in Thelma and Louise Guest post written by Sophie Standing. Stock up on tissues and chocolate ice-cream, call your best bud, and reserve a day just for the two of you. For the ultimate feel-good friendship vibes, rent the following from your local store and have a BFF … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: Big Screen BFF’s — Cinema’s Greatest Female Friendships”
It’s that time again! Time to see which women-centric films will premiere in theatres this week. I’m uber excited to see Lola Versus. Starring Greta Gerwig — the only redeemable part of the annoying and insipid Greenberg (oh and the abortion plotline…seriously, I’m a big fan of abortion on-screen) — it’s a film about a … Continue reading “Women-Centric Films Opening Friday, June 8”
This is a guest post from Soraya Chemaly. How many movies have you watched in which rape is a notable, if not integral, part of the plot? Not sure? Well, I started thinking about it and poked around. The short list I compiled is at the end of this article. Amazing, right? I personally have … Continue reading “‘The Invisible War’ Takes on Sexual Assault in the Military”
