In ‘Clue,’ the Real Mystery Is the Bechdel Test

On any dark and stormy night in the fall, it is a wonderful thing to curl up with a mug of mulled cider and watch Clue. The murder mystery based on the eponymous board game may have been a huge flop when it was released in 1985, but it has gained a passionate cult following in the last 28 years, probably due to its infinitely quotable dialogue and gleeful disregard for the pile of bodies amassed as the movie progresses – as well as being shown on cable about once every two hours.

Female Sexuality is the Real Horror in ‘Womb’

Womb poster Written by Erin Tatum. Today, I wanted to talk about a little film called Womb. It’s not very well known – Doctor Who fans will recognize it as one of Matt Smith‘s leading roles before his TARDIS fame. The film presents a fascinating introspective on the ethics of cloning while at the same … Continue reading “Female Sexuality is the Real Horror in ‘Womb’”

When Opportunity Knocks

Shooting Fog City This is a guest post by Liz O’Neal. I am not a traditional filmmaker, and to be honest, I was not an experienced filmmaker until I produced Fog City. I moved to SF a year ago to manage a video studio – from operations and client services and video production — for … Continue reading “When Opportunity Knocks”

Travel Films Week: "It Seems to Me That She Came From the Sea": A Review of Agnes Varda’s ‘Vagabond’

Agnès Varda directs Vagabond This is a guest review by Rachael Johnson. Vagabond is one of Agnès Varda’s finest films. First released in 1985, its title in French is Sans Toit Ni Loi–Without Roof or Law or Homeless and Lawless. It is the story of Mona, a young homeless woman roaming the landscape of a … Continue reading “Travel Films Week: "It Seems to Me That She Came From the Sea": A Review of Agnes Varda’s ‘Vagabond’”

Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: Gendered Values and Women in Middle Earth

This is a guest post by Barrett Vann. Several weeks ago, I was trawling the internet for reviews of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when I came across this one, by Rhiannon at Feminist Fiction. In it, she says: The film was … a retelling of one of the oldest, most classic, and so most … Continue reading “Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: Gendered Values and Women in Middle Earth”

Horror Week 2012: The Failure of the Male Gaze in ‘The Vampire Lovers’

The Vampire Lovers | L-R: Carmilla (Ingrid Pitts) and Laura (Pippa Steel) Guest post written by Lauren Chance. It is a truth universally acknowledged that any fandom, genre or medium must be in want of some lesbians and lo, the so-called ‘lesbian vampire’ genre that exists as a subsidiary to the vampire mythology is here … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: The Failure of the Male Gaze in ‘The Vampire Lovers’”

‘Yo Bitch’: The Complicated Feminism of Breaking Bad

The cast of Breaking Bad Warning: Spoilers Ahead Season five of Breaking Bad began with the unraveling of Gus Fring’s drug operation, which had served as a puppeteer for most of the cast during the preceding seasons. The second episode, “Madrigal,” is named for the German parent company of Fring’s Los Pollos Hermanos. While the business … Continue reading “‘Yo Bitch’: The Complicated Feminism of Breaking Bad”

Emmy Week 2011: Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope “It’s a great time to be a woman in politics… Get on board and buckle up, ‘cos my ride’s gonna be a big one.” In the Parks and Recreation pilot, Leslie Knope made clear the extent of her political ambitions. But it was also clear that she was deluded. The Deputy Director of … Continue reading “Emmy Week 2011: Leslie Knope”

Best Picture Nominee Review Series: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture nominee Slumdog Millionaire This is a guest post from Tatiana Christian. Set in modern day India, Slumdog Millionaire is heralded as a classic fairy-tale, rags to riches sort of story. Jamal (played by Dev Patel), a 20-year-old resident of Mumbai, is a contestant on the ever-popular Who Wants to be a Millionaire with … Continue reading “Best Picture Nominee Review Series: Slumdog Millionaire”

Documentary Review: !Women Art Revolution

So why don’t we know more women in art? It’s a case of omission, of erasing women and their contributions out of history. A stunning film 40 years in the making, “!Women Art Revolution” seeks to fill that gap by combining “intimate” interviews along with visceral visual images of paintings, performance art, installation art, murals and photography.

Guest Writer Wednesday: On Sam Mendes’s Almost Feminist Revolutionary Road

Winslet and DiCaprio star in Revolutionary Road Revolutionary Road (2008) is almost a feminist film. It also just falls short of being something more than the hackneyed anti-suburbia types of film Sam Mendes revels in making. A couple, who once fell in love over common artistic dreams, pulls off to the side of a highway … Continue reading “Guest Writer Wednesday: On Sam Mendes’s Almost Feminist Revolutionary Road”