The radical notion that women like good movies
Sons of Anarchy Written by Leigh Kolb In 15th and early 16th century Europe, morality plays existed to entertain audiences, but also to teach them lessons. Classic morality plays used allegory to impart lessons about what it means to be good, and what it means to be evil. Typically, virtue always prevailed over vice. … Continue reading “An Audience on the Edge: ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ Morality and Masculinity”
Father of the Bride Values Relationships With Women by Mab Ryan Father of the Bride (1991) is aptly named, as its focus is not on the wedding itself or the couple involved but on the titular character’s neuroses and journey to maturity. The wedding is the backdrop and the incident that provokes growth in the … Continue reading “Wedding Week: The Roundup”
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers Written by Lady T. A year ago, I began writing a series called “Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Consent Issues,” looking at specific episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that included a major plot point related to consent, rape culture, and sexual violence. What I found was illuminating. The … Continue reading “‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and Consent Issues (Seasons 1-2)”
This is a guest post by Jenny Lapekas. For those of us who followed the girls on the hit HBO series, Sex and the City: The Movie, directed by Michael Patrick King, was a hotly anticipated film by the time it was released in 2008. We are familiar with Carrie as an avid writer, a … Continue reading “Wedding Week: Bigger Than Big: Marriage and Female Bonding in ‘Sex and the City: The Movie’”
Move poster for Stoker Written by Amanda Rodriguez Spoiler Alert (Read my fellow Bitch Flicks writer, Stephanie Roger’s, review of Stoker here.) The first time you watch Stoker, it’s something of a perplexing experience because the narrative is such a genre-bender. I spent at least half the movie wondering what kind of movie I was … Continue reading “‘Stoker’ and the Feminist Female Serial Killer”
While many women orchestrate machinations behind the scenes, no woman is openly a leader, boldly challenging patriarchy to rule. Except for one. Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen.
Guest post written by Atima Omara-Alwala. So if something happens somewhere in Africa, and a white person is not there, do people hear it? well, according to Hollywood at least, no. There is an obsessive need in Western films to legitimize the African story and life through the existence of a major white character in … Continue reading “Foreign Film Week: ‘War Witch’: Finally, a Movie About Africa Without the Cute White Movie Star”
Stoker movie poster Written by Stephanie Rogers. If I were asked to describe my reaction to Stoker using an acronym, I’d go with “WTF,” although I definitely experienced some “OMG” and “STFU” moments here and there. By the end, I could hear myself mentally reviewing the film and toying with the idea of titling this … Continue reading “‘Stoker’: The Creepiest Coming-of-Age Tale I’ve Ever Seen”
How BBC’s ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Illustrates Why The Regency Period Sucked For Women By Myrna Waldron Pride & Prejudice DVD Cover (Source: Wikipedia) It is a truth universally acknowledged that those in pursuit of an English degree must be familiar with the works of Jane Austen. Fortunately for me, she is one of my favourite … Continue reading “Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: How BBC’s ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Illustrates Why The Regency Period Sucked For Women”
Period dress This is a guest post by Jessica Freeman-Slade. Name more than five novels in which sex, and all its consequences, takes center stage. OK, you’ve got The Story of O, Justine (the infamous novel written by the Marquis de Sade), Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and of course, the juggernaut 50 Shades of Gray trilogy… … Continue reading “Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: Slut-Shaming in the 1700s: ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ and ‘Cruel Intentions’”
Written by Amanda Rodriguez Trigger warning: frank discussion of rape & PTSD Julie Taymor’s Titus (based on Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus) is a highly stylized production, involving elaborate costumes, body markings, choreography, era prop mash-ups, and extravagant violence. I tip my hat to Taymor for the scope and splendor of her vision, and I also applaud … Continue reading “Classic Literature Film Adaptations Week: Titus the Tight-Ass: Julie Taymor’s Depictions of the Virgin and Whore”
First off, the TV series Battlestar Galactica just plain rules. It’s exciting, dramatic, beautifully shot, has a racially diverse cast, and places many women in positions of power. Let’s take a minute to consider the fact that the benevolent commander of the military protecting the human race from extinction is portrayed by a Mexican American … Continue reading “Women in Politics Week: “I Don’t Take Orders from You”: Female Military Authority as Represented by Admiral Helena Cain in Battlestar Galactica”
