The radical notion that women like good movies
Written by Erin Fenner. In a 2012 interview with Vulture, Lorene Scafaria said she is not afraid of “quirky.” And why should she be? Indie-wood’s model to movie making seems to be dependent upon quirk. Whimsical women characters bring in the big money in the industry. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings in Nick and Norah’s … Continue reading “Movie Makers from the Margins: Lorene Scafaria”
Written by Erin Fenner French filmmaker, Celine Sciamma, brings you uncomfortably close to the lives of adolescents. She does this intentionally, but not in a voyeuristic way that so often comes along with any Hollywood film. Instead, her proximity to her characters creates a level of intense intimacy. Even when her characters are dealing with … Continue reading “Movie Makers from the Margins: Celine Sciamma”
Written by Erin Fenner I stumbled onto Sarah Polley during a typical Sunday TV slam – in which my roommate(s) and I watch a set of television shows and/or movies while gently tearing them apart for end o’ weekend laughs. With only Netflix to stream on this particular weekend we ended up on a movie … Continue reading “Movie Makers from the Margins: Sarah Polley”
Gender, Family and Globalization in ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’ by Emily Contois Foreign Film Week: Red, Blue, and Giallo: Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’ by Max Thornton Sexism in Three of Bollywood’s Most Popular Films by Katherine Filaseta BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Realistic Depictions of Women and Female Friendship in ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ by … Continue reading “Foreign Film Week Roundup”
By Erin Fenner The trailer doesn’t provide the full context for why Gretel (Gemma Arterton), in the upcoming movie Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, headbutts a grumpy fella (Peter Stormare) after he says, “I’m not going to have you telling me what to do.” I really hope the exchange between grumpy guy and Gretel escalates … Continue reading “‘Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters’ Trailer”
Written by Erin Fenner Is there enough dude on this poster for you? Bad Taste, 1987, was Peter Jackson’s first dip into epic nerd movies and his first film. While he may be best known for his specially affected J.R.R. Tolkien interpretations, I personally will always love Jackson for his exploding sheep and (literally) brain-snatchy/gory … Continue reading “‘The Hobbit’: A Totally Expected Bro-Fest”
Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina Written by Erin Fenner. In Joe Wright’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, we are relentlessly stuck in a nineteenth-century playhouse. Instead of moving through space – sets move around the characters. Everyone is a tool of their society. They’re subject to frivolous, yet harmful social etiquette. And while props … Continue reading “‘Anna Karenina,’ and the Tragedy of Being a Woman in the Wrong Era”
The Final Girl Gone Wild: Post-Feminist Whiteness in ‘Scream 4’ by Jeremy Cornelius Wes Craven’s 1990s Scream trilogy completely rewrote the slasher genre in a postmodern meta-film. In March 2011, Scream 4 was released, ten years after Scream 3 was originally released, starring the original trio: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox-Arquette along with … Continue reading “Horror Week 2012: The Roundup”
I don’t want to see the film Oliver Stone will want to make about Romney Here is my draft of an open tweet I am working on for directors and producers of Hollywood who continue directing and producing movies mostly about rich white men: @WealthyDirectors&Producers I know ppl r told 2 “write what u know” … Continue reading “Surprise: Rich White Men Dominate the Cinema”
YouTube Break: Buffyverse Season 1 Trailer A Love Letter to Buffy: How the Vampire Slayer Turned This Girl into a Feminist by Talia Liben Yarmush Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a series that redefined television in many ways. It combined drama, comedy, romance, action, and horror in an original and unique way. It portrayed a … Continue reading “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme Week: The Roundup”
Here’s something I have run up against repeatedly when challenging sexism in older films and media (for the sake of the argument I will just discuss sexism, but this applies to all shapes and sizes of bigotry): “It was just the times…” To be clear about this “the times” theory: in various old movies, blatant sexism … Continue reading “Why "It Was Just the Times" Doesn’t Cut It When Challenging Sexism in Older Films”
You’ve probably noticed some wonderful new writers around here. They’ll each be writing weekly posts, so you’ll definitely want to check back here often to read their fabulous pieces. In case you missed any of their introductions last week, I’ve included excerpts below. Make sure to read their full bios to learn more about them–and … Continue reading “Welcome New Contributors!”
