Category: Feminist Criticism
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The Spiritual Death of Miranda Hobbes: When a Queer-coded Feminist Icon Becomes the Punchline
In recent years, queer representation has been one of the hottest topics when it comes to writing new media. Today more than ever it has become necessary for its social importance, but with time this has made room for marketing strategies. Along with pink-washing and superficial inclusivity, depictions of queer-baiting, clichés and stereotypes swarm film…
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Growing Pains: The horror of Catherine Hardwicke’s Thirteen (2003)
Exploring the cultural relevance and realism of Hardwicke’s debut coming-of-age film 20 years after its release. CW: Self-harm, substance abuse, mental health, youth sexuality As feminist author Kathy Acker once wrote, “All stories begin with girls.” And, as evidenced by the abundance of female-led coming-of-age films available to us on big and small screens, the…
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Black, Queer, Horrific: ‘Swarm’ is a One of a Kind Horror-Comedy Series
In the Emmy-nominated horror-comedy Swarm, pop star obsessed Andrea “Dre” Greene goes on a cross-country killing spree. Dre is a member of The Swarm, a Beyhive coded fandom dedicated to fictional singer Ni’jah, a Beyonce coded pop star. Dre is unlike any other central Black horror figure before her, specifically in terms of her gender…
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It’s Barbenheimer’s World, We’re Just Living In It – Scene Report
“This is the Eras Tour of movie tickets,” a man in a flamingo-pink button down told me, gesturing to his friends. “We aren’t even sitting together!” I agreed and turned back to my own friends. We were halfway through what would turn out to be a twelve hour sojourn at the Village East theater on…
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Sex, Drugs and Torture Porn: The Empty Provocations Of ‘The Idol’
Sam Levinson, the self-defined “sick and twisted mind” behind the Gen-Z sleeper hit Euphoria, has joined forces with musician, producer and now, ostensibly, ‘actor,’ Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye to write and direct what he has described as “the biggest show of the summer” at its initial press conference: HBO’s The Idol. Despite the initial public…
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‘An Unmarried Woman’ At 45: The True Predecessor To ‘Sex And the City’
On March 5th, 1978, director Paul Mazursky released a film to the world that would forever change the perception of women in Hollywood. An Unmarried Woman challenged traditional expectations and tired gender stereotypes with its relatable central character, Erica Benton. The film follows Erica (portrayed in a beautifully nuanced performance by Jill Clayburgh) as she…
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We Need to Talk About ‘American Horror Story: NYC’ and Lesbian Invisibility
In the American Horror Story: New York City finale, creators Brad Ryan and Brad Falchuck departed from last season’s scary movie schtick to explore our collective fears around death, decay, and oppression. This refreshing change of direction makes an emotional impact many of us haven’t felt watching AHS in years. But if there’s one area…
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The (Cannibal) Kids Are Alright In ‘Bones and All’
In a film that tackles young people dealing with both their emerging relationship, and their life-defining need to consume human flesh, Bones and All is an endearingly charming – if not left-of-centre – depiction of the awkwardness and fumbling nature of a first relationship.
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‘Emily’: Between Fact And Fiction
The announcement of an Emily Brontë biopic was always going to generate excitement among the niche cross-section of film buffs and Brontë enthusiasts. The project, spearheaded by director and screenwriter Frances O’Connor (who herself appeared in the 1999 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park), gave seriously good vibes. Sex Education’s Emma Mackey was cast in…
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Screen Queens x Conway Hall Screening of Catherine Hardwicke’s ‘Thirteen’ this November!
This November, Screen Queens will be at Conway Hall Ethical Society for our first ever event, screening Catherine Hardwicke’s debut feature, Thirteen. In Hardwicke’s award-winning directorial debut, honor student Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood) has a troubling home life, but she is close to her mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter). While trying to conceal her inner…
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