Tag Archives: feminism

Star Wars: The Force Fights Nerds

Posted on December 29, 2015 by The Filmsmith | Comments Off

Now that Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TFA) is finally out, box office records are being broken and fans are gushing with praise. Quietly though, the film’s greatest success may be its smackdown of the nerd community’s Dark Side.

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Posted in Articles

Tagged Class, Diversity, feminism, John Boyega, Privilege, race, Star Wars The Force Awakens

Sundance favorite”Winter’s Bone” Cuts Deep

Posted on June 22, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 6 comments

There is an oft-lamented dearth of strong female characters in cinema. Lt. Ripley and Sarah Connor are the characters that receive the most citation, but I’ll be damned if we can’t add Ree Dolly to the roster – this is not a girl to be trifled with. Continue reading →

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Posted in Edinburgh International Film Festival, Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged Appalachia, Cinema, Debra Granik, Documentary, Drama, Edinburgh International Film Festival, EIFF, female, feminism, Film, Jennifer Lawrence, Kentucky, Movie, patriarchy, poor, poverty, Ree Dolly, strong, strong female character, Sundance, Winter's Bone

Ginger Snaps Trilogy Roundup & The Problem of Genre Distinctions (part 4)

Posted on June 1, 2010 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

:read part 1, part 2, part 3:

Ginger Snaps: Complete Roundup

Though the final part of the Ginger Snaps trilogy is weak, it’s not Spider-Man 3 weak. Given the track record of horror film sequels, the entire trilogy stands up pretty well. The real strength of the series lies with the characters, specifically female lead characters. The male cast members are all supporting pieces to the story (though they play bigger parts in Ginger Snaps Back), so we get a fresh perspective as Brigitte and Ginger lead us through female territory: sisterhood, mother-daughter relationships, sex, menstruation, relationships with men, etc. Continue reading →

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (pt 3)

Posted on May 30, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 4 comments

:catch Part 1 here and Part 2 here:

Now, about the third film. Yes, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning is set in the 19th century. Yes, that sounds very silly. How in the hell have two girls dealing with werewolves in the modern era suddenly found themselves stuck in the mid-1800’s fighting werewolves at a Canadian trade post? The answer: there isn’t really one. Toward the latter third of the film there are allusions to reincarnation and curses passed through families, but the film doesn’t force this idea and there aren’t any time travel shenanigans. It just is.

So I’ll say this: if you had never seen the first two films and watched this one, it could stand on its own – which is respectable. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged 1800's, 19th century, Army of Darkness, Boom Stick, canada, Cinema, female, feminine, feminism, Film, Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps 2, Ginger Snaps 3, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, Horror, menstruation, Movie, subtext, themes, Werewolf, werewolves, women, X-Files

Lost Gem: Ginger Snaps Unleashed (part 2)

Posted on May 29, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 3 comments

:you can read part 1 here:

Trying to compare Ginger Snaps to Ginger Snaps Unleashed (released in the U.S. as Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed) is like trying to decide between Alien or Aliens: they are both good, but different. Ginger Snaps Unleashed picks up where the first left off. And no, there are no silly gimmicks, there really is continuity between the two (even the same actresses return). Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles, Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged canada, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Drugs, Emily Perkins, Evil Dead 2, feminism, feminist, Fright Night 2, Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps 2, Ginger Snaps 2 Unleashed, Ginger Snaps II, Girls, Hollywood, Horror, Katharine Isabelle, menstruation, Monkshood, Sex, Trilogy, violence, Werewolf, werewolves

Lost Gem: Ginger Snaps (part 1)

Posted on May 28, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 4 comments

Teenage girls battling werewolves. Nope, it’s not Twilight: it’s another horror gem like The Descent and Carriers.

Katharine Isabelle as Ginger (left) and Emily Perkins as Brigitte (right)

While I was working at a video store, Ginger Snaps was just another straight to DVD horror film: attractive girl, catchy title, some ominous background music, BOOM, you have a cover just like all the other straight to DVD features (right next to Lord of the G-Strings and Santa’s Slay). But as I’ve been working on my dissertation detailing “unsafe” horrors, Ginger Snaps came up enough times to merit a screening. Results? The best werewolf film since Landis’ An American Werewolf in London. Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles, Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged An American Werewolf in London, canada, Carriers, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Emily Perkins, feminism, feminist, Ginger Snaps, Girls, Hollywood, Horror, John Fawcett, John Landis, Katharine Isabelle, menstruation, Sex, Teeth, The Descent, Trilogy, vagina teeth, violence, Werewolf, werewolves