#feminist spy movie

[taniushka12]

also can I just say? Susan x Rayna is real . . . But so is Susan x Nancy 😤😤😤

[vidavalor]

"You love trains": Crowley & Aziraphale inspired 'North by Northwest'

Putting my film studies background to good use here with some film history & historical context under the cut.

The "what does the J stand for?" exchange in The Blitz, Part 1 and the inability for the audience to initially understand what Aziraphale is mouthing in The Blitz, Part 2 are both references to Hitchcock's classic spy thriller, 'North by Northwest'. I didn't link the clip that goes along with The Blitz, Part 2 in case some of you have never seen this film because it would ruin your experience of it. (Definitely watch it if you have not as it's a masterpiece.) Since The Blitz scenes are taking place in 1941 and 'North by Northwest' was released 18 years later in 1959, Crowley and Aziraphale aren't referencing the film in the dialogue but, instead, could be presumed to be the source *of* the dialogue in the film... just like how Shakespeare lifted Crowley's love poetry for 'Antony & Cleopatra'... and the 'North by Northwest'-referencing part of The Blitz, Part 1 *is referencing* the 'Antony and Cleopatra' reference because it's the reveal of Crowley's first name. But... it gets even better...

The writer of 'North by Northwest' was legendary Hollywood screenwriter Ernest Lehman, whom we're now presuming to have been a friend of probably at least Aziraphale's. Lehman wrote a dozen or so classic films and, outside of 'North by Northwest', is most famous for writing adaptations of several famous musicals, including the adapted screenplay for... 'The Sound of Music.' But, no, somehow, we aren't done yet with how amazing this is lol.

The thing that makes this all even funnier is that 'North by Northwest' is responsible for probably the most famous train metaphor in cinema. I'll spoil just this bit as it won't really ruin the overall movie for you if you haven't seen it but don't go any further than here if you don't want to be spoiled at all. If you've already seen it, you totally know what I mean. *laughs*

In 1959, when this film was released, you still couldn't really show sex on screen in a mainstream film. If you showed two people in a bedroom at all, they were cisgender, heterosexual and married and they slept in two separate beds. The level of sex happening in the above clip was *wild* for the era and the fact that it was put into the film the way it is-- that an unmarried woman picks up a hot guy on a train and they sleep together and she's still the heroine of the film and all of that-- was really nothing short of feminist revolution in a film in this era.

The film has a famous "love scene" of sorts that follows not long after the one I linked above, where the two of them are in a cabin on the train and starting to get it on but constraints of cinema coding at the time limited how far it could go. So, to imply that the main characters do, in fact, sleep together, the film famously cuts away to a shot of the train entering a tunnel-- making the train itself symbolic of sex. Because of how famous the film overall--and this scene in particular--became, it became a thing to use trains euphemistically for sex in other cinematic works following it. There is literally no way that Crowley and Aziraphale have not seen this movie so while Aziraphale was happy to make The Bentley into a sexual metaphor while angling for the car keys, Crowley is half-heartedly griping in flirty response by continually referencing trains, another sexual mode of transportation-- the one that that they inspired lol. Hence Aziraphale's bemused little lololol-but-won't-give-him-the-satisfaction-of-seeing-my-amusement face here:

Sunglassed!Cary Grant is Crowley and the old movie chemistry and the semi-coded flirty banter and someone please, please write a fic where Aziraphale says "I don't particularly like the book I've started"-- I will pay you lol.

[cleabellanov]

Fighting for good, one widow bite at the time: Black Widow's cultural impact

Critics scoff when I call the Black Widow movie a favorite, but hear me out. It deserved a better release window, maybe at an earlier time, when things would've been viewed differently. Sure, it doesn't rise up what it could've been, leaving so much lingering dreams in the hearts of us, fans. So much potential remains untapped, so many questions unanswered... but Natasha Romanoff? She rises above it all. If you doubt her power, think again, and as I said, hear me out.

Black Widow, the assasin with steely eyes that hide and protect a heart of gold, has transcended the screen to become a cultural icon. From her first appereance in the MCU in Iron Man 2 (2010) to Black Widow (2021), she truly went through a lot, took us with her, and thaught everyone some lessons on the way.

Shattering the mold of the damsel in distress: She's no sidekick, she's a strategist and a fierce fighter. She is a vital member of the Avengers, that's a fact we saw in the 2012 movie. After all, how many characters can you name that tricked the God of Mischief? Nat didn't only do it exceptionally, she is the first we saw doing this on screen.

Reclaiming Narrative: Unlike many superheroes defined by singular origins, Black Widow carried the trauma of a dark past, manipulated by the Red Room, a notorious spy program. Her movie explored this narrative, acknowledging the exploitation and abuse she endured. This resonated with survivors of violence and abuse, offering validation and representation. Her journey of breaking free from her past resonated on a broader level, highlighting themes of resilience, empowerment, and overcoming hardship. Furthermore, she hasn't always been a hero, an avenger. "Regimes fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that, I'm russian" and "I've got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out" show how she's not just using the power she already has, but has the power to change as well. This isn't about brute force, it's about internal struggle and choosing to become a better version of herself despite her history.

Sisterhood and Solidarity: Black Widow's story wasn't solely focused on herself. In "Black Widow," she teams up with other women who share similar experience, even if at first this doesn't seem to work, indoctrinated as they are in the Red Room programme. This depiction of female solidarity resonated with audiences, particularly feminist movements advocating for women's support networks and collective action.

Representation Matters: Black Widow's portrayal as a skilled leader and strategist challenged existing portrayals of Russian characters in Hollywood. They are often depicted as villains or stereotypes, but her complex identity sparked conversations about diversity and representation within the superhero genre.

Defying stereotypes: As the sole original female Avenger, Black Widow carried a unique weight. She didn't need superpowers or a revealing suit — her determination and arsenal spoke for themselves. That's true power. I mean, in some situations she only had two cool firearms, but did better than Captain America with a vibranium shield! I also love how her costume evolved over time, prioritizing functionality over sexualization. Ditching the impractical neckline in her solo movie? A much-needed win! It shows that Black Widow commands respect through her actions, not her body.

Her impact and importance punches like her combat skills, if you ask me.

So, the next time you see the Black Widow, remember, she's more than just a character. She's a symbol of strength, resilience, and the unwavering human spirit. Thanks for being a constant source of inspiration, Nat ❣️

[drekkavac-moving]

" all's fair in LOVE & WAR. who are we kidding ... NONE OF IT'S FAIR. "

" If you thought Bradjelina had chemistry look out. Ryan Reynolds and Mary Elizabeth Winstead abuse the audience as much as each other in this thrilling spy meets merc adventure " " Their love language is unbridled violence and I f*cking LOVE IT! " " I'm so glad I wore my white pants! " " I felt abused the whole 2+ hour run time and walked out begging for more! Got tickets for tomorrow! " " Since when is Deadpool such a simp? She's not even that hot, bro. " " A horrible model for a healthy relationship. These two should get a DIVORCE! " " LADY Deadpool? What next, LADY Magneto? The feminists are ruining everything " " This movie pushed the "Fem Power" agenda WAY too much. Are you kidding me? It had potential. It needed to focus more on Deadpool himself and all the cool things that he can do. While Mary's performace was perfect and I DID enjoy seeing her in that suit. I do with that her suit was a little more revealing. To make her look different than Deadpool. Them fighitng together in those suits that look so similar. It was hard to follow is all I am saying. Go see it. Don't go see it. Whatever its your money that your wasting not mine. " " Watching this wasn't enough, I need it injected into my brain. "

big thanks to @ontheticktick , @the-innumerable-heroes , & @wormholxtreme for the awesome fake reviews for this madness! mutuals may reblog.

[homoquartz]

feminist hero spy in an action movie: if you even think of hurting that hostage, dr. badman, i will shoot out the control panel of this private jet and send us careening into the middle of the pacific ocean. and i don't make idle threats. (points her gun at the control panel and cunts the hammer)

[comicsart3]

Black Widow has a reasonably long comic book history, making her first appearance in Tales of Suspense #52 in 1964 but has arguably only recently come into her own thanks to reboots from the 2000s and the character’s appearance in the Marvel Comics movie franchise (Iron Man 2 in 2010). Despite being the creation of Stan Lee, Black Widow was a rather two dimensional Cold War figure, whose real name was Natalia (Natasha) Romanova who operated as a seductive Soviet spy and assassin in the 1960s, usually pitched against Iron Man and fellow Avengers. She was later portrayed as something of a brainwashed dupe, controlled by her sinister Communist Russian bosses, until at last, she discovers the joys of American individual freedom and defects to the USA. After this the character somewhat loses her point, working occasionally with The Avengers and briefly becoming Hawkeye’s love interest. In the 1970s, the character was relaunched as a crime-fighting espionage “babe” complete with tight leather costume, her flowing iconic red hair and a jet set lifestyle, perhaps manifesting Marvel’s ongoing struggle with feminist portrayals of its (few) major female characters.

The character dropped from sight in the 1980s and made fleeting appearances the following decade, usually allied to Tony Stark and was a sometime member of The Avengers. Her contributions were often linked to her former role as a Soviet operative, particularly after the Russian Communist regime collapsed in 1991.

In the more nuanced world of the 2000s, Black Widow has become a more standard sexy-but-lethal espionage character, generally working with the good guys against international threats, but her fraught background makes her a morally ambiguous figure, prone to rogue behaviour. In the page featured, Black Widow takes on Alexei Shostakov, Natalia’s original husband. Shostakov began as the Soviet version of Captain America, Red Guardian, frequently working with his wife on anti Western missions during the Cold War. Alexei became estranged from Natalia after her defection, and in the post-Soviet era, the need for Red Guardian was no more, so Shostakov took on the role of Ronin, a more conventional super assassin for hire, although he retained a love for Mother Russia. Working with a terrorist group known as the Dark Ocean Society, Ronin was eventually taken down by a number of Avengers, including Black Widow, and was actually, rather embarrassingly for him, captured and incarcerated by his ex-wife.

Black Widow, for me, falls rather unfortunately between the stools of more convincing DC heroines/villainesses such as Catwoman and Huntress and never quite equals either, her earlier politicisation as a character perhaps not helping. Her current role as a modern Modesty Blaise-type figure perhaps suits her best.

Sources: Black Widow and Red Guardian Wikipedia entries and ReadComicsOnline.

[musicalmoritz]

Hello💕

My name is Roxy. This blog is mainly for my rambles and shippy posts (not mutually exclusive). I am a writer on ao3 under the same name as this account. I’m just here to put my thoughts out into the world like an open diary, and to reblog cute shit💞💞💞

Fandom Interests:

• Current Hyperfixation- TBHK, Rent, Wicked

• Other Animes (in no particular order)- Hunter X Hunter, Chainsaw Man, Fruits Basket, Madoka Magica, Kakegurui, Jujutsu Kaisen, Bungou Stray Dogs, My Hero Academia, Cowboy Bebop, Ouran High School Host Club, I’m In Love With The Villainess, Sk8 the Infinity, Adachi and Shimamura, Banana Fish, Demon Slayer, Mob Psycho 100, Spy X Family, Vampires In The Garden, High Rise Invasion, Kyo Kara Maoh, Kase-San and Morning Glories, Haikyuu!!, Death Note, Attack On Titan, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Full Metal Alchemist

• DC Comics, mainly the female characters and anything related to the Teen Titans/Batman. I’ve been in this fandom for years due to adaptations but I’m relatively new to the comics themselves. Currently reading Batwoman's New 52 run and anything Cass Cain related I can get my hands on

• I do like Marvel but like mainly Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Black Widow. I'm refraining from posting about it for the time being due to the boycott

• I'm a big filmbro, my top 3 movies of all time are Dead Poets Society, Pride & Prejudice (2005), and American Psycho

• Classic lit is my favorite thing to read (aside from fan fiction). Currently reading The Idiot by Dostoevsky

• I love listening to musicals, my top 3 being Les Miserables, Falsettos, and Spring Awakening

• Some shows I like are Breaking Bad, Glee, Stranger Things (not posting due to the boycott), Gravity Falls, First Kill, Bly Manor, I Am Not Okay With This, The Middle, Adventure Time, Modern Family, Merlin, Doctor Who, and probably others I can't think of rn

• I'm really into classic fairytales🦋

• As far as music goes I am a critical Swiftie. I also enjoy Fall Out Boy, Marina, early Panic! At The Disco, Megan Thee Stallion, Nirvana, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, and various other artists

• Some other fandoms I've been involved in include It by Stephen King (all media types), Twilight, Percy Jackson (boycott), The Hunger Games, Marauders, Camp Camp, Archie Comics & Sabrina, Dan & Phil, Hellaverse, Homestuck (save me), aaaaaand I think that's everything??

• My favorite piece of media of all time is Les Miserables, especially the book and the musical. I love it with all of my heart and it truly changed the way I live my life as well as my outlook on the world and religion💕

• My favorite character of all time is Dazai from BSD, I adore his character development and all the subtle details that add to his characterization💕

• I enjoy analyzing and yapping about my interests so expect a lot of that

Other Interests:

• I am a psychology major with an AS degree in psychology

• I practice wing-chun, though I am still somewhat of a beginner (white belt, my si-fu makes his students earn them)

• Writing is my passion and I have been working on my own novel for many years now. It is meant to be a three part series but I don’t want to publish the first book until it’s perfect

• Proud Cat Mom

• Being an older sister is like 50% of my personality

• I am a lesbian and a Christian and both of those identities are very important to me

• Believe it or not I am employed, though I won’t say where for obvious reasons💪🏻

• Raging Feminist

• Antique collector

• Complainer, not a hater

• Optimist

• Lover of all things pink

Again, this blog is really just a side quest, I’m much more active on TikTok so you might want to follow me there (femslash.enthusiast / #1 aoinene lover). I’m just here to yap about my interests and spread good vibes💕

[the-goya-jerker]

What are your favorite movies? Any recommendations?

ALWAYS.

I love film. I love TV shows. I love to watch things.

I'll try to group these up. But they're below a cut because this will get long.

Oh, also, I recommend checking out the Does the Dog Die and/or Unconsenting Media page for movies on here. These check for common triggers for the first, and specific sexual content in the second. Both are quite thorough, and Unconsenting Media always needs more contributers.

Please, if you have triggers of any kind, curate your experiences, advocate for yourself. These sites can really help you.

If you like straight up horror:

The VVitch is an absolute favorite, I'm an absolute sucker for historical accuracy.

The Sudbury Devil is of a similar vein. It's weird! Don't get me wrong! The quality isn't the best, but I did like it!

St. Maud is another one, very religious and very creative.

I like the original Wickerman, but I don't really see it as horror... That guy was a dick and a cop.

The Wind is fun, I didn't like the ending much, but I'm really into atmospheric horror. There's a fun game based on it. (Even if I find the creator's other works a little... suspicious, ideologically.)

Bride of Reanimator has a special place in my heart.

V/H/S '94 is a recent watch of mine. Not every piece in it is good, and the framing device is weak, but I liked it for what it was nevertheless. Big youtube short films/ARG vibes.

Go watch Portrait of God on youtube. It's scary, eerie, and it made my stomach churn a bit.

Crimson Peak is also very very good. Very gothic, but I'm grouping it here for how violence is presented.

If you like things with horror elements that are more gothic than straight up horror:

Interview with the Vampire is a big favorite of mine. I love the books, the show, and especially the movie.

Donnie Darko is fun, very philosophical, a little weird, but I've loved it since I was young.

Ex Machina is interesting to me, I find it enjoyable, even though I have criticisms of how it handles some things.

The Tragedy of Macbeth is lovely. It captures the feeling of a stage play while also using the unique capabilities of film to propel itself into something uniquely good.

The Green Knight on the other hand is not a faithful adaptation. But it has something new to say and do, and I love what it does.

Poor Things deserves every big of hype it gets. If you haven't seen it, it's Frankenstein but with delightfully surreal worldbuilding. The world feels like a painting. Also it's very good as a feminist piece, in my opinion. If a bit singular.

The Love Witch is beautiful, and fascinating to me. I have a special fascination with wicca and neo-pagan movements though, as well as witchcraft and folk-magic.

For things entirely unrelated to horror:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch restructured my brain.

Technically HBO's Angels in America is a mini-series. Watch it like a movie if you can though. I watched it that way for a film class and it's closer to the original play that way.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a very fun spy romp. Listen, just watch it and turn off your brain.

The John Wick movies, while "basic" are a beautiful ballet of violence and action. I do like the mythological elements as well.

The Harder They Fall fucks severely. It's a western centered on an entirely black main cast.

Mama Mia, need I say more.

I do not consider Renfield horror, but god if it isn't fun.

Dungeons and Dragons, sometimes you need a good, well made, movie that's kinda a little stupid.

Barbie Princess and the Pauper isn't good, but I like it.

Spider-verse. Like the whole series. I have a special attachment to these. They're utterly beautiful.

Cats. Is it good? NO!! But you should watch it anyway. Let the awful CGI melt into your brain, let it consume you and just watch. (Someone wants me to say you should watch the movie of the stage production instead)

Watch The Invitation. Go in blind. I'm begging you. Just give it a shot. Don't look up anything.

[vixen-academia]

Vixen Academia: Femme Fatale meets Dark Academia

That’s actually my own personal aesthetic BUT if you read this and says “hey, that’s actually quite like me”, feel free to call yourself a Vixen Academia person :)

SO I was reading a little about aesthetics and subcultures and I just realized I feet both Dark Academia AND femme fatale aesthetics and I though... Why not create a name to my aesthetic? Basically, Vixen Academia would be a little close to Romantic Academia, but less idealistic. It’s about confidence about your looks AND your academic skill, not letting anyone ashame you for been who you are, been feminine but quite dark at same time. 

MOVIES & SERIES

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Chicago (2002)

The Love Witch (2016)

The Pink Panther (1963)

The Tourist (2010)

Clue (1985)

Rebecca (1940)

Girl from Nowhere (2018-present)

Black Swan (2010)

Mean Girls (2004)

Heathers (the musical, please. The movie is so… meh)

BOOKS

Rebecca, Daphine du Maurier 

Junji Ito’s Tomie 

Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu 

Lady Killers

They Never Learn, Layne Fargo

If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio (Meredith is 100% Vixen Academia)

THINGS 

Cheerleading, fencing, martial arts or any sport that make you look badass af

Learning French just for the aesthetic

Always been the “too well dressed” friend of your group 

Having THAT red lipstick 

Knowing that your social life don’t make you less academic 

Pearls, gold/silver neackless, hoop earings

“Carrear over romance” type 

Reading layed down on your couch with a wine glass near by

(Comfortable) high heels, oxford shoes, mary janes etc

Hand fans to hot days

Readings about fashion and cosmetics

Sunny day = sunglasses day 

Been a little mysteryus just for the fun

Always with a hand mirror on the bag 

The “C’mon, I heard about a new place that’s seems amazing and nobody knows yet!” friend

Feminist studies and books

Skincare routine 

Police & spy thriller books

“Villain Era” playlists 

Usually hearing you have the “resting b face”

ALWAYS with something red (a bracelet, your shoes, a dress… anything, but always in red)

I also made a playlist you can hear clicking here!

[reviewinghiccup]

RIDERS OF BERK | HTTYD SERIES | HICCUP X ASTRID

Blog Post Series : HICCUP X ASTRID

Title : HEATHER REPORT I & II

Ep/Season : Episode 10 & 11, Season 1 (Riders of Berk)

Premise :

A young girl washes up on the shores of Berk. But is she, who she says she is, or is she someone else completely?

PERSONAL TAKE:

I have to admit, that when I first watched this episode, like the very first time, I did not like it. On a whole, I just didn’t like the addition of Heather into the group. And I didn’t notice the nuanced approach it was going for. That this episode was actually more on Astrid.

The movies don’t go into detail about anyone else’s character apart from Hiccup and Toothless. So, it’ll be a waste if you’re a fan of the franchise and not have any opportunity to enjoy the personalities of the other characters. Hence, why ROB will be a treat for you.

You see, these 2 episodes dive into (1) Hicstrid’s first conflict, (2) Astrid having to prove herself; (3) Hiccup learning the lesson, trust Astrid.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT :

HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III & ASTRID HOFFERSON

(1) HICSTRID’S FIRST CONFLICT

Hiccup is all too trusting. On the other hand, Astrid is all too suspicious. Her intuition and ability to read motives make her a pivotal member of the groups decision making process and is indicative of the kind of soldier she is.

They need to balance each other out. While Heather was in fact, a “spy”, she was also someone in grave danger. So, Hiccup wasn’t all too wrong about Heather, but he should’ve also listened to Astrid and maybe get to know Heather a bit more before trusting her with all their dragon secrets.

(2) ASTRID’S LEAD

Astrid called it. We know she will be proven right towards the end of Episode 10. And we can only see Hiccup feeling horrible for what happened.

Note: Can we also take a minute to appreciate the shark rug, which serves like a sleeping bag? The creativity in this show is endless.

But it was also a season for Astrid to trust her dragon. In spite of her suspicions, Stormfly allowed Heather to ride her. We know the dragons are smarter than that, and bribery wouldn’t work w them, especially since Deadly Nadders are fiercely loyal. So, if Stormfly knew Heather was going to hurt Astrid, her senses would’ve pinned Heather as an enemy.

I loved Astrid’s plan to dress up as Heather to retrieve the Book of Dragons. Tenacious thy name is Astrid. She is courageous and creative in battle strategy and mind-games. She very cleverly talked her way into an audience with Alvin, was quick-thinking and intelligent, remembering what she learned from Snotlout to deal w the wild monstrous nightmare.

Also, another thing Astrid learned was, that there was more than meets the eye. There was a reason to Heather’s betrayal.

Astrid bravely change the mission in hopes to save Heather’s parents despite what Heather did to her. Astrid is compassionate as well. She isn’t ruthless. She knows what’s right and what’s wrong. Her innate sense of justice is strong, making her a hero.

This is the kind of feminist stance I love to see. Being a feminist is more than life independent on men, but on core characteristics that make her human. The flaws to accentuate the lesson and the strengths to carry through resolve.

(3) HICCUP’S LESSON

Have you ever seen Hiccup so angry? OK, yes we have, but honestly, this made me love the episode. Hiccup getting angry. I feel like, this was where Hiccup’s respect for Astrid took on a whole new meaning.

Especially that scene when Heather and the Book of Dragons were falling from the sky, and when Snotlout claimed that he was “going after the girl,” Hiccup very determinately said that “I’m going after the book!” As if to mean, whatever the case may be, I’m so done w this girl.

Personally, I don’t think Hiccup ever waivered in his feelings for Astrid. I don’t think he was ever romantically interested w Heather, just intrigued. Also, he found someone to geek out about dragons w, that’s like Hiccup nib, if we’re being honest. And we know, that with Astrid, his chance to geek out has limits. That’s probably why in RTTE, he nerds out w Fishlegs and not Astrid.

You can see that he was much gentler w Astrid in Episode 11. And the little smirk and gentle look he gave to Astrid before she left on the mission felt like a longing to say something more than he could. We know that Hiccup will always be there for Astrid and Hiccup has learned the valuable lesson to trust Astrid.

GROWTH FOR THE TEAM

These two episodes would lead up to the riders first mission. They had to work as a team to defeat Alvin and retrieve the Book. Even to work together to protect or save Astrid.

They worked on a plan and practiced it. E.G. the fiery spikes formed by a combination of Hookfang’s fire and Stormfly’s spikes.

Their first mission was successful, messy, but successful. And Heather is the first civilian they saved.

VERY O.K. WITH THAT

[theangryman]

fight club

i think a lot of feminists have written off fight club by association

it’s such an accurate portrait of certain types of damaged men that it resonates with them, while being at the same time a deep critique of them and everything they believe in (see other examples: BoJack Horseman, Rick Sanchez, Joaquin Pheonix’s Joker)

chucky P is gay

his books are all hinged on mega weird and unreliable narrator(s) + big twist

(fun fact - basically every single song on this album is a reference to a Chuck P novel. I don’t recall any Fight Club refs atm, it’s mostly his other work. Taking Back Sunday has an entire music video that’s basically a recreation of the movie though)

his book is basically an exploration of the drive straight cis men have towards fascism. it is deeply homoerotic, but of the type tinged with fascism. the desire for righteous annihilation, betterment for physical violence. women as invisible (they are not nearly as much in his other works)

Chucky P wrote a book called Pygmy that’s narrator is a North Korean (?) spy sent to perform some sort of terror attack. it is written from his perspective, using broken English. (Also it’s pretty terrible IMHO, that’s about where I stopped reading him)

we might find it interesting that he is better able to write from the perspective of his proto-stochastic terrorists than he is from the weirdly racialized spy in Pygmy. but depiction does not equal endorsement. unreliable narrator stories are supposed to make us question everything

Fight Club works as a metaphor for a man who becomes radicalized and violent. embitterment and grievances slowly build up until in a sudden outburst of violence, they take it out on anyone around them (this is pretty explicit in the “go make a stranger fight you” scene in the movie)

the movie undercuts the film by having the plan succeed; it’s almost like a reverse Starship Troopers. everything about the film looks fun. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter are vamping it up. the movie leaves out the weirder bits from the novel; there isn’t as much to distance the viewer from identifying with the characters (like Tyler Durdens compulsion to jerk off in peoples food, or at least Fincher didn’t seem compelled to include it as much…)

like spoilers:

the book ends with protagonist waking up in a hospital, after shooting themselves in the head. the plan to blow up the buildings failed, but one of the nurses says something that hints to him being a member of Project Mayhem

which again, is an examination of the way these kinds of movements spin out of control. I doubt the people who were originally posting on incel forums wanted Elliot Rodgers. how many movements end up eating their own? there’s even that fun scene where they threaten to cut the protagonists nuts off….

[dotsayers]

8 13 31 39?

8 what’s your comfort film?

haven't watched it in an unforgivably long time but let's be real. it's the princess bride. it will always be the princess bride.

i also have to do the obligatory shout out to coraline, an insane comfort movie but one i really do love to sink into

13 do you have a favorite film in another language?

HAUSU 1977!!!!!!! i also loved ringu predictably, and i have a guilty love for the ace attorney movie. persepolis, sub not dub. oh and la grande illusion did make me cry. OH AND REC. actually i have a lot of faves

31 do you remember the first movie you saw in theaters?

pretty sure it was monster's inc. an iconic first film. the other strong possibility is thomas and the magic railroad, which is iconic for other reasons

39 in your opinion what is the most underrated movie?

i've watched a lot of slightly obscure films in my journeys with alex but the first thing that leapt to my mind was dead in a week or your money back: a film about aneurin barnard hiring an old hitman to kill him and then changing his mind. but it's also SO much more. i loved it and honestly writing this post is making me want to rewatch

i also loved rituals (1977) and in a more feminist direction (has more women in it) me and my partner adore the slightly naff spy comedy the spy who dumped me, and we are not ashamed

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week (#169):

3 by forgotten [re-discovered?] Turkish director, Metin Erksan:

🍿  Dry Summer, a mesmerizing 1964 Turkish masterpiece I never heard of before. It tells of a greedy peasant who refuses to share the water on his field with his neighbors, as well as his scheme to steal his younger brother's new bride. (Photo Above). A rustic tragedy featuring one of the most insidious screen villains ever. Highly recommended. 9/10.

It was championed and restored by Martin Scorsese's 'World Cinema Project'. (I'm going to start chewing through their list of preserved classics from around the world.)

🍿 Time to love (1965) is a fetishistic, probably-symbolic, melodrama about a poor house painter who falls in love with a wall portrait of a woman, but who can't or won't love the real person. Lots of brooding while heavy rains keep pouring down, and traditional oud music drones on. Strikingly beautiful black and white cinematography elevates this strange soap opera into something that Antonioni could have shot.

🍿 "May Allah's mercy be upon her! May Allah's mercy be upon her! May Allah's mercy be upon her!"

In 1974 Erksan directed the cheesy Seytan ("Satan"), a plagiarized, unauthorized Turkish rip-off of 'The Exorcist'. It was a schlocky, nearly a shot-by-shot copy, and included the blood spurting, head spinning, cursing, stairs, a young actress that looked strikingly like Linda Blair, and even extensive use of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. But it eliminated the Catholic element and had none of the superb decisions of the William Friedkin's version. 1/10.

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Agnès Varda's deceivingly blissful drama, Le Bonheur. Exquisite, subversive and beautifully simple, about an uncomplicated man who's completely happy with his idyllic life, his loving wife and two little children. But one summer day he takes on an attractive mistress, while still feeling uncommonly fulfilled and undisturbed. Varda lets the Mozart woodwind score do all the heavy interpretive lifting of this disturbing feminist take of the bourgeoisie. Just WOW! 8/10.

At this point, I should just complete my explorations of Varda's oeuvre, and see the rest of her movies. Also, I'm going to take a deep dive one day into the many terrific movies from 1965 (besides the many I've already seen, 'Red Beard', 'Simon of the desert', 'Repulsion', 'The spy who came in from the cold', 'Juliet of the spirit', 'Pierrot the fool'...).

/ Female Director

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2 by amazing Bulgarian director Milko Lazarov:

🍿 Ága, my first Bulgarian film, but it plays somewhere in Yakutsk, south of the Russian arctic circle. An isolated old Inuit couple lives alone in a yurt on the tundra. Slow and spiritual, their lives unfold in the most unobtrusive way, it feels like a documentary. But the simplicity is deceiving, this is film-making of the highest grade, and once Mahler 5th was introduced on a small transistor radio, it's transcendental. The emptiness touched me deeply.

Together with 93 other movies, this was submitted by Bulgaria to the 2019 Oscars (the one won by 'Parasite'). How little we know; If selected, we might have all be talking about it. Absolutely phenomenal! The trailer represents the movie well. 10/10

(It also reminded me very much of the Bolivian drama 'Utama' from 2022, another moving story of an elderly Indian couple living alone in the desert, tending to their small flock of llamas.)

🍿 Milko Lazarov made only one earlier film, the minimalist Alienation in 2013. It tells of Yorgos, a middle age Greek man, (impassively played by the father from 'Dogtooth'), who crosses the border to Bulgaria to buy a newborn baby. But it's not as bad as it sounds, because he's actually helping the impoverished surrogate mother (who looks like young Tilda Swinton) who can't effort to keep him. Another stark and snail-like drama about quiet people who barely speak, told with the masterful language of a true poet. Like 'Ága', it too opens with a stunning close up of a lengthy incantation in an unfamiliar language. I wish he made more movies. 8/10.

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2 more arctic dramas:

🍿 The original movie about indigenous Inuks, Nanook of the North, from 1922, was the first feature-length documentary to achieve commercial success. An engaging slice of life of an Inuit family, even if some of the scenes were staged. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

🍿 "Many of the scientists involved with climate change agree: The end of human life on this planet is assured."

Another fascinating Werner Herzog documentary, Encounters at the end of the world. About the "professional dreamers" who live and work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica; divers who venture to explore life under the the ice, volcanologists who burrow into ice caves, etc. Herzog's 'secret sauce' is finding the most outrageous, interesting spots on earth, and then just going there and letting his camera do his bidding.

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2 fantastic shorts by Hungarian animator Réka Bucsi:

🍿 Her 2014 Symphony No. 42 consists of 47 short & whimsical vignettes, without any rhyme or rhythm; A farmer fills a cow with milk until it overflows, a zoo elephant draws a "Help me" sign, a UFO sucks all the fish from the ocean, wolves party hard to 'La Bamba', an angry man throws a pie at a penguin, two cowboys holding blue balloons watch a tumbleweed rolls by, a big naked woman cuddle with a seal, etc. Earlier than Don Hertzfeldt's 'World of tomorrow' and my favorite Rúnar Rúnarsson's 'Echo', it's a perfect piece of surrealist chaos. 10/10

My happiest, unexpected surprise of the week!

/ Female Director

🍿 Love (2016), a lovely meditation on nature, poetry and cats in the cosmos. 8/10.

/ Female Director

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Françoise Dorléac X 2:

🍿 Her name was Françoise ("Elle s’appelait Françoise") is a fluff bio-piece about the utterly gorgeous model-actress, who died at a fiery car-crush at 25, and who left a legacy of only a few important films. It includes previously-unseen, enchanting clips and photos from her short life. But then is cuts into her and sister Catherine Deneuve practicing their "Pair of Twins" song-and-dance from 'The Young Girls of Rochefort', the most charming musical in the world, and life is sunny again.

/ Female Director

🍿 That man from Rio, her breakthrough film, was a stupid James Bond spoof, inspired by 'The adventures of Tintin'. Unfortunately, it focused on protagonist Jean-Paul Belmondo, and used Dorléac only as eye-candy. It's the first film I've seen from Brasília, just a few years after it was constructed. 2/10.

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Paintings and Film X 3:

🍿 'Painting Nerds' is a YouTube channel by 2 Scottish artists, putting up intelligent video essays about the art of painting. Paintings In Movies: From '2001: A Space Odyssey' to 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' is an insightful meditation which explores the relationship between the two art forms. Among the many examples it touches on are the canvases in Hitchcock's 'Rebecca' and 'Vertigo', 'The French Dispatch', 'Laura' and 'I'm thinking of ending things'. They even made a Wellesian trailer for that essay, When Citizen Kane met Bambi : The Lost Paintings of Tyrus Wong!

🍿 So I decided to see some of the movies mentioned above, f. ex. Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry from 1955. Famous for being Shirley MacLaine's film debut, his first collaboration with Bernard Herrmann, and this being his only "real" comedy. However, the only engaging element among the idiotic machinations on screen were the stunning VistaVision landscapes, painted in true Vermont autumn colors.

🍿 All the Vermeers in New York is my [5th film about Vermeer, and] my first film by prolific indie director Jon Jost. The Scottish essay above interpretated it as a "Charming mirroring of art and life, but also a deeply sad film... The gallery scene shows the transmission of feeling from painting to person, and ultimately, the vast amount of space between them. It plays out the entire drama of the film in microcosm.." But that Met Gallery scene was the only outstanding one in an otherwise disjointed experiment about the NYC art world. The abrasive stockbroker who falls for a French actress at the museum and mistakes her for a woman from the painting was mediocre and irritating. 3/10.

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First watch: Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, an homage to Melville's Le Samouraï. An RZA mood piece about a ritualistically-chill black assassin / Zen Sensei, who communicates only with carrier pigeons, and who drives alone at night in desolate streets on mafia missions. 'Live by the Code, die by the Code'.

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Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Scorsese's only melodrama with a female protagonist (? - haven't seen 'Boxcar Bertha' yet). It opens in a tinted Wizard of Oz scenery, and tells of an ordinary single mom who dreams of becoming a singer. Hardly a feminist story, as she navigates between one unloving husband, an abusive lover and eventually bearded Kris Kristofferson, who ends up beating her son and promises not to do it again. 3/10.

[I finally watched it because of this clip of 15-year-old Jody Foster singing Je t'attends depuis la nuit de temps on French television].

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The new well-made HBO documentary The Truth vs Alex Jones. About the collective mental sickness that is Amerika. It's hard to imagine how insane are the crazies over there. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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3 more shorts:

🍿 The Most Beautiful Shots In Movie History, a little mash-up clippy from The "Solomon Society" with an evocative Perfect day cover.

🍿 Joana, a beautiful tribute of a Spanish father to his little daughter. Reminds me of better times and another daughter.

🍿 From hand to mouse, a mediocre 1944 'Looney Tune' short from Chuck Jones, with the same dynamics that the Coyote & Road Runner did much better.

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Ramy Youssef X 3:

🍿 I discovered first-generation Egyptian-American stand-up comedian Ramy Youssef. In his funny 2019 special, Feelings, he comes across as a sweet dude, a sensitive, observant Muslim, on a complicated spiritual quest in New Jersey. Recommended!

🍿 Ramy was his A24 TV-series that expanded on the themes. It had more of a sitcom vibes, reminiscent of 'Master of None', another one that dealt with an unexplored ethnicity, previously marginalized. I only watched the first season, and liked how unapologetic he was in having large part of the dialogue in other languages, Arabic, French, Etc. Episode 7, "Ne Me Quitte Pas", starring his screen-mom Hiam Abbass was a terrific stand-out.

🍿 “Where were you when the floods happened in Pakistan?”

More feelings, his brand new stand up which just dropped is dark and gentle. It opens with some dark truths from his friend Steve who wants to die, and moves right into the situation in Palestine.

(Later: He hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend.)

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(My complete movie list is here)

[st-just]

Finished book 4/volume 1 of TGAB!

Going to take a break now and, like, breathe, probably.

The students are getting less actively grating but I still just, don't care about any of these people. And 'incredibly powerful teenagers are sent on adventures by their godlike teacher and graded on the result in adventurer school' is possibly the least compelling high fantasy plot conceit I can imagine. (Seems like it'd be a fun Masks hack, though?)

Incredibly happy that after however many tens of thousands of words the romantic tension's finally getting resolved, though

I absolutely appreciate the worldbuilding choice to have intra-human racism just not be a thing. Does make obviously modeling the design for your villains off the KKK feel a bit weird though.

I'm just wholly unironically team Justinian. Apocalyptic utopian hubris + being a Machievellian bastard is possibly the most endearing combination of traits for a fictional character there is. "All Gods, No Masters" is an acceptable compromise slogan.

I don't know if it's funnier to assume that he recruited his three most untrustworthy and morally flexible middle managers to be a personal spy network with the expectation that they'd go honeypotting people and cutting throats in alleys themselves, or they all just decided getting their hands dirty sounded fun on their own initiative.

Flora and Fauns are literally the quirky henchmen in a fantasy Bond movie and I love that for them

Whoever managed to get the cult of (literally) militant feminists and the cult of trad masculinity influencers to join the same umbrella organization should be (and probably is) made a saint for miracles in diplomacy

Principia remains best girl

But also, if Avei's' taking a personal interest in her redemption I feel like she might have her eye off the ball a bit. Re: vengeful demon goddess who presently wants to horribly torture her for killing her daughters, probably.

[maaaxx]

Nine People You'd Like To Know Better

Thanks for the tag @garfield-milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three ships : Zukka obviously, Sokkla is another one of my favorites and just to add some variety, I am currently living for Pynch from The Raven Cycle series!

First ever ship : Probably dan and phil I'm so sorry im ashamed (does thst count???)

Last Song: I think it was Nothing New by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. Ive been listening to it nonstop for like 4 days.

Last film: Moxie! It's on netflix and its like a highschool feminist movie but i really like it.

Currently Reading: Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Currently Watching: Nothing but I want to finish the owl house and i think im going to do that after finals are done!

Currently consuming: cucumbers and coke

Currently Craving: Sushi. Thats all i ever think about is sushi.

Not tagging nine people because idk nine people im not scared of buttt

@dustin-but-gayer @eelsdancingonpluto @uncle-sams-dirty-socks

@spy-d-er @lordrei @darradreamer

participate or dont if you dont want to no pressure <3333333

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

Watcher

I’m back! Imagine if Miss Torso or Miss Lonelyhearts in REAR WINDOW (1954) realized they were being spied on, but not by L.B. Jeffries. Instead, Lars Thorwald had them in his crosshairs. That’s the starting point for Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER (2022, Shudder), her adaptation of a Zack Ford screenplay once on Hollywood’s Black List. One of Okuno’s biggest changes to the original is moving the action from Brooklyn to Bucharest, which amps up the paranoia. Julia (Maika Monroe) has given up her acting career to move there when her husband (Karl Glusman) is promoted to his marketing firm’s Romanian office. As if the isolation of knowing nobody but him and not speaking the language weren’t bad enough, she’s convinced the man across the courtyard is a serial killer spying on her. Okuno and cinematographer Benjamin Kirk Nielsen do a masterful job of isolating Monroe in space as the camera follows her around when she’s on her own. There’s a particularly tense sequence in which she goes into a movie theater to see CHARADE (1964), grateful to be hearing English again, only to have a man sit behind her in the near empty theatre and start leaning toward her. When she dashes out of the theater, he follows her into a supermarket, though the only proof it’s the same man is his shoes, which is all she could see in the theater. A lot of what happens in the film is expected. Okuno plants info you know will pay off at the end, but she wisely obscures the stalker’s face until he complains that Monroe is stalking him. There’s also a strong feminist slant. Even though she can’t speak the language, her husband has conversations in Romanian when a colleague comes over for dinner or they’re at a work party together. He has no problem leaving her alone while he works late or takes off on a business trip. And, of course, he doesn’t believe her. Monroe has to carry the film on her own for long stretches, often without dialog, and pulls it off very well. As the stalker she’s stalking, Burn Gorman delivers a chillingly understated performance. This is a very slow burn of a movie, but I think it’s well worth the effort. I was so wrapped up in it that when my Thanksgiving houseguests, who had turned in early, got up to shower, I almost jumped out of my seat.