#psycho biddie

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/6-7/2023: X, PEARL

Ti West is so frustrating. His more successful movies have earned him enough good will that I've been willing to wait for him like some war bride while he turns out things I find unforgivable, assuming that someone with his demonstrated talent will right himself eventually. For this reason I wish I liked X more. I find it very watchable and I don't hate the premise, but I also really object to parts of it. Some of it is just half-baked; like I kind of enjoy the movie's conversation about how pornography inflates or injures people's vanity and shines a light on inner moral conflicts, but it's all kind of gestural, I don't know if any real conclusions are reached. And I really don't appreciate the take on hagsploitation here, with sexy Mia Goth under a hundred pounds of foam rubber reminding us all of how scary aging is--which connects to this questionable tradition in horror where the monster is a human who is alienated due to their looks, and we'd better learn to fear such people because being sexually undesirable is a punishment so cruel that it could make you dangerously insane. I'm really interested in this trope, where the corrupting force is just physical ugliness (and/or the inability to get laid), but in the case of X I would have found it more compelling if the villains were played by actual old people.

The movies we think of when we hear the terms "hagsploitation" or "psycho biddie" generally star actual older actresses who bring a certain kind of thoughtful, energetic presence to their roles, and that's why they're so effective; when it's just a young person pretending to be old, it requires the viewer to really be afraid of and repulsed by the basic concept of an old person. I've heard some arguments that X is "sex positive" because of its graphic scene of the fake old people doing it, and although I'd agree that some amount of pity is elicited by that (with the husband explicitly pitying his horny, ugly wife), I think it's a big reach to suggest that that content is celebratory or elevating in any way. Again, I might change my tune if it were real old people, but in the meantime the whole production is just young people telling this story about how old people are gross and you might become a crazed killer if you stopped getting laid, and that's just not good enough for me. Maybe if the old people were more like anti-heroes and less like general monstrosities slobbering in the dark, I would have gotten more out of it.

Meanwhile, the prequel PEARL tells a compelling story about a real monster who is complex and charismatic enough to make you sympathize with her, even though she is unambiguously villainous. I do think this movie is somewhat overhyped, but I'm not mad about it; I'm happy that this happened for Ti West, who I definitely want to make more good movies, and PEARL has a lot of cool qualities. It stretches its $1mil budget a surprising distance to make a period piece (usually inadvisable for a cheap movie) with a lot of style and class. Ti West has a talent for genre pastiche--the present movie is somehow a cross between THE WIZARD OF OZ and HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE--but it doesn't feel like an empty fashion statement, which is the problem I usually have with modern horror productions that do a forced impression of older genre films. Despite whatever is familiar about it, PEARL feels really fresh and original. Tellingly, I don't even feel like enumerating this movie's flaws. It's a charmer and it deserves its success.

[devilsskettle]

The X trilogy + "psycho-biddy" influences

[explicette]

[silveragelovechild]

HBO Max has announced a reunion of Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall in season three of “And Just Like That... the Golden Girl Years”.

[raccoonshuffle]

MayDecember is a modern day grande dame guignol

[schlock-luster-video]

On November 20, 1987, Flowers in the Attic debuted in Canada and the United States.

Here's a new drawing of Louise Fletcher!

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

What's the Matter With Helen?

Debbie Reynolds’ entry into the pscyho-biddy subgenre should have been called WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH SHELLEY WINTERS? (add whatever expletives you prefer). Curtis Harrington’s WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? (1971, YouTube) has all the makings of a great horror film. Henry Farrell’s script, about two Iowa women who flee to 1930s Hollywood to run a talent school for children after their sons are convicted of murder, effectively turns repression within the American family structure into a source of the monstrous. It even has the potential to render its chief monster sympathetic. Reynolds does a terrific job as a ruined woman making her last grab at happiness, even if it means upstaging her students in an hilarious talent show. The production values are top of the line, with old Hollywood talent like cinematographer Lucien Ballard, art director Eugene Lourie, hair stylist Sidney Guilaroff and composer David Raksin. Reynolds even got her friend Agnes Moorehead to cameo in a stinging portrait of a greedy evangelist. Harrington directs all this stylishly. And then there’s Shelley.

Winters did some wonderful work in her early years in films like A DOUBLE LIFE (1947) and THE BIG KNIFE (1955). Even late in life, she was capable of creating fully realized, believable characters like the accompanist in STEPPING OUT (1995) and the mother in HEAVY (1995). And her Charlotte Haze in LOLITA (1962) is a comic gem. But she’s also given performances that are embarrassingly overblown. And when she has a leading role and doesn’t deliver, she can sink a film like some kind of thespian iceberg. Her Helen is supposed to be deranged, but she’s also supposed to be sympathetic. Early on, you get the sense she’s a repressed lesbian who couldn’t deal with marriage and motherhood and now has to contend with her unacknowledged love for Reynolds. But she’s so over-the-top and whiny, she barely seems human. In her memoirs Reynolds has said Winters was so unhinged off-screen they had Geraldine Page on standby in case she couldn’t continue with the film. It’s a pity they didn’t call her in.

Harrington has a lot of fun dealing with the artifice that provides an escape from the horrors of the Great Depression. Reynolds’ Adelle has dyed her hair platinum blonde to imitate Jean Harlow. The children in her school are all trying to ape Shirley Temple or, in one hilariously disturbing moment, Mae West. And the school’s elocution teacher (Michael MacLiammoir, who shows how to create a character who’s naturally over the top) is a hammy old lech claiming connections to everyone from David Belasco to Constance Bennett. Yet, Reynolds somehow manages to keep this world of sham grounded, even in a big showpiece like her impromptu tango with Broadway dancer Sven Svenson. When she’s the only one of the two stars on screen, the film has a lot of zip and makes its points almost effortlessly. But she keeps butting up against Winters’ monolithic stereotyped madness. It’s a tribute to a star who was a great survivor off screen that she keeps trying, even if you ultimately feel as much sympathy for Reynolds the actress as you do for Reynolds the character.

[everydaym0nstrosity]

This is from the Italian poster art.

Dear Dead Delilah, 1972

[trans-corvo]

Youtube Video Essayists part 2

I made one of these lists years ago, so if you're wondering why big names like hbomberguy and Kat Blaque aren't here, that's why.

Science and Tech

Miniminuteman - Archaeologist and science educator whose content focuses on archaeological mysteries and debunking pseduoarcheaology. Videos average about 20 minutes to an hour and a half.

Adam Something - Most of his videos focus on urbanism and transport (it's more interesting than it sounds, I promise), but he also occasionally covers politics and culture. His bread and butter is tearing apart impractical billionaire passion projects (hyperloop, the cybertruck, Munger Hall). Big fan of trains. Average video playtime is 10 to 20 minutes.

Petal Palmer - A pre-med student and cancer patient who covers true stories of medical oddities and malpractice. Some of my favourites are on the Tylenol murders, the woman who froze alive (and survived unscathed), and fraudulent cancer awareness orgs. Videos run from 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

Politics and Culture

Caelan Conrad - Their channel mainly covers gay and trans rights, with a focus on debunking right-wing narratives and commentators. Videos average 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

Fundie Fridays - Started as a channel where Jen did her makeup and talked about various figures and sects of Christian fundamentalism, has since grown to include her husband and to cover politics. Very respectful in her tone, and very funny. I'd recommend their videos on the Miracle Mineral Solution (bleach), Eugene Scott, Duck Dynasty, and Gwen Shamblin Lara. Their early videos are only around 10 to 20 minutes, but these days they run as long as an hour and a half.

Khadija Mbowe - Honestly, her channel could fit under any of these categories. Her content varies wildly, but is always engaging and thought provoking. I'd recommend her videos on meritocracy in health and weightloss, Poor Things and engaging with 'problematic' material, and Barbie and white feminism. Videos average 20 to 40 minutes

F.D Signifier - Very well researched and presented commentary on politics, media, and black manhood. I'd recommend his videos on Eminem and white rappers, what makes men desirable, white men and edge lord movies, and how black athletes are exploited. Videos average 40 minutes to an hour and a half.

Foreign Man in a Foreign Land - Commentary on race and Caribbean culture. I'd recommend his videos on racism in gaming, tourism as the new slavery, and Elizabeth II and english colonialism. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Arts and Entertainment

Broey Deschanel - Channel focuses on film and film criticism. I'd highly recommend her videos on the problems with method acting, feeling cynical about Barbie, and the 'death' of cinema. Videos average about 20 to 50 minutes and have a high production value.

Jane Mulcahy - Film and tv analysis, with a focus on media aimed towards female audiences. Lighthearted but thoughtful. I'd recommend her videos on the Red White and Royal Blue movie, Lifetime 'Daddy' movies, and the 'psycho biddy' genre. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Verily Bitchie - Examining movies and tv through a queer and feminist lense, along with occasional videos on culture on politics. I'd recommend her feminist critique of Doctor Who, a look at bisexual representation on TV, and her video on trial by tiktok. Videos average 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

Coldcrashpictures - Pretty standard long-form film analysis. I'd recommend his videos on the current state of Hollywood, Freaks (1932) and old school horror, the 2020 dumpster fire watchlist, and cinematic masculinity. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Internet Culture

WURLD - Commentary on internet trends and culture. More lighthearted and off the cuff in her presentation. Best videos include Is Booktok Ruining Reading?, the obsession with reusable cups, and hustle culture is a nightmare. Videos run from 15 to 45 minutes.

Gabi Bell - A lot of variation in her content, ranging from internet culture, to (bad) movies, to (bad) tv. I'd recommend her videos on tiktok drama and fake verification. Videos average 10 to 50 minutes.

Tiffany Ferg - Content focused on internet analysis. I'd recommend her videos on concert culture, learned helplessness and tech illiteracy, and 'body trends' and plastic surgery. Videos average from 20 to 40 minutes.

Salem Tovar - Nuanced commentary on internet culture. I'd recommend her videos on gen Z's aesthetic obsession, millennial parenting problems, and filming strangers in public. Videos average from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

Ro Ramdin - Probably the funniest person on this list, I can't recommend her enough. Videos are thoughtful well edited. I'd recommend her videos on Hogwarts Legacy and financially supporting JK Rowling, the NFT island, the metaverse, and XQC. Videos average 20 to 40 minutes.

Also, misc. video essays: 2010s Pop Feminism: A Painful Look Back, We Need to Talk about TikTok's Obsession with Face Reading and its Dark History, Transphobia: The Far Right and Liberalism, You're Wrong about Modern Art, Who is Killing Cinema? - A Murder Mystery, Transition Regret & the Fascism of Endings, I Debunked Every "Body Language Expert" on Youtube, These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us, How Conservatives Created (and Cancelled) Gender.

[bitter69uk]

Considering campy horror masterpiece Strait-Jacket turns sixty this month (it was released on 19 January 1964), it’s only fitting that it’s the first Lobotomy Room presentation of the New Year!

Call it “hagsploitation” or “psycho-biddy”, Strait-Jacket (directed by low-budget trash maestro William Castle – one of John Waters’ primary influences) is a stark, vicious little b-movie featuring a truly berserk and mesmerizing performance from bitch goddess extraordinaire (and perennial Lobotomy Room favourite) Joan Crawford as a deranged ax murderess! If you liked What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) or Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), you’ll LOVE Strait-Jacket! In fact – and I appreciate this is a controversial opinion – I’d argue Strait-Jacket is the superior film. Join us at Fontaine’s on Thursday 18 January and I’ll explain why over cocktails! But take note – as the original poster exclaimed, “Warning! Strait-Jacket vividly depicts ax murders!” Spaces are limited, so reserve your seat via the venue now! (Phone 07718000546 or email bookings@fontaines.bar). Full putrid details.

[theehorsepusssy]

Despite all the redundant themes,characters, plots, totems, etc. that once made the show clever, this new Fargo is still pretty fun.

Jennifer Jason Leigh enters her Old Hollywood Psycho Biddie era!

Mad Man guy is getting thick in the middle and sports nipple rings!

Albino Dave Foley wears an eyepatch!

Strange Things douche douches harder!

Its fun to watch the main character mom kick ass!

[devilsskettle]

x (2022) is sometimes listed as a psycho-biddy/hagsploitation movie because the main antagonist is an old woman but i actually don't think that's the case!! a subgenre also known as the "grande dame guignol" (a play on the grand dame archetype and the grand guignol theater), the "psycho-biddy" character is supposed to fit into the archetype of an older, extravagant high society socialite and while pearl may have aspired to such an aristocratic future, she fits in more with the texas chainsaw massacre/slasher inspired tone of x. in fact, several of the films listed in the linked website would not, in my opinion, qualify as part of the psycho-biddy subgenre by that definition. it's not enough to just have an old person in a horror movie! anyway further reading for anyone interested

Grande Dame Guignol Cinema by Peter Shelley

[mmmmalo]

Rambling.

Discovered the microgenre "Psycho Biddy" (or "hagsploitation") that collates films about violent aging women. Somewhat transfixed because of its resonance with names like Hysterical Dame and Nervous Broad, even though those could just as easily be reduced to a regular old Crazy Bitch**. The genre's taste for aging movie stars reminds me of that Sunset Boulevard poster in Joey's bedroom, and its dynamic of an older woman clinging to a younger man to maintain her own sense of vitality carries shades of Roxy's implied pedophilia or Mom's implied imbibing of infantile ecto-goo (both of which are driven by a strong attachment to their own childhood) -- especially since the mid-century aesthetic of the genre meshes well with Mom's retro-futuristic housewife camp.

Reblogged that gif of Hush... Hush, Sweet Caroline because I'm on the prowl for early analogues of Problem Sleuth's double weapons, especially within horror. The lipstick/chainsaw's possible origins from the poster of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre has me suspecting quiet horror references might pervade the story, which is another reason the "psycho biddy" angle appealed to me, even if the thematic conventions of the genres resonate more with Homestuck...

Shrug. My overarching interest at this point is assembling a fuller picture of Hussie's early depictions of gender play and a clearer sense of her aesthetic touching points

** Slurquest gives me reason to favor this plainer reading of course, especially since incomprehensible, "hysterical" speech becomes a major motif of Homestuck's ironic sexism (Feferi deeming her own glubs "retarded", Rose emitting eldritch babble when distressed, Damara asking for babies in faux-Japanese)... but filmic borrowings would still be nice, I always worry that when a paradigm of mine is working out I'll end up missing a bunch of other stuff

[goddessactuality]

vibes today were so uggghhhhh. went negative on sales (thank u returns) the waiter I had wouldn't stop rushing me I can't STAND the eastern half of the united states people need to calm tf down here hate the disrespect and terror in everyone's hearts. midwestern psycho biddies driving me cashews ate a yuzu tart for no reason spent too much money took a nap didn't watch the sunset couldn't find my sunscreen ordered it on amazon . don't like complainign either really i'm grateful for like looking at fishing lures and grocery stores and menial tasks

[thekimspoblog]

Rhea Seehorn is still way too young to play the psycho-biddy. I'd like to see her in more straightforward action hero roles first, maybe find a way to shoehorn her into the MCU... but in another 20 years she'd be great. Although this is definitely just more of me wanting to imagine a darkest timeline for Kim, where she lived a full life as a criminal mastermind, but she is now widowed, estranged from her children, and has already outed herself as a recluse and a pariah, and is finally resorting to more gruesome acts to protect her dwindling wealth and sense of moral superiority.

[hystericminitotebag]

Okay so I just watched Pearl and tbh loved. Really into it being set during WWI (movie theaters were very important [news, escapism, propaganda]) and really enjoyed how purposeful the movie was designed (the technicolor and almost Dorothy-esque costume Pearl wears [Wizard of Oz was released as WWII was unfolding], the callbacks to different film eras [old Hollywood, Hagsploitation/psycho-biddy, early slasher films], and the finale monologue reminiscent of something from a Bergman film), but one of my old coworkers who went to school for film gave it a one star on Letterboxd and his revie said, “¯\_(ツ)_/¯”.