#sophia takal

[femtober]

FEMTOBER BLOG: Fridays & Franchises

Happy Friday the 13th!

While no woman has directed an installment of the Jason Voorhees saga, there have been a few franchise films that women have helmed, including one featuring Jason's rival Freddy Kruger, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, directed by Rachel Talalay.

Perhaps somewhat predictably, Freddy's Dead received poor reception but was a modest box office success, outgrossing its previous installment. The movie was relatively tame in its violence; Talalay instead wanted to focus on more surreal meta humor that the series had begun to stray from. True to its name, Freddy's Dead is the last film in the original Nightmare canon. The next three installments (New Nightmare, Freddy vs. Jason, and its 2010 reboot) all existed in a separate canon from the original franchise. While Freddy's Dead is not necessarily looked on fondly, I personally find it to be a very passable installment in a franchise I otherwise don't really enjoy. The 90s introduced the more acerbic side of humor in horror, so the slapstick goofiness of Freddy's Dead feels like a fitting goodbye to the previous decade.

The most powerful man in horror currently, Jason Blum, infamously stated in 2018 that "There are not a lot of female directors period, and even less who are inclined to do horror." He's since rightfully walked back on this statement, and while Blumhouse - under its various labels - has produced a fair number of horror films directed by women on streaming and television, theatrical releases of these films are few and far between. Enter Black Christmas (2019) directed by Sophia Takal.

Black Christmas is an interesting beast. On first glance it seems as though there's heavy studio interference. There's virtually no language or blood, and the story seems fractured. How much interference, it's hard to say. Sophia Takal stands by her vision for the film, wanting to make it as feminist as possible for a PG-13 audience. The end result, unfortunately, is underwhelming. Black Christmas ultimately feels like a shadow of its predecessors. While the 2006 remake is also maligned, there's a certain level of insanity that serves the film well in hindsight. The 2019 version often feels less focused on horror and more on identity, a criticism I hate to make about a female-directed film. Black Christmas's negative reception may have helped it fade into obscurity; in addition to being a critical failure it was also a box office bomb. I'm not the biggest fan of Takal's work, and certainly not of Black Christmas, but I think the most important takeaway we can have from this film is that women should be allowed to fail. We do not need an all or nothing approach to intersectional filmmaking. Sometimes things can be bad, and sometimes they can be worse than bad. We persist.

To date, Black Christmas is the only major theatrically released Blumhouse horror directed by a woman. Of course, this will change in just a few weeks with the release of Five Nights at Freddy's, directed by Emma Tammi. I can't say I'm particularly excited about the content of the film, but the prospect of a highly anticipated studio film directed by a woman is a major milestone. Between FNAF and Barbie, it's a good year for women to be making films, but of course there's always room for more.

My biggest pet peeve with major films directed by women is the passing of the torch to a male director when the first film succeeds financially (see Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, etc.). Blumhouse is obviously planning on making FNAF a franchise IP, so it would be great to keep the momentum going with Tammi or another woman continuing to lead the series. Fingers crossed!

If you're interested in any other female-directed franchise horror films, check out the following: •Candyman (2021), directed by Nia DaCosta •See No Evil 2, directed by the Soska Sisters •Critters 3, directed by Kristine Peterson •The Slumber Party Massacre series •The Pet Sematary Series, directed by Mary Lambert •Sorority House Massacre, directed by Carol Frank •The Fear Street Trilogy, directed by Leigh Janiak •V/H/S/94, 99, and 85 •Darlin', directed by Pollyanna MacIntosh •Mirror, Mirror, directed by Marina Sargenti and more!

[dare-g]

Green (2011)

[mydarkapron]

BLACK CHRISTMAS, 2019

Sophia Takal

[heartbreakfeelsgoodinablog]

Slay, girls

[lookforastronauts]

#148. Black Christmas (2019)

dir. Sophia Takal dop. Mark Schwartzbard

[rhettakins]

Black Christmas (2019)

Dir. Sophia Takal

I can’t believe I’ve gone four years without watching this because the general consensus was that it was terrible, and I have to say… it’s not terrible.

Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays as students travel home to spend time with their families. But as Riley and her sorority sisters prepare to deck the halls with seasonal parties, a mysterious cloaked figure starts to leave a bloody trail throughout the campus. Refusing to become hapless victims, Riley and her friends decide to band together and fight back against the psychotic Christmas killer.

[videodrme]

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) dir. Bob Clark BLACK CHRISTMAS (2006) dir. Glen Morgan BLACK CHRISTMAS (2019) dir. Sophia Takal

[leonardcohenofficial]

as is tradition here are my top nine new-to-me watches of the year—in no particular order (l-r, top row to bottom row):

the african desperate (martine syms, 2022) not a pretty picture (martha coolidge, 1975) anatomy of a fall (justine triet, 2023) the girls (mai zetterling, 1968) network (sidney lumet, 1976) the year of the cannibals (liliana cavani, 1970) all the beauty and the bloodshed (laura poitras, 2022) straight on till morning (peter collinson, 1972) microhabitat (jeon go-woon, 2017)

i hit 150 total films and my continual goal of half of the films by women and nonbinary filmmakers, and still definitely need to keep up with deliberately seeking out films by directors of color! feel free to tell me your faves if you’ve seen any of these 🖤👀🎬🍿🎥

i'll tag @privatejoker / @wanlittlehusk / @majorbaby / @edwardalbee / @draftdodgerag / @lesbiancolumbo / @frmulcahy / @nelson-riddle-me-this / @firewalkwithmedvd and anyone else who'd like to share their top watches of the year!

full list of films for the year is included below, favorites are bolded in red:

Farewell Amor (Ekwa Msangi, 2020)

Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (Liza Williams, 2023)

Blacks Britannica (David Koff, 1978)

New Year, New You (Sophia Takal, 2023)

Family Band: The Cowsills Story (Louise Palanker and Bill Filipiak, 2011)

The Color Purple (Blitz Bazawule, 2023)

The Apology (Alison Star Locke, 2022)

Close (Lukas Dhont, 2022)

Unintended (Anja Murmann, 2018)

Other People’s Children (Liz Hinlein, 2015)

Omega Rising Women of Rastafari (D. Elmina Davis, 1988)

The Gypsy Moths (John Frankenheimer, 1969)

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (Adrian Țofei, 2015)

Insomnia (Christopher Nolan, 2002)

Chowchilla (Paul Solet, 2023)

Intimate Relations (Philip Goodhew, 1996)

Monument (Jagoda Szelc, 2018)

After Sherman (Jon Sesrie Goff, 2022)

Remnants of the Watts Festival (Ulysses Jenkins, 1980)

Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Joseph Sargent, 1974)

Down Low (Rightor Doyle, 2023)

Our Father, the Devil (Ellie Foumbi, 2021)

The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, 2023)

Youngblood (Noel Nosseck, 1978)

Joy Division - Under Review (Christian Davies, 2006)

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (Steve Sullivan, 2018)

Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (Robert Mugge, 1980)

Fanny: The Right To Rock (Bobbi Jo Hart, 2021)

Depeche Mode: The Dark Progression (Alec Lindsell, 2009)

Kraftwerk And The Electronic Revolution (Thomas Arnold, 2008)

Blank City (Celine Danhier, 2010)

Oliver Sacks: His Own Life (Ric Burns, 2019)

Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023)

Black Is Beltza (Fermín Muguruza, 2018)

Werewolf (Ashley McKenzie, 2016)

The Humans (Stephen Karam, 2021)

Relative (Tracey Arcabasso Smith, 2022)

The Believer (Henry Bean, 2001)

Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill (Brian Lindstrom and Andy Brown, 2022) 

Animals (Collin Schiffli, 2014)

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (Stephen Kijak, 2006)

Novitiate (Maggie Betts, 2017)

Hunger (Henning Carlsen, 1966)

Late Night With The Devil (Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes, 2023)

The Stunt Man (Richard Rush, 1980)

New York Doll (Greg Whiteley, 2005)

The Iron Claw (Sean Durkin, 2023)

Your Fat Friend (Jeanie Finlay, 2023)

Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968 (Bestor Cram and Judy Richardson, 2008)

Targets (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968)

Uptight (Jules Dassin, 1968)

Messiah of Evil (Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, 1973)

Plastic Paradise (Brett O’Bourke, 2013)

You Hurt My Feelings (Nicole Holofcener, 2023)

Pretty Poison (Noel Black, 1968)

The Shout (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1978)

Shakedown (Leilah Weinraub, 2018)

Class of 1984 (Mark L. Lester, 1982)

Betty: They Say I’m Different (Philip Cox, 2017)

Beautiful Boy (Felix van Groeningen, 2018)

Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023)

Gimme Shelter (Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin, 1970)

The Beach Boys (Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, 2024)

High and Low (Kevin Macdonald, 2023)

Brats (Andrew McCarthy, 2024)

I Saw The TV Glow (Jane Schoenbrun, 2023)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella, 1999)

Altered States (Ken Russell, 1980)

This Closeness (Kit Zauhar, 2023)

How To Have Sex (Molly Manning Walker, 2023)

American Commune (Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo, 2013)

Look In Any Window (William Alland, 1961)

Private Property (Leslie Stevens, 1960)

We’re Still Here: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited (Antonino D’Ambrosio, 2015)

The Wobblies (Stewart Bird and Deborah Shaffer, 1979)

Last Summer Won’t Happen (Tom Hurwitz and Peter Gessner, 1968)

Goodbye Gemini (Alan Gibson, 1970)

Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story (Posy Dixon, 2019)

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World (Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri, 2021)

The Passenger (Carter Smith, 2023)

The Boys Who Said No (Judith Ehrlich, 2020)

Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)

Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection (Randy Martin, 2023)

...And Justice For All (Norm Jewison, 1978)

I Used To Be Funny (Ally Pankiw, 2023)

Badlands (Terrence Malick, 1973)

Straight On Till Morning (Peter Collinson, 1972)

The Same Difference: Gender Roles in the Black Lesbian Community (Nneka Onuorah, 2015)

Thanksgiving (Eli Roth, 2023)

Sorry/Not Sorry (Caroline Suh and Cara Mones, 2023)

Am I OK? (Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, 2022)

Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (Maeve O’Boyle, Miri Navasky, and Karen O’Connor, 2023)

No Direction Home (Martin Scorsese, 2005)

Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese, 2010)

Water Lilies (Céline Sciamma, 2007)

The Strings (Ryan Glover, 2020)

The Crucible (Nicholas Hytner, 1996)

Woman of the Hour (Anna Kendrick, 2024)

The Platform (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019)

Tabloid (Errol Mark Morris, 2010)

Will & Harper (Josh Greenbaum, 2024)

Miller’s Girl (Jade Halley Bartlett, 2024)

Give Me Pity! (Amanda Kramer, 2022)

Landlocked (Paul Owens, 2021)

Perfect Love (Catherine Breillat, 1996)

Not a Pretty Picture (Martha Coolidge, 1975)

Seeking Mavis Beacon (Jazmin Jones, 2024)

Renfield (Chris McKay, 2023)

Compulsion (Richard Fleischer, 1959)

An Angel At My Table (Jane Campion, 1990)

Longlegs (Oz Perkins, 2024)

Rare Beasts (Billie Piper, 2019)

Nightman (Mélanie Delloye-Betancourt, 2023)

The Changin’ Times of Ike White (Daniel Vernon, 2020)

The Substance (Coralie Fargeat, 2024)

The Year of the Cannibals (Liliana Cavani, 1970)

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (Erin Lee Carr, 2024)

The Loneliest Planet (Julia Loktev, 2011)

Marjoe (Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan, 1972)

Witches (Elizabeth Sankey, 2024)

Angela (Rebecca Miller, 1995)

The Morning After (Richard T. Heffron, 1974)

Beach Rats (Eliza Hittman, 2017)

Last Summer (Catherine Breillat, 2023)

The Fits (Anna Rose Holmer, 2015)

Hold Your Breath (Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, 2024)

What Comes Around (Amy Redford, 2022)

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kurt Kuenne, 2008)

Priscilla (Sofia Coppola, 2023)

The Girls (Mai Zetterling, 1968)

Sweetie (Jane Campion, 1989)

Victim/Suspect (Nancy Schwartzman, 2023)

The African Desperate (Martine Syms, 2022)

Les Nôtres (Jeanne Leblanc, 2020)

A Sacrifice (Jordan Scott, 2024)

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras, 2022)

My Name is Not Ali (Viola Shafik, 2011)

Committed (Sheila McLaughlin and Lynne Tillman, 1984)

Chained (Jennifer Lynch, 2012)

The Hour of Liberation Has Arrived (Heiny Srour, 1974)

All Power To The People! (Lee Lew-Lee, 1997)

Night Moves (Kelly Reichardt, 2013)

Destroyer (Karyn Kusama, 2018)

Late Night (Nisha Ganatra, 2023)

The Year Between (Alex Heller, 2022)

Loved (Erin Dignam, 1997)

Girl In The Picture (Skye Borgman, 2022)

Microhabitat (Jeon Go-Woon, 2017)

Dear Ex (Mag Hsu and Chih-yen Hsu, 2018)

[ecnmatic]

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY (2023) Love Fest - 2x6 dir. Sophia Takal.

[mararhodus]

I say this as both a loud feminist and a believer that subtlety is overrated... Black Christmas 2019 is grating. I literally had to quit 30 minutes in and I *don't* do that.

Like, I genuinely don't care that the men are one-dimensional (boo fucking hoo,) but why in god's name are you trying to sell me a ""feminist"" film that treats forcing a woman who was sexually assaulted into a performance about her trauma in front of a large crowd that includes her rapist as the correct thing to do? Genuinely fuck you.

Extremely grateful Sophia Takal didn't get her hands on I Spit On Your Grave. That'd have been an absolute shit show.

[tctmp]

Drama  Horror  Mystery

[dare-g]

Getting Stoned with Caveh

[mykwatchesmovies23]

Always Shine

2016

Directed by Sophia Takal

1/10

Watched 12 March

[badflicks]

Black Christmas (2019) 🍕

Remakes are tricky because you know you have a good concept and you can only fuck it up. And fuck it up they did 🥇

[SPOILERS]

In particular the supernatural BS was unnecessary and frankly entirely ludicrous. A secret occult formula provided by “the founder” of the university to make some potion to mind control frat boys and make them kill women activists??!? GTFO please. Could’ve been so much more than this and it kind of spoils the good in it, of which there is some but mostly stays in the space of unrealised potential.

[spookytuesdaypod]

no more bury your gays it’s time for the gays to bury you 😤😤😤😤😤

[rye-views]

Black Christmas (2019) dir. Sophia Takal. 7.5/10

I would not recommend this movie to my friends. I would not rewatch this movie.

I'm getting Sorority Row vibes. I'm getting slight murder in the dark game vibes since we're trying to be so silent while roaming the house.

If someone shot at me with an arrow...also why is the reload skill so fast? It's cool though.

It's interesting because they really apply a spectrum of character perspectives, esp. Helena's. I feel like somehow they could've gotten the message about misogyny better across. Idk, everything seemed so preachy. Maybe, if they did more action versus dialogue. But, this is a horror movie and action was really set aside for the killings.

Them calling Riley Ri is making me associate my name with her character.

Honestly, Riley talking about the magical bust and trying to take control of the wheel could make me think she's experiencing some kind of mental breakdown.

Lindsay's snow angel death was so unrealistic looking but very beautiful. Franny putting on her pad is also not accurate. wtf.

Franny is slightly amusing.

Nate really seems like trash right before he dies, doesn't he? I understand why he has his pov but he's really saying upsetting things by trying to exclude himself from the problem of patriarchy. Marty's comments about ants are lovely, but her defense against the dude was tragic and naive. Lesson from all horror movies: never use a weapon unless you're capable of using it/never attack unless you're capable.

Memorable Quotes: "Not insane, Miss Stone. Simply men."