Within horror criticism, much has been made of the relationship between female monstrosity and the girl monster’s emerging sexuality. Going back to feminist film scholar Barbara Creed, the girl monster’s transformation has been linked with menstruation and forbidden desire. Films themselves have taken up these themes, including the films I look at in my video. (more…)
Guest post by Sarah Knott.
On a warm July evening, I was in London for the premiere of Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth. There was a sense of historical moment. The documentary can claim to be some kind of first: a filmic representation, where there had been none before, of a trans man’s story of pregnancy and birth.
The film explores Freddy McConnell’s distinctive story of wanting to have a child. Against a backdrop of rising transphobia, he pursues conceiving, being pregnant and giving birth to his son, Jack. For seahorses, of course, the male carries the young. (more…)
“Cinema has become my life. I don’t mean a parallel world, I mean my life itself. I sometimes have the impression that the daily reality is simply there to provide material for my next film.” — Pedro Almodóvar
There are many things to admire in the films of acclaimed Spanish writer/director Pedro Almodóvar. There are the quick-witted sense of humor, the bright colors, and excellent performances from a recurring stock company of actors. But what really makes his work memorable is his zest for humanity. Whether he’s telling Hitchcockian stories of obsession or portraying zany people in wild situations, Almodóvar shows a unique knack for capturing his enthusiasm for his characters’ various idiosyncrasies. (more…)
Guest post by Ronda L. Sewald.
As part of its 2020 film series, Love! I’m in Love! Classic Black Cinema of the 1970s, the IU Cinema will be screening John Berry’s romantic comedy Claudine (1974), at 7 pm on Thursday, February 6th.
Claudine stars James Earl Jones in the role of Roop, a charming garbageman, and the dynamic Diahann Carroll as the titular character and a single working mother to six children. The film is unique in its examination of the complicated interactions between their developing romance and the oversight of the welfare office as they try to build their relationship without putting their financial survival at risk. (more…)
On a somewhat recent episode of the podcast “Blank Check with Griffin and David,” the hosts David Sims and Griffin Newman, along with special guest David Rees of The New Yorker are discussing director Hayao Miyazaki’s undeniable masterpiece Spirited Away. During the discussion Rees chimes in with a quote that I’ve long held in my heart as a feeling, only for him to realize as a concrete idea: “I think all interesting movies are puzzles or dreams.” While cinema is obviously capable of nuance that exists beyond such a binary, at an elemental level, I believe this to be true. Movies at their most engaging and equally enraging exist in a space for your brain to pull them apart and reassemble the pieces or for them to put you in a completely liminal trance. For the best, most basic illustration of this dichotomy think of Christopher Nolan’s movies as puzzles and think of David Lynch movies as dreams. (more…)
Every month, A Place for Film brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film that they saw this month that they couldn’t wait to share with others. Keep reading to find out what discoveries these cinephiles have made, as well as some of the old friends they’ve revisited.
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