Girls have long been an integral part of horror movies, from Final Girls to girls possessed by demons, so many of the best victims and heroes in horror are little girls or teenage Scream Queens. For part four of my spooky season series, I took a look at horror movies released in the last five … Continue reading
Although last weekend was my brother’s wedding (which was really wonderful), I managed to get out to the theater before the rehearsal and other festivities to see Maleficent (I was on a deadline). While I was moved by the movie and really enjoyed watching it, I also think it was technically clumsy in some of … Continue reading
Yesterday afternoon, my sometimes-collaborator, always-friend Megan (whose reviews you can read at Review To Be Named) and I went to see Frozen. Because I’ve been otherwise occupied, I hadn’t kept up with the buzz about the film and so I didn’t really know what to expect. Overall, I loved it a lot. There are some obvious … Continue reading
Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Although I’m still getting teased by my mom (a great softball player) for making daisy chains in the outfield in tee-ball, there are many amazing stories about my brother in Little League and in high school he was the greatest … Continue reading
I don’t want to bury the lead. Girl Rising was beautiful, powerful, and inspiring. I know I’m pretty invested in the issue of girls’ education, but I was in tears through most of the film and afterward I sat in the car and sobbed. The film was an overwhelming experience, but in the best way … Continue reading
It’s been a busy, crazy week, but many good things have happened. In the realm of popular culture, there’s going to be a Veronica Mars movie and a Clarissa Explains It All novel called Things I Can’t Explain. Veronica Mars is one of my favorite TV shows as an adult and Clarissa was one of my … Continue reading
When I saw the trailer for The Call starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin (embedded below), I was kind of horrified. It looked so violent and like it played upon very real fears about abduction and violence against girls. Yet, because I study the portrayal of girls in the media, I also felt that I … Continue reading
Since I spend so much time studying the portrayal of girlhood in popular culture, it was only fitting that for Halloween I post about evil little girls*. The portrayal of little girls as the potential or real villains of scary stories is not a new phenomenon. Consider Henry James’s masterful The Turn of the Screw … Continue reading
Note to anyone reviewing Brave: the phrase “hits the target” has already been used. A lot. Don’t do it. Also unbearable puns. No. I don’t think I’ve ever left a movie feeling quite so confusingly neutral before. I spent the larger part of Brave playing a sort of mental ping pong, bouncing between disappointment or … Continue reading
Update: Check out these smart(er) folks at Slate (Conflict between Brave and Pretty?) & Jezebel (Beauty Comes Before Bravery). This afternoon, hopefully as a reward for finishing a draft of my seminar paper, I’m going with a friend to see Pixar’s Brave. I am stoked. As I mentioned before, I have some questions about Brave, … Continue reading
Ph.D.s and Pigtails 