Author: Aspen Nelson
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Why Trans Women Can’t Have a ‘Promising Young Woman’ Yet: A Lesson from ‘Sleepaway Camp’
For anyone who is not a cis white woman, a justice-fueled murderous rampage is not framed as liberation. Instead, they contribute to harsh stereotypes that vilify minority women with dangerous consequences.
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Steeped In Mystery: Decoding ‘The Dark Circle’
In Ritendra Datta’s ghostly short, The Dark Circle, geometry ends up being more than sacred — but rather an explanation on how to fix your life. The film hides a compelling mystery deep within the external struggle for balance that can drive a person to the brink of madness. The psychological thriller is carefully detailed,…
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Fall in Love With Anna Biller’s ‘The Love Witch’
“I’m always interested in exploring female fantasy, and the sexy witch is a loaded archetype that is simultaneously about men’s fears and fantasies about women, and women’s feelings of empowerment and agency. So whereas we are used to seeing the sexy witch or the femme fatale from the outside, I wanted to explore her from…
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Reclaiming Her Body: “Jennifer’s Body” & Why We Need Diverse Storytellers
The height of subversive horror cinema is Jennifer’s Body. No, I will never budge on that. Yes, Cabin in The Woods is funny, Scream is very well made, and the Scary Movie franchise is …. there. But nothing is quite as satisfying as watching the teenage succubus that is Jennifer Check rip apart boys. In…
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A New Masculinity: “The Mandalorian” Redefines Male Representation in Star Wars
The Mandolorian has a more nuanced and commentative take on masculinity that refrains from praising the toxic traits associated with the social category, while also showing a more positive and transformative representation of masculine characters.
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Pixar’s Objectification Obsession in “Inner Workings” and Beyond
Like all modern societal phenomenons, it started with a meme. This one highlighted that when there’s a mom in a Pixar film, she is almost without fail given striking curves that highlight the bottom half of her body following a minuscule waist. From Elastigirl to the skeletal Mama Imelda, the animation giant’s artists seem to…
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How Subtle is Too Subtle in ‘Nomadland’?
Minor Spoilers Ahead They say home is where the heart is, and Nomadland is all heart…if you project onto it, at least. Following a woman living in her van going from one temporary, minimum-wage job to the next, the film gives some insight into a world often hidden from the on-screen due to its often…
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‘Minari’: Authenticity Without The Trauma Porn
When diverse representation is featured on-screen, it oftentimes comes with strings attached that undermine the message they were trying to send. This can be attributed to the fact that behind-the-screen, the industry primarily does not reflect the breadth of diverse difference that is present in daily life. That’s why when something as powerful and authentic…
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How ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry’ Humanizes Child Stars
When they’re young, they’re America’s darlings but, when they become teens and adolescents, they’re instantly perceived as harbingers of immorality. They’re Lindsay Lohan, Macaulay Culkin, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. But, despite what many media outlets, politicians, and the general public may think, they are human beings above anything else. The new Billie Eilish documentary,…
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The Invitation (2015): Grief is on The Menu
The Invitation takes a creeping look at two simple premises: reuniting with forgotten friends and new-age spiritualism. Though one seems a bit scarier than the other, the film heightens social awkwardness to a macabre level that puts an uncomfortable look on when the social taboo of grief is put on public display.