Four Female Directors taking on Classic Monsters

By Tom Moore Classic horror monsters are making quite a comeback with a slew of new films fitting for the modern era of horror. Although Universal’s plans for a Dark Universe didn’t work out with “The Mummy” (2017), there was revitalized hope for the return of monstrous icons when Leigh Whannell excellently modernized “The Invisible Man”(2020). The film superbly gave the horror icon a more … Continue reading Four Female Directors taking on Classic Monsters

#Womeninaction- Retrospective review: Destroyer

“Destroyer” (2018) isn’t your typical action movie. For one thing, it stars Nicole Kidman who isn’t the first person I think of when I think “action movie.” It’s also directed by a woman who is not Kathryn Bigelow, which is something of an anomaly. Director Karyn Kusama, who you might know as the director of the cult classic Jennifer’s Body, plays with the typical cop drama here. She flips the gendered stereotype on its head and crafts an intense story with Detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) at the center. Continue reading #Womeninaction- Retrospective review: Destroyer

#WOMENINACTION: HALF THE PICTURE – FEMALE DIRECTORS

For August, In Their Own League decided to focus on women in action. I decided to twist it by emphasizing the “action” uniquely, directing. After watching “Half the Picture” (2018) by Amy Adrion, I was inspired to give a deserving spotlight to women who are taking action to increase the representation of women behind the camera; those same women who call “action!” for their films.  Continue reading #WOMENINACTION: HALF THE PICTURE – FEMALE DIRECTORS

Exclusive Interview With Director Amy Adrion About “Half the Picture”

“Do you want to watch this with me?”  I am home for the holidays and my mom, a movie-buff, is gearing up to watch the documentary film, “Half the Picture” (2018).  “Half the Picture” looks at female filmmakers, their stories, their films, and more importantly, giving them the space to talk about the hurdles they have had to climb throughout their careers.  The filmmakers each had unique hurdles for their films, but the blatant gender inequality experienced was universal.  Thanks Mom for introducing me to this film.

“Half the Picture” was directed by female filmmaker, Amy Adrion. Adrion’s film perfectly balances the valiant victories and the lowest lows.  It is an intimate look at women in different stages of their careers, all with a plethora of film credits.  It ponders if the current conversations in film will lead to a paradigm shift or if this is simply a brief respite from systemic discrimination.  Will the current atmosphere lead to the change film and TV need?  It is an inspiring, and at times frustrating, film.  So much has been done, yet there remains so much to do. Continue reading Exclusive Interview With Director Amy Adrion About “Half the Picture”

ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No.31: Destroyer

Earlier this year gritty thriller “Destroyer” (2019) stormed onto the big screen, with all of its rage, vengeance and gusto. Surprisingly it failed to blow up, instead crashing and burning at the box office making only $5.5 million in comparison to its $9 million budget. We can only really guess at what exactly caused the film to flop, but poor distribution and weak marketing certainly played their roles.

Despite gunning for those golden gongs, especially with Nicole Kidman’s central phenomenal transformative performance, it received barely any attention on the awards circuit, although it has to be said organisations like The Academy have never been known for their good taste in cinema. Continue reading ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No.31: Destroyer

31 Days of Horror, Day 31: Jennifer’s Body

When making that perfect meal, there are two key rules – follow the recipe, and get the very best ingredients. Everything else is just adds to the general appearance, but if you get those basics right? You won’t go far wrong. Making a film is pretty similar – get the right story, and deliver it with the best creative team, and you’ll almost certainly get an enjoyable film. “Jennifer’s Body” is the exception that proves this rule.

Let me take you back to 2009. Megan Fox was one of the hottest properties in cinema, with her face and body being plastered all over the unfathomably internationally successful first couple of entries into the Transformers franchise. Amanda Seyfried was a key part of popular movies like “Mean Girls” and “Mamma Mia!”, along with a major role in hip TV show “Veronica Mars”. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 31: Jennifer’s Body

31 Days of Horror, Day 17: XX

Anthology films have always been a great outlet for new filmmakers to not only share their own visions but also collaborate with other filmmakers. The horror genre has been mainly home to this kind of storytelling and has seen plenty of filmmakers make their mark through strong and scary short films. However, when I think back through the anthology films that I’ve seen, there aren’t many times where I can think of female directors getting their chance to tell their stories. For the most part, horror has been a male-dominated genre, but, thankfully, there actually is an anthology film out there solely full of female talent that’s worth diving right into. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 17: XX

I Was Busy Thinking ‘Bout Flesh: The Rise of Female Cannibals in Modern Horror

By Cody Corrall In the glow of her dorm room’s mini-fridge, a young med student named Justine (Garance Marillier) takes out a raw chicken breast. She stares at it for a moment and smells it before giving in to the insatiable urge to eat it whole and without grace. It is disgusting, animalistic and deeply unsettling. In the same primal way she devours raw meat, … Continue reading I Was Busy Thinking ‘Bout Flesh: The Rise of Female Cannibals in Modern Horror

31 Days of Horror, Day 1: The Invitation

An underrated mastery of the psyche “The Invitation” (2015) directed by Karyn Kusama is one of my favorite horror/thrillers in recent years. We’ve seen a lot of psychological distress on screen, but this is truly at its finest here. That churning tension of uncertainty that is introduced early, ruminates throughout, giving us a party that’s not quite what it seems.

Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) are invited to his ex-girlfriend Eden’s home (Tammy Blanchard) for a dinner party, he’s not really sure what to expect. When they arrive, they’re surrounded by several old friends, Eden’s new boyfriend David (Michiel Huisman) and some wildcard new acquaintances of the hosting couple, including Pruitt (John Carroll Lynch) who brings an extra element of creepiness. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 1: The Invitation

Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” and The Portrayal of Moral Decay

Karyn Kusama was always most known from her direction of “Jennifer’s Body”. She later mostly directed television episodes such as “Casual”, “Chicago Fire”, etc. At the end of 2018, however, her newest picture had its premiere – the film titled “Destroyer” with Nicole Kidman in a leading role. Continue reading Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” and The Portrayal of Moral Decay