Woman in Revolt

"Saint Omer" is based on Alice Diop's experience attending the real life trial of Fabienne Kabou. In the film, Rama (Kayije Kagame), Diop’s stand-in, attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), a woman accused of murdering her 15-month-old daughter, Elise. Long, extended courtroom scenes are interspersed with snippets of Rama’s life (in present day and flashback) and the town of Saint-Omer. There are many parallels between Rama and Laurence, both Black women currently living in the country (France) that once colonized their origin country (Senegal). They both have/had white male partners, difficult relationships with their mothers, and intelligence that many dumb white people find surprising. The film links their stories and shows how Rama understands Laurence, through both her own lens of experience and the story of Medea, which she is working on retelling as part of an academic project. Other shit you should check out: Alice Diop and Frederick Wiseman in Conversation at NYFF60Alice Diop on "Saint Omer" at NYFF60Sheila O'Malley's review on Roger EbertSlant Magazine interview with Alice Diop

The “Souvenir” films follow a character named Julie, a filmmaker who grew up in Norfolk as the only child in a posh, uppercrust family with parents played by Tilda Swinton and James Spencer Ashworth. The character is loosely autobiographical, which is something Joanna Hogg has discussed in several interviews. All of the old, Super 8 footage featured in the films comes from Hogg’s own time in film school and Julie’s Knightsbridge flat In the first two films of the trilogy is a recreation of Hogg’s own flat at that time (among several other parallels). Julie, played by Honor Swinton Byrne, lives in London and attends film school. The first film centers around Julie’s relationship with Anthony (Tom Burke), a guy she meets at a party and grows increasingly attached to despite many glaring red flags. At the end of the film, he dies of a heroin overdose. In “The Souvenir Part II,” Julie starts processing her grief through a new, feature-length film about her relationship with Anthony. While the first film is more about her relationship and how it affects her artistic ambitions, the second film is centered around those artistic ambitions and how she melds them with her personal life for both self understanding and a form of therapy. The third film, “The Eternal Daughter,” shows Julie, now much older and played by Tilda Swinton, on vacation with her mother, Rosalind (also played by Swinton), at a hotel that was once her family home. Other shit you should check out: Seventh Row's book on Joanna HoggBFI interview with Joanna HoggWashington Post Live's interview with Tilda SwintonTIFF Q&ARoger Ebert interview with Tilda Swinton and Joanna HoggFilm Comment piece on "The Souvenir" Sadly, Joanna Hogg's mom has passed. Hogg makes a reference to her being alive in the 2022 Roger Ebert interview, but I think she's talking about in 2015, not present day. This LA Times piece says she died during editing of "The Eternal Daughter."

Tár is about a super important and revered conductor (EGOT, principal conductor for the Berlin Orchestra, blah blah) named Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett). She’s one of those tightly wound type-A people who want everything to be perfect and expects those around her to make it that way. She comes off as a tightly wound narcissist and really only shows pure emotion toward her daughter, Petra, whom she shares with her wife, Sharon (Nina Hoss), the orchestra’s concertmaster. Slowly, over the course of the film, you begin to realize that Lydia abuses the young women around her, stringing them along with promises of career advancement so she can enjoy them sexually or just take advantagement of their time and talent. Her personal assistant, Francesca (Noémie Merlant) puts up with a ton of crazy shit in hopes of becoming assistant conductor someday. Her wife ignores her affairs with other women because she likes being Lydia’s right hand woman … her confidant and trusted advisor. One woman, Krista, who we only ever see from behind and in Lydia’s anxiety nightmares, apparently stepped out of line and suffered dire career consequences as a result. When she commits suicide and accusations surface, Lydia spirals downward and loses all the prestige she worked so hard to gain. Other shit you should check out: Richard Brody's reviewTodd Field's screenplay

The OG “Black Christmas” is a 1974 Canadian horror film written by A. Roy Moore and directed by Bob Clark (Yes the same guy who made “A Christmas Story”). It’s about a sorority house right before the Christmas holidays when everyone is in good spirits, drinking and partying before they leave campus for break. Four sisters and their den mother, Mrs. Mac (Marian Waldman), are left in the house after a party when they start receiving creepy phone calls from someone they refer to as “the moaner.” He’s apparently been calling the house for a while and saying garbled, often sexual things to whoever answers. By the end of the film, this mysterious figure will have infiltrated the house and killed all of the women but one: Jess (​​Olivia Hussey), who spent much of the film defending her decision to abort an unwanted pregnancy that her boyfriend, Peter (Keir Dullea), wants to keep. There’s a breathtaking scene toward the end of the film where everyone else is dead and Jess, who has barely escaped the killer, flees to the basement. From outside, she hears Peter, calling to her sweetly, confused as to why she won’t answer him. When he breaks the window and enters the room, Jess hides, panicked and afraid, convinced he may be the killer. In the final act, we learn that Jess has bludgeoned Peter to death. As she lies sedated in her bed after the cops and paramedics have mostly packed up and left, we see the killer, still at large, lurking around the house and disappearing into the attic. It’s a film that’s about women being observed and harassed with no one to turn for help but themselves. The 2019 remake is written by April Wolfe and Sophia Takal and directed by Takal. The premise is the same, but with some key differences: The women are being hunted by multiple men in hooded robes … there is a supernatural twist where the men hunting them are possessed by Calvin Hawthorne and commanded to do whatever it takes to control women Instead of phone calls to the sorority house, the women receive text messages from Calvin Hawthorne, the founder of the school and presumably some old racist fuckwit. The title card at the beginning of the film gives this quote by him: “Man possesses powers so formidable they can only be considered supernatural. With a proper education, men can wield these powers and go forth into the world.” There are two final girls: Riley and Kris (Aleyse Shannon) who actually figure out what’s going on and get revenge Other shit we mentioned: Part 1Part 2Interview with Sophia TakalThis Twitter threadThis interview

“Home for the Holidays” is a 1995 film written by W. D. Richter (based on a story by Chris Radant) and directed by Jodie Foster. It’s about a woman named Claudia (Holly Hunter) who loses her art restoration job at a museum before going from Chicago to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Her parents, played by Anne Bancroft (who is fantastic) and Charles Durning, are well-meaning but kind of suffocating and not super attuned to what’s going on with their children. Her brother, Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.), is gay and seems to use immature humor as a coping mechanism while with his family. His longtime boyfriend isn’t with him and Claudia assumes this means they’ve broken up. Instead of his boyfriend, he brings some guy he works with named Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott), home. Claudia assumes they are together and treats Leo with a heavy dose of skepticism. Claudia and Tommy’s sister, Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson) is a super judgmental homophobe who is unhappy with her life and treats everyone else like garbage as a result. Family tensions collide at Thanksgiving dinner, but there is of course a happy ending. It turns out that Leo is not Tommy’s boyfriend, but a friend who saw a picture of Claudia and wanted to meet her. The movie ends with Leo boarding Claudia’s flight back to Chicago and asking if they can spend more time together. We also find out that Tommy is actually married to his longtime boyfriend but didn’t want to subject him to the madness of his family at Thanksgiving. It’s one of those movies that is not super compelling plot-wise but has a lot of great, small moments thanks in great part to the cast. It’s also fun to see actors like Claire Danes, who plays Claudia’s daughter, and Steve Guttenberg, who plays Joanne’s husband, pop up briefly. “Happiest Season” is a 2020 film written by Mary Holland (based on a story by Clea DuVall, who also directed). It’s about a Pittsburgh couple named Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) who have been dating for a while and decide to spend Christmas together for the first time. Harper invites Abby, whose parents are both dead, to her family’s house but neglects to mention that they don’t know she’s gay until they are already en route. Not only does she ask Abby to pretend they’re just roommates, she also requests that she pretend to be straight. As you can imagine, this creates several toxic, uncomfortable scenarios for Abby, who spends most of the movie floundering around, neglected, while Harper panders to her pretentious, narcissistic parents (played by Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber), fights with her competitive sister (Alison Brie), and flirts with her ex-boyfriend (Jake McDorman) who shows up everywhere. Abby’s only allies are her hilarious friend, John (Dan Levy), and Riley (Aubrey Plaza), one of Harper’s high school ex-girlfriends who was also damaged by her dishonesty. Despite the total shit show that Abby is forced to endure, Harper does eventually come out to her parents and the film ends with everyone magically happy and smiling one year later. Harper and Abby are engaged and the whole blended family (including John) is at the movies together as some horribly cheesy song plays. Other shit we mentioned: holiday movie recommendationsThe HolidayYou've Got MailThe AtlanticHuffington Post interview

Louise (Robyn Lively) is a high school student who longs to be one of the cool kids but is teased or ignored by everyone … until she turns sixteen and finds out she’s a witch. With her new powers and the help of her psychic mentor, Madame Serena (Zelda Rubinstein), Louise has the ability to get everything she’s ever wanted. But do love and acceptance hold the same weight when they’re not earned organically? This kooky '80s movie has everything you could ever want: boys throwing footballs in midriff hoodies, rap battles between white people, choreographed musical numbers, one extremely overzealous child actor, and a classroom full of teens shouting “CONDOMS, CONDOMS.” It’s like a proto-”Jawbreaker” mixed with “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Sixteen Candles.” It is batshit crazy, defies genre, and is something I would have watched 10,000 times had I seen it at the right age. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode that we think you should check out: Candace's writingEarth Girls Are EasyCertain and Impossible EventsHow Did This Get MadeSlash Film's oral historyThis FilmInk piece For some reason, we never talked about the movie poster, which features Louise riding a broom even though this is something she never does in the film. As far as we know, she's not that kind of witch. The '80s were fucking weird and I wish I was around for more of them.

“Trouble Every Day” (2001), co-written by Claire Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau and directed by Denis, follows the intersecting stories of two couples: Léo (Alex Descas) and Coré (Beatrice Dalle) Semeneau and Shane (Vincent Gallo) and June (Tricia Vessey) Brown. Shane and Léo previously met on a research expedition to the South American jungle in search of a plant that would lead to a breakthrough in neurobiology. Léo led the expedition and Shane was there on behalf of a US pharmaceutical company. When the film begins, the Browns are on their honeymoon in Paris, but we eventually learn that it’s all just an excuse so that Shane can find Léo. It turns out that at some point, Shane was infected with the disease that Léo is working to solve through his research and that his own wife, Coré also suffers from. The disease creates an unquenchable hunger in its host, compelling them to fuck, murder, and consume people. Eventually, Shane finds the Semeneau house, but Léo isn’t there … it’s just Coré, alone, covered in blood, and wandering around in a daze. While I was able to summarize it, this isn’t the type of film that has a clear plot with spelled out motivations. Many questions are left unanswered and certain story threads never quite come together. The film is less about a linear narrative and more about feelings, overarching themes, and fleeting impressions. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode that we think you should check out: Kate's websiteWhy Female Cannibals Frighten and FascinateKate's bookMy interview with Kate Other films we recommend watching if "Trouble Every Day" piqued your interest:

TW: child sexual abuse by a parent In "The Witch Who Came from the Sea" (1976), written by Robert Thom and directed by Matt Cimber, Molly (Millie Perkins) confronts her childhood trauma in unsettling and destructive ways. Through flashbacks and conversations with her sister, Cathy (Vanessa Brown), we learn that the sea captain father Molly idolizes was actually an abusive piece of shit. Unable to acknowledge the reality of her childhood, Molly creates a fictional world in her head that begins to splinter when her own violent impulses take form. Based on the poster and the film's video nasty status, I expected something titillating that favors style over substance. Instead, I got a character-driven meditation on the downsides of trying to compartmentalize abuse. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode and/or that we think you should check out: article in Film Commentoverview on writer Robert ThomStories about the Boathouse restaurantOverview on Peggy Fleuryhistory of video nasties article Assorted fun facts that we didn't get to mention:

In Andrzej Żuławski’s "Possession" (1981), Anna (Isabelle Adjani) and Marc (Sam Neill) are a married couple in turmoil. When Marc, some kind of international spy (it’s never specified) comes home to West Berlin after a mission in East Berlin, he and Anna are on thin ice. Marc suspects she’s having an affair and when he finds confirmation of this news, has a brief depressive spiral. Their son, Bob (Michael Hogben), seems to be the only thing keeping both of them in contact with each other, although he is severely neglected by both throughout the film. In Anna’s absence, Marc clings to other women like Helen, Bob’s teacher (also played by Adjani), who is Anna’s double but with lighter hair, eyes, and a more easy-going attitude; and Margie, Anna’s best friend who pops in as a surrogate caregiver when Marc needs her. In order to figure out WTF is going on with Anna, Marc decides to hire a detective to look into her whereabouts/affairs. What he finds is more than Marc could have ever predicted. Not only is Anna killing men, she’s feeding parts of them to a monster that she is also fucking. The monster is a project and when “ready,” will become Marc’s double … the version of him that Anna finds most palatable. The film’s structure has been compared to that of a spiral staircase (a common visual in many Żuławski films, including this one) … at each new level, it builds on what is already there, transcending to something the same but different. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode and/or that we think you should check out: installment on "Possession""House of Psychotic Women"Interview with Żuławski‘video nasty’ controversyFaith & Chance (A Deep Dive into POSSESSION) podcastŻuławskiThe Projection Booth podcast Other cerebral horror movies about fucked up relationships where people try to possess each other: “Trouble Every Day” Other cerebral horror movies about women losing their shit: "Raw"

"Alucarda" (1975) opens on a woman (Tina Romero) who has just given birth and knows she’s not long for this world. She asks an old man who is with her to make sure her child, named Alucarda, goes to live in the local convent. The mother, presumably speaking of the devil, says, “Don’t let him take her away.” After the old man leaves with the baby, the scene that transpires suggests that an evil force has come for the mother. Slithering, death rattle-like noises intensify and there are quick edits between close-ups of the mother’s face and the faces of cobwebbed statues in the room. After the title cards, the film jumps forward 15 years. Alucarda (also played by Tina Romero) has been living at the convent. When Justine (Susana Kamini), another orphan around the same age, arrives, Alucarda bonds with her instantly. When the two stumble upon the place where Alucarda’s mother died, they release a satanic force that possesses them and wreaks havoc upon the convent. The film, directed and co-written by Juan Lopez Moctezuma, has become a cult classic over the years, especially following the 2002 DVD release from media distributor Mondo Macabro. Underlying themes are breaking free from tradition (the Catholic Church, heteronormativity) by burning it all down in an attempt to embrace individuality (queer identity, atheism, feminism). Here are some things we mentioned during the episode and/or that we think you should check out: This pieceCarmillainterview Here are some other films we mentioned during the episode: If you know anything about Alexis Arroyo, please email us at sup@womaninrevolt.com!

"Tender Mercies" (1983) is about a former successful musician named Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) who lost everything good in his life due to alcohol. When the film opens, he and a friend are staying in a motel, getting drunk and fighting while the proprietor, Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), and her young son, Carl (known as Sonny, played by Allan Hubbard), watch from their porch. When the friend skips out before paying the bill the next day, Mac offers to work for Rosa Lee in order to compensate for the room. She agrees, but tells him that he can’t drink while he’s working there. Thus begins Mac’s slow streak of improving his life. He sticks with sobriety, marries Rosa Lee, and starts writing music again. It’s the kind of movie that’s not really plot-driven … more slice of life, at arm’s length, character study about Mac’s quiet redemption. Other highlights are Betty Buckley, who plays Mac’s successful country star ex-wife, Dixie, and Ellen Barkin as Mac’s estranged teen daughter, Sue Ann. The screenplay is written by Horton Foote, who won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1962. He also won a best original screenplay Oscar for “Tender Mercies” in 1983 and has a Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play, “The Young Man From Atlanta” and an Emmy for a TV adaptation of William Faulkner’s “Old Man.” The director, Bruce Beresford (who we completely forgot to mention by name — sorry, Bruce), is probably best known for “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989), although my personal favorite film of his is “Double Jeopardy” (1999). Here are some things we mentioned during the episode and/or that we think you should check out: Norman K. Denzin's articleRobert Duvall interviewHorton Foote interviewpresenting an award Some interesting trivia:

In Darren Stein's 1999 cult classic, "Jawbreaker," Courtney (Rose McGowan), Marcie (Julie Benz), and Julie (Rebecca Gayheart) kidnap their best friend, Lizz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna) on her birthday and end up accidentally killing her. The original plan was to tie Liz up, throw her in the trunk of Courtney’s car, and drive her to a local coffee shop for some pancakes. Only ... when the girls open the trunk, ready to take a surprised pic of Liz on a Polaroid camera, she’s completely unresponsive, choked to death on a jawbreaker that Courtney used as a makeshift gag. While Marcie and Courtney freak the fuck out, Courtney coolly devises a plan for how they’ll handle the situation. What she doesn’t account for is nerdy Fern Mayo (Judy Greer) catching the girls in the midst of the cover up and throwing a wrench in their plans. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode: on YouTubevideo breakdownVice's oral historyEW's oral historyquick interviewThis Paste article Also, IDK what I was thinking ... "Jawbreaker" came out on DVD shortly after the VHS release. I probably did watch it on DVD, but who knows. My memories from the early aughts are hazy at best. I can't even remember the last name of the boyfriend I first watched this movie with. Oh, and to give you an idea of how wild the late '90s were when it comes to teen movies, here are some others that came out right before or after "Jawbreaker" in 1999:

“A League of Their Own” is a fictional account of a real moment in history when WWII prompted major league baseball to start a new professional league with women, called the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The 1992 film follows The Rockford Peaches, the most successful team in the league, during their first season. Catcher Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and her little sister, pitcher Kit Keller (Lori Petty), have a classic sibling rivalry rooted in a love of competition and a well of insecurity. Kit has always envied Dottie’s talent and beauty, feeling resentful of how easily good things seem to come her way. Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell play Mae Mordabito and Doris Murphy, two friends who are honestly kind of forgettable because their roles are underwritten. Mae is a center fielder who used to be a dancer in a club and enjoys gentleman attention. Doris plays third base and … is kind of loud, I guess? Marla Hooch (Megan Cavanagh) is the “ugly” second base woman who can hit like a motherfucker. Another casting highlight is Tom Hanks as the drunk, washed up former baseball player-turned-manager, Jimmy Dugan. The plot loosely builds to the final World Series Game between the Rockford Peaches and the Racine Belles and then time jumps to the present day, when these women are being honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode: Interview with Penny Marshall and Lori PettyRosie O'Donnell and Madonna on "Arsenio Jams"Marjorie Magazine articleBritni de la Cretaz's piecehere "A League of Their Own" is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and can be rented from all of the standard places. At one point, I think I mention the Rockford Peaches being "inducted" into the Baseball League of Hall of Fame. What I really mean to say is that they were honored with an exhibit. Thus far, Effa Manley is the only woman who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 film, “The Watermelon Woman” is a documentary/fiction hybrid about a young Black lesbian filmmaker named Cheryl, played by Dunye, who is on a quest to tell the story of a (fictionalized) forgotten Black actress named Faith Richardson (or Faye Richards in Hollywood). As Cheryl works on her project, some of her own relationships — platonic and romantic — are tested. This makes the film sound kind of dramatic, but it’s pretty lowkey in its storytelling approach, which is why I like it so much. Cheryl faces obstacles, but they’re never the sole focus. The film is more about her quest to understand, create, reimagine, and preserve queer history … for herself, those who came before her, and those whose stories remain lost to the sands of time. I guess I would say that more than anything, it’s a film about Black queer erasure and reclamation. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode: Chrystel Oloukoï's piece on the film for BFIBFI post-screening interview with Cheryl Dunye and Alexandra JuhaszMoira Donegan's piece on the film for The New Republicthis Vulture article Also, two important things! YOU CAN WATCH THIS MOVIE ON KANOPY. I always forget about this because I don't have access through my library. I still don't think this is the restoration, but at least it's another free option for those with an account. I've also been told it's on Mubi in the UK. The second important thing is actually not important, but "Stranger Things" had a $30M budget per episode, not $35M. Regardless, it's still a fuckload of money. Oh, and "Go Fish" came out in 1994. It's sadly no longer available on Criterion Channel, but you can rent it other places.

TW: This episode involves some discussion of sexual assault and disordered eating (not heavily, but they are mentioned). Maila Nurmi AKA Vampira was best known for hosting The Vampira Show on KABC-TV, a Los Angeles affiliate of ABC, from 1954-1955. While the show was short-lived, it received international attention and pioneered the concept of themed movie hosts. In other words, it was a big fucking deal but because it was a live broadcast and none of the episodes were properly archived, it’s a bit lost to the annals of film history. In 2021, Nurmi's niece, Sandra Niemi, published a biography of her aunt called "Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira, Maila Nurmi." We can't recommend this book highly enough. It really got us both interested in learning more about Nurmi so that we could put together this episode and hopefully spread her legacy to other people who might not know much about her (or even worse, have her confused with Elvira). Here are a few other books/articles we recommend reading: Vampira: Dark Goddess of HorrorThe Monster Show: A Cultural History of HorrorPart 1Part 2 And here are some movies where you can either see Vampira in action or learn more about her: If you search YouTube, you can find some small clips from "The Vampira Show." I am so fucking angry that these weren't archived, but what are you gonna do? If anyone knows of any good sources we haven't considered, please let us know! Because I am a long-winded bitch, here are some interesting tidbits that did not make it into the episode but that I think people should know: LA Times articlelocal news interviewHere's the clip

"Conversations with Friends" is about two young women, Frances (Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane), going into their senior year at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. They used to date but are now just friends and perform spoken word poetry together. At one of their shows, they meet Melissa (Jemima Kirke), a writer who takes an interest in them and initiates a friendship. From the jump, Frances feels that Melissa favors Bobbi and is always awkward and unsure around her. She feels more comfortable around Nick (Joe Alwyn), Melissa’s actor husband who has a similarly quiet nature. When Nick and Frances begin having an affair, the dynamic between the characters shifts and interesting truths are revealed. "CWF" is currently streaming on Hulu. Here are some things we either mentioned during the episode or think you might like to check out: Woman in RevoltNew Yorker profileThis Digital Spy interviewThis Vulture interview While we do talk a bit (especially at the end) about the people involved with making the show, this discussion primarily centers around the characters and how we feel about the way they were portrayed.

"Anaïs in Love" is a film about a young millennial woman named Anaïs, a whirling tornado of raw emotions and no filter. She’s working on a thesis on 17th century descriptions of passion but uhhhh doesn’t seem very passionate about it. She becomes involved with a man in his sixties named Daniel after breaking up with her partner (I forget his name, but he sucks and tries to make her feel guilty about getting an abortion, so fuck him). Through that affair, she becomes obsessed with his wife, Emilie, who is a writer. She first marvels over Emilie’s possessions … her Guerlain lipstick and her fancy face creams, her silk dress, while briefly staying at Daniel’s house when Emilie is out of town. Then, when she actually meets Emilie in person, by happenstance, things quickly escalate. Here are some things we mentioned during the episode: Anaïs in LoveWoman in RevoltAnaïs in Lovean abortion fund Social media disgusts me, but I do try to update Instagram at least once per week ... sometimes more when the world isn't imploding. Follow me there, if you must.