Ryan McNeil
Show Contents:
0:00 Introduction with guest Sam McCosh from An Online Universe
5:20 How We Began with the #52FilmsByWomen journey
17:56 What We’ve Watched
33:49 What We’ve Learned
Thoughts from your host…
As much fun as I think it would be to talk about talking jungle creatures or the secret origins of The Evil Queen, neither one of them really felt like a great use of my last full podcast episode before Hot Docs coverage begins later this week. Instead, I thought this might be a good time to take stock of the project many of us are working on.
Thanks to the marvellous people over at womeninfilm.org, many of us have been spending 2016 soaking up 52 Films by Women.
Some of us are struggling with it, some are revelling, some are something in-between. All of it is worth discussing, so that’s what we’re doing this week
So please enjoy this break from the usual structure. Please consider looking into some of the titles and artists we bring up throughout the course of the next 75 minutes. And please enjoy all of the Prince I have dropped into the show for your listening pleasure.
Thanks for tuning into episode one-hundred-fifty-seven.
Sam’s Twitter feed can be found here. You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS
Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.
Enjoy!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
My challenge with #52FilmsByWomen is finding films to watch (the bulk of my viewings have been stuff on Netflix). I am also allowing rewatches for my list, even though most of my selections so far have been first viewings.
February happened to be Women in Horror Month, so I included a number of horror films by female directors, such as The Babadook and The Slumber Party Massacre.
I actually took a hiatus from the list for the last couple months, since I knew I would add quite a few films from Hot Docs. I plan to return to weekly viewing in mid-May.
I wish I liked horror films – I know I’m missing out on some great films by women by not watching them.
The Babadook is amazing. It isn’t really a horror, more a film about depression and despair dressed up as a psychological thriller. Give it a go.
Great epiode, so funny and full of great suggestions. I loved it so much that in the spans of 4 days, I’ve aready listened to it twice. I’m thinking of starting the #52FilmsByWomen next year since college this year has made me watch less movies than ever.
PS: Love the Jane Campion bit XD. There IS life in the world of women directors beyond Campion and corsets dramas. 😉
The subject of female directs is sometimes a tricky one for me as I have to admit I don’t like Jane Campion movies. I know this is blasphemy in some circles, I just find them dull. Sorry.
A suggestion for you. If you haven’t already, try starting at the beginning with Lois Weber. Her IMDB profile calls her “first American woman movie director of note”. Many of her films are available legally on youtube. I would go for Shoes (1916); I must admit it is 20 years since I have seen it so don’t remember it that well.
I can’t believe it took an hour to mention Kathryn Bigelow. I finally caught up with The Loveless last year. It was the only one of her films I hadn’t seen. I really enjoyed it, a sort of sleazy riff on The Wild One. The Weight of Water is a really underrated and under seen movie; Sean Penn, Sarah Polley are always worth watching. I love Strange Days, possibly as much as I love Point Break. I have just purchased the DVD having worn out my VHS copy. Fiennes and Bassett on top form.
As you didn’t enjoy the movies by Sally Potter and Sarah Gavron, I think I need to make a few recommendations of British directors that I hope you will like:
You have already mentioned Amma Asante, I think you will like Belle.
Everyone (understandably) jumped on Lynne Ramsay bandwagon with We Need to Talk About Kevin, have you seen her earlier films? Ratcatcher Ratcatcher (1999) is good. I really loved Morvern Callar (2002).
I know you liked Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank Fish Tank (2009). Have you seen Red Road Red Road (2006) and her interesting and atmospheric take on Wuthering Heights (2011)?
You have probably seen Carol Morley’s The Falling (2014). If not check it out.
Welcome II the Terrordome (1995) directed by Ngozi Onwurah had mixed reviews and looks dated thanks to the micro budget but is worth a look, it is nothing if not interesting.
There was a suggestion a few years back that Susanna White was going to be the British Kathryn Bigelow as one of the main directors of the TV mini series Generation Kill. Her next movie Our Kind of Traitor is out soon so you can watch one at the cinema.