F

Flavorwire

Film

The Greatest Fantasy Films You Haven’t Seen

By Alison Nastasi on

There are many shades when it comes to fantasy films — works that cross genres effortlessly. Garden variety sword and sorcery movies don’t appear to have much in common with neo-noir fantasy tales like David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, but there are shared mythical elements and phenomena that bond them.

The third season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is right around the corner (March 31), and we wanted to get in the mood for faraway lands, extraordinary creatures, and vivid storytelling by visiting 10 fantasy films you may have missed. There’s something for everyone here — from Amazon women, to trolls, and 20th-century Parisian adventures. Share your underseen favorites in the comments section. … Read More

Television

The Best and Worst of Last Night’s ‘SNL’ with Kevin Hart

By Alison Nastasi on

Last night’s host Kevin Hart had the unfortunate circumstance of being sandwiched between SNL’s highest-rated show of the season, with Christoph Waltz, and next week’s highly anticipated guest, Justin Timberlake. It also didn’t help that some audiences had no idea who the Think Like a Man actor and stand-up comedian was, or that Daft Punk’s 15-second teaser for their upcoming album played during a commercial break and created a nice buzz. Despite clumsiness with a few lines, lackluster jokes, and more screaming than we thought humanly possible, the likable Hart’s head was in the game, and his enthusiasm was infectious.

The jokes were focused on race throughout the evening, and then socially conscious rapper Macklemore, with Ryan Lewis, burst onto the stage to perform his song about thrift shops. Audiences have questioned SNL’s reliance on race for comedy every time an African-American celebrity hosts the show (the same debates popped up when Jamie Foxx hosted the series in December). Was last night another heavy-handed move by the writers and producers? See how the rest of the evening played out after the break, where we look at the best and worst sketches of the evening. … Read More

Film

10 of the Most Romantic Movies You Haven’t Seen

By Alison Nastasi on

The world is getting another adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel whether it wants it or not. Safe Haven, starring Julianne Hough as a mysterious woman with a dark secret who falls for a widower (Josh Duhamel), hits theaters on Valentine’s Day. The film joins paranormal teen tale Beautiful Creatures as one of several other romantic films celebrating the Hallmark holiday. Feeling like the occasion was a bit too obvious for our liking, we ventured off the beaten path to collect ten of our favorite romantic movies that don’t involve a sinking ocean liner, Meg Ryan, teen vamps, or the other usual saccharine suspects. See what strikes your fancy on our list, and feel free to leave us a love note about your favorite films. … Read More

Photography

Adorable Photos of a Mother and Daughter Imitating Each Other

By Alison Nastasi on

Carra Sykes — who Lost At E Minor was kind enough to introduce us to — created a series of photos inspired by a joke her uncle made about Carra’s mother wearing her daughter’s clothes. Sykes’ adorable portraits show mom and daughter, side by side, in identical outfits. The photos bring the wisecrack to life, but also provide insight into the relationship the two women share. As most mothers love to tell their children, no one knows you better than the person who gave birth to you. Each picture is a testament to that as the family resemblance shines through and supersedes mere fabric. See more of Sykes photos in our gallery. … Read More

Film

Film’s Most Epic Quests

By Alison Nastasi on

Acclaimed director Keisuke Kinoshita adapted a Shichirō Fukazawa novel in 1958, setting his haunting film in rural, 19th-century Japan. Ballad of Narayama — which arrives on Blu-ray from Criterion today — explores an ancient folkloric tradition in which elderly and infirmed relatives are carried to a mountain and left to die. Orin (Kinuyo Tanaka) approaches her 70th year and faces her final days on Mount Narayama, but she embarks on a quest to secure her family’s happiness before her journey to the mountain. It’s an allegorical, stylish Japanese classic that inspires thoughts of other epic film quests — stories that defined obsession, sacrifice, adventure, greed, self-discovery, and a search for the truth. Add to our list, below. … Read More

Photography

Photos of Museumgoers More Interesting Than the Artworks on Display

By Alison Nastasi on

Milan photographer Alberto Bernasconi captured art lovers in various museums across the world. There are no gimmicks — viewers are photographed simply gazing at art, walking through galleries and museum halls, or interacting with exhibits. Bernasconi, however, renders them as fascinating components in the frame of his lens and within the space of each gallery. The way they see and are seen suddenly changes everything, making them part of the artwork on the walls and pedestals. A new installation is born. See how Bernasconi transforms museumgoers into compelling works of art in our gallery. … Read More

Film

Film's Most Awkward Couples

By Alison Nastasi on

People have written infinite pages about the chemistry between movie couples like Stanley and Stella Kowalski (Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter) in A Streetcar Named Desire or Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh) in Gone with the Wind. While we can’t deny the magic those iconic romances have lent to the silver screen, some of our favorite couples in film are the awkward pairings that don’t quite fit. Many of these twosomes are a complete casting mismatch, but each one has the added burden of overcoming some unfortunate and uncomfortable narrative situations. See what flawed film couples we sent a Valentine to after the break. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments. … Read More

Photography

Surreal Photos of Contorted Women in the Workplace

By Alison Nastasi on

Isabelle Wenzel photographs the human body in contorted positions using perspective and costuming to create bizarre, narrative portraits. Her series of women in the workplace caught our attention on Beautiful/Decay. Messy stacks of paper and traditional feminine clothing cloaks and almost strangles each subject as they twist and bend to balance books and pantyhose-clad body parts in awkward, impossible poses. All faces are hidden making the line between playful and grotesque even blurrier. Take a closer look in our gallery. … Read More

Film

The Most Underrated Directors in Cinema

By Alison Nastasi on

Quantifying success can be problematic, especially when it comes to a subjective art form such as cinema. That hasn’t stopped us from looking back through film history and examining the directors we felt have been overlooked or underestimated in terms of their importance, contributions, and artistry. In many cases, lack of commercial appeal can prevent a filmmaker from finding the critical success they deserve — especially since Hollywood measures its greatest achievements by the almighty dollar. Other directors’ films display an unheralded genius too frequently unnoticed. Here are ten underrated filmmakers for your consideration. Feel free to chime in with your own picks, below. … Read More

Music

The Best Advice to Women in Music from Female Musicians

By Alison Nastasi on

Examining the statistics concerning women in professional, creative fields can be a depressing endeavor. A recent study from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University indicated that only 9% of directors of the top 250 grossing Hollywood films in 2012 were women — a number that actually increased 4% since 2011, but still shows the scales are heavily tipped.

The same study applauded the number of women working in the indie film sector, which is a trend that runs parallel with female-fronted bands or solo music acts. Looking at the industry at large, only eight of last year’s top female earners ranked among the world’s 25 highest-paid musicians. The reasons are complicated, and the results can be disheartening, which is why we wanted to collect some of the best advice that female musicians had for their fellow artists — like the tongue-in-cheek list Pretenders frontwoman, Chrissie Hynde, wrote to “chick rockers” that we spotted on Dangerous Minds.

See what wisdom women have offered each other as they navigate a male-dominated industry, share their artistry with the world, and try to stay positive and inspired, after the jump. … Read More