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Film

The Gay Bechdel Test: Why Hollywood Needs to Expand Its Representation of LGBT Characters

By Tyler Coates on

For years, I’ve enjoyed putting popular films through the Bechdel Test. Named after cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the test was introduced in her long-running comic Dykes to Watch Out For. Named “The Rule,” what became known as the Bechdel Test had three requirements: a film had to feature two named female characters, those characters had to speak to each other, and the subject of conversation had to be about something other than a man. Sounds pretty simple, right? It’s pretty astonishing how many movies fail the pretty easy test — especially in 2013. (A website that keeps track of movie releases and whether they pass the test already lists at least 38 films from 2013; only 21 pass the Bechdel test.) It got me thinking: could there be a similar test about gay characters, and how many movies would actually pass it? … Read More

Television

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 5, Episode 4 Recap: “Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?”

By Julia Pugachevsky on

In the world of reality TV, just as it seems like peace is breaking out, another conflict is ready to rise to the surface. Coco Montrese, who got in hot water last week for admitting that her feud with Alyssa Edwards was “distracting,” shocked everyone by picking Alyssa first to be on her dance team and even complimenting her rival on her dancing. But then, of course, tensions flared up between Vivienne Pinay and Roxxxy Andrews during a challenge that entailed performing a “ballet”that reenacted major moments in Ru’s life. The heat was on this week, and it’s only going to get hotter as more queens are eliminated. … Read More

Photography

Quiet, Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Black Swan’

By Alison Nastasi on

London-based photographer Ray Lewis was asked by Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky to aim his camera behind the scenes of the filmmaker’s most recent movie, Black Swan. The tale of an obsessive and psychologically tormented ballerina in her quest for perfection was the perfect fodder for a series of compelling images captured by Lewis’ lens. They’re quiet moments, but filled with the same expressionistic intensity the final product delivered. Apart from stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel, Lewis was able to photograph the filmmaker and his crew at work. And is that a glimpse of Portman’s dance double — you know, the same woman who tried to bash the Garden State actress, claiming she was taking credit for scenes that featured the professional ballerina? Take a peek in our gallery below. … Read More

Film

The 10 Campiest Film Duos of All Time

By Margaret Eby on

Last Friday, our dreams finally came true: Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah’s Sister Act-meets-Save the Last Dance movie, Joyful Noise, debuted, combining two of our favorite over-the-top personalities in one giant festival of gospel, beat-boxing, and oddly close-fitting choir robes. It’s by far the campiest movie offering of the still young year, and it got us thinking about our favorite movie duos that are, to quote John Waters’ definition of “camp” from The Simpsons, “tragically ludicrous or ludicrously tragic.” Check out our picks for film’s ten most gloriously campy duos after the jump. … Read More

Film

The Year In Film: 2011's Biggest Movie Controversies

By Jason Bailey on

Every Wednesday in December, Flavorwire will take a look back at the year in film — the stories, the performances, the movies that we were talking about in 2011. For this week, let’s revisit some of the year’s movie controversies, shall we?

We film folk can get worked up pretty easily, so while we found plenty of things to get all a-tizzy about in 2011, the assembled list of 2011′s film controversies doesn’t exactly read like end-of-the-world, stop-the-presses stuff. But these things are important to us! We’re easily excitable! Thus, ratings and posters and Oscars and Darth Vader’s scream were well worth talking about — then, and now. Join us after the jump to relive some of the year’s very big deals. … Read More

Film

10 Twisted Fairy Tales on Film

By Alison Nastasi on

IFC Films’ Sleeping Beauty — the Jane Campion “presented” movie directed by Australian novelist Julia Leigh — slinks into theaters this Friday. Sounding more like Anne Rice’s sadomasochistic Sleeping Beauty trilogy than the classic tale we knew as children, the film finds Emily Browning as a university student who gets wrapped up in an erotic whirlwind with a dark twist we’ll let you discover for yourself.

Many films have lifted the veil on fairy tale fantasies, revealing the depraved, pitch-black narratives hiding in literature’s fabled legends. One flip through the storybook confirms that our childhood fantasies were a treasure trove of primal fears and sexual anxiety. Coming-of-age nightmares, patriarchal distress, and feminine paranoia are just a few of the Grimm-inspired subjects that Hollywood has explored in its retelling of these mythic stories. Click through for a look at ten films that put a dark twist on our favorite fairy tales. … Read More

Fashion

Fashion Designers’ Sketches of Pop Culture’s Most Iconic Looks

By Nicole Rallis on

Whether you borrow style tips from Karen O, with outrageous prints and dramatic silhouettes, or you take a more demure cue from Catherine Deneuve’s delicate shift dresses and trench coats, chances are you’ve looked to pop culture for fashion inspiration at one time or another. So it’s only natural to be curious about where the iconic looks that have guided our style fantasies over the years actually originated. To that end, we’ve put together a gallery of original sketches that designers such as Edith Head and Yves Saint Laurent created for looks that continue to influence both the runway and fans’ personal style, after the jump. … Read More

Film

We Belong Dead: The 25 Greatest Last Words on Film

By Emily Temple on

Ah, to be a film character, and have everything you say come out scripted and pithy, down to your final breath. In recent weeks, we’ve been inspired by a great list of the last words of 25 geniuses that has been making the rounds, so this weekend we decided to explore the last words of what are arguably the creations of genius: fictional characters from some of our favorite movies. Click through to see our picks for the 25 greatest last words of characters in movies, from robots to witches to businessmen, as they die in heroic, tragi-comic, or just plain emotional scenes. Since we know how very many of these there are, be sure to let us know if we’ve missed any of your own favorites in the comments. … Read More

Fashion

20 Awesome High-End Halloween Costumes

By Nicole Rallis on

If you’re not über crafty, fashioning a unique Halloween costume that sets you apart from the pack of party-store drones could pose a problem. Thankfully, there’s an army of skilled crafters and artisans who are willing and able to bring your fantasy Haunting Season ensemble to life — for a price. In case you have some extra dough lying around, we’ve followed up last year’s incredible list of high-end Halloween costumes with a gallery featuring extravagant Beetlejuice, My Little Pony, and Muppets-inspired outfits of the hand-crafted variety after the jump. … Read More

Film

10 Films That Get Under Your Skin

By Alison Nastasi on

Pedro Almodóvar’s psychosexual thriller The Skin I Live In opens in theaters this Friday. Antonio Banderas stars as an obsessed, but brilliant, plastic surgeon who invents a synthetic skin that he uses for depraved means. If you’re familiar with Almodóvar’s work then you know this synopsis barely plumbs the depths of his intent. The striking and unsettling images used to promote the film have given us a taste of something darkly decadent and visceral — something not entirely body horror, but promises to “get under your skin.” Whether literally or figuratively, dozens of movies have explored this same notion. Click through for ten films that disturb our senses and promise to cut to the quick. … Read More