// Category Archive for: Feminism

Our Fave Women In Film & TV Moments of 2015: The MUFF Society

This was a crazy—cahhhhrazy—awesome year for women in film and TV. So many amazing films, shows, speeches, tweets, pictures… even Barbie dolls, guys. We (Lisa, Richelle, and Siân of The MUFF Society) thought back over the past year (thank god for the Internet) and picked out our favourite moment[s] for each month. We undoubtedly left out a lot of great moments so instead of whining about it, tell us yours!

JANUARY

Can you believe it’s almost been a year since the cast of the Ghostbusters reboot was first announced?

Not only are we getting LADY Ghostbusters, but we get these goddesses? Bless you, Paul Feig. Since that announcement, we’ve seen first-look photos, amazing girl power crew photos from the set, and most recently, these amazing teaser posters. Basically this movie needs to come out yesterday.

FEBRUARY

Marjane Satrapi’s (Persepolis) first live action directorial feature The Voices got its wide release in February. Fitting because this movie is all about love. Do yourself a favour and skip the trailer–just watch this cold.

Patricia Arquette won an Oscar (yay!!!) and spoke about the wage gap during her acceptance speech (even more yay!!!!). While she could’ve chosen her words more carefully, we admire her for using the platform of Live Television to deliver such an important message. She had more to say recently, too.

MARCH

Sally Field real talks at SXSW about aging in Hollywood. Preach. Also, when is Hello, My Name is Doris coming out? WE NEED TO SEE IT IMMEDIATELY.

Watch out, late night. The ladies are coming. In March we were blessed with the news that The Daily Show’s Samantha Bee would be starting her own late night show called Full Frontal. It airs in February of 2016 and it is the late night show we need and deserve.

APRIL

Amy Schumer has been killing it this year but our favourite moment of hers was unanimously Last Fuckable Day. We would like to come and talk about our pussies over there.

We were as shocked as you were that 2015 marked the first year since 1987 that Cannes had opened with a woman-directed film. How is that even possible? That’s a 29-year-old person! In any case, here’s to more women opening Cannes (and every other festival) in 2016 and beyond.

MAY

Mad Max: Fury Road was released. Charlize Theron. Furiosa. Enough said.

JUNE

Rose McGowan was our hero when she tweeted about a disgusting, sexist casting note. She’s always been outspoken and blunt about the realities of the industry for women and it’s so damn refreshing.

JULY

Summer was great for indie film releases like Tangerine–an amazing film that is deservedly creating a lot of buzz this awards season. Mya Taylor has already become the first trans actress to win a Gotham Award.

AUGUST

This summer we also got Marielle Heller’s Diary of a Teenage Girl. Don’t let the trailer fool you: this isn’t a light, fun coming of age movie. It’s troubling and moving and absolutely beautiful.

SEPTEMBER

If you haven’t listened to Viola Davis’s Emmy acceptance speech multiple times already, what’s wrong with you?

OCTOBER

In October, the Federal government officially began to investigate Hollywood’s lack of women directors. Earlier in the year, the ACLU sent a letter to three organizations requesting official investigations. We wonder what the results will be. Ha.

Céline Sciamma’s absolutely brilliant Girlhood was also released in October, along with Room, which features a screenplay by Emma Donaghue and stars Brie “Finally Getting The Attention She Deserves” Larson.

NOVEMBER

The end of the year was all about speeches and we can’t get enough of the speech Reese Witherspoon gave at Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards.

And then the New York Times and Maureen Dowd blew us all away with this absolutely arresting piece: “The Women of Hollywood Speak Out.”

DECEMBER

We already knew filmmaker Ava DuVernay was absolute perfection but now that she has her own Barbie, she’s reached a new level totally unattainable by the rest of us mere mortals. This Barbie sold out in minutes, guys. Minutes.

We loved Lena Dunham’s speech at Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment brekkie. We also really need T-shirts with “Power Bitches” on them.

Carrie Fisher ended the year with a bang because eff all you body shamers. (And then when some idiot thought it was appropriate to do this, Carrie put them in their place, too.)

Damn, if 2015 was this good, imagine what 2016 is going to be like!

Before we go, we couldn’t end off any Faves List without our combined most favourite thing of the entire year. Ahem: Shia LaBeouf’s #ALLMYMOVIES. This captured our hearts in a way we are still trying to comprehend. Also, picking a favourite Shia was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. But we did it. For science!

I literally can’t look at this because it’s too good.–Richelle

The Sleeping Shia obviously speaks to me more than any other Shia.
I would actually say that White-Coloured-Blob-On-The-Floor-In-The-Back-Corner-Taking-A-Nap-Through-Transformers
is my favourite Shia, but that doesn’t make a very good photo.
Rest well, sweet baby angel Shia.–Lisa

I thought about this for a long time.
I think my favourite Shia is So Ecstatic He Might Burst Or Is He Actually Angry Shia.
Because this isn’t just a Shia–it’s a raw moment of pure emotion.
Shimotion, maybe? Actually, no, because that’s stupid.–Siân

But actually, the real winner of the year is this cat. Nothing in 2016, or any upcoming years ever for that matter, will compare.

The MUFF Society is a monthly screening series and community that champions women in film. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and at their website.

TV Review: Master of None, Episode 7: “Ladies and Gentlemen”

By Tyler Hodg

If you’re an ignorant, regressive feminist-hater, the best course of action would probably be to skip “Ladies and Gentlemen.”

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Music Review: Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, Coulda Shoulda Woulda

By Melissa Bratcher

Holly Golightly has been particularly productive lately, releasing Slowtown Now! last month (review), and now reuniting with The Brokeoffs for Coulda Shoulda Woulda. Recorded on the Georgia farm Holly shares with Lawyer Dave (aka The Brokeoffs), Coulda Shoulda Woulda comes out swinging for the fences, and connects like mad. Songs of salvation for sale, dances to be learned, and an awfully sad Christmas are all here, along with some of the most delightful swearing ever laid to wax.

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Music Review: The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes and The Course Of Country Music

By Melissa Bratcher

One might say that if it weren’t for the Carter family, country music as we know it (or knew it, rather) wouldn’t exist. Director Beth Harrington’s film, The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes And The Course Of Country Music, explores that notion, starting with A.P Carter, his wife Sara and sister-in-law Maybelle, following that stream to the Carter Sisters, to June Carter and Johnny Cash, all the way to Rosanne Cash. The Carters’ influence was far-reaching, shaping ancient melodies into popular songs, and pushing the guitar into the forefront of American music.

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Music Review: Raging Fire, Everything Is Roses 1985-1989

By Melissa Bratcher

There’s a line in Bruce McDonald’s Hard Core Logo in which Pipefitter, drummer savant says, (and I’m paraphrasing wildly here) “No one ever writes checks to the bands who influenced them.” Upon listening to Everything Is Roses 1985-1989, an anthology of Nashville’s Raging Fire, it seems like a whole lot of bands should have written some checks. The music of Raging Fire sounds familiar (though I’d not heard them) because so many bands aped their style. Strong front women with their own eclectic voices owe a debt to Melora Zaner. She doesn’t have a bombastic voice, but she makes you listen because of her nuance and passion. Without Raging Fire, a whole slew of bands wouldn’t exist.

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Music Review: The Chapin Sisters, Today’s Not Yesterday

By Tyler Hodg

The Chapin Sisters harness the sounds and feelings of folk music of the past, all while staying current with their latest release, Today’s Not Yesterday. It’s the follow-up to the duo’s 2013 Everly Brothers cover album (review), and their first album of original material in five years. While their style has remained fairly intact as the years have passed, the production now sounds more crisp than ever before.

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Music Review: Various Artists, All About The Girls

By Melissa Bratcher

Croydon Municipal, as I have mentioned frequently, is an amazing boutique label. An offshoot of Cherry Red Records, Croydon Municipal is run by Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley, who culls his gargantuan record collection to curate brilliantly themed, thoughtful compilations (like his Popcorn Girls collections, or the current Songs For Swinging Ghosts). On All About The Girls, the theme is lost girl group gems, and it is a delight through and through.

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Five Faves: Final Girls

By Less Lee Moore

The Final Girls (review) is a film about… what else? The hallowed halls of heroines in horror movies (how’s that for alliteration?) have many portraits hung on their walls. Here are a few fave Final Girls that you might not have yet considered, but who are still worthy women.

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Music Review: Patty Griffin, Servant of Love

By Tyler Hodg

Patty Griffin is a musical treasure. There is no modern poet that can come close to the brilliance that she puts out, and her music stands high above almost everything else. But all that is great has to fall at some point, right? In the case of Patty Griffin, that theory has yet to be proven. Her latest album, Servant of Love, is yet another entry in her fantastic catalogue.

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An Imaginary Patti Smith Mix Tape

By Tim Murr

Patti Smith’s new memoir, M Train, is coming out on October 6. It will continue the journey through her life that she began with her previous book, Just Kids, which focused on her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Just Kids is a moving book that I couldn’t put it down. I encourage everyone to pick it up.

For me, Patti has been such a strong source of inspiration for so long. Every time I listen to her debut, Horses, I’m struck by how timeless it is. Released at the end of 1975, about two months before the Ramones released their debut album, there is a quality to its sound that doesn’t scream any era, but simply sounds like Patti Smith music. The build up to the chorus on “Gloria” still makes my hair stand on end. I’d call it one of the best moments of any rock song on any album ever produced.

So with Patti Smith’s new book around the corner and 2015 being the 40th anniversary of Horses, I thought I’d make a mix tape of her top 20 songs for the uninitiated to download right now. I chose from across all eras and offer them in particular order. For the bold, I’d say just buy Horses and then each album in order of release, but I recognize that people buy music differently these days. So, here’s the Patti Smith mix tape track listing I’d make for you, if ya know, we were friends or dating or something…

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