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Jennifer’s Body; or Hell is Being a Feminist Horror Fan

Jennifer’s Body suffers mightily by comparison to its thematic/genre contemporaries: it’s not as smart or sophisticatedly feminist as Ginger Snaps; it’s not as sure-footed in its satire as Heathers; it’s not as exhilarating of a revenge fantasy as Teeth; it’s not as campy-fun as The Faculty; it’s not nearly scary enough to overcome its pomo like the Scream series; and on and on… There are better horror films and genre-benders out there, for sure, but despite the panning it’s getting from critics, it’s not total crap. It’s a decent little B-movie with a few surprisingly chillingly moments, a couple of big laughs, a bunch of near misses, and a wildly uneven tone and pacing. In other words: it ends up being about as good as most of the above-average horror films being made today.

Warning: Very mild spoilers ahead.

The problem with Jennifer’s Body is that it declares a far more ambitious agenda than your average horror movie, and then falls short. The film opens with Anita “Needy” Lesnicki observing, “Hell is a teenage girl,” which becomes shorthand for the work the film is clearly trying to do: exploring the problems of female adolescence and friendship, and subverting horror film cliches about sexuality and, especially, relations between women and men. Unfortunately, it’s just not successful at creating coherent stories around these issues, and the film ends up being a series of disappointments – albeit, really interesting disappointments. ok

Seven Super Tips for Tweetslingers

In my previous posts, I’ve blogged about why Twitter is important for businesses and what individuals can gain from the service, so today I’d like to focus on how you can make the most of your tweets. First impressions count in the real world, and they’re even more important in the Twitterverse. Whether you are tweeting for an organization or just for yourself, you want to make your 140 characters count!

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The Forecast Is Getting Better for Girls in Animation

Well, I’m pretty happy with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and not just because it’s one of the most hilariously bizarre animated films I’ve ever seen (it’s an ‘adaptation’ of one of my favorite picture books of all time that can only be considered a total reimagination), but also because it DARES to suggest something that most films never do: that girls like science, too.

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Twitter for the People!

My last post on Twitter focused on how organizations can use micro-blogging to develop customer relationships and build communities, but what about individuals? What can people possibly get out of a social network limited to 140 characters? And why bother with it if you’ve already got a Facebook account?

The distinction between Twitter and Facebook is a useful one. On Facebook, your objective is to find your friends and share with them. On Twitter, you find people to “follow” and you cultivate “followers.” Facebook is primarily a social tool that focuses on reaching out to people you already know. Twitter, on the other hand, is a tool for finding and communicating with people well beyond your circle of friends. Because of that, Twitter is a very powerful tool for social networking, talking with people who share your professional or personal interests, and getting real-time news and resources.

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This Time Around, Tarantino is a Glorious Basterd

I won’t dwell on the fact that I’m not much of a Tarantino fan, mostly because that’s the kind of the claim that seems to require a few posts’ worth of explanation (and Ehren is ever-so-slowly getting me to lighten up and reconsider Tarantino’s most recent films with more of an open mind, anyway) but it’s worth noting because it serves to underscore just how much I enjoyed Inglourious Basterds. I loved it, in fact. It’s a marvel: light years beyond anything else he’s ever made, and one of the most astonishing films about film that I’ve ever seen. ok