In the wake of the presidential election, Claire Welch SC ’27 discusses the politics of language. Making references to the witches of 1970s Italy and a secret language in Hunan, Welch posits language as a tool towards liberation.
Tag: Film
A Nightmare on 6th St: Coping with the election with ‘Saw’
Is living with the results of the 2024 election as painful as cutting off your own foot with a rusty saw in a grimy bathroom? No, and that’s a weird analogy? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith SC ’25 doesn’t care, and explains why “Saw” (2004) provided the escapist self care he needed the weekend after election day.
A Nightmare on 6th St: How ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ uses your memories against you
When is a movie not just a movie? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith dives deep into the trans phenomenon of Jane Schoenbrun’s recent coming-of-age horror film “I Saw The TV Glow” and the ways it demands participation from its audience.
Frame Rating: Why “True Stories” is the greatest western surrealist musical slice-of-life satire ever made
David Byrne’s “True Stories” is a lot of things: a musical, a satire, a disparate collection of loose scenes and strange characters. To film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ’24, it’s a shining reminder that exceptional stories can take exceptional forms.
The Library of Translations: From international stages to translated pages – book recommendations from around the world
Columnist Caroline Kelly PO ‘27 highlights these cinematic pieces with corresponding book recommendations to escape the post-movie blues.
Let’s Go Local: Cinema and connection: The Laemmle Theater
Planning a movie night or looking for something new to watch? Michelle Zhang PO ’27 highlights Claremont’s local Laemmle movie theater, its arthouse history, and the power of watching a movie on the big screen.
Frame Rating: A really, really half-hearted defense of David Lynch’s “Dune”
With the recent success of Denis Villenueve’s Dune 2 (2024), film columnist Gerrit Punt theorizes about David Lynch’s Dune adaptation (1984). He argues that Dune (1984) is a remnant of a forgotten 1980s science-fiction film genre, and that movie lovers should find what works instead of casting it aside.
Frame Rating: Deer, death, and the art of the children’s film
Film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ’24 explores the strange, simple, beautifully dark “Bambi,” the paragon of a type of children’s film he believes has been somewhat lost to time.
Scripps Presents Jessica Bendinger: Fight for Your Voice
Jessica Bendinger, renowned for scripting iconic films like “Bring It On” and “Stick It,” spoke at Balch Auditorium, as part of a Scripps Presents event on Feb. 8. Bendinger shared insights into her storytelling journey from childhood to Hollywood. She discussed deriving inspiration from personal challenges, including growing up with divorced parents and battling mononucleosis, which fueled her passion for storytelling and entertainment.
Frame Rating: Holy sincerity! How “Batman” (1966) stands up to the self-conscious super-genre
Film columnist Gerrit Punt PO ‘24 writes about his love for Batman (1966) and how he thinks self-awareness has taken the joyful sincerity from films of the past.