Girlhood + Horror Encyclopedia by

Hole, "Jennifer's Body"

shm93 — 2023-08-26 01:50:31 UTC

"Jennifer's Body" is a song by Hole featured on their 1994 album Live Through This. Hole is an American grunge band that was especially active in the 1990s. It is likely that director Karyn Kusama titled her film after this song. I draw this conclusion because some of the lyrics in the song evoke what happens to Jennifer Check in the film Jennifer's Body, and also highlight some of the larger conversations about how women's bodies are exploited and commodified.

I know it, I can't feel it
Well, I know it enough to believe it
And I know it, I can't see it
But I know it enough to believe it

To better you, to better me
My bitter half has bitten me
It's better than you, it's better than me
Sleeping with my enemy myself
Myself

The pieces of Jennifer's body
Found pieces of Jennifer's body
Found pieces of Jennifer's body
Just relax, just relax, just go to sleep
Just relax, just relax, just go to sleep

You're hungry, but I'm starving
He cuts you down from the tree
He keeps you in a box by the bed
Alive, but just barely

He said, "I'm your lover, I'm your friend, I'm pure"
And he hits me again

With a bullet, number one
Kill the family, save the son himself
Himself

The pieces of Jennifer's body
Found pieces of Jennifer's body
Found pieces of Jennifer's body
Just relax, just relax, just go to sleep
Just relax, just relax, just go to sleep

Now she's mine

Body Image with "Jennifer's Body" - Jayla Janay

2023-09-02 16:54:08 UTC

The title "Jennifer's Body" can be related to the expectations of what a women's body "should" look like. In the film, Jennifer is a beautiful cheerleader and every man's dream. She constantly uses her looks for manipulation to get what she wants. For example, at Melody Lane, Jennifer tells Anita that her breasts can make her go far with men. This situation demonstrates how looks are more important than someone's true character. This is shown throughout the film from the contrast between Anita and Jennifer. Anita does not revolve around her appearance, yet Jennifer relies on hers for her personal advantage. As a result, Anita is not as popular as Jennifer. However, beauty on the outside does not always equal beauty within. In other words, Jennifer is undeniably gorgeous, but her personality is awful, being selfish and unsympathetic while Anita is the opposite.

Sources:
https://time.com/65901/how-men-and-women-differ-when-drawing-up-the-perfect-body/
Jennifer's Body

Carrie - 1976 Horror Classic

2023-09-14 18:54:34 UTC

The 1976 Horror Classic Film Carrie is an adaptation of Stephan King’s book Carrie, and was directed by Brian De Palma. The film features an iconic scene where the main character Carrie is soaked in pigs blood while wearing her prom dress. This iconic reference was seen in Jennifer’s Body during one of the final fight scenes between Needy and Jennifer, which was moments before Jennifer began to be humiliated by Needy. Jennifer is seen hovering over the pool, soaked in blood while wearing her prom dress. She even throws out another reference from Carrie about needing a tampon to stop the bleeding from her stomach. This is a mention of the mortifying locker scene in Carrie where she got her first ever period in the locker room, and while all the other girls were laughing at her, Sue Snell threw a tampon at her. Director Karyn Kusama most likely used this reference of Carrie to emphasize the humiliation Jennifer faced in the scene as it was remarks that she was insecure about, which is not being an individual that is relevant anymore. Carrie not only was humiliated by the student body by having pigs blood spilled all over her prom dress, but she was also humiliated in the locker room when no one helped her about her period.

The Craft: Fashion

2023-09-15 21:14:06 UTC

Throughout "The Craft," the group of girls show their individuality through their bold makeup and clothing. The grunge and goth aesthetic that they each portray despite being in a Catholic school that enforces a uniform policy (rather loosely) speaks to the distinct and almost outcast personalities that they hold. This type of fashion and aesthetic is widely used across various films to depict witches or in general, members of society that may not belong, particularly during this time period. The girls confidently walking throughout the school speaks even more so to the idea of being yourself regardless of outside perspectives and opinions. They each made a place and identity for themselves even within a restricted environment in which everyone is essentially not allowed to look any different. Nancy takes this idea a step further by using her clothing as protection to look unapproachable and scare people off so that she could reject others before they did so towards her. Furthermore, the group each feed off of each other's fashion choices just as they do with magic. As their power grows significantly together, so does their sense of herd or hive mentality and their fashion choices change and are experimented with.

867-5309/Jenny in Jennifer's Body (Ava)

2023-09-16 20:03:19 UTC

"867-5309/Jenny" was made by the popular American pop band Tommy Totune in 1981. This song found popularity throughout the 1980s and is about a man who sees a girl's number on the wall of a public bathroom, becomes infatuated with her, and tries to convince her to give him a chance. Therefore, the basic premise of the song is that the man becomes obsessed with a total stranger and makes persistent efforts to be recognized by her. In Jennifer's Body, the lyrics are recited by Low Shoulder as they kill Jennifer. After Jennifer tells the band her name, Nikolai stops before he is about to stab her and begins to sing the song to which the rest of the band joins in and continues singing as they brutally kill her. It is clear that "867-5309/Jenny" was chosen for this scene beyond the connection between Jennifer's name and the name of the girl in the song as director Karyn Kusama's choices for the film's soundtrack appear to be highly intentional to reflect emotions or overall themes. The use of the song in this scene ties to the film's theme of humiliation as the band sings the song to Jennifer to mock her fear and suffering before they kill her. Additionally, this act ties into the theme of exploitation by demonstrating Low Shoulder's lack of remorse for their actions as they are purely motivated by their desire to be successful in the music industry, even if that means taking Jennifer's life. Overall, the song is used as a device to show how the band sees Jennifer, who had previously idolized them, as a disposable means to achieve success similar to how many bands during this time period acted toward their young fan bases.

Lyrics:
Jenny, Jenny, you’re the girl for me

You don’t know me, but you make me so happy

I tried to call you before, but I lost my nerve

I tried my imagination, but I was disturbed

Jenny, I got your number

I need to make you mine

Jenny, don’t change your number

867-5309 867-5309

867-5309 867-5309

Bibliography:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2020/01/14/remember-867-5309-who-was-jenny-we-chat-with-tommy-tutone/?sh=6eaf4bd9532a

Vampires in Film- The Girl Who Walks Alone at Night

2023-09-16 20:59:43 UTC

By Amelia Garcia
Vampires as characters has grown within the film genre since the era of silent-movies. Most notably, Nosferatu (dir. F.W Murnau) created in 1922 was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. From here, vampires have evolved within pop culture. They can be love interests, villains, or a mix of both. A Girl Walks Alone at Night is a film about a female vampire who hunts down men who have wronged women. The director of the film, Ana Lily Amirpour, has stated that vampires represent a number of things like a, “(...)serial killer, a romantic, a historian, a drug addict(...).” Vampires as characters typically represent the power of all-consuming desires and difficulties with restraint. Following this notion, vampires within movie history have produced a number of genres within film such as more action-focused movies like Lost Boys (dir. Joel Schumacher). Perhaps one of the most notable instances of vampires in films relating to girlhood is the 2008 movie Twilight (dir. Catherine Hardwicke), following a human who cannot help but fall in love with a vampire. A Girl Walks Alone at Night, in contrast with the drama-romance of Twilight embraces the horror aspect of vampires. Rather than being consumed and outwardly troubled by her ailment, the vampire in this film is empowered by it in a vigilante role.
Bibliography:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2326554/mediaviewer/rm1978269184/?ref_=tt_md_3
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3551859/blood-life-brief-history-vampires-film/
https://www.wired.com/2014/02/girl-walks-home-alone-at-night/

Jennifer's Body - I Can See Clearly Now - Serena Yeddu

2023-09-17 17:21:47 UTC

"I Can See Clearly Now" was a song sung by Screeching Weasel and was included in Jennifer's Body. Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band of the 1980's and 1990's. I Can See Clearly was included in the movie during the scene when Needy was about to have sex with her boyfriend for the first time and when Collin Gray was arriving to see Jennifer, before Jennifer killed him. The inclusion of this song in this particular scene is no accident. The most prominent lyrics are "I can see clearly now" and that it's going to be a "bright sunshiny day." For Collin, in this situation, he thought it was going to be a great day because he was going out with the most popular girl in school, but turns out he gets murdered. This song really juxtaposes Collin's expectations and what actually happens to him. This really shows how much Jennifer got Collin's hopes up, and used her body to make him vulnerable and played with his emotions before brutally murdering him, really showing how women depended on their bodies to get what they want. Furthermore, in contrast, in Needy's perspective, this song almost mirrors what happens to Needy in a way. Like previously stated, one of the most prominent lyric is "I can see clearly now." This song plays right before Needy has sex with Chip and has visions/hallucinations of Jennifer being possessed by a demon and murdering people. Needy is quite literally about to clearly see what has been happening with Jennifer and comes to the realization that Jenifer is possessed. This really emphasizes how even so-called "best friends" might not realize the toxicity between their friendships until one specific moment. This moment makes one realize that their person isn't exactly who they are. This is what happened to Needy. She clearly saw who Jennifer was, which helped Needy slowly realize how toxic their friendships was. This song was specifically placed before a pivotal moment to really emphasize the themes of the movie.

Lyrics:
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies. Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Bibliography
https://genius.com/Screeching-weasel-i-can-see-clearly-lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lcfK4n0vKo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screeching_Weasel

"How Soon is Now?" - The Craft By Latika Sreenath

2023-09-17 18:41:07 UTC

The song "How Soon Is Now" by Love Spit Love holds significant thematic relevance in "The Craft." It plays during crucial scenes in the movie, such as when the teenagers began to experiment with their powers and realize their newfound power. Playing this song, the audience is able to capture the essence of the teenage witches' pursuit of power and acceptance. The lyrics, with lines like "I am human and I need to be loved," mirror the inner desires and vulnerabilities of the main characters. Nancy struggles to fit in due to Chris' bullying, Rochelle faces racism from her swimmates, Sarah is just a new kid trying to fit in, and Bonnie is insecure about her scarring, themes revolving around grappling with issues of fitting in, self-identity, and the longing for control. As they begin to harness their magical abilities, the song underscores the sense of transformation and empowerment that comes with their newfound skills. Additionally, the tone of the song increases as the girls abuse their powers, using it for the smallest inconveniences. The haunting and hypnotic melody of the song adds an eerie and enchanting layer to the movie's atmosphere, emphasizing the supernatural and otherworldly aspects of the story. "How Soon Is Now" becomes an auditory backdrop to the girls' journey into the world of witchcraft, enhancing the film's impact and helping to convey the complexities of their characters and their quest for power and belonging.

Lyrics:
[Pre-Chorus]
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I'm the son and heir
Of nothing in particular

[Chorus]
You shut your mouth, how can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does

[Pre-Chorus]
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I'm the son and heir
Of nothing in particular

[Chorus]
You shut your mouth, how can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does

[Bridge]
There's a club if you'd like to go
You could meet someone who really loves you
So you go and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own, and you go home
And you cry and you want to die

[Outro]
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
See, I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone

Bibliography:
https://genius.com/Love-spit-love-how-soon-is-now-lyrics

Jennifer's Body: rock music & boy-band culture (Tanya Paul)

2023-09-17 21:13:21 UTC

Jennifer's Body heavily features late 1990s/early 2000s rock bands and their cultural associations both within the film and through its soundtrack. Some examples include Jennifer having posters of Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco in her bedroom (the image above), rock bands like P!ATD and Florence + the Machine being featured on the soundtrack, and fictional indie-rock band Low Shoulder's struggle to be "rich and famous like the guy from Maroon 5." These references fit in nicely with the slang, fashion, and MySpace to solidify the film's role as a 2000s mainstream emo culture time-capsule, but also have significance in the film's exploration of the exploitation of young girls by the industry.

For instance, Low Shoulder brutally sacrifices Jennifer to gain fame, which succeeds as we see characters defending them and crowds of fangirls at the end of the film. The movie is perhaps trying to comment on how the music industry, and specifically boy-bands, strongly relies on the support of their female audiences, and yet these women are often stepped over and abused to achieve further success. Needy killing them at the end is thus a reclamation or protest of this power imbalance.

Sources

Jennifer’s Body. Directed by Karyn Kusama, written by Diablo Cody, performances by Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody, 20th Century Fox, 2009.
Unterberger, Andrew. “The Story of Low Shoulder From ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ The Funniest and Most Disturbing Fictional Indie Rock Band Ever.” Billboard, Billboard Media, 12 Sept. 2019, www.billboard.com/music/rock/jennifers-body-low-shoulder-band-anniversary-8529416/.

Good girl vs. Gad girl- Amy Thiam

2023-09-18 00:32:06 UTC

The good girl vs. bad girl trope is prominent in Jennifer's body. What makes it even more interesting is how it develops as the film progresses. At the beginning of the film, Jennifer is presented as the bad girl and Needy as the good girl. We see this portrayal through their style, personality, and relationships. Jennifer wears revealing clothes and has a rebellious and seductive aesthetic. She exudes confidence with her dark and bold features. Needy's style is more conservative and doesn't attract much attention. Her glasses and unruly blond hair make her seem introverted and sexually undesirable. This visual cue matches her initial description as a "good girl". Jennifer's personality is bold and confident. She has a hedonistic attitude and little empathy for people. Needy, on the other hand, is described as responsible and intelligent. Jennifer's relationships are often casual encounters and superficial connections. She is considered popular and admired, but also manipulative and selfish. Her transformation into a succubus reinforces these traits, emphasizing the "bad girl" in her. Needy's relationships are deeper and more meaningful. She is described as a caring and supportive friend. Needy also has a boyfriend in contrast to Jennifer who sleeps around and can't find a real boyfriend despite her beauty. This is related to female misogyny because it seems that girls who are sexually active with multiple people or have one-night stands are "bad". At the beginning of the film, Needy looks up to Jennifer and is always overshadowed by her. Their relationship becomes strained when Jennifer turns into a succubus, revealing the darker sides of her personality, and Needy begins to recognize Jennifer's evil intentions. The evolving dynamic between Needy and Jennifer blurs the line between good and evil as Needy grows more confident and begins to stand up for herself. Her decision to stop wearing glasses is one clear visual change that marks a change in how she sees herself and presents herself to the outside world. The film ends with Needy killing Jennifer, which is ironic because it goes against conventional notions of right and wrong associated with being a "good girl" or a "bad girl".

The Evil Dead & Jennifer's Body

2023-09-18 01:27:46 UTC

As a film, Jennifer's Body includes the many tropes of teenage horror films and intertwines them with themes of girlhood, sexuality, and friendship. It's completely fitting that the film references multiple cult classics, especially the movie franchise, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead.
During the scene where Jennifer Check appears in Needy Lesnicki's room, we can see Jennifer wearing a shirt with The Evil Dead movie poster design on it. With further context, we find out that the t-shirt is actually Needy's.
"She's freshly showered and wearing one of Needy's dorky T-shirts." (Cody, 2007, p.70)
Released in 1981, The Evil Dead is a horror film centering around 5 friends who unintentionally release flesh-eating demons unto the world, get possessed one by one. With the exception of the protagonist, Ash Williams, who has to overcome the challenge of defeating his now-demon friends in order to survive.
Similarly, this can be seen as a parallel to Needy's situation in Jennifer's Body, as she she has to come to terms with the new reality of her best friend being a boy-eating demon. There is a shared theme of friendships and the guilt or responsibility of being the one to tear them apart as a means of survival. Just as Ash Williams has to fight to sunrise and kill his friends and the demons that turned them, Needy has to kill her childhood best friend Jennifer and, eventually, kills the men who turned her into a demon.
The t-shirt cameo of The Evil Dead is an ironic nod to a horror film that inspires the gory and hard-hitting plot developments in Jennifer's Body.

Sources:

The Evil Dead (1981) Written and directed by Sam Raimi.

Jennifer's Body (2009) Directed by Karyn Kusuma, written by Diablo Cody.

"I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" - Black Kids (Jennifer's Body)

2023-09-18 01:31:12 UTC

"I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" by Black Kids is a 2008 indie rock song featured in the movie Jennifer's Body. The use of the song demonstrates the homoerotic undertones of Needy and Jennifer's relationship. Specifically, the lyrics remind me of the jealousy Jennifer displays towards Chip. In the song, the band sings about a man jealous that the girl he likes is into another man. Jennifer's demeaning and often uncomfortable comments about Chip mirror the lyric "[h]e's got two left feet and he bites my moves". Jennifer fears losing Needy to Chip, similar to how the subject of the song refuses to teach their crush's love interest because "[t]he second I do, I know we're gonna be through." In the movie, Jennifer goes as far as to tell Chip Needy cheated on him to break them up because she can't stand to see them together. She even kisses Chip, in a way claiming ownership of him and making him entirely inaccessible to Needy. The jealousy Jennifer is experiencing, as outlined in the song, seems to stem from Jennifer's almost obsessive romantic interest in Needy.

Name: Kira Tretiak

Bibliography:
https://genius.com/Black-kids-im-not-gonna-teach-your-boyfriend-how-to-dance-with-you-lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOV6I4fYnvQ

Jennifer's Body and Mean Girls

2023-09-18 03:12:36 UTC

Both Jennifer’s Body and Mean Girls, having established statuses as 2000s cult classics, share numerous parallels in terms of plot and character development. Introduced as the popular high school mean girls who capture the spotlight, Jennifer Check and Regina George fill similar roles in their respective movies. In contrast, Needy Lesnicki and Cady Heron, the protagonists and “good girls,” mirror each other as best friends to the queen bees, ultimately bringing them down from their pedestal. While Jennifer’s Body incorporates a supernatural horror element, both films arrive at a conclusive resolution in which the villains are stripped of their power, with Needy getting her revenge and Cady becoming her authentic self. Both films also perceive the main antagonist through the lens of her close female friend, which evokes sympathy and even admiration towards an otherwise “evil” character. For Jennifer and Regina, their attractiveness contributes to their downfalls and degrades their self-esteem; despite being highly desirable, both girls are victims of beauty standards that they feel pressured to adhere to due to external objectification. They place their entire self-worth in their appearance and social status, demonstrated in how Jennifer takes laxatives to lose weight while Regina is constantly trying to maintain a restrictive diet to achieve the same goal. Through the simultaneous villainization and weaponization of femininity, the two films narrate the struggles that teenage girls face and explore the complexities of teenage girlhood and female friendships.

The Craft: "Glory Box (Scorn Remix)" (Qing Yi)

qc95 — 2023-09-18 03:34:52 UTC

"Glory Box" was one of Portishead's, a British trip-hop band from the 90s, most popular and best-selling songs. The song follows a woman's exhaustion with patriarchal expectations surrounding love and giving up on being a “temptress” for a man’s love. She says that if men were more open-minded and gave “[women] some room”, “a thousand flowers could bloom” (her way of saying that beautiful things could be given to the world). In her frustration, she asks for a valid reason why she should love this man instead of just being expected to reciprocate a man’s love. She repeatedly says that she just wants to be a woman, but what she really is trying to say is that she wants to be a woman and independent outside of a man’s control. In Australian slang, a glory box is a box a woman uses to store items saved for her marriage, which relates to the song’s theme of love under patriarchy. In the film The Craft, the menacing, creepy Scorn remix of “Glory Box” plays in the scene where Chris chases and tries to rape Sarah in the woods. The song’s themes of womanhood and being expected to please men as a woman in a relationship suit the scene extremely well. The viewers feel the terror of being taken advantage of as this song plays when Sarah runs and screams through the woods, camera chasing right behind her like Chris does in the moment. Like the song expressed, Sarah is tired of chasing after Chris to fit in because the love spell isn’t what she thought it would be, but when she asks Chris to be reasonable, she faces the reality of living under male expectations after Chris refuses and attacks her.

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]

I'm so tired of playing

Playing with this bow and arrow

Gonna give my heart away

Leave it to the other girls to play

For I've been a temptress too long

Just...

[Chorus]

Give me a reason to love you

Give me a reason to be a woman

I just wanna be a woman

[Verse 2]

From this time, unchained

We're all looking at a different picture

Through this new frame of mind

A thousand flowers could bloom

Move over and give us some room, yeah

[Chorus]

Give me a reason to love you

Give me a reason to be a woman

I just wanna be a woman

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]

So don't you stop being a man

Just take a little look

From outside when you can

Sow a little tenderness

No matter if you cry

[Chorus]

Give me a reason to love you

Give me a reason to be a woman

I just wanna be a woman

[Bridge]

It's all I wanna be, is all, a woman

For this is the beginning

Of forever and ever

It's time to move over

It's all I wanna be

[Outro]

I'm so tired of playing

Playing with this bow and arrow

Gonna give my heart away

Leave it to the other girls to play

For I've been a temptress too long

Just

Give me a reason to love you

Sources:

https://genius.com/Portishead-glory-box-lyrics

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/portishead/glory-box

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/glory_box

“Little lover's so polite” - Jennifer's Body

2023-09-18 04:00:23 UTC

The song “Little lover's so polite” by Silversun Pickups was featured in the film Jennifer’s Body, which may have been chosen due to its commentary on relationships and the lack of control often seen in the film. Throughout this song, there are mentions of a “loss of control” in correlation to a lover. This can apply to Jennifer’s body as there was essentially a loss of control within the relationship between Jennifer and Needy. Control was prevalent in their friendship and depicted in how Jennifer often treated Needy with her bossy attitude. Also, throughout the film, we see that Needy cannot bring their relationship back to how it was before Jennifer started killing, so Jennifer’s behavior gets out of control. Also, throughout the song, we may infer that it refers to people ignoring how a relationship is growing apart, with the lines “broken remains, and everyday disguise, ending in the same way.” These lyrics can relate to Jennifer and Needy as, throughout the film, they tend to ignore the toxicity of their relationship and many questionable behaviors. For instance, when looking at how Jennifer treats Needy, we can infer that it is not new behavior, so Needy has continuously put up with her unfair treatment to maintain their unhealthy friendship.

Lyrics:
So much for the light show
Pissing on while pissing off
Sucking in a smokescreen
Selling of a loose knit dream

Folding up the skyline
Agreeing on a steep decline
Cant control this airplane
Being caught is just the same
Headed for a lowlife
Little lover's so polite
Waking up the core needs
With smelling salts and faulty means

Did the bones collide
Who let the bones collide
Why did the bones collide

It's always the same way for me
Ending in the same way

So much for the showdown
Keeping up while keeping off
Choking on the cold feet
Rolling up the plastic sleeves
Can't control the slow ride
Little lover's so polite
Turning off the low light
Tell me did the bones collide
The bones collide
The bones collide
Little lover's so polite
So polite
So polite
Turning off the low light

It's always the same way for me
Blue turns soft with time
Broke remains, an everyday disguise
Ending in the same way, the same way

Tell me did the bones collide
The bones collide
The bones collide
Little lover's so polite
So polite
So polite

The Craft: The Life of a Teenage Girl. By: Syriah Peters

2023-09-19 01:25:02 UTC

In the movie the craft, we essentially learn about the lives of four protagonists. Bonnie, Nancy, Rochelle, and Sarah. They are all living lives with antagonists of there own. However, when digging deeper into each of their lives, you soon see that the problems that each of the girls face are equivalent to those that teenage girls face on a daily basis. For example, the antagonist Bonnie faces throughout the movie is her insecurities. These insecurities stem from Body image issues that Bonnie has developed because of her scars. Because of the influx in slim models and societies standard of the beautiful woman constantly being changed, teenager girls are constantly developing poor body images. Nancy's struggles with her step father show the sexualization of young women that girls may face throughout their lives. Rochelle's challenges with racism show how many African American Females struggle with both acceptance and bullying throughout not only highschool but life in general. All due to something that they cannot control. Finally, Sarah's struggles with the need to fit in, boys taking advantage of her (due to an inflated ego), and the loss of family triggering depressing thoughts all signal experiences of teenage girls. In many different instances, when girls try to fit into a new school, they are usually targeted by egotistical guys who feel entitlement towards them. When these guys are rejected and decide to save face by lying, a girl's reputation is then ruined because she just wanted to fit in. Which is exactly what happened to Sarah. I say this to say that "The Craft" isn't just a movie, it is instead a model of the modern life of a teenage girl in high school. One that is filmed with four different point of views that encompasses common struggles.

Source:
Kusama, Karyn, director. Jennifer’s Body. Twentieth Century Fox, 2009.

"I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you" - Jennifer's Body

2023-09-19 03:54:37 UTC

Harshini Lakshminarayanan
Jennifer Body's soundtrack has a lot of cleverly chosen songs on it, but one that stood out to me was the song that was playing during the opening scene, in which Needy is cheering for Jennifer on the stand during her cheerleading performance. This song is titled "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You", and the artist of the song is the band "Black Kids", which is an American indie rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. I think the choice to incorporate this song, specifically in this scene, was very intentional, and highlights the underlying homoeroticism of Jennifer and Needy's friendship. The song's lyrics convey a sense of jealousy mixed with a sense of unrequited love from the perspective of the singer, which is a theme that is hinted at throughout the film in regards to their friendship. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of longing, yearning, & romantic feelings towards the subject of the song, underscored by a line that is repeated several times "You are the girl that I have been dreaming of / Ever since I was a little girl". The lyric especially resonates with Jennifer & Needy's relationship when considering the fact that they friendship started in their childhood. A sense of jealousy & resentment is also exhibited in the song's lyrics, "I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you / He's got two left feet and he bites my moves". This could serve to symbolize a sense of jealousy that Needy feels in seeing Jennifer's involvements with several different men, as well as jealousy that Jennifer feels in regards to Needy's relationship with her boyfriend. While Needy does have a boyfriend, Chip, it can be argued that he serves as somewhat of a proxy for Needy & Jennifer's relationship. Her potentially repressed feelings for Jennifer are later highlighted when Jennifer & Needy make out later in the film. In the opening scene, the cinematography emphasizes the adoring, almost loving way that Needy is watching Jennifer while she performs, which makes this the perfect song to play during this scene.

Lyrics:

You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl
You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little (ever) girl (since)

One, I'm biting my tongue
Two, he's kissin' on you
Three, oh, why can't you see?
One, two, three, four

The word's on the streets and it's on the news
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
He's got two left feet and he bites my moves
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
The second I do, I know we're gonna be through
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
He don't suspect a thing, I wish he'd get a clue
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance

You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl
You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl (ever since)

One, I'm biting my tongue
Two, he's kissin' on you
Three, oh, why can't you see?
One, two, three, four

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh

One, you're biting my tongue
Two, I'm kissin' on you
Three, is he better than me?
One, two, three, four

Do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance

The Love Witch - "Fairy Lady" Song by Anna Biller

2023-11-02 16:18:09 UTC

By Emily Chen 11/2/2023

Throughout "The Love Witch", much of the film is spent getting across Elaine's delusions and how she reached that point in her life. "Fairy Lady" is a song by Anna Biller that is featured and written specifically for "The Love Witch." The lyrics entirely correlate with the plot of the film, starting with Elaine's move to this new home. Her arrival entraps the attention of numerous men through her charm and witchcraft. With her belief that gaining love from men comes from giving them what they want, she happily engages them by providing their deepest fantasies. However, Elaine's idea of love is clearly diluted as when Wayne and Richard give her "too much love," they ruin her fantasy of this "perfect" man. This refutes Elaine's original idea that, "You have to give a man his fantasy." to gain their love because Wayne and Richard were in love with a version of Elaine that she warped and created to gain their love, and thus not the real her. Like the song states, "The giving was sweet..." but at the same time, Elaine wasn't who she changed herself to be. Both the men and the women in the film have a perception of an ideal partner but in the end, each person was in love with an idea they had created and pushed onto the other person rather than being in love with the person themself. Essentially, Elaine never found genuine love because she was never her genuine self.

"Fairy Lady"

Tra la la, tra la la, la dee da.
I dreamed of a fairy lady in a strange land
Who captured the hearts of all the boys and men
She wore a gown of pink and purple roses
It was so tra la la, and so la dee da
The men they would cry for her,
She gave them what they wanted.
The giving was sweet,
But the lady was cruel.
Tra la la, tra la la,
La dee da, la dee da,
Tra la la, tra la la, la dee da.

Bibliography:

https://annabiller.bandcamp.com/track/fairy-lady-song

The Love Witch: 60's Fashion Trends

2023-11-03 00:03:25 UTC

The horror/comedy film The Love Witch takes place during the 60s, where film director Anna Biller not only directed and edited the film, but was also the costume designer. Throughout the film, we see Elaine wear vibrant, tailored, dresses, which was much of the style that was embraced throughout the 60s. During the 60s, we see women wear bright, swirling colors as well as tons of shift dresses. The dress Elaine was wearing during the opening scenes of The Love Witch involves her wearing a vibrant red shift dress. In addition to the vibrant shift dresses, 60s women would tend to have heavy volume in the hair to make their faces appear smaller and more doll-like. One of the scenes in The Love Witch also included Elaine taking off hair extensions that were used to add more volume to the hair. Additionally, big floppy hats were also trendy back in the 60s, which was also worn by Elaine when she was in the Victorian Tea House. Overall, it was very interesting to see how Anna Biller incorporated much of the trendy 60s fashion in the film, and she also added a hippie touch to Elaine’s clothing, which was also making its mark in the fashion trends of the 60s.

The Love Witch: Femme Fatale

2023-11-03 21:33:24 UTC

Femme fatale translates to deadly woman. A femme fatale is typically portrayed as an alluring and seductive woman who uses her charm, sexuality, and often manipulative behavior to entice and manipulate men, sometimes leading them into dangerous and or deadly situations. The Love Witch employs the femme fatale archetype through its protagonist, Elaine, who exudes an intoxicating blend of sensuality and power. She uses her beauty and seductive prowess to enthrall men, ultimately manipulating them to her advantage. With her glamorous appearance and confident demeanor, Elaine embodies the classic allure of the femme fatale, drawing parallels to iconic figures from film noir and gothic cinema. However, the film subverts this archetype by delving into Elaine's inner world, revealing her desires, vulnerabilities, and struggles with the complexities of love. This multi-dimensional portrayal challenges conventional notions of the femme fatale, offering a nuanced exploration of female agency and desire within the framework of a stylized, satirical horror narrative. The scene where Elaine is lying on the carpet and begging for love accurately depicts this. The scene humanizes her character, showcasing that even a femme fatale archetype can be subject to moments of genuine emotional turmoil and vulnerability.

-Amy Thiam

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night: "Death" - White Lies (Qing Yi)

qc95 — 2023-11-05 10:30:07 UTC

“Death” by White Lies, an English post-punk revival band, describes a singer’s intrusive thoughts of his flight crashing and what his gruesome death would look like. He repeatedly mentions his inescapable fear of death and the unknown, creating an anxious feeling. This song is used both in Jennifer’s Body and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, but is more heavily showcased in the latter film. “Death” plays when The Girl and Arash intimately slow dance to the record player in her room. The scene in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night progresses extremely slowly, starting with The Girl facing away from Arash as he slowly approaches her from behind in his vampire costume. Because “Death”’s message is about fearing death and its certainty, playing this song during this scene conveys The Girl’s fear and uncertainty of Arash’s (maybe sinister) motives behind approaching her. She hunts men who take advantage of women at night, so she has seen what men are capable of. However, as the song continues to chant “Yes, this fear's got a hold on me,” she turns around, pushes Arash’s head away to expose his neck, and slowly goes in for it. At the last moment, instead of biting him, she tenderly lays her head on his chest. This is a reversal of The Girl’s fear of Arash, turning Arash into a potential victim who fears The Girl’s vampirism. The Girl and Arash both have reasons to fear and doubt each other, but ultimately, they overcome it. In Jennifer’s Body, “Death” is the first song played at the prom where Needy looks around for Jennifer. She fears Jennifer and the uncertainty of the school’s safety, not sure what Jennifer’s plan is. Ultimately, “Death” serves as a song to invoke fear within the characters and audience.

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]

I love the feeling when we lift off

Watching the world so small below

I love the dreaming when I think of

The safety in the clouds out my window

I wonder what keeps us so high up

Could there be love beneath these wings?

If we suddenly fall, should I scream out?

Or keep very quiet and cling to

My mouth as I'm crying

So frightened of dying

"Relax," yes, I'm trying

But fear's got a hold on me

[Chorus]

Yes, this fear's got a hold on me

[Verse 2]

I love the quiet of the nighttime

When the sun has drowned in a deathly sea

I can feel my heart beating as I speed from

The sense of time catching up with me

The sky set out like a pathway

But who decides which route we take?

As people drift into a dreamworld

I close my eyes as my hands shake

And will I see a new day?

Who's driving this anyway?

I picture my own grave

'Cause fear's got a hold on me

[Chorus]

Yes, this fear's got a hold on me

[Bridge]

Floating neither up or down

I wonder when I hit the ground

Will the earth beneath my body shake

And cast your sleeping hearts awake?

Could it tremble stars from moonlit skies?

Could it drag a tear from your cold eyes?

I'll live on the right side and sleep on the left

That’s why everything's got to be love or death

[Chorus]

Yes, this fear's got a hold on me

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lies_(band)

https://genius.com/White-lies-death-lyrics

Carrie - "I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Someone Like Me" - Serena Yeddu

2023-11-05 15:46:31 UTC

In the movie Carrie, I feel as though the soundtrack really emphasizes Carrie's inner emotions as the plot unfolds. Specifically with the use of the song "I never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Someone Like Me" sung by Katie Irving. This song is played during the prom scene when Carrie and Tommie were dancing. This was when Carrie had defied her mother's commands to have a night of normalcy, and actually believed that Tommy had asked Carrie to go to the prom because he liked her. When they started dancing, the lyrics that were playing were "There must be a God. Could it be that he's heard me at last? Because you look at me

As though I'm beautiful Could it be that you want me? I never dreamed someone like you. Could want someone like me." After living a life in which her mother controlled her, and continuously antagonized her, making everything seem sinful, Carrie was finally living her life normally. She felt that it was too good to be true, and in fact was very oblivious to the truth. The lyrics of the song and the timing of when this song was played was actually ironic. This song portrays a feeling of happiness and joy. Although, Carrie does feel this way in the moment, the disaster that was about to happen makes this song contradict what actually happens. This song plays moments before Carrie is awarded prom queen, drenched in pigs blood, and is destroying the whole school and killing everyone in it. This song represents the moment of peace and joy that Carrie gets, really emphasizing the mental abuse she went through her whole life. Furthermore, after knowing what happens at the end of the film, it becomes kind of sad because Carrie thinks that she is finally living a normal life, but after pigs blood is dumped all over her, she feels like what her mother said was right and that she would never be normal. Moreover, the lyrics of this song portrays how Carrie feels in the moment when she is dancing with Tommy Ross.

Lyrics:

Could it be that the lady is me

In the photograph?

I'm afraid 'cause it feels too good

And I want it too bad

It's just not true

Couldn't ask for anyone more than you

Because you look at me

As though I'm beautiful

Could it be that you want me?

I never dreamed someone like you

Could want someone like me

I'm not sure but the more that it's real

The more that it's right; oh, what a night

It's as though we've been lovers

All of our lives

There must be a God

Could it be that he's heard me at last?

Because you look at me

As though I'm beautiful

Could it be that you want me?

I never dreamed someone like you

Could want someone like me

All the pain and the pleasure's the same

It goes so fast

I'm the girl with the strawberry hair

In the photograph

So come on, let's dance

Let me have it while I have the chance

'Cause there's another world

Where there are other girls

But, tonight, there's only me

I never dreamed someone like you

Could love someone like me

Bibliography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaaLNjD8L8s

https://genius.com/Katie-irving-i-never-dreamed-someone-like-you-could-love-someone-like-me-lyrics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - “Innocence” & Stowaway (1936) : Tanya Paul

2023-11-05 21:24:39 UTC

At the end of “Innocence,” (Season 2, Episode 14 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Buffy and her mother watch an old movie on the couch while her birthday candle slowly burns in front of them. This movie is Stowaway, an old American musical released in 1936. The scene Buffy watches in particular features the song “Goodnight My Love.” Its lyrics are loving but mournful, and they read as one person having to part from another person that they love deeply. This reflects the situation that Buffy is in, who’s had her whole relationship with Angel turned upside down after he loses his soul again. When she made the decision earlier in the episode that she has to kill him eventually, it felt as if she already accepted that the old him that she cared for was gone, and in that sense already mentally said “goodbye” to him, as these lyrics state. While this is probably coincidental, the song lyrics also mentioned seeing their loved one in dreams, which is something that actually occurs to Buffy often, although hers are more prophetic than metaphorical.

Finally, the film Stowaway in general might have some significance to Buffy’s character development. The movie also heavily focuses on parent-child relationships, with Shirley Temple’s character, a young orphan, eventually getting adopted by the main couple. Overall, the content and ending of the movie seem very idyllic, both in terms of romantic relationships and familial ones. Meanwhile, Buffy can’t truly confide in her mother about what’s happening with her. Thus, this scene might also reflect Buffy’s longing for a normal life.

Lyrics:

Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending

Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending

It was so heavenly, holding you, close to me

It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream

The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow

Till then my love, how dreary the new day will seem

So for the present, dear, we'll have to part

Sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love

Sources:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - “Innocence”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028315
https://genius.com/Shirley-temple-goodnight-my-love-lyrics

Killers from Space (1954)- It Follows (Amelia Garcia)

2023-11-05 21:41:41 UTC

At the beginning of the film, It Follows, the main character Jay walks into her house after going swimming to find her sister and her friends watching a black and white movie, Killers from Space. Killers from Space was released in 1954, directed by W. Lee Wilder. The film follows Doug Martin, a scientist, claiming to have been abducted by aliens after suffering an incident in a plane crash. Killers from Space is an interesting choice of movie for the main characters to be watching at the start of the film as it leaves the time period of the story up in the air. Furthermore, one of the characters is reading a book on a strange shell e-reader, confusing the viewer even more about when It Follows is supposed to be set in. Furthermore, the plot of the film aligns with what Jay is going through as she feels as though she is suffering alone with no one to believe her since only she can she the entity that is following her. This mirrors Doug's issues as well as no one seems to believe his story of the existence of killer aliens.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047149/

Love Is A Magical Thing -"The Love Witch" (Syriah Peters)

2023-11-05 22:35:35 UTC

In the film “The Love Witch”, the song “Love Is A Magical Thing” is sung towards the end of the film. Before Elaine and Griff pretend to get married, the actors begin to sing this song. The song speaks of love being something compared to unicorns and rainbows as well as making you feel like royalty. This relates to the beliefs that Elaine expresses throughout the film. She speaks of love being something she cannot live without and something that everyone wants. She even goes as far as to say she is waiting for the “prince” she dreamed of when she was a little girl. Furthermore, the song discusses pretending to be in love, and claims that pretending is real, which infers that the love being portrayed may be real too. This is a direct comparison to the “pretend marriage” of Elaine and Griff” leaving the audience to infer that they were not pretending but might be actually in love with each other.

Lyrics to the song

love is a magical thing
love will make you feel like a queen or a king
unicorns, rainbows, lucky charms
await you in your true love’s arms

love is a magical thing
mystical, physical, alchemical
we’re pretending to be in love today
but pretending is also real

there’s a lady in a castle
she’s sad and so forlorn
when her troubadour returns and kisses her
she’s all smiles and laughter

lady, you’re so beautiful
come lie with me and be my love
i’d slay any dragon, endure any danger
just to have you near me

love is a magical thing
lucky lovers mate in the spring
we sip from goblets full of joy
but when love dies all life it does destroy!

Works Cited

“Anna Biller – love is a magical thing lyrics.” azlyrics.biz, https://azlyrics.biz/a/anna-biller-lyrics/anna-biller-love-is-a-magical-thing-lyrics/#google_vignette. Accessed 5 November 2023.

Biller, Anna, director. The Love Witch. Anna Biller Productions, 2016. Cornell Filming Library, https://digitalcampus.swankmp.net/cornell303675/play/b040648c7d7ab13f. Accessed 23 October 2023.

Dance (burlesque) in The Love Witch

2023-11-05 22:37:18 UTC

Burlesque is a style of dance that was introduced in the United States by British dancers in the mid-19th century. Burlesque grew more popular with the surge of nightlife during the prohibition era (1920s) and became an established form of entertainment with popular shows in New York City and Las Vegas as well as being featured in several films. The popularity of burlesque sharply declined in the 1970s due to an increase in television entertainment and censorship policies, but there has been a resurgence of the dance in recent years. In comparison to European forms, American burlesque, such as the dancers seen in the film, places more of an emphasis on exotic dance but also retains many aspects such as the use of comedy. Historically, burlesque shows have been seen as obscene or strictly meant for the male gaze. However, the dance is much more than surface-level entertainment that serves to please male audiences. Instead, it is a legitimate art form that has found meaning in that it empowers performers by promoting the expression of their sexuality as they themselves see fit. Dance, burlesque in particular, is consistently featured in The Love Witch with prominent scenes taking place at the club such as Elaine's meeting with Gahon and Barbara. At first glance, the club's atmosphere and depiction of burlesque align more with the common misconceptions about the dance's meaning with its sole basis on the attraction and desirability of the dancer to the audience. However, the witches make it clear that the dancer is the one in control and values the dance as a way to appreciate women through expressions of their sexuality. Burlesque is featured during conversations between the witches on how to use magic and appearances not to get men's love and attention, but to control them. The importance of burlesque to the witches is demonstrated in this scene as they emphasize the power of dance for women and their belief that a woman's power lies with her sexuality. Therefore, burlesque has a deeper meaning to the film and is intentionally placed within this conversation to show their belief that a woman's power is essentially rooted in her desirability but there is also a reclamation of women's power from men as they are taking back their sexuality and expressing it for themselves which is a contrast to how the dance is commonly viewed.

Quotes:

Barbara states at the club, “ We need to teach men how to love us using ways they can understand” (00:48:28-00:49:39)
Dahon states about the burlesque dancer, “Do you see how powerful that girl is? These men would do anything for her. Wouldn't you like to have that power for yourselves?” (00:46:56-00:47:15)

https://blog.oup.com/2017/06/burlesque-history-timeline/#:~:text=First%20introduced%20by%20a%20visiting,more%20subtle%20in%20British%20performances.

https://www.britannica.com/art/burlesque-show

https://thegavoice.com/today-in-gay-atlanta/the-glamorous-and-accepting-world-of-burlesque/

Being a Fashionista in "The Love Witch" by Latika Sreenath

2023-11-05 22:52:22 UTC

"The Love Witch" is a 2016 film directed by Anna Biller that is known for its distinctive visual style and the fashion choices of its characters. The film is a homage to Technicolor melodramas of the 1960s, and it incorporates a unique blend of vintage and contemporary fashion to create a visually striking and captivating world.

Elaine, the film's protagonist, played by Samantha Robinson, is the epitome of the film's retro-glam aesthetic. She is a modern-day witch with a penchant for glamorous attire reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s. Her wardrobe is filled with bold, vibrant colors, form-fitting dresses, and extravagant accessories. She often sports high-waisted skirts, corsets, and flowing maxi dresses. These outfits are not only an expression of her enchanting beauty but also her empowerment and confidence.

Elaine's fashion choices are a vital part of her character, reflecting her seductive and manipulative nature. Her outfits are meticulously curated to draw attention, often featuring low-cut necklines, high slits, and provocative details that accentuate her feminine allure. Her makeup is equally theatrical, with heavy eyeliner, bold lipstick, and perfectly coiffed hair. The retro-glam look becomes an essential tool in her quest for love and the power she wields over men.

The other characters in the film also embrace a variety of fashion styles. Some embrace the vintage aesthetic, wearing tailored suits, A-line dresses, and bold patterns that reflect the film's 1960s setting. Others represent contemporary styles, demonstrating a stark contrast to Elaine's retro-inspired wardrobe. This contrast between the characters' fashion choices highlights the clash between different worldviews and the film's underlying commentary on gender dynamics and relationships.

"The Love Witch" pays meticulous attention to every detail, including its fashion choices, to create a visually arresting cinematic experience. The film's fashion plays a significant role in conveying the characters' personalities and the overarching themes of love, desire, and power, making it a visually and thematically rich exploration of style and storytelling.

60s Era Makeup in The Love Witch!

2023-11-06 01:12:55 UTC

In The Love Witch, the main character Elaine frequently wears 60s-era bold makeup, with blue (or otherwise vibrant) eyeshadow and intense eyeliner. Pictured above is Twiggy.

This vintage makeup contributes to the vibe of the film, the vibe being that the film feels like it was set in the 60s/70s. This vintage setting reflects Elaine's deeply sexist ideology about how men and women should interact. Despite her eventually killing all the men she loves, Elaine views herself as a housewife-type (the 60s expectation for women) longing to serve a man. The 60s/70s were also a crazy time when it came to the rise of cults--something that's integral to Elaine's character development (because she was in a sex witch cult).

Elaine's dramatic makeup also reflects the power of femininity, demonstrated by Trish choosing to put Elaine's makeup when she yearns to feel desirable. Female icons like Twiggy and Marilyn Monroe from the 60s and 70s entranced men with their beauty, which was their source for power - similar to Elaine's tactics.

Name: Kira T.

The Love Witch: “Love is a Magical Thing” - Anna Biller

2023-11-06 03:24:51 UTC

As Elaine and Griff make a romantic getaway on horseback, they come across a troupe dressed as royalty, noble folk, and jesters from the medieval times. The two lovers are entranced by the group who serenades them with Anna Biller’s song “Love is a Magical Thing.” As they are spellbound by the people, music, and atmosphere, Elaine and Griff are convinced into partaking in a pretend wedding. The lyrics embody Elaine’s role as a love witch, in which she uses her magic to manipulate men and manufacture romantic feelings towards her. Love spells give Elaine power, to the point that she feels like royalty. The daze that this scene puts the characters in makes their pretend love feel real, to the point that any man would sacrifice themselves to cater to Elaine. Despite the optimistic lyrics, the song ends off on a sad note, attributing the destruction of life to the loss of love. This conclusion is representative of the film’s plot, in which Griff’s life comes to an end because he lacks love for Elaine.

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]

Love is a magical thing

Love will make you feel like a queen or a king

Unicorns, rainbows, lucky charms

Await you in your true love’s arms

[Verse 2]

Love is a magical thing

Mystical, physical, alchemical

We’re pretending to be in love today

But pretending is also real

[Verse 3]

There’s a lady in a castle

She’s sad and so forlorn

When her troubadour returns and kisses her

She’s all smiles and laughter

[Verse 4]

Lady, you’re so beautiful

Come lie with me and be my love

I’d slay any dragon, endure any danger

Just to have you near me

[Verse 5]

Love is a magical thing

Lucky lovers mate in the spring

We sip from goblets full of joy

But when love dies all life it does destroy!

Sources:

https://genius.com/Anna-biller-love-is-a-magical-thing-lyrics

'Tomorrow Never Knows' by the Beatles, in the Craft

2023-11-06 03:51:50 UTC

It Follows: "The Idiot"

ma2335 — 2023-11-06 04:48:08 UTC

During the film "It Follows," there are two references to the book "The Idiot," written by Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1869. The first quote featured in the film is, "I think that if one is faced by inevitable destruction — if a house is falling upon you, for instance — one must feel a great longing to sit down, close one’s eyes and wait, come what may…" This quote is towards the beginning of the film and accurately captures the feelings of events that take place throughout the film. In the movie, Jay and her friends are continuously running around to avoid the monster that is following her after she has sex. This acts as the "inevitable destruction" they face throughout the film as there is not a way to get rid of the monster forever. All you can do is pass it down, but even then it can come back to you. In the film, Paul passes it on to a random woman in the street and the film ends from that point. The quote relates to the ending as they are portraying them in a more relaxed state because they have gotten rid of the monster for the time being, but it will always follow them. So, even in their inevitable destruction they are forced to be satisfied with a temporary solution. All they can do is wait and see what happens in the future because they cannot run from the consequences of their actions. Another quote from the book that is read in the film is, "When there is torture there is pain and wounds, physical agony, and all this distracts the mind from mental suffering, so that one is tormented only by the wounds until the moment of death. But the most terrible agony may not be in the wounds themselves but in knowing for certain that within an hour, then within ten minutes, then within half a minute, now at this very instant – your soul will leave your body and you will no longer be a person, and that is certain; the worst thing is that it is certain." This quote similarly relates to the film as we see the characters being tormented physically throughout the movie but after, they are left to deal with mental traumas from their experience, which may not be considered during such a stressful time.

'Tomorrow Never Knows' by the Beatles, in the Craft

2023-11-06 06:47:47 UTC

Harshini Laks

''Tomorrow Never Knows' by the Beatles was an important element of 'The Craft''s unique soundtrack. This song is the final track of the Beatles' album Revolver, released in 1966. To provide some background in regards to the creation/meaning behind this song, John Lennon, one of the lead vocalists of the Beatles, attended a dinner party in 1965 in which he consumed LSD sugar cubes, which began a fixation on hallucinogenic drugs. Sonically, the song was very experimental in terms of layering effects & tape manipulation, especially in the verses in which repetition within the lyrics is prevalent(It is dying, it is dying/It is shining, it is shining/Of the beginning, of the beginning) and is known to have started a 'psychedelic revolution' in the music world. The experimental and revolutionary nature of this song connects to the film in a multitude of ways. In a sense, the coven that the four girls form is revolutionary & experimental in regards to harnessing their collective sisterhood to fight against/rise above the oppression/struggles they each face in ways that they previously had not. Their sisterhood is able to fight against patriarchal & racist ideologies that each character faces in their daily lives.

Harshini Lakshminarayanan

*Note: Sorry if there is a duplicate of this somewhere, on my first submission for some reason I can only see the video and not any of the text so I'm trying again haha

Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream
It is not dying, it is not dying

Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining

Yet you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being

Love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing...

... that ignorance and hates may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing

But listen to the colour of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living

So play the game "Existence" to the end...
... Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning

Works Cited

https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/tomorrow-never-knows.html

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beatles/tomorrowneverknows.html

The Love Witch: Female Divinity in Paintings

2023-11-06 20:50:40 UTC

Throughout The Love Witch, there are scenes of Elaine painting in her room. These usually appear right before she is about to answer a knock at her door. Strewn about her ornate room are various painting in the same art style that resembles basic tarot card art. One of these paintings is Elaine's Undying Love. Depicted is a woman (who we can presume to represent Elaine) holding the carved out heart of a man who lay out bleeding beneath her in a forest.

In May of 2022, the British Museum opened an exhibition called "Feminine power: the divine to the demonic". This exhibition displayed various objects and works that explored female influence in various faiths and religions, focusing on their roles as goddesses, witches, and saints.

One of the paintings displayed at this exhibition is Judy Chicago's The Creation. It's a painting of a feminine figure laid bare, seemingly giving birth to the Earth around her. The theme of female sovereignty and the acknowledgement of a "goddess" or female creator, is a common concept in many Wiccan or pagan paths. We can see this very clearly influence Elaine and her art, as she is a witch who does love and sex magic.

The parallels between actual pagan art and Elaine's own art show a deep connection between artistic expression, female power, and corporeal value.

Sources:

The Love Witch (2006) dir. Anna Biller

The Creation (1985) by Judy Chicago

By: Eneko Aguilar

Mental Health in The Love Witch

2023-11-07 00:37:35 UTC

In the film, The Love Witch, Elaine represents the dangerous obsession with love, especially that longing for the perfect love story. Throughout the film, Elaine relies on her magical concoction made with herbs, alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs in order to force men to view her as a goddess. In addition, she flaunts her body to manipulate them even more. This tactic of drugging men for them to fall in love with her exemplifies how Elaine feels about herself–not being good enough for these men. This insecurity stems from her trauma from her previous experiences with men, that being, her father and ex-husband, Jerry. Elaine’s father would insult her, calling her stupid and saying other awful things to her. Similarly, Jerry would constantly expect more of her, wanting her to clean around the house more and work on being more attractive. Consequently, this trauma still lingers in her, enabling her to pass it onto her future partners. This trauma and her obsession with a fairytale-like love eventually leads to her psychotic break, murdering the only man that told her she needs help.

Elaine’s case highlights the problem with trauma and not seeking any help. Elaine’s view on love was shaped by her awful encounters with men and she did not know what true love is like. With her friend, Trish, she tried to convince Elaine on how her belief on love was false, yet, Elaine was too blinded by her negative exposure to men at a younger age. In all, The Love Witch demonstrates how someone not getting the help they need can eventually result in their release of their trauma onto others.

Sources:

The Love Witch. Directed by Anna Biller. Oscilloscope, 2016.

Leonardo da Vinci: Last Supper in Carrie (1976 film)

cho361 — 2023-11-07 06:10:37 UTC

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, created in 1498 during the Renaissance, is a globally recognized masterpiece. It depicts Jesus's final meal with his twelve disciples before his crucifixion, capturing the poignant moment when Jesus introduces the Eucharist and tells his apostles that one of them will betray him. Da Vinci conveys lifelike reactions and emotions in his subjects.

Director Brian de Palma purposefully incorporates the Last Supper painting during the final meal shared between Carrie and her mother, Margaret White, before the prom to deepen the film’s meaning. The symmetrical shot of the dining table against the Last Supper backdrop, with Jesus at the center of both scenes, establishes a clear parallel between the characters

and the painting. Margaret is positioned to the left of Jesus, and Carrie to the right, mirroring the disciples’ arrangement in the painting.

De Palma employs the painting to reflect each character’s emotions and foreshadow events in the film. Margaret is associated with characters who betray (Judas), protect (Peter), and those who feel shocked. These associations are reflected when she expresses shock at Carrie’s request to attend the prom, tries to “protect” Carrie, and betrays Carrie like everyone else. Carrie is associated with disciples who are angry (Matthew) and those who turn to others for answers (Jude). Similarly, Carrie is angry at her mother, and she turns to her supernatural power for answers. Additionally, the painting establishes “the body and blood of Christ’’ as a symbol of life which juxtaposes Margaret White’s belief that Carrie’s developing body and blood (menstruation) are emblematic of sin. This underscores Margaret’s distorted perception of female bodies, where she embraces the idea that a man’s body and blood represent life but rejects the notion that a young girl’s body can signify anything more than sin and shame.

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24322372

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Last-Supper-fresco-by-Leonardo-da-Vinci

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/how-to-read-it-copy-of-leonardo-da-vinci-last-supper

Name: Clara O'Mara