Citizen Dame

The Dames talk about Hulu's new limited series Pam & Tommy, and the issue of consent in celebrity biopics. We address the legal issues vs. the moral ones, how our culture takes control of celebrity narratives and images, and at what point biopics and other media crosses the line between truth-telling and exploitation.  Privacy rights: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1772c864-ae5b-47...

You asked and we answered! In this episode, we answer listener questions about all sorts of things: book recommendations, film movements we'd love to erase, favorite directors, imagining a Tom Cruise/Alfred Hitchcock collab and more! For additional context to some of our answers, check out our previous Hitchcock-related episodes: https://citizendame.podbean.com/e/episode-125-the-dame-vanishes/ htt...

The Dames go deep on folk horror, the new Shudder documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched, and why inclusivity and diverse perspectives are so important. Plus! We answer some overdue listener questions about villains, heroes, and Spencer. 

In this week's episode, the Dames take on morality in film, the difference between critique and censorship, why morally complex characters are tricky to portray, and where some of the best filmmakers have gotten right — and wrong.   We also discuss Joel Coen's new adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+.

Happy 2022! The Dames return to celebrate the remarkable lives of Sidney Poitier, Betty White, and Peter Bogdanovich. We also discuss upcoming female-directed films, and weigh in on the greatest celebrity feud since Bette and Joan.  A special shoutout to our lovely patrons, who are keeping us going! We hope to bring more bonus episodes and fun content to you all this year, so keep an eye on the pa...

We're back! This week the Dames are talking about: The career of Lina Wertmuller Our favorite first-time watches of 2021 What we're excited to see in 2022

The Dames discuss favorite (and problematic) holiday movies, including why we love 80s commercials, Elf, and...Hercule Poirot. Plus, we go deep on Jane Campion's deconstructive western The Power of the Dog. 

This week! The Dames finish up Noirvember with a look at gender tropes and traits in classic noir. From The Velvet Touch and Black Widow to The Blue Dahlia and The Dark Mirror, we take a particular look at the women of noir, the femme fatales and the virginal girls.  We also spend a little bit of time talking about the talk around Licorice Pizza and revisit the disturbing way social media treats p...

The Dames take a break from a noir to discuss everything GHOSTBUSTERS, including: Why we are fans of all the Ghostbusters films (that we've seen) How Ghostbusters II has been unfairly treated Why Ghostbusters: Answer the Call was the perfect sequel Plus! Karen rounds up some AFI fest news and recommendations. 

This week is all about Robert Mitchum! From The Night of the Hunter to His Kind of Woman and plenty of movies in between, the Dames talk about his career, his unexpected charisma, and how we still find him a little terrifying. Also, Lauren hypothesizes that he is, in fact, a vampire. We also talk a *little* bit about the hoopla over Eternals.

The Dames ease from Spooky Season into Noirvember with a discussion of Expressionist director Fritz Lang. Including: Is Metropolis Lang's most watched work? What can M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse say about contemporary America? How Lang's interest in unlikable protagonists and likable villains contributed to the development of film noir Plus: Karen justifies her Dune reaction. 

This week! The Dames are talking all about the films of Wes Craven! From The Hills Have Eyes to Scream 4, the horror master has given us some of the genre's most iconic characters, with a few other gems thrown in. Also, in memory of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, her husband and the American Film Institute have created a scholarship fund to help pave the way for future cinematographers. If you w...

For this bonus episode, the Dames discuss Lana and Lilly Wachowski's Oscar-winning film, The Matrix. What still works? What definitely doesn't? And how is Keanu Reeves NOT the coolest part of this movie?

For this bonus episode, the Dames discuss the perfection of James Whale's 1935 classic, The Bride of Frankenstein.

As Spooky Season continues, the Dames discuss all things vampiric, including: A brief history of sexy scary monsters Transgressive sexuality, Freudian nightmares, and rapacious aristocrats Why Bela Lugosi is the best Dracula Twilight's de-fanging of the vampire Why Coppola's Dracula is really problematic Plus! The Last Duel kerfuffle and why a medieval epic about rape might not be such a big hit r...

This week! The Dames are kicking off Spooky Movie Season with a deep dive into the evolution of horror, especially in the later years. From the Satanic Panic of the 70s and 80s to the social justice films of today, we explore all the things we love about modern horror movies, with a little bit of classic appreciation thrown in for good measure. We also spend a little bit of time discussing Neon's...

The Dames take on documentary and film criticism this week, discussing how we talk about documentary filmmaking and why it's important for critics to divide their feelings about the subject from critique of the film itself.  Plus! Are we intimidating? Why is Crisp Rat playing Mario? And other important questions of the day. 

This week we're talking genres! What are the genres, how do they work, or why do they matter? Plus listener questions and deep dives into Nia DaCosta's Candyman and the 1947 film, Nightmare Alley.

The Dames teach a master class in film criticism, including: How to read a film beyond the plot and dialogue When critics should take a step back Historical and cultural context and subtext Subjectivity and objectivity Plus! The Matrix Resurrections trailer and our reactions to James Wan's Malignant. 

This week! How are people getting things so wrong? Why do we love movies? Is Taxi Driver more of a Paul Schrader film than a Martin Scorsese film? Stuff we've been watching like Theater of Blood, Sunset Boulevard, and What We Do in the Shadows - Season 3 is finally here!

The Dames provide their most whiplashy of whiplash episodes, discussing: Disney films and cultural context Why you're all wrong about the current season of Ted Lasso Horror films based on urban legends Nia DaCosta's Candyman

Catch a clip of our August bonus episode, a deep dive into the joy and wonder of the 1988 Oscar-winning movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Supplemental Reading: 15 Things You Might Not Know About Who Framed Roger Rabbit  

This week the Dames talk about the wonderful world of animation for grown ups!  Plus: The ongoing "theatrical experience" debate  Jurnee Smollett and Misha Green are getting their Black Canary movie! Brief reviews of The Green Knight and The Night House And Listener Questions! For further reading: https://www.indiewire.com/2021/08/film-critics-challenge-studios-in-person-screenings-1234653798/

The Dames discuss the term "Hitchcockian" in celebration of Alfred Hitchcock's upcoming birthday! What does "Hitchcockian" mean? Why is it so overused? And why does Brian De Palma suck so hard? Plus: Why are superhero directors so obsessed with Martin Scorsese? James Gunn is a dingbat, and Our feelings about The Suicide Squad

This week we're talking! Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer and nostalgia h ttps://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1420064165381558273 David Ayer defends his Suicide Squad: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/suicide-squad-david-ayer-warner-bros-1234990360/ Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney: https://www.thewrap.com/disney-to-black-widow-star-scarlett-johansson-20-million-is-plenty/ Lis...