Twilight Links & Resources
After our live screenings, we like to post links to resources that further explore the movie’s themes, and provide audiences with extra food for thought.
For Twilight, we’ve dredged the internet for:
A. Actual Horror films with complex and/or badass women as the protagonist(s) (just in time for Hallow’een).
B. More on Twilight & it’s themes, from dating older guys, to emotional abuse and female leads in the movies!
C. Links to resources for dealing with abuse, sexual health & rape crisis centres. Support is always a good resource.
A. Horror films with complex and/or badass women as the protagonist(s)
Black Christmas: Singlehandedly launched the sorority slasher genre, but the male gaze is not so prevalent here. Plus, abortions!
Audition: A great (and terrifying) exploration of how dehumanizing and objectifying it is to treat women as interchangeable pedestal-dwellers.
Black Rock: Three estranged childhood besties on a camping trip must transform themselves from hunted to hunter when they encounter some murderous & rapey dudes.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night: If the genre combo of “vampire” + “western” doesn’t grab you, how about a stylish woman sucking the blood of slimy dudes?
The Descent: The complexities of female friendship bubble up from underground as a bunch of badass cave-exploring women get trapped, um, underground.
The Babadook: Chilling allegory about the anxieties, gaslighting, isolation and subsumption of identity that women sometimes endure to be a Good Mom by society's standards.
Carrie: Hey, did u know that religion, high school social dynamics and men in general (#notallmen) are terrified of powerful women and their sexuality?
28 Days Later: The dude might be the main character, but let’s be real, Selena fucking carries this movie (and all the dudes in it, because she rules and they drool).
Ms. 45: Rape revenge is a controversial genre, but this one has layers of political symbolism about how our culture silences sexual violence survivors.
Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight: Only Jada Pinkett-Smith has the wit and nerves of steel to take back the power of the cosmos from the Collector demon!
Ginger Snaps: Sisterhood! Deep-seated societal fear of menstruation! The overall sucky-ness of gender roles! CanCon!
B. Additional Insight on Twilight’s Themes!
Dating Older Men. A nuanced, thoughtful look at dating older men from the sparkling immortals at RookieMag.com: http://www.rookiemag.com/2013/01/older-men/
Bella and Katniss. Interesting thoughts on the (complicated) appeal of Bella as a character. http://www.mtv.com/news/1682829/bella-katniss-appeal/
Admiring Emotionally Abusive Relationships - on being attracted to Edward from the ever-wonderful Everyday Feminism. Puts Edward through the Emotional Abuse checklist (spoiler: he fails big time). This article has links to other great resources, some of which we've copied below. http://everydayfeminism.com/2012/07/admiring-emotionally-abusive-relationships/
Relationship Violence in Twilight. Psychology Today weighs in on the relationship violence in Twilight: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psychologist-the-movies/201111/relationship-violence-in-twilight
You Are Not Crazy.com Great lists (slightly hard to read interface, but good info). http://youarenotcrazy.com/
Notional Domestic Violence Hotline: http://www.thehotline.org/
The Emotionally Abusive Relationship: How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing, by Beverly Engel.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0471454036/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Toronto Public Library link: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM1060256&R=1060256
The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond, by Patricia Evans. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1558505822/ref=cm_sw_su_dpToronto Public Library link: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM1053713&R=1053713
C. Emotional distress, abuse, sexual health hotlines & rape crisis centres.
Toronto Distress Centre: 416 408-HELP (4357)
https://www.torontodistresscentre.com/
Hassle-Free Clinic Women’s Clinic: 416-922-0566 |www.hasslefreeclinic.org.Men’s Clinic: 416-922-0603
66 Gerrard Street East (at Church), 2nd floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1G3 Description: Sexual health clinic offering free services including check-ups and anonymous STI testing, with a focus on female health, including birth-control. Separate clinic for men and for women.
The Talk Shop 416-338-7000 Mel Lastman Square, 5110 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario. Description: Offers birth control counselling, STD testing, HIV testing, pregnancy testing, counselling & referrals, and sexuality/relationship counselling.
Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Care Centre at the Women’s College Hospital 416-323-6040 |http://www.womenscollegehospital.ca/programs/program116.html.76 Grenville St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2 Description: 24-hour medical care centre for adults who have been victims of sexual assault, offering emergency and follow-up care.
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic 416-323-9149 |http://www.schliferclinic.com. 489 College Street, Suite 503, Toronto, Ontario, M6G 1A5 Description: Free counselling, legal, interpretation, information and referral service for women who are survivors of violence.
Toronto Rape Crisis Centre 416-597-1171 (main line), 416-597-8808(counselling line) | http://www.trccmwar.ca/. Offers legal support, referrals, a 24-hour crisis line, support groups and in-person counselling for victims of sexual assault.
Assaulted Women’s Help Line 416-863-0511, toll-free in Ontario at 1-866-863-0511 , or 416-323-6040 if assaulted in last 72 hours. Call-in only. http://www.awhl.org/ Emergency help line for women that have been assaulted. Anonymous, accessible 24 hours a day.
If we missed any links, articles or movies you’d like to see included, reblog and add in the notes!
kianamaiart
blakekathryn
gummygunk
stormborns
tangentwithtanner