One of the few genre-adjacent films to be embraced by the Academy, the critical darling “Poor Things” is both subversive and accessible.
Show host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer takes a deep dive into Poor Things. This wonderfully odd but beautifully crafted modern-day Frankenstein tale, an adaptation of a novel by Alasdair Gray, is a coming-of-age story that explores themes of self-discovery, sexuality, free will, classism, and the complexity of existence. – Stephanie (Editor-in-Chief)
SHOW NOTES FROM HOST CAROLYN SMITH-HILLMER:
POOR THINGS (2023) is nothing short of a nightmare. Although it is typically described as a romance, a drama, and science fiction, all of those elements somehow come together to create the most beautiful nightmare you will ever witness.
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, Poor Things stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. Based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, the plot follows Bella Baxter, a young woman in Victorian London who comes to life through a brain transplant and embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery.
The film was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review and has grossed over $102.1 million worldwide. It received five wins at the 77th British Academy Film Awards and was nominated in 11 categories at the 96th Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Poor Things also won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Stone.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 354 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website’s consensus reads: “Wildly imaginative and exhilaratingly over the top, Poor Things is a bizarre, brilliant tour de force for director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone.”
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14230458/
Entertainment Article: https://ew.com/poor-things-yorgos-lanthimos-making-of-world-8404852
Camera Lens Discussion: https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/poor-things-cameras-lenses-cinematography-1234927983/
Emma Stone & Bradley Cooper Actors on Actors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o14-SeLGl2c
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a weekly show where host, Carolyn Smith-Hillmer, dissects an arthouse/elevated horror film. Each episode includes a detailed play-by-play of the film itself and a subsequent deep dive into the thematic elements and symbolism. Because elevated horror is sometimes viewed within the horror community as pretentious, Carolyn makes sure to use her down-to-earth tone and unique perspective to make these films less intimidating for the casual horror viewer and less ostentatious for the genre lover.
Listen to more episodes on the show’s website here.
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a bi-weekly podcast where host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer reviews arthouse horror films in a non-pretentious way.
Climax (2018)
Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a descent into the minds of a drug-addled dance troupe inside of an abandoned school in France. What could possibly go wrong?
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8359848/
Climax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climax_(2018_film)
Psychonaut Wiki LSD: https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/LSD#Subjective_effects
Extreme Behavior and LSD: https://skywoodrecovery.com/lsd-abuse/extreme-behavior-related-to-lsd/
Cinemaholic: https://thecinemaholic.com/climax-review/
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Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a [...]
April 18, 2024
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For reasons unknown to me, I had no one in my life interested enough in this film to go see it in theaters. Now that [...]
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