FANCAM

Briana here! Brainwash's resident Assitant Editor. In my column, FANCAM, I'll be talking about the latest in cinema, recommending films, discussing what I've watched this week (I try to watch two-three movies a week but we'll see how that goes lol), and other fun stuff like articles I've read recently and all things pop in music.

 

💕 movie recs 💕

The Harder They Fall

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If you haven't already seen the trailer for it, then stop what you're doing right now and go watch. The hybrid western-heist film drops on Netflix and in theatres soon (there's no release date yet) and is sure to be a hit. I've been waiting on it since at least March when the cast was announced. The film features heavy hitters: Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Lakeith Stanfield, Johnathan Majors, and Zazie Beetz (although her casting is controversial). Legit can't wait to see it.

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

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If you’re looking for something black and queer, I recommend Cheryl Dunye’s “The Watermelon Woman” (1996). It's a masterpiece that's inspired me so much and is a hallmark of Black LGBTQ+ cinema. The film centers around a fictional version of Cheryl who decides to film a documentary on The Watermelon Woman, a black actress who played mammy roles in the 1930s and 40s. It's a film that centers on Black lesbians in Philadelphia, the mammy trope in cinema, and believes it or not interracial dating. The film was written, directed, edited by, and starred Cheryl.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

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If you like older movies, this is a classic and I think stands the test of time. It's clearly the basis for David Lynch's, Mulholland Drive (2001), so it was fun for me to watch to understand Lynch's references (Lynch is a little too...surreal for me and I will not be watching another film of his, but that's beside the point). I give Sunset Boulevard a 4/5.

In The Heights

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All the criticism of it is true. I was quite disappointed in the film considering I'm a huge fan of the musical. A major plotline involving anti-blackness was taken out of the film (not a good look considering all the critique of colorism) which forced them to rewrite an entire relationship, kill off a character, change song lyrics, and remove an entire song. Some of the editing choices were weird to me too. It's streaming on HBO Max for another week or two and is also in theatres. Make the choice for yourself if it's worth it. I give it a 2.5/5.

🤓 things to read 🤓

cultureBriana Atkinsbriana, film, fancam, doja cat, in the heights, britney