Her Head in Films

In this episode, I provide my concluding thoughts on the final two episodes of "Sharp Objects." I discuss episode 7 ("Falling") and episode 8 ("Milk"). I discuss female violence, my conflicting emot…

In this episode, I talk about Wong Kar-wai's 2000 film, "In the Mood for Love," which follows two people--Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan--in 1960s Hong Kong whose spouses are cheating on them with each other…

In this episode, I talk about David Lean's 1945 film, "Brief Encounter." Set in 1938, in pre-WWII England, it's about Laura and Alec, two strangers who fall in love despite being married to other peo…

In this episode, I recap episodes 5 ("Closer") and 6 ("Cherry") of the HBO limited series, "Sharp Objects." I talk about how the relationship between Camille and Adora is getting darker and how the s…

In this episode, I talk about James Ivory's 1987 film, "Maurice." It's based on the novel of the same name by E.M. Forster. It's set in 1910 and tells the story of Maurice Hall, a young man who atten…

In this episode, I recap episodes 3 and 4 of the HBO limited series, "Sharp Objects." I discuss the importance of more women having a role in films and television, my current obsession with woman-ce…

In this episode, I talk about Ingmar Bergman's devastating 1978 film, "Autumn Sonata." It's an unforgettable portrait of a mother/daughter relationship that is toxic and damaging. It was Ingmar's onl…

In this episode, I explore Ingmar Bergman's 1957 classic, "Wild Strawberries," in which an elderly man remembers moments from his past and struggles to connect with the people in his life. The film …

In this episode, I try something new by talking about the first two episodes of the HBO limited series, "Sharp Objects." This is more than just an episode recap. It's a personal exploration of the wa…

In this episode, I talk about Ingmar Bergman's 1951 film "Summer Interlude." It's about Marie, a young ballet dancer who receives the diary of a young man with whom she had a passionate love affair i…

In this episode, I explore the mystery and power of Jonathan Glazer's 2004 masterpiece, "Birth." This is the most important episode I've ever produced for the podcast. This is the film that defines m…

In this episode, I explore Gena Rowlands's raw and uncompromising performance as Mabel Longhetti in John Cassavetes's 1974 film, "A Woman Under the Influence." Mabel is a woman struggling with mental…

In this episode, I explore Michael Haneke's 2001 film, "The Piano Teacher." Isabelle Huppert gives one of the greatest acting performances of all time as a masochistic piano teacher who becomes invol…

In this episode, I explore Yasujiro Ozu's 1949 classic, "Late Spring." Setsuko Hara stars as 27-year-old Noriko who feels a strong bond with her widower father and prefers to live with him instead of…

In this episode, I continue my exploration of films that helped me through my grief after my father died in 2006. "The Lives of Others" is an important film in my life. I have intense memories of wat…

After my father died in 2006, my mom and I lost ourselves in the films shown at a local discount theater. In this episode, I talk about Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," a movie I saw in that t…

In this episode, I explore Donna Deitch's 1985 cult classic, "Desert Hearts." It's about Vivian Bell, who travels to Reno, Nevada in 1959 to get a quickie divorce. While she stays at a ranch for six …

For decades, the work of Kathleen Collins languished in obscurity. She was a writer, filmmaker, and professor who is considered one of the first black women to direct a feature-length film. That film…

In this episode, I explore Ounie Lecomte's moving 2009 debut feature film, "A Brand New Life." The film is based on Lecomte's own life and centers around a 9-year-old girl who is abandoned by her fat…

For the month of April, I'm focusing on debut feature films by women directors. I'm kicking off the series with Joanna Hogg's 2007 debut film, "Unrelated." The film explores the emotional crisis of a…