Hello, you. I’m writing this amidst the dying embers of 2023, yet here you are reading it in 2024. It’s quite the paradox - much like the stories I’ve been reading, reviewing or deconstructing since we last spoke.
This month, I invite you to [re]discover ambiguous stories in film and fiction, and have a say on what to dive into next. Read on!
Psst: If you enjoy reading my posts and would like to buy me a cuppa to cheer me into the new year, that would be delightful and d’lovely.
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Stir of Echoes (1999): invisible women, working-class hero | Film analysis
Why it’s not just the dead who disappear in 90s horror Stir of Echoes, a narrative shot through with invisible people.
“Opening doors is what the horror genre is all about […] In Stir of Echoes, Tom Witzky’s mind is the doorway; hypnosis merely turns the key.”
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: the impossible contradiction of Holly Golightly | Literature deep dive
The question isn’t whether the heroine of Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a call girl, but how Capote’s novella hides Holly Golightly in plain sight.
“this story’s allure isn’t only about un/requited love, but something far more lurid. Is Holly Golightly a call girl who gets her comeuppance?”
Annihilation (2018): decoding the double | Film philosophies
A deep dive into meanings of mirroring in sci-fi horror Annihilation.
“Alex Garland’s film adaptation of Annihilation portrays doubled figures, genetic echoes and a world that mimics our own. But is it mirroring or assimilation?”
I Am Legend (2007): oiling the gates of hell | Film, lit crossover
Making sense of survivors, guilt and grief in apocalypse thriller in I Am Legend.
“Are the creatures who thirst for Robert Neville’s blood vampires or zombies? And is there a difference?”
Reader poll
Thank you to everyone who has suggested books and films for commentary in 2023 (I especially enjoy hearing about favourites and why you love them). Anyhoo, now’s your chance to vote on some of those I’ve received.
I can’t promise when or if I’ll cover any of these on the site. I write everything in my spare time, so it depends what I can fit in as well as what’s available in my region.
That said, if something gets a lot of interest I may bump it up the list! Let me know what you think in the poll, or jot a comment below.
Anyhoo, happy new year, and thanks for your company!
Until next time,
Ruth / The HC
Pic credit: Anni Roenkae via Pexels
» thehaughtyculturist.com: culture commentary & story deconstruction