There is nothing as hypnotizing than the larger-than-life women that we see on the screen—captivating, outrageous, and irresistibly seductive. Join us as we celebrate some of cinema’s most iconic female archetypes, from the bold ladies who strut their stuff to the enigmatic witches who cast their spell through exaggerated feminine mannerisms. To coincide with the “Girls of Plenty” program now running at LAB111 and the release of her illuminating essay Liggend Naakt, film journalist and curator Basje Boer guides us through the allure of femininity in film. Together, we’ll delve into the performances of some of the founding mothers of exaggerated female stereotypes, revealing how playing out a gender role is nothing more than a really great performance.
Get a copy of Basje Boer’s Liggend Naakt
Book tickets to Girls of Plenty @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Knight of Cups
Show notes
- Marilyn: Norma Jean | Gloria Steinem
- Gloria Steinmen on the Legacy of Marilyn Monroe | American Masters (PBS)
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (remix remixed 2013) | Laura Mulvey
- Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- Gloria Swanson and the Curse of Norma Desmond | Cinema Cities
- Carmen Jones (1954) Clip | BFI
- The Show Girls Redemption | Broey Deschanel
Films mentioned
(click on the links for tickets to screenings at LAB111)
- Cries & Whispers (Ingmar Bergman, 1972)
- Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1996)
- A Different Man (Aaron Schimberg, 2024)
- Trip-Tych (Kevin Boitelle, 2024)
- Leave Her to Heaven (John M. Stahl, 1945)
- A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (Martin Scorsese & Michael Henry Wilson, 1995)
- Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1996)
- Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria, 2019)
- Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023)
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953)
- Carmen Jones (Otto Preminger, 1954)
- Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944)
- Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)
- Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992)
- Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
- Boomerang (Reginald Hudlin, 1992)
- A View to a Kill (John Glen, 1985)
- Love Lies Bleeding (Rose Glass, 2024)
- The Beguiled (Sofia Coppola, 2017)
- Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola, 1999)
- Scarlet Empress (Josef von Sternberg, 1934)
- Female Trouble (John Waters, 1974)
- The Substance (Coralie Fargaet, 2024)
- La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961)
- Safe (Todd Haynes, 1995)
- To Die For (Gus van Sant, 1995)
- Anti-Christ (Lars von Trier, 2009)
- Mommie Dearest (Frank Perry, 1982)
- Johnny Guitar (Nicholas Ray, 1954)
Our hosts
