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Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema
A radical history of trans images in film, and an exploration of the political possibilities of the new trans cinema movement.
There have been trans images in cinema for over a century — very often bad cultural objects and very often inspired by the cultural zeitgeist, from Christine Jorgensen to Candy Darling to a guest on The Jerry Springer Show. But now, trans cinema as a movement is slowly emerging from the margins to create a new film language, often in reaction to these historical trans film images that cast the trans body in abject form; a corpse, a foolish joke, a tragic martyr, or even a monster.
Corpses, Fools, and Monsters is a new radical history of these trans film images, and an exploration of the political possibilities of the new trans cinema movement. Analysing the work of trans cinema directors Isabel Sandoval, Silas Howard, and the Wachowski Sisters, it also discusses the trans film image in everything from pre-talkie films and Ed Wood B-movies to Oscar-winners, body horror and slashers.
Going beyond reassessing notable films, performances, and portrayals, Corpses, Fools, and Monsters instead brings to light films and artists not given their due, along with highlighting filmmakers who are bringing trans cinema out of the margins in the twenty-first century.
There have been trans images in cinema for over a century — very often bad cultural objects and very often inspired by the cultural zeitgeist, from Christine Jorgensen to Candy Darling to a guest on The Jerry Springer Show. But now, trans cinema as a movement is slowly emerging from the margins to create a new film language, often in reaction to these historical trans film images that cast the trans body in abject form; a corpse, a foolish joke, a tragic martyr, or even a monster.
Corpses, Fools, and Monsters is a new radical history of these trans film images, and an exploration of the political possibilities of the new trans cinema movement. Analysing the work of trans cinema directors Isabel Sandoval, Silas Howard, and the Wachowski Sisters, it also discusses the trans film image in everything from pre-talkie films and Ed Wood B-movies to Oscar-winners, body horror and slashers.
Going beyond reassessing notable films, performances, and portrayals, Corpses, Fools, and Monsters instead brings to light films and artists not given their due, along with highlighting filmmakers who are bringing trans cinema out of the margins in the twenty-first century.
340 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 14, 2024
This was such an engaging read about the history and evolution of trans representation in cinema. The authors give historical context for what was happening in the world when the movies were coming out, discuss who the filmmakers were, give plot explanations, and show how language and film images have changed over time.
Big movies like Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Danish Girl, Boys Don’t Cry, and more get coverage within the book. But what I appreciated the most was learning about all of these different trans narrative films and documentaries that I had never heard of before, even with all the research I’ve already done into the history of LGBTQ+ movies. I have such a long list of films that I’m now dying to seek out. Another strength of the book was how the authors discussed how even if a movie isn’t intending to depict a trans character, audiences still take away messages from the film. That can be negative, like even though within The Silence of the Lambs they say that Buffalo Bill isn’t trans, many walked away from that movie with a negative association with trans women being killers. But it can also be positive, like when people have trans reads that help them feel represented within movies that don’t have canonical trans characters.
This isn’t just an encyclopedia of different movies, it brings up discussions of persistent stereotypes, commonly used images, cis vs trans casting, the lack of trans masc films, important figures in trans history, and the filmmakers who are bringing new and unique trans stories to the screen today. It covers so many years of films and so much ground in terms of different topics of conversation.
The book does have an academic tone, but not in the way that makes it difficult to read. The information is portrayed clearly and the connections between the different chapters and topics are easy to follow. I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in trans history or film history. You’ll most likely learn about movies you’ve never heard of before to add to your watchlist.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Big movies like Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Danish Girl, Boys Don’t Cry, and more get coverage within the book. But what I appreciated the most was learning about all of these different trans narrative films and documentaries that I had never heard of before, even with all the research I’ve already done into the history of LGBTQ+ movies. I have such a long list of films that I’m now dying to seek out. Another strength of the book was how the authors discussed how even if a movie isn’t intending to depict a trans character, audiences still take away messages from the film. That can be negative, like even though within The Silence of the Lambs they say that Buffalo Bill isn’t trans, many walked away from that movie with a negative association with trans women being killers. But it can also be positive, like when people have trans reads that help them feel represented within movies that don’t have canonical trans characters.
This isn’t just an encyclopedia of different movies, it brings up discussions of persistent stereotypes, commonly used images, cis vs trans casting, the lack of trans masc films, important figures in trans history, and the filmmakers who are bringing new and unique trans stories to the screen today. It covers so many years of films and so much ground in terms of different topics of conversation.
The book does have an academic tone, but not in the way that makes it difficult to read. The information is portrayed clearly and the connections between the different chapters and topics are easy to follow. I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in trans history or film history. You’ll most likely learn about movies you’ve never heard of before to add to your watchlist.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.
The second I saw "The History and Future of Transness in Cinema" I knew I had to have this book. I do enjoy Media Studies as a field and the history of trans images particularly in horror movies are something I have spent quite some time thinking about and feeling devasted because of it. Thankfully, albeit slowly, there is starting to be a bit more representiation in modern horror (Bit 2019, Hellraiser 2022, We're All Going to the World's Fair 2022, They/Them 2022, Evil Dead Rise 2023, T Blockers 2023), but I also enjoyed reading what came before.
This book is an incredible addition to queer media studies and I really enjoyed reading it! This book does start out a bit academic, but you don't need to be a scholar to understand it and once you get past the first chapter, it all becomes easily accessible. If you are in any way interested in representation in movies then everything described here is easily understandable.
While it is a slow read at times, in part due to the often lenghtly descriptions of a film's plot, that makes it easily accessible if you haven't seen a movie. If you have and you aren't like me, who wants to read every word in a book, you can always skip the summary and get to the analysis faster. I also liked that while a big portion of this text is centered on trans women, as they were portrayed more often in early trans film (although often in very transmisogynist ways), trans man and nonbinary characters also play a role. An incredibly number of topics from documentary depictions, horror, Cronenberg's Media, the Matrix, cis-as-trans casting, Christine Jorgensen, the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and finally The New Frontier of the Trans Film.
So if you want to enjoy a really interesting look into trans media (the good, the bad & the severly transmisogynistic) I can only recommend you check out this amazing piece of queer media study.
And lastly, I'll finish this review with the list of movies I've written down to check out after reading this book:
In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden (In a Year of 13 Moons) - Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Cruising - William Friedkin
City of Lost Souls, I Am My Own Woman, Transexual Menace - Rosa von Praunheim
Second Serve - Anthony Page
Dressed in Blue - Antonie Giménez-Rico
TV Transvestite - Michele Capozzi & Simone de Bagno.
Paris is Burning - Jennie Livingston
Southern Comfort - Kate Davis
Videodrome, Rabid, Crash & Crimes of the Future - David Cronenberg
By Hook or by Crook - Harry Dodge, Silas Howard
Maggots and Men - Cary Cronnenwett
Lingua Franca - Isabel Sandoval
So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey, T Blockers - Alice Maio Mackay
The second I saw "The History and Future of Transness in Cinema" I knew I had to have this book. I do enjoy Media Studies as a field and the history of trans images particularly in horror movies are something I have spent quite some time thinking about and feeling devasted because of it. Thankfully, albeit slowly, there is starting to be a bit more representiation in modern horror (Bit 2019, Hellraiser 2022, We're All Going to the World's Fair 2022, They/Them 2022, Evil Dead Rise 2023, T Blockers 2023), but I also enjoyed reading what came before.
This book is an incredible addition to queer media studies and I really enjoyed reading it! This book does start out a bit academic, but you don't need to be a scholar to understand it and once you get past the first chapter, it all becomes easily accessible. If you are in any way interested in representation in movies then everything described here is easily understandable.
While it is a slow read at times, in part due to the often lenghtly descriptions of a film's plot, that makes it easily accessible if you haven't seen a movie. If you have and you aren't like me, who wants to read every word in a book, you can always skip the summary and get to the analysis faster. I also liked that while a big portion of this text is centered on trans women, as they were portrayed more often in early trans film (although often in very transmisogynist ways), trans man and nonbinary characters also play a role. An incredibly number of topics from documentary depictions, horror, Cronenberg's Media, the Matrix, cis-as-trans casting, Christine Jorgensen, the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and finally The New Frontier of the Trans Film.
So if you want to enjoy a really interesting look into trans media (the good, the bad & the severly transmisogynistic) I can only recommend you check out this amazing piece of queer media study.
And lastly, I'll finish this review with the list of movies I've written down to check out after reading this book:
In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden (In a Year of 13 Moons) - Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Cruising - William Friedkin
City of Lost Souls, I Am My Own Woman, Transexual Menace - Rosa von Praunheim
Second Serve - Anthony Page
Dressed in Blue - Antonie Giménez-Rico
TV Transvestite - Michele Capozzi & Simone de Bagno.
Paris is Burning - Jennie Livingston
Southern Comfort - Kate Davis
Videodrome, Rabid, Crash & Crimes of the Future - David Cronenberg
By Hook or by Crook - Harry Dodge, Silas Howard
Maggots and Men - Cary Cronnenwett
Lingua Franca - Isabel Sandoval
So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey, T Blockers - Alice Maio Mackay
July 4, 2024
Legitimately wonderful stuff - begins a little academic, mind you (although I’m a sicko who likes that about it) but the latter half is so readable I couldn’t put it down. This belongs in every school, public, and personal library possible. A triumph!
Read
July 19, 2024on the one hand, frustratingly sparse or otherwise saying nothing new or interesting about the films in the early middle sections of the book that I really would’ve loved to see discussed over Cronenberg (again). on the other, worth the price of admission for what’s said and transcribed on modern films and the more obscure older stuff (LOVED seeing “Vera” discussed). happy to have it on my shelf!
May 26, 2024
This book is fairly explanatory- it’s a detailed history of transgender representation throughout the history of TV and film. As a side effect, it also serves as a good study of how cultural perceptions of trans people changed throughout America, in particular, in that same time period.
It was a bit of a slow read, in part because of the careful plot descriptions of so many movies, but I enjoyed it, especially the chapters discussing the representation of trans people in horror, particularly Psycho and Silence of the Lamb, and the chapter on The Matrix.
All in all, it’s a fairly academic book, but well worth the read.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair review.
It was a bit of a slow read, in part because of the careful plot descriptions of so many movies, but I enjoyed it, especially the chapters discussing the representation of trans people in horror, particularly Psycho and Silence of the Lamb, and the chapter on The Matrix.
All in all, it’s a fairly academic book, but well worth the read.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair review.
August 2, 2024
Film was a vital life stream for me as a closeted trans teen. It was less about having worlds to escape into - although there was certainly plenty of that - but seeing myself reflected on screen.
It wasn't until reading this book that I realised how many of the films that resonated with me did so with other trans folks. It’s helped to ease the sting of loneliness I felt then and salve the pain that came from believing myself monstrous in my depression and dysphoria.
So, as a trans cinephile, this book was always going to be a hit with me. Still I was struck by the grace of its prose, the depth of its analysis, and just how many examples it includes. I had to read with a notepad to hand to jot down the titles of documentaries, films, and shorts I want to go and watch.
Because of the two authors, the book has a brilliant balance of trans femme and trans masc perspectives – the latter usually sadly lacking in many other areas, even within trans circles. That extends to the examples included. There’s several documentaries about trans men that I’m excited to seek out.
To say I devoured the book would be apt. I did feel consumed by it, reading in frantic bursts hours before bed – and, indeed, in bed for longer than was responsible. It’s a captivating book that, while articulate and academic in scope, is often fun - flirtatious even – and accessible.
But it doesn’t shy away from the darkness that pervades trans lives – both in the present and in the past. The section on ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ was especially difficult, as were those on the trans femme sex worker suffering with AIDs forced to detransition before a Christian charity would help her.
That the book doesn’t shy away from these darker chapters is testament to its power. Although it includes celebrations on the new wave of trans filmmakers owning their own stories, it holds a mirror up to the murky waters of transness on screen. That’s what makes the book as much a sociological text as a deep dive into this corner of cinema.
Being trans isn’t a prerequisite to enjoying the book – though you’ll certainly get a lot more out of it. It’s for anyone with a genuine interest in transness and queer identities on screen, in transgressive art, and chronicling the throughline to how trans people are treated in society today.
Movies are lifelines, they reflect and save us, and this book beautifully – and often harrowingly – conveys that. I cannot recommend it enough.
It wasn't until reading this book that I realised how many of the films that resonated with me did so with other trans folks. It’s helped to ease the sting of loneliness I felt then and salve the pain that came from believing myself monstrous in my depression and dysphoria.
So, as a trans cinephile, this book was always going to be a hit with me. Still I was struck by the grace of its prose, the depth of its analysis, and just how many examples it includes. I had to read with a notepad to hand to jot down the titles of documentaries, films, and shorts I want to go and watch.
Because of the two authors, the book has a brilliant balance of trans femme and trans masc perspectives – the latter usually sadly lacking in many other areas, even within trans circles. That extends to the examples included. There’s several documentaries about trans men that I’m excited to seek out.
To say I devoured the book would be apt. I did feel consumed by it, reading in frantic bursts hours before bed – and, indeed, in bed for longer than was responsible. It’s a captivating book that, while articulate and academic in scope, is often fun - flirtatious even – and accessible.
But it doesn’t shy away from the darkness that pervades trans lives – both in the present and in the past. The section on ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ was especially difficult, as were those on the trans femme sex worker suffering with AIDs forced to detransition before a Christian charity would help her.
That the book doesn’t shy away from these darker chapters is testament to its power. Although it includes celebrations on the new wave of trans filmmakers owning their own stories, it holds a mirror up to the murky waters of transness on screen. That’s what makes the book as much a sociological text as a deep dive into this corner of cinema.
Being trans isn’t a prerequisite to enjoying the book – though you’ll certainly get a lot more out of it. It’s for anyone with a genuine interest in transness and queer identities on screen, in transgressive art, and chronicling the throughline to how trans people are treated in society today.
Movies are lifelines, they reflect and save us, and this book beautifully – and often harrowingly – conveys that. I cannot recommend it enough.
June 4, 2024
This book is as the title says: the history and future of transness in cinema. It’s an academic text that references cinema throughout the 20 and 21 century that featured trans representation and how that representation could be harmful or helpful to trans people and the public opinion on trans people - shown as corpses, fools and monsters. It considers the time period the movies were made and released in while also considering the films through a modern lens. For each film mentioned, there’s ample description of the cast, characters, plot, and how transness is shown. I wrote down several of these movies to watch and then revisit the text here. This is so well researched and argued. It is heavy and dense, but it’s an excellent read, especially if you’re interested in cinema or are a queer person or want to know more about how trans people are portrayed. It’s an amazing collection of research and thoughts on the history, current day, and future of trans people depicted in cinema.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2024
loved this so much! one of those books that sent me down a million wikipedia rabbit holes as i read. a comprehensive history of films made by and featuring trans people, and an analysis of the state and future of trans cinema. i recommend this to anyone interested in queer cinema, i thought i had a pretty good grasp on the history of trans filmmaking, but in reading this, i discovered so many films i had never even heard of. love love loved it!
August 29, 2024
such an awesome overview of transness in film and public perception of trans people due to these media images!!! cant recommend enough and i also need to watch so many of these movies expeditiously
September 13, 2024
A truly excellent film study of transness in cinema, from directors through characters through actors through culture. It's an incredibly in-depth look to themes of transness, trans history, and trans people throughout film history. It has a bit of an emphasis on trans women rather than trans men or nonbinary trans folks (this is just meant to be descriptive, not critical -- it's is just a factual thing and is mentioned in-text due to the lack of work about or by trans men until later, for example).
The ARC I read did need a bit of tightening in editing--there were some places where clearly-missing words changed the meaning of sentences, or bits that were clearly revised-in and not integrated well yet (eg. one film describes a new character's actions by name in passing a few times before introducing and describing that character as if this is the first time we've heard of her). These weren't common, though, and may have all been cleaned up by the final version!
I loved how much it went into detail without assuming prior film knowledge, but also wasn't afraid to get in deep into analyses and inspirations; it was the perfect amount of information for someone who wanted to hear all the in-depth elements but hasn't seen that many classic films. I loved hearing about the lesser-known films, and also liked how the book was determined to both give some of the mass-market films their flowers while also being critical about the harm they often did even if they also helped expand others' minds.
I wished there had been a few more touches on anime, because though Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell were both mentioned (for example), I feel like something like Wandering Son (a trans series by an x-gender author) would have been an interesting addition. But I imagine the authors had to choose what areas to leave on the cutting room floor, too.
Great read.
The ARC I read did need a bit of tightening in editing--there were some places where clearly-missing words changed the meaning of sentences, or bits that were clearly revised-in and not integrated well yet (eg. one film describes a new character's actions by name in passing a few times before introducing and describing that character as if this is the first time we've heard of her). These weren't common, though, and may have all been cleaned up by the final version!
I loved how much it went into detail without assuming prior film knowledge, but also wasn't afraid to get in deep into analyses and inspirations; it was the perfect amount of information for someone who wanted to hear all the in-depth elements but hasn't seen that many classic films. I loved hearing about the lesser-known films, and also liked how the book was determined to both give some of the mass-market films their flowers while also being critical about the harm they often did even if they also helped expand others' minds.
I wished there had been a few more touches on anime, because though Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell were both mentioned (for example), I feel like something like Wandering Son (a trans series by an x-gender author) would have been an interesting addition. But I imagine the authors had to choose what areas to leave on the cutting room floor, too.
Great read.
July 9, 2024
A delightfully hard-hitting cornucopia of trans history
This history of trans cinema has not come too soon. As much a history of trans narratives and people on, in and around film, it is not a simple hagiography of all trans representation in film—across the world but predominantly American—it also touches on the troubling representations, the unflattering, the divisive, the ambiguous, offering a nuanced and realistic cultural criticism of trans images on screen and trans people as filmmakers. At the same time, it recounts the history and the context of trans, gay and queer lives, as well as offering pin-sharp portraits of the characters—over-the-top, self-effacing, unbelievable, camp, eccentric, or loveable—to whom we owe these foundational texts of trans and queer experience.
As good criticism should be, this is dense but readable, doing its best to translate the moving image, and that would be a circumscribed, rarefied moving image, on to the page, and I'm convinced. I've got a whole new list of films that I want to revisit or seek out for the first time. Taking a mostly chronological approach, the book shows the development of trans cinema and all that that means, starting with trans narratives vilified by cis male directors in the early twentieth century, to the ownership of her own story and image by Christine Jorgensen, through to the fly-on-the-wall documentaries of the Eighties and the works of Cronenberg and the Wachowski sisters, and to where we are now, with trans filmmakers making trans cinema that explores a whole world of experiences.
A flag waving four and half stars, rounded up to five
This history of trans cinema has not come too soon. As much a history of trans narratives and people on, in and around film, it is not a simple hagiography of all trans representation in film—across the world but predominantly American—it also touches on the troubling representations, the unflattering, the divisive, the ambiguous, offering a nuanced and realistic cultural criticism of trans images on screen and trans people as filmmakers. At the same time, it recounts the history and the context of trans, gay and queer lives, as well as offering pin-sharp portraits of the characters—over-the-top, self-effacing, unbelievable, camp, eccentric, or loveable—to whom we owe these foundational texts of trans and queer experience.
As good criticism should be, this is dense but readable, doing its best to translate the moving image, and that would be a circumscribed, rarefied moving image, on to the page, and I'm convinced. I've got a whole new list of films that I want to revisit or seek out for the first time. Taking a mostly chronological approach, the book shows the development of trans cinema and all that that means, starting with trans narratives vilified by cis male directors in the early twentieth century, to the ownership of her own story and image by Christine Jorgensen, through to the fly-on-the-wall documentaries of the Eighties and the works of Cronenberg and the Wachowski sisters, and to where we are now, with trans filmmakers making trans cinema that explores a whole world of experiences.
A flag waving four and half stars, rounded up to five
August 12, 2024
An essential history of trans expression and representation over the last 100 years. Each chapter covers a period of film, providing context and a critical examination of film texts. It's not just great film history, it is great history; exploring how trans communities and individuals fight against political and cultural forces. While the title comes from the frequently negative trans representation in mainstream studio film, the book's core theme is a more positive focus on how the trans film image has persisted, evolved, and is currently thriving.
One thing I'm always interested in is when films that "mean well" and are warmly received upon release are, in retrospect, found to be severely lacking, while others that are initially reviled are later reclaimed. For example, the authors get into how the creators of Boys Don't Cry not only frequently misgendered Brandon Teena, but also focused more on his misery than his humanity. Whereas Fredkin's Cruising was seen as violently homophobic upon release, but has since found admirers within the queer community for its documentation of a lost subculture and its (relatively) positive depiction of a transwoman.
It's also an easy read. While its academic and critical, the personalities and passions of the authors shine through. Objective analysis is provided, but so are intimately personal responses. One of my favorite sections was on Robert Altman's Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. While cis-as-trans casting is frequently a source of insult and frustration throughout the book, they also speak to how deeply Karen Black's performance as the transwoman Joanne affected them.
The book ends on a hopeful note, as trans stories by trans filmmakers (Isabel Sandoval, Jane Schoenbrun, Angelo Minax, and more) are becoming both more frequent and more commercially successful.
One thing I'm always interested in is when films that "mean well" and are warmly received upon release are, in retrospect, found to be severely lacking, while others that are initially reviled are later reclaimed. For example, the authors get into how the creators of Boys Don't Cry not only frequently misgendered Brandon Teena, but also focused more on his misery than his humanity. Whereas Fredkin's Cruising was seen as violently homophobic upon release, but has since found admirers within the queer community for its documentation of a lost subculture and its (relatively) positive depiction of a transwoman.
It's also an easy read. While its academic and critical, the personalities and passions of the authors shine through. Objective analysis is provided, but so are intimately personal responses. One of my favorite sections was on Robert Altman's Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. While cis-as-trans casting is frequently a source of insult and frustration throughout the book, they also speak to how deeply Karen Black's performance as the transwoman Joanne affected them.
The book ends on a hopeful note, as trans stories by trans filmmakers (Isabel Sandoval, Jane Schoenbrun, Angelo Minax, and more) are becoming both more frequent and more commercially successful.
May 30, 2024
Corpses, Fools and Monsters is a journey through the history of 'trans images' in cinema, looking at how representations of trans people on screen have come about, changed, and evolved over time. The book is structured through time but also theme, taking into account wider changes in trans liberation and representation over the decades as well as cinematic depictions, and it is organised in a way that allows for a comprehensive overview as well as in depth exploration of individual films and performances.
The book is fairly academic but very accessible, not just for people studying film, and it is ideal for anyone interested in how trans people have been represented on film, covering some of the often more infamous examples as well as less well-known ones. It focuses on history and readings of films, not dense theory, and explore some of the debate and issues around films like The Silence of the Lambs or Boys Don't Cry, whilst also looking at the work of trans filmmakers and where trans film might be going, ending with films like We're All Going To The World's Fair. By nature of the book as a history of trans cinema, it doesn't go into particular analytical depth about films or creators, but it offers a journey through film that is likely to be enlightening for many people, trans and cis alike.
The book is fairly academic but very accessible, not just for people studying film, and it is ideal for anyone interested in how trans people have been represented on film, covering some of the often more infamous examples as well as less well-known ones. It focuses on history and readings of films, not dense theory, and explore some of the debate and issues around films like The Silence of the Lambs or Boys Don't Cry, whilst also looking at the work of trans filmmakers and where trans film might be going, ending with films like We're All Going To The World's Fair. By nature of the book as a history of trans cinema, it doesn't go into particular analytical depth about films or creators, but it offers a journey through film that is likely to be enlightening for many people, trans and cis alike.
June 19, 2024
I'm really impressed with this book. The authors do not only list trans films from different ears of cinema but also put them into historical and sociological context. This not only helps the reader understand the importance of trans images in cinema, but it is also a great history lesson.I really appreciate how the authors didn't omit films that had trans characters but also had negative and transphobic connotations; instead, they explained the impact of the film and characters on the viewers and future films.
There's also a chapter focusing on cis actors playing trans characters and how such roles often result in Oscar nominations, focusing on a few such instances, but I think it was missing a more in-depth analysis on why it happens and why it's a problem.
Corpses, Fools and Monsters does not only clearly discuss trans characters; there's a whole chapter focusing on trans allegories in Cronenberg's and other body horror films. And of course there's a Matrix chapter; if I could, I would force every person who misinterpreted Matrix to read this...
Overall, this book is a really well-written analysis of trans images in cinema through the years, and it contains everything you need to know to understand the impact of this film. Highly recommended.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
There's also a chapter focusing on cis actors playing trans characters and how such roles often result in Oscar nominations, focusing on a few such instances, but I think it was missing a more in-depth analysis on why it happens and why it's a problem.
Corpses, Fools and Monsters does not only clearly discuss trans characters; there's a whole chapter focusing on trans allegories in Cronenberg's and other body horror films. And of course there's a Matrix chapter; if I could, I would force every person who misinterpreted Matrix to read this...
Overall, this book is a really well-written analysis of trans images in cinema through the years, and it contains everything you need to know to understand the impact of this film. Highly recommended.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
August 11, 2024
Really good and insightful look into the history of trans cinema! I have so many new films I wasn't aware of that I'm excited to check out! Understandably, there are times where some film analysis seems a bit sparse, but considering the number of films covered here, that's to be expected. At the rate trans cinema has been coming out recently, the authors might need to put out a new edition soon. There were a few copywriting errors here and there, the most unfortunate being a misgendering of Jane Schoenbrun, I hope those errors get fixed before the second pressing.
August 28, 2024
Parts of this can feel pretty dry, especially when some paragraphs are just listing films and directors without much added explanation. That being said, this is still a massive achievement in collating and contextualizing trans cinema and added many, many movies to be TBW.
July 15, 2024
I am SO SO PROUD of my friend Willow and you should all go buy her and Caden's essential overview of the once and future trans cinema right this minute
August 4, 2024
extremely good
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews