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Ava Dettling

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Arts

Blood, guts and butts galore: ‘The Substance’ attempts feminist horror

By Ava Dettling | October 16

Much to the disappointment of women and movie-lovers around the globe, recent feminist films have seldom been able to deliver in their nouveau-age, fight-the-man doctrines.“Barbie” (2023), “Poor Things” (2023) and “Blink Twice” (2024) come to mind; while highly stylized and daring, they also lacked in their message of female empowerment. Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” teeters precariously on the precipice, dangerously close to joining the leagues of its fallen sistren.

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Arts

‘MaXXXine’ is not quite the ‘Star’ it should be

By Ava Dettling | September 24

It’s been nearly two years since my review of “Pearl” (2022) was published, in which I explored the intricacies of Ti West’s second installment of his horror trilogy. Two years later, I am once again drawn to the keyboard to discuss West’s third installment, “MaXXXine.”

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Arts

‘Blink Twice’: A raucous, chilling, but desperate endeavor

By Ava Dettling | September 11

The name change from “Pussy Island” to “Blink Twice” might have been the film’s first mistake. What could have been a bold and subversive thought piece on sexual trauma and women’s revenge, with “Pussy Island” became the rather trite and familiar play of power dynamics seen in “Blink Twice” (2024).

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Arts

Declan McKenna’s long-awaited ‘Big Return’

By Ava Dettling | April 18

English singer-songwriter Declan McKenna shocked producers and listeners alike with his overnight YouTube sensation “Brazil” — a hit single released ages ago now in 2014. The self-released song gained wide recognition for its criticism of FIFA and the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil. Ever since then, it marked McKenna as a voice of his generation. 

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Arts

WEEKENDER: Deconstructing the male gaze at ‘Women Take the Reel’ film festival  

By Ava Dettling | March 16

Last week, the Daily had the opportunity to attend two screenings of Women Take the Reel, a film festival hosted at universities across the Boston area. Taking place in Barnum Hall, the event showcased two female-directed documentaries, including the award-winning documentary “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” (2022) and the new Half the History short film “Tapping Into Our Past, Tapping Into Our Future: Ayodele Casel” (2022).

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Arts

Strip and show me the meat! The secret substance of ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’

By Ava Dettling | March 2

The time has come: “Magic” Mike Lane is hanging up his G-string and packing away his body oils. No longer will he grind and flex — or so he says. In Steven Soderbergh’s latest installment, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” (2023), Soderbergh follows Mike (Channing Tatum) as he is drawn to the stage for his final striptease. What can I say? The man just can’t seem to keep his hips from gyrating.

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Movies

'Somebody I Used to Know' in the words of Dave Franco and Alison Brie

By Ava Dettling | February 14

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, there is no shortage of rom-coms to binge watch. One is newly released “Somebody I Used to Know” (2023), a romantic comedy co-written by couple and frequent collaborators, Dave Franco and Alison Brie. The Daily had the opportunity to attend a college roundtable interview featuring Franco, Brie and Jay Ellis, inviting an insider look into the making of the film.

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