Jasmine Valentine

She’s Mother. It’s a phrase you’ve probably seen countless times on Twitter recently, typically describing a cishet female celebrity whose fans revere them as a deity, but who is more than likely just doing the bare minimum. The title’s got the same chaotic energy as screaming, crying, throwing up, but instead of funneling that energy into the ether, we have a figure to pin our emotions on. But how did we get here?

Obsessing over our favorite celebrities to the point of wanting them to adopt ...

For plenty of young girls growing up in the late 90s and early 00s, life revolved around one near-identical commodity: the Olsen twins. After making their joint debut aged nine months taking turns playing Michelle Tanner on American sitcom Full House, the sisters were thrown into a never-ending cycle of appearing in feel-good, trashy flicks for their equally juvenile audience.
What followed can only be described as global pandemonium – there were books, video games, and clothing ranges that s...

On the evening of my 28th birthday, I received a paper mask of Cate Blanchett’s face. It worked like a charm for taking the sting out of missing her at the London Critics Awards the next day—something I mercilessly relayed to my friends who managed to see her. Soon after I received it, I started to feel like this was a part of something larger. It wasn’t until everyone and their dog had told me they were going to see Cate’s latest Oscar-nominated feature Tár, and afterward their thoughts, tha...

When we hear the word “adaption,” we often sigh in discontent. Multiple incarnations of popular film and TV stories have been and gone, and many have left a sour parting note. Tackling the bones of David Cronenberg’s 1998 hit, Prime Video’s Dead Ringers is a narrative definition all its own. FILMHOUNDS spoke to actor and executive producer Rachel Weisz and creator Alice Birch to drill down into the world of the Mantles.
Rachel — I hope you don’t mind me saying — I feel like it’s probably fair...

Jasmine Valentine
Jasmine Valentine
3 February 2023·3-min read

Watch: Antonio Banderas on the importance of fighting typecasting

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish star Antonio Banderas says it’s “very important” for kids to see diverse heroes on screen, after warnings of being typecast when his career launched in the US.

Known for his roles in The Mask of Zorro, Desperado, and Spy Kids, Banderas says Puss In Boots could be the Spanish hero that many generations didn’t get to see.

“When I arrived in America in 1990, I did a movie called The Mambo Kings,” Banderas tells Yahoo as the Shrek spin-of

Japanese animation is, in many ways, a boys’ club. That’s true not just of the people that create these shows and films, many of whom are men. The audience that many of the most internationally successful anime caters to also reportedly skews male—and so do their characters.
Kids around the world have been weaned on the teats of Ash and Pikachu through Pokémon, then grew up to watch misogyny subtly spiral out of control in shows like Btooom! and Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Mainstream TV anime, in ...

Words by Jasmine Valentine
13 years ago, director James Cameron changed the face of cinema for good. Taking audiences to the fictional biosphere of Pandora, Avatar’s never-before-seen CGI and performance capture technology paved the way for it to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
Following the story of paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), viewers fell in love with his permanent transition into avatar form — largely thanks to the many creatures, flora, and breathtaking v...

Watch: Lily James and Shazad Latif talk to Yahoo about What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Lily James and Shazad Latif, the stars of new British rom-com What’s Love Got To Do With It?, have nothing but love for each other, saying their romantic scenes together were the best they've ever been in.

Strange World star Jake Gyllenhaal said he was instantly taken with the film’s story when Disney pitched it to him.

“I wanted to know what it was about [first]. That was important for me. It always is, no matter how extraordinary the company, or the group of talent.

"Sometimes with these stories, you just don’t connect with them. And then when I was pitched this story I was like, I was so moved.

The Wachowskis’ 1996 neo-noir starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly is an enduring, subversive romance.

★★★★★
Anime master Makoto Shinkai brings us his latest vision with Suzume. Read Jasmine Valentine’s glowing review of the anime hit.
Japanese animation has a fairly stellar reputation when it comes to global cinema. Studio Ghibli hits like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle are childhood cornerstones, while Satoshi Kon’s Paprika and Perfect Blue showed how “cartoon” doesn’t automatically mean “for children.” Director Makoto Shinkai is the latest creator to take centre stage, already known...

This month we're joined by guest film critics Jasmine Valentine and Paul Klein to talk about new releases, Tori and Lokita, Corsage and the re-release of Fanny and Alexander. The pair also talk about some of their favourite Christmas movies! If you'd like to send us a voice memo for use in a future episode, please email podcast@picturehouses.co.uk.

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Anne Hathaway stars in an uneven take on Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel that swaps soft-centred lust for a clumsy criminal affair
Before director William Oldroyd’s new take on ostracised women, Eileen, there was Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol, a film that seemingly paved the way for a new sub-genre of sapphic cinema. At first glance, Eileen should neatly fall into place behind its predecessor – an eponymous title, an older woman with a selectively hidden past, a young ingénue who’s only to...

As Gen Z might say, Infinity Pool leaves no crumbs in its wake, charging ahead with a vision all its own to confidently sell its heady wares. It’s sure to be one to divide opinion, but if viewers can stomach it, they’re in for the mother of all cinematic experiences.