Ep. 55: Anna Biller (Filmmaker/Author/Artist) Bluebeard's Castle New Novel It was such a pleasure to talk to Anna Biller. I became a fan of her film "Viva" after seeing it in the festival circuit around 2007. I also fell in love with "The Love Witch". The fact that she did most of the costumes and sets and such also just elevated any fandom I already had. Not to mention shooting on film. She has such an amazing artistic and filmmaking vision and her work is just beautiful. She is such a great match for our page and content. I have reached out a few times and got lucky to finnaly get her when she was putting out her novel "Bluebeard's Castle". I got very lucky to get to talk to her about this amazing Jane Eyre inspired gothic love story. I am joined by Otter Castro who is our editor and producer and hit it out of the park as a co-host. Get her book! And watch all of her films. About the Book Bluebeard gets a feminist Gothic makeover in this subversive take on the famous French fairy tale — from the acclaimed director of The Love Witch, and for fans of Jane Eyre When the successful British mystery writer Judith Moore meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a birthday party on the Cornish coast, his love transforms her from a bitter, lonely young woman into a romance heroine overnight. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a secluded Gothic castle. But soon she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband’s mysterious nature and his alternation between charm and violence become increasingly frightening. As Judith battles both internal and external demons, including sexual ambivalence, psychological self-torture, gaslighting, family neglect, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, she becomes increasingly addicted to her wild beast of a husband. Why do women stay in abusive relationships? The answer can be found in the tortured mind of the protagonist, whose richly layered fantasy life parallels that of the female Gothic romance reader. Filled with dark humor and evocative imagery, Bluebeard’s Castleis a subversive take on modern romance and Gothic erotica. https://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Castle-Novel-Verso-Fiction/dp/1804291854 ANNA BILLER is a writer and director who creates unique, female-focused, highly visual films. She has a BA from UCLA in art and an MFA from CalArts in art and film. Her first feature Viva played in film festivals all over the world and gained minor cult status, and her second feature The Love Witch won acclaim for its elaborate visual style and feminist themes, and has screened at numerous film festivals worldwide. The New York Times called The Love Witch “a hothouse filled with deadly and seductive blooms;” The New Yorker called it “a metaphysical astonishment;” Film Comment said, “Biller’s sharp film stands in stark contrast to the complacency and crushing safeness of the vast majority of independent films made in the US. Shot in 35mm, her film displays a technical mastery that is glorious to behold;” and The Austin Chronicle said, “Anna Biller has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting filmmakers of the past decade.” In 2017 she won the Trailblazer Award and Best Costume Design at the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards for The Love Witch, and in 2019 she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is listed in a Rotten Tomatoes article as one of “The 21 Masters Of Horror Shaping The Genre Right Now.” The Love Witch appeared on many 2016 best-of-year lists, and on Rotten Tomatoes it’s ranked as the #40 horror film of all time. https://www.lifeofastar.com/about.html Credits Co -hosted Produced and Edited by Otter Castro Music Richie by B.J Snowden ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bjsnowdenmusic.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ I Never Feel Alone Instrumental by Stephen Bluhm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related