who we are
about naked cinema club
With Naked Cinema Club, we want to strip cinema to its core.
We are looking to connect to an intimate, revealing and radical side of watching movies. The goal is not to unveil true cinema, in the ways of an old dusty cinephilia (cringe), but to reconnect with what, in the movies, feels like genuine fun. Even if our nerdiness and an occasional academic background will certainly have an effect on our views, the main goal is to find intellectual spontaneity, bringing ourselves to the table and experimenting.
The Problem
It has become a cultural commonplace that sex scenes in film are a touchy subject right now. Either because millennials are still too affected by #MeToo, or because of Gen Z’s new sensibilities, or simply because more films are aiming for a PG-13 rating, things are changing for how bodies and sex are represented. At the same time, it feels like alternative lifestyles have never been more visible on screen: queer communities, LGBT love stories, and even tasteful BDSM dramas are getting to public discussion. Something is shifting in how we depict intimacy on screen, and while it feels like it’s right there, it’s not always obvious what it is or where it comes from; it’s a messy period of transition. If cinema is how society dreams of itself, this shift feels like a symptom that something is also changing in the culture at large.
After much discussion over dinner following our movie nights, we’ve decided to take the conversation public, hoping to connect with both the cinephile and queer communities.
As we discussed the rules of the game, some guidelines emerged naturally.
rules of the game
01
We will aim for queer, non-normative, weird movies.
Movies are immersive empathy machines: they force you to look at the world through somebody else's eyes and to listen. If they once were and probably still are used to normalize oppression, for us, they have the power to show that things can be different, dirtier, more colorful, less "adequate", and that in this we are not alone. We will prefer movies that give us insights about our bodies, our sexualities and identities, and our position in the world. We're not afraid of popular culture, such as dumb comedies or trendy horror movies, just as we don't run away from more demanding movies if they actually have something to say. We will look for the hidden gems and the underrated while throwing a new perspective on the classics that deserve it. And when we eventually drop a word about more normative movies, it will be through queer lenses. Our perspective is progressive, anticapitalist, and pro-difference. This won't necessarily determine which movies we choose, as we'll often cover industrial films too, but our approach will always bring references or angles that take a side.
02
We will explore our transcultural perspectives.
One of us is a North American, with an insider perspective on the cultural and economic context of mainstream cinema. The other comes from South America, with an academic perspective on uncentered cinematic landscapes. We both have the privilege of living in the Old Continent, in a great city that gives us easy access to festivals, institutions and events, and we are both very curious pervs, taking a peek at everything new that comes up. This crisscross of cultural perspectives is part of our personal relationship and everyday life, and we hope to bring that richness into our texts.
03
We will bring who we are to our writing.
At the end of the day, cinema is about creating bonds: between a filmmaker and their public, between a critic and their readers, or between a community of amateurs. For that, we need to bring a little bit of who we are, of our personal history, our baggage, our values, passions and obsessions. We are not trying to be something we are not, in order to fit whatever image of what a cultural critic should be. So it won't matter if it's vulgar, if it doesn't follow the codes, if it's clumsy here and there. Naked Cinema Club is a space for us to find our voices and to explore, as shamelessly as possible.
Maybe we will find more concrete rules as we go, but for now, we're settling on one long(er) text a week (one week Robby, one week Catarina) plus shorter reviews every Thursday to give you a hint on what to watch for the weekend.
This will probably change: we want interviews, guests, videos, everything!, but that depends on how our rhythm evolves.
Thanks for joining us.
Robby Nichols
Robby Nichols is a film obsessive, photographer, and former Blockbuster Video clerk, currently living out every creative's dream of working in digital marketing. As a content creator, his work has been featured on SportsCenter, UNILAD, NBC Chicago, CBS Philadelphia, ABC 7 Chicago, FOX 32 Chicago, TimeOut Chicago, Visit Philly, Discover PHL, Choose Chicago, and the Philly Current. You can find him on his phone or with his dog, Evie.
Catarina Bassotti
Catarina Bassotti had many lives, including screenwriter, cinema professor and goth teenager. She's currently trying to murder her academic personality by finishing her PhD in Film Studies, in order to finally become a multimedia butterfly. She's Brazilian, drawn to intense movies, has low tolerance for biopics, and sees cinema as a way to connect with people.