Directed and written by: Allison de Fren
Narrated by: Julie Newmar
It is no secret that I have somewhat of an obsession with RealDolls – the $6,000 life-size sex toy – and the whole idea/fetish surrounding them. I'm constantly hunting down films that creatively explore the topic, such as Love Object, Lars and the Real Girl and Air Doll. So, when I saw the trailer for The Mechanical Bride, Allison de Fren's documentary on the topic, I knew I had to see it.
As is often the case with "pop" documentaries about alternative lifestyles and sexuality, I was expecting The Mechanical Bride either to rely on shock value by exploiting its participants for entertainment purposes or to take a critical/judgmental approach to the topic. I'm happy to report that was I wrong.
Instead, de Fren takes an anthropological approach, skillfully providing an overview of this fascinating "fetish" while trying to...
Narrated by: Julie Newmar
It is no secret that I have somewhat of an obsession with RealDolls – the $6,000 life-size sex toy – and the whole idea/fetish surrounding them. I'm constantly hunting down films that creatively explore the topic, such as Love Object, Lars and the Real Girl and Air Doll. So, when I saw the trailer for The Mechanical Bride, Allison de Fren's documentary on the topic, I knew I had to see it.
As is often the case with "pop" documentaries about alternative lifestyles and sexuality, I was expecting The Mechanical Bride either to rely on shock value by exploiting its participants for entertainment purposes or to take a critical/judgmental approach to the topic. I'm happy to report that was I wrong.
Instead, de Fren takes an anthropological approach, skillfully providing an overview of this fascinating "fetish" while trying to...
- 8/16/2012
- by MaudeM
- Planet Fury
The Mechanical Bride
Directed by Allison de Fren
USA, 2012
The Mechanical Bride is a documentary about men who love “artificial” women. The focus is limited to people in love with objects that take the form of people, and this helps maintain its focus. What sets this film apart from an episode of “Strange Sex” on TLC is the intelligence and sensitivity in which it approaches its subject. This is not a feature meant to showcase “freaks” but take a sincere look at why some people turn away from humanity and develop emotional relationships with inanimate versions of women. Rather than merely bolstering arguments, the interviews in the film bring a unique human element that transcends words, bringing a new level of intimacy to these men’s experience.
The evolution of ideas, concepts and relationships with these objects is intelligent and effortless. The film truly comes together as a well-written book or thesis might,...
Directed by Allison de Fren
USA, 2012
The Mechanical Bride is a documentary about men who love “artificial” women. The focus is limited to people in love with objects that take the form of people, and this helps maintain its focus. What sets this film apart from an episode of “Strange Sex” on TLC is the intelligence and sensitivity in which it approaches its subject. This is not a feature meant to showcase “freaks” but take a sincere look at why some people turn away from humanity and develop emotional relationships with inanimate versions of women. Rather than merely bolstering arguments, the interviews in the film bring a unique human element that transcends words, bringing a new level of intimacy to these men’s experience.
The evolution of ideas, concepts and relationships with these objects is intelligent and effortless. The film truly comes together as a well-written book or thesis might,...
- 8/1/2012
- by Justine
- SoundOnSight
The Mechanical Bride
Directed by Allison de Fren
USA, 2012
The Fantasia International Film Festival is not only about martial arts epics, boundary-pushing horror films and balls-out weird fantasy films. It has consistently showcased cutting edged documentaries, which have turned out to be some of the best films of the fest (Marwencol, featured in the 2010 edition of the festival was easily among the best of the year). This year they have one of their strongest line-ups yet, featuring an eclectic crop of topics, filmmakers and approaches. The Mechanical Bride, a documentary about men who love “artificial” women. The documentary’s focus is limited to people in love with objects that take the form of people, and this helps maintain its focus.
What sets this film apart from an episode of “Strange Sex” on TLC or similar shows is the intelligence and sensitivity in which it approaches its subject. This is not...
Directed by Allison de Fren
USA, 2012
The Fantasia International Film Festival is not only about martial arts epics, boundary-pushing horror films and balls-out weird fantasy films. It has consistently showcased cutting edged documentaries, which have turned out to be some of the best films of the fest (Marwencol, featured in the 2010 edition of the festival was easily among the best of the year). This year they have one of their strongest line-ups yet, featuring an eclectic crop of topics, filmmakers and approaches. The Mechanical Bride, a documentary about men who love “artificial” women. The documentary’s focus is limited to people in love with objects that take the form of people, and this helps maintain its focus.
What sets this film apart from an episode of “Strange Sex” on TLC or similar shows is the intelligence and sensitivity in which it approaches its subject. This is not...
- 7/29/2012
- by Justine
- SoundOnSight
Since the myth of Pygmalion, men have attempted to create the 'perfect' woman. This woman is usually beautiful, with orafices ready for sex, and above all, silent. Allison de Fren, a media & film studies scholar working in the fields of embodiment and technology, explores current technological advances in sex dolls and companions in her first feature documentary The Mechanical Bride. It is arguably the most terrifying film I have seen in a long time.De Fren presents a series of interviews with subjects who range from inventors, photographers, scholars, and even a collector or two of these dolls, on the how, and most importantly the why. The technology is advancing to the point where these dolls, while clearly never able to completely replicate the look...
- 5/6/2012
- Screen Anarchy
In a new piece provocatively titled “Robots: The Gateway to ‘Mind-Blowing Sex’?“, John Roach explores the idea that robotic sex partners might revolutionize not just the personal experience, but societal problems as well. The base idea is that the existence of a robotic alternative could greatly reduce the demand for living women in prostitution. Good luck with that. While James Cameron is mining space asteroids, the conversation has just started about the role AI and sex dolls will play in our culture. Hell, even House touched on the topic. If they can fight our wars for us, why can’t they provide companionship in all its forms? Director Allison de Fren is exploring those questions, but she’s also proving that our fascination has been around for centuries in The Mechanical Bride. The documentary focuses on the history of sexualized non-human entities and the psychological elements that go into a world’s fascination with loving something that...
- 4/27/2012
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
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