Women of the board, how do your favorite horror movies and books differ from the guys

[Dr.Kelvinstein]

The How Are Women Treated in Slasher Films thread has started on an interesting route, and I thought those ideas might be expanded upon here. The guys here generally tend to praise Freddy, Mchael, and an endless horde of interchangeable slashers that generally have one thing in common: they kill girls, usually with sharp, penetrating objects. I bet women have a whole different spin on the genre. I bet we'll find more pathos, dark romances, and doomed love (a favorite of Gothic novelists). So come on, enlighten us.

When Jane Austen wrote Northanger Abbey, her parody of the Gothic novel and the popular horror of her day, she said that it was a well understood fact that most of the genre's readers were young girls (Anne Radcilffe being the most popular novelist of the time), but I think it all branched off into another direction after the mysogony in Stoker's Dracula. Any comments?

[avenged_soul]

girls are better, duh. no, i dunno because everyones' take on horror is different, so its near impossible for neone to answer!

[bloodrayne]

Originally posted by Dr.Kelvinstein
The How Are Women Treated in Slasher Films thread has started on an interesting route, and I thought those ideas might be expanded upon here. The guys here generally tend to praise Freddy, Mchael, and an endless horde of interchangeable slashers that generally have one thing in common: they kill girls, usually with sharp, penetrating objects. I bet women have a whole different spin on the genre. I bet we'll find more pathos, dark romances, and doomed love (a favorite of Gothic novelists). So come on, enlighten us.

When Jane Austen wrote Northanger Abbey, her parody of the Gothic novel and the popular horror of her day, she said that it was a well understood fact that most of the genre's readers were young girls (Anne Radcilffe being the most popular novelist of the time), but I think it all branched off into another direction after the mysogony in Stoker's Dracula. Any comments?

The reason that I personally don't prefer "slashers" is that I tend to appreciate something with a little more creativity and imagination...NOT romance...You can keep the romance completely out of MY horror movies...Replace it with something bloody...Better yet...I prefer psychological terror overall (Still want the blood, guts, and gore, too though)

[mudsliptones]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
The reason that I personally don't prefer "slashers" is that I tend to appreciate something with a little more creativity and imagination...NOT romance...You can keep the romance completely out of MY horror movies...Replace it with something bloody...Better yet...I prefer psychological terror overall (Still want the blood, guts, and gore, too though)

yes!!!! thank you
what the fuck do I care wether the guy loses the gril in the end, boefuckinghoe, like jeepers creepers, worked perfectly

[Haunted]

I'm acknowledging this question. I'm going to have to think about it.

Well... I see your point Dr. K. As a feminist, I find it inherently promblematic that the male killer penetrates the female body. It is a dark and bold statement and it IS rapacious.

Not only do these films portray the female in a weak an needy role, but often times she is in the act of sex, which society practically screams the fact that women should not be open with their sexuality. The killers themselves are not sexual, but their knives are. This is all theory, you understand.

Now, I don't think that writers, directors, and producers of said films set out to demonize and destruct the woman. Most theorists will tell you that this is a subconscious issue. I don't feel like I can make that judgement call about said writers, directors, and producers, because it's also a fact that sex sales.

If you look at horror audiences, men have been the majority so of course there are going to be a lot of scantily clad women.

There are lots of great books on the subject. Feminist theory was not my strong point. I got more into Feminist Theo/Thealogy. That's where I'm the strongest.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Haunted
I'm acknowledging this question. I'm going to have to think about it.

Well... I see your point Dr. K. As a feminist, I find it inherently promblematic that the male killer penetrates the female body. It is a dark and bold statement and it IS rapacious.

Not only do these films portray the female in a weak an needy role, but often times she is in the act of sex, which society practically screams the fact that women should not be open with their sexuality. The killers themselves are not sexual, but their knives are. This is all theory, you understand.

Now, I don't think that writers, directors, and producers of said films set out to demonize and destruct the woman. Most theorists will tell you that this is a subconscious issue. I don't feel like I can make that judgement call about said writers, directors, and producers, because it's also a fact that sex sales.

If you look at horror audiences, men have been the majority so of course there are going to be a lot of scantily clad women.

There are lots of great books on the subject. Feminist theory was not my strong point. I got more into Feminist Theo/Thealogy. That's where I'm the strongest.

Well, I have a slightly different view of slasher movies. In most of the ones I have seen, the killer doesn't just run around stabbing women, he kills guys too. Remember the original NOES? Freddy used Johnny Depp to paint the celing. LOL Also, in Halloween 5, there is a couple having sex in a barn. The Shape kills the guy first, by stabbing him in the back with a pitchfork, right when he's getting off. LOL THEN he kills the girl. John Carpenter once said that the concept wasn't about punishing sexualy active teens. Its about the revenge of the repressed. In other words, The Shape cant get any, so he isnt going to let anybody else either. LOL Anyway, my basic point here, is that slasher films have both male and female victims. My only problem with them is there isnt enough female killers and/or monsters.

[Sam The Egg]

Freddy used Johnny Depp to paint the celing.
The guys do seem to get the more gruesome deaths in horror movies.

[swiftdeath]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
The reason that I personally don't prefer "slashers" is that I tend to appreciate something with a little more creativity and imagination...NOT romance...You can keep the romance completely out of MY horror movies...Replace it with something bloody...Better yet...I prefer psychological terror overall (Still want the blood, guts, and gore, too though)

I agree completly with bloodrayne.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
The guys do seem to get the more gruesome deaths in horror movies.

Actualy, the girl at the first, Tina, got an equaly gruesome death.

[Sam The Egg]

her death was more violent, yes, but getting dragged into the bed and then a geyser of blood shooting up is a bit more gruesome and suggestive.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
her death was more violent, yes, but getting dragged into the bed and then a geyser of blood shooting up is a bit more gruesome and suggestive.

All I know is both of them made a good mess of their bedrooms. LOL Oh, what did you mean by "suggestive"?

[Sam The Egg]

it suggests that something more than a simple stabbing with claws must've happened while he was in there.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
it suggests that something more than a simple stabbing with claws must've happened while he was in there.

Yeah, but what? LOL I never could figure that one out.

[Sam The Egg]

hence the suggestiveness of the kill.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
hence the suggestiveness of the kill.

Well, I know that. I mean, what could possibly make all of that blood spray up out of the bed? In your opinion.

[Sam The Egg]

well, I don't think the human body has that much in it at one time, so nothing.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
well, I don't think the human body has that much in it at one time, so nothing.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty riddiculas. Too much blood.

[Sam The Egg]

but gruesome nonetheless. It makes up for his pseudo-hippie new age bullshit throughout the movie.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
but gruesome nonetheless. It makes up for his pseudo-hippie new age bullshit throughout the movie.

pseudo-hippie new age bullshit? I think I missed that part...uh..er...or something. :confused:

[Sam The Egg]

all that stuff he was saying throught the movie. It's where she got the idea to take away his power.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
all that stuff he was saying throught the movie. It's where she got the idea to take away his power.

Oh, I never viewed that as hippie-ish. Well, nevertheless, what he said is true. ;)

[Dr.Kelvinstein]

Men (boys?) are killed in slasher films as frequently as girls, but they're killed much quicker--and their bodies are usually found by the girls, simply to heighten the amount of torture the girl goes through before she is eventually killed. The girls are chased, cut, and terrorized much more than the males. All this is of course "foreplay" in terms of what is going on up on the screen.

Hooper acknowledged this in TCM when Sally offers to have sex with The Family; what she doesn't realize is that by their terms, they already ARE. He also addresses this in 2 when Leatherface prods the girl with his saw, and then again in Funhose when the girl offers her body to the killer if he'll let her live (but he kills her---having his cake and eating it, too).

And as Argento said: "Killing is a sexual act. I like women so my killers kill women."

In the old days of Hollywood, a man could kill another man on screen, but not a woman. Not because it was conisdered meaner, but it was too much like showing sex. Dracula couldn't go for a man's neck on screen because it was deemed gay.

I'm NOT saying I agree with old Hollywood's ruling, simply that killing, at least on a subconcsious level, is seen by many man as sexual act---if not even a sexial fantasy. And I DO think the more violent slashers play on this. Just look at those bozoes who paid three thousand bucks to go on Bambi hunts, chasing naked women through the woods and shooting them with paint guns.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Dr.Kelvinstein
Men (boys?) are killed in slasher films as frequently as girls, but they're killed much quicker--and their bodies are usually found by the girls, simply to heighten the amount of torture the girl goes through before she is eventually killed. The girls are chased, cut, and terrorized much more than the males. All this is of course "foreplay" in terms of what is going on up on the screen.

Hooper acknowledged this in TCM when Sally offers to have sex with The Family; what she doesn't realize is that by their terms, they already ARE. He also addresses this in 2 when Leatherface prods the girl with his saw, and then again in Funhose when the girl offers her body to the killer if he'll let her live (but he kills her---having his cake and eating it, too).

And as Argento said: "Killing is a sexual act. I like women so my killers kill women."

In the old days of Hollywood, a man could kill another man on screen, but not a woman. Not because it was conisdered meaner, but it was too much like showing sex. Dracula couldn't go for a man's neck on screen because it was deemed gay.

I'm NOT saying I agree with old Hollywood's ruling, simply that killing, at least on a subconcsious level, is seen by many man as sexual act---if not even a sexial fantasy. And I DO think the more violent slashers play on this. Just look at those bozoes who paid three thousand bucks to go on Bambi hunts, chasing naked women through the woods and shooting them with paint guns.

Well, I understand what your saying, to a point. But let me first correct you about Funhouse. The girl offers to have sex with the monster, so it wont kill her. But, when he is kissing on her neck and such, she stabs the monster in the back with some sort of sharp object, and THAT is why he kills her. As for men being the only ones who get sexualy excited by violence, I STRONGLY DISAGREE. I have to admit that I get pretty horny watching Terry O'Quinn throw his weight around in both Stepfather movies. I ecspecialy enjoyed watching him kill that one womans ex husband in the second one. Hehe Guess I'm just an evil bitch.
:cool:

[abbycomix]

I am apathetic towards the slashers because I feel they don't have enough personality for me. I am a fan of camp and over-the-top humorous gore. I like the first Hellraiser movie, I like Evil Dead series, zombie movies, and Peter Jackson's earlier works. I like pinhead over the other slashers because he talks, I like his concept. A 'silent killer' may be more scary but I watch these movies more to be entertained than scared really. I also like it when there are original ideas or good execution. ie: I liked Martin for the characterization.
I do think some slasher movies prolong the women's torture to give the male audience some kind of titillation. I feel uncomfortable seeing women (and men) brutalized, if there is no plot movement and if there is no substance to the character and she's obviously there just to be killed. I like to look at cute guys, but I wasn't titillated by Derry's fear in Jeeper's creepers. I just liked to see him on-screen. Most guys like to look at cute topless girls, so throw some in there and get more viewers. Easy enough formula, so they do it. It is creepy to think all these guys are out there turned on by watching violence towards women, but I don't think that's really how most men react to it. There's some kind of connection, but I doubt it's as clear-cut as that. Anyway I hope not!
It's much harder to come up with good ideas than gratuitous nudity as 'fan service'. Also in slashers, more often than not, the 'final girl' emerges as the heroine and beats the monster. They just have to make some more where she's not a virgin because it really does seem to put this message across that sexually active women (and men) are somehow being punished brutally. There have been quite a few books on the subject of the 'final girl'.

[Dr.Kelvinstein]

Yes, there have been a lot of good books on the Final Girl complex, and I'll take this moment to again recommend Clover's Men, Women, and Chain Saws. In my opinon, this kind of literate direction is the route all new genre books should take. I was very impressed.

[CUTtoTHEchase]

First off, let me say that I'm a guy, I checked out this thread to see the female opinion of horror films and I think that the "Killer" in the film is really like a "do-gooder" he kills men and women who have sex and get undressed and skinny dip or what ever because pre-maridal sex has been a sin since religion was created, Jason kills teens having sex because he drowned while the counselors were screwing. he also kills them while they're having sex because they are preocupied and don't expect to be killed.
If I were a Director, I would hate to tell a girl to get undressed so that the movie will sell
I personally am tired of those stupid horror movie rules, it makes them to predictable.
Leave nudity to porn and Sex and the City

[jay o2 waster]

Originally posted by CUTtoTHEchase
First off, let me say that I'm a guy, I checked out this thread to see the female opinion of horror films and I think that the "Killer" in the film is really like a "do-gooder" he kills men and women who have sex and get undressed and skinny dip or what ever because pre-maridal sex has been a sin since religion was created, Jason kills teens having sex because he drowned while the counselors were screwing. he also kills them while they're having sex because they are preocupied and don't expect to be killed.
If I were a Director, I would hate to tell a girl to get undressed so that the movie will sell
I personally am tired of those stupid horror movie rules, it makes them to predictable.
Leave nudity to porn and Sex and the City

[Freddy Krueger.]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
The reason that I personally don't prefer "slashers" is that I tend to appreciate something with a little more creativity and imagination...NOT romance...You can keep the romance completely out of MY horror movies...Replace it with something bloody...Better yet...I prefer psychological terror overall (Still want the blood, guts, and gore, too though) Amen.

[Freddy Krueger.]

Originally posted by CUTtoTHEchase
First off, let me say that I'm a guy
A guy with a female as an Avatar... riiight...

Originally posted by CUTtoTHEchase
he kills men and women who have sex and get undressed and skinny dip or what ever because pre-maridal sex has been a sin since religion was created.
So? Who give's a shit?
Originally posted by CUTtoTHEchase
If I were a Director, I would hate to tell a girl to get undressed so that the movie will sell
Ok, thats it. It's Official, you're a fag.

[bwind22]

Uhhhhhhhhhhh...............

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/jeffcruz/misc/thisthreadsucksblowjob.gif

Because

1) 50% of the human race is female so it makes sense that they'd get killed in roughly the same amount ratio in any given situation. (including a horror movie.)

2) Stabbing someone with a knife is not sexually suggestive unless you are a deranged lunatic. The killer is not saying he wants to have 'sex' with the victim just because he stabs them. The fact that the killer 'gets off' on their crime is irrelevant, they still are not having sex. He is saying he wants to kill them. If a knife impalement carries a sexual undertone based solely on the fact that its is a fallic object being thrust 'into' someone then...
A) Michael Myers wants to be a sister fucker.
B) Freddy Krueger is super gay because he's 'stabbed' lots of guys.
C) Just think about what it means for The Tall Man! He sends his silver ball at people to penetrate them!

3) Someone already said this, but it was a good point. The majority of horror fans were predominantly male, explaining why the older films tend to feature more scantly clad women. It is also why the newer ones tend to feature more and more dudes with their shirts off. They realize that more and more females are gaining interest in horror and they are adjusting accordingly. Sex sells.

[CUTtoTHEchase]

Originally posted by Freddy Krueger.
A guy with a female as an Avatar... riiight...


So? Who give's a shit?

Ok, thats it. It's Official, you're a fag.


Wow, "I'm a Fag?" That's so fucking original.
How long did it take you to come up with that one? I'm surprized you didn't call me a retard while you were at it. Why don't you have your mommy wash your mouth out with soap?

For fuck sake come up with something better than that shit!