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.