Horror Chat Horror Thesis - Help Wanted!

Strangerbyday

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Jun 4, 2015
2,749
Ireland
Hi Ninjas!

I'm a final year university student studying TV & Media. I'm in the processes of planning my thesis & have (almost) settled on the topic "How Women Are Presented Within The Sub-Genre's of Horror".

I was wondering if my fellow board members here could offer some suggestions for horror movies with strong female characters, or, alternatively, movies where women are not portrayed very well.
I know this is a bit of a broad question, but in the interest of trying to narrow things down, I'm focusing specifically on english language movies from the time period of 1970 to present. (Again, I know thats a bit broad.)

Also, I'm looking for any books, essays or articles on the topic that ye can share with me.

Any advice or suggestions ye can give would be much appreciated!
 

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starters for 10

Halloween
Friday the 13th
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Hellraiser

all of those have strong female leads
 
Hellraiser 2 better lead with Isobel

Sundown Vampire In Retreat

ALIEN Series Ripley ,

Terminator Sarha Conner .

Misery ohh how un nerving is Annie Wilkes .

Silence Of The Lambs Clarice Starling .

Nightbreed Lorri is a real good one .

Plenty of bimbos ohh being cased by an axe murderer run into this house. Ohh he lives here

Texas Chainsaw Massicare

Nightmare On Elm Street Heather Langencamp known more for her scream than performance .

Bram Stoker's Dacula ohh I'm female swoon .

Hang on @nefilim @C.C. 95 @wyatt03 @Noodles @PunkNinja @Steelselecta @luke98

Any ideas gang we have A Ninja who needs a degree . THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU IN ADVANCE GUYS :kiss: :kiss: .
 
And you want another movie, I spit on your grave, original and remake. What the main lead goes through is harrowing, but her revenge is ...... well, you will have to watch it to find out!!
 
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The original I spit on your grave is an interesting one as it shows both sides. The women is at the beginning vulnerable but very strong by the end. Neve Campbell from the Scream movies is another strong character.
 
Hello , here are some strong female leads, I hope it helps


Copycat
Suspiria
[REC]
The Fog
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane
Deep Red
The Blob
The Conjuring
Underworld
Byzantium
Carrie
The Descent
Halloween
The Silence of the Lambs
Alien Series
The Purge
May
Night of the Comet
I Spit on Your Grave
Hard Candy
The Beast
The Woman,
A Girl Walks Home at Night
Jennifer’s Body
Scream
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
You’re Next
Resident Evil
 
Ghostbusters 1 and 2 the marvellous Lady Weaver again.

Stigmata is a good one Patricia Arquette she had a good turn in Nightmare On Elm Steet 3 Dream Warriors.

Walking Dead AND Z Nation t.v wise both deserve a mention for the charicture development of female leads . Some interesting stuff thire especially with Carol .

Ohhh The Fog original John Carpenter worth a mention for sure .
 
Thanks guys, keep the suggestions coming!

There's a few here that I hadn't even thought of (embarrassed to say I had somehow left Carrie out of my research list.)

I ordered Men, Women & Chainsaws this morning but didn't know about the other Carol J. Clover piece, will have to try to get my hands on that.
I also ordered a book called The Dread of Difference which is just a collection of essays, its supposed to be pretty good. And I'm looking at another called House of Psychotic Women by Kier-La Janisse which sounds very interesting.
 
one thing that comes to my mind is exorcisim movies, there are plenty of them - don't just mean the exorcist. but mostly the persons with demonic possession are women ! why ?

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057306227/

do we, men, some how project our feelings, fears etc toward women in these movies. makers/writers are usually men.

what say thee @Paperinukke @Scary Hair @C.C. 95 ?!

We have always been portrayed as a weaker feeble minded by history . This in my opinion has a lot to do with religion .

Yhea Religion

Why my point's are this

Witch triles that any woman with lands money power could not have managed it by hard work alone . Demonic Possession must have something to do with it .

Male authority became the norm as women need time to have children if they choose to . That means for a bit you need time off even back in the middle ages .

The church has always had a fear of women as they have the power of creation .

So down through the ages It has been men who are free to walk away from a domestic situation as they are seen as providers rarther than nurture's . As blokes don't produce lactate produce milk in English .

Exorcist that is my idea of a comedy . Just laughable GRAB THE KID AND RUN , SOD THAT ONE RUN .
 
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We have always been portrayed as a weaker feeble minded by history . This in my opinion has a lot to do with religion .

Yhea Religion

Why my point's are this

Witch triles that any woman with lands money power could not have managed it by hard work alone . Demonic Possession must have something to do with it .

Male authority became the norm as women need time to have children if they choose to . That means for a bit you need time off even back in the middle ages .

The church has always had a fear of women as they have the power of creation .

So down through the ages It has been men who are free to walk away from a domestic situation as they are seen as providers rarther than nurture's . As blokes don't produce lactate produce milk in English .

Exorcist that is my idea of a comedy . Just laughable GRAB THE KID AND RUN , SOD THAT ONE RUN .

thank you !

IMO it's sad thing that women are not interested in forums like this. would like to have they opinion more often.

again, thank you @Scary Hair
 
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one thing that comes to my mind is exorcisim movies, there are plenty of them - don't just mean the exorcist. but mostly the persons with demonic possession are women ! why ?

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057306227/

do we, men, some how project our feelings, fears etc toward women in these movies. makers/writers are usually men.

what say thee @Paperinukke @Scary Hair @C.C. 95 ?!
I do like Ann @Scary Hair 's answer. But that opens up a WHOLE lotta discussion that can't be done here unless you want your hands to be crippled forever! Some debate cannot be typed unless we all start writing books as responses. Just to be devil's advocate (no pun intended)- maybe it could be because (like in The Exorcist) what is frightening is the corruption of something pure and beautiful, like a young girl or woman. Very much a Spiritual and Metaphysical (as well as physical) raping of the soul. When some of us think of the worst that could happen- I think we think first of our mothers and daughters and the harm that could come to them. While men do have a more animal instinct, we also have a fierce instinct to protect our young and our significant others.
When I think of the worst, it would be something happening to my sisters or mother or girlfriend. I think that trope works in religious horror for a very simple reason: the horrifying corruption of innocence- and we see all that is innocent and good in the female gender. (keep in mind I am talking about films with exorcism and demon themes- straight up women in peril horror is a totally different affair).
;)
 
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I do like Ann @Scary Hair 's answer. But that opens up a WHOLE lotta discussion that can't be done here unless you want your hands to be crippled forever! Some debate cannot be typed unless we all start writing books as responses. Just to be devil's advocate (no pun intended)- maybe it could be because (like in The Exorcist) what is frightening is the corruption of something pure and beautiful, like a young girl or woman. Very much a Spiritual and Metaphysical (as well as physical) raping of the soul. When some of us think of the worst that could happen- I think we think first of our mothers and daughters and the harm that could come to them. While men do have a more animal instinct, we also have a fierce instinct to protect our young and our significant others.
When I think of the worst, it would be something happening to my sisters or mother or girlfriend. I think that trope works in religious horror for a very simple reason: the horrifying corruption of innocence- and we see all that is innocent and good in the female gender. (keep in mind I am talking about films with exorcism and demon themes- straight up women in peril horror is a totally different affair).
;)

Yhea so that noted FOOKING RUN , LEG IT GET OUT . Now different thing if it follows you . If it's in the house with you RUN .

See it's convenient for it to be a woman because of the imaculate conception theam.

For me cheep way of shocks and thrills to get a cute girlie girl relaying on a savoir. The way to get bums on seats cutie pie girl big boobs being violated . Male driven ideals .

Like the Exorsist ohh run or I'll get this candlestick and go and have a look .

Don't happen love grab a pitch folk , crow bar , lump hamer Cursifix and Holy water if you must I'd take any of the first 3 over the last 2 .

Sometimes that is what makes me so anoyed with horror make it belivable to all .
 
one thing that comes to my mind is exorcisim movies, there are plenty of them - don't just mean the exorcist. but mostly the persons with demonic possession are women ! why ?

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057306227/

do we, men, some how project our feelings, fears etc toward women in these movies. makers/writers are usually men.

what say thee @Paperinukke @Scary Hair @C.C. 95 ?!

I agree with what @C.C. 95 said about this, women can easily be viewed as something beautiful and innocent, a "pure" being. When a demon takes control of the character's body it's poetic when something harmless and sweet like that gets totally corrupted and twisted. The same effect couldn't be achieved with men who are masculine and strong. It gives these stories a different contrast when a fragile little girl/young woman gets possessed. At the same time it can be more scary: Men ain't hard to be seen as a threat if they're masculine and strong, that's why it's a good way to transform "harmless" women into something terrifying and capable of doing most terrible things This is a topic one could continue talking about, but that is my main view. Of course you could talk about the sexism in those thoughts too.
 
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