Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film

by Erin Harrington

Women occupy a privileged place in horror film. Horror is a space of entertainment and excitement, of terror and dread, and one that relishes in the complexities that arise when boundaries - of taste, of bodies, of reason - are blurred and dismantled. It is also a site of expression and exploration that leverages the narrative and aesthetic horrors of the reproductive, the maternal and the sexual to expose the underpinnings of the social, political and philosophical othering of women. This book offers an in depth analysis of women in horror films through an exploration of 'gynaehorror' films concerned with all aspects of female reproductive horror, from reproductive and sexual organs, to virginity, pregnancy, birth, motherhood, and finally to menopause. Some of the themes explored include: the intersection of horror, monstrosity and sexual difference; the relationships between normative female (hetero)sexuality and the twin figures of the chaste virgin and the voracious vagina dentata; embodiment and subjectivity in horror films about pregnancy and abortion; reproductive technologies, monstrosity and 'mad science'; the discursive construction and interrogation of monstrous motherhood; and the relationships between menopause, menstruation, hagsploitation and 'abject barren' bodies in horror.



The book not only offers a feminist interrogation of gynaehorror, but also a counter-reading of the gynaehorrific, that both accounts for and opens up new spaces of productive, radical and subversive monstrosity within a mode of representation and expression that has often been accused of being misogynistic. It therefore makes a unique contribution to the study of women in horror film specifically, while also providing new insights in the broader area of popular culture, gender and film philosophy.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Film, Feminism, Horror Thriller, Politics, Gender and Sexuality

290 pages, Hardcover

Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[Amanda Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book really builds on top of other feminist studies of the horror genre and occasionally makes reference to those works - "The Monstrous Feminine", "Men, Women & Chainsaws", etc. Most chapters provided me with some ideas that I have either thought about in passing but could not properly voice or articulated new ideas that now inform my film-watching experience. I still think about the passages in the pregnancy chapter, specifically with reference to the parallels between womb-space and home-space in Rosemary's Baby.

I was expecting an academic text and that's exactly what this is, although I'm sure most readers/horror fans can find something useful here. I definitely benefitted from having some previous experience with continental philosophy and process theory, especially when it comes to Deleuze and Guatarri's ideas.

While the author mentions in the introduction that horror films largely work within a heteronormative space and therefore queer theory would be left out of the gynaehorror framework, I was disappointed because even passing mentions of trans women or genderqueer people could have been included and may have benefitted the framework. There are chapters on Reproductive Technologies (featuring films like Splice) and Barren bodies (with mention of AHS) specifically that may have better incorporated some of these ideas.

I enjoyed most essays with the exception of the final one, on the abject barren body. The author mentions that there are two main types of barren bodies - those that are actively experiencing a period (and therefore are less likely to be fertilised) and those that are past the age of menstruating. I think this ignores those women who are barren for any other reason.

With respect to aged women, the author points out that there is a distinct lack of the aged feminine in horror movies but then this section is immediately followed by a plethora of sub-genre and t.v. examples that feature the menopausal and post-menopausal. I just feel like the argument is completely undermined, even if there are still less examples of older women in horror than younger (and fertile) ones. Overall, this chapter just didn't flow cohesively like the other ones but it felt like something had to be said about older women to complete the collection of essays following the women in horror from puberty through a heteronormative woman's typical lifecycle.

Overall, a very nice collection. I'm glad to have read this.

[Zanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

what can i say. insightful but academic language my enemy.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a little more broadly focused in parts than I'd have preferred, this is still a largely fascinating account of women in horror films, centred around how their reproductive systems and sexuality are presented in those films. There's a wide range of examples used to illustrate the author's conclusions, and her close readings of the many texts are the best part of what is a very interesting book. Full disclosure: I got a free advance copy of the book, and the resulting full review will be coming out soon in Strange Horizons. I'll edit in the link when it appears.

Update: link to SH review here:
http://strangehorizons.com/non-fictio...

[Rachael Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant, and as an MFA who took PhD english classes, i’m realizing why i go that direction instead of a PhD who took MFA classes. I wanted the human element a lot more and craved personal connection — maybe i just want this to be The House of Psychotic Women. womanhood is not just fertility and its discrete parts, though maybe horror comes from becoming exactly and only that. i liked this better than scream with me because it asked more from me as a reader, it didn’t just summarize plot. i suppose the gap im finding in what i’m reading is what i have to write toward.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not necessarily convinced that the later chapters make the best use of analysis to unveil gynaehorror’s depths to their fullest extent nor do I leave feeling wholly convinced about the author’s challenge to Barbara Creed’s conception of monstrous mother, but Erin Harrington blends Deluzean theory with feminist studies to produce readings that, while lacking in intersectionality, do offer a challenge to the reductionist view of women in horror that defaults to the perpetuation of conservative ideology.

[luiza]

there’s some brilliant film theory and criticism here, particularly in the chapter about monstrous mothers. a must-read for every feminist who enjoys horror & gore

contrary to other reviews, i did not find the writing difficult/too academic, but i guess it could be kind of harsh if you have not ready anything by freud or kristeva

[Holly Wedgwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers: the real monster is the men