Ladies of Horror: Prevenge

Written by Cat Wilson of catthewilson.com
Today’s pick is the horror comedy slasher, Prevenge. This film was written, directed and starred by Alice Lowe all while she was actually pregnant. In most women lead revenge films such as Kill Bill or the 2017 aptly named film Revenge, the women are usually first raped and beaten and left for dead, while men lead films Taken or John Wick the violence they experience is more vicarious, because it happens to “their” women, family or dog. Not so with Prevenge, which has as it’s premise that the main character Ruth is being goaded to murder by her unborn child. Ruth character emulates a mythical fury dealing out bloody justice to those who have wronged her. When asked if this film was feminist, Alice Lowe replied

Really if this film has any agenda, it would be to say, "You might think you can't identify with this person because they're a different age to you, or a different race, or a different gender, or a different situation because they're pregnant, but actually by the end of it, why can't you identify with this person?"

Ladies of Horror: You're Next

Written by Cat Wilson of catthewilson.com

In many slashers the Final Girl survives because she is lucky, virginal or simply the main character. Not so with You’re Next. This movie is about the mistaken assumption that heroine, Erin, will be helpless when she is anything but. Raised on an Australian survivalists compound, Erin is brave, competent, resourceful while at the same time being compassionate and protective. You’re Next is the best of the slashers we recommend while still remaining true to the genre. Trigger warning: Violence, pain, blood, sharp tools, etc.

Ladies of Horror: Halloween & H20

Written by Cat Wilson catthewilson.com

What was the first slasher film? Slasher, the frightening sub-genre of horror where a human fiend stalks and murders people with sharp tools. Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho 1960 or Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1971? Either one could win. But why should women care about such violent films? Because of the final girl; the capable girl or woman that survives the movie. In her 1992 book, Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film Carol J. Clover, explores gender in slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Slashers films seem to offer sadistic pleasure to their viewers, Clover’s argument is these films are designed to align spectators not with the male monster, but with the "final girl" who finally defeats her assailant.

We chose for our first slasher Lady pick, Laurie Stodie played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween franchise. Laurie is the quiet high schooler in the first movie, who not only protects the children she is babysitting, but resourcefully defends herself. In Halloween H20 a old and wiser Laurie protects her son and makes sure the monster can never come back. Warning these movies are violent and bloody, hence the name slasher.