Women In Horror Month : Who, What, Why

February 2018 is the 9th annual Women in Horror Month.  

Women love the horror industry, whether they're blazing the trail in publishing like Shirley Jackson, or on the big screen like Mary Harron who directed American Psycho, one thing is for sure - women contribute more to this genre then a screaming lady being chased by an hatchet wielding maniac.

So why is horror so appealing and how can we continue to encourage female contribution? “Horror reflects society,” Professor Barbara Creed, author of The Monstrous-Feminine, told The Guardian back in 2007. “What we probably need are more thoughtful horror films that speak directly to female experiences.”

Meaning, it's probably a good idea to put aside the outdated female stereotypical roles in the genre and encourage more authentic and empowering characters, plots, and premises.

One woman doing just that is Julia Ducournau, director of the horror film Raw, a movie about a teenage vegetarian who becomes a cannibal. "A young guy in a festival audience told me that it was nice to have women in the genre because it brought some 'softness,'" says Ducournau... "Softness? Have you seen my movie? When you make horror, it's the expression of a form of violence that you feel inside of you – and it's important we recognize that women feel violence and anger as well."

There's nothing wrong with a woman's "softness", but don't expect all female horror buffs to come at their projects from that angel. For some, it's all about guts and gore. Others, like Anne Rice, mix alluring gothic romance with vampire horror. Subtle horror, psychological horror, supernatural horror...I still say the scariest movie of all time is Halloween, and what I remember most has nothing to do with any of the killing scenes. It's the scenes in the daylight, when someone is walking down the street and the audience catches a glimpse of Michael Myers standing down the sidewalk. In the next flash, he's gone. Horror can really be whatever the creator wants as long as it gets under the audience's skin, so of course this will appeal to both men and women. And while there are traditional slasher movies, horror also explores the darkness in us all, the despair, the loneliness, the anger, the rage. Women aren't shying away from these topics, they aren't afraid to embrace their softness, nor are they afraid to shed it. Which is why we need female horror creatives. We need their voice, their stories, their characters, their gusto.

If you're looking for a way to support women in horror, consider reading Daphne Du Maurier, Joyce Carol Oats, Octavia Butler, and Mariko Koike. If you're looking to watch a female directed horror movie, check out Pet Cemetery, Jennifer's Body, A Girl Walks Home Alone, and The Babadook.

Enjoy

A Review of Netflix's La Mante

picture source: http://www.mymedia.fr/en/netflix-rachete-serie-tf1-mante/

La Mante (The Mantas) is tale of a murderess, her son and a serial killer.

Imprisoned serial killer Jeanne Deber, The Mantas, offers to help solve a string of copycat murders, except she has one condition - she wants to work with her estranged son, Damien Carrot. Damien is a married cop who has dedicated his life to proving he is nothing like his mother. Together, they track a psychotic killer, each murder uncovering pieces of Damien and Jeanne's past.

How gruesome is it? Very. The murders, while you don't actually see them play out, are sadistic in nature. Genitals chopped off, decapitation...You see the bodies, the crime scene photos, and blood. A whole lot of blood.

What makes this different from all the other murder mysteries? It's more than just the connection between criminal (mom) and detective (cop), although it's a compelling and twisted-ly beautiful tale of redemption. Each murder is  unique enough to make you cringe while simultaneously acknolwedge the writer and creator's creativity. It's difficult to come up with fresh ways to kill off characters, but La Mante does so with a perfect balance of art and disgust for the audience.

Also, the last two episodes are incredible.

Who is your favorite character? Carole Bouquet, who played Jeanne, did an incredible job. Jeanne's character arc thoroughly intrigued me, but the way Bouquet played the part really brought The Mantas to life. Her death stare, narrow eyes, pinched eyebrows...And how Bouquet transformed Jeanne all the way to the big finale made her my favorite character.

What surprised you the most about this show? The ending. But not so much about the plot, although I enjoyed the twist and didn't see it coming. What I loved was the character evolution, and the realization that while, yes I was watching a murder mystery show, I was also watching a drama between a mother and her son.

Would you recommend this show? If you like this genre, I recommend it. If blood and murder shows aren't your thing, sit this one out. It's in French with subtitles and can be binge watched on Netflix.

Rating : R for violence, gore, sex, nudity, language.

The Book Was Better : Five Failed Movie Adaptations of Books

I read A Prayer for Owen Meany in twelfth grade. Required reading that turned into one of my favorite books, so I was excited when my English teacher said we were going to watch Simon Birch, the movie adaptation.

No. Just no. The movie was awful. They took the heartfelt drama John Irving created and killed it.

It's not the only incredible book that got lost in translation in an attempt to gain movie status.

So let's take a look at some terrible movie adaptations. Do you agree or disagree?

Here's RollingStone's take on worst movie adaptations: Atlas Shrugged, Battlefield Earth, The Scarlett Letter and The Lorax

Thrillist shined a spotlight on The Bonfire of the Vanities, Hitchikers Guide to the Glalaxy, The Scarlett Letter, Dune, and The Cat in the Hat

Even CBS News got in on the debate and stated The Great Gatsby, Eragon, The Hobbit, Twilight, and The Da Vinci Code fall under the title of "bad". I think they're a bit harsh. I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code book and movie.

You probably have a list of your least favorite movie adaptations of books. Do any of yours match mine? Here is my top five least favorite movie adaptions:

Okay, I have to add one more : The Girl With All The Gifts. Book was way better.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Also, what are your favorite movie adaptions?

Black Mirror's Arkangel : The Unexpected Character We Need To Talk About

***This post contains tons of SPOILER ALERTS. This is your only chance to avoid learning the ending of Black Mirror's Arkangel Episode***

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I'm three episodes into Black Mirror Season 4, but the second episode, Arkangel, stuck with me. I woke this morning with the characters still fresh in my brain, the desolate mother Marie screaming in the middle of the street with blood on her face, her daughter Sara hitchhiking out of town, and the story question still stirring : How far would you go to protect your child?

Basic premise: Arkangel is an experimental program that implants a tiny chip into a child's mind allowing a parent to track her. Parents see what their children see, monitor their health, and can even apply a parental lock which filters harmful or distressing situations so the child only sees "blurs". Marie, a single mom, implants Arkangel into her daughter Sara's mind after a "stranger danger" scare. Eventually, Marie disables it in order to allow Sara to have a more normal life. But when Sara becomes a teenager and stays out past curfew, Marie breaks out the Arkangel and discovers her daughter has been lying. Sara has a secret boyfriend, Trick.

Trick, the neighborhood bad boy, actually is a pretty decent guy despite selling drugs on the side. It's those drugs that Sara samples. Marie watches from the Arkangel control pad, finds Trick, and goes a bit crazy, threating him with jail (Sara is a minor) until he agrees not to see Sara again. Fast forward to Arkangel notifying Marie that Sara's pregnant, Marie crushing a morning after pill into Sara's smoothie, Sara getting sick at school, the school nurse telling Sara about the miscarriage, Sara discovering her mom is still using Arkangel, Sara pounding Marie's face in with the Arkangel controller and Sara hitchhiking out of town.

Phew.

The scene that stuck with me the most wasn't the ending. It was when Sarah confronts her boyfriend Trick about his sudden disinterest. He never tells her that Marie was behind the breakup, and it doesn't seem like Sara ever puts that piece together, which only makes their breakup more heartbreaking. Because while we know Sara has grown into a strong young woman and she'll be fine in the scary world, Trick's fate is a question mark.

From the beginning, he fits into the bad boy mold complete with a school yard fight. We get a sense things aren't great at home. Even as a teen, Trick sells drug only as a means to move out. He discourages Sara from trying hard drugs, which she does anyways. Basically, he's not a bad teen, and I could argue that if Marie took the time to get to know Trick, she would have had some compassion for him. Instead, he has to break up with Sara, presumably the one bit of hope and goodness in his life.

And where does that leave him? Where does that leave anyone who finally found a slice of light only to have it distinguished?

Does his heartbreak turn to anger once he discovers Sara left town? Does he start taking his own drugs? Will he end up arrested for his illegal side business? If Sara had stayed, would they have had a second chance? Would he have given up all his shady behavior because of her? I don't know, but I'd like to think he keeps moving forward, keeps trying to find something good to hang onto in what can be presumed to be a difficult life. Either way, he's the unexpected "sticky" character in Arkangel, the one I kept thinking about. And I'm rooting for him.

My Favorite Weird Headlines from 2017

Let's face it. 2017 was a unusual year. From politics to pop culture to science, it seemed the Earth spun into the Twilight Zone and is still searching for a way out. But never fear! Because when life turns upside down, weird news headlines emerge. Let's delve into some of the funniest and most peculiar bylines.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/08/09/dental-brace-wire-lodged-in-intestine-for-decade-doctors-say.html

What's the weirdest thing you've ever swallowed? An Aussie woman went to the doctor with stomach pains only to discover she had a brace wire poking through her small intestine. Too bad she didn't have braces. Well, at least not for ten years. Yup, the dental brace was in her system for a decade before detected. Dental Brace Wire Lodged in Intestine For Decade, Doctor says

Imagine walking down your high school hallway. A strange, foreign odor swirls the air. It smacks the side of your nostrils, drifts to your stomach, and soon you find yourself queasy, heading for the nurses office. The culprit? Pumpkin Spice Air Freshener. Some people just can't appreciate the beautiful aroma of fall. Pumpkin Spice Air Freshener Prompts Evacuation of School  

https://www.reuters.com/news/oddlyEnough

This story is only weird if you prefer not to have your eyelids inverted. But apparently, it's rather common practice by one Chinese street barber. "Blade wash eyes" are said to unlock more moisture. Dry eyes? Go for a shave. Flipping Lids! Chinese barber offers eyelid shaves

This fisherman caught a drunk woman. She bit his line and swam away with it. Wanna guess what state this occurred? Florida. Yup.  Florida Woman Arrested After Biting Fisherman's Line

Look, I've never tried to shimmy down a chimney in order to rob a business, so maybe I'm being harsh when I include this story as a funny addition to the list. A Santa dressed thief tried to do go down the chimney to rob a California business. Thank goodness he had his phone handy so he could call the cops for help. Santa Style Thief Calls the Cops on Himself

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If you like weird and funny headlines as much as I do, hop over to the podcast Dumb People Town where the Sklar Brothers and Dan Harmon do a biweekly pod highlighting some of the dumbest headlines around the country....but mostly from Florida.