How do horror films directed by women challenge or subvert gender norms in the genre? Discuss using three horror films directed by women in detail.

TASK:

Choose one of the following topics from the list below. These deal with issues raised in the course in weeks 5-8. You should use material from the list of assigned and recommended readings where relevant. However, you are also expected to conduct independent research. You should draw on good quality academic sources, such as scholarly books, book chapters and articles from refereed journals. (Try to avoid Internet material.) We expect you to use a minimum of six scholarly articles/book chapters. You will be marked down if you don’t achieve this requirement. Develop your own critical response to the topic based on your research and textual analysis, and use these results as the basis of a logical and persuasive argument.

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. How do contemporary horror films represent race and/or ethnicity in a critical and/or subversive manner? Your answer should discuss two or three horror films in detail. (Try to move beyond stereotypes in answering this question.)
2. How do horror films directed by women challenge or subvert gender norms in the genre? Discuss using three horror films directed by women in detail.

3. Body horror films attack, damage, mutilate and/or destroy the human body. How is this treatment of the human body linked to affective responses such as disgust, humour, abjection, and/or excess? Discuss using three body horror films in detail.
4. How can we interpret (or not) the figure of Final Girl in slasher films in progressive and/or feminist terms? (Please note you must use at least two slasher films made between 1974 and 1990, you can only use one film each from any slasher franchise for this question, and you must not use any of the Scream)
5. In what ways can horror films be subversive? Discuss using three North American horror films made between 1968 and 1990. (North American means Canada, Mexico, and the USA.)
6. Do slasher films place viewers in a sadistic or masochistic position or both through the narrative and visual strategies they use? Discuss using three slasher films in detail. (Please note you must use at least two slasher films made between 1974 and 1990, and only one film from each slasher franchise.)