October Half Term Homework - 'Men, Women and Chainsaws Reading'

Men, Women and Chainsaws Extract by Ellie Buchan on Scribd

Blog post title: 'Men, Women and Chainsaws Reading'

1. What does Clover mean by 'female victim-hero'?
   
2. Why does Clover say that males relate to the females in horror films, in particular, the 'final girl'?
   
3. Why does Clover suggest that horror research is problematic?
   
4. Who does Clover suggest makes-up the typical horror audience?
   
5. Was there parity between horror audiences in regards to those who watched horror films at the cinema and those who watched them at home through rentals?
   
6. What are the two ways identified by Clover in which audiences identify with characters?

Representation of Women in Horror Quiz

1. Who wrote about the “final girl” in 1992?
2. In what book did they write about the “final girl”?
3. List three traits of the “final girl”/three ‘conventions’.
4. Who wrote about existing research on women’s roles in media texts in 1983?
5. What were the 4 roles mentioned?
6. In 1992 research showed that men dominated women on-screen, but by what ratio?
7. What was the only genre in which the ratio of males to females was more equal?
8. Name one of the three problems with the findings?
9. Why does the reading suggest that Ripley (Alien) is ‘more progressive’ than Lara Croft (TR)?
10. What are the 3 ‘C’s when discussing the portrayal of women in some lifestyle magazines?
11. Who wrote Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema?
12. (Briefly) describe what is meant by the ‘male gaze’
13. Give an example
14. Which magazine removed the male centrefold in the 1980s and why?

Representation: The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

Please blog responses to the following questions. You may present the answers in any way you see fit (but ensure it is 'bloggy').

You will need to complete the reading at the bottom of this post before you tackle these questions. Quote reading whenever possible.

The title of this post is:

The Representation of Women in Relation to The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

1. What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in the Woods?

2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory? Please mention: the ending; Dana's appearance and her actions during the film.

3. Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

4. Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera angles and POV shots.

5. In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?

6. (Briefly) summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?

  

Feminist Horror Film Theory (click here if the doc is blocked)

The Representation of Women in Horror

 

  

 

The opening scene and death of Drew Barrymore in Scream (Craven, 1996) exemplify the 'anti-women'/feminist view of representation in horror films.

 

 

 

 

The final scenes of Nosferatu (Murnau, 1922) depict the power and dominance the male villain has over the female victim. Watch from 1hr 11 until the credits.