Women Make Horror

ALISON PEIRSE is an associate professor in film and media at the University of Leeds, UK. She is author of After Dracula: The 1930s Horror Film and co-editor of Korean Horror Cinema.

“It’s about time a book like this came to light! Why wouldn’t women make horror? We’ve been dealing with it forever. As artists we often bring up the very things we are most afraid of as a way of facing them, and there’s a lot to fear in this world where men still dominate. May books like this -- eloquently written -- help to bring about a shift toward equality and embracing female artistic perspectives, whatever they may be.” - Katt Shea (Feature film writer/director) "This thrilling collection of essays confirms what women have known since Mary Shelley: patriarchy is scary, and the horror genre can gruesomely, gloriously play out its nightmares. It will jumpstart a new playlist of women’s horror cinema and will provoke us to rethink the films we’ve already seen." - Linda Mizejewski (distinguished professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State University) "New Releases--2020"https://www.ladiesofhorrorfiction.com/lohf-new-releases/ (Ladies of Horror Fiction) "Clearly written by people who love the genre, but are also experts in their field. And while the level of detail is certainly indicative of scholarly journals, it is clear that the authors know what they are talking about, and are also excited to share their distinct viewpoints and theories. Women Make Horror is an excellent addition to any fan’s library who is interested in the scholarly examination of a genre that is often demonized or dismissed by critics." (Conskipper) Typical Books: Horror Reading video review of Women Make Horrorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ecke5wDYSs (Typical Books: Horror Reading) "Women Make Horror excels in providing rigorous criticism of horror cinema in termsof the genre’s production and reception....As a collection, Women Make Horror succeeds in this aim and provides new interpretative angles which will intrigue fans, students, and scholars interested in the future of horror cinema." (Goulish) "There are many reasons why Women Make Horror is an important book: it responds to its time (the #metoo movement, the horror resurgence and the renaissance of women in horror), it starts the uphill battle of filling the gap in the scholarship regarding women as makers of horror and carves up space for filmmakers and the writers of the book to be recognised within the ‘boys club’ that is the industry and academia (as mentioned by Peirse in her chapter). The book stands as a point of entry for anyone who wants to delve into the issue of gender in the horror genre, while also offering avenues for research to be expanded." (The Dark Arts Journal) "Women Make Horror would make an invaluable reference tool for anyone writing about or creating horror as its scope is broad and varying. Its tone is heavily academic but so rich in its offerings that there is no doubt that repeated readings will provide a rewarding experience. Upon finishing the book, I found to my great delight that I had amassed a treasure trove list of previously undiscovered films, festivals and resources to sink my teeth into. As a woman who often writes from a feminist perspective, I found this collection of essays (the first all-female and female edited book of its kind) deeply moving, oftentimes upsetting and always incredibly inspirational. As one contributor remarks: ‘the impossible can only become possible when we know it is already being done.'" (Ghouls Magazine) "The aim and the encouragement of the book is clear. It points out the potential of the female voice in genre filmmaking and horror as a means of expression and as a challenge to the status quo, a possible path towards gender equality and resistance."  (Film International)

• ContentsAcknowledgementsChapter 1. Women Make (Write, Produce, Direct, Shoot, Edit and Analyze) Horror         Alison PeirseChapter 2. Stephanie Rothman and Vampiric Film HistoriesAlicia KozmaChapter 3. Inside Karen Arthur’s The Mafu CageAlexandra Heller-NicholasChapter 4. The Secret Beyond the Door: Daria Nicolodi and Suspiria’s Multiple AuthorshipMartha ShearerChapter 5. Personal Trauma Cinema and the Experimental Videos of Cecelia Condit and Ellen CantorKatia HoudeChapter 6. Self-Reflexivity and Feminist Camp in Freddy’s Dead: The Final NightmareTosha R. TaylorChapter 7. Why Office Killer MattersDahlia SchweitzerChapter 8. Murders and Adaptations: Gender in American PsychoLaura MeeChapter 9. Gender, Genre and Authorship in Ginger SnapsKatarzyna PaszkiewiczChapter 10. The Feminist Art-Horror of the New French ExtremityMaddison McGillvrayChapter 11. Women-Made Horror in Korean CinemaMolly KimChapter 12. The Stranger With My Face International Film Festival and the Australian Female GothicDonna McRaeChapter 13. Slicing Up the Boys’ Club: The Female-led Horror Anthology FilmErin HarringtonChapter 14. The Transnational Gaze in A Girl Walks Home Alone at NightLindsey DeckerChapter 15. Gigi Saul Guerrero and her Latin American Female MonstersValeria Villegas LindvallChapter 16. Uncanny Tales: Lucile Hadžihalilović’s Évolution Janice LoreckChapter 17. The (re)Birth of Pregnancy Horror in Alice Lowe’s PrevengeAmy C. ChambersChapter 18. The Rise of the Female Horror Filmmaker-FanSonia LupherNotes on ContributorsIndex