#horror essays

[goryhorroor]

Video eassays part 2? Please?

gladly (part one: x)

the shining and the lighthouse: the horror of isolation

monstrous menstruations: the dehumanising of women in horror

the feminist horrors of jennifer's body, teeth, and a girl walks home alone at night

why the shining is terrifying

why you should watch disturbing horror movies

a monstress comes of age: horror & girlhood

jennifer's body & the horror of bad marketing

scary faces and loud sounds - analog horror

the nostalgic nightmare of skinamarink

queer representation in modern horror

the real reason the thing (1982) is better than the thing (2011)

how to make possession horror/the exorcist

the existential horror of david cronenberg's camera

the tale of two sisters / the unsettling mise-en-scene

what happened to japanese horror?

nope: the rise of existential horror

deconstructing the horror musical

pennywise: how to make a horror villain

alien - the art of horror

green room: why dumb decisions matter

let's talk about goosebumps scariest episode

the catharsis of body horror

the thing is the best horror movie of all time

what we can learn from korean horror

cure / creating the scariest non-horror film

the rocky horror picture show is the most important cult film ever made

ambiguous horror of the wailing

elements of horror - screams in horror movies

noroi: realistic j-horror

kairo / anatomy of the scariest scene ever

psycho / how alfred hitchcock manipulates an audience

the faith & horror of the exorcist

jurassic park is actually a horror movie

the horror (and problem) of sinister

the horror romance of let the right one in and let me in

mainland chinese horror & censorship

the most profound ending in horror film history?

courage the cowardly dog: an intro to horror

why do people dislike smart horror films?

exploring netflix's most unsettling found footage

universal monsters - why are classic horror movies still popular?

strange phenomena: the films of dario argento

exploring cinema's most controversial horror movie

why do horror games sound so beautiful?

atmosphere makes a great horror movie (alien 1979)

horror comedy: juxtaposed genre

why perfect blue is terrifying

the thing: horror in isolation

[spectrasgothiccinema]

Exploring Jonathan Shaw’s Potential Future in the Terrifier Series

In the Terrifier series, Jonathan Shaw, the younger brother of protagonist Sienna Shaw, plays a pivotal role, especially in Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3. His character arc intertwines deeply with the narrative's exploration of trauma, resilience, and the supernatural.

Jonathan's Fate in Terrifier 3

In Terrifier 3, Jonathan's fate is shrouded in ambiguity. He is last seen in his dorm room, and subsequent events suggest he may have fallen victim to Art the Clown and Victoria Heyes. Sienna is presented with a disfigured head, purported to be Jonathan's, but the evidence is inconclusive. The head's flesh is peeled off, making identification difficult, and the only link to Jonathan is a pair of glasses placed on it by Victoria, who has previously lied about the head's identity. This leaves room for doubt about Jonathan's actual fate.

Screen Rant

Director's Insights

Director Damien Leone has addressed the off-screen nature of Jonathan's presumed death, acknowledging fan reactions and suggesting that the character's fate is intentionally left uncertain. Leone emphasizes that his characters are unpredictable and not to be trusted, hinting that Jonathan's story may not be concluded.

Entertainment Weekly

Potential for Redemption or Resurrection

The Terrifier series delves into supernatural elements, particularly with Art the Clown's enigmatic nature and apparent immortality. Jonathan's deep connection to the lore, especially his understanding of Art's demonic essence and the significance of the pale girl as a vessel, positions him as a character with potential for further development. Given the series' thematic focus on resurrection and the battle between good and evil, it's plausible that Jonathan could return in future installments, possibly undergoing a redemption arc or playing a crucial role in confronting the malevolent forces.

Conclusion

While Terrifier 3 leaves Jonathan Shaw's fate ambiguous, narrative clues and directorial comments suggest that his story may not be over. The series' exploration of supernatural themes and the character's integral role in the overarching narrative provide fertile ground for a potential redemption or resurrection arc in future films. Fans will need to await further installments to see how Jonathan's journey unfolds.

[notherbadboydown]

finally graduated college after presenting my thesis about subverting the beast and exploring the manifestation of fear in the beast in the jungle by henry james and its adaptation in bly manor. there was so much to talk about but so little time to write.

bly manor means so much to me as a horror fan, an english major and a gay woman. writing this paper made me heal a part of me i didn't know it needed healing. i like to think that little me who loved horror movies and thought she was too weird would be proud of the me right now.

also, there was another presentation analyzing mike flanagan's work. they wrote about tfothou and adapting poe. who would have thought there is a college in the middle of nowhere brasil who loves mike's work and studies them

[juniperhillpatient]

another fantastic horror essay

[kiri-cuts]

A killer Maddie Ziegler moment in “M3gan

If there’s one thing that money-grubbing corporations love, it’s exploiting vulnerable young girls. In “M3gan,” that conclusion is arrived upon via Cady -- a child of indeterminate age with only two defining features: A set of recently deceased parents and an apparently even greater void left by a broken Purrpetual Petz toy (RIP).

The woman who designed said toy also happens to be Cady’s aunt -- another vaguely written character called Gemma. However, what we do know about her is that she is a woman who has chosen robot building over nurturing any motherly instinct, and so is apparently worthy of our scorn. 

When Cady is placed in her care, Gemma does what any good monstrous female would -- builds a human-synthetic android to take over care duties so she doesn’t have to (honestly, all the love to her). At one point a social worker even catches the aunt committing the apparently enormous sin of allowing a traumatised orphan to watch cartoons all day. Remove that woman’s uterus immediately! 

Luckily, M3gan has a great singing voice and knows how to slut drop like a pro, so Cady -- and her suppressed trauma -- are in safe hands. In one scene, the doll comforts her master by singing Sia’s “Titanium” to her. During another, Gemma proves the value of her pet project during a presentation for investors where Cady is wheeled out into a hidden room, sobbing about her dead parents. M3gan provides her instant comfort by singing to her -- and every corporate hog watching sloshes about in the filthy potential profit pool of it all. 

Of course, by the end, M3gan takes her protective duties too far, murdering a variety of unpleasant people -- and one perfectly innocent dog -- in gruesome ways, mostly offscreen. But because she was #BornToSlay, M3gan approaches the film’s most deserved kill with an acrobatic flourish. Like Sia’s one-time adolescent dance partner, Maddie Ziegler, the doll practically swings from the chandeliers as she dispatches with a greedy CEO. 

It’s the best part of the movie. And that may be because it fulfills a certain fantasy -- what if all exploited teenybopper girls of past (and present) could enact vengeance on the very people who profited from their talents and servitude? And with the functions they were programmed to deliver? Step up Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Chloe Moretz, and Dakota Fanning. Step up Honey Boo-Boo and the “Dance Moms” debutantes. Step up Britney, Christina, and Amanda Bynes. 

Dance like you could kill. Choke em with that sketti. Literally hit them, baby, one more time. 

The sequence also stands out for it’s strange simplicity: This is a robot complicit with her programming. Simply doing as she was told. M3gan soaks up the world, and spits out violence. She’s also a reflection of her master’s trauma response -- you can dance through that shit all you want. But at the end of the day, you still have to deal with the perpetual motion bird of your brain dipping it’s beak into the bottomless pool of grief at the bottom of it all. No singsongs or synchronized cartwheels are going to put a dent in that, sadly -- but they can always be used to your advantage. Bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away

In pop culture, young girls understand that better than anyone. From a shockingly young age, they’re programmed with the same functions: Be talented. Be casual. Be cool. Be relatable. Be wholesome. Be sexy. Be edgy. Be demure. Be submissive. Be wild. Be everything. Be nothing. One way or another, they all end up fulfilling their function a little too well and catch heat for it. 

Underneath it all is a swelling trauma -- about three pokes short from being popped. 

The industry always eats these girls alive -- but it makes sure to turn a profit before it swallows. They are left carrying their bones to the next venture, where undoubtedly they will continue to dance -- of course they will. It’s what they were programmed to do. Party girls don’t get hurt, can’t feel anything ... Swing from the chandeliers.

Cady and M3gan are two sides of the same coin -- presenting diverging modes of girlhood, up against the odds: You can either sit back and accept the cruelty of the world, and let it devour you. Or you can take charge and fight back against those who seek to exploit and destroy you. If you’ve experienced the spectacular challenges posed by both options, then you’ll know it’s not even a simple decision to make. 

So, I guess really, all that I’m trying to say is that I’m glad that little girl had a murderous android doll looking out for her. Good riddance to the lot of them -- except for that poor, innocent dog

[reallybadblackoutpoems]

secrets of farming (1863) - john w. large

"yeowch augh taking damage ough eurgh"

[dateamonster]

"top ten movies about Girlhood" whose girlhood? whose girlhood? what kind of girl are these movies about? answer quickly.

[cairafea]

my favourite genre of seventeen is when they're straight up lying

ref:

[celluloidwickerman]

Deep Red; or Renditions of Murder

“But to learn to dye is better than to study the ways of dying.” – Sir Thomas Browne Writing He stalks with a lens, Short hair and floral dresses: Red, Deep red.                                                           The lens is a recollection, Occurring at a wooden desk, With a typewriter, Tapped by fingers, clothed in black leather; Dead skin masks for desperate hands. No…

[yujateaandpi]

Gobbled up the Dandadan anime and manga recently and absolutely adored it all. Not only does it feature the most likable and strongly written female characters I’ve ever seen in a shonen, it discusses extremely pertinent themes about consent and bodily autonomy from a lens of female solidarity while also elevating healthy relationships with kind communicative male characters who respect boundaries. It’s wacky, fun, gorgeous, and super refreshing. 

[uhhh-ghouls007]

Something I always thought was cool about the Frankenstein story is the details of Victor creating the creature, like he’s doing it just to prove he can- haphazardly stitching and stapling limbs of strangers together to create a bastardized monster. In every movie the creature is so gnarly because he’s not meant to loved, even by his creator, and he has scars and bolts stuck in his neck (sometimes) to show it

AND something I really love in Lisa Frankenstein is that while Lisa didn’t physically bring the creature to life she dedicates all of hers to protect and nurture him back to humanity. She loves him. And she’s a professional seamstresses so when she replaces his body parts—with those of people who have hurt her, ending their lives to further resurrect the creature so he can become the partner she longs for— it’s done delicately and purposefully and intimately and lovingly. Oh my god. In this essay I will

[chihirolovebot]

on a real note that bit near the end of the video was genuinely haunting. hearing somerton talk about how gay writers are erased from history was one thing (with all the irony being that he stepped on the backs of numerous underpaid, underprivileged and uncredited queer writers to build his youtube channel) but when h revealed it wasn't even somerton's quote in the first place? the worst, most crushing sort of irony. how do you lament about the erasure of gay people and gay writers in history... whilst erasing a gay writer and taking his words as your own?

[trauma-bot]

sin eater

[daphnalia]

and they were galpals

[lylahammar]

I think a vastly underrated form of anti-capitalism/fascism/discrimination is radical self acceptance. Like just accept being “ugly.” Fuck beauty standards fuck beauty products fuck trends fuck diet culture fuck fitting in fuck “beauty is pain” mindset fuck “healthy things have to taste bad” fuck skin care fuck plastic surgery fuck filters fuck trying to appeal to beauty standards that profit off of your insecurities just exist outside of what the system demands of you. Leave your acne gain weight wear the same clothes forever learn to view what society deems as your “flaws” as an anarchist symbol of power and freedom

[smokefalls]

Each of us is ultimately alone: a discrete little being with access only to our own senses and sensations, our own thoughts, and our own fragile body. Left to fumble for meaning in our constant pursuit of imperfect intimacies. We submit ourselves endlessly to that mortifying ordeal of knowing each other, just for the chance to be alone together. Language might be the best thing that we have to bring the void between ourselves, but it will never be enough.

Carrow Narby, "Indescribable" from It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror