#ladies of horror fiction

[captainjonnitkessler]

Just deleted the ask I was trying to respond to, but re: "skeptics always die in horror movies" - I have mixed feelings on that trope!

On the one hand I think it sets the tone and helps the audience suspend their disbelief - people are always complaining about horror movie characters being idiots, so this can be a way to be like "see? We DID consider rational explanations, and then someone immediately got murdered very supernaturally, so stop asking questions and accept the premise."

On the other hand, I think it definitely contributes to the idea that skeptics are close-minded killjoys who are too stubborn to accept reality, which is a very common and incredibly annoying mindset. Shane Madej did not spend the last eight years marching into haunted houses and loudly demanding that the demons inside kill him for me to still be hearing shit about how "if you don't take the supernatural seriously you will Attract Evil Energies And Die".

[pinkbunnygirl555]

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price as Dr. Warren Chapin

The Tingler (1959) dir. William Castle

[lwfllygndrfld]

guys i think that brenda clark could absolutely kick lady mowbray's ass

sure, lady mowbray is scary and has dogs, has so many people on her kill count.

however

all that PTA soccer mom energy that brenda has? whatever cult ritual she's in charge of? she's got that dog in her (haha get it. clark furries 🧍)

[jessread-s]

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🗡️🥀Review:

A dark, tragic, and haunting reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous villainess.

“Lady Macbeth” follows Roscille after she is wed to a Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed. To survive his hostility and dangerous court, she relies on her wiles and hidden witchcraft. 

I am quite the Shakespeare fanatic and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is one of my favorite plays precisely because of how cunning and ruthless Lady Macbeth’s character is. I gravitated toward this novel because I was curious about Reid’s take on the character and though this is not the play retold from her point-of-view, I enjoyed it for what it is! Reid’s reimagining gives Lady Macbeth her own name, a past, and occult power that cleverly expands on Shakespeare’s original work. In Reid’s rendition, she captures a woman living in a patriarchal society who has her voice violently taken away by the men around her. Roscille’s fear surrounding abuse at the hand of men is what fuels her scheming and manipulation—what ultimately turns her into Lady Macbeth. She doesn’t want a crown, she wants to survive. She uses her beauty as a weapon in retaliation against those holding her womanhood against her. She finds power in her rage, which she acts on only after it has festered. I think that is the key difference between Roscille and Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth—in a world that does not favor women, she is less ambitious and more reactive in a sense. This new portrayal took some getting used to, but once I did, I appreciated how it widened my perspective. 

I was entranced by Reid’s atmospheric and lyrical writing. The intention and power behind each and every word adds depth to Roscille’s character, showing the extent of her wiles and smarts. The bits of proverbial wisdom Reid sprinkles throughout allow her to emulate the bard himself in her own way. What I love most is how Reid uses various names for each character to reflect the different languages being spoken at the time.

➾ NOTE: After careful reflection and reading reviews written by my peers, it has been pointed out that this book can be interpreted as xenophobic. Intentional or not, most, if not all, of the Scottish characters—an ethnic group that Roscille does not belong to—are underdeveloped and described as brutish, violent, and evil. This characterization is unfair and in no way pays homage to the source material. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[beastsovrevelation]

My Apocalypse-causing love ❤

[dumplingprincessextraordinaire]

Can I say something I love Ahs coven and Apocalypse? The amount of badass old ladies and middle aged woman characters. Why do I like that? Ehhh representation I guess. It’s not something i necessarily care about a WHOLE lot but I like seeing examples of older women doing important things in stories. Like I’m in my mid twenties but yeah women don’t stop existing after hitting 45

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

SUMMARY: Baron Frankenstein's daughter and his assistant/her lover continue his experiments in an attempt to rebuild his legacy after he is killed by his psychotic, murderous first monster.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/6/2024: THE I SPIT ON YOUR LADIES' NIGHT MISOGYNATHON, PART 1 - BLINK TWICE AND DON'T WORRY DARLING

Sometimes during Blogtober I'll watch some movie that so activates my pattern recognition that I have to watch several other movies in a row, and then the entry is like this. In this case it is all the fault of BLINK TWICE.

I am perennially interested in stories about insidious forms of sexual abuse, and I thought this was OK. Spoilers be here, if you're worried you could skip to the image from DON'T WORRY DARLING below, although I don't know how surprising BLINK TWICE really is. Well, maybe it's surprising enough that the fucking studio put a fucking trigger warning on the beginning of this fucking R-rated movie like I'm a little fucking baby, but ANYWAY. It is rather obviously about how Channing Tatum is a recently-disgraced techbro who is continuing to do extremely bad things to the women he lures to his tropical island. Part of me wondered if this whole movie weren't some sort of warning shot at Jared Leto about the island cult he has or is trying to start, but in any case it is very entertaining. It's sort of odd to do what is kind of a heavy rape movie and make it this funny, but I supposed there ought to be some alternative to just extreme confrontationalism--although there is a dash of that here too.

There is also a dash of some sort of magic realism that didn't seem that well integrated. That the island is full of snakes whose venom just so happens to counteract the techbro's experimental rape drug--and he knows this--is a little too on the nose for me, a little too Eve and the Serpent, kind of silly. And if you're a genius with unlimited resources, why would you chose a place that's full of these problematic snakes for your island where you have to use this one drug for your rape orgies? Yeah, sure, he could have realized this too late and wasn't willing to cut his losses, but it all seems very convenient.

I also had a problem with part of the basic setup: Zoe Kravitz directs Naomi Ackie as this loser millennial who is first seen watching an apology video by Channing Tatum who has become notorious for doing some unspecified Armie Hammer-type shit. Then Naomi sneaks into this gala where she meets him and immediately accepts an invitation to his isolated island, and like *maybe* what you learn much later is supposed to explain why she has absolutely no misgivings about this, but in the meantime you have to spend quite a lot of time wondering what kind of person she is, that she's down for this. Her acceptance of him should mean something. Either she's so naive she believes public apologies from powerful men, or she's suffering from so much internalized misogyny that she doesn't believe other women, or she loves bad boys, or she's hypnotized by his wealth, or...something. I really wanted an excuse because whatever it is would majorly inform her whole character. We all have pretty specific assumptions about people who defend Johnny Depp, there are specific motivations behind that behavior. I just felt like the whole story needed more justification from the jump. Although that said, it is very amusing for a movie about a rape island.

Anyway, while I was watching BLINK TWICE I started to wonder if Olivia Wilde felt ripped off by it. Even though DON'T WORRY DARLING is a science fiction film, it has essentially the same plot: A rich, charismatic techbro invents a little elite paradise for his friends and supporters where they can enjoy perfect control over women. And I'm suddenly realizing this segment is also going to be fairly spoilery, so sorry if you haven't seen this one either but the twist ending actually IS surprising, even if the movie otherwise wears its debt to THE STEPFORD WIVES on its sleeve. But perhaps the most surprising thing of all is that I actually sort of like DON'T WORRY DARLING, and I might be the only person in the world to say that.

I don't even know if I can justify my affection for it, but I am comfortable at least saying that even if it's not great, it doesn't deserve the heaps of abuse it got. In this cold, weird, '50s-flavored thriller, Florence Pugh and her husband Harry Styles live in a remote Southwestern cul-de-sac that houses all the bright young men who work on the mysterious "Victory Project". None of the too-perfect housewives knows what the Victory Project actually is, though everyone is way oversubscribed to the idea that glorified cult leader Chris Pine is somehow building a better future. Inevitably, Florence Pugh figures out that the women are being controlled somehow, which revelation causes some fabulous hallucinations and her eventual action hero rebellion.

I get the problems with this. The story is overly familiar, poor Harry Styles produces absolutely nothing resembling a recognizable character despite his earnest efforts, and worst of all, the movie just misuses its time. The revelation that this is not a Stepford-type project, but rather an underground virtual reality experiment for incels and their kidnap victims is honestly pretty cool. It's interesting! Interesting enough that they shouldn't have saved it for the very end, they should have found a way to integrate it into the main narrative more; instead there are too many repetitive scenes of Florence Pugh being argumentative, which all have forgone conclusions.

But meanwhile, DON'T WORRY DARLING establishes a very sharp, edgy tone that keeps you (or me, anyway) in a reasonable state of suspense and claustrophobic anxiety. I've been trying to analyze where this comes from and I think part of it is just the sound, which is often excellent (if occasionally over the top). There's a certain kind of ambient tone used in the little cloistered homes that makes me smell ozone and feel pressure in my ears. And I think most of the performances are very good, especially Florence Pugh of course who I just love. I love her because I think she could beat my ass. It's like, fucking Scarlett Johansson has been foisted upon the world as an action hero and she just seems so slow and dull and unconvincing. Meanwhile Florence Pugh is scrambling up a gravel road barefoot at alarming speeds and I totally believe it. Even in MIDSOMMAR she's just so fucking physical, and did you see that wrestling movie she made, FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY? It's really good, you should watch it. She could kick anybody's ass.

[rattlebear25]

I am working again on something about SPM Mimi omg she's pretty 😭💕

[horrororman]

More #horror/#scifi films that were released on April 22nd...

The Deadly Spawn (1983).

Lady in White (1988).

The Unholy (1988).

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1992)(NYC,NY).

[barkingbonzo]

William George The Haunted Lady, paperback cover, 1954

William George is an illustrator who began his career in the 1950s, studying under Norman Rockwell and painting covers for magazines like Argosy and Cavalier.  He also painted a countless number of paperback crime and westerns covers.  He remains active, with his work hanging in art galleries around the world and doing covers for Hard Case Crime.

[randomruff]

An Icy Possession

“Come on… kitty!”

Bai-he jumped, her voice echoing throughout alley they were in, her fingertips just barely grazing Mu. The cursed cat simply gave her a mocking look however, closing his brown eyes as he continued to lay on the metal pipe he was on. Not at all bothering to move even an inch for her.

The 12-year-old huffed, her eye twitching in irritation as she once again tried to grab him, jumping and standing on her tiptoes.

 “You're not making this any easier for me buddy.” She spoke with a hint of desperation; her mother will start to worry if she doesn’t make it home soon.

The ginger feline did move this time just not how she wanted him to. With a long stretch Mu jumped on another piece of pipe that was a foot higher than the last one, almost meeting the wall that alley ended in.

“Really?!” Bai-he yelled in outrage, staring at her precious pet in utter betrayal before slumping her back in defeat with a discontent sigh. The sunlight now disappearing behind the large wall, at this rate she’ll never make it home.

The faint feeling of being watched made the black-haired girl lift her head towards the only exit of the alleyway. Faded whispering coming closer captured her attention, confusion flicking on her face as she saw no one other than her and Mu in the long dark alley.

The freezing chill walking down her spine told her otherwise however.

She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she frantically looked around, spotting a dark blue mist entering the small tight area she was in. The whispers becoming louder as the blue mist creeped closer, a dark chill that seemed to silence any and all noise radiated from the mist giving Bai-he a sense of utter dread.

 Mu hissed as apprehensive fear clawed its way into Bai-he’s heart, slowly taking a step back as the mist inched closer to her. The Whispers practically invading her head while her body shook, her black eyes darting around her to see if there was anywhere, she could escape to.

There wasn’t.

Mu’s back arched as his angry hissing increased a volume; quickly turning tail and ran as fast as he could, climbing the buildings before them. Abandoning Bai-he to the strange glowing mist.

‘Traitor’ she thought bitterly as her back hit the wall, fear increasing tenfold as she had nowhere else to go now. The sound of her heartbeat rang in her ears, hands shaking as she brought them to her chest. Clasping them together as she timidly called out. “He-hello?”

 Then silence…

Confusion once again filtered through her, the whispers vanished and mist halted in its path leaving nothing but the sound of her shaky breaths. Bai-he waited still as a statue for a moment or two before relaxing, releasing a sigh of relief. Good, it as just a fals-

The mist lunged forward, hitting her straight in the chest leaving her no time to react as intense pain blossomed where it hit her.

'Fire! I’m on fire!’

Overwhelming heat spread across her body, whiplashing her at its suddenness and speed.

‘Help!’

Blood and bile rushed in her throat, leaving her incapable of screaming for aid.

'Somebody please!’

Her vision started to blur, something cold and freezing beginning to replace the heat making her knees buckle under her.

‘Help me!’

And then everything went black.

------------------------------------

Side eyes the calendar, noticing it's only a few weeks away until it's October. Quickly thinks of a oneshot she can do, glances at Bai-he with an apologetic smile and mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I'm sorry my dear child, your suffering with only be temporary though"

I am slowly getting back into the groove of writing! MAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I decided to make a one shot of when Bai-he was possessed by LBD, i just make do some drapples of her time as LBD's host when i get the time but no promises.

Anyway! Hope you enjoyed this, as always feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and helpful.

[atendencytotangle]

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023 (In No Particular Order)

Check out these books that I loved reading during 2023

In previous years, I’ve limited my favorite books read in a year posts to ten. This year, I decided not to limit myself because I read so many books I absolutely adored in 2023 and I just couldn’t pare them down to ten. As always, not all of these books were published in 2023, but I read all 61 of them between 1st January and 31st December 2023. These were a mixture of fiction and non-fiction,…

[avernine]

What to do when It has gotten through your defences: please find our info-brochure on Our Website for helpful hints on Keeping It Out the best way to prevent it from Getting Through, is to Fortify your Defences

Would you like to be redirected to the virtual Fortification Helpline?

You have said "nauUAGFHG"

is that right?

you have said "no"

Would you like to be redirected to an evacuation specialist for low-risk areas?

you have said "PLEASE GOD IT'S HERE IT GOT HER SHE'S GONE PLEASE SOMEONE ANYONE"

I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that

You have said "

-

no"

You are being redirected to one of our emergency advisors Please note, the line is very busy

the average wait time for out emergency advisors yesterday was 20 minutes

your call is very important to us

On average, when you have reached our emergency team, your Process takes up to twelve hours

more than 50% of call which reach our emergency team aren't actually emergencies - the bio sign scanners on the client side of the phone detect 0% vitality in 60% of cases

we ask you not to leave your phone while on hold, our emergency team is very busy trying to help you and other survivors

~Mr Brightside by The Killers starts playing-

Thank you for waiting

Just so you know, there is a lot of information on our website about Keeping it Out

Please continue to Hold

[hesitationss]

i'm reading such an interesting essay on propaganda production japanese occupied china. i know a lot about various revolutionary print histories but for some reason i never even thought to look at occupation art. it's full of imperial sympathizers because only those who sympathized and pacified to imperialism got access to commercial cultural production. though founded by japanese, a lot of the cultural producers were chinese class traitors. but eventually having these printing technics accessible in the country post occupation was utilized by the revolutionary people's party for communist agitprop as well is public information like improving the hygiene of peasants & workers, seeking medical care rather than relying in CH medicine, and practicing safe sex to reduce families where children starved. on page 14 out of 41 🫡 i will have to continue tomorrow...