
In researching for this blog, my main resource was the fantastic book by Carol J. Clover, "Men, Women, and Chainsaws:Gender in the Modern Horror Film". In this study of film theory and feminism, Clover addresses issues from voyeurism to sadism intrinsic in modern horror movies.
One of her most interesting points to me was the idea that most of these killers have gender identity isues or are faced with some sort of sexual trauma. Like Leatherface and Hitchhiker from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" both being inbred, sexually confused and inexperienced freaks who kill instead of fuck. Or Mike Myers from "Halloween" whose first killing experience was after he saw his sister have sex in their house. Even in "Sream" the two murderous teens seem to be sexually confused and outcast. And according to Clover, "the most recent incarnation of Norman Bates is "Silence of the Lambs'" Buffalo Bill, a mother-fixated would-be transexual who, having been denied a sex change operation, is sewing his own women-suit out of women's skins.".
What do all of these movies teach us about sexuality then. As a women I feel like most horror/slasher films are pretty sex-negative. If you are a sexually experienced young women, you die, and if you're sexually naive or inexperienced, you take out your frustration by kiling. And if you are at all questioning your gender identity, you are a murderer.
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