Theorists
Carol cloverCarol Clover is an American professor of film studies and rhetoric language and Scandinavian mythology. She has been widely published in her areas of expertise. In 1992 her book Men, Women, and Chainsaw: Gender in the Modern Horror Film achieved popularity beyond academia, and she is credited with developing the "final girl" theory, within the book, which changed both popular and academic conceptions of gender in horror films.
In Clovers book she investigates the use of gender in Slasher Films, in particular the slasher, occult and rape-revenge genres, from a feminist perspective. She expresses that although these films seem to offer sadistic pleasure to the viewers, Clover argues that these films are designed to align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the female victim who finally defeats her oppressor. |
Carol Clover believes that killers in horror films tend to either have issues with their childhood or are sexually disturbed. Clover also believes that murders occur in decaying and haunted mansions, for example Texas chainsaw, Hell Night and Halloween. These are places are terrible not just because of their physical state but by the terrible families and histories inside them. Normally the walls in these houses seem safe by keeping the killer out but soon become prisons holding the victim in. Often point of view shots are used as we are able to watch the weapon penetrate into the safe surroundings of where the victim is hiding.
The victim used to be only one beautiful women that is being killed in horror films, even when males and females are killed in the same numbers it is the death of the females that lingers in your mind. clover writes that you will spot the "final girl" right form the start in slashers, she is normally not very sexually active, she is intelligent, resourceful and watchful to the point of paranoia. Clover also says that the "final girl" can be boyish, even to the point of her name. For example Stevie, Marit, Terry, Joey and Max.
(FL)
The victim used to be only one beautiful women that is being killed in horror films, even when males and females are killed in the same numbers it is the death of the females that lingers in your mind. clover writes that you will spot the "final girl" right form the start in slashers, she is normally not very sexually active, she is intelligent, resourceful and watchful to the point of paranoia. Clover also says that the "final girl" can be boyish, even to the point of her name. For example Stevie, Marit, Terry, Joey and Max.
(FL)