Group Idea

Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black (Watkins, 2012)

FDA UK Distribution Guide and Questions on Film Distribution

A successful film's Product and Ancillary texts

Men, Women and Chainsaws Reading & Questions

Question 1: What does Clover mean by 'female victim-hero'? 

Clover described the Victim-hero as the following: "The hero part always understood as implying some degree of monstrosity, whose status in both roles has indeed been enabled by 'women's liberation'. Feminism, that is, has given a language to her victimization and a new force to the anger that subsidizes her own act of horrific revenge". What I believe Clover means by this is that the female victim- hero -who is the main character within a film- begins her screen life as the victim, being tormented by monstrosities often inflicted by other human beings (often classmates or peers), before turning the tables and seeking revenge for the wrongs committed against her. This was the case in Carrie, where the young girl was drenched in pig's blood at her prom and pelted with tampons in the toilets by other girls at her school as she started her period- in this instance she is depicted as the victim, however, this is soon changed when she uses her telekinetic powers to set the gym on fire- burning the students and the school with it in a form of revenge. The term 'Victim-hero' also includes some element of monstrosity in the heroism, as Clover explained; using often worse acts to get revenge than those used against her. Despite defeating the monstrosity of the oppressors, she then in herself become a new evil which means that the cycle is never fully broken.


Question 2: Why does Clover say that males relate to the females in horror films, in particular, the 'final girl'?


Clover theorised that males would relate to the female characters in horror films, especially the 'Final Girl'. In the text she describes real life torments that the boys suffer through the education system such as pulling gym shorts down and thumb-rubbing glasses. Whilst these acts are not often meant maliciously they do have a large impact on the social interactions and the emotional balance of young children- being a victim of such activities may cause embarrassment or social exclusion which is a dread for all students. It is through activities such as these that the male audience can not only relate, but sympathise with the female victim-hero and the final girl. Many horror films feature particularly relatable characters suc
h as Carrie, who was tormented in the showers and drenched with pigs blood after being tricked into going to senior prom with the popular boy in school. This embarrassment in front of the entire school may be what ultimately pushed her to the edge and led to her killing everyone; to some extent this could be seen as release for the males, who indirectly see revenge against their oppressors in a satisfactory, although rather gruesome, manner.


Question 3: Why does Clover suggest that horror research is problematic?


Clover argued that the main flaw with horror genre research is that the audiences are critically understudied, this is in part due to specific audiences such as the horror genre not being directly focused upon. Institutions tend to focus primarily on mainstream audiences of far broader film genres as these are the most reliable and likely to make profits at the box office. Further more, many horror films are produced independently and based upon hunch and imitation- hence the vast number of sequels and rip-offs seen in the horror category today. More complications in research arise when the actual viewing of the horror films are taken into account- many low-budget films have a significantly shorter theatrical run, or in some cases, no run-time at all. Clover mentions that in these instances, the film was released straight onto videocassettes for rentals and purchases which hide the real audience figures from sight. Because of this, the extended number of the audience of horror films is not recorded efficiently, if at all.


Question 4: Who does Clover suggest makes-up the typical horror audience?


Clover said in her book that there is no neat answer to this question as film audiences are far less studied and surveyed than TV audiences- this is because what statistical surveys there are are sponsored by major studios. As a significantly large proportion of horror is produced independently, this leads to the horror genre withing film being drastically understudied, however, Carol Clover found that the typical horror film audience comprised of the following groups;

Young men- Often in groups but also solo
Male/female couples- In varying ages, but mostly young
Solo 'rogue' males- Older men of ominous appearance and/ or reactions
Adolescent girls- In groups

She continues to explain that the exact proportions of each group differ between sub-genres but the one constant is the influx of adolescent males, following in the presumption of Stephen King.


Question 5: Was there parity between horror audiences in regards to those who watched horror films at the cinema and those who watched them at home through rentals?


In her own research, Clover amassed some 60 employees of rental outlets around the country (America) and asked them to poll the clientele for several films; Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I Spit On Your Grave, Ms. 45, Witchboard, Videodrome and The Evil Dead. The poll confirmed a young male bias. To further this she used three local outlets to track the rental of I Spit On Your Grave and Ms. 45- two low budget rape-revenge films. Ms. 45 was rented 4/5 times by men and both sexes were almost all under the age of 25. I Spit On Your Grave was rented 9/10 times to male viewers and ages varied both above and below the age of 25. Of course she acknowledges that the renter of the film is not necessarily the only watcher of it during its lease but this information was suggestive to real figures. This ties up with the typical horror audience being primarily comprised of young (under 25) males, but also including the occasional female as found by Clover and the assumption made by Stephen King. However, it must also been taken into consideration that the sub-genre will have an impact on the diversity of the audience, the two films that were recorded were rather gruesome rape-revenge films which may not appeal to the female's within the typical horror audience.

Question 6: What are the two ways identified by Clover in which audiences identify with characters?

Clover concluded that there were two ways in which the audience will identify with a character. Primary identification is through the camera work- 'wherever it may be and whatever it may be up to'. It is through techniques such as handheld first-person camera which is arguably the most personal of all. The handheld camera effect gives across the most accurate of emotions and makes the audience feel as if they are experiencing the events along with the character, wherever the character goes (as shown through the work of the camera) so does the audience. This is particularly useful when filming a hero during an attack- especially if they are the 'final girl' or the 'victim-hero' as the audience will be more likely to really root for their survival as they have the feeling they have been with them through the events. Secondary identification is a more emphatic approach whereby the audience individually chooses which character to empathise with. The competing figures within the films resonate with the audience's psyche- The masochistic victim and the sadistic monster which usually the encouragement of a voyeuristic gaze (as devised through camera work and angling).

Traditional Representation of Women

Representation and The Cabin In The Woods

Question 1: What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin In The Woods?

Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character types for women are:

• Domestic- the woman cooks, cleans and is there to care for people 
• Marital- the woman is there to please her husband/ boyfriend 
• Consumer- the woman's primary concern is material products 
• Sexual- the woman is there to satisfy the needs of the heterosexual male. 

This categorised women as either sexual objects, eager shoppers, content housewives or loving mothers/ wives which is a very old fashioned way of looking at the female population as these stereotypes have progressed in recent years..

Only two of these types can be found in The Cabin In The Woods; Sexual and to some extent Domestic. There is a significant amount of sexualisation put upon both of the main girls in the film; Dana and Jules. This is shown through their behaviors and the positioning of the camera. From Jules' sexual dancing in the Cabin- focusing on her legs and bum, to Dana in her underwear in the opening scene getting dressed in her bedroom.

Curt: Read the Gurovsky; it's way more interesting and Bennet doesn't know it by heart so he'll think you're insightful. And you have no pants.

Domestic is also another label that can be applied to the film. Dana goes about making everyone drinks the first evening in the cabin, making sure they are all okay and happy before sitting down herself. whilst this is a small act it is not done by any of the other characters and can be classed as being a very domesticated role.

Question 2: How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory?

Carol Clover said in her book that the final girl is usually; Virginal, bookish, hands on (mechanic) and non-sexualised. Though this is not an exhaustive list, Dana can be said to be bookish which fits the list. This can be seen as she wants to take several books with her on the 'holiday' and has many in her bookcase, however, this is not mocked as it would be in other films, instead Curt recommends a different and 'better' book for her to take. The love of books shows she has a deeper knowledge and intellectual level than the typical character which put her in prime position for 'final girl'.

In the opening scene we find out the Dana isn't in fact a virgin, which is a shared common factor between most of the final girls. Despite this she isn't as sexualised as the non-virgins are such as Jules, helping to reinforce her as an innocent female and thus more like the typical final girl. The virginal element is key to the ritual in the film and as Dana points out their mistake the director explains:

Dana: Me? The virgin?

The Director: We work with what we have

Meaning that they played up Dana's innocent and more prudish side whilst emphasising and coercing Jules into more provocative behaviours.

A key feature that is common to all final girls is the fact that Dana fights back. This is seen throughout the film and is especially emphasised when she releases the monsters from their cages:

Dana: An army of nightmares, huh? Let's get this party started.
[hits purge button releasing all the monsters]

She constantly fights against the zombified Buckner's to save her friends, entrapping Matthew Buckner in his own Bear Trap in The Black Room to escape from him with Curt and Holden. This is followed by her fighting a short amount of time later with Judah Buckner by the lake, however, with Marty's help she hits him with a plank of wood around the head. This takes a more drastic turn when she accidentally kills Gary Sitterson in the Institution as they meet unexpectedly at a corner- she stabs him in the stomach. The Final Girl is known for holding her own in the film, however, Dana is helped a fair amount by Marty appearing to save her, it is possible that this is done to save the male ego, making the audience (primarily male) feel like the hero, despite never facing the events in the film.Despite Marty saving her many times, she was almost willing to shoot him to save the world, showing how brave and willing to sacrifice she is.

The name of the final girl is also a key part of their androgynous profile- the Stretches, Laurie's, Sydney's and Dana's of the horror world all share the same thing- their names are uni-sex or androgynous. This not only serves to make them more relatable to the male audiences, it also limits the extent to which they can be sexualised, as they are 'one of the lad's'.

Add to this conservative clothing and pair her with an overly feminine 'best friend' and this binary opposition will make the final girl appear even more androgynous.


Question 3: Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and what causes her to become a horror archetype?

One of the primary horror characters is the 'Dumb Blonde'; the character which is very naive, lacks education and is very sexually active.

The cabin In The Woods approaches this in an almost self-aware manner- blaming the Chem lab for the changes to suit the ritual for the Ancient Ones. In one of the opening scenes, Jules comes into Dana's bedroom to show her her new hair colour: Bleach blonde. This physical transformation emphasises to us that initially she was not blonde, or dumb as they are all college graduates in subjects such as Sociology which are not easy. Again this is the Facility bending the rules and making the most of whats they have been given.

To make Jules fit the stereotype of the Whore, she dyes her hair (the dye has been tampered with to alter her cognitive processes according to a woman) which starts off the mental transformations to match her new, 'improved' exterior.

In the living room of the cabin, Jules begins to dance provocatively, and make-out with the wolf's head- it later transpires that chemicals she has inhaled has caused this as well as the chemicals from her hair dye seeping into her brain. This leads to her and Curt leaving the cabin to go into the woods, their libido's raised by staff in the Facility controlling the environment. In the woods she initially doesn't want to have sex with Curt, however, after the ground releases more chemicals through pipes she agrees and thus solidifies the whore archetype; This is followed promptly by her being dragged away by one of the Zombie Redneck Torture Family members and brutally killed- After all the order doesn't matter as long as the whore dies first and the virgin dies last.

Marty is the only one to notice their strange behaviour as the drugs he smokes makes him immune to the chemicals they Facility pump in.


Question 4: Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how?

Mulvey's Male Gaze theory looked at how the camera 'looks' at women in horror films, usually in an objective, sexualised way. This is shown in The Cabin In the Woods in the very opening scene. The opening scene shows Dana in her underwear in her bedroom, which is shot from outside her bedroom window, making the audience Voyeurs and there to watch her get dressed, this is achieved through a low camera angle shot looking up through the window as it we are peeping at her. This is typical of the Male Gaze as it looks at females as an object there for the males pleasure. This is continued along throughout the film as again another shot is filmed through the window as she dances by the fireplace in a provocative manner; the camera focuses on her legs, bum and mouth throughout the scene which are the typically focused upon areas by males for pleasure. Again this is seen in the shot of her making-out with a wolf for a dare, the camera tracks up he legs focusing on the crossed-over walk common to models and then tracking up to her bum as she continues to walk. during the scene the camera changed to focus close up on her mouth and tongue as she kisses the wolf, again to entertain and satisfy the men in the audience.

In the woods, the sex scene focuses on the undressing and facial expressions of the female, completely cutting out any awareness of Curt through close ups and strategic camera placement. The shot cuts to the Facility where all of the male workers are standing around a big screen watching the event take place- again a self- aware look at what the film is doing to the females in it.

Question 5: In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to character?

In the scene when they have found their bedrooms, Holden is disturbed by a graphic painting on the wall and removes it, revealing the one way mirror behind it- which Dana is looking into in an almost ashamed manner. she looks away as if she doesn't like what she sees and begins to get undressed, unaware that Holden can see her. We watch as Holden is conflicted as to whether he should or shouldn't stop her, and decides to take the moral option and tells her to stop. As they all look at the mirror from Holden's side he asks her if she wants to switch rooms, which tells us that Holden is a genuinely nice guy. Dana accepts his offer and the two swap rooms. For a while afterwards Dana watches Holden remove his shirt but quickly put the painting back up and covers it with a blanket.

This rejection of being voyeurs from the two characters show how proper they are, and in Dana's case a little prude and ashamed of herself in the way she looks.

Question 6: Summarise the way in which women are represented in The Cabin In The Woods.

To some extent it could be agreed that the film objectifies the female characters, and sexualised them for the pleasure of the heterosexual male audience. However, this is done in a self-aware way and serves to build the plot.

The character that is shown to be the most sexualised is Jules, as the camera focused on her attributes and figure more than what is inside her head, this is done to fulfill the 'whore' archetype needed in the sacrifice to the ancient gods. However, Jules is a college graduate and is coerced into dying her hair blonde, the slutty dancing and having sex in the woods with Curt. The film does not suggest that she is unfaithful to him in any way and during the entire length of the film she doesn't satisfy anyone but Curt- her boyfriend- and the men in the Facility (whom she doesn't know are watching).

Most of the provocative scenes are followed by a shot change to within the facility where they explain that the behavior is to 'satisfy the audience' which could mean it is aired live on TV or for the Gods to which they are being sacrificed.

To some extent the females are sexualised which is both for the real audiences pleasure and the sacrificial pleasure to the gods. However, the stereotypes are forced upon them as they have to be molded to fit the right five categories in order for the sacrifice to be successful. All five of the teenagers are smart and kind, however, their personalities are changed as well as their appearances to fit the typical horror archetypes of the Athlete, the Scholar, the Fool, the Whore and the Virgin.

Quote inserts from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/quotes

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