GENDER IN THE HORROR FILM
English 305-61, Spring 2007
Wednesday, 5:30-9:00pm, College Hall 104
Professor John Fried
Office: 624 College Hall
e-mail: friedj@duq.edu
phone: 412-396-6428
Office hours: 10am - 12pm, MW, and by appointment
Course description:
Suave Dracula. The virginal Scream Queen. Norman Bates wears a dress. Issues of
gender and sexuality have always been central to the horror film. But how are such issues
connected to what defines these films as horrific? In this course, we will watch a variety of
classic and contemporary horror films with the goal of understanding how what is
considered scary or monstrous in such films often relates to anxieties surrounding gender,
sexuality and difference. In addition to weekly screenings, students will read and discuss a
variety of reviews, critical essays, and theoretical texts. Students will also be expected to
master the language of film analysis.
Required texts:
• A course reader is available in the English department office ($15)
Course requirements:
• Since this class meets only once a week and we watch entire films in class, attendance is
crucial. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen Halloween enough times to recite the dialogue while
the film plays (please don’t…) or that most of the films are readily available at the video store;
part of the pleasure of watching a film—particularly a horror film!--is sitting in a “theater” with
others and feeding off their energy. Watching the DVD on your laptop in your room is not the
same thing. Attendance counts in your grade.
• As I’m sure you’re aware, this class runs from 5:30pm until 9pm. While we may not always
need all the time (it will depend on the length of the film) I expect everyone to stay even if they
have seen the film before. Leaving halfway through the movie is the equivalent of missing the
entire class as far as I’m concerned.
• Another joy of a film class is sitting around, talking/arguing about the film after watching it.
This class will be run as a discussion and class participation is required. I expect you to
come to class on time and prepared to contribute.
• Discussion questions. After every screening and certain readings you will be required to
submit two discussions questions. I’ll discuss what makes a good discussion question.
• Reading responses. Since this is a relatively large class and we meet only once a week, we
won’t have a chance to discuss everything you read in as much detail as I would like. That
said, I’d like you to write a 1-2 page, double-spaced response to the readings. (That’s 1-2
pages TOTAL for all the readings per week.) These should be very informal; you don’t need a
thesis or an argument or proper MLA format. Just tell me what you got out of it, how you feel it
relates to the films we’ve watched, in class discussions, etc.
• Quizzes. I’ll spend some time in the first few weeks briefly discussing the language of film
analysis i.e. how to talk about a film technically. I may give a quiz or two.
• Papers. There will be two papers due in the class: A three-to-five page paper due on
February 7 and a five-to-seven page final paper due on April 4. I encourage everyone to set
up a meeting with me before then to discuss your ideas.
• Exams. There is both a midterm and a final for this class.
A few things to consider: Films shown in this class sometimes include strong language,
nudity and "sexual situations," and/or scenes of violence. As adults, you are expected to
approach these films with the same seriousness as you would approach any object of
study in college. That said, these are horror films so screaming, crying, laughing, whiteknuckling your desk, and hiding under your coat during particularly scary parts is expected
and encouraged. If you have genuine objections to watching any material, let me know.
Grading:
Participation/attendance/quizzes/
Discussion questions/responses:
Paper 1:
Paper 2:
Midterm:
Final:
25%
15%
20%
20%
20%
Please note:
All written assignments should be turned in to me in class on the day that they are due.
Grades will be lowered one increment each day the assignment is late. (So if the assignment
is due on Wednesday and it is handed in on Thursday, you start with an A-.) All essays should
be typed in black ink in a reasonable font and double-spaced and using MLA format.
Course Schedule:
This syllabus is only a general guide. Due dates, screenings and readings may change. You
are responsible for keeping up-to-date with any changes. If you must miss a class, be sure to
check with me or someone in class to find out what was covered and what is due.
1/10
Introduction to Course
SCREEN:
Freaks (Dir: Tod Browning, 1931, 64 min.)
1/17
READ:
1/24
SCREEN:
• Noel Carroll, “Why Horror?”
• Andrew Tudor, “Why Horror?”
• Robin Wood, “The American Nightmare: Horror in the 70s,” Part 1
The Birds (Dir: Alfred Hitchcock, 1963, 119 min.)
READ:
• Linda Williams, “When the Woman Looks”
SCREEN:
1/31
READ:
SCREEN:
• Brigid Cherry, “Refusing to Refuse to Look: Female Viewers on
the Horror Film”
Peeping Tom (Dir: Michael Powell, 1960, 101 min.)
• Sigmund Freud, “The Uncanny”
• Harry M. Benshoff, “The Monster and the Homosexual”
The Haunting (Dir: Robert Wise, 1963, 112 min.)
2/7
**PAPER #1 DUE**
SCREEN:
Rosemary’s Baby (Dir: Roman Polanski, 1968, 136 min.)
2/14
READ:
SCREEN:
• Lucy Fisher, “Birth Traumas: Parturition and Horror in
Rosemary’s Baby”
• Virginia Wright Wexman, “The Trauma of Infancy in Roman
Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby”
Carrie (Dir: Brian De Palma, 1976, 98 min.)
2/21
MIDTERM EXAM
2/28
READ:
SCREEN:
• Carol J. Clover, “Carrie and the Boys”
• Shelley Stamp Lindsey, “Horror, Femininity, and Carrie’s
Monstrous Puberty”
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Dir: Tobe Hooper, 1974, 83 min.)
3/7
NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
3/14
READ:
SCREEN:
3/21
READ:
SCREEN:
3/28
READ:
SCREEN:
• Robin Wood, “The American Nightmare: Horror in the 70s” Part 2
• Carol J. Clover, “Her Body, Himself”
Halloween (Dir: John Carpenter, 1978, 101 min.)
• Vera Dika, “The Stalker Film, 1978-1981”
• Steve Neale, “Halloween: Suspense, Aggression and the Look”
Alien (Dir: Ridley Scott, 1979, 116 min.)
• Barbara Creed, “Horror and the monstrous feminine: an imaginary
abjection”
• Barbara Creed, “Horror and the Archaic Mother: Alien”
The Brood (Dir: David Cronenberg, 1979, 92 min.)
4/4
**PAPER #2 DUE**
SCREEN:
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 1992, 128 min.)
4/11
READ:
4/18
SCREEN:
• Robin Wood, “Burying The Undead: The Use and Obsolescence of
Count Dracula”
• Vera Dika, “From Dracula—with Love”
Dario Argento film
READ:
SCREEN:
Adam Knee, “Gender, Genre, and Argento”
TBA