davenj

***Humongous, Ginormous Trigger Warning***
Recently there has been a Feministing thread, started by Jessica, about the new movie “Deadgirl”, a horror film making its way through the festival circuit currently and possibly slated for some sort of theatrical release in the future. As is the case in many of these instances the original poster was working off of secondhand knowledge (plot synopses, reviews, marketing campaigns, etc.) in order to try to understand the film, and came to a rather negative conclusion about the film. A lot of people don’t have the time, volition, or ability to watch a film like “Deadgirl” because it’s only on the festival circuit and because even if one got a copy it’s a really tough movie to sit through.
I did watch “Deadgirl”, though, and this is the most feminist movie I’ve seen this year. That’s no small statement, either. I review movies for my college paper, and on average see at least one new movie a week, but usually two or three. I sit through everything. It’s part of the perils of being an entertainment writer, albeit a volunteer one, and occasionally you get a big surprise when a movie you expect to be one thing turns out to be something else entirely. I expected “Deadgirl” to be like other schlock horror I sit through all the time. Not so. The film is the most nuanced, and most horrifying, look at manhood in a misogynistic culture I’ve ...