By reading the Carl J Clover extract about the ‘Final Girl’, I’ve learned that many male directors are very judgemental and somewhat, misogynistic. For example, ‘as horror director Dario Argento puts it, ‘I like women, especially beautiful ones. If they have a good face and figure, O would much prefer to watch them being murdered than an ugly girl or man’ (Schoell: 1985, 54).’
The world-renowned director Alfred Hitchcok also stated: 'I always believe in following the advice of the playwright Sardou. He said, "Torture the women!" The trouble today is that we don't torture women enough' (Spoto: 1983, 483).'
A good point I found in this extract was from director of Halloween, John Carpenter. He responded to what a critic had believed (that the film punished female sexuality). His response was: 'The [the critics] completely missed the boat there, I think. Because if you turn it around, the one girl who is the most sexually uptight just keeps stabbing this guy with a long knife. She's the most sexually frustrated. She's the one that killed him. Not because she's a virgin, but because all that repressed energy starts coming out. She uses all those phallic symbols on the guy. ... She and the killer have a certain link: sexual repression.'
'The Final Girl is, on reflection, a congenial double for the adolescent male. She is feminine enough to act out in a gratifying way, a way unapproved for adult males, the terrors and masochistic pleasures of the underlying fantasy, but not so feminine as to disturb the structures of male competence and sexuality.'
'The Final Girl is (apparently) female not despite the maleness of the audience, but precisely because of it.'
'The Final Girl (1) undergoes agonizing trials, and (2) virtually or actually destroys the antagonist and saves herself.'
One quote I found really interesting was the link to the folk tradition (going back into context of horror). 'She is not a heroine, for whom phase 1 consists in being saved by someone else, but a hero, who rises to the occasion and defeats the adversary with his own wit and hands.' An example of this could be Sally in Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Sidney in Scream. Although both characters defeat the killers, they're still helped by male characters (Sally is helped by the trucker and Sidney is helped by Randy). This could imply that the Final Girl needs a male hero to help her 'escape'.
The world-renowned director Alfred Hitchcok also stated: 'I always believe in following the advice of the playwright Sardou. He said, "Torture the women!" The trouble today is that we don't torture women enough' (Spoto: 1983, 483).'
A good point I found in this extract was from director of Halloween, John Carpenter. He responded to what a critic had believed (that the film punished female sexuality). His response was: 'The [the critics] completely missed the boat there, I think. Because if you turn it around, the one girl who is the most sexually uptight just keeps stabbing this guy with a long knife. She's the most sexually frustrated. She's the one that killed him. Not because she's a virgin, but because all that repressed energy starts coming out. She uses all those phallic symbols on the guy. ... She and the killer have a certain link: sexual repression.'
'The Final Girl is, on reflection, a congenial double for the adolescent male. She is feminine enough to act out in a gratifying way, a way unapproved for adult males, the terrors and masochistic pleasures of the underlying fantasy, but not so feminine as to disturb the structures of male competence and sexuality.'
'The Final Girl is (apparently) female not despite the maleness of the audience, but precisely because of it.'
'The Final Girl (1) undergoes agonizing trials, and (2) virtually or actually destroys the antagonist and saves herself.'
One quote I found really interesting was the link to the folk tradition (going back into context of horror). 'She is not a heroine, for whom phase 1 consists in being saved by someone else, but a hero, who rises to the occasion and defeats the adversary with his own wit and hands.' An example of this could be Sally in Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Sidney in Scream. Although both characters defeat the killers, they're still helped by male characters (Sally is helped by the trucker and Sidney is helped by Randy). This could imply that the Final Girl needs a male hero to help her 'escape'.
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