By K. A. Laity
It's nearly Halloween and if you're like most people these halcyon days, you're feeling more than a mite pinched in the wallet and depressed about your status in the world. Doubly so if you are female, because we always bear the brunt of austerity measures.
Well, nothing raises the spirits and boosts the ego like a little female mayhem. Sure you want to go on a rampage through the high street and smash windows, but you'd also like to have the possibility of keeping your job and acquaintances. Better to snack on your favorite high fat snack and let these women carry out the bloodshed for you.
THE HAUNTING (1963)
See Eleanor escape her horrible sister; see Eleanor meet the dishy doctor; see Claire Bloom make eyes at Eleanor, too; see Eleanor confused; see Eleanor get angry when the dishy doctor turns out to be married… This classic film is completely bloodless but never fails to make my jaded undergrads gasp with fear. It's also a wonderful exploration of the complex world of the passive-aggressive woman (read Shirley Jackson's superb novel, The Haunting of Hill House, perhaps the best ghost story (or is it?) ever written.
SUSPIRIA (1977)
Talk about your bad luck streak in dancing school! Poor Suzy Banyon, she just wanted to go to the finest ballet school in Europe. Little did she know that it held all kinds of secrets -- not to mention carelessly discarded piano wire, dangerous evil eye incidents and a healthy sprinkling of maggots. Udo Kier turns out to be no help at all (maybe because his voice is dubbed) and where's that mysterious director of the school? Argento's masterpiece of color saturation provides wonderful fun (if you're not averse to operatic gore) and a whole host of women good and bad. Wide-eyed Jessica Harper makes a great heroine whose strengths are all internal.
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984)
It doesn't get much better than Angela Carter: if you haven't read the source tales for this movie, slap yourself now. Then go read her fantastic fairy tales. After that, settle down with a nice cup of tea and listen to Angela Lansbury tell some tales and you'll never be afraid of the big bad wolf again (though he may be afraid of you).
GINGER SNAPS (2000)
Ginger and Brigitte are the spooky goth girls obsessed with death, outsiders on the edge of puberty and all the monsters that unleashes. Sisters: a blessing and a curse. While the motif of puberty as monstrous has been done before -- you're probably familiar with King's Carrie, but have you read Suzy McKee Charnas' superb short, "Boobs"? If not, get it! It's cheap -- this film offers a wonderful examination of the topic with a lot of surprises and genuine emotion (and okay, horror).
I'm only scratching the surface here, so to speak: what are you fave monster women?
Image via connect.in.com