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What is it about 'Jaws, Alien, Little Shop of Horrors and Poltergeist' that plays on men's fear of women? And what is it that they fear most? 'The Monstrous-Feminine' examines the role of women in horror films. The author argues that when a woman is constructed as monstrous, it is almost always in conjuction with reproduction and mothering functions. In this exploration, using detailed analysis of 'Carrie, The Exorcist, Psycho' and 'Alien' among others, Creed identifies the seven faces of female monstrosity--archaic mother; monstrous womb; vampire; witch; possessed monster; deadly 'femme castratrice' and castrating mother. The argument then moves on to challenge the Freudian concept that a woman terrifies because she is castrated--Creed holds forth that the woman acting as castrat'or' is what creates horror for men. 'The' 'Monstrous-Feminine' goes on to discuss and analyze what these images mean for feministfilm theory, as well as revealing important clues about masculinity.

Film --- Depth psychology --- Monsters in motion pictures. --- Horror films --- Women in motion pictures. --- Psychological aspects.

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In almost all critical writings on the horror film, woman is conceptualised only as victim. In The Monstrous-Feminine Barbara Creed challenges this patriarchal view by arguing that the prototype of all definitions of the monstrous is the female reproductive body. With close reference to a number of classic horror films including the Alien trilogy, The Exorcist and Psycho, Creed analyses the seven `faces' of the monstrous-feminine: archaic mother, monstrous womb, vampire, witch, possessed body, monstrous mother and castrator. Her argument that man fears woman as castrator, rather than as castrated, questions not only Freudian theories of sexual difference but existing theories of spectatorship and fetishism, providing a provocative re-reading of classical and contemporary film and theoretical texts.

Monstres --- Femmes --- Films d'horreur --- Psychanalyse et féminisme --- Au cinéma --- Aspect psychologique

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Evolution in motion pictures --- Sex in motion pictures --- Femmes fatales in motion pictures. --- Evolution au cinéma --- Sexualité au cinéma --- Femmes fatales au cinéma

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First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Women --- Forced labor --- Cannibalism --- Human body --- Crimes contre les femmes --- Travail forcé --- Cannibalisme --- Corps humain --- Crimes against --- Social aspects --- Aspect social --- Pacific Area --- Pacifique, Région du --- Colonization --- Colonisation --- Anthropophagy --- Indigenous peoples --- Compulsory labor --- Conscript labor --- Labor, Compulsory --- Labor, Forced --- Employees --- Human females --- Wimmin --- Woman --- Womon --- Womyn --- Females --- Human beings --- Femininity --- Aboriginal peoples --- Aborigines --- Adivasis --- Indigenous populations --- Native peoples --- Native races --- Ethnology --- Body, Human --- Body image --- Human anatomy --- Human physiology --- Mind and body --- Asia-Pacific Region --- Asian-Pacific Region --- Asian and Pacific Council countries --- Pacific Ocean Region --- Pacific Region --- Pacific Rim --- Colonization.

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