seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Singapore
seen from Norway
seen from Italy
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from Ireland
seen from Russia
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Indonesia
seen from Argentina
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United Kingdom
The Gothic has been a hybrid form since its inception in the eighteenth century. This hybridity is especially crucial in considering the aesthetics of the Gothic television series, many of which depend upon the straddling of several genres for their effect.
—Gothic on the Small Screen
Brigid Cherry, from “Horror”, 2009.
Week 13
This week, we watched the film Jennifer’s Body made in 2009. While as the time of its original release, it did not do well in box office. But later around the time of the #MeToo movement and the 10 year anniversary it started to pick up popularity. This film is different to other that we have watched in multiple ways. Past films have had visual grotesque or different looking monsters. Cherry talks about how “the most popular type of horror film was the vampire film” (170). I think the reason being is partly because of the visual appeal that the vampire brings. They are designed as their sexual, mysterious creatures that audiences can fawn over. Jennifer is depicted in a similar way, being seen very sexually and not visual monstrous. Personally, I don’t think it is fair to label Jennifer as the sole monster. I think she commits monstrous acts, but is not really the monster. The film also depicts Jennifer as being possessed, so the being killing men is not Jennifer, but something in her body. I think the real monsters should be the band Low Shoulder. It was their actions that lead to Jennifer being possessed and then killing people. Their ego and lack of care for others leads to a monster being created. It connects to a question that I would talk about with my friends when Captain America: The Winter Soldier came out. Who do you blame the person who made the gun, the gun, or who fired the gun. Who is really at fault, the band, Jennifer, or the thing that possessed Jennifer. Since we as viewers see what fully happens to Jennifer, there is a sense of sadness directed towards what the film what trying to make the monster. As Cherry mentions, “empathy for the monster continues into adulthood and may be one of the reasons why some types of horror film… are so popular with female viewers” (174). I think that that reason in combination of the “monster” being female as well already makes female audiences have sympathy towards Jennifer.
Something interesting about this film is its focus on taking classic slasher tropes and spinning them. In most slasher films, the girls who just had sex are targeted by the killer quickly. While Jennifer is targeted because it was believed that she was a virgin, a complete opposite of the slasher trope. Much like the film is taking this tropes and making it their own, Jennifer is spending the film reclaiming her body. The main characters, Needy and Jennifer, also go against the traditional roles. While Needy could be read as final girl/victim and Jennifer as monster, in reality there are each both of those roles. Jennifer is a final girl because she survives what Low Shoulder tried to do to her, but she then becomes the monster. Needy goes from side friend, to final girl/victim, and then to monster at the very end. It takes these normally separate roles and mushes them into two characters. Personally, I really enjoy this film and have seen it multiple times before.
A seemingly hysterical protagonist.
—Gothic on the Small Screen
Gothic television has often rendered the role of the hero as a conceptual Gothic heroine.
—Gothic on the Small Screen
Brigid Cherry, from “Horror”, 2009.
Brigid Cherry, from “Horror”, 2009.
Brigid Cherry, from “Horror”, 2009.
