House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films
by Kier-La Janisse
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Description
In 2012, a book debuted that would go on to canonical status and usher in a new way of writing about film. Kier-La Janisse's House of Psychotic Women is an autobiographical exploration of female neurosis in horror and exploitation films that examines hundreds of films through a daringly personal lens. In this pioneering work, anecdotes and memories interweave with film history, criticism, and trivia to create a reflective personal history and a consideration of female madness, both onscreen show more and off. To mark its tenth anniversary, Kier-La Janisse produced an expanded edition the book, featuring new writing on 100 more films-many of which were inspired in part by the book itself. Cinema is full of neurotic personalities, but few things are more transfixing than a woman losing her mind onscreen. Horror as a genre provides the most welcoming platform for these histrionics: crippling paranoia, desperate loneliness, masochistic death-wishes, dangerous obsessiveness, apocalyptic hysteria. Unlike her male counterpart-'the eccentric'-the female neurotic lives a shamed existence, making these films those rare places where her destructive emotions get to play. Contains mature themes. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I frequently felt like I was not cool enough for this book, but it was utterly fascinating. It's nice to see female neurosis embraced and wrestled with for once, instead of just condemned as unfeminist.
terrific
Well-researched and illuminating— there’s so much here to further look into and look at. I hope to god there is a sequel.
Well-researched and illuminating— there’s so much here to further look into and look at. I hope to god there is a sequel.
A little navel gaze-y but that is alright.
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Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 791.436164 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Public performances Motion pictures, radio, television, podcasting Motion pictures Special aspects of films; film adaptations, film genres {class specific films in 791.437} Films displaying specific qualities Tragedy and horror Horror
- LCC
- PN1995.9 .H6 .J375 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Drama Motion pictures
- BISAC
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- 228
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- 143,162
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.31)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 4
