Throughout February FEARnet will be profiling Women Who Make You Scream in celebration of Women in Horror Recognition Month and the gals who bring the gore.

Some of the most iconic characters from the past seventy years of horror movies are female. Whether they are Final Girls, bloodied victims, or ax-wielding mamas, these women have slowly changed the face of the genre and the way we look at the slasher film formula. It follows that if there are so many women on the screen, there should be a ton of women working behind the scenes in the genre, right? Right?

Not so much.

The horror genre is no different than the rest of Hollywood where women are severely underrepresented. Yet, anyone who has seen a horror movie in the last few years knows the ratio of men and women hitting the theater is equal and often skews in favor of the fairer sex. So where are these scare-loving Sirens and why don’t we hear about them?

Feminist horror writer, podcaster, and macabre maven Hannah Neurotica asked the same question, and that’s how Women in Horror Recognition Month came to be. The idea was triggered during a less than productive CBC Radio panel she sat on, along with Jovanka Vuckovic (former Rue Morgue Editor)  and Professor Aviva Breifel, where the host focused far more on the panelists’ tattoos and hair color than the work they were producing in the genre.

“The idea of focusing on how a woman looks is something we are fighting to get away from anyway-- not to mention it was a complete waste of air time that could have been spent discussing serious issues about women in the film industry,” Neurotica explained.

She saw the clear discrepancy between the women she knew who were active in the scene – both filmmakers and fans – and the overarching attitude of the mostly male industry.  So, she decided to change the paradigm and “celebrate all the women in the horror industry.”

“Originally I had proposed Women in Horror Month (WiHM) as an idea but decided to just claim it. Why should I need to ask people’s permission? … I called on (some might even say harassed!) horror fans and industry ladies to help support this mission and from there the magic happened,” she said. “It is incredible how people can come together when a void needs filling and work to breathe new life into our history.  Not that I think WiHM is going to change history, but the amount of events it produced is astounding and will hopefully continue to build momentum until women are visible in the industry and then, hopefully, one day seen as equals.”

All the WiHM events, including films and coverage from other like-minded websites, can be seen here. Neurotica is quick to point out two things about the month: Firstly, this isn’t about her, it’s about the ongoing collaboration between many artists and fans. Secondly, not everyone loves the idea, or sees the need, for WiHM.

“ … If people think we don't need the month then please take that opinion and put it to work. Profile women all year long, please,” she said when I asked her about criticism she received from the horror community. “Create festivals just for women all year long, please.  We would all love that. But, ya know what? It doesn't happen and it's never happened.  We are still just a set of bloody tits and that will never change if we don't show the world we exist.”

Hell yeah, Hannah.

Read on to find out more about Neurotica’s work, why she’s a total sucker for slashers, and what makes Leslie Vernon the ultimate Final Girl.

FEARnet: Most horror fans have their thing – Giallo, Hack n’ Slash, Satan, Evil Babies, Scarotica … What’s yours?
 
Hannah Neurotica : I have to say I am a sucker for slasher films. I know they are the ultimate in formulaic-predictability but I just can't get enough. Right now with Netflix, Hulu, etc. there are so many rad movies instantly at our disposal. I love seeking out ‘70s and ‘80s slasher films I somehow missed or never had access to until now. That being said, I simply love horror in general and will really watch anything! I do have to admit I have little interest in vampires. I love Giallo passionately- it's so beautiful. (Can't go wrong with evil babies either.) Bring me any horror film and I will watch it. I don't want to pigeon hole myself as a slasher girl cause really I love it all. But again, not so much on the vampires.......

Whether it’s because of the blood or the boobs, there’s a popular notion that horror movies belong to men. But you and I know more than a few women who embrace them wholeheartedly. What do you think it is about horror that specifically appeals to women?

It's so subjective. What appeals to one woman is going to be different then what appeals to another woman.

Generally speaking, horror is the only genre that allows you to explore really dark places. Statistically in this country women are abused in much higher numbers then men, we fear walking alone at night, we are judged on how we look, we still don't make the same amount of money as men, so, we have a lot of shit to get off our chest and be pissed off about and horror lends is a fantastic outlet for anger, frustration, and fear. The act of making and the act of viewing horror films can, in turn, be therapeutic -- allowing us to get out our frustrations and experiences in a safe way. Not to mention it’s the only film genre to have consistently strong female characters. That being said, I believe women also enjoy horror for the same exact reason any male horror fan does: They are damn fun!

Do you feel like it's necessary to balance the "gore" and the "whore" in your work? If so, how do you go about doing that?

It's amazing (by amazing I mean devastating) that in this country it's okay to show peoples bodies blown to pieces but the act of showing people having sex is considered obscene.

There is a huge imbalance there- it sends a message that it’s okay to hurt someone but it’s not okay to make someone (or yourself) feel good. Part of starting to change this is not censoring sex (a very wonderful thing) and [not] allowing extreme violence to be accepted as healthy normal behavior. 

In terms of my own art, I don't think you need to or should get hung up on finding balance. I think you need to tell the story that is inside you and be true to yourself. The script I wrote Shitfucked: A Vile Love Story is, pretty much, a big mesh of extreme sex and violence. I never sat down and said, ‘Okay.  I just wrote a sex scene so now I need to equal that out with some violence.’ You can't make art by trying to be PC or formulaic. Not to mention sometimes sex and violence can be a blurry line. For example, a consensual rough sex scene can be seen by some as violent. But, those that enjoy rough sex wouldn't view it as violent but just another facet of our sexuality. All that matters is that you stay true to the story you want to tell. 

Historically, women have carved out a space for themselves in the genre through playing the victim.  Have you seen a change in that over the last few years and how do you view your place in the annals of horror?

Women in horror can be both victim and victorious. And let's not forget men are killed off/are victims as well.  It's the nature of the genre.

If you could cast a spell and change one thing about the genre right now, what would it be?

I'd want women to be visible as true artists and given as much opportunity as men working in the genre.
 
Who do you see as the up-and-coming woman to watch in the horror?

Jen & Sylvia Soska, Shannon Lark, Lis Fies, Devi Snively, Jovanka Vuckovic …  I don't think you have enough room for the list I could unleash on you!
 
Laurie Strode, Ellen Ripley, Jennifer Hills, Jennifer Corvino, or Rhoda Penmark?

Nancy Thompson!

Speaking as a fan, what horror film is a must-see?

There are so many "must-see" horror films it would be insane to try to only pick one. I truly suck at having to pick favorites! Different films speak to different aspects of our personalities. My go-to answer is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but honestly there are so many incredible horror films I couldn't even begin to just pick one.

What’s the all-time greatest Final Girl moment?

There are a lot of fantastic moments of awesome! I couldn't even begin to pick one. I will say that one of the most recent and interesting Final Girl moments was in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Usually the Final Girl fights and kicks the killer’s ass with a phallic weapon. In Leslie Vernon she crushes him in a machine of some sort. It’s a very vaginal image and I liked seeing a vaginal crush rather than a phallic penetration: it was a great comment/change of pace on the way our Final Girl reigns victorious.
 
Neurotica is not only orchestrating WiHM, she’s working on the next issue of her feminist horror fanzine 'Ax Wound #4': Sex/Horror Issue, which she makes out of her apartment. She will be collaborating with Victor Bonacore on the short film, Shitfucked: A Vile Love Story, and artist Miki Hickel on the comic Bloodberry Cuntcake. She’s been the host Ax Wound Radio and ZINECORE RADIO since 2008.