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Women in Horror Month--A Look Back
Feb. 1st, 2014 09:33 pmWelcome to Women In Horror Month, the 2014 edition! First, the official website is here, should you want to keep track of things coming up this year. As for myself, I decided to take a look back on some of the numbers from last year. What I found out was very interesting. Here are the five top-grossing horror movies of 2013:
1 The Conjuring ($137.4 million)
2 Insidious: Chapter 2 ($83.6 million)
3 Mama ($71.6 million)
4 Evil Dead ($54.2 million)
5 Carrie ($35.3 million)
My personal favorite--Stoker--didn't do quite as well financially; I guess it was a little too twisted to be a blockbuster, but that's fine. Keep in mind that these aren't necessarily the "best" horror films of the past year, but merely the most successful--the movie-going public voted these movies as the most worthy of earning their dollars. Out of the five, four have female protagonists, and at least three pass the Bechdel Test with flying colors. (I say "at least" because I haven't seen them all yet.)
Only one of them is directed by a women--Carrie, helmed by Kimberly Peirce. But when it comes to representation in the media, I'm cautiously encouraged by the turnout here. Not just that these movies came out, but that they did so well in a genre that's been historically perceived as a boys' club. Ladies, last year WE were the majority.
You know what else I notice? Remake, remake, sequel, Based On True Events, and one--count 'em, one--original story.
Hm.
I'm going to spend most of the month reading and posting capsule reviews as I go, because I'm more familiar with written fiction than film. But I am very curious--and excited--to see what the next year will bring.
Stay tuned!
1 The Conjuring ($137.4 million)
2 Insidious: Chapter 2 ($83.6 million)
3 Mama ($71.6 million)
4 Evil Dead ($54.2 million)
5 Carrie ($35.3 million)
My personal favorite--Stoker--didn't do quite as well financially; I guess it was a little too twisted to be a blockbuster, but that's fine. Keep in mind that these aren't necessarily the "best" horror films of the past year, but merely the most successful--the movie-going public voted these movies as the most worthy of earning their dollars. Out of the five, four have female protagonists, and at least three pass the Bechdel Test with flying colors. (I say "at least" because I haven't seen them all yet.)
Only one of them is directed by a women--Carrie, helmed by Kimberly Peirce. But when it comes to representation in the media, I'm cautiously encouraged by the turnout here. Not just that these movies came out, but that they did so well in a genre that's been historically perceived as a boys' club. Ladies, last year WE were the majority.
You know what else I notice? Remake, remake, sequel, Based On True Events, and one--count 'em, one--original story.
Hm.
I'm going to spend most of the month reading and posting capsule reviews as I go, because I'm more familiar with written fiction than film. But I am very curious--and excited--to see what the next year will bring.
Stay tuned!