Hostel II - violence against women in U.S.
Sun, 2007-06-17 17:56
#1
Hostel II - violence against women in U.S.
Sun, 2007-06-17 17:56
#2
I haven't posted here in a while - but I appreciate this site and the conversations that take place here. It's been a great place to get feedback about writing, to share articles and ideas. Recently, I saw the advertisements for the film Hostel II, and was greatly disturbed by them. I think violence in film in the U.S. has reached a new, horrifying low and I've written about it here in order to start a discussion.
"I know I’m not alone in this hostile world, I’m not the only one who grew up in a house with domestic violence, or who watched as a woman was threatened with a gun or a knife at home. If the reports we read are true, and if violence against women is of epidemic proportions, from the sex industry to honor killings to familial sexual abuse, then there are a great many of us, including the filmmakers and studio heads to the actors and crew of Hostel II, (many of whom according to on-line reports had nightmares while filming), who know a woman victimized by violence, and who come from families where a woman's screams didn't end simply because a film director yelled, “Cut!”
the article can be read at [url=http://www.hostileworld.blogspot.com]http://www.hostileworld.blogspot.co...
Sun, 2007-06-17 18:22
#3
remind
quote:
Originally posted by wonderboy19:
[b]...I think violence in film in the U.S. has reached a new, horrifying low...[i]If the reports we read are true, and if violence against women is of epidemic proportions, from the sex industry to honor killings to familial sexual abuse, then there are a great many of us, including the filmmakers and studio heads to the actors and crew of Hostel II, (many of whom according to on-line reports had nightmares while filming), who know a woman victimized by violence, and who come from families where a woman's screams didn't end simply because a film director yelled, “Cut!”[/i][/b]
The violence that the USA is conducting, both at home and abroad, has purpose. It lowers tolerance threshholds in the short term, it objectifies women and children, and it silences opposition.
Ann Klein, did a fantastic NFB documentary called: "Its Not a Love Story" in which she went into the underbelly of pornography. She revealed in the documentary, that pornography was first used by Hitler, to objectify women and children, in an effort to; overcome cultural barriers contained in the people that comprised the Nazi military, and afford the use of criminal actions upon others.
[ 17 June 2007: Message edited by: remind ]
Sun, 2007-06-17 18:34
#4
I grew up watching cheesy old "B" horror movies on the American stations. Sir Graves Ghastly on saturday afternoons sticks out in my mind.
Not that many ever really frightened me. But for some reason, I loved them. I have a soft spot for bad movies.
I'm not sure, maybe I got older and wiser, and the movies seemed to change. "Horror" became just "slasher" films, and gore became a cheap and easy substitute for the earlier, clumsy attempts to artfully scare the viewer.
Those movies never struck me as mysogynistic, although they always used the hook of the damsel in distress at one point or another. But somehow, it never seemed to me to be have the taint of hate with it.
Since the 70's though, it strikes me that these movies DO in fact, revel in the hatred on women. Or at least allow the segment of the population that hates women to enjoy themselves.
But I can't figure out if it's [i]me[/i] who had changed or the movies. I tend to think it is both.
I like Quentin Terrintino's films, most of them. I do think his stuff has the stamp of "cool" these days. But he is no genius, he is not infallible, and he certainly has his faults and demons.
I saw most of Hostel.
I saw one promo of Hostel II, and decided I will not be going to the theatre to see it, nor will I rent it.
I don't think there is art in gore.
And I do think "horror" has too often become a flimsy pretext for misogyny.
Instead, maybe I will surf around and try to catch an old Roger Corman film.
Mon, 2007-06-18 05:27
#5
[url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/issuesideas/story.html?id=373ed6... Kinsella on "torture porn"[/url]