[Editorial] An Introduction to ‘Ladies Night’ Column
Welcome to Ladies Night, a monthly exploration of horror directed by women.
When I was considering what I'd like to contribute to Ghouls Magazine as a columnist, I wanted to find something that would play to my passions and let me focus on a specific area while still providing the opportunity to cover a variety of subgenres, decades and filmmakers. It didn't take too much noodling to realise that the obvious thing would be to choose a different female-created horror film for each monthly piece, and delve into themes across classics by directors like Mary Lambert and Amy Holden Jones, modern masterpieces by the likes of Jennifer Kent and Karyn Kusama, and female-fronted releases from newer voices in the genre like Prano Bailey-Bond and Nia DaCosta. So Ladies Night was born.
Ever the list-lover, I spent a magical evening putting together my Letterboxd list of horror directed by women, and realising that I'm going to have no shortage of material for my column; sometimes it can feel like female-directed films are few and far between but there are so so many. My hope for this column is to shine a spotlight on the directing talent and amazing output of these women in horror. Putting together the list also highlighted that while I've seen a good number, there are a lot of female-directed horrors that I'm yet to watch, and I can't wait to discover some new favourites. I'm also excited to expand my knowledge of and celebrate films by trans women and non-binary film makers.
From Velvet Vampires to Love Witches via Blood Diners and Devil’s Doorways, I'll brave the fantastic and multifaceted world of horror films lucky enough to have a woman in the director’s chair - if I can survive a Slumber Party Massacre or three. It’s an exclusive club, so be sure you’re on the list for Ladies Night.
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Now it’s time for Soho’s main 2023 event, which is presented over two weekends: a live film festival at the Whirled Cinema in Brixton, London, and an online festival a week later. Both have very rich and varied programmes (with no overlap this year), with something for every horror fan.
In the six years since its release the Nintendo Switch has amassed an extensive catalogue of games, with everything from puzzle platformer games to cute farming sims to, uh, whatever Waifu Uncovered is.
A Quiet Place (2018) opens 89 days after a race of extremely sound-sensitive creatures show up on Earth, perhaps from an exterritorial source. If you make any noise, even the slightest sound, you’re likely to be pounced upon by these extremely strong and staggeringly fast creatures and suffer a brutal death.
If you like cults, sacrificial parties, and lesbian undertones then Mona Awad’s Bunny is the book for you. Samantha, a student at a prestigious art university, feels isolated from her cliquey classmates, ‘the bunnies’.
The slasher sub genre has always been huge in the world of horror, but after the ‘70s and ‘80s introduced classic characters like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, and Jason, it’s not harsh to say that the ‘90s was slightly lacking in the icon department.
Mother is God in the eyes of a child, and it seems God has abandoned the town of Silent Hill. Silent Hill is not a place you want to visit.
Being able to see into the future or back into the past is a superpower that a lot of us would like to have. And while it may seem cool, in horror movies it usually involves characters being sucked into terrifying situations as they try to save themselves or other people with the information they’ve gleaned in their visions.
Both the original Pet Sematary (1989) and its 2019 remake are stories about the way death and grief can affect people in different ways. And while the films centre on Louis Creed and his increasingly terrible decision-making process, there’s no doubt that the story wouldn’t pack the same punch or make the same sense without his wife, Rachel.
Possessor is a slick futuristic thriller in which Tasya Vos, an assassin for hire, must manage her responsibilities as an elite killing machine and complex feelings towards her husband and son, whilst taking on another high-profile job that will push her to the edge of her sanity.