Representation of Women in Horror

I have chosen to analyse how women are portrayed in Halloween, House of Wax and Wrong Turn. When writing about these I shall be addressing both the male gaze theory and the final girl theory. The male gaze theory is one that is how certain women are shown in the hottie genre, for instance in House of Wax, just before Paris Hilton's character is killed she is running about screaming her head off in her underwear and a loosely fasten dressing gown, which will, of course attract male attention, hence the 'male gaze' theory. The final girl theory on the other hand is the polar opposite of that, again, for example Laurie in Halloween, she is dressed functionally and is obviously not out to impress men. They are sensible, don't drink, smoke, have sex etc. They also tend to be fairly academic and quite resourceful and are more interested in finding out what's happening instead of running from it.

Halloween is said to be the first ever slasher film but people argue that psycho is.Halloween is a 1978 slasher film directed by John Carpenter.Throughout this film Laurie's friends are shown to be quite rebellious and go out drink and have sex with guys were as she won't even have a dance with one let alone kiss him. This shows us that she is strong minded and bodied. When Michael attacks, he attacks the weakest first ie, the ones who are rebels because they are easy target and won't put up much of a fight. For example right at the start of the film, when Michael kills his sister she had just had sex and was sitting naked at her dressing table. But when he goes after Laurie she puts up a fight and survives the ordeal in doing so she becomes 'The Final Girl' 

Wrong Turn whoch is he next film on my list makes full use of the male gaze theory as most of the women, including the final girl are wearing tight fitting tops with exposed cleavage and one of the women, before her brutal murder, has sex out in the open showing no real signs of dignity. 

House of Wax is a horror about the twins of a mother who owned a wax house and how they want to make real people in wax models. Paris Hilton is the male gaze in this moving as in her last moments after her boyfriend is killed running around in red lace underwear screaming her head off..