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Literature ★ 4.1129032258065

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror (2022)

2022 · Joe Vallese · 400 pages · United States of America

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Synopsis

Through the lens of horror--from Halloween to Hereditary--queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences. Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes--such as the circumspect and resilient "final girl," body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet--spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world. It Came from the Closet features twenty-five original essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on Jennifer's Body, Jude Ellison S. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.

Authors 1

Tags 27

Why watch it?

A 2022 title built around Adventurous, Alcoholism and Body horror. Directed by Joe Vallese.

Who is it for?

You’ll like it if you enjoy

Not ideal if you are looking for

  • Paranormal
  • Body horror
  • Witchcraft
  • Bestiary

Influences

  1. 1975
    'Salem's Lot
  2. 1977
    The Shining
  3. 1983
    The Levee
  4. 1986
    The Hellbound Heart
  5. 1986
    It
  6. 2022
    It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror

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