She claims that postmodernism is an amorphous, non-dichotomous, break down of institutions, failure of the Enlightenment project, crisis in post-industrial society, crumble of the idea of progress, collapse of organic narrative, where the universal subject (read, white, male, heterosexual, monied) deteriorates. When Pinedo tries to tackle the thorny issue of defining and situating postmodernism her argument becomes problematic. In order to establish what she calls ‘classical’ (pre-1960s) and ‘postmodern’ (post-1960s) films, Pinedo draws on the previous work of Andrew Tudor, Monsters and Mad Scientists: A cultural History of the Horror Movies (1989), and gives it a twist of her own (Tudor does not address postmodernism). Pinedo is not interested in gendered readings which claim that these are masculine prerogatives or those which associate female aggression with lesbianism.Īlthough Recreational Terror is a fascinating book, it is also very short one, and for this reason some arguments are not developed enough to convince readers who have another take on horror film classification. She argues that horror/slasher films create an opening for feminist discourse by restaging the relationship between women and violence, not only women as objects of violence, but also women as agents of violence when they turn the tables on their aggressors. Positioning herself on the other side of this reading, she suggests that the encounter with terror is also a pleasurable experience for women. Pinedo’s main thesis demonstrates that much critical writing on the horror genre assumes the pleasure associated with horror movies belong to man. The author says, “not all postmodern horror films bring to fruition the feminist potential of this genre” (p.6).
She manages to avoid a flaw that is very frequent in film criticism, i.e., trying to encompass a whole tradition with one single explanation. One of the most admirable positions in Pinedo’s book is the fact that she is aware her reading has limits, and that it will only work for some specific horror films. The author will focus on what she calls postmodern horror films and her reading will draw on structural and feminist theories in order to interpret them.
The reason for this is that feminist criticism tends to depict the horror movies as a male-oriented narrative which often subdues women, a reading she disputes. She points out to the fact that combining feminist criticism to the liking of horror movies is a controversial position and one which encounters theoretical problems. The author says that, as a child, she was fascinated with horror movies and later on, during her academic life, she became a feminist. Pinedo’s book has its origins in her personal likes and beliefs. Albany: State University of New York Press. Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing.
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