The first ever “final girl” archetype, or the heroine who survives a horror movie, is thought to be Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, Halloween. Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is one of two teenagers babysitting in southern California on Halloween night, when they are targeted by an escaped mental patient wearing a mask.
Although the other teen is killed, Laurie manages to evade the killer’s assaults and ultimately defeats him. She is thus the one to survive the horror movie, which leads to the stereotype of the “final girl” who appears in many movies since then.
Are there any real life final girls?
Yes, there are a few real life women who could be considered final girls. For instance, Kitty Genovese, who was a victim of a long and violent attack in New York City in 1964, has since been held up as a hero for managing to survive the attack.
Similarly, Mary Ellen O’Toole, a forensic psychologist, survived an attack with knife wounds to her head and neck in 1982. She is now a well-known advocate for victims of violence. Other notable examples of survivors included Cleburne High School student Melissa Witt in 1984, who managed to fight off her attacker; Meghan Landowski, who managed to survive a 100-hour kidnapping in 2014; and Christina Zampas, who survived a stiletto attack in 2014.
Is Alice a final girl?
No, Alice is not considered a final girl. The term final girl was first coined in Carol J. Clover’s book Men, Women and Chainsaws and typically refers to a female protagonist who is the sole survivor of a horror movie.
Alice is a character in the “Resident Evil” film series and video game franchise, but is not associated with the traditional final girl trope. Alice is a strong and independent heroine but is not really an example of the final girl.
In the “Resident Evil” franchise, Alice survives many of the zombie massacres, but she is usually accompanied by other characters on her journey and often joins forces with them to battle against the undead and other forces of evil.
Thus, Alice cannot be considered a classic final girl.
Who is known as the queen of Scream?
The queen of Scream is considered to be Jamie Lee Curtis, an American actress, author, and activist. She gained international recognition for her iconic role in the 1978 horror movie, “Halloween”. This film established her reputation as the original “scream queen”, as she frequently appeared in slasher and horror films throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Since then, she has been featured in numerous films and television shows, including “Freaky Friday” (2003), “True Lies” (1994) and “Scream Queens” (2015). Curtis has received both critical and commercial successes throughout her career, and has been nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award, five Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards.
Her legacy and popularity as a scream queen still continues today, especially among fans of the horror genre.
Has there ever been a black final girl?
Yes, there have been a few black final girls in horror movies. One of the first recent examples is Halloween 2018, where twins Allyson and Dana (both played by actress Andi Matichak) both make it to the end of the movie and put an end to Michael Myers’ murderous rampage.
The 2012 thriller The Cabin in the Woods also featured the trope, with actress Danielle Curry playing the final girl Dana Polk. Other recent examples include the 2017 horror film Get Out, which starred British actress Catherine Keener as the protagonist, Chris, and Sharni Vinson’s character, Erin, in the 2011 movie You’re Next.
Additionally, in the 2018 slasher movie Slice, singer-songwriter Zazie Beetz played the role of the final girl, Dax. Finally, in the 2019 film Ma, Octavia Spencer played Sue Ann, the modern day final girl who manages to survive her horrific ordeal.
Does the final girl have to be a virgin?
No, the final girl does not have to be a virgin; it is a common trope and stereotype from horror film but not a requirement. The concept of the final girl was first coined by Carol J. Clover in her 1992 book, Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, in which she describes the last woman or girl alive in a slasher movie as the final girl.
Clover noted the commonality of this trope and highlighted how often the hero of the story is a young woman, who must be strong and resourceful to survive the horror presented on-screen.
As such, the final girl as a horror hero rarely has to be a virgin. As the trope has been parodied and challenged in many modern horror films, virginal innocence is no longer a requirement for the final girl character.
In fact, in some films the final girl is much more sexually active than her counterparts, and the fact she is not a virgin is a major plot point. The focus of the final girl has instead shifted to her determination and strength, allowing her right of passage to survival, rather than her sexual purity.
Is The Final Girls a spoof?
No, The Final Girls is not a spoof. It is a 2015 American horror comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by M. A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. It stars Taissa Farmiga, Malin Ackerman, Angela Trimbur, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, and Chloe Bridges.
The plot follows a young woman who, after being transported into a 1980s slasher film, finds herself teaming up with the fictional characters of the movie to battle the film’s villain. While the film does contain both horror and comedy elements, its primary focus is in blending the horror genre with elements of meta-humor, rather than spoofing the genre outright.
Does Friday the 13th have a final girl?
The answer to this question is both yes and no. In the original Friday the 13th film, released in 1980, the final girl is a young woman named Alice Hardy, played by Adrienne King. Alice is the only survivor of the camp counselors who are being killed by Jason Voorhees.
But in subsequent Friday the 13th movies, there is not always a traditional “final girl”. In fact, in some of the later films, the survivors are male characters, or even multiple characters working together.
So, while Alice Hardy can be considered the original final girl of the Friday the 13th franchise, the subsequent entries in the series often do not adhere to this formula.
Is the final girl feminist?
The term “Final Girl” was coined by film scholar Carol Clover in her book, Men, Women, and Chainsaws. In it, she describes the Final Girl as the “very last girl left alive to confront the antagonist – the only person left who knows the truth and finally defeats the killer.
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Clover asserts that the Final Girl trope can be seen as feminist in the sense that the heroine is smart and resourceful, often outsmarting the villain and even taking on a traditionally “masculine” role by becoming a fighter and a survivor.
The Final Girl is also traditionally female and is often depicted as a strong and independent female character, proving that women can be just as capable as men in defeating evil.
However, others argue that the Final Girl is not necessarily a feminist figure. The Final Girl is often depicted as sexually unappealing and even depicted as a virgin, perpetuating the idea that femininity and sexuality are inextricably linked.
Additionally, the Final Girl is often portrayed as having a partner who, either in the past or present, will come to save them, reinforcing the notion that women cannot save themselves.
Ultimately, whether or not the Final Girl is feminist largely depends on how she is portrayed; if she is depicted as a strong and independent character who embraces her femininity as separate from her sexuality and saves herself, then she can be seen as a feminist character.
If however, she is portrayed as a sexualized and dependent character, then this clearly detracts from her feminist status.
Are final girls only in slashers?
No, final girls are not only in slashers. The term “final girl” was coined by film critic Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, where she explains it as a character type in horror films.
While this type of character is most commonly associated with the slasher film subgenre, the final girl trope does not exclusively apply to slasher films, and can be found in a variety of horror subgenres.
In general, a final girl is a female protagonist who is the last character alive to confront the main antagonist at the end of a film. They are often Tenacious and resourceful, exhibit traits of heroism, and ultimately survive their ordeal, though a male protagonist may embody these same characteristics as a final boy.
Examples of final girls outside of slasher films can be found in the Alien franchise, with Ripley, or in the horror comedy genre, such as the Ghostbusters and Shaun of the Dead.
What are the traits of a final girl?
The “final girl” is a term used in horror films to describe a female lead character who survives the story. They are typically the only survivor of a particularly violent encounter, and are seen as inspiring for their resourcefulness and resilience.
Common traits of the final girl include:
1) She is often the most intelligent, level-headed member of the group. She is able to think strategically and use her wits to protect herself and others.
2) She is also often the most resourceful and resilient of the characters. She uses whatever resources she has available to her in order to survive and protect the other characters.
3) She is brave and willing to take risks in order to save the day. Even when facing unbeatable odds, the final girl will stand up and fight for what’s right.
4) She is often a strong, independent character who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and others.
5) She is portrayed as being level-headed and often the voice of reason in a situation gone awry.
6) She is also often a good role model for young women, showing them that they do not have to succumb to the norms of their gender in order for them to survive and protect those around them.
What is Clover’s final girl theory?
Clover’s final girl theory is a concept developed by feminist film theorist Carol J. Clover that seeks to explain the prominence of female victims in horror films. It suggests that the survival of a female victim (known as the “final girl”) throughout the film serves to assuage the fears of young male viewers, while also allowing them to identify with a female character.
As the film progresses, she goes through a transformation where she emerges as not just a victim, but a hero. This transformation is usually marked by her learning of male traits that are essential for survival, such as strength and courage.
As a result, Clover’s final girl theory argues that female victims become empowered and heroic figures within the horror film genre.