Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Katelyn Terry: My article “Contorted Bodies: Women’s Representation in Japanese Horror Films” focuses on the representation of the female form in Japanese’s horror films through close textual analysis of the well-known J-Horror cult films, Ju-On and Ringu. Using the scholarship of feminist film theorists, my paper seeks to prove that the women in these films, while depicted as a monstrous other, are ultimately re-empowered as they inspire fear, wonder, and revulsion in characters within the diegesis as well as audiences, through the contorted display of their body.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
KT: As body contortion is little discussed when it comes to film theory, a majority of my research was spent looking at the works of feminist film theorists, discovering Japanese horror film tropes, and researching body horror scholarship, as well as looking at the history of contortion for its background as a mode of performance or visual pleasure. Drawing together research and an analysis of the films themselves, I was able to piece together my argument.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
KT: This paper was originally written as a twenty-page paper for my senior research course as part of the film major requirements at Keene State College. Since then, it has been redrafted several times to this shortened form.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
KT: I went into college as a production major fully content with sticking to the production side of film; but as I progressed through the department’s core courses and gained a better understanding of the analytical side of film, I developed a passion for critical analysis. In my core classes, I was urged by my professors to consider taking on the critical studies major and so it was through my professors, and the department as a whole, that I was able to conceive this paper, building on ideas taught in seminar courses and principal theory classes.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
KT: My faculty mentor, Jiwon Ahn, truly pushed me through the process of this paper, asking me to look further and to never stop developing my own opinions and voice as a film scholar. With each draft I presented, she urged me to go deeper, whether it was to look into more scholarship or to watch more films. This idea of an expansion of my work and research allowed me to focus on what it was I really wanted to prove in my paper and forced me to stand out as my own film scholar.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
KT: The Film Matters editorial and publication process helped me to strengthen my paper by offering me unique feedback and by working with me through several drafts to get to the core points of my argument. With the peer editing process, I was able to synthesize my points in a more concise and clear manner.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
KT: I hope that my paper opens up contortion as a subject of discussion in the world of film scholarship as it appears in so many horror films transnationally. I also hope that this paper can bring forth more discussions of neglected cinema as film scholarship is constantly growing and challenging old ideas.
FM: What are your future plans?
KT: My plans for the future are to continue writing both critically as well as creatively when it comes to film. I hope that someday I will be working as a screenwriter or developing ideas for films and television programs. It is my belief that a deep understanding of film by study of its theories and history will aid me on my path in the world of film and to ultimately create impactful films.
Author Biography
Katelyn Terry recently graduated from Keene State College, earning a degree in Film Production and Critical Studies. She enjoys creative writing, particularly screenwriting, and one of her scripts was faculty-chosen and produced for her final production course. She also ran competitively in track and cross country throughout her college career.
