Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Gabrielle Gasser: This article was born out of a fascination with horror movies and the less than savory reputation they have in film studies. Specifically, the assumption that all horror films exist solely for easy, usually gory entertainment. I wanted to explore the idea that horror could be something more and the category of giallo films in Italian cinema is a great case study.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
GG: I read several different books that offer conflicting opinions as well as several analyses of certain giallo films themselves. I also watched several giallo films to gain a sense of the body of work as a whole. I was then able to synthesize the various definitions of giallo films with information about Argento as an auteur to analyze Suspiria.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
GG: I originally wrote this as a research paper for my History of World Cinema class.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
GG: The faculty at the Film and Media Studies department at WashU has been very supportive and helpful when I have undertaken extensive research projects. They were always available to meet and happy to suggest books or films that would be useful to me.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
GG: Professor [Diane Wei] Lewis was endlessly helpful while I was writing this paper. She met with me several times just to help me develop my specific argument. She then gave me feedback as the paper developed and helped me to stay focused since I cast my research net fairly wide.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
GG: The editorial process has helped me to identify sentences that become too wordy and to really cut the essay down and focus on my thesis. Before I had a lot more background information on the history of Italian cinema and art cinema that wasn’t necessary to prove my point.
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?
GG: I hope that other young film scholars will read my article and change the way they think about horror cinema. Additionally, I hope my article inspires readers to continue to question and reject the dominance of classical Hollywood cinema as the ultimate example of continuity style against which all other national cinemas should be compared.
FM: What are your future plans?
GG: I currently live in Big Sky, MT, and work for the local newspaper, Explore Big Sky. I hope to continue honing my skills as a writer and researcher and I look forward to writing more long-form pieces.
Author Biography
Gabrielle Gasser is a recent graduate from Washington University in St. Louis where she studied Film and Media Studies and English Literature. Gabrielle grew up in Big Sky, Montana, and is passionate about the outdoors. She is an avid skier and 35mm photographer and she loves to read.
