Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror

Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe Vallese

47 reviews

bridge_to_narnia's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.75

The connection that people had to various horror movies and their sense of self was extremely interesting. I love dissecting films into different meanings, but on my own watch through I can never think of any of the hidden meanings. Seeing other people's autopsies of their favorite movie is just a real treat.

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judassilver's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

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joensign's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective slow-paced

2.5

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jayisreading's review

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dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

The affinity that a number of queer people have with the monstrous is one that is explored in depth in this essay collection. I was invested in what each contributor had to say about their thoughts on their queer identity in relation to a horror film of their choice, which ranged from classic slashers to non-US horror films. Furthermore, this is an incredibly diverse collection of essays, not only in terms of how queerness is defined, but many of these authors also consider their race and/or disability. The contributors’ respective reflections really revealed the complexities of how the monster has been defined by culture and society, some taking a more academic tone when discussing this, while others had a more conversational tone.

Like any edited collection, I found some essays stronger than others. Overall, though, I’d say that it’s rather difficult to call any of them weak. Well worth picking up if you’re interested in horror (and a number of these essays don’t shy away from it, fair warning) and queerness. Relatedly, I recommend picking up Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli, if you’re looking for more queer monstrosity.

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emzhay's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense

5.0

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obscurepages's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

Can you believe I've been reading this for 7 months?! 😭😂 This started out as a Libby loan for me, and now I have a physical copy! And I've finally finished it!!

This book was so good 😭 I love watching horror, reading horror stories. I think as a genre, horror is so flexible and versatile and transcendent.

This anthology does an amazing job of showing just how versatile and profound horror movies can be, especially when viewed in a queer lens. Reading this, I think I gained a better understanding of how horror functions and what it can serve to the viewers. I learned about gender and sexuality from personal accounts and stories from the authors. I also learned how gender, sexuality, race, religion, and geographic locations can intersect and how that unique experience can be shown in a genre like horror. And as a queer person, reading this book also gave me more insights about the relationship that the queer community has with horror—why we relate to it, why it gives a safe place, how we can shape it to tell our stories. I loved it and it just reinforced to me how horror is such an excellent genre.

There were a few of essays that seemed dull/drawling, but there were also some that were so well-written and poignant. Some essays that stood out for me are:

Three Men on a Boat by JEN CORRIGAN (Jaws)
The Me in the Screen by STEFFAN TRIPLETT (Us)
Black Body Snatchers by SAMUEL AUTMAN (Get Out)
The Healed Body by JUDE ELLISON S. DOYLE (In My Skin)

I also just wish every essay came with specific content warnings. Some of these can be really triggering. It's also why I had to stop every now and then because some essays are harder to digest and process compared to others.

Still, this was an excellent read overall. I can see myself going back to specific essays and reading them all over again.

Exact rating: 4.5 ⭐️ (Might post a detailed review on the blog!)

Find me elsewhere: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/obscure.pages/">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lxndrnae">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/">Blog</a>

Marking this book as part of my reading challenge: <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/fcf9e7dc-39a5-49e2-9f7d-a243f5073985">#ReadQueerly2024</a>.

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nunchikoi's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Really insightful and interesting queer meditations on the horror film industry. I found it particularly compelling how authors illustrated the cultural understandings of gender and sexuality which inform both the monsters/killers as well as the heroes and victims. And I thought it was great that some sought to reclaim and reinterpret the horrors of the story.

While the quality of writing can differ, this anthology has wonderful diverse cast of authors that navigate different parts of being queer; there is bound to be an essay or two that readers will particularly connect with and like! :)

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