Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

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

12 reviews

jayisreading's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Violence, Ableism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Racism, and Transphobia

Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, and Suicide

emzhay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Ableism, Child abuse, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Pregnancy, Gore, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Biphobia

Minor: Sexual assault

amaranth_wytch's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gore, Addiction, Bullying, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Blood, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, and Transphobia

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Transphobia, Ableism, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault

danimacuk's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Body horror, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Bullying

taelights's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

While I did like some of the essays in this book and found some of the topics in it fascinating, this wasn't what I expected. I pictured more of a focus on horror through a queer eye and why the authors believe certain horror movies portray queer experiences. While some of the essays focused on this I found a lot of the essays were mainly focused on the writer's personal lives with some vague connections back to the horror movies. I did enjoy this a bit but wouldn't really recommend it because of some weak essays and a lot of them being more just memoirs than queer looks at horror. 

My favorite essays (in order of book) were:

- The Girl, the Well, the Ring 

- Imprint 

- The Wolf Man's Daughter 

- Loving Annie Hayworth 

- Blood, Actually 

- Sight Unseen 

- Bad Hombre 

- Black Body Snatchers 

- Long Nights in the Dark 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Biphobia, Blood, Homophobia, Medical content, Chronic illness, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Gore, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Ableism, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

mallory10100's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Deportation, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Pedophilia, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Gore, Sexual content, Body horror, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Medical content, Homophobia, Transphobia, Child abuse, Biphobia, Racism, Blood, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Fatphobia and Alcoholism

overbooked207's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.75

📖 It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror edited by Joe Vallese Book Review 📖

6th book of January 2023 and 6th of the year:

I love the fact that I’m getting really into nonfiction books over the past few years! Being a queer person who loves the horror genre, this immediately caught my attention, with it being a nonfiction book by queer authors that talks about the queerness, whether seen explicitly in the text, in subtext, and/or through the audience’s interpretation, in horror media throughout the years and how the representation affects and is affected by the world around it! I enjoyed some of the stories a lot more than others, with some of my favorites being ‘The Girl, the Well, the Ring,’ ‘Three Men on a Boat,’ ‘Loving Annie Hayworth,’ ‘Centered and Seen,’ Sight Unseen,’ and ‘Black Body Snatchers,’ but I recommend it as a whole and want to read more things like it! I also love the cover and the title! TWs for ableism, abortion, abuse, bigotry, blood, body horror, death, drugs, gore, grief, homophobia, medical content/trauma, mental illness, miscarriage, murder, pedophilia, pregnancy, racism, rape, self-harm, sexual content, transphobia, violence, and vomit.📚🧟‍♂️🎃☠️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Drug use, Transphobia, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Medical content, Violence, Ableism, Pregnancy, Murder, Abortion, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Sexual content

taleofabibliophile's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Bullying, Chronic illness, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Cursing, Miscarriage, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Death, Medical content, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity and Cancer