American cinema abounds with films set in prisons; asylums; hospitals and other institutions. Rather than orderly places of recovery and rehabilitation; these institutional settings emerge as abject spaces of control and repression in which adult identity is threatened as a narrative impetus. Exploring the abject through issues as diverse as racism; mental illness or the preservation of bodies for organ donation; this book analyses a range of films including The Shawshank Redemption (1994); Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Girl; Interrupted (1999) through to cult films such as Carrie (1976) and Bubba Ho-tep (2002). By analysing scenes of horror and disgust within the context of abject space; Frances Pheasant-Kelly reveals how threats to identity manifest in scenes of torture; horror and psychosexual repression and are resolved either though death or through traumatic re-entry into the outside world. This readable and engaging tour of the abject in the institution film will be immensely valuable to students of Film Studies; Critical Theory and Cultural Studies.
#2287539 in eBooks 2014-04-21 2014-04-21File Name: B00K5E0RGS
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Shocking Fascinating Counterpoint! A Real Page Turner!By Dan MasonI was surprised by the fascinating counterpoint of Donna Kaz/Aphra Behn; Abuse Victim/Guerrilla Girl ! This shocking contrast made "Unmasked" a real page turner! Being a theatre artist myself I was surprised that I hadnt heard of the Guerrilla Girls and it was good to learn about this vital group of women...Obviously their efforts have helped women in the theatre ---- recently more women writers and directors than usual are being recognized by producers!The memoir becomes increasingly gripping as the sad tale of her mismatched love match develops in contrast to the increased urgency of Guerilla Girls endeavors.The writing is intelligent; honest and refreshing. Ms. Kaz is to be congratulated on her bravery..her achievement!.... as is Ms. Aphra Behn!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. we see how the artistic mind finds solace and empowerment while navigating the trenches of love and abuseBy CustomerDonna Kazrsquo;s Un/Masked: Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl on Tour (Skyhorse; 2016); chronicles the birth of a feminist who uses feminism to overcome a history of intimate partner violence that prevented her from seeing herself as a strong and vibrant artist and woman. Braiding the narrative of abuse with the urgent struggle of solidifying her place in theater; Kaz provides her readers with a dynamic storyline that keeps us turning the pages in search of the ingredient that all women seek towards their empowerment. Applying humor; candor; and in some places; the form that playwrights use when constructing scenes and dialogue; we see how the artistic mind finds solace and empowerment while navigating the trenches of love and abuse.Kaz is in her early twenties when she meets Bill; a famous and charismatic actor who charms her into a three-year courtship full of sex; tenderness; bloody noses; and bruises. Much older than her; and much more experienced in the nuances of relationships; in Bill; we encounter a narcissist entrenched in his own self-worth. Unfortunately for the young Kaz who becomes enamored with him; he is too strong; too overpowering; and too manipulative for any twenty-year-old girl to see beyond his handsomeness and charisma. For the next three years; Kaz becomes the target of his unfettered rage when he feels insecure with his acting or his work.Donna Kaz skillfully weaves in and out of the abuse so that her readers donrsquo;t get bogged down by the heaviness of violence; which she does not have the power or the experience to flee. In contrast to the abuse she encounters in her relationship with Bill; wersquo;re propelled forward twenty years circa the late 90s. It is during this time in her life that she becomes involved with the Guerrilla Girls; an activist group of feminists who wear gorilla masks and protest the male dominated arena of the arts. Along with the gorilla masks; the womenrsquo;s anonymity is further established when they each assume the moniker of a dead artist in a poetic attempt to represent and give voice to artists; poets; musicians; and writers the male industry of the arts renders invisible. Kaz assumes the name of Aphra Behn; the first English female known to have made her living as a writer during the 1600rsquo;s.Concealed behind the gorilla mask and Aphra Behnrsquo;s name; Donna Kaz finds a voice that refutes the secondary and silenced inferiority meant for female artists in an industry that produces plays; music; art; and theater only created by men and only honoring men. The Guerrilla Girls spent their free time advocating for their rights to be artists; to produce their own work; to share with the world creative outlets that rest on female power and volition; and to open doors for the next generation of female artists entering this very patriarchal and male-run platform of the arts. Being a Guerrilla Girl and advocating for other women inevitably guarantees Kaz the courage she needed to also express the abuse she suffered at the hands of her intimate partner twenty years earlier. She not only named the abuse; but she also; finally; named her abuser; which cut him off entirely from her life; allowing her to move on; fall in love and marry; and pursue her artistic dreams:I steep myself in feminism; which I believe will eradicate any tracesof low self-esteem; rid me forever of longing to go backward in time;and show my batterer I would make it in this world without himhellip;Yes;feminism will be the antidote to all my problems.More importantly; however; this articulation of abuse gives Donna Kaz permission to assert herself as a writer; a playwright; and an actor. These identities that position her in the face of power; independence; and confidence over her work; evaded her while she lived with the secret of her abuse; for he was the actor; the artist; not her. At the heart of this narrative; we find a woman who locates in her art and her feminism the authority to finally see herself as an artist.In her memoir; Kaz unmasks not only herself; coming out from behind the masks of both gorilla and Aphra Behn; but she also unmasks the way women are silenced in the arts and in intimate relationships that function to subordinate both women and their potential simultaneously. At a pivotal time when young women are finding their voice ndash; as writers/artists and as individuals ndash; we see how abuse can counter this budding promise. It isnrsquo;t until Kaz is in her forties that she does find her voice as an artist and as a woman; refusing to be silenced by an abusive man who believed that his career as an actor was more important than hers ndash; that his creative contributions were more riveting; more significant to this world than hers.In the end; Donna Kazrsquo;s memoir reinforces the need for more female artists to put their voices out there through their writing; singing; acting; creating; producing; and composing; for itrsquo;s our time to let the world know that our voices; our art; matters. No one has the right to silence us; and our art gives us the courage to take back our power. As Donna Kaz so aptly puts it; ldquo;Only when womenrsquo;s narratives are equally heard can solutions rise to some of the injustices that plague us all. Without the voice and the vision of women and artists of color; the theatre is a play without a second act.rdquo;1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Hard to put down!By AJBAfter grabbing dinner one night last week; I walked down to Lincoln Center with my book in hand. I was going to go to a coffee shop to read but it was so nice out I realized that I could read by the light of the fountain in the Josie Robertson Plaza. How cool was it that I was reading about the author walking down Columbus Ave after meeting up with the guerrilla girls ( I had just walked those streets) and then she was heading over to Barnes and Noble; which was right by where I was reading!! What are the chances??? I thought it was such a great moment as I was beginning to read this book! (but maybe being from Jersey makes it seem more incredible than if I were a cosmopolitan NYC gal!)Becoming acquainted with Donna through her writing was very exciting! Of course the pain of her experiences also touched me in a very special way. She such a strong woman to have lived through so much hurt. I cried to know much she suffered at the hands of an abusive partner. I cant describe how I wanted to jump through the pages to protect her from harm.The book was a page-turner and it was hard to put it down. I ended up finishing it after 2 am the other night reading by the light of one of those book lights so I wouldnt wake my husband up. It was actually nice to hold a book and turn pages; as I read only on my Kindle.In todays world of women in the news addressing abuse; this book is important to read as it really brings you personally into the world of a strong woman; and shows how incredibly difficult it is to walk away from someone she loves despite the abuse she has suffered.
