Men, Women and Chainsaws reading

What does Clover mean by female victim-hero?

The main female character whose victimisation has given her a new force to the anger that subsidises her own act of horrific revenge. We are on the side of this girl and she becomes the female victim-hero.

Why does Clover say that males relate to females in horror films, in particular the "Final Girl"?

Clover stated that the boys can relate to the female characters because of the situations they're put in. the boys relate to bullying because they have experienced it themselves, even if it may be minor. For example in the film Carrie, the main female character is mocked for starting her period in the shower by the other girls. Male viewers can relate to the girl's fear and pain she feels because he has "had his gym shorts pulled down" or "his glasses thumb-rubbed in study hall".

Why does Clover suggest that horror research is problematic?

Pin-pointing the target audience is difficult and is less important for films that TV programmes. She says "there is no neat answer [...] horror movies tend to be made less on the basis of audience statistics than on the basis of hunch". Furthermore, some horror movies have short theatrical runs or no theatrical release at all and this makes audiences "largely hidden from research view".

Who does Clover suggest makes up the typical horror audience?

Clover suggests that most of the horror audience is made up of males. The most common audience members in he cinema are

• young men (frequently in a group but also solo)
• male-female couples of various ages (although mostly young)
• solo "rogue" males (older men of ominous appearance)
• adolescent girls in groups

Above all this though, young males are the unmistakable target market for horror movies. 

Was there parity between horror audiences in regards to those who watched horror films at the cinema and those who watched them at home through rentals?

Clover found that the audience members who chose to rent the genre were completely different to the cinema-goers. She found that a lot of middle-class, middle-aged people of both sexes have "came out" to her admitting that they enjoy the horror genre.

What are the two ways identified by Clover in which audiences identify with characters?

The two ways Clover believes allow the audience to identify with the on-screen characters are primary identification and secondary identification. Primary identification is with the camera. the different angles, shots, positions and movements can give different degrees of "personality". For example the most personal would be a POV, hand-held shot, which would allow the viewer to relate to the character the camera was impersonating. Secondary identification is to do with the character on-screen itself. The audience will be able to relate to this person due to their similarities physically and emotionally.