“SVLLY(wood)’s genesis sprung from frustration at mainstream film criticism’s weekly turnover rate and the desire to cultivate a revolutionary outlet focussing on the democratization of cinephilia that promotes underrepresented voices and leftist ideology. In our inaugural issue, I really wanted to remix old-school horror film criticism for the 21st century feminist and in a haze of binge watching scary flicks and reading outdated academic literature, issue.1: THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE REDUX was born. The aim was to uncover how women navigate the genre of horror through the intersectional prism of race, class, gender, sexuality, and mental health with original film criticism, poetry, photography, and even an official playlist. By assembling an international cohort of artists, we cultivated the most popular issue to date and in the process discovered some pretty badass overlooked movies that deserve your eyes and ears this Halloween”

GANJA AND HESS (1973)

This criminally overlooked arthouse classic ends with the titular character, Ganja, living out the remainder of her vampiric existence in a beautiful island manor with any man of her choosing. In other words #goals.

KITCHEN SINK (1989)

This 14 minute, black and white nugget of horror will have you double checking the hair in your drains (and asking why writer-director Alison Maclean isn’t a household name).

CELLULOID HORROR (2004)

Kier-La Janisse is one of contemporary horror’s unsung heroes: author, programmer, editor-in-chief of Spectacular Optical Publications, and all-round badass. Celluloid Horror is a fan made documentary that highlights her crusade to bring obscure cult horror film to the masses through her independently run international film festival. A massive influence on THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE REDUX.

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982)

Known as the first horror film series directed by a woman, this 80’s camp delight has an escaped convict murdering a group of high schoolers with power tools and was penned by feminist Rita Mae Brown as a parody on the teen slasher genre but filmed completely unironically.

PERFECT BLUE (1997)

A landmark anime film that leaves audiences asking, “how can one tell when the dreaming stops and when it begins?”. In other words, a feature length documentation of the Pixies ‘Where is my Mind’.

I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER (1993) 

Dead bodies, killer soundtrack, and one angry chick: this film is the perfect time capsule of the young women who shaped the Riot Grrrl movement.

TEETH (2007)

Two words:
VAGINA DENTATA

THE VELVET VAMPIRE (1971)

Solidifying her status as a feminist film pioneer, Stephanie Rothman curates an erotic exploitation flick that showcases the main character influence over everyone around her in a understated quest of bloodlust.

DUMPLINGS (2004)

Exploring the extreme lengths one bougie married woman will go to achieve rejuvenated youth, beauty, and her husband’s long forgotten attention also doubles as a total appetite lost in this psychological character study.

LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)

Recently recovering from a nervous breakdown, Jessica wants nothing more than to return to “normal”, but her life turns out to be anything but in this vintage, atmospheric portrait of a woman undergoing multiple stages of neurosis.