Despite its association with the broadly disparaged rape-revenge category, Abel Ferrara's Ms. 45 is today considered one of the most significant feminist cult films of the 1980s. Straddling mainstream, arthouse, and exploitation film contexts, Ms. 45 is a potent case study for cult film analysis. At its heart lies two figures: Ferrara himself, and the movie's star, the iconic Zoe Lund, who would further collaborate with Ferrara on later projects such as Bad Lieutenant. This book explores the entwining histories and contexts that led to Ms. 45's creation and helped establish its enduring legacy, particularly in terms of feminist cult film fandom, and the film's status as one of the most important, influential, and powerful rape-revenge films ever made.

About the Author
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is a film critic, writer, and academic from Melbourne, Australia, and a co-editor of the film journal Senses of Cinema.


Book Information
ISBN 9780231179850
Author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Format Paperback
Page Count 156
Imprint Wallflower Press
Publisher Columbia University Press