Geek of the Week: Maitland McDonagh

That's right, "Geek of the Week" is back! 

Girl geeks get very little love, so I'm pleased to present my "Geek of the Week": Maitland McDonagh.  McDonagh is a renown film critic who received degrees from prestigious Columbia University.  In addition to writing for several publications (including Film Comment, Film Quarterly, Premiere, Entertainment Weekly, and Fangoria), she has written several books on film and has appeared in numerous documentaries as a film expert.

McDonagh is a rare breed as far as critics go.  I discovered her while watching the Bravo miniseries "Scariest Movie Moments" and it was clear she knew her stuff.  Not only is McDonagh well-versed in the horror and sci-fi genres, she's a genuine fan.  Horror is one of her specialties (along with erotic films) and is heavily featured on her website/blog, Miss Flick Chick.  Her reviews are thoughtful and well written and she never pans a movie simply because it's geared for "low brow audiences".  Unlike most critics, she sees horror as an art form and dissects films of the genre as she would a highly stylized period piece.

Here's McDonagh, along with other women in the horror genre, discussing their affinity in a trailer for the Canadian documentary Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror: