Comments on: Another World http://www.fustar.info/2005/11/25/53/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:16:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2005/11/25/53/#comment-139 fústar Sat, 26 Nov 2005 13:49:37 +0000 http://www.fustar.org/2005/11/25/53/#comment-139 foolhardy, The book by David Skal alluded to in the Guardian piece is called <em>The Monster Show</em>, and it's well worth reading in terms of putting horror in its proper context. The section about how images of (or encounters with) the mutilated soldiers of WW1 impacted upon the horror fiction/film of the time, is particularly interesting. copernicus, There's undoubtedly something 'Old Testament' about disaster flicks (and fiction) alright. While the notion of disaster being a judgement implies that we 'deserve it', I think the question of whether or not we would actually 'welcome it' (on some level) is an interesting one. Personally, I feel somewhat cheated when catastrophe is averted in such films! But that probably speaks more to a desire for an eye-popping visual spectacle than anything else... foolhardy,
The book by David Skal alluded to in the Guardian piece is called The Monster Show, and it’s well worth reading in terms of putting horror in its proper context. The section about how images of (or encounters with) the mutilated soldiers of WW1 impacted upon the horror fiction/film of the time, is particularly interesting.

copernicus,
There’s undoubtedly something ‘Old Testament’ about disaster flicks (and fiction) alright. While the notion of disaster being a judgement implies that we ‘deserve it’, I think the question of whether or not we would actually ‘welcome it’ (on some level) is an interesting one.

Personally, I feel somewhat cheated when catastrophe is averted in such films! But that probably speaks more to a desire for an eye-popping visual spectacle than anything else…

]]> By: copernicus http://www.fustar.info/2005/11/25/53/#comment-138 copernicus Fri, 25 Nov 2005 19:52:26 +0000 http://www.fustar.org/2005/11/25/53/#comment-138 It's probably better to read utopian fictions as speculative philosophy than as masochistic fantasy, in keeping with authorial intent rather than audience needs. I think it's possible to contend that narratives of comprehensive disaster are a kind of secular expression of religious themes of sin and final judgment. One might read much of the rhetoric of the Green movement in this light where "pollution" is the sin and "environmental catastrophe" is the final judgement of nature on her errant children. I say "one might" as it unfortunately appears that we've fucked up the planet and are all going to die horribly. It’s probably better to read utopian fictions as speculative philosophy than as masochistic fantasy, in keeping with authorial intent rather than audience needs.

I think it’s possible to contend that narratives of comprehensive disaster are a kind of secular expression of religious themes of sin and final judgment. One might read much of the rhetoric of the Green movement in this light where “pollution” is the sin and “environmental catastrophe” is the final judgement of nature on her errant children.

I say “one might” as it unfortunately appears that we’ve fucked up the planet and are all going to die horribly.

]]> By: foolhardy http://www.fustar.info/2005/11/25/53/#comment-137 foolhardy Fri, 25 Nov 2005 14:49:22 +0000 http://www.fustar.org/2005/11/25/53/#comment-137 The following, from today's Guardian, might be of interest. http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1650085,00.html The following, from today’s Guardian, might be of interest.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1650085,00.html

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