Interview with a Vampire

This book is not simply about good vs. evil. It is a bout two very different types of men going through their lives as vampires. Louis the intellect and Lestat the predator.   They are both charming in a way that completely crosses over to creepy at times.  Louis clings on to his humanity as best he can while there is really nothing left of him that remains human. The death of his brother sparks Luis to seek death and then he spends the rest of his existence resenting the fact that he must cause it.  It was easier for him to believe in the power of vampires and not for him to believe in the idea of her brother seeing visions. This theme of religious doubt is repeated in the novel. By telling the story through the eyes of the interviewee we learn details of the lives of vampires and the rules of their existence. The interviewee seems to ignore the story Louis tells him at times as he is too wrapped up in the idea of becoming one himself. Louis just longs for the past.  The relationship between Louis and Lestat drives the story and is almost homoerotic at times. From the moment Louis describes Lestat the reader can sense the tension.  This book, as we discussed in class, opened up the genre of supernatural romance. And supernatural romances know no bounds so they are all encompassing to any kind of sexuality or preference.  The sexuality really comes out whenever Lestat is manipulating any other character. Manipulation becomes sensuous and reinforces the perceived sexual nature of the vampire.  Understanding where any genre started is truly interesting and the dialogue in the novel captures your interest immediately.  I found it very well written and a fascinating read. 

Bram Stoker's Dracula The Movie or my love for Gary Oldman

When watching Nosferatu this morning I couldn’t help but notice the comparisons between Gary Oldman’s performance as Dracula and that of Max Schreck. Obviously this could have been due to the fact that Gary Oldman was playing Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Nosferatu was essentially the same story. But the play with shadows in both films is really interesting. Seclusion also plays a big part in this film, as each character seems confined in some way, Harker by the castle, Mina by her thoughts, Renfield by the asylum etc.  You have two representations of women in the horror movie, the virtuous thoughtful obedient wife, and the flirtatious frivolous woman.  Obviously it is the latter that dies.  In this movie Dracula is perceived as both the suave romantic with undying love and the horrible grotesque creature that he has become. He begins to have an internal struggle with what is important to him when Mina Harker enters the picture.  Ultimately love prevails in this film but love for whom. Mina seems to do a full 360 and take charge of her own destiny instead of being so compliant with life and she ends up actually choosing the vampire. There is a definite struggle here between the damned and the saved. Lucy is saved but only too late and the question remains if Dracula truly is? You see his appearance change when Mina finally kills him (he was dying anyways) back to that of his “ true nature” so he may have been.  There is also a hint to the fetish quality of vampires when Dracula and Mina finally end up in bed together and only becomes more prevalent as that scene plays out.  The relationship between Dracula and the animals is pretty important here as he cannot only control the “ children of the night” but can also become something of one himself. Again this is the animal sexuality that appears in horror. This is incredibly blatant in the scene between him and Lucy when he essentially rapes her as this man, animal, wolf, bat hybrid.  While this movie doesn’t always mesh entirely with the book it still depicts Vampire Horror in a rather traditional sense then that of the works of today. 

Twilight

            This book has reached the masses through widespread promotion, 5 movies, a sparkling man and shirtless boys.  So what is the big deal? I read it and at first it was troubling attempting to ignore the writing style and fan fiction type of sentence structure. However, one I got past this I looked at the story.  The story itself is as old as time. It’s a love triangle that just happens to be between a Vampire and a Werewolf. Yet these “creatures” are not at all threatening, at least not the central ones. It is the outside forces that they face that cause any alarm in himself or herself or the reader.  All the characters are for all intensive purposes high school students and this book is definitely for young high school girls. Having said that I have a young impressionable sister and really don’t want her reading these. Not for the context at all (I read racier things with out knowing it when I was much younger then her) but more for the writing influencing her own writing skills, but I digress. The vampire is domesticated (and the werewolf as well in later books of the series) and it becomes about which bad boy she wants.  This vampire tale goes back to Victorian themes in that it tries to repress sexuality in the female protagonist.  Edward also compares blood to a drug, which is often the metaphor for the addiction and obsession vampires have for blood. They are the drug addicts of the monster world.  The Cullens themselves maintain superiority over the town with their wealth and beauty as opposed to striking fear into the masses. Yet they are also still outcasts and left alone at their own lunch table. And it is the repulsion and compelling nature of their coldness so to speak that draws Bella in. All in all I am glad I read it so that I don’t rely on other’s opinions of the book however my own is not that favorable.  

Vampire Notes

Nosferatu

-       Went from yellow tones to grey when the mood changed

-       Not an attractive vampire

-       Stolen story

-       Almost destroyed because the story was so close to Bram Stoker’s Dracula

What made the “look” of Vampires change?

-       Social transgression

-       Fist world war- shows the problems with the Victorian Age (puts the end to Victorian Ideals)

-       Bella Lugosi Dracula “ brings the Tuxedo” to Dracula

-       Interview with a vampire – is charming

-       Both detached and completely immersed in humanity

-       Creepy only in his perfection

-       Becomes a vey popular take on this genre

-       Claudia – frozen as a child (her own daughters death?)

-       A lot of Catholicism in the book

-       Religious doubt is a big subject line of the book

-       Religion goes hand in hand with Vampires

-       Sense of religion being the demonic power that fuels vampires

-       She went in depth on explanations on what vampires thing, ingestion of blood- live blood

-       Through the e yes of an interviewee a “wannabe” vampire

-       Fetishistic qualities to it

-       Plays off of wanting to be in the position of that fear and helplessness

-       We build the rules for these beings so that it’s a situation we know how to get out of

-       Ann Rice opens up the genre “ Supernatural romance”

-       Twilight domesticates the Vampire  (the high you get from being chaste)

Rules

-Fictional worlds “have” to have rules

            -Defining fiction in game terms

            -What are the rules so that we can see them bent broken or otherwise

            - Change the rules just enough to fit our own vampires

            -Have we exhausted the vampire?

- Interview with a Vampire and sex, do they have it>?

- Something more compelling then sex and that’s feeding

- Drugs are the metaphor because you keep coming back for more.

-  You are what you are accept it (Beatniks) 

Oppositions you see in the work

-       Past v the present

-       Privileges the past as a genre

-       Interviewer represents the present

-       The way the vampire works in the frame of media (no longer a gothic tale) 

-       Religion (belief vs. Disbelief) damned and saved

-       Are you damned because of your nature of because of your actions///what exactly is redeeming

-       Destiny and predestination

-       Mortality vs. immortality

-       Humanity vs. inhumanity

City of Lost Souls

-       The appeal of animal sexuality

-       Separation of the mind and the body

-       Sexual subtext

Other Notes

-       Ann Rice novel is not entirely heterosexual

-       One of the first novels to lay out in strong terms that it doesn’t matter if your gay, straight, it matters if you are top or bottom, the dominant or the submissive

-       Accepting what you are and pair up with the right combination otherwise you aren’t going to be happy (all inclusive)

Lost Boys

-       Homoerotic undertones

-       Unites the vampire motifs with the teenage rebel

-       Manipulative

-       Origin of Twilight

-       *80’s glitter 

-       The vampires influence the town but no one knows that they are the reason for everyone missing

= subtle manipulation

Monster Island

Monster Island

This book was very enthralling from the get go. It kept my attention because it was more about Dekalb himself and what he must over come for his daughter then it was about the zombie virus itself, as it takes place after the virus has spread.  And there is also Gary who tries to rationally survive the zombies through becoming a smarter version of one. This is a viewpoint on zombies that I have not heard of before and therefore found it very interesting.  Through the eyes of a “zombie” we get a better look at zombies and the story is no longer as incredibly one sided. Which is usually one of my main problems with zombie stories. This book however, is incredibly engrossing and keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next. It is definitely not as predictable as one would expect a zombie book to be. This plot has many twists and turns that keep the story going and make it a great zombie book. I find myself really enjoying the characters and getting to understand their motivations. This is a very original take on a well-known genre giving it new life, so to speak. The zombies aren’t as meaningless in this book as they seem to be in other works and one can identify with them better, especially with Gary.  Although I don’t understand why in nearly every zombie book or movie someone’s intestines just have to be ripped out. The images of the zombies being shot in the head, or the green hand grabbing one of the warrior girls really resonate with the reader.  This book actually got me into the zombie genre more than I thought it would.  Maybe the human struggle for survival translates deeper through literature than film at times.                              

King Kong and Zombies

Class Notes 

Gothic Horror

King Kong Film

Formula for the gothic romance – fate driving you forward toward a particular goal but you don’t trust it because love is doomed etc.

Heroine is more complex

Dramatizes the first step of her voyage

Love triangle between the heroine, the hero and the monster

Ideal past has eroded away

Civilized vs. the savage

Never was a book- novelization done after the movie

Construction of the savage as a stereotype- was mostly used to justify imperialism

(Central social issue of New Zealand)

King Kong and special effects

Deep dark woods

Isolated Island

Larger than life monster

Nature as the enemy

Paranoia

Helplessness of the heroine

Monster vs. hero

“Marries” Kong

Zombies

-First shows up in films around the 1950s

- Night of the living dead- post apocalypse type survival story

-Why is it popular?- cheap to make, survival skills, hanging on or letting go, motif of being able to let go of your loved one-see them change- zombification, plays with our ideas of morals, about identity, Alzheimer’s = actual zombification, responsibility of the survivors

- The situation of over population- something that we all can see and feels out of our control

- Our population currently is unsustainable

- The paranoia becomes personal

-Paradigm shift

-Zombies are given this incredible amount of freedom with this huge consequence

- Zombies = Immigrants= subtext

- The hope of survival or despair of the population and their reaction

-Isolation = a challenge

- Cleansing aspect tied to apocalyptic ideas

-Depressing/ not really narratives of hope

- The zombie narrative is, you lose- they overwhelm, there is always more

- The hungry ghost aspect- unsatisfied in this life

- The slowness, easy to defeat but its inevitable

-Always more zombies then there are non-zombies

-Some people are already zombies (Shaun of the Dead)

- we fantasize about the end of the world

- the group vs. the individual 

-real enemy isn't entirely the zombies but human nature itself 

-what is savage and what is civilized????

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead

I watched Shaun of the Dead because unlike most of the general population I do not like zombie movies, zombie TV shows, or discussing what I would do if there were to suddenly be a zombie apocalypse. I have to be careful who I say this to though as people take my lack of interest very seriously. However, I can get into anything that Simon Pegg does and so I gave it a chance. I loved this movie. I was able to experience all the zombie cliché goodness while still genuinely enjoying the film.  In this movie is of course have the traditional virus spreading through out England affecting suburban neighborhoods and towns alike and a group of friends trying to survive it.  With the perfect amount of humor and mockery this film delivers just as much gore as you would expect to see in your typical zombie film.  Because zombies are thoughtless creatures who just want to consume your flesh there is no sympathy for this monster and all that remains is the overwhelming desire to destroy its brain and run away. That is probably why zombie films don’t usually do anything for me, as the monster is not a real monster, it’s just a reanimated corpse with no real thoughts. For me I need a monster that has more of a story to them and is in general a more rounded character. Zombie films play mostly off of fear for fears sake. Who wouldn’t be afraid of being consumed by a heard of undead civilians only to become one yourself? And maybe I am not giving zombies enough credit. I am repulsed by them and isn’t that the general idea? The “angry village people” or mob in this type of film are the zombies themselves and are just as good at generating widespread panic. The suspense in this type of film lies with wondering which members of the group will survive the attack. It is typically the main protagonist and their male or female counterpart that come out of it all unscathed as Shaun of the Dead demonstrates. All in all wonderfully done film with very good scenes with gore, comedy, action and anything you could ask for in an undead film. As for me, zombie lover or not I truly enjoyed watching this movie. And who knows, maybe one day I will get bitten by the zombie craze. 

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In

This Swiss horror film not only depicts a new age version of vampires, but also explores the psyche of a young boy growing up with separated parents. This makes the story more relatable. It also takes place in a rather suburban area. This environment makes the film even eerier as it is in a typical setting, and therefore is easier to picture ones own neighborhood being inhabited by vampires assuming the guises of everyday people. Like most horror films, the movie poses questions for the viewer as the story unravels. Questions like, where is this girl from? Who is this older male companion? And why is he even helping her? These questions aren’t even clearly answered in the film. Yet by having unanswered questions it allows the viewer to be inquisitive and engaged as the film progresses. They also have the usual group of “victim” type people, attempting to investigate Eli and solve their friend’s death. This of course just leads to more death and whoever goes looking for answers finds out, only too late, the truth. This is a very common occurrence in horror. There is a great use of shadows and darkness in the film as most of it takes place at night so that we can really see Oskar and Eli interact. Suspense is played with by the director’s use of music and also by not really showing us in detail what is happening.  In this case the imagination does all the work, providing a scarier experience overall. Eli is a sympathetic “monster” much like in Frankenstein.  She really cares for Oskar and he for her. This is an adolescent, growing up movie gone wrong. At times though the viewer can forget that they are watching a horror film because the cinematography’s so beautiful. The white snow with the bright red blood appears almost poetic until you realize what is actually going on. The use of the apartment as the main setting, much like a castle would have, acts as a location with many doors and potential danger or mystery inside.  Secrets guide the plot of this film with just a hint of vengeance along the way.  Overall it is disturbing how beautiful the audience will find the film and how ready we are to be right there with Oskar and help this 12-year-old girl. 

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley captivates the reader by writing like one would imagine Dr. Frankenstein would think, in a very manic manner. I like how we hear from the doctor before we hear from the creature and truly gain a better understanding of what he went through because of the Doctor’s neglect. What came to mind when reading this book was one memory, for me, and a feeling I like to classify as “ the dead fish feeling”. Allow me to explain. The dead fish feeling occurred when I was about 7 and was finally entrusted to take care of a pet of my own. So I received 6 fish to look after in my own aquarium. I was so proud of myself. I had worked hard to get them and had prepared for their arrival. When they finally arrived I couldn’t have been happier. A week went by and it was time to clean out the tank. I carefully took them all out and poured new water into the tank. I then immediately put the fish back in. And before I even realized my mistake one by one the fish, being placed in cold water, started dying and floating to the surface. I was disgusted and revolted by this reaction. I started crying because I was so disgusted I couldn’t look at the tank. I could not face them and I hated them for dying. Again I was only 7, but I still recall this feeling that the experience evoked. Frankenstein went through the same thing. He was a child unprepared to take care of another life and so he couldn’t face the monstrosity he was now responsible for.  He had the “dead fish feeling”.  He spends the whole story trying to end it by ending the life of his creation. This story also maintains the key elements that make it a true horror. Such as, the nameless creature, so distorted and inhuman that doesn’t acknowledge it as his to a point where it isn’t even given a name.  Frankenstein has great suspense and chases that keep the reader captivated and curious as to when the monster is going to re appear to cause another horrible event. Yet, one cant help but feel some sympathy for the creature as it was essentially just thrown into the world left to wander and cause destruction with no kind of guidance or compassion. I don’t know what is more interesting, the tale of Frankenstein’s monster, or the fact that we identify better with the monster than we do Frankenstein? 

First thoughts on Horror

Conventions of Horror
                or
 What you usually see in a Horror movie
    In the typical horror film suspense is key. This suspense is only heightened by dramatic lighting and music that tends to reappear through out the film to indicate when a moment is in either peak tension or of great importance. In any horror you need a "creature" or a creation wether it be man made or otherwise to focus upon. In a typical horror this creature is made to look ugly and it does not always have to be in physical appearance. Horror tends to become a fight of good vs. evil. There is also usually some protagonist fighting for good to prevail. Typically the protagonist is isolated either mentally or physically. This would be done mentally by being a genius or against the " mob mentality" or done physically through castles, rural environments etc.  Horror, if done right, will keep the audience on their toes.