Comments on: Horror Film Monsters as Unlimited Desire

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:58:08 +0000

My poor Krell!

By: Benighted Savage

Benighted Savage — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:50:20 +0000

Who can be identified as an “antagonist (government officials)” in _Alien_, the original _Blob_, or the original _The Thing from Another Planet_ (or its 80s remake, for that matter)? There are no government officials in _Alien_, where everyone (except for the monster) is an employee of the “Weylan-Yutani” company; the GOs — mostly police — in the original _Blob_ are “protagonists,” not “antagonists” (to use Chastek’s terminology); as for both _Things_, I only remember an “antagonist” from the older film, Dr Carrington, who is a standard “mad scientist” and a government employee, not a government official.

The only film Chastek alludes to that somewhat fits his “succinct explanation” would be the 80s remake of _The Blob_ (but even that has its problems, namely the existence of “protagonist” GOs). Overall, his attempt to tag government officials as being “monsters of the id” is a failure. Such monsters can be “protagonists” and “antagonists” and many other persons, and can be found in the oddest places: go ask Morbius.

By: Craig Payne

Craig Payne — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:49:53 +0000

I tend to agree with you. Horror movies used to be creepy, scary, but satisfying. Today many are creepy, scary, and ultimately sickening, in many senses of that word.

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:19:16 +0000

Craig,

I should have noted that I haven’t been to a monster movie (or a horror movie that I can think of) for a very long time. It seems to me the hallmark of most genre fiction (mystery, science fiction, horror, romance) is that it has an ending you are satisfied with, except in very rare cases where there a twist clever enough that you don’t mind evil winning out. But my ideas here may be out of date.

By: Craig Payne

Craig Payne — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:28:41 +0000

Dear David Nickol: Regarding (2), it’s an oddity of many contemporary monster movies that the good does not triumph, or at least the evil is not defeated (the first few Freddy Kreuger movies, for instance). I wonder if this reflects a general pessimism in the contemporary audience?

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:08:15 +0000

It has always struck me that the appeal of horror movies is that almost without exception, (1) they are a battle of good versus evil, and (2) again almost without exception, good triumphs in the end.

I don’t see any general theme of the government being the antagonist. A familiar theme is that scientists want to study the monster, not kill it. They are generally made out to be wrong or demented, and when so, there is an anti-science slant to the movie.