Blue sky
White clouds
White ground
No sounds
No silence
Imminent violence
Crushed violets
Crumpled daisies
Wits fraying
Grey sky
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Lecture theatre blues
One hand propping my head up.
I need a pillow or a window
so I can look outside
and repress what is inside.
In a darkened room
the end couldn’t come sooner.
I wouldn’t have a clue
whether the sun or moon is up high.
One eye on the pulpit.
I need those things from
“A Clock-work Orange”
or just a stiff drink and a cigarette.
In a dim-lit theatre
the end couldn’t be nearer.
Who could guess what comes next.
Just hoping for the best
And to get some rest.
First published in Rabelais.
I need a pillow or a window
so I can look outside
and repress what is inside.
In a darkened room
the end couldn’t come sooner.
I wouldn’t have a clue
whether the sun or moon is up high.
One eye on the pulpit.
I need those things from
“A Clock-work Orange”
or just a stiff drink and a cigarette.
In a dim-lit theatre
the end couldn’t be nearer.
Who could guess what comes next.
Just hoping for the best
And to get some rest.
First published in Rabelais.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Dude! Where's my horror film?
I’m disillusioned. The recent developments and “blockbusters” to come out of Hollywood have left me in a state of limbo, paralysed with rage at the seemingly blatant disregard directors and producers of films have towards their audiences. One common element missing from the cinemas these days is that of the horror movie. No longer do couples venture into the darkness, just so she can get scared, and he can release some of the repressed misogyny inside him. Today, all films seem to come in the form of a halfeaten pizza with the topping missing: void of nutrients, taste and substance. The recent poor run of films may be because the horror genre, often referred to as “the trash of Hollywood”, lay raped and forgotten – a notable absentee.
The demise of popular horror: films that were simple but perverse, coincided with the demise and introduction of particular social institutions in the late 80s and early 90s. The metamorphisis of the horror genre began when the number of drive-in theatres decreased. In the late 70s we tearfully waved goodbye to uncomfortable procreation, and the “double
feature”. Often starring the most clichéd of horror films, the double feature managed to engage its audience in an isolated place (their car) and extract the most out of them. At its peak the drivein was the prime display vehicle for the horror film, providing an experience to accompany visual stimulation. When video arrived onto the scene the genre took a new direction. Video not only provided a new environment for horror to prosper, but also provided another element that could be utilised by filmmakers. Darkened lounge rooms became homes to groups of young teenagers eager to have the shit scared out of them. At the same time, the horror genre shifted from such films as “The Attack Ofs...” to stalker-slasher films like Halloween and Friday the 13th. Furthermore, films of this ilk not only represent a change in technology and viewing “rituals”, but a change in fears and anxieties present in society at that time. The 60s and 70s played on our fears of nuclear war, while the last of the great horror films in the late 80s expressed antipodean concepts of otherness, with specific
reference to suburbanoia. So what happened??? Well, one may suggest that films like Scream and I Know What You did Last Summer rehashed the raped and exploited horror genre. Films like this stand out amongst the numerous off-shoot films that came out at the same time, because they embody elements of great horror films. In fact, Scream owes its success to those films of the 80s. Making a point about representation, Scream defines itself as an important film in horror criticism as many of its references to the genre are integral in its narrative structure.
Today we are given horror in small dosages, and even then we are not given anything new. Most horror films that come out now are either remakes of past classics or slick sequels to films made a decade ago. Horror has lost its impact due to audience desensitisation and the inability of studios to think of creative new ways to explore the genre. Some film makers are benefiting from overseas horror like Ringu, but not to the extent one would like. As the stalwart of the film industry, it would be a shame to see the horror genre fade away
or become part of another genre. So kids, get your knives, guts and girls, and make me a fucking movie!
First published in Rabelais.
The demise of popular horror: films that were simple but perverse, coincided with the demise and introduction of particular social institutions in the late 80s and early 90s. The metamorphisis of the horror genre began when the number of drive-in theatres decreased. In the late 70s we tearfully waved goodbye to uncomfortable procreation, and the “double
feature”. Often starring the most clichéd of horror films, the double feature managed to engage its audience in an isolated place (their car) and extract the most out of them. At its peak the drivein was the prime display vehicle for the horror film, providing an experience to accompany visual stimulation. When video arrived onto the scene the genre took a new direction. Video not only provided a new environment for horror to prosper, but also provided another element that could be utilised by filmmakers. Darkened lounge rooms became homes to groups of young teenagers eager to have the shit scared out of them. At the same time, the horror genre shifted from such films as “The Attack Ofs...” to stalker-slasher films like Halloween and Friday the 13th. Furthermore, films of this ilk not only represent a change in technology and viewing “rituals”, but a change in fears and anxieties present in society at that time. The 60s and 70s played on our fears of nuclear war, while the last of the great horror films in the late 80s expressed antipodean concepts of otherness, with specific
reference to suburbanoia. So what happened??? Well, one may suggest that films like Scream and I Know What You did Last Summer rehashed the raped and exploited horror genre. Films like this stand out amongst the numerous off-shoot films that came out at the same time, because they embody elements of great horror films. In fact, Scream owes its success to those films of the 80s. Making a point about representation, Scream defines itself as an important film in horror criticism as many of its references to the genre are integral in its narrative structure.
Today we are given horror in small dosages, and even then we are not given anything new. Most horror films that come out now are either remakes of past classics or slick sequels to films made a decade ago. Horror has lost its impact due to audience desensitisation and the inability of studios to think of creative new ways to explore the genre. Some film makers are benefiting from overseas horror like Ringu, but not to the extent one would like. As the stalwart of the film industry, it would be a shame to see the horror genre fade away
or become part of another genre. So kids, get your knives, guts and girls, and make me a fucking movie!
First published in Rabelais.
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