Smashing the Crystal Ball

I envision my future beyond college as a journey to find that perfect film idea to write and direct. I know I will be doing odd films under the direction of creative directors.  I see identifying a genre as useless and hope that my film will push the boundaries of genre rules. Really, I hope there are no boundaries.

Our world as it exists today has high unemployment, poverty, sex trafficking, war, and terrorism. I think these will exist at some level forever. I do not believe that a utopian society will ever exist. Too many people change when they are given power. I guess it is human nature. However, during my lifetime, I do wish for a land of harmony with peace between nations. A universe where different does not mean wrong, just different.

I can even see me meeting a really crazy person in the future that is not wearing a tin foil hats but is supporting one created from parchment paper. He walks in circles as he preaches on the evils of milk and how milk will cause the apocalypse. Maybe milk Will cause the apocalypse. Who knows what will bring the zombies? In any case, I do believe an apocalypse will be inevitable in the future. I believe this is true because every civilization falls no matter how well planned and disciplined. 

Beyond my life, I believe that the future holds the ability of traveling between dimensions. Initially, humans will be educated by these experiences. I even see other universes begin invading Earth’s dimension. I know it will come, that assault.   I see my descendants will have to hastily search for cover from the barrage of bombs dropping from the sky. They will find refuge in the nearest building, perhaps a library. They may go to the area where they can escape by watching one of my films.  We will have leaders from different planets. Our leaders may be mutants that are ten feet tall with Adonis features; or possibly a talking orangutan; or, maybe even a reptilian bitch. Each of these leaders will have special attributes from their universe that keep the Earth alive. Despite all the negatives, a future still holds promise for some form of life and hopefully a civilized nation.

Douglas Adams, Sci Fi Writer or Fortune Teller

“He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.” (Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

Douglas Adams is one of my favorite writers. His wit and intelligence transcends this century and brings us into an all too familiar future. Niel Gaiman, another novelist, said that Adams was a genius.

“I haven’t known many geniuses in my life. Some brilliantly smart people, but only a tiny handful would I class as geniuses. I would class Douglas, because he saw things differently, and he was capable of communicating the way he saw things, and once he explained things the way he saw them, it was almost impossible to see them the way you used to see them.”

This introduction of a different view is a way writers move the present into the future. Really, Adams brought the future into the present because of his foresight. Douglas Adams, as a novelist, was a fortune teller. He was adept at technology and even foreshadowed or predicted about technology before it existed with the Galaxy notebook, an i-pad technology. Before his death, he denied that he was a science fiction writer. He did not even like science fiction but was addicted to technology. He looked to technological advances of the time and imagined what the future was supposed to be. However, the innovative predictions of technology as well the lifestyle of the future was just a background to him.  

Despite his prophecies, his novel, Guardian of the Galaxy is truly about relationships. He claimed his priority was as story teller. Attacking social issues is another way that Adams brought the present into the future. Our planet being inundated by Spartan minded aliens was at the forefront of his Galaxy series. In the novel, the aliens come down from another planet to mine Earth for its resources. The destruction of humans was the plan but an alien warned and saved his friend, an earthling. The alien felt that there was something redeemable about the society. Guardian is an in depth study of human nature. The book reveals how the morals of the present transcends not only time but societies that inhabit other planets. Adams even brought up the absurdity of our culture and its praising of celebrities.

Douglas Adams was a true visionary and predicted several things that scientist did not. It seems that the imagination of a writer outdoes that of systematic research. Adams’ search was similar to Arthur Dent as he traveled through the galaxy with Ford Prefect. A search that has been the same throughout time that joins the present to the future, a search for the ‘answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything”.

Aquatic Uncle

In the Aquatic Uncle, the key issue is whether change is good, whether progress is worth it. The characters evolve past those boundaries of tradition into an area of change. The family crosses the border between amphibians and sea creatures, “running beyond the edge.” In order to understand the story, we must understand where the writer obtained his inspiration. Calvino, the author, was originally from Cuba and admired Britain and US. I think that the story as a whole was symbolic of his wanting to go and see the world. His wife was interested in this culture and maybe the story is a reflection about his wife’s reluctance to change. Calvino wanted to break the boundaries that the sea had for Cuba. Therefore, there is distinct symbolism with the elements of land versus sea. The sea is the separation of a society from progress and change.

I was able to connect to the elders in the society who did not want change. When the uncle started talking and bashing their beliefs, it reminded me of my maternal Grandma and Pop Pop Jimmy (paternal grandfather). Pop Pop Jimmy always says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However he uses technology to read books. My grandmother advises constantly, “Do not be hedonistic like those people on the TV.”

Of course, I would make the short story into a film. There is a problem with the characters being fish to amphibian – it would have to be a Claymation or I would have to put them in humanoid form. I would also add more evolution to the main character. The story as it sits gives me only 45 minutes’ worth of running time. I can add 30 – 40 minutes by expanding the character and certain elements of the story. One element that is only touched on is discrimination between water to land people. There is not enough details. I would expand on their friction. Also, the detail in meeting his wife is of interest to me. Finally, I would want to add why they want to leave in the water in the first place. The basics of the story are there, however a film would need to be more specific.  

Blurred Lines Expose Creativity

The distinction of defining the lines of genre are not necessary. Genre lines developed as an attempt to distinguish between subtle nuances between fiction and non-fiction. As writing has developed, it has really gotten out of hand. There are so many genres and sub-genres you cannot follow all the rules. I took a class in young adult literature and there were three subgenres within this specific genre depending on language and sexual content.

            The genre lines don't get blurrier than the novel, Clockwork Orange -- a futuristic, horror, dystopia interlaced with socio-political comment. The book and movie are among my all-time favorites because of the intellectual levels provided from each scene set with contrast against white clothes to the etymology of each word the author chose to use. It was a great novel because it did blend many genres. It created an innovative concoction that sparked more than entertainment. It evoked conversation and controversy.

Each narrative is a work of art and as such there is no need to follow the dots or paint within the lines unless it suits the emotion of the work. Each work is either entertaining or
“it sucks” despite the rules that a writer follows. If you follow the lines too closely then there is no individuality. True genius comes when your imagination is allowed to wander. The blend of several different genres is similar to a good chef. He mixes several spices to create a good gumbo but there is one element that is personal - the passion or the love. Otherwise, it's just chicken and sausage.

The Boy and His Dog is also a blend of genres – a science fiction, comedy, drama, thriller film. It is a dry comedy in an alternate universe where Vic survives because of Blood, specifically because of  the dog’s ability for telepathic communication. Although different and distinctive, stretching the boundaries of the narrative, the novel and film lost influence because of the last line: “Well I'd say she certainly had marvelous judgement, Albert, if not particularly good taste." This line has been seen as sexist as Vic chose to kill the woman instead of the dog.

It does not matter what you call it or with what genre it is labeled. It is whether work entertains. Sometime, there is so much effort trying to intellectualize every nuance of a story and when it comes down to it – it either works or it doesn’t. Writing can be an experiment of sorts. However, it is not a mathematical equation that only has one right answer. It seems one thing is common within all these works of art --not totally accepted at the time. They have a cult following which has allowed them to endure past all strict lines. These works are timeless due to their transcendence beyond set boundaries, beyond the delineated genre line.   

Does Majority Rule?

To say the least, the readings and movie for this week are thought provoking. Butler’s Bloodchild turns gender roles of our culture on its heels as the majoritarian culture is dominated by some kind of mammoth slithering serpent. The short story I Live With You by Carol Elmschwiller creates a surreal world where things happen in a real way. The film Brother from Another Planet gives us a glimpse of a black three toed alien trying to fit into Harlem’s society on Earth. Majoritarian values and perspectives are turned upside down with these three works.

The male bearing children in a matriarchal society in Bloodchild gives us a reversal of the male/female roles as it exists in our society. As humans attempt to escape slavery on Earth, they enter into a different bondage as they are forced to live in Preserves. The human male is chosen by the female and forced to be the host for the embryo of the child. Butler tops this off by creating two species on the planet with the governing majority a slithering body with four pair of legs. The ten foot female serpent creature has the dominant role of seducing the male and cutting open their host to deliver their babies. Nevertheless, the relationship between the Gan and Gatoi seems to be one of love and respect as seen when Gatoi gives Gan a choice to continue to bear her children.

            Creepy and eerie come to mind after reading I Live With You. It is reminiscent of those little people that live in your house that take the errant sock like the Hobbit or house elves in Harry Potter. You know they are there, but cannot make yourself accept it. It is like Nietzsche’s alternate universe within a universe or eternal reoccurrence. The role of the majority is taken on by the ghostlike creature invading her house or is it an alter ego (“just like you”) that wishes to stretch the woman beyond her world into the real world of the living. The absurdity of the succubus creating chaos allows a lonely woman to find friendship. Despite the weird person in the attic, it does not stray far from majority values and perspective of the human condition that demands a social interaction.

            Brother from Another Planet grabbed my interest from its campy spacecraft entry on the screen. Despite the alien nature, the majoritarian culture’s values are dominant as our mute hero attempts to make his place in a society that is totally foreign. The film opens on Ellis Island as the immigrant alien lands on Earth, an “in your face” reference to past immigration. His introduction into society is not much different than those from foreign lands that do not “speak the language”. There are some preconceived notions introduced early on about space and aliens softened with comparisons to alcoholics and video game addicts. The Brother is mute with three toes but he still fits in because he attempts to help people with his innate powers. He may be different but his kindness is evident.  He gets more adversity because of his color than the fact that he has disabilities and is an alien. The message sent is one of discrimination on what the majority sees as the major threat.

              There are times that we as an individual think we are screaming but nothing is heard. The works of this week confirm that there is a vehicle for everyone to voice their opinions.  Whether an individual is an alien from outer space or another country, each has a talent that deserves acceptance before fear.

Artificial Unicorns

The Cyberpunk readings and movies of this module revolve around adventures in an alternate reality. Whether the reality be in the past, the future, an alter ego or the psychology of the mind, a prevalent theme of self-discovery and the human condition is evident in each work.

Tim Powers’ book The Anabus Gate, is one of the first novels to be coined as steampunk. In traditional science fiction way, Powers uses time travel through holes created by magic and even lost love in a battle between good and evil. Doyle, the protagonist, is haunted by the death of his wife, Rebecca. He is deceitfully enticed to travel into the past with a scholarly ruse by an ill millionaire Darrow. Darrow, in reality, is attempting to find eternal life by taking on the persona of a werewolf located in 1800 in England. While in the past, Doyle is kidnapped by a gang of evil itinerants/magicians/followers of the ancient Egyptian gods. He remains truly human with ethics despite his changing identity and changing environment. He becomes the man who he was researching, Ashbless. His adventures lead him to bargain with the ancient Egyptian, declining to give the location of the Anabus gate even though his prize would have been the return of his wife. For the reader, Doyle remains true to himself and does not sacrifice his morals despite evil that tempts him. Magic is also dominant in the novel with a subtle undertone of its connection to science.

            In Ghost In the Shell II, a living cyborg is the protagonist. The alternate reality is in the future when the only thing human about a person is his brain and his memories. Cyborgs are turning away from their programming, slaughtering humans and then killing themselves.

Blade Runner is another movie that questions human worth versus technology in a future world. In this movie, the cops seek out replicants, artificial intelligence in human form, from off world colonies that come to earth. The movie causes its audience to consider technology and artificial intelligence. The viewer can empathize with a man who questions what is truly human after he encounters an android with emotion.

Paprika is an anime in the surrealist style of Dada or Lynch. The disturbing images that revolve around the human soul are displayed on the screen in an attempt to provoke an audience to discover what is beneath the surface of the human psyche.  Paprika is the psychologist’s alter ego as Dr. Chiba delves in the dream state of her patients and solve their problems. In this film, the alternate universe is the dream world, an exploration of the subconscious. Good versus evil is also a theme in this film with the misuse of stolen technology. The DC mini is the device used by Dr. Chiba but it is stolen to invade the dreams of others and allow them to escape into the real world. The dichotomy of science is also at the forefront in the battle of technology created to help humanity that can be turned against them.

My Left Hand

The readings and film from this week diverge from the science fiction surrounded by over the top, imposing galactic battles. They do not revolve around an apocalypse or being lost in space. They are directed at the human experience in creating and adjusting to a new society with different rules and roles. Nevertheless, Le Guin’s story of Genly Ai is a journey to another planet and is interrupted at times with myths and prophesies adding to the fantasy nature of the novel.

In Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin’s protagonist travels to outer space to influence other beings to join the Ekumen, a United Nations of sorts. He is on a quest for peace, and the trade that accompanies it. Ai has traveled to the frozen wasteland of Gethen/Winter where the beings are gender neutral hermaphrodites. The Gethenians have both female and male features. They are asexual during “somer” and have the ability to procreate during “kemmer”.  From the introduction, Le Guin points out that no one should be treated differently due to their gender. This note is not surprising considering the feminist movement at the time she wrote the novel. Consequently, the ideas revolving around gender identity is a key theme in the book. Genly Ai, the alien, at times seems a little sexist when stereotyping the Gethenian’s female aspect with terms such as “lack of substance.”  He also has constant inner turmoil trying to identify each Gethenian as a male or female even though he knows they are both. Le Guin has been criticized and has admitted that the Gethenians actually seem more male than female throughout the novel. She even uses he to describe the characters in the book.

In addition, the novel deals with the ability to accept and adapt to these different cultures and species. Le Guin shows elements of similarity between Ai and Estravan. Ai is alone on the planet, trying to adjust and compute the alternate life style. Estraven travels to a self-imposed isolation, knowing there is something outside his small world. They join forces and journey together, even escape danger in Orgereyn. In the country of Karhide, Estravan has many names and many layers as he learns mind speech and speaks with his dead brother. The fantasy in this case is the inward journey as each questions his relevance. We also see the uniting of nations with these two individuals. Brotherly love is evident as Ai mourns the death of Estrevan at the end. There is also subtle evidence of influence of the Cold War on Le Guin with the conflict between with the totalitarianism of Orgoreyn and Karhide.

Like Le Guin’s novel, Truffaut’s Farenheit 451 also deals with a changing culture and a deviation from what is the norm in conventional society.  Books are not only banned but illegal to have in your possession. The government fears the liberated thinking that comes with education. Montag, a fireman charged with the burning of these books, begins to see their importance. Once part of the government, now he becomes the criminal on the run in an underground society. Like Le Guin, the film also deals more with the human aspect of difference.  It is also a story of betrayal due to ignorance as Mongut’s wife turns him into the authorities. Nevertheless, Mongut finds his place with the ostracized book lovers.

Through the characters of Ai and Estravan, two worlds unite as they travel across the glacier. Le Guin emphasizes the yin and yang, the light and dark in our journey to find inner meaning. At the time the novel was written, sexuality was defined in terms of male/female. Further, society was a male dominated world. These strict lines have become grey as bisexuality, homosexuality, transgender and transvestites have become commonplace. Books such as Le Guin’s prompt us to accept these differences, see the individual inside and promote equality on all levels. 

Stay Gold Space Cowboy

Action, adventure, space, and fantasy, even the title, The Martian screams science fiction. Weir, like other sci fi writers, has mingled elements of the western genre with a hint of a sea story in this novel. Additionally, the importance of science is a key element of this narrative of the botanist, mechanical engineer’s battle to stay alive on Mars. 

The influence of the western genre is first to surface in the sandstorm of the red desert environment. The main character, Mark, is injured by an antenna and left for dead in an adverse environment. Like the west, he is left in an uninhabited frontier. He has to settle the land in order to stay alive. He plants potatoes and uses his feces to fertilize the crop. He separates hydrazine to get hydrogen and makes oxygen. These combine to form the H2O he needs to water the plants. He uses ingenuity to battle the elements as he waits for someone to save him. He rides the land on his mechanical horse, the rover. The villain is the environment of Mars that he must tame with the supplies he has from Earth. Once NASA is aware Mark is alive, they even send the Calvary to save him. Mark has a western adventure with the background of outer space, the strength of humor and perseverance when faced with adversity, and that stresses the importance of science.

An analogy can also be made to the sea stories. Mark is marooned and left for dead on Mars like a Robinson Crusoe or Cast Away on their island. Like these protagonists, he then proceeds to use his brain to survive the elements. Unlike these protagonists, Mark is only alone at the beginning of the book but begins to have communication with NASA through the rover. He is ultimately saved by the crew that left him.

In contrast to space operas like Star Wars and Serenity, The Martian is missing the romantic features, the community on Mars, as well as the huge military battles.  The frontier is the same as well as the fiction created by the fantasy of the future. In some cases, the fantasy of The Martian seems more like reality than fantasy when things go bad, especially with his exhaustion at getting water, food and oxygen to his failed back to lost communication on the last leg of his journey.

Mark Watney has a type of hero’s journey as he faces and overcomes conflicts for a return to Earth. The only difference is that Mark’s character does not evolve; he is the perfect astronaut from beginning to end. In fact, the book almost ends as it begins --- with a dust storm that threatens Mark’s survival. There is unity shown between humans, even US’s rival of the Chinese, joining together to save Mark and bring him back to Earth. The west and space has been conquered and the land on Mars has created crops. A future society can survive in this untamed desert.

Myths (Or A Grave Thing Happened on the Way to the Water)

“The boundaries are always there—between the graveyard and the world beyond, between life and death, and the crossing of them.” - Neil Gaiman

There is no denying the subtext of myth in Neil Gaiman’s novels. In The Graveyard Book, a maze of classical mythology, Christian mythology and even the female myth are intricately woven and overlap within this storyline. Each type of myth offers a small hurdle that Bod must overcame but ultimately leads our hero to an escape and victory. Gaiman makes myth relevant to contemporary world as a coming of age for his main character, Bod, and also his portrayal of the different genders.

Unlike the Lady in the Water and Gaiman’s Ananzi  Boys, the myth is not specifically spelled out at the beginning of the story. Nevertheless, the myth slaps you in the face in the first chapter. The Christian myth of the Christ child is prominent. Everyone around the infant is killed but the child escapes to the graveyard where he is protected by the community. Nevertheless the Jacks, spurred by a prophesy, continue in their attempt to find and kill him. To the Jacks, Bod represents someone that will destroy their evil way of life. Additionally, the theme of intersecting the spiritual world and the earthly world is also similar to Christ as he is both God and man. Bod is not afraid of death and has the ability to pass between the living and the dead. The setting of graveyard/nature preserve also supports the living dead theme.

Myth and tradition is important in the graveyard where the ghosts of the past live beside the newly dead and begin to educate Bod. The ghosts have the voice of the past where contemporary world is evident with Scarlett’s cell phone and talk of videos. Even in the dance of the dead, you have the living present dancing with the ghosts of the past. Bod accepts all of the residents and even goes so far as putting a headstone the witch Liza’s pauper grave. These traditions of the past seem to give him a moral sense and influence his choices. In contrast, the Ghouls (Honorable Archibald Fitzhugh, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Duke of Westminster) represent peer pressure and making bad choices.

This narrative also bring in the traditional myth of good vs evil with the backdrop of the macabre. The hero in the middle of a mystical world that battles evil and overcomes the mystical forces that surround him.  Bod passes through the Gates of Hell to the underworld. The underworld is frequently seen and its residents battled in Greek mythology.

The female myth is also prevalent in the roles of women in the book. They are represented as educators with Mrs Owens and Ms. Lupitzo, a common role. But these characters are also strong as the Lady on the Grey Horse gives the final world and Ms. Lupitzo, a werewolf, saves Bod from the underworld.   Gaiman also shows the Jacks of All Trades, a male society driven by greed. In contrast, the female leadership is more balanced. Indigo Man and the Sleer are the guardians of the Master and the treasure and also represent the evil that lurks in the oldest grave.  

Just like Giamati’s character in The Lady in the Water, Bod is able to overcome his differences and the past death of their family with the help of the spiritual world. Bod’s journey involves making sense of the real world and the spiritual world.  It is a journey of self-awareness for the young boy trying to overcome his differences as he travels from the fantasy world in the graveyard to the world outside its gates. This is the same journey for teens trying to fit in with social groups. Gaiman also puts a twist on this journey. Perhaps because this book was inspired by his son toddling through a library, Gaiman also deals with parents allowing their children to venture out into a different, scary world where they cannot protect them. Possibly this theme is a parent’s coming of age? The traditional and the contemporary play against each other at times in the novel but end up in a state of balance.

The Magic of Morals

          In Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern complex moral issues were presented in an entertaining and somewhat subliminal way. With the aspect time travel and the two worlds of fantasy and reality, the novel presents an action packed narrative. Black and white, night and day, good and evil are the backdrop to show our choices. The name of the circus is Circus des Reves, Circus of Dreams. The name not only refers to the magical world presented in the circus but foreshadows the path the young characters will take to achieve their individual dreams. In a way, the novel instructs young adults to follow their passion to make the most of their futures.

But one of the most important lessons of Night Circus is that no matter how small your actions; what you do affects others. Night Circus revolves around the manipulation and ego of two competitive magicians. Prospero and the man in the grey suit, A.H., pick protégées to enter into a magical contest, where only one will remain alive. They not only trained but tortured the young students, Marco and Celia, both physically and mentally. The amoral treatment of their students is evident. Nevertheless, as young adults, Celia and Marco became better human beings than their “fathers”.

Although the narrative is centered on the two men’s rivalry, it is a coming of age story. Not only do the two manipulated teens rise about their plight, but other young characters in the book follow their dreams. It was planned that either Celia or Marco would be eliminated. Nevertheless, these fierce competitors found each other’s talents impressive and ultimately fell in love. They found that their actions affected the other circus performers as well as the “reveurs”.  They had to come up with a plan that would save the circus. They sacrificed their human form for others. With these characters we see a stark contrast between their selflessness and the selfishness of the magicians.

The story of Baily also reveals it is important to fight for what you want. Initially, we see Baily taking a dare to fit in with his sister and her gang. He snuck into the circus to be a part of a social group. He took a chance and it worked out. The young man continued to be drawn to the circus despite his parent’s objections. His path becomes interwoven with the circus performers. Ultimately, he runs the Cirque des Reves with Poppet. His dream as well as a romance was achieved.

          As the young characters face the trials of growing up, they do not give up despite all the obstacles thrown in their way. Just like the circus, complications in your live will arrive without warning! 

Anti-Christ with a Thousand Faces

For the hero’s journey, I read Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Both authors are known to apply aspects of Campbell’s monomyth and its structural pattern. However, Gaiman said that he started reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces but refused to finish it: "I think I got about half way through The Hero with a Thousand Faces and found myself thinking if this is true – I don’t want to know. I really would rather not know this stuff. I’d rather do it because it’s true and because I accidentally wind up creating something that falls into this pattern than be told what the pattern is."  

Nevertheless there is evidence of some elements of the monomyth. Furthermore, I think there are two overlapping journeys, the demon and the angel’s journey and Adam, the Anti-Christ’s journey. Both journeys converge to stop the Apocalypse. Adding to the mythological aspect of the journey is the prophesy of Agnes Nutter which outlines every event that will take place.

Azirophale (angel) and Crowley (demon) meet in for the first time in the Garden of Eden. Crowley is the snake that temps Adam and Eve to eat the apple. Azirophale is an angel from the Garden. Over thousands of years, they have reached a compromise, a type of friendship. They are called to action at the birth of the Anti-Christ. After getting drunk and deciding to go against their bosses, they decide to work together to stop Armageddon.  Of course, there are supernatural elements involved as they enter the world of a normal family as gardener and nanny. There are many comical elements as they wait for the coming of the demon dog who is to watch over the devil’s child. The biggest ordeal is when they find out that they are watching the wrong child and attempt to find him. Crowley hears the voice of his boss in his Best of Queen calling him to make sure that he is working to secure the end of the Earth. Both refuse to give up the fight and find the Anti-Christ, Adam.  Their search is thwarted by many obstacles. However, together they find Adam and attempt to lead him away from the destruction of the universe. Adam with the help of his crew stop Armageddon because Adam realizes that starting over is futile.

The duality of Adam is evident from the beginning of the story. His innocence as a baby and his Adonis features are contrary to a satanic form. However, he cannot deny his leadership and his attractions to the dark side. He is called to a journey of fulfilling the destiny set out by his father, Satan. His path is full of temptations on both sides, good and evil. He meets the witch, who introduces him to the magical side of his powers. The Them join with him to fight the Four Horses of the Apocalypse. They defeat all but Death who cannot accomplish the end of the earth alone. Adam realizes the strength of his powers and is even able to turn Satan into his earth father.

At the end of the journey, everything comes full circle. No one remembers or they pretend not to remember what has occurred. Adam has repaired the damage from the battle. The angel and demon are lunching at the Ritz. And Adam, he is grabbing the forbidden apple from the tree.

Bitchin' Witches

With Black Maria, the reader gets lulled into a kind of Twilight Zone as nothing is as it seems. The death of the father on his way to see Aunt Maria seems to foreshadow their plight when they are stuck in her world. Aunt Maria is at the forefront from the beginning revealing a matriarchal society. She is a manipulative woman guilting Chris, Mig and Mum into doing her bidding. Initially she is a stereotype of an old woman using age and feebleness as her tool. It is very quickly we know that everything is not as it seems. The appearance of the ghost early on, the cat on the windowsill and Aunt Maria’s house address as Number 13 add to the clues of the evil that will surface.

Gender lines are also evident from the beginning when Mig is not good enough to watch Aunt Marie. Additionally, Mum is to work alone with no help from Chris because it is “woman’s work”. Further, Mig and Mum were not allowed to wear “trousers”. However, the stereotypical role of woman is changed with her role in the control or “Queen Bee” of the village. The men are mindless zombies following the woman’s every command, kind of an inverse Stepford Wives or maybe Stepford Husbands. Black Maria adds a touch of The War of the Roses as the war between men and women gets heated. This adversarial theme seems to center around control and equality. It is specifically outlined in the conversation between Mig and her father (not dead). Mig says, “….. Can’t they just be people?” Dad responds, “It doesn’t seem possible where men and women are concerned.” Nevertheless the lines of gender seemed to be blurred as the judo Mr. Phillips is also the gardener and cook of his household. The gender lines in the 90s when the novel was written was expanding. At that time, my mother, a lawyer, was not allowed to wear pants in court at that time. Additionally, a woman who was aggressive in business was called a “Bitch” compared to her male counterpart was accepted in his role. In any event, a woman or man that would destroy (turn into a wolf) her/his daughter to keep control remains evil on any level.

When it comes to witches, Aunt Marie was an archetype because she was not a typical witch. She was a superior witch, outside the lines of a pure stereotype. Although she had magical powers, her evil extended past sorcery to mind altering. Also, Ms. Phelps was archetypical because she time traveled.  It was not just about magic but control.

            Another point that adds intrigue is that Mig is narrator. She writes the novel in a smart, unique way. Mig is the savoir in contrast to the sweet Aunt Marie as the villain.

The Weird and The Weird

Both The City and The City and the movie Dead Man represent a genre where subliminal messages are rampant and directed to stimulate their audiences. Weird suggests something supernatural, unconventional or uncanny. Nevertheless, it is in the eye of the beholder because to me, very little is uncanny about the book and the movie. It is significant in this day of helicopter moms and Sesame Street kids that the audience’s attention be grabbed and held. Audiences are attracted only to the “weird” or the different to entertain them. Normalcy is status quo and boring. Each work reveals an attempt to escape a traditional life. Weird can accomplish something stimulating to their intelligence.  Each work eschewed the traditional narrative to create the weird. Nothing is what it seems.

What is weird about The City and the City by Mielville? The book itself is wordy but engaging. They are speaking English but each character has its own language. Maybe the weird is  because it evolves around string theory and the fact that multiple cities can coexist in the same time continuum.  Two cities co-exist in the same physical space at the same time and the detective must solve a brutal murder that is committed in one or perhaps on the border. Each city knows the other exists but cannot admit it.  A common phrase in the movie is that I must “unsee that”. Additionally, the use of “Breach” and the consequences of it add to the mystery of the novel.

Dead Man is similar to The City and the City because it revolves around borders. In Dead Man, Johnny Depp’s character is walking around in a dying state due to the bullet wound close to his heart. He has murdered another and being sought by his victim’s father. He is on the border between the living and the dead. The movie is a metaphor for the 60’s counter culture in a spaghetti western style. Johnny Depp’s character is on a spiritual journey somewhat like Jim Morrison’s journey in the desert. There is a language border within the Indian culture and also a weird play on words with the names of the characters, I.E. the Indian called Nobody that attempts to remove the bullet. Ultimately, Blake loses his battle and dies in Indian funeral dress and canoe.

The Horror of Ears According to Me

When reading or viewing Eastern or Asian horror based works, subliminal cultural differences come through when comparing them to “western” horror.  Although both seem to be aimed at our fears, the Asian horror seems to have a closer connection to the afterlife. Additionally, the Asian films seem to have a social message interwoven into the physical horror. The Asian film is not just a gore fest, it has a message to convey.

When I was reading the novel A Wild Sheep Chase, the horror theme was not immediately evident. The read was more along the lines of a standard Haruki Murakami book with its dry wit, use of absurd characters and situations, and references to Western Culture.  For example, he notes rock music and Alan Ginsberg (Howl) and a character that is unsatisfied with his life. Initially, I honestly found more connections to Douglas’ Hitchhiker’s Guide, a sci-fi comedy, because of its narrative structure and how it seemingly went off topic. However, the novel was really adding a new plot point or device.  Murakami was setting the reader up for the kill. Murakami is giving us subliminal messages with symbolism and even premonitions, specifically from the girlfriend. I also viewed Takashi Miike’s Audition which to say the least, was the most disturbing movie I have ever seen. From what I have noticed from the book and film, these Asian works both develop off of buildup. Both are non-linear, not following the Western structure. Both works also use a slight woman as a vehicle for evil in comparison to Western movies whose villain is usually a strong male.  Asian works are usually more of a cerebral horror not bowing down to pure murder and blood.

               There is also a difference in eastern and western in how they represent the supernatural. The ghost in Sheep is not to scare but works in as part of the symbolism and message. It is probably because of the Asian’s belief in reincarnation and an afterlife. They have a sense of tradition and honoring the elderly and dead. The Asian tale is haunting or disturbing versus the western which is terrifying.

The manipulation of the protagonist is evident in the Asian works, others driving them insane by bringing their ineptness to the forefront.  The Eastern tale is an inner horror made more unsettling because it could be inside you. In the Western Horror more demons attack from the outside in a solely physical rather than a mental way. The Eastern story revolves around the life of an everyday person who stays in his own persona but in western horror, there is something wrong with the evil person, burned or parents killed in front of him. The plot of the Asian horror is more intricate.

               Asian culture is stereotyped as being the most brilliant or educated. Their horror films continue with this quest in their attempts to socially educate through entertainment. Whereas the Western horror seems to be aimed at scaring its audience by exhibiting the most special effects.

           In Ann Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, the relationships are extremely complex to say the least. Her vampires have evolved from the Christopher Lee depiction of Dracula and the battle between good and evil. The old stories revolved around the seduction of the woman to achieve the goal of immortality. The classic vampire stories were mono-dimensional in contrast to the contemporary tales of Rice’s vampire which has layers. The good and evil theme remain constant in both but the relationship status has expanded. Not only do we have a relationship between Louis, Lestat and Claudia but the relationship is not contained within the triangle, each relationship has a condemned association with other parties revolving around pure desire.

It is evident throughout the book that Rice was raised in New Orleans which was a melting pot of religion, voodoo, intertwined with a tacit acceptance of different sexual orientations. Although the good/evil theme is within Rice’s book, the sexual tension and surrounding relationships seems to permeate the plot.  The book has overtones of heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality and pedophilia. Ann Rice’s novel is coated with sensuality within the relationship between the characters even if there is no overt sexual act. Additionally, most of the relationships are shrouded with both love and hate. Furthermore, the relationship between two people is not limited to a single traditional mode. For example, the relationship between Louis and Claudia begins when he kills her. Louis is a fight or flight character and flees leaving her to die. Lestat turns her into a vampire which shrouds Louis in guilt. Louis acts as her father/teacher/protector from the guilt which is usually absent in a vampire. Claudia hates both Lestat and Louis for their role in her perpetual existence. Claudia’s physical form remains a five year old, nevertheless her intellect and true being continues to mature. This maturity prompts a lust from Louis who leaves to escape more guilt. Consequently, the relationship expands from a parent/child to a father/lover, familial love to pedophelia.

The relationship between Louis and Lestat is equally as complex. Again, a love/hate relationship exists. This is because of Louis’ battle with good/evil. Louis hates his role in life and drinks the blood of an animal instead of humans in order to survive. His many attempts of killing Lestat confirms the aspect of hate. He also denies his love for Claudia and seeks the love of Armand.

            A different relationship agenda of the vampire in society is depicted in the film Only Lovers Left Alive. The film is an experimental film that eschews the narrative structure. It centers around the vampire characters of Adam and Eve and their strong relationship, a monogamous relationship, that continues to exist over the centuries.  Their love lasted because both of the characters were intellectuals, had respect for each other and an undying loving. The main characters in Only Lovers left Alive were actually deeper and more human than the living because of the social aspect and closeness of their relationship. Nevertheless, a definite overtone of dark humor embodies this film despite the theme of a strong relationship at its core. At the film’s ending, their blood supplier in Lebanon dies. In order to survive they have to suck off an unsuspecting couple which reveals a relationship at odds to the universe. However, the human emotion to survive, of self-preservation, expands the connection to nature. The film shows the relationship at the core of characters in everyday life and a society that attempts to pull them apart.

Frankstein

Gothic aspects of Frankenstein:

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein has many elements of gothic literature. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of gothic literature is a dark, eerie setting that creates a feeling of foreboding. The next is a sense of horror or dread that revolves around an alienated or isolated protagonist. The protagonist is in some cases is a wanderer who is stalked by an evil villain. There are also supernatural elements in gothic novels.

 In Frankenstien the setting begins in the letters of Captain R Walton to his sister. He is stuck in the ice on his ship in the cold, wasteland of the North Pole looking for friendship. We are waiting for something bad to happen. A sense of isolation for the character is also evident and continues with both Frankenstein and, of course, his Monster.

Frankenstein’s parents adopt Elizabeth so he will have a future wife. We can tell Frankenstein must not be a social butterfly.  This aspect of the story is a kind of contrived incest which we can be seen in other gothic novels. With Frankenstein, the isolation continues in school and the isolation with his belief in alchemy and his attempts to “bestow animation upon lifeless matter”. An eerie feeling continues as Frankenstein tells his story of the decays of the body as he tries to revive the corpses and collects his bones and body parts.

The book raises the question at the beginning whether science is part of the gothic element. In some ways it reveals a fantasy aspect but it could also be seen as a supernatural element that was prevalent in the gothic novels. However, the monster was a man-made creation from the elements of nature.

As the book continues with Frankenstein’s return home and the creation of the monster. Isolation and rejection continues with the monster. Additionally, the feeling of dread is heightened as we witness the cycle of rejection, revenge and murder.  Revenge is another prominent gothic element and it is heavily evident in the relationship between Frankenstein and his monster. The death of Frankenstein’s brother is the monster’s revenge for rejection of his ugly appearance. The tearing apart of Elizabeth is due to Frankenstein’s killing of the monster’s mate. It is no surprise that both the monster and Frankenstein meet their demise.

The setting is really on the boat but describes multiple areas as Frankenstein and the monster go from one place to another. This also adds the element of the exotic which complements the gothic tone with such places as the Artic, the Alps, France, and England. When you think gothic, you think dark castles. Shelly also added a castle in the mix.