Horror movies reveal more than we like to admit.
In the ‘50s, we were facing alien invasion. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, slashers lurked at summer camp and in our dreams. In the ‘90s, psychosis ran amok. At the turn of the century, death, boggies, and ghosts tracked down wayward teens. And now in the new millennium, we face apocalyptic hordes of zombies. Different eras face different demons.
The demons personify our fears—our communal terrors. In the dark theater, we can band together to face our boogie men. Alien invasions were thinly disguised Soviets. Slashers reflected a growing intolerance of ‘immoral,’ ‘anti-social behavior’ (sex equals death). Vengeful ghosts and death batting clean up reminded us that our payments were due, fate had caught up with us.
And our 21st century zombies? Perhaps they are the lurking fear of our loss of humanity in the face of technology and big business. We are the pod people—although the pod looks and sounds a bit different than we were led to expect.
Zombieland laughs as our demons burst out of the closet--or in this case the public restroom trailing a piece of tp. Other worse fates await (the loneliness of life spent playing WoW or
blogging).
Rent it. Watch it. Learn the rules. And be a hero.
Bayard
In the ‘50s, we were facing alien invasion. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, slashers lurked at summer camp and in our dreams. In the ‘90s, psychosis ran amok. At the turn of the century, death, boggies, and ghosts tracked down wayward teens. And now in the new millennium, we face apocalyptic hordes of zombies. Different eras face different demons.
The demons personify our fears—our communal terrors. In the dark theater, we can band together to face our boogie men. Alien invasions were thinly disguised Soviets. Slashers reflected a growing intolerance of ‘immoral,’ ‘anti-social behavior’ (sex equals death). Vengeful ghosts and death batting clean up reminded us that our payments were due, fate had caught up with us.
And our 21st century zombies? Perhaps they are the lurking fear of our loss of humanity in the face of technology and big business. We are the pod people—although the pod looks and sounds a bit different than we were led to expect.
Zombieland laughs as our demons burst out of the closet--or in this case the public restroom trailing a piece of tp. Other worse fates await (the loneliness of life spent playing WoW or
blogging).Rent it. Watch it. Learn the rules. And be a hero.
Bayard
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