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June 1995, Week 3

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Subject:
From:
Ulf Dalquist <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 16 Jun 1995 11:19:01 +0200
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Michael Koven wrote:
>Wait a minute, Ulf.  The only good horror films in the last 10 years are
>parodies??!!  There is a prejoritive statement if ever there was one.  It
>is too easy to blast the entire genre based only on Hollywood's inability
>to takes risks in the genre.  At this hour of the morning, prior to my
>first cup of coffee, I cite CANDYMAN, WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE and
>DUST DEVIL as just a few examples of films which attempt to do something
>different with these tired old cliches without devolving into parody.
>
>Just some early morning ramblings.
>
I admit i took it a bit too far. Good way of getting feedback:-)
My point is that when it comes to family horror, not much has happened since...
well, the first NIGHTMARE (and when it comest to family relations, I can't
really find it more than a less provocative HALLOWEEN). Yes, I've found a few
newer horror films enjoying. WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE, CANDYMAN, HELLRAISER &
HELLBOUND *are* good films. Hell, I even liked Carpenters IN THE THE MOUTH OF
MADNESS... But, I'm having problems fiinding the social and political critisism
of the great horror films of the 70's and early 80's in these films. It seems
like the contemporary horror film has taken a turn towards the occult, more or
less detached from contemporary society. Sure, the incompetent authorities and
institutions of what James Tudor calls the paraniod horror films lives on, but I
feel it's more as clich` than anything else. The questions is if the action film
hasn't taken over as the popular genre containing the social critisism since the
(late) eighties (Please don't mention RAMBO as opposed to this argument, think
of, for instance, ALIENS, ROBOCOP, BLUE STEEL & BEVERLY HILLS COP, where the
main baddies are captitalist obsessed with money and wealth). This might sound a
bit confused, but I'm goin' on vacation tomorrow and  simply haven't got time to
expand the argument (the fact that english isn't my native langage might add to
this confusion).
 
Tony Williams wrote:
>What about a summer screenplay competition on SCREEN-L?
Brilliant idea. Let's just keep the helicopter scene from DAWN OF THE DEAD, with
the zombie substituted by... someone appropriate.
 
BTW, who's "the Gipper"?
 
Ulf
Ulf Dalquist                Phone:  +46 46 2224266
Dept. of Sociology          Fax:    +46 46 2224794
Box 114 221 00 Lund SWEDEN  E-mail: [log in to unmask]
'When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.'
                                                                                                                                                                Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
 
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