Zombies-'Monster Island'

The Zombie epidemic, not only in literal terms that we read about, or we see in books(or movies) like I Am Legend, or Monster Island, but the obsession we've developed for this genre, has spread like an epidemic.

I remember the first time I saw 'Night of the Living Dead', I was excited since I'd heard so much about it, and how lame it was. Normally I hate horror movies, I get scared really easily, but this time... it was no different. Unfortunately I was still very much terrified. I am a very visual, imaginative person, and when I watch movies or read books I tend to put myself right into the story. Others, I've discovered, have a mechanism where, when things get to their dislike, they can separate themselves from the story and be perfectly fine, with the safe thought of 'that'll never happen to me'. However I cannot do this and am stuck in this horrible and scary experience I just can't ever escape, even when I leave the theater or put down the book. I had nightmares about the zombies from the movie, I saw them in the dark when I tried to go to bed, that fake looking black and white dead person, with it gooey black blood scared the hell out of me. Plus the movie ended, not badly, but sad. I'm a Disney-ist who believes in happy endings and such so I dislike it when there isn't one, and everyone died, no one was saved. Kinda depressing.

So why are people obsessed with it? More recently I've stumbled upon the genre again, particularly during freshman year, when I think the zombie phase was at it's peek or beginnings. I think the appeal is not the zombies or 'living dead' themselves, but the survivors. The first chapter of Monster Island he describes the girls in a hilarious way, with miniskirts and school uniforms, and AK 47s! That sounds like a teenage guys fantasy to me! What guy wouldn't want to be in some epic battle with unlimited resources all around you, guns with which you can kill as many people as possible with, and hot chicks with guns fighting right along side you in all the glorious blood and gut and carnage. The thought that there would be the possibility of that happening, and that you could possibly be a survivor and get to have all that bloody 'fun' is the real appeal, in my opinion.

However in all truth it'd be terrifying, everyone you love die, the world around you fall apart, not knowing when you'll get caught and die, and lose your humanity. The struggle to define humanity was also present in the book I believe. Especially with the zombie-hybrid Gary, he always struggled with himself and the other zombies and the humans. He met a rather sudden and quite terrible end, he gave up his humanity because he eat that girl, he couldn't go back. 

Horror- 'Frankenstein'

This was one of the easiest books to write about/read, other then Interview with a Vampire, for me at least. Mostly because I've recently read it, during my senior year at high school, and it was easy to pick it up for the week from the library. Mostly what I feel now is exactly what I felt reading it the first time: extreme pity.

I feel unbelievable sorry for the monster, even if it is revealed he actually killed people. I naturally am a very empathetic person, so I couldn't help but feel terrible when the monster described just wanted to love or be accepted, but was shunned and screamed at.

The most moving part for me was when he hid and stayed in that family's barn/behind their house. All that time he spent watching them, learning all those things, helping them even. Then when he finally goes to confront them, they scream and run away! I felt so angry, after seeing what type of people they supposedly were, then having the cold fact that they turned out just like everyone else!

My favorite folk tale/story of all time is 'Beauty and the Beast'- not just the Disney version(which I do like, but that's beside the point) but the whole tale of someone kind and pure enough that they wouldn't care what the other would look like, and love them no matter what. That is the most beautiful thing in the world. Even the movie we watched in class was a very classic example of a beauty and the beast story. She was the only one who wasn't afraid of him, and was willing to help him. I haven't seen the rest of the movie, but I want to, I'm almost looking forward to a love interest plot. I suppose that was what I was expecting when I opened that book. That he'd eventually find someone, anyone who would except him, maybe not love, but at least accept him. But no, not even his creator loved him, kinda like saying something like, 'What if God hated you?' I don't think anyone can imagine living like that, to know that you should not exist, no wonder he was driven to kill!

That's another issue to be brought up, the fact that he did eventually kill people. The act of killing people, starting with Frankenstein's little brother, I believe, this made him a monster inside as well as outside. I like the fact the book plays on the meaning of 'monster'. You can look perfectly normal, beautiful even, but, if you kill another being out of anger or negative reasons, you are a monster. So in theory, the frankenstein monster wasn't really a monster, just another creature, until he took his first life. Maybe it could be argued it was an accident, he didn't know his own strength, but in the end, he really screwed himself over when he willingly killed Elizabeth, to get back at Frankenstein.

In the end he stilled loved his creator, even though his creator feared him, hated him so much. I wonder what would the monster have been like if Frankenstein had not run away after he created him, and instead had taught him right and wrong. Mostly I blame Frankenstein for this whole mess, he was the one who became obsessed with science and deciding to play God. Overall I see this more as a heavy tragedy then a horror story, especially since I was depressed and sympathetic throughout the whole thing.   

Conventions of Horror

Conventions of Horror-

Dark atmosphere

Girl getting kidnapped

hero

Monster

stormy

foggy

raining

lightning

nighttime

monster's lair

abandon house

creepy dark woods

dead people

screaming

secret passage ways

murder

blood

labs

mutations

aliens

guns/axes/weapons to fight monster

potions

the authorities

innocent victims

graveyards

ghosts/spirits

secret stories/myths

Vampires- 'Interview with a Vampire'

Vampires....

A touchy subject, and why is that? I personally love vampires. Vampire stories, movies games! I, in fact have my own series of vampire-related comics. But my love of vampires now-a-days is looked down upon! Because of one factor that screwed up the entire genre unfortunately, a couple years ago: Twilight. I don't want to say I hate the Twilight series (in fact it's an interesting interpretation, terrible characters, but interesting), I just hate what it's done to my favorite genre. Even during our class discussion, the two guys that spoke both said they hated vampire stuff, but upon further interrogation, we found that they did in fact enjoy vampires, but they lumped the genre with 'Twilight' vampires.

About Interview with a Vampire, I started reading it a while ago, never finished and was ecstatic to see it on the reading list. I suppose I have to admit my main attraction to the book is just that, attraction. Even just the scene where Lestat turns Louis is completely sexual and very homoerotic I might add- I remember the line in particular where Lestat 'held him like a lover'. Then she (Anne Rice) plays with Louis and Armand's relationship as the book progresses. Someone in class today also mentioned Lestat's need for companionship. I did notice he was very desperate with this fact, he did not want to let go of Louis. He would constantly say that Louis couldn't survive without him, binding Louis too him for as long as he can. Lestat both treated Louis like a son and perhaps a potential lover (I may be reading into that with my own fantasies) or a companion. He would teach him, try and get him to give in to his desires, accept himself and even convinced him to turn another human. Their relationship is deep; especially since Louis ends up absolutely hating him, but really cannot leave him, for they are connected deeper then family in a way.

Vampires, even since the beginning, with Dracula or Nosforatu have been, even slightly, sexual.

Why are women attracted to vampires if they are pretty much trying to kill you? First, I believe it is because they are predators. Predators are made to attract pray (the venus fly trap is colorful to attract flies, as in the Nosforatu movie). They are purposely seductive, attractive and have powers of enticement, all to lure you in and eat you. I also believe it's the danger. As I said in class, I theorize that women are attracted to the 'bad guy' because if the bad guy likes them back, they feel important. The 'monster' the 'evil' that hates all loves nothing, suddenly falls for you, this must mean you are special! You made the great evil fall for you. Maybe he doesn't love you back? Maybe you are tired of typical romance in everyday life, and turn to the fantastical and exciting. So, in a way, loving 'a monster' is an escape from reality, a thrill. The vampire represents bestial urges, which are basically sexual urges. All humans have sexual urges they must satisfy.

I was very engaged with all of today's discussion, but one part in particular I enjoyed. The discussion on Anne Rice's approach to homosexuality, or as you put it, post-gender identity. I completely agree, it does not matter what gender you are, love is love, and she does very well to display that in this book.