Final Project - Save the Essay

Formatted: Left: 2.54 cm, Right: 2.54 cm Save the Essay The Essay Busters Project Manager – Cindy George Researcher – Joe Rutterford Content Creator – Amanda NashPresentation & Dissemination – Nicola Winter 1

Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 13 pt, BoldUsing two examples from the genre of horror examine what a ‘classic Formatted: Lefthorror’ film is. The horror Horror genre is perhaps one of the most popular movie genres Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Justified, Indent: Firstand we may say that it has which possibly started to develop practically line: 1.27 cm, Space After: Auto, Line spacing: Doubleimmediately with due to the development expansion of show business, and a freeaccess of wide audience to with cinemas and television becoming freer for wideraudiences to access. We can find a lot of causes of the popularity of this genre Comment [M1]: Beginning sentence riddled with bad grammar. Now has a better flow.but it is still not so easy to explain Despite its phenomenon being without a simple Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12explanation there are many causes to the popularity of horror, namely why it is soattractive for people despite all its unreality how regardless of the genre being sounrealistic mass audiences still find it so attractive. However On the other hand, it Comment [M2]: Previous sentence was not very coherent.would be a great mistake to say some might argue that horror movies are plain or Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12even primitive, but this would be a great misinterpretation. Naturally, there aresome horror movies which are really so overly stereotyped, unbearably plain, andabsolutely thoughtless not very well thought out. But However, in my opinion, itthis is simply exclusion or films that were created by specialists who are far fromreal due to contemporary movie specialists whose outlook on moviemaking andthey can create nothing but films results in of low quality films, regardless of itsgenre. Also I‟d say that in addition to this view it could be said that as in any other Comment [M3]: Sentence was not expressed in a suitable formal manner for essay writing and also containedbranch of art cinema has its genius and its mediocre majority because the some bad grammar. Formatted: Font: 12 ptstandard of a good films may be created only by a good crew and the genre is not Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptso important based on the quality of its crew. Among such genius the genius of Comment [M4]: I‟ve (Amanda) never used Harvard referencing before so was unsure whether the movie titlescinema, I would name the crews that worked on two films of horror genre, they should be in italics or in speech marks but the P+D agreed to check over this before sending the essay in forare “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” are perhaps two horror marking. Formatted: Font: 12 ptmovies with crew whom deserve recognition. I said The crew‟s work was Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 2

exceptional in these cases, notwithstanding the fact that they were led by suchwell qualified professionals as not because I do not want to agree with those whobelieve that Donald Siegel and John Carpenter, who were outstanding directors,on the contrary I am glad that people who worked on these two films were led bysuch well-qualified professionals. So With this is mind, we may say it could be Comment [M5]: The past two sentences need to be cut into a different order with better grammar andsaid that “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” are classics of the flow which is why so much of It is rewritten. This way they sound more coherent.horror classics genre and the best ones were created by the best moviemakers of Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12the horror genre. But what I would like to analyze is the reason why Why they aretreated as such and in which way they are similar or different however, are topicsto be analysed in further detail. Comment [M6]: Throughout the introduction I have kept writing in the first person to a minimal to keep in line with formal essay writing. Firstly of all, it is may be necessary to say that these two both films were Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, English (United Kingdom)created at in different times decades. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt Formatted: Font: 12 ptcreated in the middle 1950s, more precisely in 1956 whereas was filmed in 1956, Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Indent: First line: 1.27whereas „The Thing’ was created filmed in 1982. It seems that such time cm, Space After: Auto, Line spacing: Doubledifference should make the quality of the films completely different but, strangelyenough however, they have a lot of many common aspects. That is why at the Comment [M7]: Not many changes needed for this small section. It is coherent and the grammar is not toobeginning I would like This raises the chance to dwell upon discuss the bad. Formatted: Font: 12 ptsimilarities of both films. First of all, we may say It could be said that, to a certain Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12extent, the theme of the films is are close in comparison. Both films focus on the Comment [M8]: Most of this section is quote orientated. I have tried to make the phrasing as coherent as possible toproblem of the invasion of humans, or just alive bodies by some showing how coincide with the quotations. Formatted: Font: 12 ptaliens that tends to can control the a person‟s personality, the hosts actions and Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12judgments, etc. In the case of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, we deal theaudience is faced with creatures that “has[have] to wait for the perfect momentwhen the target is asleep), and spend the next few hours consuming and takingon that form. If the host wakes up when the process is not complete, the whole 3

procedure is a failure” (LeGacey, 1978, :pp.288). On the other hand, the creatures Comment [H9]: Can‟t find this quote on the documentin „The tThing‟ needs take just a few minutes to do it control their hosts because “it Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptcan assimilate the host while it‟s still conscious, against the host‟s will” (Landon,1993, pp.:39). The differences of these themes are P probably such changes arecaused by the changes of time or epoch between the two movies. It is obviouscould be said that the rhythm of life in the 1980s was of a much faster pace thanin 1950s, and certainly it found its expression in the perception of the idea ofpossible alien assault invasions or attempts to invade the human minds. Comment [M10]: I was not really sure what the person who wrote this essay was trying to say here, so I just made sure the grammar at least was correct. By the way, I think It is fair to say that both films express the trend that took Formatted: Font: 12 ptplace within the societysocieties of their time, when the idea of total control of athe Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12human mind became more and more widely spread. It means that This is shownsymbolically by the aliens creators of the both films tried to by implying those thepowers of control through either political or economical means with that bydifferent means aimed at demonstrating the total control of public consciousnessthrough the invasion of the mind ofvia a separate individual. It This was is quiteactual accurate if we take into account if we take into consideration the time whenboth films were released,. in 1952 1952 it was the year of the beginning of the Comment [H11]: The Cold War actually started in 1945cold war when the tensions between capitalistCapitalist America the well- Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12developed democratic world and the communistic Soviet Union grew and the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptgovernments of many countries, including the most democratic, had started tostruggle for the control of public opinion and even each particular individual. 1945 Comment [M12]: I have just rewritten the entire section due to the incorrect dates, bad grammar and style.was the year the beginning of the cold war began where the tension between the Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12well-developed democratic world and the communistic Soviet Union grew. The ptgovernments of many countries, including the most democratic, then started tostruggle for the control of public opinion and even the view of each individual 4

member of the public.At the same time In accordance to this, 1982 it was a period Comment [M13]: This is undoubtedly an inaccurate account of the cold war but at least the date, spelling, grammar,when the cold war achieved its apologe when the necessary apologies for the style and flow of the section is much improved to the original.cold war were achieved and the world was on the eve of the Reagans declaration Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptof the war on for the „empire of evil,‟ when of which the situation was veryresembling to that of early 1950s. Furthermore, the degree of surveillance grewand specialists began to spoke speak about the total control of certainorganizations had over people. In comparison to such a situations like these thehorror films „Invasion of the Body Snatchers‟ and „The Thing‟ seem almostforeboding people transformed in pods in the horror films I‟ve just named look likea prophecy and warning against such dangerous practices. Comment [M14]: Not coherent. Edited to have an easier flow. Formatted: Font: 12 pt One more thing that makes An arguable difference between “Invasion of Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Comment [M15]: New paragraph. The topic changes from the cold war sothe Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” quite different is the degree of the seems right to cut the extremely lengthy original paragraph here.combination between of reality and fiction. unreality as I would call it. In my Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12opinion, at this point “The Thing” is much more radical thing in the sense that it the ptfilm is full of fantastic elements and with the state of paranoia overwhelmings theaudience and keepings people them in such a state of suspense during the wholefilm viewing experience. On the other hand, in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” itis quite difficult to distinguish whether what we is seen is reality or unreal fiction.Personally Here, when I watched both films I had the audience is left with apermanent doubt in the mental health to the stability of its the main characters formost of the viewing it was quite difficult to say whether it was something reallyunusual, extraordinary things that happen to people in the city or it was a simplehallucination, illusion, or just a nightmare and as it is only at the end of the film Comment [M16]: I had to cut out a sentence of the essay here because itthat the theme it becomes clear, whereas this is an evident element throughout was not coherent at all and was written very informally. Formatted: Font: 12 pt„The Thing.‟ that the whole city was really transformed in pods people. Whereas Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 5

in “The Thang” it is evident practically from the very beginning. Everyone realizesthat the characters act in an unreal situation they really confront some aliens thatintend to control their bodies and their minds. Probably, It could be said that thecause of such a difference lies in the history of the origin of the both films. For weknow that “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was significantly influenced byproceeding films noir, that which tended to externalised the moral conflict of the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, English (United Kingdom)detective story. Such films inhabit contain “shadow worlds and hover without Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12resolve between the supernatural and mundane rationalism. In the same sense“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and the other alien takeover films…psychologically externalised the central conflict of the alien invader film – theywere less films about aliens than they were about alienation”i (Bisking, 1983, Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12ppPP.139). However the director tries to keep us in suspense for a while and pt, Not Superscript/ Subscriptinrushes the film with rationalism and realism, but when the nightmare becomesthe reality he widely uses film noir techniques such as shots down tight narrowcorridors, silhouettes running against streetlights, close ups on sweaty faces, andtilted camera angles. Though he Even with this the director does not forget about Comment [M17]: Lists always work best in threes.classical horror films scenes such as “shots up from under the plank under which Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12McCarthy and Winter hide, with the pod people crossing calmly assuring themthere is nothing to fear, the wide-angled shots out of the office window down ontothe public square, which becomes inexplicably frightening the moment all visitorsare cleared and the bustle of everyday chaos suddenly turns into somethingordered and people start organizing the pods to be distributed about the country” Comment [M18]: New paragraph.(Biaskin, 1983,:pp.141). Again, the topic changes and a new paragraph is needed. Formatted: Justified, Indent: First Whereas in On the other hand, the creators of “The Thing” its line: 1.27 cm, Space After: Auto, Line spacing: Double Formatted: Font: 12 ptcreators used the experience of past works in the field of horror films for Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 6

influence, which some might say resulted in the and I would say this filmbeing is a purer horror example in the sense that the psychologicaltension here is was weakened by a certain simplification due to which weshould not guess whether it is a kind of psychological problems of thecharacters or a paranormal phenomenon for the latter is quite obviousbeing too obvious an ending. Also I want to add that In addition to this,“The Thing” is much richer in special effects, particularly when weseethere are screen shots of the alien‟s victims of aliens who “transforminto twisted versions of themselves, complete with claws, spider-likelimbs, teeth and lots of flailing tentacles” (Landon, 1993,: pp.36). Andagain I think that It could be said that it is the result of time changesdifference that changes the viewing experience between the two filmsbecause in the 1980s, due to the development of computer technologies Comment [M19]: Make the argument flow and more coherent with the previous paragraphs.and creating more sophisticated technical equipment, impressive special Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12effects became an essential part of any good horror films pretending tobe interesting and popular. Whereas Opposite to this, in the 1950s didnot have the same only technical opportunities and also had a differentmethod of filming. were not so good but the tradition of film shooting wasa bit different. In these cases M more attention was usually given to thepsychological side to horror films with the limited special effects that wereavailable at the time used to support the movie. and could only beenforced by special effects which were not very „special‟ though incomparison with 1980s. As for some more other similarities of both Comment [M20]: Conclude paragraph more politely.“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing”, we may find not only Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 7

theme and plot may not be the only likenesses probably idea of the film,but also the atmosphere. of films. Comment [M21]: Small section added to paragraph as it ends the paragraph with a leading point. Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Space After: Auto, Line spacing: DoubleAs for some more similarities of both “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” Formatted: Justified, Space After: Auto, Line spacing: Doubleand “The Thing”, we may find not only theme and probably idea of thefilm but also the atmosphere of films.As I have already said these Both films deals with the alien intrusioninvasion into of the human life, into human body, mind andconsciousness,. These films also may serve as a warning about the Comment [M22]: Shortened list. Formatted: Font: 12 ptdanger of such a situation, of a total control of human consciousness Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptwhen people become pods but not thinking beings. It which is Comment [M23]: Sentence cut from essay…Unimportant to argument and was not coherent.reinforced by the reigning atmosphere of tension, even and paranoia Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12that makes us the audience forget about that the unreality of theevents are fictional. and deep into the action. It is obvious With this inmind it could be said that creators of these films had similar aims. Comment [M24]: Section added to new paragraph. Too many short sentences that don‟t belong to a paragraph. This sentence help structure the argument perfectly. Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12It is reinforced by the reigning atmosphere of tension, even paranoiathat makes us forget about the unreality of the events and deep into theaction. It is obvious that creators of these films had similar aims.Finally, I would like to add a few words about the way of alien invasion. Comment [M25]: Random two sentences and unrelated to anyIt may be a bit different by its form but the principle of such invasion remains surrounding arguments. Formatted: Font: 12 ptsimilar. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 8

What I mean is the fact that certainly The aliens in “Invasion ofthe Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” act differently, I havealready which was previously mentioned that with the latter filmand how the aliens act rapidly without against the humans will andthey can act in at any time, while the former film are quite longreacted beings, they cannot attack men only if they are not asleepcan attack its victim at any time. Comment [M26]: **Technical problem! ** This section from „the aliens in‟ to „at any time‟ was meant to be put with the previousBut we see that t There is yet one common principle aspect to the aliens in these paragraph ending with „had similar aims.‟ I could not cut this section without confusing the edited parts.this the films which is how they attack from the inside, I mean they want invade Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12human bodies and minds but not without wanting to take from humans their land, Comment [M27]: Still a part of the same paragraph.or property, they and do not threat directly to their physical wealth. It seems that Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12human inner world the inner world of humans is much more important for them tothe aliens than anything else because they try which is evident from how they tryto control human‟s memory, and consequently our human feelings, emotions, ourstate of mind, and perception of the world. , our present and our past. Moreover, Comment [M28]: Shortened list Formatted: Font: 12 ptthey “have access to the being‟s memories, allowing them to blend in almost Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12perfectly without being detected by future target hosts who may know the personwho has now beenreplaced by these horrible alien creatures”ii. Thus, we see that unlike many other Comment [s29]: This should not start on a new line.films about alien invasion “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” pay Formatted: Font: 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptmuch focuses more attention to the inner world of people, implying the spiritual Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12emptiness that threatens to the people humans of the 20th century. because in pt, Not Superscript/ Subscriptmy opinion t The aliens symbolize all those complicated processes that tookplace in our society in the 20th century, and of which still continues to exist today 9

and that may lead to moral degradation of people humans. to their transformationinto pods. Comment [M30]: Not many grammatical mistakes here with an easy flow to the text. Formatted: Font: 12 pt Taking into account all of the above mentioned, I can come to the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Justified, Indent: Firstconclusion that “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” are real line: 1.27 cm, Space After: Auto, Line spacing: Doublemasterpieces of the horror genre and we have perceive them not only in theproper sense but we should also realize what the creators of these films implied.In my paper I have named a lot of things that are either similar or differentsimilarities and differences in these of both films but what is the most important isthe fact that they both were and remain extremely popular. and the film that wouldbe better than them can be hardly imagined. One of the evidences of my idea isthe fact that t There are numerous remakes of these films that, in its turn, tells usabout proves the actuality of the plot, themes and ideas conveyed with the help of“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing”. Thus, I can say that both filmsshould be regarded as classics of the horror genre and their traditions should becontinued but not blindly copied that would lead as to develop the developmentand prosper ous the future of this genre. Comment [M31]: Again, not many grammatical mistakes and there is an easy flow to the text. Some simple edits made. I have allowed the first person to be used as it personalises the conclusion. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 10

Comment [s32]: Bibliography should start on a new page so a Page BreakReference: Bibliography has been added. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 13 pt, Bold Formatted: Justified, Line spacing:Biskin, Peter. “The Mind Managers: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Double Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Paranoid Style in American Movies.” In Seeing Is Believing: How HollyiwoodTaught UsS to Stop Worrying and Love Movies. New York: Pantheon, 1983.Biskin, P. (1983). „The Mind Managers: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Comment [s33]: We found when researching that this author was sometimes referenced as „Biskind‟PranoidParanoid Style in American Movies.‟ In: Seeing Is Believing: How instead of „Biskin‟. However, the majority of the sources found were spelt in the latter way, and so this is what weHollywood Taught Us to Stop WorringWorrying and Love Movies. New York: decided on. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Pantheon: 137-144. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptBiskin, Peter. “The Russians Are Coming, Aren‟t They? Them! The Thing, and the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Extremists from Beyond the Center.” In Seeing Is Believing: How Hollyiwood Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Taught UsS to Stop Worrying and Love Movies. Pantheon; NY:, 1983.Biskin, P. (1983). „The Russians Are Coming Aren‟t They? Them! The Thing, and Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not Italicthe Extremists From Beyond the Centre.‟ In: Seeing Is Believing: How Hollywood Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Taught Us tTo Stop Worrying and Love Movies. New York: Pantheon: 123-136. pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Gregory, Charles. “The Pod Society Versus the Rugged Individualists.” TheJournal of Popular Film 1. Winter 1972.Gregory, C., T. (1972) „The pPod sSociety vVersus the rRugged iIndividualists.‟The Journal of Popular Film, 1:, 3-14. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt 11

Landon, B. „The Thing in All Its Guises: Reconsidering a Science Fiction Classic.‟Chapter 2 of The Aesthetic of Ambivalence: Rethinking the Science Fiction Film inthe Age of Electronic (Re)production. Greenwood Press Westport, CT:, 1993.Landon, B. (1993). „The Thing in All Its Guises: Reconsidering a Science Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not ItalicFicionFiction Classic.‟ In: The Aesthetic of Ambivalence: Rethinking the Science Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not ItalicFiction Film in the Age of Electronic (Re) Production, Chapter 2. Westport, CT: Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 pt, Not ItalicGreenwood Press: 27-44. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12 ptLeGacy, Arthur. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Metaphor for the Fifties.”Literature/Film Quarterly 6.23, 1978.LeGacy, A. (1978). „Invasion of the body snatchers: A metaphor for the fifties.‟ Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Not Italic Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12Literature/Film Quarterly, 6.3:, 285 – 292. pt Comment [s34]: Harvard Referencing does not use footnotes but in-text references, so these have been deleted. Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Italic Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Not Italici Bisking 1983 PP.139ii Gregory, Charles. “The Pod Society Versus the Rugged Individualists.” The Journal of Popular Film1. Winter 1972. 12

Final Project - Save the Essay

by cindyharley on May 20, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 1

Statistics

Final Project - Save the Essay Document Transcript