#1
|
|||
|
|||
Rocket-Man: Horror-Film Dianetics!
The presentation of tools, equipment, and items-of-interest in various horror-films reflects the audience's reaction to the symbolism behind the niceties and normalities of everyday objects which can be re-presented as 'vessels for danger.'
In Halloween II, we see Michael Myers turn up the thermostat-gauge for a sauna-room to make the water dangerously hot for idlers, and in Friday the 13th, we see Jason hurl an axe towards a man trying to run away. Environments for catastrophe (e.g., a football stadium) are as symbolic for chaos-storylines as objects/equipment (e.g., flares, buckets, etc.) are! This sort of 'aesthetics-based' noir-storytelling illuminates the psychological appeal of gadget/doll-themed horror stories/films such as Puppet Master and Hatchet. When I was growing up in India, I noticed a nifty but somewhat dangerous cooking-tool my family's maid-chef would use on the kitchen floor, a metal-hooked vegetable-and-meat cutting blade-on-wood item (with a swivelling handle) called a 'boti,' and I started thinking about the lingering dangers everpresent in our homes and cultures of communities. Years later, when I saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I thought about how otherwise utility-oriented objects (e.g., chainsaws) which could be easily purchased by just about anyone from a Home Depot hardware store (for example) revealed a modern culture of convenience, which arguably explains the general appeal of horror films such as Candyman! So the question is, "Does civilization tool-use parallel weapons-use paranoia in symbolic ways?" This question will intrigue archaeologists of the future I think studying our time and noticing interesting parallels between pottery (e.g., Crate & Barrel) and mercantilism (e.g., The Rocketeer). ==== PYRO: Don't you like my flame-thrower? MAGNETO: I prefer standard metal objects/weapons. PYRO: Your lack of mischievous creativity disturbs me. MAGNETO: Like I said, I prefer standard methods to madness. PYRO: That's very 'diligent' of you, but chaos is natural... MAGNETO: I want control...over everything. PYRO: You can't control the forces of imagination! MAGNETO: I can at least try to create a 'system.' PYRO: Hollywood isn't interested in movies about uniforms. MAGNETO: No, but society likes movies about martial law. PYRO: Alright, maybe there's a 'link' between fascism and anarchism! MAGNETO: Indeed. That's why I am fascinated by magnetism (and metal). PYRO: Do you know why there's a music-genre called 'Heavy Metal'? MAGNETO: I can guess --- youngsters appreciate 'heavy fables'! ==== |
|
|