The Horror and Sci-fi genres: General Theoretical Approaches.

Authors Avatar

                        Aliens and Terminator II:

The changing nature of Family life in Contemporary Society

Gender and Society: Gender and Film

Ryan Tyler-Smith.

The Horror and Sci-fi genres: General Theoretical Approaches

From first attempts to transfer Horror fiction from the page to the silver screen, there have been moral panics in response to the horror genre. In 1973, “The Exorcist” (directed by William Friedkin, US, 1973) provoked outrage, and sections of the movie had to be removed in response to worldwide complaints and panic as to the overtly sexual and violent nature of it’s content, not to mention accusations of religious blasphemy. Similarly, throughout the 1980s, there were campaigns against so-called 'video nasties'. Although no clear definition of the term 'video nasty', was ever agreed upon, it generally

Referred to examples of horror and pornography, and led to certain infamous films being banned in Britain for over a decade. Films such as “Zombie Flesh Eaters”, “Driller-Killer”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and others suffered such fates.

Due to actions such as this, both the Genres of Horror and Pornography have suffered similar fates; the cultural tag. These tags have led to a common mindset; that these industries are ‘sick’ or ‘perverted’ forms, capable of contaminating the minds of their audience is, and thus wider society. This mindset has created problems. Not only has it been used to support censoring legislation, but also it has prevented serious investigation of the forms or effects of these genres for a long time, due to their presumed negativity. However, this paper will attempt to correct this mistake, by looking at two particular classics of the newest Genre hybrid – The horror Sci-Fi mix. Whilst Aliens (Director , US, 1986)  and Terminator II (Director James Cameron, US, 1991) share many metaphors and symbols, of which I am going to discuss, T2 does so in far greater proportion, so please forgive me if my analysis tends to focus on it a little more.

‘Aliens’ and ‘Terminator II’.

Like many films of their type, rather than being mere fetishism or ‘celebrations of gore’, these films have many subtle connotations throughout, using metaphor and symbolism to denote their messages. In this particular case, we are focusing on what these films say about family structures in modern society; and how these structures are changing to accommodate new attitudes in contemporary culture. When Director, James Cameron, visually pieced these two media forms together, how was he portraying the fabric of the Family today? And more importantly, how obvious are these portrayals in the films themselves? Well, any serious investigation of the evolution of family life has to start with the Mother and Father, Especially in relation to Parental roles, and attitudes to female and male sexuality, in terms of family roles today. We look at some of these issues a little later, for now, we shall take a brief look at the two films in question, and broadly discuss some of the metaphors within them.

As I have stated, the issues outlined above can be identified in the science fiction/ horror film hybrids of the 1980s. In this context, the work of the writer/director James Cameron is of notable example. His films, particularly “The Terminator” (1984) and “Aliens” (1986), are now classics of contemporary sci-fi - horror. Their relevance to this essay cannot be overstated, as the similarities between them, and the issues explored, are undeniable. They both contain strong female leads; an interest in the family; concerns about scientific morality; killing machines, which lack conscious motivation; and forms of body/horror. Obviously, for the purposes of this essay, the issues of femininity, body horror, and most importantly family-interests, take Precedent.

“The Terminator”

 In The Terminator, a cyborg killer is sent to present day Los Angeles from the future in order to kill a young woman, Sarah Conner. In response, a lone freedom fighter from the future, Kyle Reese, is sent back also, to protect her. In The Terminator though, the fear evoked by the Cyborg killer, is a fear of mindless, systematic, rationalized behavior. This is similar to other such Horror/Slasher/Killer movies of the time, such as ‘Halloween’, (Director John Carpenter, US, 1978) or Friday the 13th (Director Sean S. Cunningham, US, 1980) Similarly, the theme of masking the killer’s face to hide his true nature, as seen in both of those films, is also witnessed here. The terminator is half human, and half machine. If most serial killers use masks to hide their human faces, the terminator uses human flesh to hide its artificial, robotic body.

The Destruction of the traditional Family…..?

Along this line of artificiality, we have our first significant comment on the changing nature of Family life. Perhaps this is something of a leap of faith on my part, in my reading. However, the world created by James Cameron in both of the Terminator films, appears to be one valuing blatant materialism, in which the nuclear Family unit is slowly dying and human relationships themselves, both family and otherwise, are breaking down in favor of a new value system, one of identification with possessions and technology. This could indicate an exchange of traditional family values, for a new reliance on society and technology for sustenance and education about the world, rather than one’s own parents. Much like the argument that children today are learning about the world from TV and magazines, instead of parents and siblings. Human relationships, in exchange for a regulated, efficient society? The film suggests that this evolution is only a natural result of current forms of rationalization.

Join now!

This can all be seen in the modern cities, shown to us in Cameron’s unique direction. In Both Terminator films, we find ourselves in a modern-day Los Angeles, one of many American cities. Within the film machines dominate these modern cities. They regulate people's work and leisure activities, and the terminator is able to use communications systems such as telephones, telephone books, and answering machines to locate his target, Sarah. The implications of this situation are suggested by the identification number which Kyle, the freedom fighter from the future, has imprinted into his flesh. Not only are people identified through ...

This is a preview of the whole essay