Zig, Zaq, Zoop! I'm writing again. What are the chances? Basically I got into college, I'm now in college, and I just saw a science fiction movie. Might as well write.
Tonight's special was shown on 16mm format in the MCM department. Assuming you can't read the Cyrillic title, the movie was Stalker, by Andrei Tarkovsky. It was glorious in that long, dragged out Eastern European way. Read the wikipedia if you want a summary cause I'll be going straight to my own thoughts and interpretations.
So basically, the overall sci-fi theme was the trinity of science, art, and spirit. The novum was a strange alien aura that haunted a manor in the middle of some Russian country. I really enjoy the simplicity of the plot: get to the Zone, which fulfills at least 2 hours of the movie.
One of my current theories is that any long form art has the ability to push and push and idea into your head then create a surprise that just stuns you (see my analysis of the Oasis in Fallout 3). Anyway, this idea was beautifully done by having a telephone suddenly ring once the hapless trio finally got to the mansion. It was hilarious and completely shattered the world to a point of absurdity which is healthy for a movie to not take itself to seriously.
I really like the decrepit, rusting Russian countryside where concrete melds with weeds. Tank ruins, flooded tiles, chemistry flasks floating in rancid water, a random room with small sand dooms, the "meat grinder" pipe hallway, it was all intense and gripping as a truly unnatural form of human creation slowly decaying. It makes me respect Half-Life 2 even more for capturing the same Eastern European vibe.
I overheard some other audience members say "oh that was totally an acid trip" which just bugs me. Drugs are not the end all for creativity in movies. Instead, the plot followed the guide archetype where only one person has knowledge of where to go (kind of like Gollum) and as a result his chooses the path most significant to himself. The reason this "trek" theme works so well is because it dominates the majority of the movie. We only know the characters by title: Stalker, Professor, and Writer. Nothing gets in the way for this drive to enter the Room.
The characters have quite powerful archetypes. The stalker lives for the journey, the Professor wants a reason, and the Writer is looking for a muse. The Zone and furthermore the Room reminds me of the Colour Out of Space by Lovecraft yet much more impressive. I like never fully understanding the alien presence and yet between the black dog, the unnatural sand dunes I mentioned, and the weird rain scene of the room, there is clearly a force at work.
The best irony was that the audience were the only ones to enter the room as all the characters don't want to in the end. I was thoroughly amused when the Prof (or Writer?) was just throwing stones into the room's shallow pool like some bored child. Here is the most powerful, unexplained alien presence on Earth and after deciding not to destroy it, the intellectual, the artist, great producers of civilization, don't even want a part in it.
Showing posts with label Aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aliens. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, October 22, 2010
Begin the Countdown!
10
Space Invaders
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs33/f/2008/309/c/a/Space_Invaders_by_molotov_arts.jpg
These are the pixelated beginnings for video game SF. Parents of the late 70's didn't care if their kids were killing aliens at the local arcade. This idea is an extremely basic reason for the rise of so many non-human enemies in video games. Who cares about killing extra terrestrials that want to destroy our precious earth?
What strikes me about the Space Invaders is that they were the first instance of a zerg rush, granted humans weren't controlling them. The one-man laser cannon could easily kill a single alien with its rectangular beam but the shear number of little guys was the real problem. In addition, we have an instance of aliens getting progressively dangerous as time passes, a timeless attribute found among the galaxy's residents.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Alien compared to Aliens
Image via WikipediaThe xenomorphs of LV426 are an iconic, terrifying bunch. I finally watched Alien and Aliens this week and I'm inspired to write after being asked which movie I like better. To begin, James Cameron has a way of taking an idea and making it a grandiose endeavor in the movie industry. "Favorite" seems irrelavant to discuss on the internet but I am willing to consider and compare the steps these movies took to be a science fiction action/horror movie.We'll start with the singular Alien, setting; some gritty cargo spaceship and and for one part an uninhabited planet. The mystery factor a huge thrill ride when Cane discovers the field of hibernating eggs. The most important aspect is that the alien must escape from its host in a grisly manner. As much as its terrifying now, put yourself into the time period and realize that such a gruesome "birth" was a massive surprise to the first audience members.
The rest of the film follows Ripley and the crew as they try to survive against the invader. Plain and simple; human reactions to an unnatural enemy. The lack of light and space is absolutely detrimental to a human's natural abilities and scenes in the airducts ooze of claustrophobia. The only weapon available is Prometheus' gift. In addition, the discovery that "Ash is a robot" and the corporation considers the crew expendable completely destroy any sense of trust for the universe. In the end, Ripley escapes the ship with only Jonesy, a sylvan companion who will stand stand by the protag when the rest of space turns a cold shoulder.
James Cameron's sequel does not depend as much on the sci-fi setting but rather on the human interactions. Already, being 50+ years older can wreck havoc on your perspective of the galaxy. Using the allegory that the xenomorphs represent the feral, inhuman aspect of rape, the beginning scenes represent Ripley's inability to forget the terrifying monsters of her past. In addition, with the company ignoring her initial reports, she has no where to turn and lives a isolated life in an apartment complex. Agreeing to go on the expedition is only after trusting that she can get her old career back and hold hope of an attempted normal future.
Enter the marines. Classic science fiction reminiscent of Heinlein's troopers. On the planet, after a couple of interesting technology cinematics and the first alien encounter it becomes clear that training alone will not save you. It returns to ingenuity, Ripley's best resource. This time around, she is not as alone because of the discovery of Newt and the mother-daughter bond created. As the survival aspect of being locked up in the colony increases, the interactions between the humans becomes more important. Ripley needs to trust Bishop for the escape route (I would also say he represents a religious cleric who can help Ripley deal with all the rape, on a side note). Burke realized as a greedy corporate puppet and his supposed betrayal. And that one marine, the name evades me, who keeps having a break down about the inhumanity of their enemy and the hopelessness of the situation. Of course there is Ripley's lone venture into the hive center in the end but its the middle of the movie that comes alive with character development.
Image via WikipediaAs a conclusion, both movies follow the SF interaction between humans and nonhumans. Alien follows a more precise sci-fi "if-then" statement, "if an alien was in the ship what would the humans do?" with a great deal of unknown and darkness thrown into the mix. Aliens on the other hand, seems to have better character interaction, and slowly gives Ripley strength to save Newt and destroy the cause of her suffering and dreams alluded to in the beginning. Because of these redemptive qualities, Aliens is a more humanist approach of science fiction while Alien is content with discoveries and scares.
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