The Animal in Horror and/or Sci Fi.
Topic 1: The animal in horror and/or sci fi.
Piranha 3D (2010)
The piranha hunt in packs. The first bite draws blood, blood draws the pack.
(Mr. Goodman – Piranha 3D)
It is no doubt that humankind have always thought themselves to be on top of the food chain. It is all about the survival of the fittest and although the humankind may not be able to out-run, out-swim or over-power certain animals in the animal kingdom they are able to invent devices which may assist them in being on the “top”. There is always a fear that the hunter would be the hunted. This fear is reflected in movies involving animals because most horror movies involving animals include a reversal of the power relations between human and animal. (Scholtmeijer, 1992) This essay will analyse the human-animal relationship as well the representation of animals in the movie Piranha 3D. Piranha 3D is a movie about prehistoric man-eating fishes which were set free by a sudden underwater tremor, bringing together a group of strangers in a fight for survival. The movie reflects on the struggle that humankind have in maintaining the dominant upper hand in the role of the hunter and hunted.
Horror movies are created to invoke an unsettling emotions of fear and disgust from the audience. Many film makers opt for the shock factor though means of the unknown. This is why horror movies often interlink with other genres such as thriller, fantasy and science fiction (Carrol, 1990: 15). Ideally, to create a horror movie the film will touch on the audiences weakness, such as nightmares, fears, disgust and terrors of the unknown. In a general sense, the human race often fears what it lacks knowledge of. Although in a general sense, horror movies are associate with serial killers, supernaturalm surrealism and so on, these elements are often associated with the intrusion of the evil forces and the fight between good and evil (Ibis : 25). To effectively have an effect on the audience, the horror movie would
Piranha 3D (2010)
The piranha hunt in packs. The first bite draws blood, blood draws the pack.
(Mr. Goodman – Piranha 3D)
It is no doubt that humankind have always thought themselves to be on top of the food chain. It is all about the survival of the fittest and although the humankind may not be able to out-run, out-swim or over-power certain animals in the animal kingdom they are able to invent devices which may assist them in being on the “top”. There is always a fear that the hunter would be the hunted. This fear is reflected in movies involving animals because most horror movies involving animals include a reversal of the power relations between human and animal. (Scholtmeijer, 1992) This essay will analyse the human-animal relationship as well the representation of animals in the movie Piranha 3D. Piranha 3D is a movie about prehistoric man-eating fishes which were set free by a sudden underwater tremor, bringing together a group of strangers in a fight for survival. The movie reflects on the struggle that humankind have in maintaining the dominant upper hand in the role of the hunter and hunted.
Horror movies are created to invoke an unsettling emotions of fear and disgust from the audience. Many film makers opt for the shock factor though means of the unknown. This is why horror movies often interlink with other genres such as thriller, fantasy and science fiction (Carrol, 1990: 15). Ideally, to create a horror movie the film will touch on the audiences weakness, such as nightmares, fears, disgust and terrors of the unknown. In a general sense, the human race often fears what it lacks knowledge of. Although in a general sense, horror movies are associate with serial killers, supernaturalm surrealism and so on, these elements are often associated with the intrusion of the evil forces and the fight between good and evil (Ibis : 25). To effectively have an effect on the audience, the horror movie would