Sci Fi Parody and Satire

I had never seen the movie Idiocracy before this past class. It as interesting to say the least and makes a comment on our society today. It does comment on the fact that our present represents our future. The corrupt society we built led to legal prostitution, even more obesity, and just down right laziness. Every thing is done for you. And everyone is really dumb. The language was like a combination of slang, southern, and just weird. Other than that I really enjoy The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy, its just a blast.

Diverse Position Science Fiction

Blood Child by Octavia Butler is one of the most interesting yet disturbing short stories ive ever read. Its a combination of birth and a terrifying scene from Predator. At first I didnt understand it but it was eerie from the begining. Then I kept reading on and realized that T'gatoi was literally giving her eggs to the other characters for them to eat. Like what ?! Im sure the faces I was making in class while reading this were hilarious. It as just really confusing as to who was a boy or a girl as well. And the transferring of the egg at the end was really strange, as well as the picking the bugs out of the person. This story even more made me think babies are like parasites.

Narratives From The Mulitverse

 Vonneguts fourth novel Cats Cradle is representable of a narrative from the multiverse. Cats Cradle focuses on science, religion, technology, and the arms race. Basically everything controversial and questionable in one book. The book is written in  such a witty way that the use of riddles and banter lead you to the fate and destruction at the end of the book. Its really interesting that Vonnegut presents the concept of the end of the world, and the idea of how other people will deal with it or accept it. Ill also enjoy the reference to the title. It is later referenced in the book that the inventor of the atom bomb was playing playing cats cradle while the bomb dropped. One term that I also thought was interested was granfalloon. After looking it up it means a group of people who imagine they have a connection that does not really exist. I just feel as that is so relevant to religion and even peoples morals. It really made me think about our society as a whole.

Space Opera

Before taking this class I literally had no idea that some of my favorite movies were space operas. Yet I also had no idea what a space opera was. One of the prime examples of this is the original Star Wars. There is nothing more melodramatic or romantic than this. And with a some huge dosage of adventure, Star Wars makes the perfect space opera. I can see why sci fi/ space opera was dominate in the 1930's and 1940's just due to the subject matter. You have this huge narrative stage in a "galaxy far far away," crazy technology, and whole other empires. It is a really attractive setting. I enjoy the genre because it makes you think of what the future will be like and what technology will become. I have to say though in the most recent revival of space opera I haven't been that interested. While watching Firefly or Serenity it just seemed to fake or the characters were just too pretty.

The Hunger Games.

I finally finished The Hunger Games, after weeks of putting it off. Having no internet in my apartment really made me realize how much I really enjoy reading. The Hunger Games was a really great book filled with action, struggle, and of course a little bit of romance. I honestly thought it would be a little different than that. I didn't expect for all of these beautifying rituals in the beginning and the impressing of the game makers. I just thought that the tributes would be picked and they would go at it. I also really enjoyed how evenly split the book was. The beginning focusing on Katniss, Gale, and her family. The middle on her internal struggle with the games and everything leading up to them. And then the end on the games and the reletionship between Katniss and Peeta. Katniss is my favorite character overall its hard not to like her, and yet I really enjoy Peeta for the fact that he really is in love with Katniss. Deep down I wish she loved him too but of course she doesn't ! This was a fast read as well, I couldn't stop. I loved it. And now I am onto the second one !

FANTASY

Who doesn't love fantasy and the fact that we watched Kiki's Delivery Service and I watched for the millionth time Spirited away, you can say im a Miyazaki fanatic. I even have a soot sprit tattoo from the movie, its for real they're eating sprinkles (: But none the less the world of Miyazaki is lovely and has a lot to do with just growing up, and in a female perspective. In Kiki's, she wants to leave home start all new. But old is usually better than new, and she realizes that with her mothers broom. Another instance of growing up is when she talks to a witch in flight you can feel the competition and tension between them, this usually goes for most girls. What I enjoy most about Spirited Away is the dreamy- ness of the movie although she is not dreaming at all. I also enjoy the relationship between Chihiro and Haku. Its very innocent but the always seems to be a little sexual tensions between Miyazakis characters. Underling tension not straight forward.

Big Fish !

I wasnt present for this class ethier, but a post on the Anasi boys is coming soon to a blog near you !

Harry Potter !

In general everyone loves Harry Potter and yes I do too. I grew up with the stories, and started reading them in 3rd grade. Every year I would wait for the book release at 12 o'clock midnight and begin the adventure of Harry, Ron, Hermonie, all over again. Its deffiantley a series that is addicting. Rowlings style of writing engulfs you and makes you keep reading until you fall asleep. I can say that I grew up with the characters and by reading the series it has changed my life a little bit. Out of all the books it was hard to choose which one but I always go back to the beginning with the boy who lived. There was so much mystery unveiling and it goes on from there.
And lets talk about City Of Lost Children, it was so strange but had that steam punky kind of edge. It really freaked me out a bit. Also Labyrinth freaks me out too, maybe its just the hair I don't know.

The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit.

This above all this in life is one of my favorite things to talk about, LOTR. Everything about this series is jsut addicting and great to talk about. Yet the best thing about it is that it is a series, and its the biggest and best adventure in order to save Middle Earth ! What is not appealing about that.

The first time I knew of the hobbit was when I read the play and the watched the animated version, I have to say the written version has so much more appeal than the cartoon. I also like it because its very relatable. Who doesn't want to go adventure just to adventure. I think that is why Bilbo is the most relate able and most human. The ring is also very humanized in a sense its a symbol of materialism and power. And that in fact is a symbol of "evil", it overwhelms you and in this case yes takes over you. Tolkien also gives you a chance to get to know the character and make choices for your self. The book in a sense has morals and makes you think what would you do if you where in characters positions, and I admire that.

Jhorror.

I wasnt present in class for J Horror, so Im going to have to do some research for this before I post !

Vampires !

Vampire movies and books are usually either pretty good or pretty corny. Personally Im not that big of a fan of the vampire genre unless its ass kicking lady vamps in Underworld.
I believe Interview with A Vampire does the genre some justice though. Anne Rice's take on the book is different compared to the modern Stephanie Meyers version of Vampire lit. Rice's book was very emotional, and there was an actual relationship between Louis, Lesat, and Claudia whether it was love or jealousy.
The most interesting part of this book to me was the character Claudia. She is five when she is bitten, so in essence she stays five forever. Yet she grows up and matures and has a hunger that she cannot satisfy so to speak.
The story actually has a great plot and emotional connection which I enjoy in a book. This novel really met the elements to a vampire novel.

Zombies !

Zombie horror is probably my favorite out of all horrors. Even though I hate gore and blood there is something so addicting about zombies. I also feel as though there is something so human about zombies even though there dead. And the fact is its believable, whats more scary than the dead rising up to eat your brain.
The book that I had read for this was The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Although it is not for real I feel like its a go to if anything every goes down. Its mostly interesting because it shows you all different types of zombies, weapons to use, how to be on the defense, what zombies need to survive, and most importantly an outbreak journal.
I do have to say though I prefer Romeros zombies compared to most modern zombie. Romeros are slow not that gruesome and in general not as scary. But you have your Resident Evil and Dawn of the Dead Zombies that scare the poop out of me and run pretty fast, which means you would be a goner. And a side note who would hide in a mall ?

EVERYTHING.

coming soon ! computer crashage with all my stuff ):

Conventions Of Horror.

In general the genre of Horror is primarily serious or humorous. Yet I would say that there is elements of humor in the more serious films and vice versa. Lighting, music, and environment are key, these are creating a stage and feeling for the Horror genre. I think that Horror was more real and scary in books written in Mary Shelley's time compared to now, Horror today is glamorized by special effects and gore. Every horror movie must have:

• bad weather (odd atmosphere)
• fog
• sexual puns/tension
• spooky music
• traveling by night
• animal reaction
• people with pitchforks
• secrets
• hidden motifs
• mysterious clothing
• dangerous
• hidden passage ways
• body parts
• foreigners