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Rawschan Remus: Project Manager

Emily Morgan: Content Creator

Yang: Presentation and Design and Researcher

Daniel Baggot: Presentation and Design and Researcher Formatted: Centered
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1

Using two examples from the genre of horror examine what a ‘classic Formatted: Left

horror’ film is.

The horror genre is one of the most popular genres; and we may say that it has Comment [E1]: Added semi colon to
break sentence up to make the
sentence flow and deleted the word
started to develop practically immediately with the development of, show business „and‟
and a free access of wide audience to cinemas and television. We can find a lot of pt
Formatted: Line spacing: Double
Comment [E2]: Change of word
causes of the popularity of this genre but it is still not so easy to explain its needed like „almost‟ to make reading
the intro flow
Comment [E3]: Added word and
phenomenon, namely why it is so attractive for people despite all its unreality., comma before list to make reading
easier
when on the other hand However, it would be a great mistake to say that horror Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
Comment [E4]: Reference to „we‟
movies are plain or even primitive. who are „we‟ Needs for specific
references as to whom they are
referring too.
Comment [E5]: Change of wording
Naturally, tThere are some movies which are really so stereotyped, unbearably and making the simple short sentences
into a longer one, with the use of
commas makes the reading flow better.
plain, and absolutely thoughtless. But in my opinion, it is simply exclusion or films Comment [E6]: Started new
paragraph for new point.
that were created by specialists who are far from real moviemaking. and Tthey Comment [E7]: Not needed
can create nothing but films of low quality regardless its genre. Also I‟d say that as pt
Comment [E8]: Need evidence to
back up opinion
any other branch of art cinema has its genius and its mediocre majority because Comment [E9]: Informal referring to „I‟
good films may be created only by a good crew and the genre is not so important.

Among such genius of cinema I would name the crews that worked on two films of Comment [E10]: New paragraph
needed

horror genre;, they are “Invasion of Body Snatchers” and “The Thing”. I said Comment [E11]: Makes the reading
flow better with added semi colon
Comment [E12]: Name of films need
crews, not because I do not want to agree with those who believe that Donald to be in italic
Siegel and John Carpenter were outstanding directors, on the contrary I am glad
pt, Italic
that people who worked on these two films were led by such well-qualified Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
professionals. So, we may say that “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
Thing” are classics of the horror genre and the best ones. But what I would like to pt, Italic
analyze is the reason why they are treated as such and in which way they are pt, Italic
similar or different.

2

First of all, it is necessary to say that these two films were created at different

times. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was created in 1956 the middle 1950s, Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic

more precisely in 1956 whereas ‟‟The Thing’’ was created in 1982. It seems that Comment [E13]: Just exact year is
needed
Comment [E14]: Punctuation added
such time difference should make the films completely different but, strangely

enough, they have a lot of common aspects. That is why at the beginning I would

like to dwell upon similarities of both films. First of all, we may say that, to a Comment [E15]: Phrase used too
many times, needs something like
„secondly‟ to start off sentence.
certain extent, the theme is close. Both films focus on the problem of the invasion Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

of human or just alive bodies by some aliens that tends to control the personality,

of the hosts actions judgments,. etc. In the case of “Invasion of the Body Comment [E16]: Added word to
make reading flow
Comment [E17]: „etc‟ not needed, to
Snatchers”, we deal with creatures that “has to wait for the perfect moment when vague
the target is asleep‟‟), (LeGacey, 1978: p288) and spend the next few hours pt
consuming and taking on that form. If the host wakes up when the process is not pt, Italic
Comment [E18]: Wrong punctuation
complete, the whole procedure is a failure” (LeGacey, 1978: p288). On the other
Comment [E19]: Reference needed
after quote
hand, ’’Tthe Tthing’’ needs just a few minutes to do it because “it can assimilate Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
Comment [E20]: Not a quote to use
the host while itsit‟s still conscious, against the host‟s will” (Landon 1993: p39). that punctuation
Comment [k21]: I have checked the
Probably such changes are caused by the changes of time or epoch. It is obvious source article extensively, and I cannot
find this quote anywhere.
that the rhythm of life in 1980s was much faster than in 1950s, certainly it found its
Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Italic

expression in the perception of the idea of possible alien assault or attempts to Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
invade human minds.
pt, Italic
By the way, I think that both films express the trend that took place in the society,

when the idea of total control of a human mind became more and more widely Comment [E22]: Not academic,
sounds chatty

spread. It means that symbolically by aliensalien‟s creators of the films, tried to

imply those powers either political or economical that by different means aimed at

3

the total control of public conscious, through the invasion of the mind of a Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

separate individual. It was quite actual, if we take into account if we take and into Comment [E23]: Repeated use of
words

consideration the time when both films were released;, 1952, it was the year of Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
pt
the beginning of the cold war, when the tension between the well-developed Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
democratic world and the communistic Soviet Union grew and the governments of

many countries, including the most democratic, had started to struggle for the

control of public opinion and even each particular individual. SimilarlyAt the same Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

time, 1982 it was a period when the cold war achieved its apologeapology and the Comment [E24]: Not needed, didn‟t
happen at the same time, too different
times, 1952 and 1982
world was on the eve of the ReagansReagan‟s declaration of the war on the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
„empire of evil‟ when the situation was very resembling to that of early 1950s.

Furthermore, the degree of surveillance grew and specialists began to

speakspoke about the total control of certain organizations over people. In such a Comment [E25]: Incorrect use of
word

situation the people transformed in pods in the horror films I‟ve just named look Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

like a prophecy and warning against such dangerous practice.Onepractice. One

more thing that makes “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” quite Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic

different, is the degree of combination of reality and unreality as I would call it. In Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
my opinion, at this point “The Thing” is much more radical thing in the sense that
pt
the film is full of fantastic elements and the state of paranoia overwhelms the Comment [E26]: Didn‟t flow when
reading
audience and keeps people in such a state during the whole film. On the other pt, Italic
hand, in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” it is quite difficult to distinguish whether pt
Comment [E27]: Added word to
make the reading flow better
what we see is real or unreal. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
pt, Italic
Personally, when I watched both films I had a permanent doubt in the mental Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
health of its main characters, it was quite difficult to say whether it was something

really unusual, and extraordinary things that happen to people in the city or it was Comment [E28]: Added word to
make the reading flow more than the
use of a comma
a simple hallucination, illusion, or just a nightmare and only at the end it becomes Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
4

clear that the whole city was really transformed in pods people. Whereas in “The Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic

Thiang” it is evident practically from the very beginning,. eEveryone realizes that Comment [E29]: Wrong spelling
the characters act in an unreal situation they really confront some aliens that Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
intend to control their bodies and their minds. Probably, the cause of such a Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic

difference lies in the history of the origin of the films. For we know that “Invasion of Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
the Body SatchersSnatchers” was significantly influenced by proceeding films noir Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
Comment [E30]: Sentence not
that tended to externalised the moral conflict of the detective story. Such films needed, doesn‟t fit.
pt, Italic
inhabit “shadow worlds and hover without resolve between the supernatural and

mundane rationalism.‟‟ (Biskind, 1983: P139) In the same sense “Invasion of the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
Body Snatchers” and the other alien takeover films,… psychologically externalised pt
pt, Italic
the central conflict of the alien invader film – they were less films about aliens than
Comment [E31]: Wrong use of
punctuation
i
they were about alienation” (Biskindg, 1983: PP.139). However the director tries Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt
to keep us in suspense for a while and inrushes the film with rationalism and pt
Comment [E32]: In wrong place,
needed after quotation
realism but when the nightmare becomes the reality, he widely uses film noir

techniques such as; shots down tight corridors, silhouettes running against Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Not Superscript/ Subscript

streetlights, close ups on sweaty faces and, tilted angles. Though he does not Comment [E33]: End of a list, „and‟
used to make the reading flow

forget about classical horror films scenes such as, “shots up from under the plank Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

under which McCarthy and Winter hide, with the pod people crossing calmly

assuring them there is nothing to fear, the wide-angled shots out of the office

window down onto the public square, which becomes inexplicably frightening the

moment all visitors are cleared and the bustle of everyday chaos suddenly turns

into something ordered and people start organizing the pods to be distributed

about the country” (Biaskind, 1983: p141). Whereas in “The Thing” its creators Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic, Not Superscript/ Subscript

used the experience of past works in the field of horror films and I would say this Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

film is purer horror in the sense that the psychological tension here is weakened

5

by a certain simplification, due to which we should not guess whether it is a kind Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

of psychological problems of the characters or a paranormal phenomenon. for the

latter is quite obvious. Comment [E34]: Not relevant

Also I want to add that “The Thing” is much richer in special effects, particularly Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

when we see victims of aliens who “transform into twisted versions of themselves, Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
complete with claws, spider-like limbs, teeth and lots of flailing tentacles” (Landon, pt, Not Superscript/ Subscript

1993: p36). And again, I think that this is the result of time changes because in Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

1980s, due to the development of computer technologies and more sophisticated Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

technical equipment and impressive special effects, it became an essential part of Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

any good horror film pretending to be interesting and popular. Whereas, in 1950s Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

not only technical opportunities were not so good but the tradition of film shooting

was a bit different. More attention was usually given to psychological side and

could only be enforced by special effects which were not very „special‟ though in

comparison with 1980s.

As for some more similarities of both “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Comment [E35]: Needs to be pushed
up to make a paragraph with previous
paragraph.
Thing”, we may find not only theme and probably idea of the film but also the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
atmosphere of films. Formatted: Justified, Right: 0.53 cm,
Line spacing: Double
As I have already said Tthese films deals with the alien intrusion into
human life, into the human body, mind and consciousness. These films
also may serve as a warning about the danger of such a situation, of a Comment [E36]: Not relevant to say
this. Not academic talk for an essay.
total control of human consciousness when people become pods but not Formatted: Right: 2.11 cm, Line
spacing: Double

thinking beings. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

6

It is reinforced by the reigning atmosphere of tension, even paranoia that makes Comment [E37]: What is reinforced?
Need to be more specific
Comment [E38]: Needs to be added
us forget about the unreality of the events and deep into the action. It is obvious to previous paragraph.
Formatted: Right: 0.53 cm, Line
that creators of these films had similar aims. spacing: Double

Finally, I would like to add a few words about the way of alien invasion. Comment [E39]: Not needed, just
need a new paragraph. Not suitable for
academic essay. Sounds too colloquial.
It may be a bit different by its form but the principle of such invasion remains pt

similar. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

What I mean is the fact that certainly aliens in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” Comment [E40]: Needs to be no
space in between previous sentence, to
make one paragraph.
and “The Thing” act differently, I have already mentioned that the latter will act Comment [E41]: Sounds to talkative,
not academic.
rapidly without human will and they can act in any time while the former are quite Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

long reacted beings, they cannot attack men only if they are not asleep. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
But we see that there areis one common principle in the aliens in these this films,
Comment [E42]: Added words
they attack from inside, to I mean they want invade human bodies and minds, but needed to make sense of the point
being made
not their land or, property and, they do not threat directly to their physical wealth. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

It seems that human inner world is much more important for them than anything Formatted: Line spacing: Double
Comment [E43]: Added word to
make the reading flow better
else because they try to control human‟s memory, and consequently our feelings,
Comment [E44]: Too talkative, too
personal for an academic essay
emotions, our state of mind, perception of the world, our present and our past.

Moreover, they “have access to the being‟s memories, allowing them to blend in

almost perfectly without being detected by future target hosts who may know the

person who has now been Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

replaced by these horrible alien creatures”(Gegory, 1972). Thus, we see that Comment [k45]: Again, this quote
does not exist in the original article.
Formatted: Font: 12 pt
unlike many other films about alien invasion “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and
pt, Italic
“The Thing” pay much more attention to the inner world of people, implying the
pt, Italic
spiritual emptiness that threatens to the people of the 20th century, because in my Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

7

opinion the aliens symbolize all those complicated processes that took place in

our society in the 20th century and still continues to exist and that lead to moral

degradation of people to their transformation into pods.

Taking into account all above mentioned, I can come to the conclusion that Comment [E46]: Not academic,
referring to „I‟ Needs to conclude in a
more academic style.
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing” are real masterpieces of the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
horror genre and we have perceived them, not only in the proper sense but we Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
should also realize what the creators of these films implied. In my paper I have

named a lot of things that are either similar or different in these films but what is Comment [E47]: Not needed

the most important is the fact that they both were and remain extremely popular

and the film that would be better than themthem can be hardly imagined. One of Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

the evidences of my idea is the fact that there are numerous remakes of these

films that, in its turn, tells us about the actuality of the plot, themes and ideas

conveyed with the help of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Thing”. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic

Thus, I can say that both films should be regarded as classics of the horror genre Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt, Italic
and their traditions should be continued but not blindly copied that would lead to pt

the development and prosperous future of this genre. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12

8

References: Comment [E48]: References need to
be on separate page.
pt

Biskind, Peter. “The Mind Managers: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

Paranoid Style in American Movies.” In Seeing Is Believing: How Hollyiwood

Taught UsS to Stop Worrying and Love Movies The Fifties. New York: Pantheon,

1983.

Biskind, Peter. “The Russians Are Coming, Aren‟t They? Them! The Thing, and

the Extremists from Beyond the Center.” In Seeing Is Believing: How Holliywood

Taught UsS to Stop Worrying and Love The FiftiesMovies. New York: Pantheon,

Pantheon; NY:, 1983. Comment [k49]: I have been unable
to track down any available copies of
the books in this reference section, so I
cannot even check page numbers, let
alone if the quotations used are real.
pt
Gregory, Charles. “The Pod Society Versus the Rugged Individualists.” The Journal

of Popular Film 1. Winter 1972.

Gregory, C.T. (1972). The Pod society versus the rugged individualists.. Journal of Formatted: Justified, Right: 0 cm,
Space Before: 0 pt, After: 6 pt, Line
spacing: Double
Popular Film and Television. 1 (1), p5-14.
pt, English (United Kingdom)


Landon, B. „The Thing in All Its Guises: Reconsidering a Science Fiction Classic.‟

Chapter 2 of The Aesthetic of Ambivalence: Rethinking the Science Fiction Film in

the Age of Electronic (Re)production. Westport,Greenwood Press ,Westport, CT:,

1993. Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 12
pt

9

LeGacy, ArthurA. (1978) “Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Metaphor for the

Fifties.” Literature/Film Quarterly 6.(32), 1978.

i
Bisking 1983 PP.139
i
Gregory, Charles. “The Pod Society Versus the Rugged Individualists.” The Journal of Popular Film
1. Winter 1972.

10

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