Metro137 Book Review
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BOOK REVIEWS KIM NEWMAN (ED.) the recurrence of imagery of the gouged tional origins and the efforts of the recent eye. The articles differ in tone some- remake to shift any critique of nuclear test- SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR: A what, shifting from pseudo-academic to ing onto the French. As these examples SIGHT AND SOUND READER journalistic in style, which can be a little testify, Newman’s collection keeps the ec- disconcerting when reading a full sec- lectic nature of Sight and Sound alive and London, BFI Publishing, 2002. tion. However, for the most part each well, bringing together some interesting article does have something interesting to reading which is, loosely, anchored around REVIEWED BY TAMA LEAVER. say, and since Sight and Sound has only two genres (although readers would still existed in its current form for twelve years, be wondering how those genres intersect). im Newman’s edited collection Sci- by and large the articles are all usefully Kence Fiction/Horror is the fourth focused on contemporary cinema. The final three sections ofScience Fiction/ reader from the British Film Institute Horror are ‘case studies’ focusing on which brings together articles and reviews Section two is even more broadly labeled ‘Teenage Postmodern Horror’, ‘Game- around a common theme (or, in this case, ‘Films’. Newman points out that, although worlds and Rubber Reality’ and ‘Stanley common themes) which have appeared genre films are often analysed in groups Kubrick’. The first case study, focusing in Sight and Sound over the past twelve there are occasional ‘tentpoles—films on the resurgence of the teenage-aimed years. Previous efforts have examined which stand out in the crowd’ and the horror-slasher flicks, is probably the most Action/Spectacle Cinema (edited by José section seeks to examine a few of these tightly held together segment of the col- Arroya), American Independent Cinema tentpoles (p.45). Predictably enough, the lection, which is no real surprise given that (edited by Jim Hillier) and Film/Literature first article by Phillip Stick looks at Blade ten of the thirteen film reviews in this sec- Heritage (edited by Ginette Vincendeau). Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982), although the tion were written by Kim Newman himself, As Newman admits in his introduction, article is located around the re-release thus reproducing the ongoing thematics there is considerable common ground of the 1993 director’s cut. On the other that his reviews were arguing from month between this collection and past readers. side of the slash, the horror films are well to month in Sight and Sound. The second Partially as a result of this, there is the represented with a look at, among oth- case study, however, is somewhat less occasional sense that Science Fiction/ ers, Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby coherent. While ‘Gameworlds and Rubber Horror was conceived as a means to (1968), and Linda Williams’ article on the Realities’ enmeshes some films in an un- publish material that did not make it into relationship between psychoanalytic and derstandable way, such as Strange Days past readers, rather than the reader being horror-as-fear readings of Hitchcock’s (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995), Dark City (Alex driven by a strong genre-based analysis. Psycho (1960) is particularly insightful. Proyas, 1998) and eXistenZ, (David Cro- Indeed, those reading to understand the Other articles are critically powerful as nenberg, 1999) at the other extreme films slash in Science Fiction/Horror—seeking well, but oddly positioned. Amy Taubin’s such as Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, to explore the boundaries and collisions excellent ‘So Good It Hurts’ looks at Fight 1993), Edtv (Ron Howard, 1999) and Time- between the two genres—may wonder Club (David Fincher, 1999) but has little code (Mike Figgis, 2000) seem like random by the end of the collection why Newman to say about science fiction or horror and inclusions rather than falling under some did not simply opt for an ampersand. The the only connection appears to be that sort of thematic umbrella. I suspect New- collection holds a number of fine articles excessive violence somehow is enough man is making a common postmodern on both horror and science fiction, but few to position the film as horror. Moreover, a assumption that anything which looks self- which put effort into discussing the way few reviews, such as that of Red Planet reflexively at technology or uses technol- film genres actually function, and fewer (Antony Hoffman, 2000), seem out of place ogy creatively is somehow science fiction. which take the intersections between the in a chapter otherwise focusing on what The chosen films, however, go a long way two genres as central. Those criticisms are supposedly ‘tentpoles’ or, at the very in arguing for a more explicit delineation of aside, a brief overview of the section least, films well thought of by critics. their either horrific or science fictional na- breakdown in Newman’s collection illumi- ture and tend to beg for other labels such nates the value of Science Fiction/Horror. Section three, ‘People and Stories’, is the as ‘Magic Realism’ or ‘Fantasy’ or, for last broad section and collects articles Timecode, ‘experimental’. The final case The first section, ‘Themes’, deals with which either look at directors, charac- study—of Stanley Kubrick—thus comes broad tropes, images and concerns ters or other story-based ideas. Thomas as a welcome relief, with articles focusing which are, in some way, common to the Elsaesser’s piece examines ongoing mainly on 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) genres in question. Articles range from J. threads of vampirism in his wonderfully and The Shining (1980), and even making Hoberman and Howard Waldrop examin- titled ‘Six Degrees of Nosferatu’. Ridley tentative connections between the two ing (quite differently) the Cold War nuclear Scott is examined in the wake of Hannibal genre classics. fears underlying a considerable number (2001), while Hannibal Lector is examined of 1950s and 1960s science fiction films, in the film’s review. Tim Burton’s career Given the eclectic range and critical through to more specific articles, such as is given an overview by Andrew O’Hehir, paucity in terms of engaging with genre Amy Taubin’s focus on vampire mythology who laments the paltry remake of Planet of intersections despite the provocative as mediated by 1990s horror films, and the Apes (2001). And even Godzilla gets a slash in the title, what use is Science Linda Ruth Williams’ fascinating look at decent number of pages focusing on na- Fiction/Horror? To someone who has only 176 • Metro Magazine No. 137 Metro Magazine No. 137 • 177 BOOK REVIEWS picked up the occasional copy of Sight REVIEWED BY RUSSELL KEALEY and Sound in the last decade, this collec- tion brings together an excellent range of he first of this recent batch in Wall- reading material lighter than academic but Tflower Press’ Short Cuts series is a more thoughtful than popular journalism disappointment. Given that the aim of (with one or two exceptions). To people the series is to serve as ‘introductory focused on exploring film genres, the texts … for students and enthusiasts collection is still of value as long as the of cinema and popular culture’, Vicky reader keeps in mind that while horror and Lebeau concentrates far too much on science fiction are both examined, they the development of psychoanalysis make awkward bedfellows. That said, I itself, and far too little on the intersection suspect most readers would enjoy parts between psychoanalysis and cinema. of the collection; my own favourite was There are certainly some worthwhile Phillip Strick’s ‘Riddle of the Sands’ which points made but, on balance, her book examines the (ongoing) adaptations of does not meet the standard of other Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic Dune, titles in the series (eleven have been and is particularly insightful, examining published so far). both the often ignored David Lynch ver- sion and the recent Science Fiction Chan- Lebeau briefly covers the main concepts nel mini-series. incorporated in psychoanalytic film the- ory—cinema as spectacle, voyeurism, Tama Leaver is currently researching fetishism, the doppelganger, etc.—but a Ph.D. in English, Communication does not spend sufficient space examin- and Cultural Studies at the University ing how these concepts apply to film. As of Western Australia entitled a supposed introductory text she would ‘Artificialities: From Artificial Intelligence have served her audience much better to Artificial People—Representations by including more direct examples from and Constructions of Identity and specific films. The index shows that di- Embodiment in Contemporary rect reference is made to only eight films Speculative Texts’. When not pondering and most of these are passing referenc- overly long titles, his research interests es rather than detailed discussions. include cybercultures, science fiction, new media and contemporary cinema. Sarah Street’s Costume and Cinema is a complete contrast. Street has written an excellent introduction to the whole area VICKY LEBEAU of costume design and its relationship to the representation of characters. She PSYCHOANALYSIS AND includes discussion of detailed examples CINEMA: THE PLAY OF from A Night To Remember, (Roy Baker, SHADOWS 1958) and Titanic (James Cameron, 1997), The Talented Mr Ripley (Anthony Wallflower Publishing, London, 2001. Minghella, 1999) and its earlier incarna- tion Plein Soleil (René Clément, 1960), SARAH STREET Desperately Seeking Susan (Susan Seidelman, 1985), Wonderland (Michael COSTUME AND CINEMA: Winterbottom, 1999) and The Matrix DRESS CODES IN POPULAR (Wachowski Bros., 1999). FILM Street begins with an overview of various Wallflower Publishing, London, 2001. approaches to both fashion in general and cinema costume design in particu- JOHN GIBBS lar. She notes that film costumes are often adapted; ‘they conform to notions MISE EN SCÈNE: FILM STYLE of realism but also need to conform to AND INTERPRETATION notions of cinematic spectacle’.