Alien Zone: Cultural Theory and Contemporary Science Fiction Cinema

by Annette Kuhn (Editor)

This is especially true of the science fiction film—a genre as old as cinema itself—which has rarely received the serious attention devoted to such genres as the western, the film noir and recently, under the aegis of feminist film theory, the so-called “woman’s film.” Alien Zone aims to bring science fiction cinema fully into the ambit of cultural theory in general and of film theory in particular.

The essays in this book—some newly written, others gathered from scattered sources—look at the ways in which contemporary science fiction films draw on, rework, and transform established themes and conventions of the the mise-en-scene of future worlds; the myth of masculine mastery of nature; power and authority and their relation to technology. This material is ordered and contextualized by the editor with a view to exploring how science fiction cinema has been approached critically and theoretically by commentators on the as a mirror of society, as bearing or producing ideology; as caught up in an intertext of media productions, or as expressing unconscious desires.

Contributors include Giuliana Bruno, Scott Bukatman, Thomas B. Byers, Barbara Creed, Anne Cranny-Francis, Daniel Dervin, H. Bruce Franklin, James H. Kavanagh, Douglas Kelner, Steve Neale, Judith Newton, Constance Penley, Hugh Ruppersberg, Michael Ryan, Vivian Sobchack, Michael Stern, J. P. Telotte, and Paul Virilio.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Essays, Media Tie In

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 1990

Reviews

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The essays on the primal mother and the Alien Trilogy are so inadvertantly hot. Gave me a boner for weeks. Really good read, especially for feminist science fiction geeks.

[boocia]

man i had a haaaaardd time finishing this one. i have no way to evaluate if it's good or not and did not follow v many arguments, which did leave me feeling the value/time ratio was super off. i think my main "critique" (if you could call it that, which i wouldn't because simply this book isn't for someone not in film criticism) is that each essay only spans 3-12 pages; so they're clearly extremely dense, digested works; they refer over and over to other papers and theories there is no pagespace to explain in full to someone coming in with nothing. i think if i had a full reading of baudrillard, althusser, barthes, etc. i'd have a better time. usage wise i think this is probablistically helpful?? to those in the know?

so what i could glean as a film-background-impoverished fool --

i liked the essays in "intertextuality" about hyperrealism; i think there is something that cinema studies feels uniquely placed to best talk about how consumerism and capitalism and pop culture are all generating this reality / exposing how there is no such thing as reality / we are all just living in this hodgepodge of information ("Who Programs You?). one interesting take was definitely that this post-modern anxiety that the body isn't safe as the last defense against unrealness has resulted in a weird 'feminization' anxiety in film / in patriarchy; and how feminist sf film is situated to address or talk abt that ("Gynesis, Postmodernism and the Science Fiction Horror Film").

the other gender one i thought was interesting was this take that western society has been stressed lately (essay written in like the 80s) about the dissolution of womanhood, how women are not distinguishable from men; and how SF is an outlet because it accesses new forms of 'other' like aliens, replicants, and robots.

the 'Repressions' section was a lot of freud, which is hard to take seriously (i did consider bailing on the exercise entirely because someone said Jaws was about a big toothed vagina). however i liked the little notes about SF having less sex in it because of its interest in rationality as Opposed to emotion instead of them all being related ("The Virginity of Astronauts"). I also liked the observation that time travel tends to end up focusing around being present for your own inception (back to the future, john conner sending his own dad back in time, grandfather paradox) as this weird freud psychosexual thing.

i think there was something really cool being said about special effects in many of these essays. i was too uneducated to get a handle on it, but i did like in "You've Got To be Fucking Kidding! Knowledge, Belief, and Judgement in Science Fiction" the observation that science fiction will often lampshade how unbelievable the alien or tech is, but it literally isn't real, but also part of SF as a consumption is the viewers being awed at how impressive modern special effects technology is (which Is real but also isn't) ... idk! it was heady and cool and had something to do with upholding the existing technocratic regime or something.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating compilation of essays — helped provide me with the tools to better “read” cinema and all that goes into the production of a film. Also helped peel back and reveal a lot of the subtext that I had not noticed in many science fiction films I enjoy. 🎥

[Vasile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise - good read