The "Red" and "Blue" of Horror Films
Filed under: Horror, Fandom, Politics, Lists
Can a horror movie have a political agenda? Well, that was the question I asked myself after reading '15 Horror Movies Socialists Could Love''. So as I started to think back to all the hacking and slashing I'd seen over the years, I looked for some some pattern or connection between what I choose at the box-office and what I do at the polling station -- and what did I come up with? Well, I'll get to that, but first I wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the films that have gained a reputation with critics and fans alike as movies with a so-called conservative or liberal state of mind:
'Red State Horror':
Friday the 13th (1980)
Conservatives supposedly love this movie because it's all about no-good kids getting what they deserve. Sexy teens don't stand a chance in this franchise from the moment they take a drink, get high, or get naked. Plus, it's one of the few horror films with a moral about the importance of a good work ethic.
Frankenstein
It's science vs. religion in the story of a man who presumes to know more than God...and I think we all remember how that turns out.
Lost Boys
Family values are all over this one, and when a divorced mom pays more attention to a her love life than her two sons, look what happens. So even with a pot-smoking grandpa, plenty of critics agree that this film is all about Regan's America and the triumph of family over no-good, rock n' roll loving, motorcycle-driving youth gangs.
Tremors
2nd Amendment fans praise this tale of a band of locals fending off giant worms and the gun-toting survivalists that help save the day -- Take that Brady Bill!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-22-2009 @ 5:47PM
paul said...
...take a drink, get high, or get naked...sounds like my teen years. My sex life now, is like The Forty Year Old Virgin, but with less sex.
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6-23-2009 @ 4:48PM
Bryan Price said...
The HorrorSquad link is bad.
http://www.horrorsquad.com/2009/06/22/discuss-the-politics-of-horror/
The date was incorrect, yesterday, not three days ago.
Reply
6-23-2009 @ 4:49PM
Bryan Price said...
http://www.horrorsquad.com/2009/06/21/discuss-the-politics-of-horror/
I blew that one out of the water. :(
Reply