I recently took some tadpoles into work so that the kids could watch them transforming into frogs. The trans-formative process that a frog undergoes has always been really fascinating to me. We have managed to raise quite a few frogs in captivity at Enfield, which has always been a source of wonder and interest for Seth before we release them back into the wild. I figured that the kids at school would also enjoy seeing this process, for it is genuinely intriguing.
The concept of transformation and things becoming "something else" has always been a major source of inspiration to great horror and sci-fi writers alike. Probably because the concept of metamorphosis is so completely strange; to us mere humans it is nothing short of utterly weird and incomprehensible, so naturally to me it is nothing short of extremely cool and greatly fascinating.
So many well known horror archetypes go through some sort of major transformation to become their new selves; especially vampires, zombies and ghosts who have to die before they can transform. And what about the poor old werewolf? Talk about painful and regular alteration! Every time a full moon comes around they transform into a blood thirsty beast that generally kills indiscriminately - hardly a beautiful butterfly's metamorphosis is it? And everyone knows that any decent alien movie must have some form of metamorphosis, that creepy arse shit is what aliens are all about, they just love a good transformation; especially if it takes place inside of a human host!
There is no denying that things undergoing transformation are oddly fascinating. From the real life tales of transformation in the form of the caterpillar entering the chrysalis only to hatch out days later as a butterfly; to the morbidly fascinating metamorphosis of Jeff Goldblum as he consumes his own regurgitated food and grows foreign body parts in The Fly, it is all really interesting stuff.
It's a definitively unique process that unites real life with science fiction and fantasy in it's wonder and horror, and quite frankly, even though it is totally gross at times, I cannot deny that I really enjoy watching the process.
The concept of transformation and things becoming "something else" has always been a major source of inspiration to great horror and sci-fi writers alike. Probably because the concept of metamorphosis is so completely strange; to us mere humans it is nothing short of utterly weird and incomprehensible, so naturally to me it is nothing short of extremely cool and greatly fascinating.
So many well known horror archetypes go through some sort of major transformation to become their new selves; especially vampires, zombies and ghosts who have to die before they can transform. And what about the poor old werewolf? Talk about painful and regular alteration! Every time a full moon comes around they transform into a blood thirsty beast that generally kills indiscriminately - hardly a beautiful butterfly's metamorphosis is it? And everyone knows that any decent alien movie must have some form of metamorphosis, that creepy arse shit is what aliens are all about, they just love a good transformation; especially if it takes place inside of a human host!
There is no denying that things undergoing transformation are oddly fascinating. From the real life tales of transformation in the form of the caterpillar entering the chrysalis only to hatch out days later as a butterfly; to the morbidly fascinating metamorphosis of Jeff Goldblum as he consumes his own regurgitated food and grows foreign body parts in The Fly, it is all really interesting stuff.
It's a definitively unique process that unites real life with science fiction and fantasy in it's wonder and horror, and quite frankly, even though it is totally gross at times, I cannot deny that I really enjoy watching the process.
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Release Date: 1981
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 97 mins
A fabulous '80's horror comedy written and directed by John Landis, An American Werewolf in London quickly shot to cult status after winning the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and even landed an Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. And it is easy to see why this movie got such notoriety; the effects were utterly gob-smacking in their time and the script is witty and intriguing, it's a true classic horror movie.
David and Jack are just two American college students backpacking through Britain, until one night when they are brutally attacked by a wolf. Jack is killed in the attack, and David survives only to discover that he has been completely changed by the event and that his dead friend Jack is not really resting in peace at all.
The horror is scary, the comedy is black and the effects are still unsettling even today, it's a really great watch.
FINAL SAY: Stick to the road.
3.5 Chili Peppers
Release Date: 1981
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 97 mins
A fabulous '80's horror comedy written and directed by John Landis, An American Werewolf in London quickly shot to cult status after winning the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and even landed an Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. And it is easy to see why this movie got such notoriety; the effects were utterly gob-smacking in their time and the script is witty and intriguing, it's a true classic horror movie.
David and Jack are just two American college students backpacking through Britain, until one night when they are brutally attacked by a wolf. Jack is killed in the attack, and David survives only to discover that he has been completely changed by the event and that his dead friend Jack is not really resting in peace at all.
The horror is scary, the comedy is black and the effects are still unsettling even today, it's a really great watch.
FINAL SAY: Stick to the road.
3.5 Chili Peppers
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