PARASITE

US, 1982, 90 minutes, Colour.
Demi Moore, Luca Bercovicci, Gale Robbins.
Directed by Charles Band.

Parasite is in the tradition of Hollywood B budget science fiction horror. Its claim to fame in the '80s was the development of 3 dimensional techniques and their use in this film. It has the ingredients of science fiction and social criticism, but all done in comic strip style. In its way, as comic strip, it is quite effective although it tends to indulge in violence and gore. An interesting example of comic strip film making. (Early Demi Moore).

1. The appeal of science fiction: interpretation of the future, interpretation of the present? Picture of society? The use of the science fiction medical film, monsters and mutants? Science fiction and horror and the realities of nightmares and confronting them?

2. The use of 3D techniques and effects? The emphasis on the effects and the continual thrusts at the audience? The pretentious style of obvious concentration on effects?

3. The picture of the desolate American town: small town, the desert, squalid, vehicles, the expensive cars from the city and laser effects? The picture of the small town from the traditional western ? but in a squalid science-fiction future? The ironic name of the town: Joshua!

4. The visuals for the parasite itself: the effectiveness of the special effects and the use of horror and gore? Destruction?

5. The American nightmare of contemporary society, destruction, nuclear warfare? The fulfilment of the nightmares?

6. The parasites: in themselves, ugly, created by mankind, their political development and use, their feeding, cruel? The visuals? The reaction to the monster and the mutant?

7. The use of B budget science fiction genres and conventions: the emphasis on the ugly, continued crises, danger, deaths? The eventual confrontation? Heroism? The cure? The ending and the ambivalence?

8. The opening and the picture of the gang, the coffee, the old man, the gas station, the uselessness of money, reliance on soups, the scarcity of all mod cons and food. the future boarding house? The atmosphere of squalor?

9. The indication that it was 1992? Future world? Post atomic survivors? The comforts of life in the country compared with the city? The suburbs and the gangs? The 'merchants'? Hint of criticism at multinationals and the government? Weapons developed? The use of biological warfare with the development of the parasites?

10. The hero and his opening nightmare? Its being fulfilled? The visual ugliness of the nightmare and the parasite? The comic strip performance by the hero? Stilted style? His suffering? Mrs. Daley and his boarding in the town? Collins and his friendship, giving of the soup? The hero put upon, bashed, losing the parasite, the friendship and love of Patricia, the need for a cure and his desperation, the discovery of the effects of sound? The confrontation with the parasite? With the chief of the merchants, Wolf? The vigour of the fight? The triumphant hero? Inevitable?

11. The picture of the merchants? Their power, influence on the government? Wolf and his appearance: Hitler look, the background of Nazism, emblems, his car, laser instruments? His bashing people, slicing the hand, punching Patricia? The final confrontation?

12. The ugly picture of the gangs: the reason for their wandering, their loyalties to one another, caring for one another, not caring for others, the experience of the parasites, the suffering and death? The better side of the gang? The comment on the social situation producing delinquent gangs?

13. Patricia as heroine? Attractive? Place in the town? Growing of the fruit? Helping the hero?

14. Mrs. Daley and the presence of Vivian Blaine (with the credit Miss Vivian Blaine)? Faded glamour, snooping, the irony of her career? The ugliness of her death?

15. Collins as the negro hero? Contribution?

16. Comic strip ingredients, style? Audiences accepting this style and being able to appreciate the film as such? The message through comic strip style?