Proper alien invasion movies are end of the world movies in all but name, the extraterrestrials moving into our neighbourhood to exterminate and/or enslave the human race. Whether through some Machiavellian scheme of infiltration, or the more straightforward ships appear in the sky and start zapping monuments story, weve had more alien invasion movies over the last sixty-odd years than almost any other genre. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is a great example of the former, the pod people simply replacing humanity one by one through stealth and conspiracy, while War Of The Worlds Martian invasion has the creatures tripods rising from beneath the earth. In these two cases, were helpless against the invading forces. In Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, the implication is that the aliens win, the films heroes being replaced. In both adaptations of War Of The Worlds, the aliens arent defeated by humanity, but rather by a miscalculation theyre not immune to the naturally occurring bacteria on earth. In almost all other cases Independence Day, Pacific Rim, Enders Game, any number of summer blockbusters like Battleship, the Transformers films, the Avengers the thrust of the narrative is about Earth rising up as a race and standing up to the threat of the alien invasion. Famous monuments worldwide might be reduced to rubble; millions might die ; the White House might be a crater; but humanity is up to the challenge, will fight back and will eventually win through sheer pluck and with a couple of stirring speeches. By humanity, of course, they mean America.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
