who outflank their keepers by figuring out how to propagate without males. In “Species” the alien is a
Jackie the Ripper from outer space, a praying mantis who is looking for a good mate. The most
dangerous monster in the universe, according to these films, is a woman having a child without
permission. It’s hard to miss the underlying rage against welfare moms and pregnant teens in these
movies.
Meanwhile, in “Predator,” Arnold Schwarzenegger faces off against a murderous extraterrestrial
who inhabits the jungles of Central America, and when Danny Glover confronts the alien’s
replacement in “Predator 2,” the monster has decided to visit Los Angeles, of all places. One wonders
just which aliens these movies are talking about. In a time when so much political rage is directed at
illegal aliens, it can’t be all that surprising that films like “Independence Day” would be such a hit.
Finally, there is the little matter of the bomb, or bombs. Explosives are, by far and away, the most
popular special effect in these video-arcade movies. It would be impossible to imagine a
contemporary action film or creature feature that isn’t littered with the detritus of demolitions,
preferably nuclear. Not only do these toys give us the biggest bang for the buck, they are also the
perfect tool for obliterating an enemy for whom we feel nothing but rage. Bombs are macho and
impersonal, how perfect.
Until, of course, they start going off in the World Trade Center, in front of a government building
in Oklahoma, aboard a TWA flight out of New York, or at a disco outside the Olympic Village. Then
bombs are murderous, insane, cowardly, craven, and–yes–monstrous.
We need to pay attention to the kinds of monster stories we tell. They could come back to haunt
us.