Publication Date

11-2014

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Jeffrey Rice (Director), Ted Hovet, David LeNoir

Degree Program

Department of English

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

This thesis opens discussion on American alien invasion films of the 90s as a self-critique, a reaction to being an imperial power at the end of the Cold War. The alien menace in these films is not the "other" but rather the U.S. itself being the colonizer or conqueror looking to expand its sphere of influence. Furthermore, it discusses how Presidential rhetoric in the films play a role in this postcolonial reading. Specific works studied are: Independence Day (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998), and The Puppet Masters (1994).

Disciplines

American Film Studies | American Literature | Comparative Literature | Creative Writing | Fiction

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