Thursday, 9 December 2010

Notes from the Uncanny Valley




"... the uncanny seemed easier to describe in terms of what it was... distingushed from horror and all strong feelings of fear..." Anthony Vidler, The Architectural uncanny

Example of Unheimlich/ unhomely - haunted house in 'The haunting'


The Uncanny Valley - human likeness examples include Johnny 5 from short circuit at the lower end, C3PO from Star Wars and Sonny from i Robot

- waxworks
-automata
-dolls
-puppets
-disembodied body parts
-mirrors

Dead of night idea of the turn of power of authority -  the dummy controls the person

The uncanny doesn't have a fixed meaning
species of frightening that was once familiar that was once familiar
e.g Day of the Triffids and 28 days later prologues begin with deserted London 'people removed'
Streets were deserted on the day Diana Died as people stayed in to watch tv

Corpse, Zombies disturb us the most because they are life like but we reject them, when inanimate form has excensive likeness it disturbs

Madame Thussands realistic but something not right in the 2%, wax work subtle change impression

The 'Could' be alive creates the particular effect

Mirrors used as unnerving/ distrusting objects in popular film culture - idea of mirror world taking over real, also self portraits

Childhood fears e.g toys coming to life, abandoned by parents, etc


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