Japanese influence on horror
Thouny
cthouny
Thu Nov 11 04:55:28 EST 2004
Actually, I think the question of adaptation and the choice
of location (real or imaginary) is definitely an
interesting issue. Until now, most of Hollywood adaptations
followed the simple pattern of displacing the foreign,
local original onto the American (understand universal)
space. That happened a lot with French comedies for example
(Trois hommes et un couffin, Les visiteurs). But recreating
the local seems to me to be unusual and definitely not the
norm in Hollywood until now. Maybe its just an exception,
and I guess theremust have been other examples of this in
the past of which I am not aware of. Its an interesting
question anyway.
Christophe
-- zaki jaihutan <zaki.j at justice.com> wrote:
> Granted, i admit that it is an overly simplified way to
> just stated or limit the so called 'Pop Culture' easily
> as'clarity' and easy to understand. However, i do found
> that these characteristic seems to be present in so
> many of the Pop Culture product (read 'movies'), it
> becomes something that keeps on occuring, and the first
> one that shows a starking difference compare to some
> European or Asian movies.
>
> As to the adaptation issue, i hope i did not gave an
> impression that such question is irrelevant. The
> question does remain, especially i think, from
> technical point of view.
>
> Zaki
>
> On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 01:44:03 -0500 (EST), Thouny wrote:
>
> >
> > Regarding the choice of location for the Grudge, I
> > recently
> > read in AERA an article that argued that since The
> Ring,
> > set in a contemporary American town in especially big
> > houses, did no do well in rendering the same kind of
> > claustrophobic atmosphere you would get from Japanese
> > houses/apartments, it was decided to set the Grudge
> in
> > Japan.
> > Do what you want of the explanation, which still
> raises
> > interesting and ever-present questions and
> oppositions,
> > "Japan is a small country and therefore has small
> > houses vs
> > America", cultural essentialism (Horror as an
> essential
> > form of culture?!), and more interestingly the
> question
> > of
> > adaptation-translation in relation to a posited
> > original.
> > And of style, which is definitely the central issue I
> > think.
> > Technically speaking,the Ring could have given the
> same
> > kind of claustrophobic atmosphere you get from Ringu.
> > Why
> > was it decided to do otherwise?
> >
> > Also, I do not think you can so easily define
> > Pop-Culture
> > Hollywood style cinema by "clarity and easy to
> > understand"...
> >
> > Christophe
> >
> > --- zaki jaihutan <zaki.j at justice.com> wrote:
> > > I think the influence of Japanesse psycho-horror
> movie
> > > to Hollywood still remains to be seen. However, it
> > > should be noted that Hollywood movies are build in a
> > > 'pop culture' style, which one of its characteristic
> > is
> > > clarity or easy to understand and fast paced. This
> can
> > > be seen if we compare the difference between the
> Ring
> > > and Ringu. As some of the Kinejapaners here have
> wrote
> > > in previous mail, Ringu is somewhat more
> 'misterious'
> > > compare to the Ring, who comes to the point of being
> > > 'explicit' in everything. More to that, Ringu
> requires
> > > a more attentive viewing since it has a very subtle
> > > detail, and of course requires more patience because
> > > everything come one by one, whereas the Ring
> requires
> > > less of the aforesaid. That's why i think, it's
> > > difficult to change the so called 'pop style' that
> has
> > > guaranteed a big income and vast moviegoers for
> > > Hollywood. What Hollywood ussually do is take the
> > > necessary element (ussually the main idea) and
> present
> > > it in a much simpler and easy to enjoy form. Other
> > good
> > > example for this is the movie 'Insomnia', the
> European
> > > version requires more attention and patience.
> > >
> > > As for the Grudge, i my self haven't seen the
> American
> > > version. But i suspect that the choice of location
> is
> > > somehow related to the fact that Sam Raimi is
> > producing
> > > this. Sam Raimi is very impressed with the original
> > > Ju-On, so maybe he want to present the movie with
> > color
> > > as close as possible to the original ones. Well,
> this
> > > is not a fact, and maybe someone here can help
> explain
> > > the real reason for this (maybe a production
> reason?).
> > > Anyway, i believe that the choice to shoot the
> Grudge
> > > in its 'homeland' is not related to significant or
> > > sophisticated reason such as cultural approach, so
> > yes,
> > > i don't think the Grudge shows 'strong influence' of
> > > the so called Japanesse psycho-horror. Any other
> > > thoughts every one ?
> > >
> > > P.S: Just a thought, maybe i'm being too far here,
> but
> > > Hollywood do came up with Shyamalan (as then
> continued
> > > with other films like 'the Others'), whose approach
> i
> > > think is very close with 'psycho horror' type, in a
> > > sense that it plays more with your nerve with the
> > > unexplainable instead of showing some long nailed
> > > creature slaugtering people...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:47:47 +0100, Giacomo Calorio
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Dear Kinejapaners...
> > > > I'm writing a book about Japanese psycho-horror
> > > movies,
> > > > and I'd be glad to
> > > > listen your opinions about its influence worldwide
> > in
> > > > recent years. If Asian
> > > > production gave birth to many similar productions
> > > after
> > > > Ringu, it seems the
> > > > same cannot be said about Hollywood yet, apart
> from
> > > the
> > > > very succesful
> > > > remakes. I'm wondering whether the cause may be
> the
> > > > cultural and religious
> > > > background Sadako & c. belong to, which is quite
> far
> > > > from western one, or if
> > > > there's any specific social reason, or if it's
> just
> > a
> > > > matter of genre
> > > > tradition, production reasons and audience tastes.
> > > > That seems connected to the fact that Shimizu's
> > remake
> > > > of Juon is still set in
> > > > Japan (I haven't seen the movie yet, I just read
> > about
> > > > that).
> > > > Do you think there's been any inflence on
> Hollywood
> > > > horrors after Verbinsky's
> > > > movies? If so, in what?
> > > >
> > > > Another question (less serious, though)... I'm
> > looking
> > > > for the first Ring TV
> > > > series (kanzenban), but I couldn't find it at
> all,
> > > > while the second one
> > > > (saishusho) seems quite eaesily findable on ebay.
> > > >
> > > > Could anyone help me?
> > > >
> > > > thank you very much
> > > > giacomo
> > >
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>
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