HOW ARE JAPANESE HORROR FILMS DIFFERENT FROM WESTERN ONES? please reply

rhibee · (#1 (**permalink**))

Hello I am a media student in Britain and am conducting research into how japanese culture affects their horror films and how this is different to american ones. For example, yurei and kabuki theatre make-up have influence in Ju-On.

Do you think these films are better than Hollywood ones?
If so why?

Thank you

MMM · (#2 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhibee

Hello I am a media student in Britain and am conducting research into how japanese culture affects their horror films and how this is different to american ones. For example, yurei and kabuki theatre make-up have influence in Ju-On.

Do you think these films are better than Hollywood ones?
If so why?

Thank you

The beginning of the answer of your question comes from seeing the movie Kwaidan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwaidan_(film)

rhibee · (#3 (**permalink**))

thanks for your help Ill check it out

TenmaAi · (#4 (**permalink**))

Lol i'm not good at this xD
But ever seen the grudge ? ( Ju-On (or something) = Japenese version) The Western version really really sucked in comparison with the Japanese one. ( My opinion ofcourse) But you can clearly see the different styles there when you watch the two!

xD Hope you're getting a little bit further with this xD

Bye's from Belgium!

Troo · (#5 (**permalink**))

My area's film studies rather than the wider-reading media studies, but hopefully I can help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhibee

Hello I am a media student in Britain and am conducting research into how japanese culture affects their horror films and how this is different to american ones. For example, yurei and kabuki theatre make-up have influence in Ju-On.

This is as huge a can of worms as the question "What is Britishness?" Is this for a short essay, a month of coursework, or a year's project?

If it's a project worth punting a few quid on, I strongly reccommend: Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts: Amazon.co.uk: Alastair Phillips, Julian Stringer: Books

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhibee

Do you think these films are better than Hollywood ones?
If so why?

Thank you

I tend to find that Hollywood horror matches American appetites. It is brash, often shot without much innovation, using extremely simple storytelling techniques, and tends to substitute for rape fantasy with its sexualisation of victimisation.

Japanese horror on the other hand tends toward either insanity (Tokyo Gore Police) or subtle storytelling with less emphasis on shlock and more on psychological frights (Audition comes to mind).

Oddly I used to believe that I didn't like the Horror genre. Then I realised that I just didn't like Hollywood horror

kcyk8703 · (#6 (**permalink**))

In a nutshell;

American horror is more based off the 'jumping' moments. The movie itself isn't exactly scary or horrifying. Recently the concentration has been on gore scences.

Japanese horror makes you think, gets the gears grinding with ideas you dont want that end up in your head. Dispite the tendancy to have lots of gore or none at all. The usual scare tactic is not to make the viewer jump, but to make them think (about messed up possibilities/outcomes).

This is my view anyway. Take it and do what you will with it. Perhaps watching a few American/Japanese horrors will show you my point of view.

Troo · (#7 (**permalink**))

That's actually a very good point, TenmaAi. American remakes of Japanese horror will provide excellent commutation tests.

TenmaAi · (#8 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troo

That's actually a very good point, TenmaAi. American remakes of Japanese horror will provide excellent commutation tests.

It's nothing! Glad I helped! ^^

packetpirate · (#9 (**permalink**))

For one, they're actually scary...