Spring Break
Entertainment Insider - Turning Japanese
American horror movies draw from Asian culture
By: Robert saucedo
Issue date: 3/24/05 Section: Aggielife
With the release and subsequent box office smashing of "The Ring Two" in theaters this past weekend, another nail has been driven into the coffin of Freddy Kruger, Jason Vorhees and their knife-wielding, mask-wearing ilk. While slasher films may have enjoyed their blood-soaked reign in the 80s and again in the late 90s, lately horror movie aficionados have had a taste for foreign cuisine when it comes to their boo-feasts. Hollywood has turned to Japan for guidance when it comes to building a better scare. From "The Ring" to "The Grudge," Hollywood is churning out remakes of Japanese ghost movies with more to come. In August, Jennifer Connelly stars in the urban ghost story, "Dark Water." The next few years promise even more remakes and imitators, each vying for audiences' hard-earned cash.
With the future cast under the shadow of Japan's horrifying influence, American audiences are in need of guidance when deciding how to best approach a film from the land of the rising sun. Luckily, your friendly neighborhood movie geek is here to give you a guided tour through the themes and motifs that surround Japanese-influenced horror films.
DROWNING YOUR SCREAMS
From "The Ring's" Samara's aversion to the compound to the titular role that it plays in the upcoming film "Dark Water," H20 is a mainstay in Japanese horror movies. It may be because Japan is surrounded by water, or it could just be a reflection of the fact that drowning is a really painful way to die, but where there are ghosts, water is surely not far behind. It seems that in Japanese horror films, one can't swing a mewing cat-boy around his head without hitting a bathtub that's mysteriously filled with water. If confronted with this strange phenomenon, you should always remember to listen to that little voice inside your head called common sense. Chances are the bathtub is filled with some kind of ghostly nasty and more often than not, the dirtier the water is, the creepier the ghost will be. Instead of dipping an appendage into the tub to look for the drain, turn around and walk away. You don't need to take a bath, you can just use Febreeze to freshen up.
With the future cast under the shadow of Japan's horrifying influence, American audiences are in need of guidance when deciding how to best approach a film from the land of the rising sun. Luckily, your friendly neighborhood movie geek is here to give you a guided tour through the themes and motifs that surround Japanese-influenced horror films.
DROWNING YOUR SCREAMS
From "The Ring's" Samara's aversion to the compound to the titular role that it plays in the upcoming film "Dark Water," H20 is a mainstay in Japanese horror movies. It may be because Japan is surrounded by water, or it could just be a reflection of the fact that drowning is a really painful way to die, but where there are ghosts, water is surely not far behind. It seems that in Japanese horror films, one can't swing a mewing cat-boy around his head without hitting a bathtub that's mysteriously filled with water. If confronted with this strange phenomenon, you should always remember to listen to that little voice inside your head called common sense. Chances are the bathtub is filled with some kind of ghostly nasty and more often than not, the dirtier the water is, the creepier the ghost will be. Instead of dipping an appendage into the tub to look for the drain, turn around and walk away. You don't need to take a bath, you can just use Febreeze to freshen up.
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