I don’t know how his audience skews, but Spikima Movies is Korean and he discusses and analyzes a lot of Japanese and Korean horror cinema

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Oh fab, thank you!

Personally, I found the tale of The Ring not quite as compelling compared to the original movie. On first sight, it seems like it’s the same story, just Americanized. Yet I feel in the re-imagination it lost many things that made Ringu’s horrors deeper. Sabrina was turned into a child who is evil just for the shock factor, and her murder almost feels justified in a way. The original had her have a trouble upbringing with the psychic powers she inherited, and then fall victim to a horrible death at the hands of her father. I think that sort of oversimplification of what is good and evil often breaks the tension in traditional American movies for me and many others. I do love to see how movies of the horror genre have been letting themselves be complex. Maybe sooner than we expect people can start seeing the American market with the same regard we’ve viewed the Asian one for decades.

I like J-Horror because I like my horror to be supernatural, spiritual, and/or psychological which japan does really well. american horror is mostly gore and slasher type, though there have been nice psycho horrors lately.

@jamesbok8385

11 күн бұрын

Dude, 90% of the horror films that have come from the states (terrifier,and its sequel aside) in the past decade have been either slow burns or ghost films with little to no gore in them, supernatural films being the most popular in the states, because they're more palatable, and can be seen as escapism, rather than the catharsis of darker films more based in reality.

@EleiyaUmei

3 күн бұрын

@@jamesbok8385 Ooooor because we're goddamn tired of serial killer horror and such?

@jamesbok8385

3 күн бұрын

@@EleiyaUmei I mean, fair, hasn't really been many in quite some time. But with that is an absolute ten year oversaturation of Ghost/possession films really any better?

@EleiyaUmei

3 күн бұрын

@@jamesbok8385 I'm not American and rarely watch American horror films but I didn't get the impression of oversaturation in this regard - neither in past nor present 🤷 And I only care about supernatural horror anyway... (In Europe, we don't have as much violence, serial killers etc. as the US so horror movies about these are as unrealistic as supernatural horror to me)

Okay I wanna say I love your take on J-Horror and Asian Horror. For me, Asian Horror holds a very special place in my heart because since seeing the english version of "The Ring" as a kid, it opened a door to wanting to watch not just all kinds of asian horror but exposed me to so many foreign films from Asia and other countries. I love that you have an appreciation for it.

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Hey thank you!! The ring was my entry into asian horror too and even the US one holds such a huge place in my heart!

@JordanVanRyn

8 ай бұрын

@@rachellydiab Yeah! No joke, my parents took me to see it when it aired when I was a kid and I literally had to run to the bathroom several times because i was so scared.

Wow. Wait. . . I graduated college before video essays were a really a thing. Do people really rip them off for written essays??? What a weird, insidious, scary way to plagiarize 🥺!!

The great Japanese horror films of the '60s -- e.g. KWAIDAN, KURONEKO, and ONIBABA -- are also very much worth checking out.

Accented Cinema is a great channel with several essays about Asian horror and generally about Asian movies.

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Oh dope, thanks for recommending 🙏🏻

@fisheyenomiko

Ай бұрын

I love Accented Cinema! He did a video on the Hong Kong movie, "The Eye". which does not get nearly the attention it deserves.

I think Thailand makes some fantastic horror movies, Korea is great also 🙏❤️

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

I've never watched any Thai cinema (although I love Korean film), I'll have to start exploring it! (-:

@Jane-oz7pp

18 күн бұрын

​@@rachellydiab Thai horror is probably the best horror, imo. The folklore they draw from is honestly so fantastic to work with for horror. Also just the way that Thai cinema is shot, the editing etc. are just better imo

This video has inspired me to watch more Japanese horror films. One of my favourite films is Ju-on: The Grudge and I’m really happy to see it discussed in this video.

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad it's got u excited for more (-:

@Jane-oz7pp

18 күн бұрын

I also highly recommend checking out Thai horror if you want something new and genuinely scary. They really know what they're doing

I'm a Japanese citizen living in the United States and wouldn't say that J-Horror is superior necessarily but rather it is an interesting foil to a lot of the popular Hollywood American films that came out at the time. I'm mostly referring to the ~1990s-2000s era of J-Horror. So many countries have incredible horror films outside of Japan and the USA, some of my favorites are from Taiwan, Korea, and Australia!

@rachellydiab

7 ай бұрын

Hey! Thanks for sharing your perspective - I haven't really checked out any Taiwanese cinema, but maybe now is the time... I do have an upcoming vid about Australian horror though!

@Horrorzeit

5 ай бұрын

There are some really good ones from Austria!

@Jane-oz7pp

18 күн бұрын

AUSTRALIA MENTIONED honestly, Charlie's Farm is probably my favourite slasher. And A Thousand Bloody Acres is by far one of the funniest horror comedies of all time

@Jane-oz7pp

18 күн бұрын

​@@rachellydiab when though, it's been 8 months and several videos 😭

thankyou for another awesome video! i really love when people engage with the the premise of an argument, and how that premise might undermine a far more representative conclusion. i think you did a really great job on your analysis, and provided a contention with very little ambiguity ! this reads back like an english teacher lmaoo. awesome vid

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Hey, thank you so much for watching!!! hahaha, if my English teachers ever gave me praise like that I'd be stoked - that's such a lovely compliment!

As always, much food for thought, thanks - it's good to look into these things with a little more depth of consideration. The idea of a categorical absolute in terms of one country's art being 'better' is a weird one for sure. I do tend to find Japanese films more frightening than western ones, and in many instances it isn't just a case of them being different - at least I don't think so. With Ringu, I would make the case that there's nothing too culturally or narratively different in it from western films we've seen before, and that the language difference, and subsequent requirement for subtitles, is just as likely to add a layer of inherent artifice and distraction as it is to add unease through otherness. For me personally (because of course these things are subjective) Ringu is the scarier film because its ideas and execution are more effective: the fact that Sadako's face is never revealed...until you see that terrible, horrifying, fish like eye right at the end, is way scarier than Samara's more pedestrian presentation. The subtle hints that she is the product of some Lovercraftian union with things from the sea is a connected (and unnerving) facet also left out of the US remake. The grungy, gloomy cinematography adds atmosphere that the polished cinematography and digital dickering of the remake just doesn't match - Sadako's slow inexorable approach is so much more nerve shredding than Samara's digital glitch jumps, for instance. They are both good films though.

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching 💜 I would agree that it's not totally down to that cultural disconnect- I think there's a subtlety that isn't often applied to western cinema which you've perfectly outlined with your examples (Samara's ridiculous face in The Ring has always bothered me!) Cheers for the food for thought (-:

I came across your channel and I’m so glad I did. You give such witty and insightful commentary into films. I’ve wanted to start a film channel but don’t think I can be nearly as articulate as everyone out there. So thank you! I love horror but supernatural horror freaks me out, so I will enjoy this video as a podcast without looking at the screen because I’m a scaredy cat who lives horror commentary. All love. ❤

@rachellydiab

7 ай бұрын

Aw this is the loveliest comment! Thank you so much for watching 🦋🦋🦋 Don't hold back if it's something you're passionate about! I wanted to start a channel for years but thought people would think it was embarrassing - but I'm so glad I did. I'm sure you'd kill it!

So good seeing you mention House! My brother took me to see it at a late night screening last year and it was surprisingly scary

I just felt the need to represent as I might be the only person alive that feels this way... but Carved fucking rules lmao I love that movie so much. Damn, I want to watch it again.

Excellent discussion! As someone who's only been introduced to 'J horror' recently this was a great watch :)

lastly, Ringu is better because the male lead is way hotter, like still to this day (hello Shōgun) did you enjoy Cure? probably has the best promotional poster design ever and is on AV Club’s top horror of all time. i love your channel, and is a hidden gem among many (too many) larger channels that bring little new or fascinating to the table. your takes are smart but unassuming, most of all unique yet accessible, so thanks. keep it up. i’m curious on your take on horror monsters, showing the monster, and horror climax scenes and what makes them effective or damaging to the overall atmosphere and tension of the film. bad reveals or ridiculous climaxes bum me out so much. the scariest thing about virtually anything is the fear of the unknown. will they or won’t they die here? is there something wrong with this picture? is there something sinister lurking in the background? around a corner? behind that door? is this supernatural, and if not is the reality even more sinister (It Comes At Night and Session 9 are good examples of finding terror in wondering whether there is a ghost or supernatural element at all) you know, in my opinion anyway. i lack the skills and the face for video essays and cannot make this myself but would love to see some coverage on what makes horror scary, and why it’s rarely the monster’s appearance or a grotesque set of killings. i think that’s how the mystique of jhorror and the indiscriminate hauntings are scarier for us as we don’t understand and are unfamiliar

I’m so proud and happy to call you my friend. You’re agonisingly smart and funny and I am waiting patiently for the next video!!!!!!!!! ❤️

@rachellydiab

7 ай бұрын

Awww Rich!! That's so lovely- you too. Looking forward to seeing u on the other side of your adventures 💜💜

I actually really enjoyed the American version of The Ring, it was creepy and so good for a US horror. I was blown away by how much it scared me, even after watching the original Japanese version, i still enjoyed it, both had its merits and Naomi Watts is underrated imo.

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

I love the American version sooo much. I think Gore Verbinksi is one of the most underrated directors/horror directors out there. Similarly with Naomi, she's had some amazing horror performances (funny games 👀)

Don't forget the people who like J-horror because they know enough about Japanese culture and folklore to understand the things happening in them. Also, as if we Westerners don't have our stories about ghosts that interact with the world of the living because they have something left to do (e.g. Sixth Sense and Ghost Whisperer)! When I watched the Ju-On Netflix series with my friends, I hadn't yet watched Ju-On but was familiar enough with the concepts appearing in it that I could understand it while my friends who don't know anything about Japanese culture or ghosts were left so confused that the series didn't scare or appeal to them at all.

Pulse is the best horror film ever

One thing i will say before watching is that I think a lot of people don't realize just HOW much Japanese horror is one of the biggest driving forces in horror period. Film is a more nuanced topic, but if you look at video games, almost all famous franchises of horror (and a huge portion of successful indie horror games) were/are made in Japan, whether they were stories about Japanese people or not. Silent Hill or Resident Evil are great examples. Japanese horror has impacted horror across the world and across media. I personally think it's the backbone for a lot of horror in general. Quite frankly Japanese media both in games and in film is some of the most influential art across the globe. Even outside of horror lots of the most famous game franchises are Japanese (Pokémon, Mario, Zelda.. and that's only talking about Nintendo.. like i could cut deeper and mention stuff like Persona but anyway) almost all classics from the early Play Station eras are Japanese in origin-largely im sure BECAUSE Play Station was made by Sony!- again both in horror and in other genres like adventure or mystery. Not enough people talk about how Japan is one of the driving forces in almost all major art forms but especially film/television and gaming. Also after starting the video I do wanna say, I understand this video is clearly focusing on j-horror that is ABOUT Japanese people, but there is j-horror about western peoples that is hugely successful like I said, Silent Hill and Resident Evil have their huge game franchises AND their popular film franchises, so I think it shows that outside of any cultural dissonance, lots of successful Japanese creatives know how to tell stories that appeal to western people through their western sensibilities.

I'd say this about OG Ringu: It's a good film but not a good horror movie, it's more of a mystery.

Love your channel

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Eeek thank you so much for being here (-:

Japanese horror will give you nightmares today and then you will get the sequel to the nightmare tomorrow

i would agree that the contrast between Western moralistic expectations and the shock / mystique of Japanese “randomness” and indiscrimination

J Horror might not be as amazing as people say, but like, it's actually more atmospheric and often contemplative and without a win scenario. Which, to me, is a far more effective approach. But Thailand and Indonesia are the ACTUAL GOATS of horror.

i will say, the two years i spent in japan, split between the city and the countryside, were some of the most cosmically terrifying years of my life (in the best way). i still believed in God (capitalized intentionally) then, and the foreign nature of Japan, the shrines upon shrines older than my (former) religion (yes, Mormon missionary was i) made many facets of life there feel… Godless? like my god couldn’t touch ground there. along with the difficulty of finding new members to baptize into our cause - would a film based around this type of loss of religion / coming of age under the guise of horror? A Godless Mormon Missionary In Fukuoka? practical fx only 🥳

11:30 I mean.. if you think you can't access a lot of foreign horror on Netflix that speaks more to your lack of interest in foreign film. Like half the horror on Netflix is Indian, Thai or Italian.

Is Battle Royale a horror movie? Sure, the premise is horrific but I feel like it's more of a drama or tragedy... It's like calling The Hunger Games horror imo ^^' Like, the movies have a lot of scary things and situations in them but they just don't play out as horror movies...

the best J-horror I ever watched so far was 2011 'Cold Fish' the movie was inspired by a true story, if you're into crime horror movie, give this a try but I need to warn you, it's really gruesome; gore

@rachellydiab

8 ай бұрын

Oh I haven't even heard of that! I'm a gore girl so I'm intrigued hahaha.

@mochatabbing4723

8 ай бұрын

@@rachellydiab That movie is 10/10 for me, most J-movie have bad to mediocore acting, but this one was good, I highly recommend it and probably would love to watch your reaction to it (if possible) X)

I feel like most international horror movies that become known outside of their respective countries are more interesting at leat than the average american horror movie.... but that's probably due to lack of exposure to the bad movies from those countries.

survivorship bias?

Gonna be honest, I think a lot of Japanese horror is pretty boring and samey. There's some good stuff like Housu, Sweet Home 1989, Tetsuo the Ironman and Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell. But I really could care less for all the Grudge, Ring, and other supernatural movies. The Grudge tv series was solid though

@icravedeath.1200

14 күн бұрын

Unpopular opinion but ok

Japanese horror is amazing

Omagatoki FILM and zozozo are jhorror channels

I'm an indian but I never found American horror movies in general particularly scarier compared to indian films exactly for reason that I was not familiar with many cultural nuances I couldn't really relate to their situations.

@rachellydiab

7 ай бұрын

Interesting! Can you recommend any Indian horror films for me?

@Someone-hl5gr

3 ай бұрын

​@@rachellydiab Tumbbad, Pari, Raat, Bulbul,Bhoot,Kaun,13B, Ek Thi Dayan,Bhool Bhoolaiya, Vastushastra

@rachellydiab

3 ай бұрын

amazing, thank you @@Someone-hl5gr

@Jane-oz7pp

18 күн бұрын

​@@rachellydiab I definitely second Tumbbad

👍✌️🙏❤️✨

"...every country has the potential to raise a brilliant mind who will one day make a brilliant film." Abso-fucking-lutely. I've been seeking out horror movies from as many countries as i can. I've seen movies from over 3 dozen countries, and from every continent but Antarctica. I've seen great movies from places you might not expect, like Poland ("The Lure"), Guatemala ("La Llorona"), Senegal ("Saloum"), and Venezuela ("The House at the End of Time"). A few of my favorite horror films are from foreign countries, like Spain ("[REC]") and Hong Kong [yes, I know that's not a country] ("The Eye"). Don't get me wrong, the US has lots of wonderful horror movies ("The Thing", "Cabin in the Woods"; the recent "Late Night With the Devil" is pretty cool). Hell, I actually like the US version the "The Ring" better than the Japanese one (though they're both really good). But even beyond the cool lore and interesting culture, I think you miss out on a lot really good movies (not just horror, either) by only sticking to your home country and native/first language.

@icravedeath.1200

14 күн бұрын

Hong Kong is it's own nation, China has no right to control it.