'For those of us that love horror precisely because it is unsettling, the influence of recent Asian horror movies on American film is a welcome one, steering Hollywood horror slightly away from gore-dependent slasher fare and back to a tradition of spooky atmosphere and supernatural subject matter.'
The waning prevalence of sustained fright in favour of cut-and-thrust gore (the trend is the reverse in Asia) is perhaps indicative of a deterioration of artistry in Hollywood; certainly Hitchcock fans would argue this. It should be interesting to research this trend (suggested by Dr. P)
'The Asian influence on Hollywood fright flicks has been seen in hit remakes of the Japanese films "Ringu" ("The Ring" actually improved upon it) and "Ju-on: The Grudge" (last fall's "The Grudge" came up a bit short of the original's chills, despite having the same director). English language remakes of Hong Kong's "The Eye" and South Korea's "A Tale of Two Sisters" are in development, while the new release "White Noise" mirrors "Ringu" and other Asian films in depicting the dead contacting the living through electronic devices.'
More remakes are currently underway.
'New Asian horror is far too varied and prolific a field to cover in one column, even in a broad overview, but haunted youth is one theme common to many of these films and portrayed in impressive fashion in this week's trio of suggested viewing ("Memento Mori", "Suicide Club", Tomie").'
Research haunted youth.
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