Nathan Tyree: Deer and Such
These days it seem that all of the horror in cinema comes from Japan (that’s J-Horror to the initiated). Between Ringu (and Razen and Ringo) and Ju-on, and the films of Takashi Miike (Audition, Imprint) we are overwhelmed with Japanese horror films. Then there are the American remakes of those films (The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water, etc etc).
Many of the truly good horror films being made that aren’t remakes of Japanese films are still heavily inspired by them. Could we imagine Hostel with Takashi Miike?
With all of this it could be easy to forget about the Italians.
Let’s remember that the Italians gave us great thriller/horror films in the 60s and 70s (Bird with the Crystal Plumage); they continued the Zombie Genre (Zombi, City of the Dead, House by the Cemetery); and they invented the Cannibal genre with the repugnant Cannibal Holocaust. Filmmakers like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci crafted our nightmares for years.
Now we hear little of that. All the hip kids dig the J-Horror, and now we are seeing the rise of K-Horror (from South Korea) with films like A Tale of Two Sisters. I for one love it. Asian directors are crossing lines that Americans are afraid to go near, and they are changing the face of horror films. But let’s not forget about the Italians.
It’s worth mentioning that there are likely reasons that I’m spending so much time thinking about Horror films right now. Sure, Halloween is approaching and that always puts me in the mood for a good fright fest; but I think that there may be more to it this year. It’s hard not to notice that we are nearly drowned in horror films these days. It seems like a new splatter flick opens at the theaters every week (mostly bad remakes like The Hills Have Eyes, House of Wax, The Amityville Horror and The Texas Chainsaw massacre- it’s terrible the way that these films sully the reputation of the movies they are based on, but I digress). Author Stephen King, in his book Danse Macabre, suggests that horror grows in popularity with the public as their fears about the real world increase. These days that hypothesis makes a lot of sense to me. What with the war and all.
Anyway, on to other things.
The MO senate race is one of the most closely watched this year. I just learned that Michael J. Fox is doing an ad for McCaskill (against Jim Talent). This race is a must win for both parties and it is going to be very, very tight. The most recent poll I’ve seen shows the Democrat with a slight lead. Control of the Senate may well come down to Missouri and Virginia. If one party can take both of those seats they will control the Senate. If those states split (one to each party) we will have a tie.
And then there’s this:
The field next to my house is starting to fill with deer. Each evening I see them standing about, all jittery and sleek. Damn those are beautiful animals. It’s a shame people spend so much time shooting them.
Man, I am all over the place today. That is all.
These days it seem that all of the horror in cinema comes from Japan (that’s J-Horror to the initiated). Between Ringu (and Razen and Ringo) and Ju-on, and the films of Takashi Miike (Audition, Imprint) we are overwhelmed with Japanese horror films. Then there are the American remakes of those films (The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water, etc etc).
Many of the truly good horror films being made that aren’t remakes of Japanese films are still heavily inspired by them. Could we imagine Hostel with Takashi Miike?
With all of this it could be easy to forget about the Italians.
Let’s remember that the Italians gave us great thriller/horror films in the 60s and 70s (Bird with the Crystal Plumage); they continued the Zombie Genre (Zombi, City of the Dead, House by the Cemetery); and they invented the Cannibal genre with the repugnant Cannibal Holocaust. Filmmakers like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci crafted our nightmares for years.
Now we hear little of that. All the hip kids dig the J-Horror, and now we are seeing the rise of K-Horror (from South Korea) with films like A Tale of Two Sisters. I for one love it. Asian directors are crossing lines that Americans are afraid to go near, and they are changing the face of horror films. But let’s not forget about the Italians.
It’s worth mentioning that there are likely reasons that I’m spending so much time thinking about Horror films right now. Sure, Halloween is approaching and that always puts me in the mood for a good fright fest; but I think that there may be more to it this year. It’s hard not to notice that we are nearly drowned in horror films these days. It seems like a new splatter flick opens at the theaters every week (mostly bad remakes like The Hills Have Eyes, House of Wax, The Amityville Horror and The Texas Chainsaw massacre- it’s terrible the way that these films sully the reputation of the movies they are based on, but I digress). Author Stephen King, in his book Danse Macabre, suggests that horror grows in popularity with the public as their fears about the real world increase. These days that hypothesis makes a lot of sense to me. What with the war and all.
Anyway, on to other things.
The MO senate race is one of the most closely watched this year. I just learned that Michael J. Fox is doing an ad for McCaskill (against Jim Talent). This race is a must win for both parties and it is going to be very, very tight. The most recent poll I’ve seen shows the Democrat with a slight lead. Control of the Senate may well come down to Missouri and Virginia. If one party can take both of those seats they will control the Senate. If those states split (one to each party) we will have a tie.
And then there’s this:
The field next to my house is starting to fill with deer. Each evening I see them standing about, all jittery and sleek. Damn those are beautiful animals. It’s a shame people spend so much time shooting them.
Man, I am all over the place today. That is all.
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This is one thing I agree with McCaskill on. From an advertising perspective, it was a little transparent the way he pronounced missouri with an "uh" at the end. I think the marketing people are aiming at the less literate of Missouri's voters.