Hello! A happy new year! What vacation did
you have? I ate sushi and crabs on New Year’s Eve, and I paid a visit to a
shrine with my family on New Year’s Day. I had a good time.
Today, I will talk about the history of
Japanese horror movie. I had talked that J-horror appeared in the last twenty
years, and it is one in the fields of Japanese horror movie. Then, when did the
first Japanese horror movie appear?
In
Japan, many tales of horror are passed down by books; “Nihon Ryouiki” written
in the late 8th and early 9th century and “Konjaku Monogatarisyu” written in 12th
century. In 18th and 19th century, they did by Kabuki, Rakugo, and ukiyo-es.
So, many people became known those tales in Edo. Then, in the end of 19th
century, the movies were introduced in Japan from United States of America and
France. A present style of movie which people watch screen projected a film was
made for Lumiere brothers who are from France and invented cinematograph in 1859.
Early films are made to play publicly from 1899 in Japan; they are to take
dancing of geisya.
Early
movie’s style is very short and silent. In the 1900s and the 1920s, in Japan, almost
gothic movies were based on famous ghost tales: like “Yotsuya-Kaidan”, “Botan-Tourou”,
“Bansyu-sarayashiki”, and other tales. Those stories are really known by Kabuki
and Rakugo. They remade many times. Especially, “Yotsuya-kaidan” was remade 10
times from 1910 to 1926 (“Nihon-Eiga-Sakuhin-Taikan”, 1960-61).
At the
same time, trick movies which Matsunosuke Ogami acted were popular among children.
He was popularly known as “medama-no-mattyan”, and had about a thousand films.
His movies used early trick photography: when smoke rises, Matsunosuke having
gotten on a big road appears.
"Jiraiya"(1914)
In the middle
of the1920s and early the 1940’s, talking film began to appear, and silent
movies finished making formation completely. Then, movie’s styles had talkie
and silent both. At the time, main theme of ghost movie is to film ghost tails
like “Yotsuya-Kaidan”, also. But, specially, many movies had main theme which
is the monstrous apparitions by animals were made: like cats, raccoon dogs, and
foxes. It is said that those animals mislead a person. “Tanuki-Goden” (1939,
Shinkyo-Kinema) became a big hit film. This was first movie which is amply introduced
singing and dancing. This remade 10 times over by 2004.
"Tavuki-Gozen" (1939)
After
losing WW2 on August in 1945, in Japan companies really made many films; so
that attendance for the year is 11 hundred over millions in 1958. At the time, coloring
and wide-screen were introduced. Movies of Classic ghost tales made, too. Shin-Toho-Eiga
Company made mystery movies which had premodern horror story; like a mysterious
person, a monster, a ghost. Toho Company made many special effects movies. Eiji
Tsuburaya is one in most famous directors who uses special effects. He took “Godzilla”,
and .it became popular movie. What is more, Toho Company made mystery movie
like “transformed man series”. Those movies’ subject got the ideas from SF novels
in the United State.
In 1953,
television broadcasting began in Japan. So, audience numbers for cinema house decreased
rapidly; in 1970, they are 250 million. In the 1960s and the 1970s, popular films
took as serials because Film Company had audiences to come cinema house. In the
second half the 1960s, “Gegege-no-Kitaro” and “Akumakun” began to broadcast.
Those caused a ghost and goblin boom. Taiei Company made “The Big Spook War”
(1968) and “The 100 ghost stories” (1968) as monster movie. Movies of classic
horror tales with those monster movies, but those didn’t get much popularity.
In the USA, “The
Exorcist” (1973) was took; and it became a big hit all over the world include
Japan; and it gave influence to Japanese directors. So, many occult movies were
tried making in Japan at those times."Firsr gas person" (1960)
After 1980s, most
classic horror tales’ movies didn’t be made. At those times, video rental spread
and films to watch by video were made. In the USA, “Friday the 13th” (1980) and
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) were made; those called “splatter movies”. On
the other hand, Japanese horror movies called “J-horror”; it has weird silent
and mysterious something has people to feel fear. “The ring” (1998), “”Dark
Water” (2001), “The Juon” (2004) and “One Missed Call” (2004) are especially
famous J-horror’s movies. Those movies were used CG technology; and have strongly
reality. Those remade in Hollywood, and had
a big hit in USA, also
"The Ring" (2002)
I knew that Japanese
horror movie does not only J-horror that various styles.
Next
week, I will talk about famous directors of Japanese horror movies. See you!
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