Fear in our daily lives

Hello! Today, I will talk about fear in our daily lives. I had already talked about Japanese horror movies appeared ghosts or goblins. “Ring” series and “Juon” series are famous Japanese horror movies which not only Japanese but also foreign people can enjoy. Although, ghost or goblin that has strong character appeared in any horror movies, and not a few horror movies surprised audience by many effects. It is not only Japanese horror movies but also foreign it as monsters and zombies appear. There isn’t big difference in a way to surprise audience all over the world. However, “Torihada: theater edition” (September, 2012) has a different idea. In this movie, any ghosts or goblins don’t appear and any supernatural phenomenon doesn’t occur. Then, what facts frightened audience?

 “Torihada: theater edition” (September, 2012)

　Advance billing of “Torihada: theater edition”  (1:33)

First of all, I would like to introduce “Torihada: stories that sends chilly up your spine”. “Torihada” was a Japanese TV drama with omnibus style from the beginning. This had been regularly sent in the middle of the night from Fuji-TV station since 2007. These regular televisions became popular little by little. Thanks for this popularity, “Torihada: theater edition” could decide to be made. Main point of story is describing a thing which main character experienced a matter of life and death and the person brought to bay gradually. The ends of some stories aren’t clear to let audience image the end. This movie takes a theme which fear had realness like human madness or unreason.

Next, I will introduce “Torrihada’s consist of five”. This is made to explain easily.

(From official site: http://torihada-movie.com/introduction.html) (When You open this site, this made a sound. So, you have to be careful.)

1.   Ghosts and goblins don’t appear.

There isn’t fear by them in the stories, but there is human madness instead of that. The reason is that “Torihada” had tried to describe real fear in our daily lives.

2.   Supernatural phenomenon doesn’t occur.

The strange things which can’t be explained by science don’t occur in the stories for the reason above.

3.   Don’t fan fears with background music.

Background music isn’t basically used, but live sounds are used almost all in the stories. There are no sounds sometimes. Background music played by piano is only used.

4.   Don’t direct images excessively.

Actors direct their rolls naturally without overblown direction.

5.   Don’t break away from daily lives.

The stories which it may happen to anyone are described. The stories which lack realness are made such as a parallel world or future story.

These five sections may be essential to make a more horrifying movie. Although, in this story, a setting which everybody have chances that is caught up in frightening events by a stalker or a strange neighbor is the most important key. Because of explaining why it is possible that those events occur at any time, this movie can surprise audience without ghosts and goblins. For example, in everyday life, that is highly possible that actions (by custom, culture or religion) without intent make someone be unpleasant. Then, because of it, the person may be caught in frightening events like murder or kidnapping. As I had just written this post, a would-be murderer’s escape happened in Kinshi-tyo station in fact. We don’t know what will happen at any moment. This movie makes audience find that abused and frightening events always lie behind everyday life.

Finally, I will organize my thought about Japanese horror movie. 

I had talked about it from many themes for 10 weeks. I compared two “Ring” and I explained what J-horror is. Main difference between J-horror movie and Hollywood horror movie I think is that the former tends to describe absurd fear and feel bigger fear for them. (For example, Kyako’s ghost or the video tape of Sadako’s curse indiscriminately attacks people.) The latter tends to describe the thing which can’t explain by science. Then, “woman” which has long hear and wear a white one-piece dress like Sadako become a pronoun for object of fear and symbol of present Japanese horror movie. J-horror became popular all over the world, but this J-horror boom might come to an end. So, I think that J-horror need to make new symbol or expression. “Woman” as pronoun of J-horror is much used and expression of J-horror lack freshness little by little. For example, “Torihada” was the talk of the horror movie industry because it describe human madness is hiding behind our daily lives and “Paranormal Activity” became popular because it succeeded with new approach to expression of fear as supernatural phenomenon. Like those, I think that Japanese horror movie as it will be may have to open up a new object and approach, too.

That’s all for my blogging. Thank you for your reading! :)