The Blind Dead
05-14-2007, 12:33 PM
I was recently discussing the differences between Japanese and American culture with a co-worker of mine who happens to be from Japan and has only lived in the U.S. for a little over half a year. I asked her what aspect of American behavior she found the most unexpected, and she immediately replied, "Everybody makes jokes, all the time. No matter who they are. If they're your customer or your boss, they're still funny. In Japan, most people are not so funny."
Granted, she's been associating primarily with fairly laid back people, and the Midwest is full of friendly, silly types. But after a bit more discussion, I realized one aspect of Japanese horror that makes it so thoroughly creepy--there are rarely jokes. Sometimes a character will act a fool or something absurd will happen, but it's not done in the name of a joke. Americans joke around all the time, so it's reflected in most of our films. However, with the exception of the occasional film like Ichi the Killer, the bulk of Japanese horror is dead serious. Infection is definitely no exception. The mood is grim from the start--one will notice that not a single genuine smile is cracked--and it only intensifies.
The setting is a hospital that is falling apart. The crew is short-staffed, the supplies are running out and morale is non-existent. The doctors and nurses are struggling to sustain...[READ MORE HERE] (http://www.joehorror.com/0000820.html)
Granted, she's been associating primarily with fairly laid back people, and the Midwest is full of friendly, silly types. But after a bit more discussion, I realized one aspect of Japanese horror that makes it so thoroughly creepy--there are rarely jokes. Sometimes a character will act a fool or something absurd will happen, but it's not done in the name of a joke. Americans joke around all the time, so it's reflected in most of our films. However, with the exception of the occasional film like Ichi the Killer, the bulk of Japanese horror is dead serious. Infection is definitely no exception. The mood is grim from the start--one will notice that not a single genuine smile is cracked--and it only intensifies.
The setting is a hospital that is falling apart. The crew is short-staffed, the supplies are running out and morale is non-existent. The doctors and nurses are struggling to sustain...[READ MORE HERE] (http://www.joehorror.com/0000820.html)