Saturday, March 26, 2011

Japanese Horror in America

There have been many mainstream horror films in America that have actually originated in Japan. One of the most popular horror films in recent history, The Ring, was actually a remake of a Japanese horror film called Ring. The main storyline of Ring is that there is a cursed videotape that when viewed the viewer will die in a week. This film is the highest grossing horror film in Japan, bringing in over $137 million, and was voted the scariest Japanese horror film in multiple surveys. There was an American remake of the film that was released in 2002 and was a box office hit in the United States. Another famous Japanese horror film that was remade in America was Ju-on: The Grudge. This film was released in Japan in January of 2003 and the American remake, The Grudge, was released in the United States a year later. The movie was based on the idea that whenever someone dies a death in a state of sorrow or rage, the emotion of death can remain behind and become a part of the place, eventually leading to death of others who come in contact with the tainted place. Both The Ring and The Grudge were very high grossing films, making over $128 million and $187 million respectively in the American box office. It would not surprise me in the least bit if we see more Japanese horror films successfully remade and released in the United States in the future.

1 comment:

  1. I actually had no idea (until it was mentioned in class) that these very popular American horror films were remakes of Japanese horror films. I have never seen either film, but I remember seeing the commercials when they came out. I remember thinking that both films were unlike any other American horror film that I had ever seen, so it makes sense that they were not actually American films in the first place. The Grudge and The Ring now have spawned sequels, as well as a 3D version of The Ring that will be released in 2011.

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