Of all the genres, horror is a peculiar existence that the fearful avoids and the lover cannot resist. Modern Japanese horror films, on the other hand, are heterochromatic, using people's psychology, subconscious, and fantasy to inspire our most instinctive fears. Since the 1990s, Japanese horror films have become a phenomenon, how did such a "dark force" sweep the world come into being? What cultural nutrients does it absorb? What's the secret behind stylized expression? Chiaki Konaka, a leading figure in Japanese horror creation theory, reveals them all for you in the book "What is True Horror".
In 1988, Chiaki Konaka's screenwriting debut, Evil Wishing Spirit, created the framework for Japanese horror films, and then he participated as a core member in the screenwriting of "Creepy Ghost Sutra" and "School Strange Talk", which can be described as the model of Popular Japanese horror dramas. In practice, he summed up a set of "small and medium theories", trying to analyze the structure and technical means of horror films to explore the essence of horror. "The father of Japanese horror films" Tsuruta Norio, "Midnight Bells" screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi and director Hideo Nakata, "Curse" screenwriter and director Takashi Shimizu, and director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, who enhances the artistic texture of Japanese horror films, have all been more or less influenced by the "Konaka Theory".
Among horror film lovers, it is sometimes said that watching European and American horror films is not very scary, and East Asian horror films represented by Japan are really terrible. Some people also believe that Japanese horror films are rooted in Japan's unique culture and are very different from Europe and the United States. This book explores such views to some extent and dispels misunderstandings. Horror geek Chiaki Konaka uses a personal perspective to refute miscellaneous insights, including world horror movies and supernatural novels, as well as a list of mysterious folklore, urban legends and forum supernatural posts in Japan, Europe and the United States, as well as the exploration of fear psychology. The vision of the creators of Japanese terror radiates many fields around the world, and the horror culture of Europe and the United States is also the object of reference and analysis, and I hope that readers can use this book to get a glimpse of the deep academic foundation under the appearance of Japanese horror films.
April 4, 2021 is the 60th birthday of Teacher Xiaozhong, he thanked his fans on Twitter for their blessings, and sent the following message: "I may be an old man, but I hope you are all right in this difficult world." It's great to connect to the world in this way, we're all connected in the wired/digital world... Meet people in real life, whether it's a friend or a like-minded stranger. Don't lose to the fears that are imposed on you, and use your own personality and common sense to survive. ”
"What is the real horror" [Japanese] XiaoZhong Qianzhao translated by Xie Ying, China Friendship Publishing Company
Column Editor-in-Chief: Gu Xuewen Text Editor: Gu Xuewen
Source: Author: Hou Lang