Ghostly Presenter:Roy Chan

Ghostly Themes – Fear, Displacement, and the

“Self-Estranged” Subject

Ghostly Topics: ~ Japanese Ghostly Films vs. American

Ghostly Films~ Ghostly Films vs. Ghostly Literatures

American Ghostly Films vs. Japanese Ghostly Films

Japanese Ghostly Films They are not linear: The story

or plot does not follow a sequence of a beginning, middle, and ending.

There is no structure. You can’t defeat the haunting or ghost.

Deals with a thing we cannot touch or see; more intangible.

Uses fewer special effects to keep horror elements in film

No one is guilty. Examples: The Grudge,

The Ring, The Eye - all are Japanese remake films

American Ghostly Films They are linear: The story or

plot has a beginning, middle, and ending.

There is a structure that there is a haunting going on, we try and figure it out, and try to solve it.

Uses more special effects There is a Crime and

Punishment relationship• Examples: Scream,

Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Wrong Turn, The Haunting, Jeepers Creepers, etc.

What makes Japanese remake films unique?

Uses American actors to tell audience that Japanese ghostly storyline are different than American

To allow Americans to appreciate Japanese horror adaptations

To show us that there is difference between American horror films and Japanese horror films

Ghostly Films vs. Ghostly Literatures

Ghostly Films We are experiencing

what is happening Our fear system is

activated An unconscious

experience: we don’t know what is going to happen next; our brain is curious which ultimately stimulates fear

Ghostly Literatures We are reading what is

happening Our fear system is

deactivated A conscious

experience: we know and feel that what is happening in the story is not real or true

Fear in Ghostly Film vs. Ghostly Literature

Fear is contagious When the fear system is activated while watching a film,

behavior that is present at the time is stamped into brain Those memories are now part of my life. They will reactivate fear the next time we see horror

films.

Haunting and Space = Fear

The haunted house is a charactero The different spaces in the haunted house creates a tension and

fear in the movie to the audience.o Ex: Some rooms/hallways in the film were small while others were

big

Displacement

Displacement – the removal of a thing from its place; putting out of place; shifting, dislocation. The removal of

someone or something by someone or something else that takes their place

“Self-Estranged” Subject

The recognition of oneself as being different or strange.

Any Ghostly Questions???