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Devil's Advocates #18
Ju-On: The Grudge
Takashi Shimizu's Ju-on franchise was a principal instigator in the rise of contemporary Japanese horror and its international popularity at the turn of the millennium. Following the success of Hideo Nakata's Ringu (1998), the first cinematic release of The Grudge in 2002 crystallized Japanese horror's rise to prominence and outlined the new decade's thematic interest in supernatural technology and fear of contagions, while skillfully navigating domestic social concerns, such as Japan's growing elderly population and domestic violence.
This Devil's Advocate explores the production roots of Ju-on The Grudge, followed by a critical reading of the film that highlights its essential themes and motifs, in addition to a section on cultural influences, before concluding with a section on Shimizu's continued involvement with the Ju-on franchise and its ongoing legacy. The book serves as an excellent primer for readers without prior knowledge of Japanese horror or the Ju-on film cycle, while providing fresh perspectives on the film that makes it equally appealing to J-horror aficionados.
This Devil's Advocate explores the production roots of Ju-on The Grudge, followed by a critical reading of the film that highlights its essential themes and motifs, in addition to a section on cultural influences, before concluding with a section on Shimizu's continued involvement with the Ju-on franchise and its ongoing legacy. The book serves as an excellent primer for readers without prior knowledge of Japanese horror or the Ju-on film cycle, while providing fresh perspectives on the film that makes it equally appealing to J-horror aficionados.
102 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2017
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June 13, 2019
Another excellent addition to the Devil's Advocate series. I loved 'Ju-On:The Grudge", 2003. I thought Kayako was one of the most thrillingly spooky and disturbing ghostly presences I'd encountered in cinema. Much more interesting than sad old Sadako who, presumably is trapped within a videocassette in a charity shop somewhere....Kayako is more....liminal.
It's fascinating to learn that she is in a lineage of vengeful female ghosts in ancient Japanese literature and theatre. It's all explored very well in this book.
I've only seen the follow-up movie, I don't want to spoil it with watered down remakes, reimaginings, what have you. And rightly so, it would seem as Hayes writes about the follow-up movies in some detail and mostly, I'm glad I've stayed away.
It's fascinating to learn that she is in a lineage of vengeful female ghosts in ancient Japanese literature and theatre. It's all explored very well in this book.
I've only seen the follow-up movie, I don't want to spoil it with watered down remakes, reimaginings, what have you. And rightly so, it would seem as Hayes writes about the follow-up movies in some detail and mostly, I'm glad I've stayed away.
Displaying 1 of 1 review