"J-Horror : A discourse in cross-cultural communication and cinematic h" by MaryLou Quillen

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Fall 1-31-2007

Degree Name

Master of Science in Professional and Technical Communication - (M.S.)

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Robert Edward Lynch

Second Advisor

Nancy Steffen-Fluhr

Third Advisor

John E. O'Connor

Abstract

Film visually communicates the idea of culture, leaving interpretation open to an impressionable audience. Though a genre's recognizable iconography can transcend boundaries, understanding a film's intended message still requires a certain amount of foreknowledge. J-Horror, the common term for Japanese horror among fans, is a sub- genre of Horror that has been catapulted into Hollywood's limelight due to adaptations such as The Ring (2002). Based upon a novel, Ringu, by Koji Suzuki and Nakata Hideo's 1998 cinematic creation of the same name, Gore Verbinski adapted the terrifying plot for Western audiences in his 2002 counterpart.

With the cross-cultural transition, certain aspects of the premise and characters were changed. I posit these differences are more than artistic reinterpretation, and are culturally significant. However, while certain facets of fear are culturally specific, the horror film serves as a universalizing tool of communication, surpassing cultural boundaries.

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