The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films
Edited by Salvador Jimenez Murguía
Not available to order
Publication date:
29 July 2016Length of book:
422 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442261679
Although the horror genre has been embraced by filmmakers around the world, Japan has been one of the most prolific and successful purveyors of such films. From science fiction terrors of the 1950s like Godzilla to violent films like Suicide Circle and Ichi the Killer, Japanese horror film has a diverse history. While the quality of some of these films has varied, others have been major hits in Japan and beyond, frightening moviegoers around the globe. Many of these films—such as the Ringu movies—have influenced other horror productions in both Asia and the United States.
The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films covers virtually every horror film made in Japan from the past century to date. In addition to major and modest productions, this encyclopedia also features entries on notable directors, producers, and actors. Each film entry includes comprehensive details, situates the film in the context and history of Japanese horror cinema, and provides brief suggestions for further reading.
Although emphasizing horror as a general theme, this encyclopedia also encompasses other genres that are associated with this theme, including Comedy Horror, Science Fiction Horror, Cyber-punk Horror, Ero Guru (Erotic Grotesque), and Anime Horror. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films is a comprehensive reference volume that will appeal to both cinema scholars as well as to the many fans of this popular genre.
The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films covers virtually every horror film made in Japan from the past century to date. In addition to major and modest productions, this encyclopedia also features entries on notable directors, producers, and actors. Each film entry includes comprehensive details, situates the film in the context and history of Japanese horror cinema, and provides brief suggestions for further reading.
Although emphasizing horror as a general theme, this encyclopedia also encompasses other genres that are associated with this theme, including Comedy Horror, Science Fiction Horror, Cyber-punk Horror, Ero Guru (Erotic Grotesque), and Anime Horror. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films is a comprehensive reference volume that will appeal to both cinema scholars as well as to the many fans of this popular genre.
Once opened, The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Movies unleashed wriggly, rubbery tentacles of film analysis and biography and historical context and cultural insight onto the hapless reviewer’s initial cursory interest of the topic and infused it with an irradiated concoction of well-written essays, until the reviewer found himself morphing and transforming and mutating into...an ardent appreciator of J-Horror. . . .According to Murguia, in his two-page introduction, The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Movies stands alone as the only encyclopedia in the English-speaking market focusing on J-Horror. . . .While the essays about the movies provide the reader with the expected summary and analysis of the film or film series, the contributors’ expertise add unexpected textures to the content. . . .Does Godzilla lurk within these pages? Yes. Will your library’s patrons—J-Horror connoisseur or curious novice—find themselves ensnared by the content of The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Movies? Place the book on your shelves and walk away.