6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enthusiastic Summary of Extreme Asian Cinema, March 21, 2007
This review is from: Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand (Paperback)
One of the most vital and exciting developments in the last decade has been the trans-national dissemination of horror films from the east. Often made with one eye firmly on the international market, these films travel very well, without totally foregoing their own cultural specificity. Hideo Nakata's "Ring" has become the totemic film from which all other J-horror has been inspired and although I think western audiences have finally tired of the creepy kids and the long haired ghosts, these films remain persistently innovative and challenging. Galloway's very readable and entertaining book brings together a number of films from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, that could be loosely categorised as Extreme Asia. It must be noted that Galloway's book is an entirely subjective summary of films which have left an impression on him. It is in no means academic, which lends itself to a wider audience. Therefore Asia Shock is more a device to generate debate and to encourage those with more explorative tastes to seek out material from more exotic climes. In this respect the book succeeds totally. I particularly liked the book because of the number of South Korean films include; films such as "Oldboy," Tale of Two Sisters," and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" are nothing short of masterpieces and deserve too be recognised by a wide audience. This is Mr. Galloway's quest with Asia Shock and I for one certainly hope he succeeds.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty disappointed, March 17, 2010
This review is from: Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand (Paperback)
I recently purchased this book and was really looking forward to it. I have to say, however, that I was pretty disappointed. I thought I'd share some thoughts with potential buyers so they'll know what to expect, and what not to expect if they're considering a purchase.
I'll start with the good: Mr. Galloway is clearly educated on the subject of Asian horror films and very enthusiastic about the subject. Moreover, he writes in a casual, engaging style that makes for a pleasant read -- I finished the book in a couple of hours. Additionally, in my opinion, he has great taste within the genre...I'd seen a lot of the films he discusses and there weren't any that I found myself disagreeing with him on.
On to the bad. First, be aware that this is _only_ a book of reviews. If like me, you were hoping to find some attempt to contextualize these films, either through discussions of directors, studios, or a history of the genre in Asian film, you won't find it here. Apart from a brief introductory chapter, this is just reviews front to back. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if that's what you're looking for, but personally I think there are plenty of review sites and blogs all over the internet. When I buy a book like this I'm generally looking for a little more depth, and this is as shallow as they come.
As for the reviews themselves, as another reviewer noted, Mr. Galloway explains the plot in inordinate detail for each and every movie -- far more than is necessary for a book with the stated purpose of recommending movies, a book that does not attempt to provide any critical analysis. (I'm not suggesting that he should necessarily have offered critical analysis, but if he's not going to then there is absolutely no reason to detail the plot of each movie.)
Finally, the author makes comments throughout to suggest why he thinks Asian horror films are superior to American horror films, generally giving cultural explanations that are, frankly, asinine. I teach Japanese politics and culture at the University level and I broke into laughter multiple times while reading this book at the broad sweeping generalizations he made about Japanese and American cultures.
So, in conclusion, if you're looking to buy a book that will recommend a number of great films, and don't mind skipping large chunks of it to avoid spoilers, than this book may be worth your time and money. If you want anything more, look elsewhere.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!, November 27, 2006
This review is from: Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand (Paperback)
I picked up this book because I already have the same author's book on Samurai movies. It's clear that Patrick Galloway has a deep and discerning love for this material -- the world of Asian cinema is rich and rewarding, but if you're not too familiar with it it can seem too daunting to explore. That's where this book comes in: it not only looks at specific films and genres, but it puts everything into the larger context, so you can really learn about the deeper aspects of what is going on in a particular film. Whether you are new to Asian film, or a long-time aficionado of these particular horror films, there's a lot to learn, and this book is a fun and comprehensive way to really dig deeper.
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