Over the past decade, Japan has become a key player on the contemporary horror scene, producing some of the most influential and critically respected genre movies of recent years and helping to spark off the worldwide interest in Asian horror. Whether it's the subtle chills of Ring, the graphic brutality of Audition or the zombie-fuelled mayhem of Versus, Japanese horror has had a major impact throughout the world, leading to high profile remakes and sending its most talented directors to Hollywood. Flowers from Hell is the most in-depth look at the vibrant and challenging world of modern Japanese horror so far, covering the best directors, the most important films and the most popular themes of the past 25 years. From its origins in the mid-80s to the multi-million dollar franchises of today, Flowers from Hell traces the evolution of this consistently inventive and influential horror phenomenon. * Films featured include:- * The Ring series *Audition *Battle Royale *Juon/The Grudge * Evil Dead Trap *Curse *Pulse plus over 200 other captivating titles including the controversial soft core Pink cinema genre
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About the Author
Jim Harper is the author of Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies and Italian Horror 1979-1994. He has written extensively on the subject of international horror movies and his work has appeared in a variety of publications and web sites, including the Flipside Movie Emporium, Midnight Eye, Deranged magazine and Necronomicon. As well as preparing DVD liner notes, Jim Harper has also written a selection of audio biographies and contributed a large number of reviews to the acclaimed online music encyclopedia, Allmusic.com.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better to read one helpful, entertaining book than ten boring fun-killers,
This review is from: Flowers from Hell (Paperback)
There is undoubtedly of plethora of well-intentioned books published in the last few years attempting to encompass and explicate the rise, prominence and development of Japanese horror films. Lord knows I've read far more than my fair share of them. I've reviewed a few here on SaruDama but the vast majority are still stacked in the corner of my room somewhere.In my experience and if truth be told, seldom have I sat down to read a book on Japanese film genre and found it a page turner. By far and away, most of them, including the widely touted ones, amounted to reading an encyclopedia (ZZzzz..) or the stodgy biography of some person I was once interested in but whose life now appeared as boring as hell. So there they are, stacked in the corner, a dusty monument to misplaced enthusiasm. Despite that tragic history, I am rather energized and confident in bringing to your attention Jim Harper's Flowers From Hell: The modern Japanese film. This was in fact a very fun read, not only in terms of Harper's clear and readable writing style but also due to the rather impressive amount of content he covers. Regardless of one's degree of exposure to Japanese horror films, the search for souls who can tell us more never ceases. But no one is interested (for long) in disseminaters of static, disjointed facts. Undoubtedly, fans of the visual and emotional medium of film are cognitively attuned to a more coherent, narrative-like whole. I truly prefer such writers and find Harper among that group. Wisely enough, even at first impression Flowers distinguishes itself by intentionally conveying the experience of Japanese film rather than a mere knowledge of it. The book's odd dimensions, glossy cover and sleek profile will rightfully cause organized book lovers to place this in their ART section alongside other similarly dimensioned and glossied volumes. And with its 33-page section of high-glossy color prints of stunning and shocking film posters, I can think of no better place. Personally speaking, I truly enjoyed and recommend this book. It has earned a place on my bookshelf rather than atop the dusty pile of its boring competitors. If you are somewhat new to Japanese Horror and don't want to kill your fervor by picking up a long-winded, say-nothing resource, I strongly encourage you to choose this. And for you pickled zombie veterans, I thoroughly believe Harper's writing style and depth of investigation will be a gherkin-mover. Flowers from Hell
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