J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond [Paperback]

David Kalat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2007

Navigating the numerous versions released in the U.S. and Japan of The Ring, The Grudge, Tomie and other films and sorting out the finest output of legends like Takashi Miike is an intimidating task. J-Horror breaks down each and every franchise, from the narrative to the talent behind the screen and other trivia, for a greater understanding and appreciation of the genre. Learn about the influence Japanese folklore and ghost stories had on J-Horror, and the influence of J-Horror on American cinema. Just don't forget your copy on the way to the video store!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Kalat’s writing style is easy to follow and well-paced. With very little knowledge of or interest in horror films, I initially thought this was going to be a difficult read. I needn’t have worried..." - PopCultureShock

"The resulting critical eye and even handed explorations of the artistic, cultural, and economic context for works popularized by the explosion in interest in The Ring presents a convincing case for developing an respect for the aesthetic and the minds behind it. " - Ain't it cool News

"Thanks to Kalat, I know that I'll be haunting the video store, clutching my already crumpled, scribbled list." --Fangoria

"Kalat doesn't pander to fanboys here; he looks at the phenomenon of Japanese-style horror movies in an objective light. Highly recommended." --Popculture Shock

"Kalat's prose is a pleasure to read. A very detailed and balanced account warmly recommended to all film fans." --Japan Navigator

"A very rich and thorough treatment of the history, details, trends and people behind exemplar films of this genre. I can in fact wholly recommend this book to anyone even slightly interested." --SaruDama

About the Author

David Kalat is the author of indispensable books on film and television history, including The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse, Homicide: Life on the Streets: The Unofficial Companion and A Critical History and Filmography of Toho Godzilla Series. He regularly writes for Scarlet Street and Filmfax and is the president of the oldest independent DVD label in the industry, All Day Entertainment.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Vertical; First Edition edition (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193223408X
• ISBN-13: 978-1932234084
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book I've Been Looking For!, September 23, 2008

By 

Sillyman - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond (Paperback)

Ever since I became interested in modern Asian horror films, I've been trying to find a book that would help me pick out what films to watch next. This is that book! Whereas other books touch on such films, this book focuses on them in detail, fully explaining all the different versions of The Ring and The Grudge, which films influenmced them and how they have influenced subsequent films. Fully covers all recent horror films fro Japan, Korea and Hong Kong; as a result of it, I have bought a number of fantastic films that I would not otherwise have heard of.

It includes detailed chapters on: The Ring series; The Grudge series; the Tomie series; Kiroshi Kurosawa; Korean films; Hong Kong films; American remakes. Very readable. Written with enthusiasm and knowledge. Excellent!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars J-Horror is must-have for anyone watching Asian horror films, August 9, 2007

By 

DfaceLaT (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond (Paperback)

A terrific book! I also have ASIA SHOCK, which is great, but I think this one is even better, and I hope the author will do an updated edition in another year (if not sooner!). The only thing I would add is an index; there's a lot of great information in here, and index would be a huge help. Otherwise, full marks for a wonderful book that I dip into time and time again!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Has a lot of interesting information, but is spoiler riddled and too heavy on the author's opinion., July 20, 2008

By 

Ted O'Reilly (Eureka, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond (Paperback)

This is a good read for someone interested in modern Asian horror, but is best suited to people who already have a healthy amount of experience with the genre. Kalat's book has a LOT of great information about these films, but unfortunately he doesn't seem to know who to target with his book: the neophyte will be put off by the sheer number of spoilers in the book, while the experienced viewer will get irritated by the number and breadth of the plot summaries.

The spoilers are really my problem. If you read the book, you'll see that Kalat makes these half-hearted attempts to avoid spoiling these films for the reader, but at the same time gives away MAJOR twists in some of them.

As someone who's seen a large number of the films he discusses, I've found a lot of useful and interesting information in here, but this really isn't for the neophyte.

The book is also riddled with the author's opinions, many of which are easy to disagree with or, as is the case of his chapter for the "Tomie" films, based on such tenuous reasoning that it seems like he missed the point of the film(s) entirely.

Still, for entrenched fans willing to sift through the opinions and plot summaries, there's some real meat here, and I'd conditionally recommend this.