I’m especially thinking of some bizzare foreign horror movies that didn’t make sense to me and I figure there’s gotta be some from my own (US) culture that just make 0 sense outside of the context of having been raised in this culture.
Invasion of the Bodysnatchers is inherently scary, but it carries an added meaning when you realize it was capitalizing on 1950s fears of communism.
Wasn’t The Thing as well?
I believe so!
I’ve watched a few Chinese horror films that have to do with Luck/Lucky things rr specific curses or hexes. While they can be spooky, they don’t hit me in the same way as something more native to my own cultural heritage does.
Which ones?
Films about exorcism. Even if I have religious family members, my non-religious mind can’t comprehend the point about these films, no matter how hard I try.
The Enlightened Atheist Mind is simply too logical to understand this one specific trope 😔
Not exactly what you’re asking, but Cabin in the Woods is like a love letter to all horror movies. It drops references and homages left and right, making horror movie tropes actual plot points, including bizzare foreign horror movies that aren’t explained at all. The more you know about horror movies, folklore, and monster cinema, the more you will understand the movie.
If you haven’t seen it, go see it now. I won’t say anything else.
Have you seen Tucker & Dale vs Evil? It’s not quite the same but I think there’s probably a lot of overlap between people who enjoyed that movie and Cabin in the Woods.
oh this one is a fav of mine but I was raised redneck so
The vast majority of Japanese horror doesn’t seem to catch on outside of Japan. Sure, there’s a few exceptions. But by and large their folklore and culture is “foreign” enough that horror(a niche genre in and of itself) from Japan can seem well…unscary to someone say from America.
I thought I understood Japanese horror. Ring, Dark Water, etc.
Then I watched Dead Sushi…
I think there’s at least two layers to horror.
There’s the universal something-in-the-dark-scary-noises layer of scary. And there’s the culturally specific that-something-is-definitely-a-vampire layer of scary.
The Ring was scary to me without me knowing anything about Japan.
Everyone can enjoy them, but the home team gets bonus content.
Sure but Ringu dealt with the horror in a unique way namely “who would you offer up to save yourself?”
And I don’t count the American Remake. It was shit.
counterpoint; hopping zombies.
Anything to do with vampires. So much of the lore is implied and you are expected to have some previous knowledge of the concept of a vampire.
Although this might have spread enough that pretty much the entire world has some context. I’m not really sure.
Anyone not from Europe or North America, did you understand vampires the first time you saw a film or series involving them?
Given the amount of Castlevania games, I think it’s fair to say vampires are understood in Japan at least.
Even if you’re raised in a culture that has vampires, sometimes you still get caught out. I remember watching some vampire series pre-Buffy and the whole poppy seed thing left me totally flummoxed.
Poppy seed?
Not sure if this is what they’re talking about, but vampires are frequently depicted as having to stop and count large numbers of small things. So if you’re being chased by one you can throw out salt or grains of rice or seeds or whatever and they will have to stop and count it before they continue pursuing you. Or you can attack while they’re preoccupied too I guess. That’s where you get the count from Sesame Street.
Can’t come in unless invited, don’t have a reflection, sensitive (or deathly allergic) to light, garlic, and holy water, these things are rarely explained.
and then other IP have thier own lore as to why vampires are that way. Oh most of it doesnt work on DRACULA, the ubervampire, which he can control victims telepathically. apparently it also works demons too to an extent(holy water).
or many series, dhampires are immune to the vulnerabilities that affect full vampires, making them stronger than them. Also some genre have them overcoming the sunlight weakness through various means; Magic or drugs.
at least in castlevania, vampires also posesses numerous other abilities, like turning into mist or bats to evade attack, or USE MAGIC themselves.
Yeah Dracula was scary even when he was just standing around talking with his mouth almost closed.
This wasn’t your question exactly, but here, a good horror movie for you:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8hpcx5
“Pikunikku” from 1996 is supposed to be pretty good too.
