Defining ‘Multicultural Education’ and the Need for It in Singapore

Increasingly insensitive, crude and discriminatory racial remarks about ethnic groups other than their own have been heard to escape the lips of our young preschoolers at an alarming frequency and with a degree of nonchalance that is disconcerting. A good number of young children in the local childcare scene reveal a warped impression of other races, especially those of darker skin tones, as they pass comments such as, â€Å"Eee†¦ Indians are so smelly,† or create verses to juvenile games like, â€Å"A, E, I, O, U; ‘Mangkali’ (referring to Indians) love you! Dr. Darlene Powell Hopson, co-author of Different and Wonderful: Raising Black Children in a Race-Conscious Society explains that because of their advancing perceptual skills, children are increasingly able to recognize the apparent outward differences in people- varying skin tones, facial and bodily features, hair textures, and eye colors. With this enhancing perceptual ability follows the development o f children’s individual character.As each child’s sense of identity and interpersonal skills begin to mature, his individual preferences, likes and dislikes, as well as his own opinions begin to form and become established in him. A sense of autonomy naturally unfolds along with the urge to exercise and assert this newfound personal right to make one’s own views heard and known. This implies that the child will begin to form opinions and judgments of a person based firstly on the most obvious aspect of the other party- the outward appearance.The child will decide if what he sees appears pleasing to his eyes. Because preschoolers also develop a desire for social acceptance, peer pressure will majorly influence his final decision of whether he will open his arms in approval, acceptance and favor of that individual. Retaining a discriminatory attitude toward someone because of his/her race causes serious obstacles to young children’s healthy development. â⠂¬Å"[T]hey end up with a warped perception of the realities and demands of everyday life. (Veel, E. Singapore’s Child: Celebrating Diversity (July 2008), pg. 29. ) If Feng Kai, a child with a bias against other races, is given the opportunity to make a choice between partnering with Govindasamy and Mei Ling, thinks to himself, ‘I don’t want to hold hands with Govinda. I don’t want my hands to become dirty,’ and ends up choosing Mei Ling instead, Feng Kai deprives himself of the chance to become better acquainted with Govindasamy and to benefit from his association.In judging Govindasamy by a baseless biasness, Feng Kai chooses to stop himself from making a friend. If this misconception is not corrected, Feng Kai will learn to allow the superficial aspects of things to influence his daily decision-making significantly. In teaching Feng Kai to look beyond the obvious outward differences of skin color, and into Govindasamy’s values and personali ty instead, we help Feng Kai to develop the ability to recognize and appreciate actuality beyond superficiality – an ability that will help him function effectively as a person.Dr. Roy Kaplan, executive director of the Tampa Bay chapter of the National Conference for Communities and Justice, comments, â€Å"Nobody’s born a bigot. † Evidence shows that prejudices which exist within the young are nurtured primarily by the influences that children are exposed to most often and most extensively. Principally, these include their home environment, the behavior of family members and close friends (including the peer pressure they are subject to in school), as well as the childcare setting.While the moral education children receive from home and the examples that family members and friends set that influence children most profoundly are factors beyond our power to control, the childcare setting is the only aspect in this, our cause to foster racial awareness, which lies within our ability to manage and steer in the direction of our objectives. It is essential for children to learn that they must overcome racism and all forms of bigotry; for if not, our society’s rising generation will grow up o sow racial discord which could reap very adverse repercussions for Singapore: a breakdown of societal unity and a rise of internal contention and dissensions could very possibly ensue. But in order to achieve this democracy in the childcare sector, children must first understand why they ought to overcome racial biasness and look beyond the differences that exist within them. This is where our action research entitled ‘Multicultural Education through Creative Drama’ comes into play in the picture, to facilitate the conversion of racial disharmony to racial unity among young children in Singapore.

High-Blood Pressure Essay

In this particular essay, I am going to attempt to inform you about the disease called high blood pressure. In this three to four page report I will discuss what causes it, how it can be treated and when you know it is too high. Hopefully, after reading this piece, you will be more aware of what high blood pressure is. To begin with, the disorder or disease that I will be doing my report on is High blood pressure; also known as hypertension. The system that the disorder comes from is the cardiovascular system. The majority of times, there is no clear cause, which can be identified as the cause of the disorder. The clearest cause of why blood pressure is high is that the arteries that the blood flows through are too small. High blood pressure is most common in people whose families have had it; the same as heredity. It is also most common in males, patients who are over 35 years old, African-Americans and in women on oral contraceptives. High blood pressure is far more common in families where other members have had this condition. Even though sometimes it is a hereditary disorder, it is not always. For instance, while the incidence of high blood pressure is low in Japan, it is higher in Japanese who migrate to America. Cultural things that we do in America will affect the incidences of high blood pressure, these include: Being overweight, eating high sodium diet, exercising too little, and drinking more than two alcoholic drinks daily. Some of the symptoms include: Calcification, cardiac arrest, chest pain, depression, diabetes, dizziness, heart attack and shortness of breath. The disorder doesn’t really progress within the system. If you have high blood pressure in one part of your system, it is most likely that you have high blood pressure in all of your system. Blood only comes from one place in your system, your heart. So if a little part of your body has high blood pressure, then every blood vessel in your body should have it as well. Some people think that only at a certain level of high blood pressure should be treated. Some people also think that the higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of suffering one of its complications. People with hypertension are encouraged to: Maintain ideal body weight, reduce the consumption of sodium and maintain at least a modest exercise program. If  your blood pressure is too high, then medications may be taken to control it. Several readings are required to test whether or not you have high blood pressure. Generally, blood pressure is said to be too high at the level of 140/90, and some therapy should be started at this level. If after the therapy, the pressure is still too high, then you should start taking medications. You can’t really tell when your blood pressure is too high. One of high blood pressure’s nicknames is â€Å"silent killer† because it can hurt you very bad even when you don’t know you have it. The biggest problem with the treatment of high blood pressure is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of applying our current knowledge. To help treat the disorder remember these key points: take your medications as prescribed, Get your medications filled before they run out, and follow-up with your doctor. There is a syndrome that people sometimes feel eerie about. This is called â€Å"White Coat Syndrome†. This is a situation where patients have a high blood pressure in the doctor’s office, but nowhere else. This is usually where when someone sees a doctor he or she starts to feel tense and irritated. This is not a terrible thing. If you have an occasional high blood pressure it is not as dangerous as when your blood pressure remains elevated all of the time. There is really no prevention of high blood pressure. It is mostly a hereditary trait passed down from a family member. The best bet that you have to prevent the disease is to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your consumption of sodium and maintain at least a modest exercise program. Doing these things will not prevent it 100%, but they might help you out for the future. Some common causes of the disease are medications, habitual alcohol use, too much salt in the diet, obesity, stress and arteriosclerosis. In conclusion, I have summed up some pretty important topics in this composition. Some of the most important things that I learned are that some people don’t even know when they have high blood pressure or not, what you can do to treat the disease, and what you can get it from. I think that after I have read learned all this about the disease, I will probably try to consume less sodium, maintain an ideal body weight and exercise fairly  regularly. By doing these everyday things I should be able to help myself from getting the disease.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Essay - 1

Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Essay Example Safety and security of workers in the workplace are two fundamental aspects to account for. Employers are expected to ensure that employees undertake their duties in an environment that do not jeopardize their safety, health, security, and overall welfare. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets and enforces safety and health standards that should be adhered to in the workplace. Both employers and employees are expected to comply with OSHA provisions. OSHA undertakes time to time inspections in its bid to enforce the OSHA provisions. For my company, OSHA inspections are undertaken at least once every year. Some of OSHA’s inspections are impromptu, intended to capture the real scenario in the working environment. Ergonomics threats or injuries seem to trend upwards for the company. This is observed alongside cumulative trauma disorders that affect a significant portion of the workforce. The threats and injuries realized in the company are as a result of change s in the working systems that have seen the improvement of the manner in which employees undertake their duties. This threats and injuries are high before the employees fully familiarize with the improved systems. Amid this, violating OSHA can be avoided by ensuring that their continued implementation prior to making any changes in the company’s system of operation. In this respect, communication involves all the parties within the company, the external environment and the relevant agencies that deal with health safety implementation.

Is effectively reducing production costs a driving force for the shift Research Paper

Is effectively reducing production costs a driving force for the shift of Manufacturing from China to the USA - Research Paper Example Examples of these costs are labor cost, transportation costs and supply chain risks. Increase in the cost of production has made the businesses to move near to their customers or moving back home where the production costs will be lower (Shephard, pg.67). There are numerous specific drivers which may be either external or internal to china and which are forcing manufactures to seek another production locations; the major one is the increasing competition for talents and labor costs. The biggest advantage for china was that it had cheap labor though that benefit is dwindling. So the increase in labor costs has become a major challenge for the companies which are operating in china these is because every fast growing and foreign company in china are all competing for employees who are qualified mainly those employees who have skills thus making it difficult for business to entice and maintain top talents. The increase in labor costs has reduced profits of the manufacturers significantly (Janoski and Darina, pg 115). There are also other costs which have increased too. The costs of real estates have increased nearly at manic rates due to the government institutions which have delegated minimum land charges. Other factors like electricity costs has also increased and the rate of corporate tax has raised to 25% from 15%, also the tax associated incentives has disappeared or it has not been easy to obtain. Increase cost of these inputs of production has made it difficult for the businesses to operate in china which has decreased the profits. The other cost which is related to production of manufacturers in china is the risk which is associated with the protection of intellectual property. Foreign companies which have been operating in china have been in worry of guarding their intellectual property despite the significant attention it has been receiving only a

PhD Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

PhD - Literature review Example o V and Euro VI emission limits 116 Table of Figures Figure 1 - Forces resisting the movement of the vehicle as a function of vehicle speed sourced from (Hilliard & Springer, 1984, p.8) 6 Figure 2 - Air drag coefficient in the European countries during the period 1900 to 2000 sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.19) 9 Figure 3 – Growth of the passenger car sector in India sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.6) 13 Figure 4 - Petrol consumption in India sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.7) 14 Figure 5 - The future projections of demand versus production of oil sourced from (Mi et al., 2011, p.5) 15 Figure 6 – Global carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion sourced from (OECD, 2004, p.43) 16 Figure 7 - Comparison of fuel consumption of gasoline and diesel engines sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.21) 25 Figure 8 - Schematic composition of three different hybrid vehicle drive trains sourced from(OECD, 2004, p.142) 31 Figure 9 - The driving cycles used in the US, EU and Japan sourced from ( Pundir, 2008, p.14) 34 Figure 10 – Comparison to the 10-15 drive cycle used in Japan sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.14) 34 Figure 11 - The test method for light-duty vehicles sourced from (Faiz et al., 1996, p.26) 36 Figure 12 - The footprint-based US fuel economy standards for 2011 sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.9) 39 Figure 13 - the evolution of fuel economy in the US sourced from(Mi et al., 2011, p.8) 39 Figure 14 - The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) sourced from (Sideris, 1998, p.4) 41 Figure 15 - The alternative NEDC sourced from (Barlow et al., 2009, p.25) 42 Figure 16 – Comparison of the NEDC with FTP-75 (Sideris, 1998, p.5) 43 Figure 17 - The Japan vehicle FE standards effective from the model year 2015 sourced from (Pundir, 2008, p.13) 48 Figure 18 - Theoretical Framework 93 Figure 19 - Theoretical Framework 93 Figure 20 - The schematic diagram of Phase 1 95 Figure 21 - Schematic Diagram of Powertrain Adopted from Pasquier et al.,2013 96 Figure 22 - The Schem atic Diagram of CAN 102 Figure 23 - Research Design 103 Hi! There are no corrections on Chapter 3. Chapter 3 is the one that I wrote. All the corrections are on Chapter 2 and I did not write it. Anyways, I made the changes that your mentor require. I do not know if I am the right person to work with you on your conference paper. My background is not engineering, but my personal research is on ‘research methodologies’. So, I was able to work on Chapter 3 which was about methodologies. Goodluck! Regards Writer Chapter 2 Validation of Vehicle Fuel Consumption What is fuel economy? The fuel economy (FE) of any vehicle can be calculated as a ratio of distance travelled per unit volume of fuel consumed or as the ratio of fuel consumption per distance travelled (GFEI, 2013). Fuel economy standards can be of various forms such as litres of fuel consumed per hundred kilometres of distance travelled or kilometres travelled per litre of vehicle fuel (An et al., 2011, p.4). The glo bal average vehicle fuel consumption hovers around 8 litres for every 100 km corresponding to 29.4 mpg. A

Garnet lake in Prescott Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Garnet lake in Prescott Arizona - Essay Example The geology is quite breathtaking with the banner peak, which stands at 3,943 meters, being Ritter Range’s second tallest peak in the Sierra Nevada region (Siragusa 46). The lake is surrounded by a mountainous landscape whose slopes are adorned by a few glaciers. The lake and the surrounding mountain peaks are to be found within the Ansel Adams Wilderness and is part of several lakes that lie within this area. The other lakes include Lake Ediza, Shadow Lake, Lake Catherine, and the Thousand Island Lake (Siragusa 50). Banner peak was the most striking geological feature around the lake. During the observation period, I was able to witness the formation of banner clouds at the top of the adjacent Banner Peak. Garnett Lake is best known for the work that was done by Ansel Adams, an American film maker and photographer, as well as environmentalist, whose black and white pictures photographs of the surrounding area became famous around the same time that Americans began to get envi ronmentally conscious (Siragusa 61). It was at this site that Ansel Adams, together with Fred Archer, developed the zone system so as to make a determination of proper exposure, as well as the improve the, final print’s contrast. In conjunction with Willard van Dyke, Adams Ansel, founded Group f/64 and the pictures, films that they reproduced as a group are famous and have been reproduced in books, on posters, and calendars, making photographs of the region, and especially Garnet Lake, distributed widely around the world. On my trip to garnet Lake, I was so enchanted by the lake and surrounding scenery that I could not stop taking photographs. I had seen the lake on numerous geographically themed shows, calendars, and postcards, but seeing the lake first hand was just breathtaking. I found solace in its solace, artistic inspiration, and its pure sense of adventure, which I found in plenty among the brooding and cloud-laden skies, snow swept passes, and jagged granite peaks. I was inspired to visit the lake in the hope of seeing what had inspired Ansel Adam in essence I was not disappointed. Approaching the lake from the River Trail from the trees at 9,833 feet, I truly admired the splendid prospect set against strong and slanting sunlight. The lake, strewn with boulders, was surrounded by alpine meadows and anchored by Mount Ritter and especially Banner Peak. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place in an unbelievably agreeable manner with the mountain, clouds, and rock providing magic of unity that was simply unprecedented in my book. I wandered around the lake carefully, balancing, sometimes precariously, on large boulders, and scrutinizing the scene. The sun, peeking intermittently through the clouds, was roasting at times. I attempted to locate a scene from one of Ansel Adams’ famous photographs and found one of them that captured Banner Peak, the clouds, and the glimmering lake. The scene was more enchanting than I expected, except for the lack of pine to its right and feathery clouds that hugged the mountain peaks in the photograph. This was my only disappointment since the many photographs that I had seen of this beautiful lake had

Edit1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Edit1 - Essay Example Furthermore, the reports and their analysis thereof have not only illuminated the very deficiency of my daily caloric consumption, but have informed the modification of my food diet towards more healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as already alluded to above. Noteworthy, proper management of the daily calorie intake goes a long way in preventing not just obesity already, but numerous chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. The change in my food diet to include those foods rich in fiber will tremendously help in regaining the very crucial minerals and vitamins that are somehow in short supply for proper functioning of my body systems. To be specific, the graphic on â€Å"My Plate† was but informational with regards to contents of a balance diet; fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and a variety of dietary products are all recommended. Additionally, the questions of this assignment were indeed helpful, for they introduce me to the exact amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats that I need to consume to live a healthy

Nurse Led Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nurse Led - Essay Example -led clinics also conduct home visits with the patient and their family in order to evaluate their medications and to secure adequate follow-up and verify patient’s stability (Schader, et.al., 2008). They also maintain contact with family to address ongoing health issues and care transitions. The nurses in the nurse-led clinics coordinate patient care with physicians, ensuring that they would receive adequate and timely care appropriate to their condition and their related physical attributes (Rydeman and Tornkvist, 2005). For the more specific management of diseases, nurses in nurse led clinics assist in the patient’s self-management. These nurses support patient’s efforts in self-managing diabetes by engaging with the emotional context within which the patients live with their condition (Furler, 2008). They work with patients in a way which is consistent with how they incorporate self-care into their daily lives. These nurses also go through critical self-reflection while they are managing their patient’s condition in order to prevent the devaluation of the other support structures for diabetes. As implied from the above discussion, nurse-led clinics can be seen in the community and out-patient setting. They are often based in the rural areas or isolated areas which cannot easily access medical or hospital care. In the community setting, they provide support for hospital and doctor services. D. (2008). The emotional context of self-management in chronic illness: A qualitative study of the role of health professional support in the self-management of type 2 diabetes. BMC Health Services Research, volume 8

Audience Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Audience Analysis - Essay Example This in turn puts most of them in a comparable social-economic status. Majority are students and either unemployed or doing part-time jobs. In terms of interests, there is the aspect of politics and religion. My audience is comprised of young people who have opinions on virtually everything. They do appreciate politics, maybe not in a similar way though. As for religion, it is all diverse; they belong to varied religious groups from Christians, to Muslims to atheists. I would say that personally, I am quite similar to my audience in all aspects; the ultimate reason for the connection. Altogether, I expect that my audience will be appreciative of my document and me. This is because I voice the concerns of many of them. They are merely youth who seek to be heard by the authorities. They do have needs and expectations; desire for better education, better jobs, and better lifestyles. Perhaps there is a chance that they might dispute my opinion of exercising patience with the authorities as they are all out of it. I do hope though that they will find hope and motivation in the fact that I am willing to speak for them. My readers are well aware of details concerning my topic as it affects them directly. Therefore, they won’t have a problem with comprehension. We all do speak the same language as we belong to a similar affiliation. I will try and use simple enough language for everyone’s comfort. I realize that they may have issues about how I will exercise practicality with my document. I plan to work on this before writing

Regeneration and Keseys Essay Example for Free

Regeneration and Keseys Essay However, McMurphy was only able to defeat the nurse from what he learned when she defeated him in his bid to change the television schedule. Cheswick shows his hand higher and glares around. Scanlon shakes his head, and then raises his hand, keeping his elbow on the arm of the chair. And nobody else. McMurphy cant say a word. In this defeat, McMurphy learns that he must convince the patients of an idea before being faced with the nurse; otherwise, the patients become frightened of her and lose their nerve. Once again, McMurphy attempted to change the TV schedule, but failed again due to technicalities such as the vote of the chronic patients, and the fact that the meeting had ended before McMurphy was able to get the majority vote so the motion was not carried. This incident formed a bond between the patients against the hospital staff, and they had gained an important ally in Dr Spivey, an unwary double agent. However, In Regeneration the patients of Craiglockhart do not treat staff as if they were afraid of them. The doctors and nurses of Craiglockhart are less authoritative and are lenient with the rules of conduct. One of the VADs tugged at it. Theres room for two in there, she said, smiling, coaxing. Have I to get in with you? . The patients treat doctors with respect and are friendly towards other patients, however at times the patients appear to fear treatment. Theres no area of analgesia, Rivers said to Sister Rogers. Prior snatched up the pad. IF THAT MEANS IT HURT YES IT DID. On the other hand, in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest the patients treat nurse Ratched with minimal respect and some of the patients are very unprofessional in what they say and do to her and the other student nurses. It can be said that Craiglockhart is more civilised as a hospital, and nurse Ratcheds ward can be compared to a high school classroom where the patients are conspiring as to how they can defeat the nurse, similar to the way students may act together to outwit a teacher. Nurse Ratched constantly undermines her patients in front of one another to make them feel inadequate; almost emasculating them. Right at your balls. No, that nurse aint some kinda monster chicken, buddy, what she is, is a ball-cutter. On the other hand, Rivers sees his patients as his equals and treats them with high regard, even though Rivers himself is more intelligent and qualified than almost all of the patients that he treats. Patients in Ratcheds ward also resent the ward itself and its confines, and wish they could escape the dreariness of it all. The irony of this is that most of the patients who complain are not committed and are only in the hospital voluntarily, so they could walk out of the door at a moments notice; however, the patients are unable to do this due to nurse Ratched making them feel inadequate and therefore unfit for society. When McMurphy discovers that it is the Nurse who decides how long a patient spends on the ward, he is beside himself with anger, directed mainly at the other acute patients for egging him along against the nurse, when all the while they knew that it would only get him committed for a longer period. Conversely, we are given the impression that all the patients at Craiglockhart are committed, however they all have the freedom to roam most of the institution and the outdoor facilities such as the golf course Prior watched the amber lights winking in his beer. He was sitting in the shadowy corner of a pub in some sleazy district of Edinburgh. The patients are allowed to leave the hospital premises and are trusted to be responsible enough to return. In One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, patients are not even allowed to leave the premises without an accompanied pass. This is needed in order for McMurphy to take a group of the patients and Dr Spivey, one of the resident doctors of the hospital, on a fishing trip later in the novel. The fishing trip was organised by McMurphy for a number of reasons that could only possibly be contrived by a person of sound mind. The first of these reasons is to deliver a blow to the nurses control over the patients and to show them that they are in fact free to do what they wish. His other incentives were money, which he acquired from the remainder of the funds from patients used hire the boat, and also the chance to spend some time alone with a woman who would be accompanying the men on the boat, something that we can presume McMurphy has not been able to do for a while now. During the fishing trip, we are able to see the effect of nurse Ratcheds enfeeblement of the patients when they enter the garage to buy fuel. The mechanics at the garage are taken aback by the sight of patients from a psychiatric institution, and the awkward exchanges between the doctor and the mechanics only make things worse. It is at this moment when McMurphy comes to the rescue of the patients and confronts the workers at the garage. were every bloody one of us hot of the criminal-insane ward, on our way to San Quentin where they got better facilities to handle us. McMurphy lies and uses bravado to frighten the mechanics and empower the patients, who no longer feel as if they are the laughing stock of town and begin to order the workers around. This is an example of how mental illness is perceived in society at the time the book was set, and how the patients were able to overcome its stigma, if only for a short period. Their personal triumph was over once the patients had reached the fishing port and were confronted by sailors who took the opportunity to make suggestive jokes about the patients female companion, as they stood there helplessly, unable to defend her without the presence of McMurphy. In Regeneration, the reader encounters a similar stigma attached to mental illness. One particular case involves the character Prior, who is questioned about why he was not wearing his blue hospital badge. Prior retorts to Rivers question, stating that I wasnt wearing the badge because I was looking for a girl. Which as you may or may not know is not made easier by going around with a badge stuck on your chest saying I AM A LOONY. Prior assumes, perhaps from experience, that wearing his hospital badge would be a deterrent for women as nobody seems to jump at the opportunity to be involved with a mentally ill person. Another incident in involving the badge occurred with Sassoon when he went to the Conservative Club to meet Rivers. looking at the young man in uniform evoked, and then or perhaps he was being oversensitive? with a slight ambivalence, a growing doubt, as they worked out what the blue badge on his tunic meant. Once again, the reader is presented with a situation in which people change their opinions when faced with an outcast from society, someone who is irrational and is therefore supposed to be unacceptable to the general public. Near the end of Regeneration Barker introduces another psychiatrist called Dr Lewis Yealland. He is similar to Rivers in that Yealland is also highly respected and acclaimed on his work; however, the underlying difference between the two characters is in the way they treat their patients. Where Rivers would tend towards having a conversation with the patient to solve the problem, Yealland prefers to cast a dominating presence to the patient, neglecting their views and suggestions. No, Yealland said. The time for more electrical treatment has not yet come; if it had I should give it to you. Suggestions are not wanted from you, they are not needed. Yealland does not allow patients to express themselves as he feels that any self-diagnosis by a patient is a threat to his judgement, and this is intolerable in his treatment. Yealland can be compared to nurse Ratched, in that both the characters require dominance in a situation and superiority over those under their jurisdiction. Another difference between Rivers and Yealland would be that Rivers, as mentioned before, endeavours to resolve the problem that the patient is suffering from, thus curing the patient of his illness, whereas Yealland merely addresses the symptom arising from the illness and treats the patient to rid them of this. He eradicates the symptom, while this is only the tip of the figurative iceberg, and neglects the patients psychological problem, which caused the symptom in the first place. In the novel, Yealland serves a larger purpose as a metaphor for the control that the government exerts over citizens, indifferent towards the voices of individuals, for example, the voice of Siegfried Sassoon, which was ignored and discredited by the government in the same way Yealland ignores and discredits his patients views. Yealland provides the reader with a clear, yet cleverly concealed allegorical view of the novel where the same concept is repeated for a greater effect on the readers opinion of both the presentation of mental illness and the way it is treated, and also the governments approach to dealing with soldiers who cry out against the unjustness of war. Nearer the end of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, McMurphy throws a party one night for his farewell as he plans to break out of the ward and make his escape that night. The party is not sanctioned by the nurse who has no idea of its taking place, so McMurphy knows that he must leave otherwise he will be punished severely for his actions. On the night of the party McMurphy organises for a girl to come onto the ward and make love to Billy Bibbit, making him lose his virginity. McMurphys plan of escape fails and the nurse returns in the morning to find the atrocities that have taken place on her ward. She confronts Billy Bibbit about his actions, and he seems confident, however once the nurse threatens to informs Billys mother of his wrong doing Billy breaks down and pleads with her not to do so. Nuh! Nuh! His mouth was working. He shook his head, begging her. You d-dont n-n-need! Billy is so disturbed by the prospect of his mother finding out about his actions, that he takes his own life shortly after the nurse confirms that she will inform his mother. After this event, the ward changes dramatically. Patients who were not committed begin to leave; Sefelt, Frederickson, even Harding. McMurphy was taken away for a lobotomy, which succeeded in calming him down, but it did so to the point where he would not fit the description of a mentally ill patient, but more of a breathing corpse. The Chief cannot stand to look at this change in McMurphy so he resorts to suffocating him in order to put out his suffering once and for all. On doing so, the Chief escapes the ward by picking up the control panel in the tub room and throwing it through the window. This mirrors the event where McMurphy attempted to lift the control panel, the difference being that the Chief succeeded where McMurphy failed by learning from him. This event is a representation of the book as a whole, where one mans titanic struggle and failure managed to stimulate another mans will to live, and as one circle of life draws to a close, a new one begins. Emile Khan 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Ken Kesey section.

Causes for Japanese Film Remakes

Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Introduction Since the beginning of the 21st Century a new trend has become commonplace within the Hollywood horror genre, Japanese horror films are being purchased and remade for a new audience, removing the traditional underlying history and Americanising them for western viewers waiting for their next dose of fear and terror. In this dissertation I will explore the reasoning behind this influx of remakes, looking at the important roles people like Roy Lee and Vertigo Entertainment have played in their acceptance and successes. To do this I feel it is important to look at the state Hollywood horror was in before, and how films such as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) have changed things. As well as this I will look at the differences between J-Horror and its American counterpart, and how these have made them an appealing prospect for remaking. It will also be important for me to look at the academic theories behind remakes, and the different types of remake there are, using the work of Druxman, Leitch and Greenberg to try and help identify the different approaches used by Hollywood directors whilst tackling these projects. As well as investigating into why this has become so popular recently, and what examples there are in the past of similar situations arising, I’ll be attempting to predict how long this will last for, and the problems studios may encounter by doing it on a large scale. I will begin in Chapter One by introducing the work of Michael Druxman, Thomas Leitch and Harvey Roy Greenberg, summarising their writings on the topic of remakes and looking at how they each have different categories of them, depending on the new films style and the way it is released. I will look at Leitch’s theory of the â€Å"triangular relationship† (1990: 139) which helps to explain how remakes differ so much from other versions of adaptation. Along with these categories of remake I will attempt to give examples of different films which fit into the criteria, as well as relating them to the current trend of remaking J-Horror. In Chapter Two I will talk about the differences between Hollywood and Japanese horror styles, looking at both countries long histories in the genre, focussing on things such as folklore and local tradition, trying to discover why the two styles are so different. I will look at the origins and formation of the J-Horror style, along with the key films and directors associated with the movement. Before focussing on Hollywood’s history of remaking, and some of the reasons and thinking behind doing it, looking at films such as Yojimbo (1961) and Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954) as examples of this happening in the past. Chapter Three will be a case study based around Ringu (1998) and The Ring (2002), pointing out the differences and similarities between the two films. Through the use of illustrations I will identify important scenes where Gore Verbinski has either almost copied exactly or drastically altered the shot from Hideo Nakata’s original. I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other contemporary cases of J-Horror remakes, again talking about the cultural differences between the two countries and how in turn that has affected the look and feel of the two films. Finally I will conclude by looking at the future of remaking J-Horror, highlighting future films in development and how Hollywood is now exploiting new markets. I will summarise my findings from previous chapters and use them to try and predict how long this spell of remaking will last for and if it will continue to be as financially successful as it has been so far. Chapter One Categories of Remake Ever since the early days of Hollywood cinema films have been remade, reimagined and adapted for new, ever changing audiences. In most cases it has proven that if a film was successful the first time round a remake will be equally so. The producer or studio make the decision that the original story is still viable (Druxman: 1975: 13) and can once again make big money at the box office. This has led to this trend increasing rapidly over the last few decades, with fresh new material becoming harder to come by. Before I go into detail on the types of remakes and how they relate to the current trend of remaking Asian horror, I must clearly define what a remake actually is. A remake is much more than a film based on an earlier screenplay (Verevis: 2006: 1), as it can be broken down into even more definitions. The sequel/prequel, adaptation, homage, reimagining, film series and the retour aux sourced are all a type of remake (Delaney Potamitis: 2004: 1), with films falling under one of them. Leitch states that the reason remakes differ so much from other adaptations to a new media is due to the â€Å"triangular relationship† (Leitch: 1990: 139) they establish among themselves, the original film and the property in which both are based on. This has come about because typically producers of a remake pay no adaptation fees to the makers of the original film, but instead purchase adaptation rights from the authors of the based on property (Leitch: 1990: 139). This seems strange as it is the two films which will be competing against each other, often being found side by side on store shelves, and not the original property and the remade film (Leitch: 1990: 139). It is often the case that the original film benefits from the release of a remake, as it brings in a fresh audience who are often interested in watching the original film as well. In the case of Ringu, you can clearly see that the theatrical release of its remake caused its popularity to soar higher than ever before [fig 1.1] (pro.imdb.com). Many texts have been written regarding the subject of remaking film, and in particular looking at breaking the remake down into smaller more specific categories. The writings of Robert Eberwein, Michael Druxman, Harvey Roy Greenberg and Thomas Leitch, have defined multiple different types of remade film between them, from the wide and vague to the extremely specific. These books and essays can prove very helpful when comparing remade cinema, especially in trying to identify why the film in question has been remade, and the thinking behind it. I hope to use these definitions to help answer my own question of why there is such a high demand for westernising Japanese horror. In one of the first texts dedicated solely to the subject of the movie remake, Make It Again, Sam, Druxman sets out to answer three questions through the analysis of thirty three films and their remakes (1975: 9). These questions are â€Å"Why was the picture remade?†, â€Å"How was the remake different from the original as far as important story changes were concerned?† and â€Å"What was the critical reaction to the remake?† (Druxman: 1975: 9). When searching for a definition of a â€Å"remakeâ€Å" for his work Druxman decided that he would not take into account obvious sequels to films, and instead focus mainly on those that were based on a â€Å"common literary source† (1975: 9), such as an existing screenplay, novel, play, etc. Three major factors are described as driving â€Å"industry pragmatism† (Verevis: 2006: 5) in regards to Hollywood’s practice of remaking. Druxman argues that the first of these factors is that the studios’ decision to remake is a â€Å"voluntary one† (1975: 13) based on the fact that the script is still relevant today and could prove successful. However during the 1930s and 1940s, in the studio dominated era, they were forced to produce a certain amount of films every year (Druxman: 1975: 13). Producers found themselves with no alternative than to start using previously filmed movies as sources for new â€Å"B† and sometimes top-of-the-bill productions (Verevis: 2006: 6). These updated plots were essentially the same as their predecessor, with just the settings and characters being changed slightly. Druxman’s second point is that it was common practice for studios to purchase rights to plays, novels and stories, so that they could then produce multiple versions of these without giving the copyright holder additional payments (Verevis: 2006: 6). As Literary classics such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Three Musketeers where in the public domain, it meant that no initial payment would have to be paid for their dramatic rights (Verevis: 2006: 6). The final factor is simple economics; established films can be redone in order to exploit the ever changing production techniques and movie stars. That is why these old stories were, and will continue to be, constantly resurrected. If a studio has purchased the rights to something they will want to redo and release it as many times as possible in order to maximise their gain. Through Druxman’s definitions and in depth analysis of Hollywood remakes he comes up with three categories which he feels they can fall under; the direct, disguised and the non-remake (Druxman: 1975: 15). The direct remake category contains films that do not even attempt to hide the fact that they are based on earlier productions (Druxman: 1975: 15). Such productions may adopt a new title and make some changes to the narrative image (Verevis: 2006: 7), but it is basically the same film being remade, with not even the publicity campaigns hiding this fact (Druxman: 1975: 15). The main objective of these direct remakes is to draw in two types of cinema viewers. Those who have seen and enjoyed the original, and are curious about this new remake, and those who have heard good things about the original so want to view this version as the older is no longer in circulation (Druxman: 1975: 18). His second category, the disguised remake is a film which is either updated with little change, or completely retitled and then disguised, with the help of a new setting and original characters. (Verevis: 2006: 7). In either case though, the disguised remake doesn’t wish to draw attention to the fact that it’s not an original piece, instead just promoting itself as a normal film. Finally Druxman says there are non-remakes, films retaining the title of a well known story (Druxman: 1975: 15), as well as possibly referring to the name of a well known author, strictly for commercial purposes. Basically all the remake and the original share in common is the title, but the content is extremely different in each case (Verevis: 2006: 7). A perfect example of Druxman’s non-remake would be The Ring Two (2005) as the film shares the same name as its original (in its American release title at least), but that it pretty much where the similarities end. It is interesting to point out that the film is remade by Hideo Nakata, the director behind the original, clearly placing this remake within Robert Stams category of autocitation, in which a film maker remakes his/her own film (Verevis: 2006: 21). A further relevant example of this is Takashi Shimizu’s American film The Grudge a remake of his earlier Japanese language Ju-on: The Grudge (2003). In Harvey Roy Greenberg’s article â€Å"Raiders of the Lost Text: Remaking as Contested Homage in Always†he expands upon Druxman’s â€Å"commercially grounded† (Verevis: 2006: 8) groups and comes up with three categories which instead focus on the directors reasons for remaking a film. His categories center around the example of the romantic war fantasy A Guy Named Joe (1943) and its Steven Spielberg remake, Always (1989). Using this as an example of what Verevis translates as a â€Å"acknowledged, transformed remake† (2006: 9), with the film having huge changes made to the characters, location and general story telling. But still making sure to acknowledge the original, like in the case of Always a small mention is given in the credits. Much like Druxman he also names two other categories in which he feels remakes fall under. The acknowledged, close remake much like Druxman’s direct (1975:15) category, is when a remake completely replicates the original, with little to no change made to its narrative structure (Verevis: 2006: 9), and the unacknowledged, disguised remake is when both minor and major changes are made to the time, settings and characters. But the original version is not referred to and the audience are not informed of there even being one (Verevis: 2006: 9), similar to Druxman’s category of disguised remake. Thomas M. Leitch gives a much â€Å"more developed† (Verevis: 2006: 11) taxonomy of remakes. He claims that remakes seek to define themselves through either primary reference to the original film, or to the material both are adapted from, and there are four possible stances of remake that a film can fall under (Leitch: 1990: 142). The readaptation is the simplest of these stances, ignoring earlier cinematic adaptations in order to readapt an original literary property as faithfully as possible (Verevis: 2006: 12). The readaptations goal is â€Å"fidelity to the original text† (Leitch: 1990: 142), which it aims to translate as thoroughly as possible into the new film medium. Unlike the readaptation, the update competes directly with its literacy source, instead of seeking to subordinate itself to the essence of a literacy classic (Verevis: 2006: 12). They transform the original text through such ways as transposing it to a new setting, changing its values, or making the original seem dated, outmoded or irrelevant (Leitch: 1990: 143). Films such as these updates often display their â€Å"contradictory attitude towards the material† (Leitch: 1990: 143) through their titles and marketing, sometimes even using a tone which verges on parody. For perfect example of this would be Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), a film which takes an established screenplay and changes its meaning, updating it for a new generation. The homage is a type of remake whose primary objective is not to disrespect and put down the original film, but celebrate and pay tribute to it (Leitch: 1990: 144). Much like the readaptation which seeks to direct the audience’s attention to its literacy source (Verevis: 2006: 13), the homage situates itself as a secondary text, with its only value depending on its relation to the original text they pay tribute to (Leitch: 1990: 144). Therefore the homage renounces any claims that it is better than its original and attempts to reintroduce films that are in danger of being lost and forgotten (Leitch: 1990: 144). Leitch’s final category, the true remake is the complete opposite to the homage, claiming that it is better than its original (Verevis: 2006: 13). It focuses on a cinematic original with an accommodating stance and seeks to update the original, making its more relevant to a new modern audience (Leitch: 1990: 145). More than any of the other categories it borrows largely from the unacknowledged film, instead of being a reinvisioning of a literacy text (Leitch: 1990: 145). As well as these three major taxonomies on remakes from Leitch, Druxman and Greenberg, Robert Eberwein has published an elaborate list, proposing fifteen individual categories, each with many subdivisions (Verevis: 2006: 11). Ranging from the obvious such as a silent film remade as a sound film (Eberwein: 1998: 28) to the much more specific, â€Å"A remake that changes the race of the main characters† (Eberwein: 1998: 30). His taxonomy doesn’t address the issue of film adaptations, (Eberwein: 1998: 31) but regardless is a comprehensive and extremely specific list of categories which film can easily be slotted into. Chapter Two Different Styles of Horror It’s fairly clear to see, even to the most casual of audiences that Hollywood and Asia have extremely different styles of horror cinema, focussing on very different aspects and using different techniques to produce an element of fear. The west has a long history of horror cinema, starting with the early gothic in films such as Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) and James Whales’ Frankenstein (1931), before going through a more paranoid stage focussing on unease and a sense that things are not right in the world, such as John Carpenters Science Fiction horror The Thing (1982). In recent times though â€Å"horror has become the domain of the slasher movie† (Maher: 2005: 14), with the likes of Friday the 13th(1980), Halloween (1978) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) giving rise to a new genre, one which would reshape the future of horror for almost 20 years. Towards the end of the 20th century it had become the norm for horror cinema to be all about multiple grotesque killings, limited back-story and a very formulaic approach to making the films. With the audience expecting certain key things when watching a horror film, such as, big jumpy moments, psycho-killers who never quite die and conventions such as the â€Å"Final Girl†. As Gore Verbinski, director of The Ring puts it â€Å"slasher films contextualise the horror so you watch it, eat your popcorn, go through a few jumps, and then go out for dinner† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), it was no longer fresh and exciting in the way it was in the early 1980s. Wes Craven changed all this in 1996 with the first of his Scream trilogy, the ironic slasher movie has run out of â€Å"nudge-nudge and wink wink† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) and it was now time for a smarter type of horror, one which was very aware of its audience knowing the key conventions, and which would use this to its advantage. The Scream films make use of the previously subtle and covert intertextual references and transform them into a very overt, discursive act. The movie characters knowledge of the horror genre rivals that of this new very aware target audience, and no longer tries to patronise them and act oblivious, with even the rules of horror sequels being discussed in detail in the following Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). The dismantling and parody riddled approach to the slasher genre continued with the Scary Movie (2000) franchise, this time not just giving a smart alternative to current horror cinema but completely mocking every aspect of it. Although these films and there sequels did very well at the box office, they had done serious damage to the American horror genre (Braundu: 2005: 118), the age of the slasher genre was over and Hollywood studios needed to find a way to invent horror for a new audience. In 1998 â€Å"Japanese suspense maestro† (Maher: 2005: 14) Hideo Nakata’s small budget Japanese horror film Ringu had revived a stagnant genre for the country, and had become a â€Å"cinematic phenomenon† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) across Asia, quickly becoming the most successful horror film franchise in Japan’s history. (Arnold: 2002:16) The story of a mysterious video tape which kills everyone who watches it exactly one week later became an underground cult classic within the west (Maher: 2005: 14), providing a kind of deep unsettling horror which had never been seen before. The film is based largely on the book of the same name by Koji Suzuki, who has been dubbed â€Å"the Stephen King of Japan† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), which was published in 1991. Suzuki’s downbeat, everyday settings have proven to translate well into film, (Donald: 2005: 9) with another one of his books, Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Dark Water, 2002) from 1996 also being adapted and remade for an American audience. Roy Lee, arguably the best known go-between in the world of remakes (Frater Kay: 2003: 10) and one half of the new Vertigo Entertainment, was one of the first big name American film producer to watch Ringu and it was this viewing that triggered the start of the Asian remake boom. On Lee’s recommendation the film was watched by Dreamworks Production Executive Walter Parkes and by 7pm that same day they had â€Å"paid $1m for the remake† rights (Frater Kay: 2003: 10). The history of the Japanese horror film is arguably as big as that of Hollywood and the West’s. With its roots firmly set in folklore, myth and urban legend (Langford: 2005: 175) it has progressed from woodblock carvings, to Kabuki theatre and finally to motion picture cinema. The main premise of the horror is based around the ghost story, at least up until the late 20th century. Story’s known as Kaidan (literally translated to â€Å"tail of a strange apparition†) originating from the Edo and Meiji period where passed down from generation to generation, retold in an ever changing medium (Stamou: 2007). The average Japanese person is more inclined to believe in ghosts than not, due to the culture and the way they are constantly exposed to these tales of terror. They believe that spirits inhabit absolutely everything (Rucka: 2005) and because of this don’t regard them as enemies, but as just another thing which co-exists within their world (Kermode: 2005). As Walter Salles, director of Dark Water (2005) puts it, â€Å"they don’t question it the way we question it, it’s much more a part of their world† (Kermode: 2005). Due to the unquestioning of the paranormal and the Buddhist and ShintÃ…Â  religious followings they are much more acceptant to the idea of life after death. This view of life, death and the afterlife is the fundamental difference between Japanese horror and its western counterpart, and where all the other differences stem from (Rucka: 2005). As Hideo Nakata says, â€Å"when making horror films, the methods of describing the spirit world and the expression of horror are totally different between Japan and the West† (Kermode: 2005). As is common within the Japanese language there are names for multiple different types of ghost and spirit. The ghosts and demons of the ancient period tales where known as the Yurei (lean ghost), the Zashiki-warashi is a dead child’s ghost, like the character of Toshio in Ju-on: The Grudge. One of the most common kinds of ghost though is the OnryÃ…Â  (resentful spirit), a spirit trapped at Yomi (Japanese purgatory) who comes back to earth looking for revenge (Stamou: 2007). Although not limited to being female, such as Rentaro Mikuni’s husband character in Kwaidan (1964) for example, the majority of them are (Wilks: 2006). It is this image of the OnryÃ…Â  which comes to mind when you think of Japanese horror, the female spirit gowned in snow-white, with its long black hair obscuring its face. This is mainly due to the new wave of Japanese directors such as, Takashi Miike (Ôdishon, 1999), Hideo Nakata (Ringu), Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Kairo, 2001) using it at every opportunity, making it as â€Å"iconic in horror cinema as the projectile-vomiting, spinning head† (Wilks: 2006). 1964 saw the release of what many regard as one of Japans greatest horrors, Kaidan (Kwaidan, 1964). Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on four short stories by author Lafcadio Hearn, it uses abstract use of lighting and sound, creatively staged and shot in vibrant colours (Rucka: 2005). Keiko Kishi’s performance as Yuki The Ice Maiden sparked such terror within the Japanese population, that now only the passing glimpse of the likes of Sadako in Ringu and Kayako in Ju-on: The Grudge ignite utmost fright, due to the accumulated cultural knowledge of this character (Wilks: 2006). After years of Japanese horror plodding along in a stale state, influenced more by American slashers than its own rich heritage, a young director called Norio Tsurta decided he had had enough and it was time for a change. Japan was no longer the fantastically safe country it once was, and the Japanese people were starting to feel the ills of the outside world encroaching on them (Lovgren: 2004), and this was starting to be shown through their cinema. Tsurta’s Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories, 1991) was the first of these, providing through low budget production, the look, mood and style which would later be known as J-Horror (Rucka: 2005). The term J-Horror was originally coined as a cult fan term (Rucka: 2005) for the post Ringu horror cinema which was coming out of Japan, although now it is often wrongly used to define Japanese horror as a whole. This revitalised horror scene fronted largely by Hideo Nakata after the phenomenal success of his film Ringu, completely revived the Japanese horror scene and caught the eye of film fans and studios all around the world. The common theme within J-Horror is once again ghosts, OnryÃ…Â  and the supernatural, but other more violent torture based films can also be included under the banner, for example Takashi Miike’s Ôdishon (Audition). For the most part though the films were very similar in style and overall theme to each other, with the following being the most notable examples; Nakata’s Ringu, Kaosu (Chaos, 1999), Ringu 2 (1999) and Honogurai mizu no soko kara. Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse (2000), Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000), Ju-on: The Grudge, Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003), Marebito (2004) and Rinne (Reincarnation, 2005). Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kyua (Cure, 1997), Kairo (Pulse, 2001) and Sakebi (Retribution, 2006), and Takashi Miike’s Chakushin ari (One Missed Call, 2004). The Japanese horror style has an â€Å"eerie ambient quality† (Maher: 14: 2005) about it which differs largely from its western counterpart. As noted previously, in the traditional Japanese horror movie the â€Å"past haunts the present, invariably taking the form of the supernatural† (Schneider and Williams: 6: 2005). Where, as director Rob Zombie (Halloween, 2007) points out, in American horror â€Å"you’ve gotta kill someone in the first five seconds† (Chaffin: 2005). J-Horror takes a very different approach to this, focussing on delivering heavy â€Å"atmosphere, nuance and ambiguity† (Chaffin: 2005), instead of raw grotesque gore, mainly due to the fact that the Japanese audience is much more tolerant of it (Phelan: 10: 2005). In Japanese horror films there’s much more of an acceptance towards the irrational and the unexplained (Lovgren: 2004). Nakata says that the ghost need do nothing more than â€Å"stand behind and stare at the main character† (Davies: 2005) to create fear amongst the audience, it all comes from sounds, shadows and suggestions, you don’t need â€Å"a 3D creature lopping people’s heads off† (Lovgren: 2004). Takashi Shimizu compares the current J-Horror style to films by American director John Carpenter, such as The Thing (1982) and Halloween. Saying that â€Å"just the suggestion of the presence of a ghost is frightening† (Dixon: 7: 2005), whereas Sarah Michelle-Gellar, star of The Grudge, describes Asian horror as being â€Å"much more beautiful, more poetic, leaving much more to the imagination† (Baughan: 78: 2005), a view which seems to be shared by many. Western horror plots normally evolve around the idea that the characters discover the cause of the horror and then destroy it, but J-Horror works very differently to this. As Stephen Susco, the writer in charge of translating Ju-on: The Grudge for the remake puts it, Asian horror is more â€Å"like a haunted house that follows you† (Kay: 7: 2004), there’s no limits or barriers to the horror. For example in Ringu where Sadako Yamamura climbs out of the television set, breaching any line which might keep you safe. In the west a ghost is often required to want something much more meaningful and have a deeper back-story, whereas â€Å"in Japan a ghost may simply want to terrify and destroy† (Phelan: 10: 2005). It’s the little differences like this which make these variations on the horror genre so different, where Hollywood mostly relies on over the top multiple sequences of death, Japan still has its roots firmly placed amongst the aesthetics of folklore, Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre (McRoy: 214: 2006). Although history would suggest that Europe was the first stop of film makers and studio’s looking to remake a movie for a world audience, Japan has long been a â€Å"happy hunting ground for Hollywood remakers† (Shackleton Schilling: 2003: 17). First beginning in 1960 with The Magnificent Seven, John Sturges’ classic remake of the cult hit Shichinin no samurai, and then followed by Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), a remake of the Japanese film Yojimbo. In fact Yojimbo was remade once again in 1996 in the Bruce Willis lead crime drama Last Man Standing, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s screenplay that it was still deemed worthy of a remake over 30 years later. Literally the largest example of Hollywood remaking a Japanese movie though is Godzilla (1998), Roland Emmerich’s re-envisioning of the then twenty two film monster series, beginning in 1954 with Goijira (Godzilla). It was this film which became one of the first early examples of a foreign film becoming â€Å"Americanised†, even though it was given a (very limited) subtitled theatrical run it was still remade two years later as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), with numerous new scenes shot and inserted into the original Japanese film, completely changing the plot and removing any real trace that it was a foreign made production (godzylla.com). As Mike Macari, Fine Line’s Creative Executive and avid Asian film fanatic, states Hollywood has always had the ability to â€Å"import foreign ideas and re-export them to a world market† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9), remakes have always been a very important part of American film making, but in the last ten years this is becoming even more so. As the mainstream Hollywood audiences’ become bored and overexposed to the current market the studios are forced to look elsewhere for inspiration, Walter Parkes says that Hollywood’s â€Å"voracious appetite† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) will look wherever it can for new material and inspiration. American children have been â€Å"growing up on Pokemon, Japanese anime and manga† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) for the past ten years, which has meant that as they become adults they’ve become more accustomed to the Japanese style, whereas fifteen years ago they wouldn’t be so open to it. Roy Lee states that he looks for â€Å"something new and fresh in the story that will appeal to a wider audience† (Paquet: 2003: 15), as long as it has an original concept and several strong scenes Hollywood can see potential in it for a remake. â€Å"Hollywood is a machine† (Maher: 2005: 14) and has proven that it can translate even the most cultural specific film into a box office success. Chapter Three Case Study As previously mentioned Hideo Nakata’s Ringu became the first film associated with the style of movie which would later be described as J-Horror. It came up with a fresh and exciting approach to its genre which would not only be used as a template for its western remakes, but the stream of replicas which would follow it in Japan. In this chapter I will be looking at the film in much more detail, comparing and contrasting it to Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood remake The Ring, in an attempt to identify how truthful it stays to the original, which parts are changed and westernised, and why this is the case. Although I am using Ringu/The Ring as my main example, mainly due to the fact that it was the first contemporary case of remaking Japanese horror, I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other films and Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Introduction Since the beginning of the 21st Century a new trend has become commonplace within the Hollywood horror genre, Japanese horror films are being purchased and remade for a new audience, removing the traditional underlying history and Americanising them for western viewers waiting for their next dose of fear and terror. In this dissertation I will explore the reasoning behind this influx of remakes, looking at the important roles people like Roy Lee and Vertigo Entertainment have played in their acceptance and successes. To do this I feel it is important to look at the state Hollywood horror was in before, and how films such as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) have changed things. As well as this I will look at the differences between J-Horror and its American counterpart, and how these have made them an appealing prospect for remaking. It will also be important for me to look at the academic theories behind remakes, and the different types of remake there are, using the work of Druxman, Leitch and Greenberg to try and help identify the different approaches used by Hollywood directors whilst tackling these projects. As well as investigating into why this has become so popular recently, and what examples there are in the past of similar situations arising, I’ll be attempting to predict how long this will last for, and the problems studios may encounter by doing it on a large scale. I will begin in Chapter One by introducing the work of Michael Druxman, Thomas Leitch and Harvey Roy Greenberg, summarising their writings on the topic of remakes and looking at how they each have different categories of them, depending on the new films style and the way it is released. I will look at Leitch’s theory of the â€Å"triangular relationship† (1990: 139) which helps to explain how remakes differ so much from other versions of adaptation. Along with these categories of remake I will attempt to give examples of different films which fit into the criteria, as well as relating them to the current trend of remaking J-Horror. In Chapter Two I will talk about the differences between Hollywood and Japanese horror styles, looking at both countries long histories in the genre, focussing on things such as folklore and local tradition, trying to discover why the two styles are so different. I will look at the origins and formation of the J-Horror style, along with the key films and directors associated with the movement. Before focussing on Hollywood’s history of remaking, and some of the reasons and thinking behind doing it, looking at films such as Yojimbo (1961) and Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954) as examples of this happening in the past. Chapter Three will be a case study based around Ringu (1998) and The Ring (2002), pointing out the differences and similarities between the two films. Through the use of illustrations I will identify important scenes where Gore Verbinski has either almost copied exactly or drastically altered the shot from Hideo Nakata’s original. I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other contemporary cases of J-Horror remakes, again talking about the cultural differences between the two countries and how in turn that has affected the look and feel of the two films. Finally I will conclude by looking at the future of remaking J-Horror, highlighting future films in development and how Hollywood is now exploiting new markets. I will summarise my findings from previous chapters and use them to try and predict how long this spell of remaking will last for and if it will continue to be as financially successful as it has been so far. Chapter One Categories of Remake Ever since the early days of Hollywood cinema films have been remade, reimagined and adapted for new, ever changing audiences. In most cases it has proven that if a film was successful the first time round a remake will be equally so. The producer or studio make the decision that the original story is still viable (Druxman: 1975: 13) and can once again make big money at the box office. This has led to this trend increasing rapidly over the last few decades, with fresh new material becoming harder to come by. Before I go into detail on the types of remakes and how they relate to the current trend of remaking Asian horror, I must clearly define what a remake actually is. A remake is much more than a film based on an earlier screenplay (Verevis: 2006: 1), as it can be broken down into even more definitions. The sequel/prequel, adaptation, homage, reimagining, film series and the retour aux sourced are all a type of remake (Delaney Potamitis: 2004: 1), with films falling under one of them. Leitch states that the reason remakes differ so much from other adaptations to a new media is due to the â€Å"triangular relationship† (Leitch: 1990: 139) they establish among themselves, the original film and the property in which both are based on. This has come about because typically producers of a remake pay no adaptation fees to the makers of the original film, but instead purchase adaptation rights from the authors of the based on property (Leitch: 1990: 139). This seems strange as it is the two films which will be competing against each other, often being found side by side on store shelves, and not the original property and the remade film (Leitch: 1990: 139). It is often the case that the original film benefits from the release of a remake, as it brings in a fresh audience who are often interested in watching the original film as well. In the case of Ringu, you can clearly see that the theatrical release of its remake caused its popularity to soar higher than ever before [fig 1.1] (pro.imdb.com). Many texts have been written regarding the subject of remaking film, and in particular looking at breaking the remake down into smaller more specific categories. The writings of Robert Eberwein, Michael Druxman, Harvey Roy Greenberg and Thomas Leitch, have defined multiple different types of remade film between them, from the wide and vague to the extremely specific. These books and essays can prove very helpful when comparing remade cinema, especially in trying to identify why the film in question has been remade, and the thinking behind it. I hope to use these definitions to help answer my own question of why there is such a high demand for westernising Japanese horror. In one of the first texts dedicated solely to the subject of the movie remake, Make It Again, Sam, Druxman sets out to answer three questions through the analysis of thirty three films and their remakes (1975: 9). These questions are â€Å"Why was the picture remade?†, â€Å"How was the remake different from the original as far as important story changes were concerned?† and â€Å"What was the critical reaction to the remake?† (Druxman: 1975: 9). When searching for a definition of a â€Å"remakeâ€Å" for his work Druxman decided that he would not take into account obvious sequels to films, and instead focus mainly on those that were based on a â€Å"common literary source† (1975: 9), such as an existing screenplay, novel, play, etc. Three major factors are described as driving â€Å"industry pragmatism† (Verevis: 2006: 5) in regards to Hollywood’s practice of remaking. Druxman argues that the first of these factors is that the studios’ decision to remake is a â€Å"voluntary one† (1975: 13) based on the fact that the script is still relevant today and could prove successful. However during the 1930s and 1940s, in the studio dominated era, they were forced to produce a certain amount of films every year (Druxman: 1975: 13). Producers found themselves with no alternative than to start using previously filmed movies as sources for new â€Å"B† and sometimes top-of-the-bill productions (Verevis: 2006: 6). These updated plots were essentially the same as their predecessor, with just the settings and characters being changed slightly. Druxman’s second point is that it was common practice for studios to purchase rights to plays, novels and stories, so that they could then produce multiple versions of these without giving the copyright holder additional payments (Verevis: 2006: 6). As Literary classics such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Three Musketeers where in the public domain, it meant that no initial payment would have to be paid for their dramatic rights (Verevis: 2006: 6). The final factor is simple economics; established films can be redone in order to exploit the ever changing production techniques and movie stars. That is why these old stories were, and will continue to be, constantly resurrected. If a studio has purchased the rights to something they will want to redo and release it as many times as possible in order to maximise their gain. Through Druxman’s definitions and in depth analysis of Hollywood remakes he comes up with three categories which he feels they can fall under; the direct, disguised and the non-remake (Druxman: 1975: 15). The direct remake category contains films that do not even attempt to hide the fact that they are based on earlier productions (Druxman: 1975: 15). Such productions may adopt a new title and make some changes to the narrative image (Verevis: 2006: 7), but it is basically the same film being remade, with not even the publicity campaigns hiding this fact (Druxman: 1975: 15). The main objective of these direct remakes is to draw in two types of cinema viewers. Those who have seen and enjoyed the original, and are curious about this new remake, and those who have heard good things about the original so want to view this version as the older is no longer in circulation (Druxman: 1975: 18). His second category, the disguised remake is a film which is either updated with little change, or completely retitled and then disguised, with the help of a new setting and original characters. (Verevis: 2006: 7). In either case though, the disguised remake doesn’t wish to draw attention to the fact that it’s not an original piece, instead just promoting itself as a normal film. Finally Druxman says there are non-remakes, films retaining the title of a well known story (Druxman: 1975: 15), as well as possibly referring to the name of a well known author, strictly for commercial purposes. Basically all the remake and the original share in common is the title, but the content is extremely different in each case (Verevis: 2006: 7). A perfect example of Druxman’s non-remake would be The Ring Two (2005) as the film shares the same name as its original (in its American release title at least), but that it pretty much where the similarities end. It is interesting to point out that the film is remade by Hideo Nakata, the director behind the original, clearly placing this remake within Robert Stams category of autocitation, in which a film maker remakes his/her own film (Verevis: 2006: 21). A further relevant example of this is Takashi Shimizu’s American film The Grudge a remake of his earlier Japanese language Ju-on: The Grudge (2003). In Harvey Roy Greenberg’s article â€Å"Raiders of the Lost Text: Remaking as Contested Homage in Always†he expands upon Druxman’s â€Å"commercially grounded† (Verevis: 2006: 8) groups and comes up with three categories which instead focus on the directors reasons for remaking a film. His categories center around the example of the romantic war fantasy A Guy Named Joe (1943) and its Steven Spielberg remake, Always (1989). Using this as an example of what Verevis translates as a â€Å"acknowledged, transformed remake† (2006: 9), with the film having huge changes made to the characters, location and general story telling. But still making sure to acknowledge the original, like in the case of Always a small mention is given in the credits. Much like Druxman he also names two other categories in which he feels remakes fall under. The acknowledged, close remake much like Druxman’s direct (1975:15) category, is when a remake completely replicates the original, with little to no change made to its narrative structure (Verevis: 2006: 9), and the unacknowledged, disguised remake is when both minor and major changes are made to the time, settings and characters. But the original version is not referred to and the audience are not informed of there even being one (Verevis: 2006: 9), similar to Druxman’s category of disguised remake. Thomas M. Leitch gives a much â€Å"more developed† (Verevis: 2006: 11) taxonomy of remakes. He claims that remakes seek to define themselves through either primary reference to the original film, or to the material both are adapted from, and there are four possible stances of remake that a film can fall under (Leitch: 1990: 142). The readaptation is the simplest of these stances, ignoring earlier cinematic adaptations in order to readapt an original literary property as faithfully as possible (Verevis: 2006: 12). The readaptations goal is â€Å"fidelity to the original text† (Leitch: 1990: 142), which it aims to translate as thoroughly as possible into the new film medium. Unlike the readaptation, the update competes directly with its literacy source, instead of seeking to subordinate itself to the essence of a literacy classic (Verevis: 2006: 12). They transform the original text through such ways as transposing it to a new setting, changing its values, or making the original seem dated, outmoded or irrelevant (Leitch: 1990: 143). Films such as these updates often display their â€Å"contradictory attitude towards the material† (Leitch: 1990: 143) through their titles and marketing, sometimes even using a tone which verges on parody. For perfect example of this would be Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), a film which takes an established screenplay and changes its meaning, updating it for a new generation. The homage is a type of remake whose primary objective is not to disrespect and put down the original film, but celebrate and pay tribute to it (Leitch: 1990: 144). Much like the readaptation which seeks to direct the audience’s attention to its literacy source (Verevis: 2006: 13), the homage situates itself as a secondary text, with its only value depending on its relation to the original text they pay tribute to (Leitch: 1990: 144). Therefore the homage renounces any claims that it is better than its original and attempts to reintroduce films that are in danger of being lost and forgotten (Leitch: 1990: 144). Leitch’s final category, the true remake is the complete opposite to the homage, claiming that it is better than its original (Verevis: 2006: 13). It focuses on a cinematic original with an accommodating stance and seeks to update the original, making its more relevant to a new modern audience (Leitch: 1990: 145). More than any of the other categories it borrows largely from the unacknowledged film, instead of being a reinvisioning of a literacy text (Leitch: 1990: 145). As well as these three major taxonomies on remakes from Leitch, Druxman and Greenberg, Robert Eberwein has published an elaborate list, proposing fifteen individual categories, each with many subdivisions (Verevis: 2006: 11). Ranging from the obvious such as a silent film remade as a sound film (Eberwein: 1998: 28) to the much more specific, â€Å"A remake that changes the race of the main characters† (Eberwein: 1998: 30). His taxonomy doesn’t address the issue of film adaptations, (Eberwein: 1998: 31) but regardless is a comprehensive and extremely specific list of categories which film can easily be slotted into. Chapter Two Different Styles of Horror It’s fairly clear to see, even to the most casual of audiences that Hollywood and Asia have extremely different styles of horror cinema, focussing on very different aspects and using different techniques to produce an element of fear. The west has a long history of horror cinema, starting with the early gothic in films such as Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) and James Whales’ Frankenstein (1931), before going through a more paranoid stage focussing on unease and a sense that things are not right in the world, such as John Carpenters Science Fiction horror The Thing (1982). In recent times though â€Å"horror has become the domain of the slasher movie† (Maher: 2005: 14), with the likes of Friday the 13th(1980), Halloween (1978) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) giving rise to a new genre, one which would reshape the future of horror for almost 20 years. Towards the end of the 20th century it had become the norm for horror cinema to be all about multiple grotesque killings, limited back-story and a very formulaic approach to making the films. With the audience expecting certain key things when watching a horror film, such as, big jumpy moments, psycho-killers who never quite die and conventions such as the â€Å"Final Girl†. As Gore Verbinski, director of The Ring puts it â€Å"slasher films contextualise the horror so you watch it, eat your popcorn, go through a few jumps, and then go out for dinner† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), it was no longer fresh and exciting in the way it was in the early 1980s. Wes Craven changed all this in 1996 with the first of his Scream trilogy, the ironic slasher movie has run out of â€Å"nudge-nudge and wink wink† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) and it was now time for a smarter type of horror, one which was very aware of its audience knowing the key conventions, and which would use this to its advantage. The Scream films make use of the previously subtle and covert intertextual references and transform them into a very overt, discursive act. The movie characters knowledge of the horror genre rivals that of this new very aware target audience, and no longer tries to patronise them and act oblivious, with even the rules of horror sequels being discussed in detail in the following Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). The dismantling and parody riddled approach to the slasher genre continued with the Scary Movie (2000) franchise, this time not just giving a smart alternative to current horror cinema but completely mocking every aspect of it. Although these films and there sequels did very well at the box office, they had done serious damage to the American horror genre (Braundu: 2005: 118), the age of the slasher genre was over and Hollywood studios needed to find a way to invent horror for a new audience. In 1998 â€Å"Japanese suspense maestro† (Maher: 2005: 14) Hideo Nakata’s small budget Japanese horror film Ringu had revived a stagnant genre for the country, and had become a â€Å"cinematic phenomenon† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) across Asia, quickly becoming the most successful horror film franchise in Japan’s history. (Arnold: 2002:16) The story of a mysterious video tape which kills everyone who watches it exactly one week later became an underground cult classic within the west (Maher: 2005: 14), providing a kind of deep unsettling horror which had never been seen before. The film is based largely on the book of the same name by Koji Suzuki, who has been dubbed â€Å"the Stephen King of Japan† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), which was published in 1991. Suzuki’s downbeat, everyday settings have proven to translate well into film, (Donald: 2005: 9) with another one of his books, Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Dark Water, 2002) from 1996 also being adapted and remade for an American audience. Roy Lee, arguably the best known go-between in the world of remakes (Frater Kay: 2003: 10) and one half of the new Vertigo Entertainment, was one of the first big name American film producer to watch Ringu and it was this viewing that triggered the start of the Asian remake boom. On Lee’s recommendation the film was watched by Dreamworks Production Executive Walter Parkes and by 7pm that same day they had â€Å"paid $1m for the remake† rights (Frater Kay: 2003: 10). The history of the Japanese horror film is arguably as big as that of Hollywood and the West’s. With its roots firmly set in folklore, myth and urban legend (Langford: 2005: 175) it has progressed from woodblock carvings, to Kabuki theatre and finally to motion picture cinema. The main premise of the horror is based around the ghost story, at least up until the late 20th century. Story’s known as Kaidan (literally translated to â€Å"tail of a strange apparition†) originating from the Edo and Meiji period where passed down from generation to generation, retold in an ever changing medium (Stamou: 2007). The average Japanese person is more inclined to believe in ghosts than not, due to the culture and the way they are constantly exposed to these tales of terror. They believe that spirits inhabit absolutely everything (Rucka: 2005) and because of this don’t regard them as enemies, but as just another thing which co-exists within their world (Kermode: 2005). As Walter Salles, director of Dark Water (2005) puts it, â€Å"they don’t question it the way we question it, it’s much more a part of their world† (Kermode: 2005). Due to the unquestioning of the paranormal and the Buddhist and ShintÃ…Â  religious followings they are much more acceptant to the idea of life after death. This view of life, death and the afterlife is the fundamental difference between Japanese horror and its western counterpart, and where all the other differences stem from (Rucka: 2005). As Hideo Nakata says, â€Å"when making horror films, the methods of describing the spirit world and the expression of horror are totally different between Japan and the West† (Kermode: 2005). As is common within the Japanese language there are names for multiple different types of ghost and spirit. The ghosts and demons of the ancient period tales where known as the Yurei (lean ghost), the Zashiki-warashi is a dead child’s ghost, like the character of Toshio in Ju-on: The Grudge. One of the most common kinds of ghost though is the OnryÃ…Â  (resentful spirit), a spirit trapped at Yomi (Japanese purgatory) who comes back to earth looking for revenge (Stamou: 2007). Although not limited to being female, such as Rentaro Mikuni’s husband character in Kwaidan (1964) for example, the majority of them are (Wilks: 2006). It is this image of the OnryÃ…Â  which comes to mind when you think of Japanese horror, the female spirit gowned in snow-white, with its long black hair obscuring its face. This is mainly due to the new wave of Japanese directors such as, Takashi Miike (Ôdishon, 1999), Hideo Nakata (Ringu), Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Kairo, 2001) using it at every opportunity, making it as â€Å"iconic in horror cinema as the projectile-vomiting, spinning head† (Wilks: 2006). 1964 saw the release of what many regard as one of Japans greatest horrors, Kaidan (Kwaidan, 1964). Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on four short stories by author Lafcadio Hearn, it uses abstract use of lighting and sound, creatively staged and shot in vibrant colours (Rucka: 2005). Keiko Kishi’s performance as Yuki The Ice Maiden sparked such terror within the Japanese population, that now only the passing glimpse of the likes of Sadako in Ringu and Kayako in Ju-on: The Grudge ignite utmost fright, due to the accumulated cultural knowledge of this character (Wilks: 2006). After years of Japanese horror plodding along in a stale state, influenced more by American slashers than its own rich heritage, a young director called Norio Tsurta decided he had had enough and it was time for a change. Japan was no longer the fantastically safe country it once was, and the Japanese people were starting to feel the ills of the outside world encroaching on them (Lovgren: 2004), and this was starting to be shown through their cinema. Tsurta’s Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories, 1991) was the first of these, providing through low budget production, the look, mood and style which would later be known as J-Horror (Rucka: 2005). The term J-Horror was originally coined as a cult fan term (Rucka: 2005) for the post Ringu horror cinema which was coming out of Japan, although now it is often wrongly used to define Japanese horror as a whole. This revitalised horror scene fronted largely by Hideo Nakata after the phenomenal success of his film Ringu, completely revived the Japanese horror scene and caught the eye of film fans and studios all around the world. The common theme within J-Horror is once again ghosts, OnryÃ…Â  and the supernatural, but other more violent torture based films can also be included under the banner, for example Takashi Miike’s Ôdishon (Audition). For the most part though the films were very similar in style and overall theme to each other, with the following being the most notable examples; Nakata’s Ringu, Kaosu (Chaos, 1999), Ringu 2 (1999) and Honogurai mizu no soko kara. Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse (2000), Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000), Ju-on: The Grudge, Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003), Marebito (2004) and Rinne (Reincarnation, 2005). Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kyua (Cure, 1997), Kairo (Pulse, 2001) and Sakebi (Retribution, 2006), and Takashi Miike’s Chakushin ari (One Missed Call, 2004). The Japanese horror style has an â€Å"eerie ambient quality† (Maher: 14: 2005) about it which differs largely from its western counterpart. As noted previously, in the traditional Japanese horror movie the â€Å"past haunts the present, invariably taking the form of the supernatural† (Schneider and Williams: 6: 2005). Where, as director Rob Zombie (Halloween, 2007) points out, in American horror â€Å"you’ve gotta kill someone in the first five seconds† (Chaffin: 2005). J-Horror takes a very different approach to this, focussing on delivering heavy â€Å"atmosphere, nuance and ambiguity† (Chaffin: 2005), instead of raw grotesque gore, mainly due to the fact that the Japanese audience is much more tolerant of it (Phelan: 10: 2005). In Japanese horror films there’s much more of an acceptance towards the irrational and the unexplained (Lovgren: 2004). Nakata says that the ghost need do nothing more than â€Å"stand behind and stare at the main character† (Davies: 2005) to create fear amongst the audience, it all comes from sounds, shadows and suggestions, you don’t need â€Å"a 3D creature lopping people’s heads off† (Lovgren: 2004). Takashi Shimizu compares the current J-Horror style to films by American director John Carpenter, such as The Thing (1982) and Halloween. Saying that â€Å"just the suggestion of the presence of a ghost is frightening† (Dixon: 7: 2005), whereas Sarah Michelle-Gellar, star of The Grudge, describes Asian horror as being â€Å"much more beautiful, more poetic, leaving much more to the imagination† (Baughan: 78: 2005), a view which seems to be shared by many. Western horror plots normally evolve around the idea that the characters discover the cause of the horror and then destroy it, but J-Horror works very differently to this. As Stephen Susco, the writer in charge of translating Ju-on: The Grudge for the remake puts it, Asian horror is more â€Å"like a haunted house that follows you† (Kay: 7: 2004), there’s no limits or barriers to the horror. For example in Ringu where Sadako Yamamura climbs out of the television set, breaching any line which might keep you safe. In the west a ghost is often required to want something much more meaningful and have a deeper back-story, whereas â€Å"in Japan a ghost may simply want to terrify and destroy† (Phelan: 10: 2005). It’s the little differences like this which make these variations on the horror genre so different, where Hollywood mostly relies on over the top multiple sequences of death, Japan still has its roots firmly placed amongst the aesthetics of folklore, Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre (McRoy: 214: 2006). Although history would suggest that Europe was the first stop of film makers and studio’s looking to remake a movie for a world audience, Japan has long been a â€Å"happy hunting ground for Hollywood remakers† (Shackleton Schilling: 2003: 17). First beginning in 1960 with The Magnificent Seven, John Sturges’ classic remake of the cult hit Shichinin no samurai, and then followed by Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), a remake of the Japanese film Yojimbo. In fact Yojimbo was remade once again in 1996 in the Bruce Willis lead crime drama Last Man Standing, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s screenplay that it was still deemed worthy of a remake over 30 years later. Literally the largest example of Hollywood remaking a Japanese movie though is Godzilla (1998), Roland Emmerich’s re-envisioning of the then twenty two film monster series, beginning in 1954 with Goijira (Godzilla). It was this film which became one of the first early examples of a foreign film becoming â€Å"Americanised†, even though it was given a (very limited) subtitled theatrical run it was still remade two years later as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), with numerous new scenes shot and inserted into the original Japanese film, completely changing the plot and removing any real trace that it was a foreign made production (godzylla.com). As Mike Macari, Fine Line’s Creative Executive and avid Asian film fanatic, states Hollywood has always had the ability to â€Å"import foreign ideas and re-export them to a world market† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9), remakes have always been a very important part of American film making, but in the last ten years this is becoming even more so. As the mainstream Hollywood audiences’ become bored and overexposed to the current market the studios are forced to look elsewhere for inspiration, Walter Parkes says that Hollywood’s â€Å"voracious appetite† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) will look wherever it can for new material and inspiration. American children have been â€Å"growing up on Pokemon, Japanese anime and manga† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) for the past ten years, which has meant that as they become adults they’ve become more accustomed to the Japanese style, whereas fifteen years ago they wouldn’t be so open to it. Roy Lee states that he looks for â€Å"something new and fresh in the story that will appeal to a wider audience† (Paquet: 2003: 15), as long as it has an original concept and several strong scenes Hollywood can see potential in it for a remake. â€Å"Hollywood is a machine† (Maher: 2005: 14) and has proven that it can translate even the most cultural specific film into a box office success. Chapter Three Case Study As previously mentioned Hideo Nakata’s Ringu became the first film associated with the style of movie which would later be described as J-Horror. It came up with a fresh and exciting approach to its genre which would not only be used as a template for its western remakes, but the stream of replicas which would follow it in Japan. In this chapter I will be looking at the film in much more detail, comparing and contrasting it to Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood remake The Ring, in an attempt to identify how truthful it stays to the original, which parts are changed and westernised, and why this is the case. Although I am using Ringu/The Ring as my main example, mainly due to the fact that it was the first contemporary case of remaking Japanese horror, I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other films and

Social Security :: essays research papers

Social Security The purpose of this paper is to analyze social security so as to show the reader what makes it beneficial to us today. . Throughout my life the words social and security have meant little more to me than the representation of a small blue card in my wallet, a consistent and increasingly significant deduction of funds from my weekly pay-check, and a vague academically-instilled recollection of the potential for long-term future benefit. In fact, it was not until I researched pertinent material for this particular project that I truly learned how markedly beneficial social security will be after my eventual retirement. Reflecting on precisely how ignorant I had been to the issue prior to my investigation, I realized a tragic irony which exists quite commonly within our society today; young people are not taught to save for retirement. I think that many of my friends do not even think much of saving for their college graduation, let alone for their retirement. Eventually, however, most of us will reach a point in our lives where work shall come to an end, yet the existence of living expenses will not. Social security, many of us find out; will provide us with a monthly check at this point. What we do not realize, however, is that this amount is not intended to be used as our sole source of income. Unfortunately, the tragic irony is that many of us reach retirement and realize too late how impossible it would be to live by no other means except social security. The reality is, that the program is but one benefit, one addition, and one financial supplement. Its intent is to be combined with other savings, IRA's, retirement funds and the like. Many senior citizens retire not fully realizing this and consequently, they are forced to seek part-time employment to supplement their income. This defeats the purpose of retirement all together. Since people often expect social security to pay for all or most of their living expenses, the disappointment that comes with retirement leads them to maintain negative feelings against the social security program which is actually at no fault whatsoever. Once you have reached your retirement age you must notify your employer and the government agency responsible for paying you benifits. This is the Social Security Administration. Arrangements must be made to carry private health insurance over into retirement, and applications must be filed for government health coverage. While social security is of great financial benefit to retirees, it must not be mistaken as a financial entity on which people can live without any other sources of income or savings. Social Security :: essays research papers Social Security The purpose of this paper is to analyze social security so as to show the reader what makes it beneficial to us today. . Throughout my life the words social and security have meant little more to me than the representation of a small blue card in my wallet, a consistent and increasingly significant deduction of funds from my weekly pay-check, and a vague academically-instilled recollection of the potential for long-term future benefit. In fact, it was not until I researched pertinent material for this particular project that I truly learned how markedly beneficial social security will be after my eventual retirement. Reflecting on precisely how ignorant I had been to the issue prior to my investigation, I realized a tragic irony which exists quite commonly within our society today; young people are not taught to save for retirement. I think that many of my friends do not even think much of saving for their college graduation, let alone for their retirement. Eventually, however, most of us will reach a point in our lives where work shall come to an end, yet the existence of living expenses will not. Social security, many of us find out; will provide us with a monthly check at this point. What we do not realize, however, is that this amount is not intended to be used as our sole source of income. Unfortunately, the tragic irony is that many of us reach retirement and realize too late how impossible it would be to live by no other means except social security. The reality is, that the program is but one benefit, one addition, and one financial supplement. Its intent is to be combined with other savings, IRA's, retirement funds and the like. Many senior citizens retire not fully realizing this and consequently, they are forced to seek part-time employment to supplement their income. This defeats the purpose of retirement all together. Since people often expect social security to pay for all or most of their living expenses, the disappointment that comes with retirement leads them to maintain negative feelings against the social security program which is actually at no fault whatsoever. Once you have reached your retirement age you must notify your employer and the government agency responsible for paying you benifits. This is the Social Security Administration. Arrangements must be made to carry private health insurance over into retirement, and applications must be filed for government health coverage. While social security is of great financial benefit to retirees, it must not be mistaken as a financial entity on which people can live without any other sources of income or savings.