Week Four Writing Assignment

When considering what is so intriguing about “weird” storytelling, or rather any strange format of art there are a few things I gathered from reading China Mievelle’s novel, “King Rat.” Firstly, I think what can be so enthralling about a “weird” story is that is completely fresh and unconventional. If you ever imagined that a book had to fit into a certain format or that telling a story couldn’t be completely insane then you’d be captivated by, “King Rat.” For example the whole storyline that Saul is half rat in the first place is weird because not only is that perturbing, but you find out that his mom is a rat and that Saul is a product of rape. Which brings to life some disgusting imagery not only in my mind, but the minds of most readers. It’s almost too graphic, but you want need to know how the story will end which urges you to keep on.
            Another piece of the story I found particularly interesting was that the Drum and Bass controlled humans, which when reading I immediately made the connection that though that doesn’t legitimately happen, when people listen to Drum and Bass, Dubstep, etc. in a club setting they are commonly on ecstasy or other drugs that makes them actually lose control of themselves to enhance the experience.

            When I watched Cabin the Woods however it took the typical horror, “slasher” film on its head and it’s a completely different story than you expect. What makes this story uniquely weird is taking a horror movie, showing all the gore, but takeing human life and making it a pool going on in the office.  It was completely unexpected and refreshing.

Week Three Writing Assignment

Japanese Horror

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

Since I had formerly read Murakami’s, “A Wild Sheep Chase” I chose to read, “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn. I read the pdf form Google books posted on the syllabus. After I read it I went on Amazon and ordered a copy for myself because I loved the stories so much!

I had no expectations of what Japanese horror literature would be, but I found it much more captivating and twisted than some western horrors I have previously read.
Perhaps it was that some stories would end abruptly leaving you, the reader be pondering what just happened. Typically in western horror a viewer or reader knows there is going to be shocking scene and the ending will be neatly wrapped up so that and every single little detailed is explained to you. Unlike in the story, “Mujina” where the man sees a woman sobbing terribly and he asks her what was wrong and she turns around and has no face and he runs away frantically to a soba man for help and the soba man asks him if her face looked like ‘this’ and he reveals himself and he too doesn’t have a face either and the story ends. Just like that.
Another the aspect of Japanese horror differs that western horror is in western horror it’s always good versus evil and that anything supernatural is also evil and everything evil must be abolished, whereas in Japanese horror, good and evil coexist with other supernatural elements. The horror is the unknown, that people or things may not be as they seem. And people; good people just live amongst them, and avoid the evil happenings as much as possible It also becomes difficult to tell what is or isn’t  supernatural, or if something is or isn’t real and its up to the reader or viewer to decide. Having a more personal relationship with the story I thinking is an integral part of Japanese horror that western horror lacks. Both share the shock, gore and suspense of classical horror elements.