The J-Horror Virus is a 2023 British documentary film that explores the influence of Japanese horror around the world.
Directed and produced by Sarah Appleton (also editor) and Jasper Sharp.
From its origins in Teruyoshi Ishii’s 1988 fake documentary Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) and Norio Tsuruta’s seminal Scary True Stories (1991/92) straight-to-video series, through such key titles as Hideo Nakata’s Ring (1998), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse (2001) and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), critics and the filmmakers reflect on how the bleak dystopian visions and unsettling atmospheres that made these works so unique infiltrated their way across the world.
The movie includes interviews with Takako Fuji, Jôji Iida, Rie Ino’o, Teruyoshi Ishii, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Masayuki Ochiai, Takashi Shimizu, Hiroshi Takahashi, Shin’ya Tsukamoto and Norio Tsuruta.
FrightFest blurb:
“How did a single ‘Big in Japan’ videotape change the course of global horror history? Find out in this insightful documentary charting the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of Japanese supernatural chillers featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology against a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay.”
Release:
The J-Horror Virus had its world premiere at FrightFest on Friday, August 25, 2023, and will be shown again on Sunday, August 27. The documentary will be released online on October 11, 2023.
Reviews:
“Appleton and Sharp look at the differences between Western and Asian cinema, plus how the birth of the internet really transformed film and how these stories are communicated. Any even vague fans of J-horror will lap this up.” Bloody Flicks
” …a thought-provoking journey through the unique style and history of the J-horror genre told by those who helped it thrive, as well as critics who have studied the works in detail. The film creates a detailed, celebratory outline of the genre’s beginnings as well as a look at the wider societal climate in Japan and how this affected filmmaking as a whole, as well as how the releases modeled the public’s view of not only horror cinema, but the themes each picture tackled.” 4 out of 5, Filmhounds
“The J-Horror Virus sets itself apart from other similar talking-head docs by way of the actual content. These Japanese filmmakers have incredible insight into the intent, including what initially made these movies unlike any others from various countries. Vengeful spirits and the viral nature of legends transforming into curses are a constant thread tying them together.” 4 out of 5, Josh at the Movies
Trailer:
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