A post about scary things on Halloween? Oh my, I must be some creative prodigy!
Anyway, it’s the season to be scared, and what better way to celebrate this holiday (which is not really celebrated over here in Europe, though it has its origin here. Go figure) than by telling you what scares the ever-living crap out of me. This way, you know how to create the perfect device to give me a heart attack. Ready for that shopping list? Here it comes!
Number 3: that eerie sound from The Grudge
I have to be honest here: I didn’t find both the English and the Japanese version of The Grudge that scary. Granted, they both gave me goosebumps and caused some sleepless nights, but they weren’t that great. So what was it then that caused me to wake up in the middle of the night, with a feeling somebody was watching me? That freaky, freaky sound from the movie. Seriously, something about that cracking sound just freaks me out. Trust me, simply looking up the YouTube video containing this fear-invoking tone had me almost crying.
Number 2: Sadako/Samara from The Ring
Yes, I am fascinated by the Japanese horror movie genre. After seeing the American version first and being scared by Samara, I thought that the Japanese version couldn’t be that much more scarring. Well, was I wrong! Though some scenes are just weird, the Japanese version feels much more intimidating and creepy than its Western remake. What did it for me was Sadako, who is just superior to her American counterpart. Her appearances are more sudden, her longer hair somewhat more disturbing and her Asian eyes would certainly turn me into a corpse.
Number 1: Silence
You know what’s the number one thing I love about Japanese horror? The silence. Well, I love it for the creepiness it generates. You see, Western horror movies actually tell you when to raise your hands and hide underneath your blanket: the music gets creepy, slowly preparing you for the imminent scare. Japanese horror movies don’t do that. They don’t give you a single clue. They are just like: “Oh look, it’s a normal day in a normal Tokyo suburb and you are jusHOLYCRAPALOTWHATTHEHELLISTHATCORPSEDOINGINFRONTOFMYWINDOW?!” Especially when you’re used to our Western ways, this approach will get you every time. This is why the number one thing that scares me is silence: you just don’t know what will happen. It also explains why I start talking nonsense when I’m nervous, filling the oppressive silence with gibberish. A sound is always better than no sound, especially when you know some videotape ghost is out to get you in less than a week.
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I don’t disagree about the usage of silence, but western films can also use your expectations to their own ends. I think both have strengths, though I do lean toward silence like you.
I totally agree about the silence when it’s used in horror films! I get so irritated by western horror films that force the scare out of you by a crazy crescendo of the music. It just feels so manipulated… whereas seeing something when it’s silent can be genuinely creepy without forcing you to jump out of your seat.
I find Asian horror films more scary ( not that I’m Asian, coz I am )… but I think The Exorcist is scary to me because the characters in the movie are all so soft-spoken…. so you’re right, sometimes, silence makes it even more eerie.