# A J-Horror Primer, Please?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-j-horror-primer-please/267051>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 1, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-j-horror-primer-please/267051 "2004-10-01T16:12:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-j-horror-primer-please/267051/1 "2004-10-01T16:12:00Z")

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After seeing the absolutely terrifying trailer for **The Grudge** last weekend, and having unfortunately missed the screening of the original, **Ju-On** , when it was showing here, I’m curious as to learning more about J-horror. I’ve recently been watching a number of Japanese movies in general ( **Audition** , **Ringu** , **Suicide Club** , to name a few) and I’d like to know more about the folkloric roots of J-horror, Japanese and American perspectives on the genre in both film and literature, a history of the genre, and what I should definitely make an effort to pick up at the video store (good movies, good directors, etc). Although I’m half Japanese I unfortunately don’t speak a word, and while I have some knowledge of Japanese supernatural folklore I don’t think I know near enough to have a working vocabulary with which to really enjoy some of these movies.

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**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-j-horror-primer-please/267051/2 "2004-10-01T16:49:58Z")

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I can’t help you with the history aspect of your request, but I’ll throw out a recommendation for **Dark Water**. Not a _great_ movie, but a nice atmospheric film.

**Ju-on: The Grudge 2** is passable (rent it), but not as good as **Ju-on: The Grudge**.

**Junk** is a pretty good Japanese zombie flick. I liked it better than **Versus** , although I am probably in the minority with that.

**Evil Dead Trap** is also pretty good for a b-grade Saturday Matinee type film.

For a suspensful crime thriller, I highly recommend **Angel Dust**. Not exacly “J-horror” ala **Ju-on** or **Dark Water** , but effective nonetheless. I give this movie 5 stars.