Book Description
"It is very rare that you get this kind of expertise . . . with this level of communicative ability."-
Daily Yomiuri
Asian Extreme cinema is hot, and this book lays it out in all its gory glory. Patrick Galloway, who last looked at samurai movies in his well-received
Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves, now takes on Asian masters of suspense, exploitation, the supernatural, and bone-chilling, blood-curdling fear and evil. The films featured here are pan-Asian, including Korea and Thailand, and represent a mix of classics and the contemporary cutting edge. Included are viewing tips and overviews of genres and cultures.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read - Setting the Record Straight.......2007-05-19
As an aspiring writer who was extremely impressed by the author's tone and style, as well as a fan of many of the films reviewed in Asia Shock, I am rather bemused by comments made by Vegan Viking from San Francisco. She writes: "Galloway mentions how Western audiences might not find cannibalism in Hong Kong such a stretch to imagine ... he shrugs it off by rationalizing along the lines of 'the Chinese eat a lot of weird food anyways,' implying that because the Chinese occasionally enjoy snake soup, it's only logical that they would break the universally held taboo against eating human flesh. I found this magnificently ignorant." These comments are just plain wrong. The movie in question is Three Extremes, a fictionalized account of real-life events in mainland China, and nowhere in his review does he say "Western audiences might not find cannibalism in Hong Kong such a stretch to imagine." Rather, Galloway discusses Chinese medicine's reliance on the body parts of some endangered species, then writes (pg. 69): "Such regrettable disregard for life has led many in the West to make the misguided leap of logic that Chinese people must not mind eating their own as well, whereas in reality, cannibalism is no doubt as abhorrent to Chinese people as any other group." Where Vegan Viking got the impression that Galloway was saying the exact opposite is beyond me!
Luckily most readers who love these movies and are interested in learning more will get so much from Asia Shock that I can't recommend it enough.
Enthusiastic Summary of Extreme Asian Cinema.......2007-03-22
One of the most vital and exciting developments in the last decade has been the trans-national dissemination of horror films from the east. Often made with one eye firmly on the international market, these films travel very well, without totally foregoing their own cultural specificity. Hideo Nakata's "Ring" has become the totemic film from which all other J-horror has been inspired and although I think western audiences have finally tired of the creepy kids and the long haired ghosts, these films remain persistently innovative and challenging. Galloway's very readable and entertaining book brings together a number of films from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, that could be loosely categorised as Extreme Asia. It must be noted that Galloway's book is an entirely subjective summary of films which have left an impression on him. It is in no means academic, which lends itself to a wider audience. Therefore Asia Shock is more a device to generate debate and to encourage those with more explorative tastes to seek out material from more exotic climes. In this respect the book succeeds totally. I particularly liked the book because of the number of South Korean films include; films such as "Oldboy," Tale of Two Sisters," and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" are nothing short of masterpieces and deserve too be recognised by a wide audience. This is Mr. Galloway's quest with Asia Shock and I for one certainly hope he succeeds.
Asia Shock is the connoisseur's definitive guide to the classics of this pop-culture genre........2007-03-06
Written by multinational traveler and lifelong student of Asian film culture and philosophy Patrick Galloway, Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand is a movie buff's guide to the horror and shock cinema of the far east. Asia Shock is not a comprehensive encyclopedia of all films in the genre, but rather a "reviewer's choice" of top shocking picks, some with in-depth reviews and some with capsule reviews, nearly all with extensive notes on unique cultural paradigms, viewing tips, and genre considerations. Focusing on over 50 critical and fan-favorite gory, chilling, and startling Asian horror movies, Asia Shock is the connoisseur's definitive guide to the classics of this pop-culture genre.
Sometimes crosses the line between connoisseur and otaku.......2007-02-28
Overall, as someone who enjoys "dark cinema" from Asia, I found this book very enjoyable, not only to learn about new titles that I may enjoy, but also to explore another person's perspective on films that I have already seen. Galloway definitely displays a genuine passion for the subject matter, as well as a profound knowledge of many aspects of Asian art and cinema. In addition to sitting back and enjoying the movies, he has clearly done a good deal of research on them.
However, I do take issue with the way in which some of the narrative veers towards the festishistic 'exotification' of Asia. Female cinemaphiles in particular will probably be put off by Galloway's repeated transformation into a dirty old Wan Chai cheek-toucher, unprofessionally slavering over the assets of various Asian actresses rather than over their performances.
I was also disappointed by an entry describing a Hong Kong cannibalism flick: Galloway mentions how Western audiences might not find cannibalism in Hong Kong such a stretch to imagine. However, rather than attributing such attitudes to racism and xenophobia, he shrugs it off by rationalizing along the lines of 'the Chinese eat a lot of weird food anyways,' implying that because the Chinese occasionally enjoy snake soup, it's only logical that they would break the universally held taboo against eating human flesh. I found this magnificently ignorant.
If you are a person who hates even the slightest hint of a spoiler, then this book is definitely not for you. Understandably, it's very difficult to write a movie review without revealing some of the plot, and Galloway is often put in the difficult position of writing about a movie that simply cannot be described or explored without tearing the gift wrapping of the film just a little bit. Ultimately, this book is best as a companion piece, and readers may wish to do as I did and skip the entries for the films they haven't yet seen, while revisiting and gaining new perspective on films they have already enjoyed.
Brilliant!.......2006-11-28
I picked up this book because I already have the same author's book on Samurai movies. It's clear that Patrick Galloway has a deep and discerning love for this material -- the world of Asian cinema is rich and rewarding, but if you're not too familiar with it it can seem too daunting to explore. That's where this book comes in: it not only looks at specific films and genres, but it puts everything into the larger context, so you can really learn about the deeper aspects of what is going on in a particular film. Whether you are new to Asian film, or a long-time aficionado of these particular horror films, there's a lot to learn, and this book is a fun and comprehensive way to really dig deeper.
Book Description
The Cinema of Japan and Korea is the second volume in the new Twenty-Four Frames series that studies national and regional cinema. Focusing on the vibrant practices of Japanese and Korean cinema. Each of the twenty-four concise and insightful essays consider one significant film. The editor has compiled a unique introduction to the cinematic output of each country. The work of directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Takeshi Kitano, Kenji Mizoguchi, Kinji Fukusaku, Ki-young Kim, Nagisa, Oshima, Ki-duk Kim and Takashi Miike are discussed. The collection includes in-depth studies of films such as Battle Royale, Audition, Violent Cop, In the Realm of the Senses, Tetsuo Two: Body Hammer, Stray Dog, A Page of Madness and Godzilla.
Customer Reviews:
An enthusiastic but confused effort.......2006-12-07
This book contains quite a few facts about various Japanese and Korean films and filmmakers, and the authors are clearly enthusiastic about their subject matter. However, the organization of the book and its chapters is so poor that it's difficult to discern exactly what the point of the essays are. Each chapter centers, at least for a few sentences, on a single movie, but most quickly spiral off into amorphous discussions of related people, movies, and topics. There is a good amount of speculation--discussion is filled with phrases such as "it is easy to image that," "it is quite possible that," and the word "arguably." Further, the content of the chapters is not coordinated, resulting in repetition and a lack of an overall structure.
I would read this book if you are interested in the particular movies or directors it mentions. But if you're looking like an overview and analysis of Korean and Japanese cinema like I was, then I would suggest looking somewhere else.
Richness of Film.......2005-08-28
The Cinema of Japan and Korea, part of Wallflower's 24 Frames series, consists of 24 essays, 13 Japanese and 11 Korean films, written by a number of individuals from academic or journalistic backgrounds. Arranged in chronological order, beginning with Kinugasa Teinosuke's A Page of Madness (1926) to Park Chan Wook's Joint Security Area (2000), each essay delves into several aspects of each film such as the Italian, French, and Soviet influence on Kinugusa, the feministic/misogynistic qualities of Kim Ki Duk's The Isle, and modernity and Japan as represented by Tsukamoto Shinya's Tetsuo films.
However, the main aspect that I enjoyed about the book was not so much the detailed analysis of the films, but the detailed background given in a few of the essays, especially those appearing at the beginning of the book. My favorites being Stephanie DeBoer's take on Shimizu Hiroshi's Sayon's Bell (1943) and Peter Harry Ris's essays on Choe In-gyu's Hurrah! For Freedom (1946) and The Guest and My Mother (1961). The DeBoer essay details Japan's use of film in Taiwan. She writes on how the Japanese depicted the Taiwanese as an uncivilized, naïve people by always filming them performing simple daily tasks or by showing how awed they were by the Japanese who sought to enlighten them in order to make them a strong ally for the Japanese Imperial Army. Hurrah! For Freedom is Korea's oldest mostly extant film. There are older films made in Korea, but they were made under the supervision of the Japanese who occupied Korea from 1910-45. The essay on Hurrah! For Freedom also depicts Korean director attempts to produce anti-Japanese films during the occupation period and the difficulties they faced. Ris's essay on The Guest and My Mother tells the short history of Korean film during the early 1960s during which directors had the most freedom to create freedom until the last 15 years or so. Free from a militaristic government, directors were free to criticize the loss of traditional culture, the government, and the vapidity of modern South Korea.
Because most of Korea's pre-1960 films have been lot due to war and lack of preservation, the first few essays focus primarily on Japanese film, however, six of the last essays are on South Korean films. Not only does this show that the quality of Korean films has improved, but it also goes to show that the popularity of South Korean film is growing rapidly and spreading to a number of film markets where it was unpopular before. Not only is this book a decent source on the movies themselves, but it also gives the reader a brief history of Japanese and Korean Cinema.
Average customer rating:
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Asia/Pacific Cinema (Positions East Asia Cultures Critique, Vol 9, Number 2 Fall 2001)
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0822365200 |
Book Description
This special issue of positions is a collection of thought-provoking essays that challenges the ways in which the West has traditionally experienced Asia/Pacific film. Focusing on film texts from Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, the articles explore the powerful emotions of frustration and alienation that cinema can express in the face of modernization and globalization.
Contributors examine how specific filmsâincluding Haplos (1982), Chilsu and Mansu (1988), Fresh Kill (1994), and Princess Mononoke (1997)ârework folktales, literary sources, popular memory, lived experience, and history. Some of the films examined here incorporate supernatural elements and/or gay and lesbian narratives that provide an escape from the sexism, racism, homophobia, environmental destruction, and urban alienation that the filmmakers see as the defining characteristics of the postcolonial world.
Asia/Pacific Cinema posits that film, with its ability to play with memory, fate, and linear time, creates a space in which to consider alternatives to the dominant cultural, economic, and social norms.
Contributors. Jonathan Beller, Joan Kee, Kyung Hyun Kim, Helen Hok-sze Leung, Bliss Cau Lim, Gina Marchetti, Susan Napier, Esther C. M. Yau
Average customer rating:
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How East Asian Films Are Reshaping National Identities: Essays on the Cinemas of China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0773454985
Release Date: 2007-02-21 |
Product Description
This collection of essays explores the mosaic of East Asian cinema by focusing on issues of identity, history and trans-regional cultural flow within this dynamic region. The argument of the editors is firstly, cinematic cross-pollination within East Asian film has been a constant since 1945, and second, any discussion of the complex identity of East Asia and its national cinemas must consider regional historical issues. These arguments run counter to recent literature published in the field of East Asian cinema that claim responses to Western globalization and modernization are the shaping forces for Asian cultural identity.
Customer Reviews:
Great introductory textbook for college students on acoustic.......1999-01-03
Dr. Backus is a professor of physics but also a pianist and has a deep appreciation of both the intricacies of physics and the relationship of physical phenomena to musical instruments. This is a superb text for college music majors or physics majors although the latter would be disappointed by the lack of equations and obvious attempts to suit the book to music majors. I am a semi professional musician and found that this text satisfied much of my perpetual inquisitiveness about acustical instruments and how they work.
Book Description
Basic, step-by-step instructions for building a comb-back Windsor chair, using traditional methods. With the simplest of hand tools and a lathe, even the amateur can produce a beautiful chair. Each step is illustrated and the patterns for the parts are given, along with measured drawings. Finally, various jigs and specialized tools like the steamer are explained and methods of constructing them given. Jim Rendi has captured all the skill of the colonial chair maker and shares it with his readers. His Philadelphia Chair Company specializes in Windsor chairs of several traditional styles, but this comb back is among the favorite. A gallery at the end of the book shares other styles of Windsors that use much the same methods.
, 200+ color photos, 8 1/2" x 11"
Customer Reviews:
A terrific introduction to chair making.......2007-09-06
I was very pleased to see the detailed steps of windsor chairmaking explained and displayed in the photos. It's not rocket science but I would never have known how to begin this project without this book. Because of the clear instruction given in this fine book I'm going to attempt my first chair.
It's good, but I had help........2007-01-20
I have built two chairs under the guidance of Mike Dunbar. Mike also trained Jim. The procedures are very similar, so this book gives you insight into what Mike is teaching. There are some differences, but I don't think they will matter to you if you can translate the information in this book into a chair. I have shared a couple of images above to show you that it can be done. That chair started as a pile of rough lumber. Now it is one of my favorite chairs.
Very good book and the right format for this process.......2005-11-03
I have never made a chair, but have performed all the fundamentals for this project, but with this book I now have the confidence and a plan.
This book is very well formatted and the pictures are perfect for the process descriptions.
If you want history of these chairs, this is the wrong book for you. If you want t obuild one of these chairs...you've come to the right place.
Good book on Windsor chairs.......1999-12-09
This is an excelent, simple book on making windsor chairs. The format of the book is one of pictures with two or three lines of text describing the pictured operation. A good step by step reference for when you're building a chair.
Book Description
Like religious cults that can attract thousands of devoted disciples, is it possible for company brands to build legions of loyal followers? In a marketer's dream come true, can certain products—with the right combination of positioning and branding—take on magnetic characteristics and galvanize die-hard customers who become walking, talking viral marketers? Can your company harness the power of cult branding without blowing a fortune on advertising?
According to authors Matthew W. Ragas and Bolivar J. Bueno the answer is yes. In fact, you need not look much farther than a Harley-Davidson rally, a Star Trek convention, or a Jimmy Buffett concert to see the cult branding phenomenon at work: thousands of passionate, faithful fans spreading the good word and spending lots of money. Not all brands have the dash of edginess, the devoted fan base, or the niche positioning to be cult brands. But those that do tend to share similar characteristics that make them successful, what the authors call the Seven Golden Rules of Cult Branding. Through meticulous research and scores of interviews Ragas and Bueno have uncovered the remarkable and oft-untold stories behind nine very successful cult brands:
·Star Trek
·Harley-Davidson
·Oprah Winfrey
·World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly WWF)
·Apple
·Volkswagen Beetle
·Jimmy Buffett
·Vans Shoes
·Linux
These nine brands follow the Seven Golden Rules and have millions of fans and billions of dollars in revenue to show for it. Now you can learn first hand what these special brands did to set themselves apart and how to apply the Seven Golden Rules to your own marketing strategies.
Written for advertisers, marketers, sales executives, and business owners who want to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace, The Power of Cult Branding is the ultimate guide to creating a loyal core of repeat customers and winning the positioning battle.
Customer Reviews:
mostly filler.......2006-06-21
You could distill this entire book into a magazine article. It contains page after page of common sense filler, like explaining the Golden Rule, and such insights as "people like to communicate." And many of its premises -- such as all brands needing an enemy or rival -- are not substantiated by all 9 of their handpicked examples! At least Jim Collins made sure of that in "Good to Great" (a much better book). This book is filled with sloppy scholarship and derivative thinking by two no-names in the business.
Transformational!.......2005-02-16
BJ Bueno's mystical insight into the underlying triggers of human emotion helps us frame successful brands in the 21st Century with the clarity of 20/20 vision!
How not to write a book.......2005-01-29
OK- obviously they manage to practice cult branding because I bought the book but it was a waste of money because there was no informational meat to the marketing. The sparse bits of knowledge that this book can impart can be found in other business books that are much more informative. My boyfriend has this book on his bookshelf because he says it's a perfect example of how NOT to write a book.
imitation is the most sincere form of flattery..........2004-10-08
the truth be told, author Douglas Atkin began his research on cults and brands more than seven years ago. then his premise was discovered by Forbes about four years ago and eventually became the COVER STORY (in which he is cited) of Forbes on April 16, 2001.
Then later, this grad student did a thesis on the same topic and published it as a book.
Stick to the real deal: The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers by Douglas Atkin
Not a diluted, "borrowed" grad student thesis.
Perhaps this is one reason Atkin's book was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal and this grad student thesis was not.
I don't see what all the hype was about...........2003-03-25
It's a good book. It's got some fun stories about certain "cult brands" but it's nothing ground breaking. Sure I picked up some nifty tidbits about how big companies have done some "revolutionary" things, but it really comes down to customer service and doing what's right rather than what could create the highest profit margin.
I bought this book at the suggestion of Roy Williams (Wizard of Ads- GREAT books!), but it really just made me wonder if he's getting a kickback for the recommendation.
It's an easy read. If you've got time and you want to learn a little bit, go ahead and pick it up. But overall, I'd rate it as average and nothing groundbreaking.
Books:
- Attack of the 'B' Movie Posters (The Illustrated History of Moves Through Posters Series Vol. 14)
- Becoming Mae West
- Behold the Beauty of the Lord
- Black Film As a Signifying Practice: Cinema, Narration and the African American Aesthetic Tradition
- Blues Brothers: Private
- Bond Girls are Forever: The Women of James Bond
- Cagney
- Cine Mexicano: Poster Art from the Golden Age/Carteles de la Epoca de Oro 1936-1956
- Company of Heroes Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
- Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Second Edition
Books Index
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DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird And Wonderful Films on DVD: Redux
Japanese Horror Cinema
