Describe How Children Learn, with Reference to Major Theories

Children’s learning and developmental theories How children learn is very important in child care and in understanding how a child is to development. As children who are deprived of stimulation in early years develop slower, this statement opens up a massive debate which has been unanswered for years, the nature v nurture debate. There are 3 models of learning that cover all this debate and strive to be the correct theory they are the transmission model, the laissez-faire model and the constructivist view. How children learn Firstly we must look at the different ways in which children learn. There are firsthand experiences, children need to experience and understand things, you can tell a child what snow is yet they won’t understand till†¦show more content†¦Skinner believed this was important in learning as adults teach children on a positive negative reinforcement basis, e.g if a child is good they receive a treat (positive reinforcement) and the child is likely to repeat the behaviour, but if the child is bad they receive a punishment (negative reinforcement) and the behaviour is likely to stop. Although both Pavlov’s and skinners research was performed on animals so how much can we contrast from the behaviour of an animal to the behaviour of a human. In my placement when a child is naughty there are methods used to discourage this behaviour, when a child is naughty there name gets put on the ‘thinking lily pad’ this indicates a child has been bad. The reinforcement is negative as no child wants to be there, whereas if a child is good there name gets put on the ‘fantastic flower’ this positive reinforcement encourages the children to behave and contribute to the lesson, if all children in the class are on the fantastic flower then a dragon fly gets moved to the top of the display board, when this has happened 6 times all children get a treat. This encourages the whole class to work together to behave, it works as whenShow MoreRelatedPiaget vs. Vygotsky1120 Words   |  5 PagesThe theory of cognitive development is defined as the development of the ability to think and reason. There are many theorists who have studied cognitive theories and the most famous is Jean Piaget. Cognitive development covers the physical and emotional stages of a child. The basic premise for cognitive development is to show the different stages of the development of a child so you can understand where the child might be in their development. 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Since educators play an important role in children’s development they should be familiar with developmental psychology and know of its educational implications in the classroom. There are two major approaches of developmental psychology: (1) Cognitive development asRead MoreChildhood Development And The Whole Child Concept Essay1365 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment from eight years old to pre-birth. Explain why it is important to understand early childhood development. It is important to understand early childhood development because it helps to understand the children better. In order for the teachers to meet the children’s needs, they have to know how and what they need to do. Learning early childhood development is also important because understanding early childhood development will allow the teacher to build a sound basis for DAP (developmentally appropriateRead MoreLearning and Development Theories939 Words   |  4 Pagesand Development Theories: Learning and development theories basically focus on environmental factors that impact peoples behavior like reinforcement, modeling, and punishment. These theories have been developed by several theorists in the field of psychology who have endeavored to understand the development and behavior of human beings. The efforts of these theorists have contributed to the emergence of several theories that explain their work. Actually, there are three major learning and developmentRead MoreThe Methods That Are Taught On Hurting People Hurt People By Dr. Sandra Wilson1484 Words   |  6 Pages 1 Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Summary 4 -7 Practical Application 7-8 References 9 â€Æ' SUMMARY Primary Goal The primary goal of this books is to view oneself as a way to reach others. Everybody goes through difficult trials and circumstances in their lives. Sometimes we carry deep wounds from these traumatic episodes in our lives. If we don’t learn how to work through those episodes of trauma, we may ultimately hurt others. We then create a generationalRead MoreMiddle Childhood Essay724 Words   |  3 Pagesmiddle childhood and adolescence development stage. Supportive family members and friends improve social development. The major change that occurs from middle childhood to adolescence is emotional maturation. During middle childhood stage, children develop more independence from parents and family. They understand more and can differentiate between right and wrong. Children at this age give more attention to friendship and teamwork, but continue to be strongly influence by their parents’ judgment

Political Risk in Venezuela Free Essays

The political climate in Venezuela is very unsettled, this is because of the course of action the president decides to take. However the biggest risk is to industry –type company’s that have major operations in Venezuela. This is exemplified in the operations of foreign oil companies and mining companies with operation in or with Venezuela. We will write a custom essay sample on Political Risk in Venezuela or any similar topic only for you Order Now The greatest risk in conducting business is straightforward expropriation. Another major risk that foreign companies face while operating in Venezuela is increased income tax. The tax rates tend to be subjective and can change depending on the revenue and size (growth) of the company. The largest risk facing any foreign company such as the proposed from class is converting the local currency (Bolivar) to outside currency. This is mainly because of the bureaucracy involved exchanging the currency, which is governed by the Central Bank of Venezuela and the National Exchange Control Administration. This is especially applicable to the U. S. currency because of current relations. * The additional expenditures accumulate because of time and resources required to transfer money abroad. Venezuela’s democracy is broken according to the standards of the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter. This may mean that changes to the political climate to further burden the operations of business will prove to be futile. Living Conditions Venezuela has a national poverty percentage of 52% according to the World Bank. There is considerable income inequality, especially in densely populated areas. This becomes a concern because Venezuela has had massive economic growth compared to historical percentages. The unemployment rate is 6. 6% at the year-end of 2009. This is considered to be low when factoring in that many people engage in subsistence farming and small-scale trade, which is not considered part of the unemployment count. There is a large gap in income where the population is considerably wealthy or poor to very poor. The population averages out to upper middle class income. The World Bank states that the GNI per capita in Venezuela is $12,370 USD in 2009 (The World Bank). However with 95% literacy rate we can deduce that many Venezuelans are well educated. This widens the market segment for products that involve interaction with the individual. One such example would be exercise products that come with routines by book and/or video. Inner city residents live in apartments, condominiums and small houses, which are in close proximity. The cost of living increases closer to the city center especially in large cities such as Caracas. The inner city residents are mostly middle class to upper middle class. Upper class Venezuelans live outside the city usually in the hills in gated communities. The lower class lives in slums located in the perimeter of the cities and use public transportation to go to the city center. The lower class may also live on estates and work for the upper class in large numbers especially on large farms. Reference http://data.worldbank.org/country/venezuela-rb www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35766.htm How to cite Political Risk in Venezuela, Essay examples

Role Of Caspase 3 And Other Important Proteins †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Role Of Caspase 3 And Other Important Proteins Such As The Inhibitors And The Promoters In The Process Of Apoptosis. Answer: Apoptosis is considered as a crucial physiological process that accounts for programmed cell death whereby elimination of the dead cells takes place by means of fragmentation into membrane bound particles that are eventually phagocytized by other cells. It is a stringently regulated genetic process and is triggered due to presence or absence of certain stimuli. In this context, caspases are referred to as family of endoproteases that is responsible for maintaining the homeostasis through regulation of cell death and inflammation. Depending upon their modes of action, these caspases have been classified into either initiator caspases or executioner caspases. Among these caspases, caspase 3 is considered as an executioner caspase that plays important role in cleaving and activating other executioner caspases thereby causing triggering of accelerated loop of caspase activation. Hallmarks of apoptosis related to chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation is carried out by caspase 3 apa rt from performing functions related to dismantling of cells and formation of apoptotic bodies. Specific cleavage of key cellular proteins and loss of cell viability are also performed by caspase 3. Activation of caspase 3 has been found to be largely dependent upon the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and function of initiator caspase, caspase 9 (McIlwain, Berger and Mak, 2015). Further studies have highlighted on the relative abundance of cellular proteins and their respective roles that account for cell death by apoptosis. Receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) has been identified as a governing factor that represents the activation of caspase 8 and eventual death of cells by means of apoptosis. Another role played by this protein allows for induction of the pro-inflammatory cell death termed as necroptosis in conjunction with another protein labeled as RIPK1 in response to the death inducing TNF- family member (Newton et al. 2014). However, the regul ation of apoptosis has been studied to be largely dependent upon and determined by the relative distribution of the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins that act as promoters and inhibitors respectively. In this regard, the physiological control exerted by the BCL2 protein family has been recognized to be vital for depicting the commitment of cells towards apoptosis through setting up of a threshold due to interplay among the members of the protein family. The BH3 domain subset of the BCL2 protein has been found to promote apoptosis through interaction of its components such as Bim, Bid, BAD and others. Other members of BCL2 family are held responsible for initiating the Bax/Bak dependent apoptosis in the mitochondria (Czabotar et al. 2014). Further research conducted in this context, confirmed that a complex network of bimolecular interactions comprising of both transient as well as relatively stable associations account for the regulation of the BCL2 family proteins rather th an a mere rheostat mechanism of maintain the balance and sensitivity of the cells towards apoptotic stress. BAX and BCL-XL follow a dynamic pattern of interaction to exert their potential apoptotic influence over the cells by shuttling between the cytoplasm and the mitochondrial outer membrane (Volkmann et al. 2014). References Czabotar, P.E., Lessene, G., Strasser, A. and Adams, J.M., 2014. Control of apoptosis by the BCL-2 protein family: implications for physiology and therapy.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology,15(1), p.49. McIlwain, D.R., Berger, T. and Mak, T.W., 2015. Caspase functions in cell death and disease.Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology,7(4). Newton, K., Dugger, D.L., Wickliffe, K.E., Kapoor, N., de Almagro, M.C., Vucic, D., Komuves, L., Ferrando, R.E., French, D.M., Webster, J. and Roose-Girma, M., 2014. Activity of protein kinase RIPK3 determines whether cells die by necroptosis or apoptosis.Science,343(6177), pp.1357-1360. Volkmann, N., Marassi, F.M., Newmeyer, D.D. and Hanein, D., 2014. The rheostat in the membrane: BCL-2 family proteins and apoptosis.Cell death and differentiation,21(2), p.206.

Why professionals choose to enter helping field free essay sample

Professionals choose to enter this field for various reasons, some personal, professional, or because they simply want to help others and give them a chance at a better life. Majority of the professionals get a sense of approval when helping others whether offering direct or indirect assistance. Some people chose to enter the helping field because many people around have children with disabilities or dysfunctions within the home and want to make a difference with them, helping them to have that support of the ones that have had the same experience. By learning more of how to help them and to find the best way to support them we can help many of the families around to understand what they are going through as well as learning techniques to help themselves with their child or children. Others chose this field because it hurt reading about so many cases of child abuse from parents of infants, small kids, and children with special needs that were assigned to case workers that knew the kids needed some type of help and they falsely signed papers saying they checked on the child but the children passed away. We will write a custom essay sample on Why professionals choose to enter helping field or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Feelings of being one could be one of the many caseworkers that actually do care of the outcome of children. Some professionals have actual personal experiences with family of people with different issues. All of these aspects of life have given professionals the motivation to become a worker in the helping field to help those needing help. When in need, we should be able to ask for help and be treated with respect, instead we have seen the opposite. Wanting to be the change in the system, wanting to be the one that cares about these people and helps them along their journey is also I great motivating factor to join the helping field. These are only a few reasons professionals decided to join the helping field. When people chose this field they could have been helped themselves or know someone that assisted and got great results. In the end, the main reason people choose to enter the helping field is to actually help others, getting a satisfaction and sense of urgency in the world.

Turabian Principles

Turabian Principles Few styles have proven so effective as the Turabian method. In fact, Kate Turabian created a delicate blend of modern language guidelines and common sense, which has long been used for reference by academia. Replete with guidelines and instruction, the Turabian manual is your first step for solid paper writing. The Turabian Principles When Kate Turabian began writing her style manual, she wanted to provide a resource for the modern student. Clarity of instruction became as important as clarity of style. In a simple, straightforward way, she began to outline the principles of good writing. Unlike other style manuals which simply list guidelines and rules, the Turabian manual provides general guidance, as well. It guides students through their first approach towards their paper, and stays with them through the finalization of their citations. With advice for all sorts of academic papers, the Turabian manual has become a reference for writers of high school term papers and dissertations, alike. The Modernized Manual This manual has been recently revised and reissued by the University of Chicago Press. It now conforms to the stylistic guidelines set out by the Chicago Manual of Style. The new edition also includes guidance for the computer age, and students using word processors.

Case Study of Gillette Company-Free-Samples-

This paper aims to discuss the Gillette Company which launched the first blade system in 1998. The Company embraced technology and it introduced the five-blade system to outdo its competitors (Nye, 2016). However, the three-blade system was the significant element of the Gillette Company. Also, the three-blade system was introduced to minimize the irritation which was caused by the three-blade system when shaving. Therefore, the Gillette has its pros and cons in the marketing strategies as discussed in this paper. To begin with the pros, The Gillette embraced a new technology to improve the designs in the market. Through the strategy of embracing new technology Gillette would maintain its customers. The Gillette employed the strategy for success by launching the five-blade system to reduce the irritation caused to the customers when using the product (Dhebar, 2016). The marketing plan for the Gillette became more aggressive when they launched the new products. Therefore, the Gillette made a high profit and tried to outdo its key competitors in the market. On the other hand, the Gillette has cons in the marketing strategies as outlined in this paper. Due to the new technology, the Company was obliged to retrain the staff for them to understand the technology (Barrow& Stowers, 2013). At the same time the Gillette minimized the loyalty for the customers hence the market share declined.   Also, the aggressive marketing rollout strategy caused the Gillette to incur costs in advertising the products. Also, the Gillette received criticism due to the campaigns held when marketing the products (Stowell, Stowell,Grogan & Grogan, 2017). The launching of the Fusion Razor was a significant failure for the Gillette. In conclusion, the Gillette has employed good marketing strategies to help in attracting and maintaining the customers hence increase their satisfaction. Despite the marketing strategies, the Gillette has experienced challenges. However, there are many clients who are satisfied with it Barrow, C., & Stowers, D. (2013).  U.S. Patent No. D674,547. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dhebar, A. (2016). Razor-and-Blades pricing revisited.  Business Horizons,  59(3), 303-310. Nye, J. V. (2016). What do we really know about durable goods monopolies? The Coase conjecture in economics and its relevance for the safety razor industry. In  The Elgar Companion to Ronald H. Coase  (pp. 222-234). Edward Elgar Publishing. Stowell, D. P., Stowell, D. P., Grogan, C. D., & Grogan, C. D. (2017). The Best Deal GiIlette Could Get? Procter & Gamble's Acquisition of Gillette.  Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1-18.

Internaotion business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internaotion business - Essay Example Moreover, I am curious and very determined to understand how a business operates at international levels. I have always wanted to understand how companies operate successfully in different countries. It amazes me how international businesses manage efficiently run various foreign branches from one central headquarter. Studying this course will give me an opportunity to have a clear understanding of business operation at international levels. I have studied a bachelor’s degree in this university and hence I have adapted to various systems of the university. This will be beneficial to me since I will settle down quickly and begin my studies. Studying International business matches my personal desire for traveling. I have a dream of operating an international business in future, and thus this course is relevant to my future career and investment ideas. My motivation to study this course stems from the success stories of friends and acquaintances that are in this field. I am hardworking and very cooperative. I believe that this character will enable me sail through the challenges of this very demanding course. ‘ Besides my academic interests, I am active in extracurricular activities. They help me interact with new people and learn new skills from other people. I look forward to continuing with this while studying masters in international business. I will be grateful if enrolled for this course. I am mentally prepared to face the higher learning challenge and am certain that I will come forth as a victor at the end of the

Ralph Lauren Rugby 's fail reasons and re-launch marketing strategy Essay

Ralph Lauren Rugby 's fail reasons and re-launch marketing strategy - Essay Example ng up with a new market strategy for the company is to give the company a chance to re-launch and come in the market again growing at a good pace and capturing the maximum market across the globe. This will help the company to revamp and also grow in the Competitive market environment. Polo Ralph Lauren been the parent company launched Rugby Ralph Lauren in 2004 in America as a clothing brand. The brand was launched getting inspired from the Rugby lifestyle for both male and females of age group in between 16 to 25. Rugby brand was available at 12 stores in whole of US and one in London. The brand also started its online marketing from 2008 and started its own website Rugby.com. This brand was a concept which was developed by designer Ralph Lauren. The first store location of the brand was in Boston which was opened in 2004. The biggest advantage that the brand had was its low price and attractive designs which attracted the young generation a lot from their parent brand products which were much more luxury and costlier than the brand Rugby. The company did launch the dress materials and bags in the designs with logos and photos of rugby players and also in the colours of the uniforms of the rugby teams. This brand had a line of products under its name like the po lo’s, jackets, outerwear, dresses, shirts and also many other accessories for the young generation mainly. The brand also gave the option of making personalized shirts for the customers based on the patches of various designs that the company had under its list of designs. In this report the reasons for the failure of this brand in the market is been studied based on which the marketing strategy that can be utilised for the re-launching of the brand and make it successful is been understood and analysed using various marketing theories and concepts. The parent brand Ralph Lauren has many sub brands under its umbrella like the Polo brand, Club Monaco, Chaps, RRL and RLX brands, Black Label, Pink Pony,

Ulysses S. Grant Essay Example for Free

Ulysses S. Grant Essay Ulysses S. Grant, an army General and the 18th president of the United States of America is considered one of the greatest war strategists and generals in American history. His rise to fame was brought about by his successful exploits and exceptional military leadership serving as a Union General in the Civil War. Most notable of which are the decisive wins in the battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and the siege of Petersburg which eventually led to the Confederacys surrender. But while his contemporaries hold him to the highest regard as a military leader, the same could not be said about his presidency. Political leadership proved to be unsuitable for him, and while his dignity was said to be unquestionable, his presidency is severely criticized and condemned due to rampant corruption and perceived inadequacy. Grant was baptized Hiram Ulysses Grant in Point Pleasant, Ohio on April 27, 1822, the eldest in a brood of six. He came from a family which Grant (2002) proudly asserts as all-American: â€Å"My family is American, and has been for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral† (p. 12). His parents were Jesse Root Grant, a tannery and farmland owner, and Hannah Simpson Grant, a frontier woman (McFeely, 1981). Grants family relocated to Georgetown in 1823, where he started his formal education—this place was to be his home until his seventeenth year, before he goes off to West Point. He attended the school of Richardson and Rand in Maysville, Kentucky, then the Presbyterian Academy, a private school in Ripley, Ohio. (Grant, 2002) Grant (2002) found his childhood â€Å"uneventful† (p. 17) and professed no inclination towards his studies. He did show exceptional equestrian skills and was noted for his diligence. With his skills, he was put in charge of doing any work that required proficiency with horses—tilling land, hauling wood, plowing and furrowing the land, etc. His lack of business skills (an issue which would later on figure significantly in his life) was evinced in one situation when the eight year-old Grant was given some money by his father to buy a colt, with the instruction of bargaining with the owner. Grant said to him: â€Å"Papa says I may offer you twenty dollars for the colt, but if you won’t take that, I am to offer twenty-two and a half, and if you won’t take that, to give you twenty-five† (Grant, 2002, p. 20). Needless to say, the owner got the colt full price. At age seventeen, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a registration mistake made by the appointing congressman omitted Hiram from his name and added Simpson, his mothers maiden name. Grant, however, did not correct the mistake, and he has been known by that name ever since. Grant was an average student, graduating 21st in a class of 39 (McFeely, 1981). He did not care to have a career in the military (he wanted instead to teach) and saw his West Point appointment as just another opportunity to travel, he said: â€Å"A military life had no charms for me, and I had not the faintest idea of staying in the army even if I should be graduated, which I did not expect† (Grant, 2002, p. 26). After graduation he was stationed in St. Louis, Missouri where he met and and pursued Julia Dent. They later married in 1848 (McFeely, 1981). During the outbreak of the Mexican War, grant fought his first battles under Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, where he took part in important offensive missions. After the war, he went back to St. Louis, Missouri to tend to his family and establish several business and farming ventures (Grant, 2002). However, even with the help from relatives and friends, his business endeavors failed (due in part to his less than adequate business skills) and he faced great financial difficulties (McFeely, 1981). Grant then moved back to work in Galena, Illinois when his father offered his a clerical position at his store (Grant, 2002). When the south broke away from the Union, signaling the start of the Civil War, Grant decided to fight under the Union banner. He gathered volunteers to Springfield and enlisted his services to the government. As a colonel, he successfully took control of an unruly volunteer regiment and was promoted to brigadier general. He proved to be a great military leader and went on to lead many successful campaigns. His skill as a military strategist and tactician earned him the respect of his contemporaries and made him a household name. (McFeely, 1981) He fought on to lead the Union in a series of decisive victories—battles in Belmont, Fort Donelson, Fort Henry—and became the commander of the Union army. When asked about his terms of accepting surrender, his reply was â€Å"no terms, except an unconditional and immediate surrender† (McFeely, 1981, 135). This, as well as the unconditional surrender of more than 14,000 confederacy soldiers at Donelson earned him the nickname â€Å"Unconditional Surrender Grant† (McFeely, 1981, 135). He also launched an exhaustive and grueling campaign to wear out and capture the Confederate forces. This culminated in the siege of Petersburg which forced General Robert E. Lee to flee and eventually surrender his army at Appomattox Court House (McFeely, 1981). After the war, he was nominated as the Republican candidate for the presidential elections and won, although he was reluctant to accept the post. After learning of his victory, he told his wife: I am afraid I am elected (Goode, 1999, p. 18). He entered the White House at age 46, the youngest president in American history. He took part in many notable policies, especially those that aim to reduce national debt and re-establish public credit (Hesseltine, 1935). The reconstruction of southern states were also facilitated under his reign. However, corruption was so widespread in the administration that it overshadowed everything—it even came to be called as â€Å"Grantism† (Goode, 1999), which was regarded by many â€Å"unfair† considering Grant himself didnt take part in the corruption (Skidmore, 2005). Grant was also criticized for his passivity and for his haphazard appointment of officials. Many, if not most of the people under him, even those he appointed were involved in numerous scandals and for exploiting the governments coffers (Hesseltine, 1935 and Goode, 1999). After his presidency, Grant was only relieved to leave the politicians life—â€Å"I certainly never had any taste for political life (Goode, 1999, p. 18) he confessed. He retired and lived a comfortable life with his wife in New York, until he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He has completed written his Memoirs a few days after his death and it remains one of the most popular presidential autobiographies in history. When grant died in 1885, fire bells rang throughout the country, however, â€Å"it was for Grant the soldier that they rang, not for Grant the president† (Goode, 1999, p. 19). References Grant, U. S. (2002). Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation. Goode, S. (1999, July). Ulysses S. Grant: The Unheroic Hero. World and I, 14, 16-19. Hesseltine, W. B. (1935). Ulysses S. Grant: Politician. New York: Dodd, Mead Company. McFeely, W. S. (1981). Grant: A Biography. New York : Norton. Skidmore, M. J. (2005). The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: A Reconsideration. White House Studies, 5, 255-265.

The Watch and Livvie :: Literature Control Essays

The Watch and Livvie Solomon's silver watch contained multifaceted significance with regard to his character and it's effect on Livvie--it represented prestige and wealth, control and obsession, and a life of dark retreat. For Solomon the watch represented the prestige and wealth that were rarely attained by colored people. "For he was a colored man that owned his land and had it written down in the courthouse." (P. 85) Yet the watch also had another dimensionCit meant control over his life and his possessions, including Livvie. Livvie watched Solomon as he slept. She wondered what he might be dreaming about "He might be dreaming of what time it was, for even through his sleep he kept track of it like a clock, and knew how much of it went by, and waked up knowing where the hands were even before he consulted the silver watch that he never let go." (P. 89) Solomon exhibited control in all areas of his life--he planted his bottle trees to keep evil spirits away from his home, he had a clean dirt yard, and he evenly planted his roses on either side of the house. (P. 86) Knowing he owned these possessions, I believe, gave Solomon the feeling he controlled his life. The white man or anyone else did not control him. Livvie viewed this control as strict, but it was obsession. Unfortunately, all this control had a very negative impact on Livvie. She lived in a sheltered world--a world she did not see. She saw what she could get out to see--almost what she could steal--even in her mind. "But what if she would walk now into the heart of the fields and take a hoe and work until she fell stretched out and drenched with her efforts, like other girls, and laid her cheek against the laid-open earth and shamed the old man with her humbleness and delight?

Various Views of Knowledge

Knowledge can be interpreted in many different ways. Some may see knowledge as learned education. Others may see education as intelligence. None of these perspectives of knowledge are right or wrong. Every person is entitled to their own definition, source, and use of knowledge in their lives. I view knowledge as the wisdom and insight that one may acquire over time, by personal experiences and influences in life. Most of the basic knowledge acquired by people starting at a young age is in school. As young children, we learn elementary facts such as our numbers and the alphabet. The older we become, the more facts we are taught, and the more complex these facts become. The knowledge one may learn in school is what I think of as worldly knowledge that will get people into the colleges and jobs that they may desire. The people that are abundant in educational knowledge are the people who dominate our economy and run our country. Certainly, this is one of the more important types of knowledge there are and definitely one that we could not do without, but it is not quite as important as some of the others. Education is vital in life, but mere facts cannot aid in the solution to all problems. Another source of knowledge is entertainment, such as in television, movies, books, or even music. Certain types of entertainment can even be education. For example, television shows such as â€Å"20/20† or â€Å"DateLine† are both very informative shows, but interesting enough to entertain the public. Entertainment can be tricky, though. The media can convince us, even brainwash us, to believe certain truths that may not be accurate. The television shows we watch and the music that we listen to are huge daily influences on our lives. They help shape the way we think, what we know, and what we feel. We follow the trends that television tells us are â€Å"in† and say the things that everyone says. We tend to try to model ourselves after the people on the big screen. The enormous impact that the media and entertainment industry has on the public grows daily with increasing technology. The internet is one of the newer sources of both education and entertainment. It is also fairly harmful. Many things that are banned from television and movies are easily accessible on the World Wide Web, to everyone, including children. The relationships that we have with people, whether it is co-workers, family, or friends, directly influence us with every interaction. In the workplace, the people that one may work with affect our work habits. If a person works in a busy, fast-paced office, he will be used to that type of lifestyle. But if that same person were to move to a slow-paced, lazy office, he would feel unproductive and lazy. At home, the people that we live with, our family, are our first teachers. Home is where we learn the morals and values that we, as adults, pass on to our children. Our manners and etiquette that are learned at home are what we bring into the outside world and portray to others. The knowledge and insight that we acquire from our family members are never forgotten and stay in our hearts and minds for a lifetime. I believe that the relationships one has with friends and lovers are important in shaping a person†s thoughts and actions. These are the people that we turn to in good times and bad, troubles and joys. They are the ones we turn to for advice and consolment. They are the ones that are with us in difficult situations. For example, if there is a group of friends and a few start smoking, it is high likely for all of them to begin smoking. Boy/Girlfriends, however, are a different, more intimate type of influence. Personally, every guy that I have ever dated has changed me in some way, whether it is significant or not. Through the different experiences and emotions one may feel through falling in and out of love, one learns some of the most important lessons of life. Just from falling in love once, one can learn so many things through mistakes and good choices. Love is knowing. My father is an extremely knowledgeable person. He may not be educated with diplomas and degrees, but he is educated with insight. His is a deeper knowledge that goes beyond the outside surface of people and into their hearts and souls. My father never passed high school education. The knowledge that he has acquired over the years has been purely from his own personal endeavors. I complemented him on his wisdom and he responded with this (in Korean): â€Å"I never thought I was smart. I hated school and always played tricks on fellow students and my teachers. I was a class clown. But as I grew older, I wished that I had paid more attention in my classes. It†s such a waste.† My father is a perfect example of wisdom without academic excellence. Don†t get me wrong. He is a very smart and clever man. His knowledge just was not learned by the books. â€Å"I†ve had a hard life. I think I have. There have been so many hard times. Things always go wrong. But when something goes wrong, at least you learn and can keep it from happening again. I†m smart. With old age comes wisdom, you know? With every little thing that happens in your life, you learn. As long as you keep learning, you†re okay.† I believe that knowledge is a gift. It is something that one can never have enough of. It is special and different in it†s own way in every individual. There is no bad or useless knowledge. Every type of knowledge has value, whether the knowledge is about math, cars, or even trash. Each piece of knowledge that we acquire make us into the people that we are. Knowledge is acquired not only through sights and sounds, but feelings and emotions. It is the key to life. As they say, â€Å"knowledge is power.†

Contributions of Modern Society

The place of worship in the middle Ages was a place where anyone, regardless of the class, could belong. The source of unity, it accomplished influences on art and architecture. As time began to change from the antique system of the Romanesque period, new standards of understanding independence began to take hold; the birth of Gothic. Here, the Church became a place where people became more acceptable; becoming the adequate place to observed such new ideals. The unique Gothic architecture characterized most in the great cathedrals of the 12th thru 14th Centuries in St. Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Salisbury, Durham, Amiens, and more. Most Gothic structures emphasize the vertical, drawing one's eyes upward toward the heavens with the awesomeness of God. These cathedrals built with ascending peaks, pointed arches and strengthening giving influences of cooperation and radiance. One of the main achievements of the 12th and 13th centuries was to determine the engineering expertise of the ridged vault, pointed arch and help to give a famous cathedral that is at once sophisticated than the ones before. Even though, the pointed arch could prove more powerful than its former, there was still an issue of finding a way to improve the large masonry ceiling vaults over large spans. In order to maintain the outward thrust of barrel vaults, vertical foundation walls have to be unusually clear and powerful. What makes possible the extended use of ridged vaulting and pointed arches to open and revitalize the walls and extent of the cathedral link above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the first thrust of the central dome is the greatest. The result is to add structural strength and solidity to the building. In today’s society, we can use some of the most well known influences and values without realizing where it came from or where it began. I think that the influences from architecture, art, and even religion. The influences of the middle age building structures can be established on how it molded our world today. The influences of the mastery of the architectures have helped many of the buildings that we have today, everything from the past help contribute our lives in modern society. As I look around at several buildings I know that I don’t see the gargoyles but looking at some of the Catholic churches and some of the other buildings that are well structured. Muhammad, considered the dominant prophet and founder of Islam, born in 570 A. D. forced to get a job to take care of himself at an early age. He was a driver and married his boss at the age of 25, to Khadija, by which he had only four daughters. The right word Islam means â€Å"submission†. The meaning behind the word submission is to the will of Allah, the one and only true God according to the Muslim faith. To be considered a Muslim one would have to be submitting themselves. The basic theme of Islam is extremely easy and straightforward: There could not be any other God but Allah, and Muhammad is the first Prophet of Allah. According to the Koran Islam teaches that there is one God Allah, the creator of the universe. Muhammad would be the one who taught his new followers that this God, Allah, is compassionate and just. He taught them that because being the spokesperson for Allah, he would be held accountable. Allah calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him. On the Last Day, all the dead would resurrect and either be reward go to paradise or be punished and go to hell. In today’s society Islam is one of the most well practiced religions besides Christianity in the United States. The Islam faith has grown over the years with millions of members around the entire word. The Koran reveals how a Muslim is suppose to live their lives. The religion shaped our society because many of the citizens here in the United States respect the faith of Islam and even have several Mosques build in many states. Although, Islam has been one of the most feared and perhaps misunderstood religions, there are many who have learned more about this religion. Islam celebrates Ramadan each year where Muslims pay homage to their faith. Buddhism is a belief that has gained 300 million people around the world. The word comes from ‘budhi', to awaken. Its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35. Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or ‘way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy ‘means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as: to lead a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding. Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation he finally found ‘the middle path' and was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism called the Dhamma, or Truth. Today Buddhism, help structure many lives by the disciplines, the Four Nobles Truth, and Karma, Recycle of Life. Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness. Life is suffering which includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad. Instead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.

The Development of Opera

The Development of Opera Free Online Research Papers Opera is an elaborate form of art that blends together many orchestral, lyrical, and theatrical aesthetics. In tracing the origins of opera, we will examine the various forms of opera that have originated over time, as well as some of the most celebrated operas and composers. To understand the development of opera, it is helpful to first become familiar with the common elements of the genre. Singing is one of the most salient operatic elements. Although opera is presented theatrically (using a stage, performers, acting and costumes), the words in operas, called librettos, are commonly sung rather than spoken. Two types of singing exist in opera. Recitative consists of sung dialogue without melody, which is used commonly to advance plot. Aria, in contrast, refers to melodic singing, commonly featuring great emotional expression. However, these two forms of singing have amalgamated into one in the mid to late 1800’s, when arioso style became the most popular singing style, resulting more consistent sounding operas that were predominately semi-melodic. Hoffer (2005) mentions that distinct voices are frequently matched with the role of the character in an opera. Although my experience with opera is extremely limited, I was able relate this information with some opera works I am familiar with. In 2003, I saw â€Å"The Turn of the Screw,† (adapted from the Henry James novella) at the Lyric Opera House. My interest in gothic fiction led me to see the work, and it was a fantastic experience in part because it was so unique from any other live performance I had ever seen. The heroine in this opera was a soprano, singing in a light, high voice that was very fitting for a gothic heroine. The children, Miles and Flora, also were also sopranos (and extremely talented ones at that, considering their remarkable voices at such young ages). The governess’ companion, Mrs. Grose, sang in a slightly lower voice (possibly mezzosporano, or contralto), which fit her role as the older, more experienced governess. The villains, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, sang in (what I remember to be) even lower voices, possibly bass, which would fit Hoffer’s alignment of the villain role with the low pitched bassist. I also recalled that these vocal/character pairings were evident in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece, â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera†. Although the work itself is not an opera, the play is set in an opera house, and many of the characters act as opera singers. The protagonist (and gothic heroine) Christine Daae sings in soprano; the her love, Raoul, sings in tenor, which is audibly higher in pitch than the bass voice of the Phantom, who assumes the role of the villain (or arguably the anti-hero). Musical accompaniment is another essential component of opera. The orchestra sets the mood of the performance and helps establish the atmosphere of a particular scene. (Certainly, music intensifies a performance in a profound way, either on film or on stage. I can’t imagine being frightened by a horror film that featured music from the Beach Boys in the background, but if I were to hear sharp violin notes or a low piano melody, I would definitely become more engaged in the performance). The role of the orchestra music is so large in opera that the orchestral components of some modern operas are performed in concert halls without any vocals (Hoffer, 2005). The early traces of opera began in early seventeenth century Europe as an attempt to restore ancient Greek drama. In Italy, semi-dramatic public performances, called intermedi, were staged to recognize important state events, such as weddings, military victories, or holidays. These performances were composed as monodies: homophonic solo vocal compositions having a single line of melody with simple sequences of musical accompaniment. (The practice of monody in early forms of opera was derived from an even earlier tradition of the madrigal, a common Renaissance style of singing that utilized polyphonic arrangement, meaning that vocal and musical melodies were performed simultaneously. This form fell out of style in the late sixteenth century, when the aforementioned homophonic style grew in popularity). The establishment of early opera was marked by the construction of the first opera house in Venice, Italy in 1637 (Wikipedia.com). Although arias, choral ensembles (many characters si nging different words), and duets (one song performance by two singers) were formed at this time, early opera was troubled by ill-fitting scenes and frequent irrelevancies. The development of drama was stunted. Early eighteenth century German composer Christoph Gluck was also an important influence on opera. Gluck worked to make the music of opera fit the lyrics, which allowed for more dramatic performances (for instance, a crescendo might accompany a character’s emotional outpour, or a slow tempo might accompany a lamentation). Pertaining to his effort to reform opera, Gluck has been quoted saying that he â€Å"endeavored to reduce music to its proper function, that of seconding poetry, by enforcing the expression of the sentiment, and the interest of the situations, without interrupting the action† (OldandSold.com). In his efforts to reinvent dramatic opera, Gluck eliminated the recitative from his works. One of Gluck’s most remembered operas is Orfeo ed Euridice (1762), a tragedy based on Greek mythology that is still performed today. Operas inspired by ancient Greece were in vogue at the time, given the fact that opera began as a tribute to early Greek drama (Wikipe dia.com). Two main forms of opera were established in the early 1700s. Pietro Trapassi, also referred to as Metastasio, developed the standard of opera seria. This convention was composed of many elements, such as the new de capo aria which included an A-B-A musical form. This means that one musical theme would be presented, followed by a complimentary one, and then a development of the first theme with musical elaboration by the singer. The overall tone of operas written in opera seria was indeed serious, preserving the dramatic intent of the ancient Greek stage performances. Pietro Trapassi, often referred to as Metastasio, is attributed as the founder of the subgenre. The great writer created many librettos (the stage directions, lyrics, and spoken passages of an opera), which were sent to famous musical composers of many nations (it should be noted that operas are rarely written and musically composed by the same person). One of Metastasio’s most famous works is Attilio Regol, a wor k based on the life of an ancient Roman military leader of the same name who was taken prisoner by Carthagians during the first Punic war. This work, as well as other works in opera seria routinely featured classical characters from myth or war lore and carried themes of morality. Mozart, Handel, Beethoven and Gluck composed in opera seria (Wikipedia.com). Opera buffa, the second main category in opera during the Baroque era, mainly consisted of operas with a comedic tone. Originally, comedic episodes were featured in opera seria to attract the merchant class to the opera houses, since the less cultured individuals tended to prefer comedies over serious operas based on literary classics such as the Illiad. The genre eventually developed in its own form due to the increasing popularity of comic opera. Opera buffa commonly presented an increase in recitative (the spoken part of the work) while the musical parts tended to decrease. Additionally important was the fact that works in this genre were actually comprehensible to the public, since they were not composed in a foreign language such as Latin or German (the rise of Opera Buffa led to the more frequent composition of the more easily understandable French or Italian). Essentially, the goal of opera buffa was popularity, as the works of this genre were written for â€Å"mere† en tertainment purposes, since the performances were not centered on mythical heroes, but rather on comic scenes. The exact type of comedic approach could vary. Italian musical composer Gioacchino Rossini 1816 work â€Å"The Barber of Saville† was written for purely comedic purposes, while Mozart’s 1786 ‘The Marriage of Figaro† mixed comedy with drama and emotionality. Although the genre enjoyed great popularity in the eighteenth century, it fell out of interest in the early nineteenth century (Wikipedia.com). The nineteenth century brought with it the bel canto movement, which concerned itself with the beauty of voice. The bel canto interest placed an emphasis on a singer’s virtuosity, agility, and control of pitch (Wikipedia.com). In the second half of the nineteenth century, French opera with spoken (not sung) dialogue became popular. This form was referred to as â€Å"opera comique, regardless of whether the piece was actually a comedy or not). This fact was interesting to me, considering the fact that singing is essential to opera- without it, one might argue that the performance is simply a play with a musical score. Operetta, a very popular form of entertainment in mid-nineteenth century France, restored some of the ideals of opera buffa, although operettas were typically shorter, â€Å"lighter† operatic works with sections that did not include singing or music. It can be thought that the operetta was the precursor to the twentieth century musical comedy- but while an operetta featured opera singers in a style more similar to a play, a musical is similar to a play with non-operatic singing. In closing, we might compare the then-popular distinction between opera seria and opera buffa with the more modern distinction between opera and the musical. Although both are forms of entertainment, the opera is more cultured, more artistic, and commonly written in a foreign language. Although the musical is not a modern day opera buffa, some parallels exist in the sense that musicals have become more popular in the last few decades, especially among the â€Å"less cultured† crowds that seek entertainment over operatic aesthetics. Although musicals are arguably more popular today, I do not mean to suggest that they have taken over the role of opera (which in my limited experience has been extremely unlike any play or musical I’ve witnessed). My comparison here is to merely note the changing interests of the public when it comes to the blending of music with theatrics, as the distinction of tastes have held an importance in the development of opera through the ages. References Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Orfeo ed Euridice†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orfeo_ed_Euridice Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Metastasio†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metastasio Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Intermedi†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermedi Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Libretto†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libretto Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Giacchino Rossini†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gioacchino_Rossini Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Bel Canto†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel_canto Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Opera Buffa†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_buffa Wikipedia,com, 2006. â€Å"Opera Seria†. Retrieved on April 13, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_seria Research Papers on The Development of OperaHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionWhere Wild and West MeetThe Spring and AutumnHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsStandardized TestingAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThree Concepts of Psychodynamic19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

If criminal justice is a 'system' in England and wales, describe and Essay

If criminal justice is a 'system' in England and wales, describe and examine how the agencies within contribute to a rising population of predominantly males - Essay Example The rise in prison populations in England does not correspond to increases in the rates on crime; rather it is from an increase in the percent of offenders given custodial sentences and an increase in the average length on jail terms. The chief determinant of punishment should be the seriousness of the crime, and custodial sentences should not be used as a deterrent tool meant to jolt the rest of the populace; as it has failed miserably in the England criminal justice system. Of these prison populations, more than half are men serving sentences of four years and over with the rest jailed for six months or below (Home Office, 2004). The justice system in England has consistently used custodial sentences and longer jail terms. This has minimized the use of fines resulting in a swell, in the number of captives especially males, in the prison system. There is a predominantly large male prison population imprisoned, and it is necessary to understand some of the driving factors that leave more males behind bars. More than half the prisoners lacked employment prior to their imprisonment. Most offenders who are in prison have various mental illnesses with 78% males compared to 50% women having personal disorders (College of Psychiatrists, 2007). There is a higher likelihood of men without formal qualification, who have poor socio economic statuses that exposes them to ill health and poor financial status of committing a crime and ending up in jail (College of Ps ychiatrists, 2007). The number of sentences of older male prisoners aged over 60 years has increased gradually mostly due to increased sexual offences in this group. In 2001, 80% of this group was serving custodial sentences of more than four years, which was an increase of 55% to older males given custodial sentences (College of Psychiatrists, 2007). This increase in custodial sentencing for older males corresponds to an increase in an indictment of men. This

World Literature (See attched Word Document for insutruction) Essay

World Literature (See attched Word Document for insutruction) - Essay Example Human justice is defined as one that takes vengeance on those that have done wrong against other. This moves into human injustice, which states that the murder is not committed against an external enemy, but is instead committed against the self. The divine justice is briefly referred to and is used to please the gods instead of to bring justice to society. In comparison to divine justice, this does not reward one for actions that are righteous, but instead punishes them for something that is believed as wrong. The system I would rather live under is divine justice. The ability to have compassion and reward for fearing God is one that allows one to live peacefully, as opposed to taking vengeance on those who have done wrong. The argument of all three friends would be to have human justice. Whenever something is wrong, there is the immediate desire to take revenge or to get even. Instead of living righteously, most build into a system that is based on vengeance. 2. According to the Bhagavad – Gita, the ability to be saved is one that happens when one recognizes God or the prophet of God and comes out of ignorance and irreligion. As this happens, the soul is able to progress through life cycles while coming closer to God. If one does not move out of this, then they reincarnate into a different form, either animal or human. The ignorance that they carry turns into karma and the things of the past they have done with good intent turns into dharma. As one progresses, the karma can turn into dharma, which helps the soul to progress and to be saved. Kabir has a similar concept about being saved and the progression of the soul. Kabir recognized that as one overcame ignorance and recognized the Supreme Being, they were able to eliminate karma. As this happened, the individual was able to become an enlightened soul. When one reached the highest realm of enlightenment, they were recognized as bahkti, which meant that they were an

Robotic Surgery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Robotic Surgery - Research Paper Example drug administration for use in both pediatric and adult robotic surgery procedures in areas such as thoracoscopically-assited cardiotomy procedures, general non-cardiovuscular thoracosopic surgeries, general laparoscopic surgeries and urological surgeries (Lowes, 2014). The 1st federally approved robotic surgery was performed at a Virginia hospital, a day after the food and drug administration regulators approved the procedure. The approval of the 1st robotic surgery enabled the doctors to get rid of the gall bladder and conduct some other procedures through utilization of a laparoscope, which is a tube that in introduced into the abdomen through very tiny incisions. At the end of the tubes are miniature cameras and surgical instruments that permit surgeons to perform procedures after peering into the body. The AESOP system was approved in 1990 followed by the approval of da Vinci Surgery System in 2000. The approval of da Vinci surgical systems, a robotic system, by the Food and drug administration enabled doctors to use foot pedals on a console and hand grips to control three robotic arms that actually performs the laparoscopic surgery through utilization of a variety of tools. The approval was based on a review of clinical studies of effectivene ss and safety submitted by the manufacturers and on the recommendation of the plastic and general surgical devices panel of the Food and drug administration’s medical devices advisory committee. The food and drugs administration focused on various issues before approving the utilization of the robotic technology in surgery. Some of the obstacles faced by the robotic surgery in obtaining the approval of the FDAs included showing that the technology had more advantages than as compared to other forms of surgery. Other obstacles entailed ensuring that enough training was conducted to some of the physicians. Before approving the technology, the company that produced the da Vinci system had to sponsor sufficient testing

Ways of seeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ways of seeing - Essay Example Thus, seeing is not just an action verb it’s an adjective. Therefore, perceptions impact extensively on images under observation and these images depict diverse meaning and value to the viewer. Emotions and belief acknowledge how one should comprehend certain phenomena like lightning in rain can be viewed, but not fully described in words as to what impact it leaves on a viewer. Secondly, personal perception do play significant role in this seeing phenomena, as a person with pessimistic belief will consider lighting as a bad omen for him. Similarly, a naturalist will enjoy the moment of climatic fury and in the same manner a religious person will consider it as a sign of God’s wrath on his creation due to disobedience. Seeing is like truth, some part always remains concealed. On the same, line he describes that although as a process gaze comes first and later on it is interpreted by the the gazer, but gaze itself is surrounded by prior belief therefore, elaboration of gaze does come the way it has been perceived in a society. For instance, sacrificing animals on a religious event is acceptable in Islam and few other religions of the world. Hence, the sight of sacrificing animal does not induce painful sentiments in Muslims. Instead it brings a sense of obedience by performing a religious ritual. Simultaneously, a person from a different faith would not accept this explanation and will develop negative perception for this Islamic ritual, as for him the sight will be frightening and an unacceptable action. Perceptions are like planes; they fly and land in a certain domain. Berger also claims that seeing brings the object of speculation, close to individual’s proximity i.e. understanding of it. Many at times, one observes death, however, it does not make sense to loved ones and they do not accept it immediately, but through a rational point of view it is a fact which remains the

Causes for Japanese Film Remakes

Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Introduction Since the beginning of the 21st Century a new trend has become commonplace within the Hollywood horror genre, Japanese horror films are being purchased and remade for a new audience, removing the traditional underlying history and Americanising them for western viewers waiting for their next dose of fear and terror. In this dissertation I will explore the reasoning behind this influx of remakes, looking at the important roles people like Roy Lee and Vertigo Entertainment have played in their acceptance and successes. To do this I feel it is important to look at the state Hollywood horror was in before, and how films such as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) have changed things. As well as this I will look at the differences between J-Horror and its American counterpart, and how these have made them an appealing prospect for remaking. It will also be important for me to look at the academic theories behind remakes, and the different types of remake there are, using the work of Druxman, Leitch and Greenberg to try and help identify the different approaches used by Hollywood directors whilst tackling these projects. As well as investigating into why this has become so popular recently, and what examples there are in the past of similar situations arising, I’ll be attempting to predict how long this will last for, and the problems studios may encounter by doing it on a large scale. I will begin in Chapter One by introducing the work of Michael Druxman, Thomas Leitch and Harvey Roy Greenberg, summarising their writings on the topic of remakes and looking at how they each have different categories of them, depending on the new films style and the way it is released. I will look at Leitch’s theory of the â€Å"triangular relationship† (1990: 139) which helps to explain how remakes differ so much from other versions of adaptation. Along with these categories of remake I will attempt to give examples of different films which fit into the criteria, as well as relating them to the current trend of remaking J-Horror. In Chapter Two I will talk about the differences between Hollywood and Japanese horror styles, looking at both countries long histories in the genre, focussing on things such as folklore and local tradition, trying to discover why the two styles are so different. I will look at the origins and formation of the J-Horror style, along with the key films and directors associated with the movement. Before focussing on Hollywood’s history of remaking, and some of the reasons and thinking behind doing it, looking at films such as Yojimbo (1961) and Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954) as examples of this happening in the past. Chapter Three will be a case study based around Ringu (1998) and The Ring (2002), pointing out the differences and similarities between the two films. Through the use of illustrations I will identify important scenes where Gore Verbinski has either almost copied exactly or drastically altered the shot from Hideo Nakata’s original. I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other contemporary cases of J-Horror remakes, again talking about the cultural differences between the two countries and how in turn that has affected the look and feel of the two films. Finally I will conclude by looking at the future of remaking J-Horror, highlighting future films in development and how Hollywood is now exploiting new markets. I will summarise my findings from previous chapters and use them to try and predict how long this spell of remaking will last for and if it will continue to be as financially successful as it has been so far. Chapter One Categories of Remake Ever since the early days of Hollywood cinema films have been remade, reimagined and adapted for new, ever changing audiences. In most cases it has proven that if a film was successful the first time round a remake will be equally so. The producer or studio make the decision that the original story is still viable (Druxman: 1975: 13) and can once again make big money at the box office. This has led to this trend increasing rapidly over the last few decades, with fresh new material becoming harder to come by. Before I go into detail on the types of remakes and how they relate to the current trend of remaking Asian horror, I must clearly define what a remake actually is. A remake is much more than a film based on an earlier screenplay (Verevis: 2006: 1), as it can be broken down into even more definitions. The sequel/prequel, adaptation, homage, reimagining, film series and the retour aux sourced are all a type of remake (Delaney Potamitis: 2004: 1), with films falling under one of them. Leitch states that the reason remakes differ so much from other adaptations to a new media is due to the â€Å"triangular relationship† (Leitch: 1990: 139) they establish among themselves, the original film and the property in which both are based on. This has come about because typically producers of a remake pay no adaptation fees to the makers of the original film, but instead purchase adaptation rights from the authors of the based on property (Leitch: 1990: 139). This seems strange as it is the two films which will be competing against each other, often being found side by side on store shelves, and not the original property and the remade film (Leitch: 1990: 139). It is often the case that the original film benefits from the release of a remake, as it brings in a fresh audience who are often interested in watching the original film as well. In the case of Ringu, you can clearly see that the theatrical release of its remake caused its popularity to soar higher than ever before [fig 1.1] (pro.imdb.com). Many texts have been written regarding the subject of remaking film, and in particular looking at breaking the remake down into smaller more specific categories. The writings of Robert Eberwein, Michael Druxman, Harvey Roy Greenberg and Thomas Leitch, have defined multiple different types of remade film between them, from the wide and vague to the extremely specific. These books and essays can prove very helpful when comparing remade cinema, especially in trying to identify why the film in question has been remade, and the thinking behind it. I hope to use these definitions to help answer my own question of why there is such a high demand for westernising Japanese horror. In one of the first texts dedicated solely to the subject of the movie remake, Make It Again, Sam, Druxman sets out to answer three questions through the analysis of thirty three films and their remakes (1975: 9). These questions are â€Å"Why was the picture remade?†, â€Å"How was the remake different from the original as far as important story changes were concerned?† and â€Å"What was the critical reaction to the remake?† (Druxman: 1975: 9). When searching for a definition of a â€Å"remakeâ€Å" for his work Druxman decided that he would not take into account obvious sequels to films, and instead focus mainly on those that were based on a â€Å"common literary source† (1975: 9), such as an existing screenplay, novel, play, etc. Three major factors are described as driving â€Å"industry pragmatism† (Verevis: 2006: 5) in regards to Hollywood’s practice of remaking. Druxman argues that the first of these factors is that the studios’ decision to remake is a â€Å"voluntary one† (1975: 13) based on the fact that the script is still relevant today and could prove successful. However during the 1930s and 1940s, in the studio dominated era, they were forced to produce a certain amount of films every year (Druxman: 1975: 13). Producers found themselves with no alternative than to start using previously filmed movies as sources for new â€Å"B† and sometimes top-of-the-bill productions (Verevis: 2006: 6). These updated plots were essentially the same as their predecessor, with just the settings and characters being changed slightly. Druxman’s second point is that it was common practice for studios to purchase rights to plays, novels and stories, so that they could then produce multiple versions of these without giving the copyright holder additional payments (Verevis: 2006: 6). As Literary classics such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Three Musketeers where in the public domain, it meant that no initial payment would have to be paid for their dramatic rights (Verevis: 2006: 6). The final factor is simple economics; established films can be redone in order to exploit the ever changing production techniques and movie stars. That is why these old stories were, and will continue to be, constantly resurrected. If a studio has purchased the rights to something they will want to redo and release it as many times as possible in order to maximise their gain. Through Druxman’s definitions and in depth analysis of Hollywood remakes he comes up with three categories which he feels they can fall under; the direct, disguised and the non-remake (Druxman: 1975: 15). The direct remake category contains films that do not even attempt to hide the fact that they are based on earlier productions (Druxman: 1975: 15). Such productions may adopt a new title and make some changes to the narrative image (Verevis: 2006: 7), but it is basically the same film being remade, with not even the publicity campaigns hiding this fact (Druxman: 1975: 15). The main objective of these direct remakes is to draw in two types of cinema viewers. Those who have seen and enjoyed the original, and are curious about this new remake, and those who have heard good things about the original so want to view this version as the older is no longer in circulation (Druxman: 1975: 18). His second category, the disguised remake is a film which is either updated with little change, or completely retitled and then disguised, with the help of a new setting and original characters. (Verevis: 2006: 7). In either case though, the disguised remake doesn’t wish to draw attention to the fact that it’s not an original piece, instead just promoting itself as a normal film. Finally Druxman says there are non-remakes, films retaining the title of a well known story (Druxman: 1975: 15), as well as possibly referring to the name of a well known author, strictly for commercial purposes. Basically all the remake and the original share in common is the title, but the content is extremely different in each case (Verevis: 2006: 7). A perfect example of Druxman’s non-remake would be The Ring Two (2005) as the film shares the same name as its original (in its American release title at least), but that it pretty much where the similarities end. It is interesting to point out that the film is remade by Hideo Nakata, the director behind the original, clearly placing this remake within Robert Stams category of autocitation, in which a film maker remakes his/her own film (Verevis: 2006: 21). A further relevant example of this is Takashi Shimizu’s American film The Grudge a remake of his earlier Japanese language Ju-on: The Grudge (2003). In Harvey Roy Greenberg’s article â€Å"Raiders of the Lost Text: Remaking as Contested Homage in Always†he expands upon Druxman’s â€Å"commercially grounded† (Verevis: 2006: 8) groups and comes up with three categories which instead focus on the directors reasons for remaking a film. His categories center around the example of the romantic war fantasy A Guy Named Joe (1943) and its Steven Spielberg remake, Always (1989). Using this as an example of what Verevis translates as a â€Å"acknowledged, transformed remake† (2006: 9), with the film having huge changes made to the characters, location and general story telling. But still making sure to acknowledge the original, like in the case of Always a small mention is given in the credits. Much like Druxman he also names two other categories in which he feels remakes fall under. The acknowledged, close remake much like Druxman’s direct (1975:15) category, is when a remake completely replicates the original, with little to no change made to its narrative structure (Verevis: 2006: 9), and the unacknowledged, disguised remake is when both minor and major changes are made to the time, settings and characters. But the original version is not referred to and the audience are not informed of there even being one (Verevis: 2006: 9), similar to Druxman’s category of disguised remake. Thomas M. Leitch gives a much â€Å"more developed† (Verevis: 2006: 11) taxonomy of remakes. He claims that remakes seek to define themselves through either primary reference to the original film, or to the material both are adapted from, and there are four possible stances of remake that a film can fall under (Leitch: 1990: 142). The readaptation is the simplest of these stances, ignoring earlier cinematic adaptations in order to readapt an original literary property as faithfully as possible (Verevis: 2006: 12). The readaptations goal is â€Å"fidelity to the original text† (Leitch: 1990: 142), which it aims to translate as thoroughly as possible into the new film medium. Unlike the readaptation, the update competes directly with its literacy source, instead of seeking to subordinate itself to the essence of a literacy classic (Verevis: 2006: 12). They transform the original text through such ways as transposing it to a new setting, changing its values, or making the original seem dated, outmoded or irrelevant (Leitch: 1990: 143). Films such as these updates often display their â€Å"contradictory attitude towards the material† (Leitch: 1990: 143) through their titles and marketing, sometimes even using a tone which verges on parody. For perfect example of this would be Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), a film which takes an established screenplay and changes its meaning, updating it for a new generation. The homage is a type of remake whose primary objective is not to disrespect and put down the original film, but celebrate and pay tribute to it (Leitch: 1990: 144). Much like the readaptation which seeks to direct the audience’s attention to its literacy source (Verevis: 2006: 13), the homage situates itself as a secondary text, with its only value depending on its relation to the original text they pay tribute to (Leitch: 1990: 144). Therefore the homage renounces any claims that it is better than its original and attempts to reintroduce films that are in danger of being lost and forgotten (Leitch: 1990: 144). Leitch’s final category, the true remake is the complete opposite to the homage, claiming that it is better than its original (Verevis: 2006: 13). It focuses on a cinematic original with an accommodating stance and seeks to update the original, making its more relevant to a new modern audience (Leitch: 1990: 145). More than any of the other categories it borrows largely from the unacknowledged film, instead of being a reinvisioning of a literacy text (Leitch: 1990: 145). As well as these three major taxonomies on remakes from Leitch, Druxman and Greenberg, Robert Eberwein has published an elaborate list, proposing fifteen individual categories, each with many subdivisions (Verevis: 2006: 11). Ranging from the obvious such as a silent film remade as a sound film (Eberwein: 1998: 28) to the much more specific, â€Å"A remake that changes the race of the main characters† (Eberwein: 1998: 30). His taxonomy doesn’t address the issue of film adaptations, (Eberwein: 1998: 31) but regardless is a comprehensive and extremely specific list of categories which film can easily be slotted into. Chapter Two Different Styles of Horror It’s fairly clear to see, even to the most casual of audiences that Hollywood and Asia have extremely different styles of horror cinema, focussing on very different aspects and using different techniques to produce an element of fear. The west has a long history of horror cinema, starting with the early gothic in films such as Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) and James Whales’ Frankenstein (1931), before going through a more paranoid stage focussing on unease and a sense that things are not right in the world, such as John Carpenters Science Fiction horror The Thing (1982). In recent times though â€Å"horror has become the domain of the slasher movie† (Maher: 2005: 14), with the likes of Friday the 13th(1980), Halloween (1978) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) giving rise to a new genre, one which would reshape the future of horror for almost 20 years. Towards the end of the 20th century it had become the norm for horror cinema to be all about multiple grotesque killings, limited back-story and a very formulaic approach to making the films. With the audience expecting certain key things when watching a horror film, such as, big jumpy moments, psycho-killers who never quite die and conventions such as the â€Å"Final Girl†. As Gore Verbinski, director of The Ring puts it â€Å"slasher films contextualise the horror so you watch it, eat your popcorn, go through a few jumps, and then go out for dinner† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), it was no longer fresh and exciting in the way it was in the early 1980s. Wes Craven changed all this in 1996 with the first of his Scream trilogy, the ironic slasher movie has run out of â€Å"nudge-nudge and wink wink† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) and it was now time for a smarter type of horror, one which was very aware of its audience knowing the key conventions, and which would use this to its advantage. The Scream films make use of the previously subtle and covert intertextual references and transform them into a very overt, discursive act. The movie characters knowledge of the horror genre rivals that of this new very aware target audience, and no longer tries to patronise them and act oblivious, with even the rules of horror sequels being discussed in detail in the following Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). The dismantling and parody riddled approach to the slasher genre continued with the Scary Movie (2000) franchise, this time not just giving a smart alternative to current horror cinema but completely mocking every aspect of it. Although these films and there sequels did very well at the box office, they had done serious damage to the American horror genre (Braundu: 2005: 118), the age of the slasher genre was over and Hollywood studios needed to find a way to invent horror for a new audience. In 1998 â€Å"Japanese suspense maestro† (Maher: 2005: 14) Hideo Nakata’s small budget Japanese horror film Ringu had revived a stagnant genre for the country, and had become a â€Å"cinematic phenomenon† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) across Asia, quickly becoming the most successful horror film franchise in Japan’s history. (Arnold: 2002:16) The story of a mysterious video tape which kills everyone who watches it exactly one week later became an underground cult classic within the west (Maher: 2005: 14), providing a kind of deep unsettling horror which had never been seen before. The film is based largely on the book of the same name by Koji Suzuki, who has been dubbed â€Å"the Stephen King of Japan† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), which was published in 1991. Suzuki’s downbeat, everyday settings have proven to translate well into film, (Donald: 2005: 9) with another one of his books, Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Dark Water, 2002) from 1996 also being adapted and remade for an American audience. Roy Lee, arguably the best known go-between in the world of remakes (Frater Kay: 2003: 10) and one half of the new Vertigo Entertainment, was one of the first big name American film producer to watch Ringu and it was this viewing that triggered the start of the Asian remake boom. On Lee’s recommendation the film was watched by Dreamworks Production Executive Walter Parkes and by 7pm that same day they had â€Å"paid $1m for the remake† rights (Frater Kay: 2003: 10). The history of the Japanese horror film is arguably as big as that of Hollywood and the West’s. With its roots firmly set in folklore, myth and urban legend (Langford: 2005: 175) it has progressed from woodblock carvings, to Kabuki theatre and finally to motion picture cinema. The main premise of the horror is based around the ghost story, at least up until the late 20th century. Story’s known as Kaidan (literally translated to â€Å"tail of a strange apparition†) originating from the Edo and Meiji period where passed down from generation to generation, retold in an ever changing medium (Stamou: 2007). The average Japanese person is more inclined to believe in ghosts than not, due to the culture and the way they are constantly exposed to these tales of terror. They believe that spirits inhabit absolutely everything (Rucka: 2005) and because of this don’t regard them as enemies, but as just another thing which co-exists within their world (Kermode: 2005). As Walter Salles, director of Dark Water (2005) puts it, â€Å"they don’t question it the way we question it, it’s much more a part of their world† (Kermode: 2005). Due to the unquestioning of the paranormal and the Buddhist and ShintÃ…Â  religious followings they are much more acceptant to the idea of life after death. This view of life, death and the afterlife is the fundamental difference between Japanese horror and its western counterpart, and where all the other differences stem from (Rucka: 2005). As Hideo Nakata says, â€Å"when making horror films, the methods of describing the spirit world and the expression of horror are totally different between Japan and the West† (Kermode: 2005). As is common within the Japanese language there are names for multiple different types of ghost and spirit. The ghosts and demons of the ancient period tales where known as the Yurei (lean ghost), the Zashiki-warashi is a dead child’s ghost, like the character of Toshio in Ju-on: The Grudge. One of the most common kinds of ghost though is the OnryÃ…Â  (resentful spirit), a spirit trapped at Yomi (Japanese purgatory) who comes back to earth looking for revenge (Stamou: 2007). Although not limited to being female, such as Rentaro Mikuni’s husband character in Kwaidan (1964) for example, the majority of them are (Wilks: 2006). It is this image of the OnryÃ…Â  which comes to mind when you think of Japanese horror, the female spirit gowned in snow-white, with its long black hair obscuring its face. This is mainly due to the new wave of Japanese directors such as, Takashi Miike (Ôdishon, 1999), Hideo Nakata (Ringu), Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Kairo, 2001) using it at every opportunity, making it as â€Å"iconic in horror cinema as the projectile-vomiting, spinning head† (Wilks: 2006). 1964 saw the release of what many regard as one of Japans greatest horrors, Kaidan (Kwaidan, 1964). Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on four short stories by author Lafcadio Hearn, it uses abstract use of lighting and sound, creatively staged and shot in vibrant colours (Rucka: 2005). Keiko Kishi’s performance as Yuki The Ice Maiden sparked such terror within the Japanese population, that now only the passing glimpse of the likes of Sadako in Ringu and Kayako in Ju-on: The Grudge ignite utmost fright, due to the accumulated cultural knowledge of this character (Wilks: 2006). After years of Japanese horror plodding along in a stale state, influenced more by American slashers than its own rich heritage, a young director called Norio Tsurta decided he had had enough and it was time for a change. Japan was no longer the fantastically safe country it once was, and the Japanese people were starting to feel the ills of the outside world encroaching on them (Lovgren: 2004), and this was starting to be shown through their cinema. Tsurta’s Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories, 1991) was the first of these, providing through low budget production, the look, mood and style which would later be known as J-Horror (Rucka: 2005). The term J-Horror was originally coined as a cult fan term (Rucka: 2005) for the post Ringu horror cinema which was coming out of Japan, although now it is often wrongly used to define Japanese horror as a whole. This revitalised horror scene fronted largely by Hideo Nakata after the phenomenal success of his film Ringu, completely revived the Japanese horror scene and caught the eye of film fans and studios all around the world. The common theme within J-Horror is once again ghosts, OnryÃ…Â  and the supernatural, but other more violent torture based films can also be included under the banner, for example Takashi Miike’s Ôdishon (Audition). For the most part though the films were very similar in style and overall theme to each other, with the following being the most notable examples; Nakata’s Ringu, Kaosu (Chaos, 1999), Ringu 2 (1999) and Honogurai mizu no soko kara. Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse (2000), Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000), Ju-on: The Grudge, Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003), Marebito (2004) and Rinne (Reincarnation, 2005). Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kyua (Cure, 1997), Kairo (Pulse, 2001) and Sakebi (Retribution, 2006), and Takashi Miike’s Chakushin ari (One Missed Call, 2004). The Japanese horror style has an â€Å"eerie ambient quality† (Maher: 14: 2005) about it which differs largely from its western counterpart. As noted previously, in the traditional Japanese horror movie the â€Å"past haunts the present, invariably taking the form of the supernatural† (Schneider and Williams: 6: 2005). Where, as director Rob Zombie (Halloween, 2007) points out, in American horror â€Å"you’ve gotta kill someone in the first five seconds† (Chaffin: 2005). J-Horror takes a very different approach to this, focussing on delivering heavy â€Å"atmosphere, nuance and ambiguity† (Chaffin: 2005), instead of raw grotesque gore, mainly due to the fact that the Japanese audience is much more tolerant of it (Phelan: 10: 2005). In Japanese horror films there’s much more of an acceptance towards the irrational and the unexplained (Lovgren: 2004). Nakata says that the ghost need do nothing more than â€Å"stand behind and stare at the main character† (Davies: 2005) to create fear amongst the audience, it all comes from sounds, shadows and suggestions, you don’t need â€Å"a 3D creature lopping people’s heads off† (Lovgren: 2004). Takashi Shimizu compares the current J-Horror style to films by American director John Carpenter, such as The Thing (1982) and Halloween. Saying that â€Å"just the suggestion of the presence of a ghost is frightening† (Dixon: 7: 2005), whereas Sarah Michelle-Gellar, star of The Grudge, describes Asian horror as being â€Å"much more beautiful, more poetic, leaving much more to the imagination† (Baughan: 78: 2005), a view which seems to be shared by many. Western horror plots normally evolve around the idea that the characters discover the cause of the horror and then destroy it, but J-Horror works very differently to this. As Stephen Susco, the writer in charge of translating Ju-on: The Grudge for the remake puts it, Asian horror is more â€Å"like a haunted house that follows you† (Kay: 7: 2004), there’s no limits or barriers to the horror. For example in Ringu where Sadako Yamamura climbs out of the television set, breaching any line which might keep you safe. In the west a ghost is often required to want something much more meaningful and have a deeper back-story, whereas â€Å"in Japan a ghost may simply want to terrify and destroy† (Phelan: 10: 2005). It’s the little differences like this which make these variations on the horror genre so different, where Hollywood mostly relies on over the top multiple sequences of death, Japan still has its roots firmly placed amongst the aesthetics of folklore, Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre (McRoy: 214: 2006). Although history would suggest that Europe was the first stop of film makers and studio’s looking to remake a movie for a world audience, Japan has long been a â€Å"happy hunting ground for Hollywood remakers† (Shackleton Schilling: 2003: 17). First beginning in 1960 with The Magnificent Seven, John Sturges’ classic remake of the cult hit Shichinin no samurai, and then followed by Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), a remake of the Japanese film Yojimbo. In fact Yojimbo was remade once again in 1996 in the Bruce Willis lead crime drama Last Man Standing, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s screenplay that it was still deemed worthy of a remake over 30 years later. Literally the largest example of Hollywood remaking a Japanese movie though is Godzilla (1998), Roland Emmerich’s re-envisioning of the then twenty two film monster series, beginning in 1954 with Goijira (Godzilla). It was this film which became one of the first early examples of a foreign film becoming â€Å"Americanised†, even though it was given a (very limited) subtitled theatrical run it was still remade two years later as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), with numerous new scenes shot and inserted into the original Japanese film, completely changing the plot and removing any real trace that it was a foreign made production (godzylla.com). As Mike Macari, Fine Line’s Creative Executive and avid Asian film fanatic, states Hollywood has always had the ability to â€Å"import foreign ideas and re-export them to a world market† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9), remakes have always been a very important part of American film making, but in the last ten years this is becoming even more so. As the mainstream Hollywood audiences’ become bored and overexposed to the current market the studios are forced to look elsewhere for inspiration, Walter Parkes says that Hollywood’s â€Å"voracious appetite† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) will look wherever it can for new material and inspiration. American children have been â€Å"growing up on Pokemon, Japanese anime and manga† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) for the past ten years, which has meant that as they become adults they’ve become more accustomed to the Japanese style, whereas fifteen years ago they wouldn’t be so open to it. Roy Lee states that he looks for â€Å"something new and fresh in the story that will appeal to a wider audience† (Paquet: 2003: 15), as long as it has an original concept and several strong scenes Hollywood can see potential in it for a remake. â€Å"Hollywood is a machine† (Maher: 2005: 14) and has proven that it can translate even the most cultural specific film into a box office success. Chapter Three Case Study As previously mentioned Hideo Nakata’s Ringu became the first film associated with the style of movie which would later be described as J-Horror. It came up with a fresh and exciting approach to its genre which would not only be used as a template for its western remakes, but the stream of replicas which would follow it in Japan. In this chapter I will be looking at the film in much more detail, comparing and contrasting it to Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood remake The Ring, in an attempt to identify how truthful it stays to the original, which parts are changed and westernised, and why this is the case. Although I am using Ringu/The Ring as my main example, mainly due to the fact that it was the first contemporary case of remaking Japanese horror, I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other films and Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Causes for Japanese Film Remakes Introduction Since the beginning of the 21st Century a new trend has become commonplace within the Hollywood horror genre, Japanese horror films are being purchased and remade for a new audience, removing the traditional underlying history and Americanising them for western viewers waiting for their next dose of fear and terror. In this dissertation I will explore the reasoning behind this influx of remakes, looking at the important roles people like Roy Lee and Vertigo Entertainment have played in their acceptance and successes. To do this I feel it is important to look at the state Hollywood horror was in before, and how films such as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) have changed things. As well as this I will look at the differences between J-Horror and its American counterpart, and how these have made them an appealing prospect for remaking. It will also be important for me to look at the academic theories behind remakes, and the different types of remake there are, using the work of Druxman, Leitch and Greenberg to try and help identify the different approaches used by Hollywood directors whilst tackling these projects. As well as investigating into why this has become so popular recently, and what examples there are in the past of similar situations arising, I’ll be attempting to predict how long this will last for, and the problems studios may encounter by doing it on a large scale. I will begin in Chapter One by introducing the work of Michael Druxman, Thomas Leitch and Harvey Roy Greenberg, summarising their writings on the topic of remakes and looking at how they each have different categories of them, depending on the new films style and the way it is released. I will look at Leitch’s theory of the â€Å"triangular relationship† (1990: 139) which helps to explain how remakes differ so much from other versions of adaptation. Along with these categories of remake I will attempt to give examples of different films which fit into the criteria, as well as relating them to the current trend of remaking J-Horror. In Chapter Two I will talk about the differences between Hollywood and Japanese horror styles, looking at both countries long histories in the genre, focussing on things such as folklore and local tradition, trying to discover why the two styles are so different. I will look at the origins and formation of the J-Horror style, along with the key films and directors associated with the movement. Before focussing on Hollywood’s history of remaking, and some of the reasons and thinking behind doing it, looking at films such as Yojimbo (1961) and Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954) as examples of this happening in the past. Chapter Three will be a case study based around Ringu (1998) and The Ring (2002), pointing out the differences and similarities between the two films. Through the use of illustrations I will identify important scenes where Gore Verbinski has either almost copied exactly or drastically altered the shot from Hideo Nakata’s original. I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other contemporary cases of J-Horror remakes, again talking about the cultural differences between the two countries and how in turn that has affected the look and feel of the two films. Finally I will conclude by looking at the future of remaking J-Horror, highlighting future films in development and how Hollywood is now exploiting new markets. I will summarise my findings from previous chapters and use them to try and predict how long this spell of remaking will last for and if it will continue to be as financially successful as it has been so far. Chapter One Categories of Remake Ever since the early days of Hollywood cinema films have been remade, reimagined and adapted for new, ever changing audiences. In most cases it has proven that if a film was successful the first time round a remake will be equally so. The producer or studio make the decision that the original story is still viable (Druxman: 1975: 13) and can once again make big money at the box office. This has led to this trend increasing rapidly over the last few decades, with fresh new material becoming harder to come by. Before I go into detail on the types of remakes and how they relate to the current trend of remaking Asian horror, I must clearly define what a remake actually is. A remake is much more than a film based on an earlier screenplay (Verevis: 2006: 1), as it can be broken down into even more definitions. The sequel/prequel, adaptation, homage, reimagining, film series and the retour aux sourced are all a type of remake (Delaney Potamitis: 2004: 1), with films falling under one of them. Leitch states that the reason remakes differ so much from other adaptations to a new media is due to the â€Å"triangular relationship† (Leitch: 1990: 139) they establish among themselves, the original film and the property in which both are based on. This has come about because typically producers of a remake pay no adaptation fees to the makers of the original film, but instead purchase adaptation rights from the authors of the based on property (Leitch: 1990: 139). This seems strange as it is the two films which will be competing against each other, often being found side by side on store shelves, and not the original property and the remade film (Leitch: 1990: 139). It is often the case that the original film benefits from the release of a remake, as it brings in a fresh audience who are often interested in watching the original film as well. In the case of Ringu, you can clearly see that the theatrical release of its remake caused its popularity to soar higher than ever before [fig 1.1] (pro.imdb.com). Many texts have been written regarding the subject of remaking film, and in particular looking at breaking the remake down into smaller more specific categories. The writings of Robert Eberwein, Michael Druxman, Harvey Roy Greenberg and Thomas Leitch, have defined multiple different types of remade film between them, from the wide and vague to the extremely specific. These books and essays can prove very helpful when comparing remade cinema, especially in trying to identify why the film in question has been remade, and the thinking behind it. I hope to use these definitions to help answer my own question of why there is such a high demand for westernising Japanese horror. In one of the first texts dedicated solely to the subject of the movie remake, Make It Again, Sam, Druxman sets out to answer three questions through the analysis of thirty three films and their remakes (1975: 9). These questions are â€Å"Why was the picture remade?†, â€Å"How was the remake different from the original as far as important story changes were concerned?† and â€Å"What was the critical reaction to the remake?† (Druxman: 1975: 9). When searching for a definition of a â€Å"remakeâ€Å" for his work Druxman decided that he would not take into account obvious sequels to films, and instead focus mainly on those that were based on a â€Å"common literary source† (1975: 9), such as an existing screenplay, novel, play, etc. Three major factors are described as driving â€Å"industry pragmatism† (Verevis: 2006: 5) in regards to Hollywood’s practice of remaking. Druxman argues that the first of these factors is that the studios’ decision to remake is a â€Å"voluntary one† (1975: 13) based on the fact that the script is still relevant today and could prove successful. However during the 1930s and 1940s, in the studio dominated era, they were forced to produce a certain amount of films every year (Druxman: 1975: 13). Producers found themselves with no alternative than to start using previously filmed movies as sources for new â€Å"B† and sometimes top-of-the-bill productions (Verevis: 2006: 6). These updated plots were essentially the same as their predecessor, with just the settings and characters being changed slightly. Druxman’s second point is that it was common practice for studios to purchase rights to plays, novels and stories, so that they could then produce multiple versions of these without giving the copyright holder additional payments (Verevis: 2006: 6). As Literary classics such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Three Musketeers where in the public domain, it meant that no initial payment would have to be paid for their dramatic rights (Verevis: 2006: 6). The final factor is simple economics; established films can be redone in order to exploit the ever changing production techniques and movie stars. That is why these old stories were, and will continue to be, constantly resurrected. If a studio has purchased the rights to something they will want to redo and release it as many times as possible in order to maximise their gain. Through Druxman’s definitions and in depth analysis of Hollywood remakes he comes up with three categories which he feels they can fall under; the direct, disguised and the non-remake (Druxman: 1975: 15). The direct remake category contains films that do not even attempt to hide the fact that they are based on earlier productions (Druxman: 1975: 15). Such productions may adopt a new title and make some changes to the narrative image (Verevis: 2006: 7), but it is basically the same film being remade, with not even the publicity campaigns hiding this fact (Druxman: 1975: 15). The main objective of these direct remakes is to draw in two types of cinema viewers. Those who have seen and enjoyed the original, and are curious about this new remake, and those who have heard good things about the original so want to view this version as the older is no longer in circulation (Druxman: 1975: 18). His second category, the disguised remake is a film which is either updated with little change, or completely retitled and then disguised, with the help of a new setting and original characters. (Verevis: 2006: 7). In either case though, the disguised remake doesn’t wish to draw attention to the fact that it’s not an original piece, instead just promoting itself as a normal film. Finally Druxman says there are non-remakes, films retaining the title of a well known story (Druxman: 1975: 15), as well as possibly referring to the name of a well known author, strictly for commercial purposes. Basically all the remake and the original share in common is the title, but the content is extremely different in each case (Verevis: 2006: 7). A perfect example of Druxman’s non-remake would be The Ring Two (2005) as the film shares the same name as its original (in its American release title at least), but that it pretty much where the similarities end. It is interesting to point out that the film is remade by Hideo Nakata, the director behind the original, clearly placing this remake within Robert Stams category of autocitation, in which a film maker remakes his/her own film (Verevis: 2006: 21). A further relevant example of this is Takashi Shimizu’s American film The Grudge a remake of his earlier Japanese language Ju-on: The Grudge (2003). In Harvey Roy Greenberg’s article â€Å"Raiders of the Lost Text: Remaking as Contested Homage in Always†he expands upon Druxman’s â€Å"commercially grounded† (Verevis: 2006: 8) groups and comes up with three categories which instead focus on the directors reasons for remaking a film. His categories center around the example of the romantic war fantasy A Guy Named Joe (1943) and its Steven Spielberg remake, Always (1989). Using this as an example of what Verevis translates as a â€Å"acknowledged, transformed remake† (2006: 9), with the film having huge changes made to the characters, location and general story telling. But still making sure to acknowledge the original, like in the case of Always a small mention is given in the credits. Much like Druxman he also names two other categories in which he feels remakes fall under. The acknowledged, close remake much like Druxman’s direct (1975:15) category, is when a remake completely replicates the original, with little to no change made to its narrative structure (Verevis: 2006: 9), and the unacknowledged, disguised remake is when both minor and major changes are made to the time, settings and characters. But the original version is not referred to and the audience are not informed of there even being one (Verevis: 2006: 9), similar to Druxman’s category of disguised remake. Thomas M. Leitch gives a much â€Å"more developed† (Verevis: 2006: 11) taxonomy of remakes. He claims that remakes seek to define themselves through either primary reference to the original film, or to the material both are adapted from, and there are four possible stances of remake that a film can fall under (Leitch: 1990: 142). The readaptation is the simplest of these stances, ignoring earlier cinematic adaptations in order to readapt an original literary property as faithfully as possible (Verevis: 2006: 12). The readaptations goal is â€Å"fidelity to the original text† (Leitch: 1990: 142), which it aims to translate as thoroughly as possible into the new film medium. Unlike the readaptation, the update competes directly with its literacy source, instead of seeking to subordinate itself to the essence of a literacy classic (Verevis: 2006: 12). They transform the original text through such ways as transposing it to a new setting, changing its values, or making the original seem dated, outmoded or irrelevant (Leitch: 1990: 143). Films such as these updates often display their â€Å"contradictory attitude towards the material† (Leitch: 1990: 143) through their titles and marketing, sometimes even using a tone which verges on parody. For perfect example of this would be Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), a film which takes an established screenplay and changes its meaning, updating it for a new generation. The homage is a type of remake whose primary objective is not to disrespect and put down the original film, but celebrate and pay tribute to it (Leitch: 1990: 144). Much like the readaptation which seeks to direct the audience’s attention to its literacy source (Verevis: 2006: 13), the homage situates itself as a secondary text, with its only value depending on its relation to the original text they pay tribute to (Leitch: 1990: 144). Therefore the homage renounces any claims that it is better than its original and attempts to reintroduce films that are in danger of being lost and forgotten (Leitch: 1990: 144). Leitch’s final category, the true remake is the complete opposite to the homage, claiming that it is better than its original (Verevis: 2006: 13). It focuses on a cinematic original with an accommodating stance and seeks to update the original, making its more relevant to a new modern audience (Leitch: 1990: 145). More than any of the other categories it borrows largely from the unacknowledged film, instead of being a reinvisioning of a literacy text (Leitch: 1990: 145). As well as these three major taxonomies on remakes from Leitch, Druxman and Greenberg, Robert Eberwein has published an elaborate list, proposing fifteen individual categories, each with many subdivisions (Verevis: 2006: 11). Ranging from the obvious such as a silent film remade as a sound film (Eberwein: 1998: 28) to the much more specific, â€Å"A remake that changes the race of the main characters† (Eberwein: 1998: 30). His taxonomy doesn’t address the issue of film adaptations, (Eberwein: 1998: 31) but regardless is a comprehensive and extremely specific list of categories which film can easily be slotted into. Chapter Two Different Styles of Horror It’s fairly clear to see, even to the most casual of audiences that Hollywood and Asia have extremely different styles of horror cinema, focussing on very different aspects and using different techniques to produce an element of fear. The west has a long history of horror cinema, starting with the early gothic in films such as Todd Browning’s Dracula (1931) and James Whales’ Frankenstein (1931), before going through a more paranoid stage focussing on unease and a sense that things are not right in the world, such as John Carpenters Science Fiction horror The Thing (1982). In recent times though â€Å"horror has become the domain of the slasher movie† (Maher: 2005: 14), with the likes of Friday the 13th(1980), Halloween (1978) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) giving rise to a new genre, one which would reshape the future of horror for almost 20 years. Towards the end of the 20th century it had become the norm for horror cinema to be all about multiple grotesque killings, limited back-story and a very formulaic approach to making the films. With the audience expecting certain key things when watching a horror film, such as, big jumpy moments, psycho-killers who never quite die and conventions such as the â€Å"Final Girl†. As Gore Verbinski, director of The Ring puts it â€Å"slasher films contextualise the horror so you watch it, eat your popcorn, go through a few jumps, and then go out for dinner† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), it was no longer fresh and exciting in the way it was in the early 1980s. Wes Craven changed all this in 1996 with the first of his Scream trilogy, the ironic slasher movie has run out of â€Å"nudge-nudge and wink wink† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) and it was now time for a smarter type of horror, one which was very aware of its audience knowing the key conventions, and which would use this to its advantage. The Scream films make use of the previously subtle and covert intertextual references and transform them into a very overt, discursive act. The movie characters knowledge of the horror genre rivals that of this new very aware target audience, and no longer tries to patronise them and act oblivious, with even the rules of horror sequels being discussed in detail in the following Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). The dismantling and parody riddled approach to the slasher genre continued with the Scary Movie (2000) franchise, this time not just giving a smart alternative to current horror cinema but completely mocking every aspect of it. Although these films and there sequels did very well at the box office, they had done serious damage to the American horror genre (Braundu: 2005: 118), the age of the slasher genre was over and Hollywood studios needed to find a way to invent horror for a new audience. In 1998 â€Å"Japanese suspense maestro† (Maher: 2005: 14) Hideo Nakata’s small budget Japanese horror film Ringu had revived a stagnant genre for the country, and had become a â€Å"cinematic phenomenon† (O’Toole: 2003: 93) across Asia, quickly becoming the most successful horror film franchise in Japan’s history. (Arnold: 2002:16) The story of a mysterious video tape which kills everyone who watches it exactly one week later became an underground cult classic within the west (Maher: 2005: 14), providing a kind of deep unsettling horror which had never been seen before. The film is based largely on the book of the same name by Koji Suzuki, who has been dubbed â€Å"the Stephen King of Japan† (O’Toole: 2003: 93), which was published in 1991. Suzuki’s downbeat, everyday settings have proven to translate well into film, (Donald: 2005: 9) with another one of his books, Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Dark Water, 2002) from 1996 also being adapted and remade for an American audience. Roy Lee, arguably the best known go-between in the world of remakes (Frater Kay: 2003: 10) and one half of the new Vertigo Entertainment, was one of the first big name American film producer to watch Ringu and it was this viewing that triggered the start of the Asian remake boom. On Lee’s recommendation the film was watched by Dreamworks Production Executive Walter Parkes and by 7pm that same day they had â€Å"paid $1m for the remake† rights (Frater Kay: 2003: 10). The history of the Japanese horror film is arguably as big as that of Hollywood and the West’s. With its roots firmly set in folklore, myth and urban legend (Langford: 2005: 175) it has progressed from woodblock carvings, to Kabuki theatre and finally to motion picture cinema. The main premise of the horror is based around the ghost story, at least up until the late 20th century. Story’s known as Kaidan (literally translated to â€Å"tail of a strange apparition†) originating from the Edo and Meiji period where passed down from generation to generation, retold in an ever changing medium (Stamou: 2007). The average Japanese person is more inclined to believe in ghosts than not, due to the culture and the way they are constantly exposed to these tales of terror. They believe that spirits inhabit absolutely everything (Rucka: 2005) and because of this don’t regard them as enemies, but as just another thing which co-exists within their world (Kermode: 2005). As Walter Salles, director of Dark Water (2005) puts it, â€Å"they don’t question it the way we question it, it’s much more a part of their world† (Kermode: 2005). Due to the unquestioning of the paranormal and the Buddhist and ShintÃ…Â  religious followings they are much more acceptant to the idea of life after death. This view of life, death and the afterlife is the fundamental difference between Japanese horror and its western counterpart, and where all the other differences stem from (Rucka: 2005). As Hideo Nakata says, â€Å"when making horror films, the methods of describing the spirit world and the expression of horror are totally different between Japan and the West† (Kermode: 2005). As is common within the Japanese language there are names for multiple different types of ghost and spirit. The ghosts and demons of the ancient period tales where known as the Yurei (lean ghost), the Zashiki-warashi is a dead child’s ghost, like the character of Toshio in Ju-on: The Grudge. One of the most common kinds of ghost though is the OnryÃ…Â  (resentful spirit), a spirit trapped at Yomi (Japanese purgatory) who comes back to earth looking for revenge (Stamou: 2007). Although not limited to being female, such as Rentaro Mikuni’s husband character in Kwaidan (1964) for example, the majority of them are (Wilks: 2006). It is this image of the OnryÃ…Â  which comes to mind when you think of Japanese horror, the female spirit gowned in snow-white, with its long black hair obscuring its face. This is mainly due to the new wave of Japanese directors such as, Takashi Miike (Ôdishon, 1999), Hideo Nakata (Ringu), Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Kairo, 2001) using it at every opportunity, making it as â€Å"iconic in horror cinema as the projectile-vomiting, spinning head† (Wilks: 2006). 1964 saw the release of what many regard as one of Japans greatest horrors, Kaidan (Kwaidan, 1964). Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on four short stories by author Lafcadio Hearn, it uses abstract use of lighting and sound, creatively staged and shot in vibrant colours (Rucka: 2005). Keiko Kishi’s performance as Yuki The Ice Maiden sparked such terror within the Japanese population, that now only the passing glimpse of the likes of Sadako in Ringu and Kayako in Ju-on: The Grudge ignite utmost fright, due to the accumulated cultural knowledge of this character (Wilks: 2006). After years of Japanese horror plodding along in a stale state, influenced more by American slashers than its own rich heritage, a young director called Norio Tsurta decided he had had enough and it was time for a change. Japan was no longer the fantastically safe country it once was, and the Japanese people were starting to feel the ills of the outside world encroaching on them (Lovgren: 2004), and this was starting to be shown through their cinema. Tsurta’s Honto ni atta kowai hanashi (Scary True Stories, 1991) was the first of these, providing through low budget production, the look, mood and style which would later be known as J-Horror (Rucka: 2005). The term J-Horror was originally coined as a cult fan term (Rucka: 2005) for the post Ringu horror cinema which was coming out of Japan, although now it is often wrongly used to define Japanese horror as a whole. This revitalised horror scene fronted largely by Hideo Nakata after the phenomenal success of his film Ringu, completely revived the Japanese horror scene and caught the eye of film fans and studios all around the world. The common theme within J-Horror is once again ghosts, OnryÃ…Â  and the supernatural, but other more violent torture based films can also be included under the banner, for example Takashi Miike’s Ôdishon (Audition). For the most part though the films were very similar in style and overall theme to each other, with the following being the most notable examples; Nakata’s Ringu, Kaosu (Chaos, 1999), Ringu 2 (1999) and Honogurai mizu no soko kara. Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse (2000), Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000), Ju-on: The Grudge, Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003), Marebito (2004) and Rinne (Reincarnation, 2005). Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kyua (Cure, 1997), Kairo (Pulse, 2001) and Sakebi (Retribution, 2006), and Takashi Miike’s Chakushin ari (One Missed Call, 2004). The Japanese horror style has an â€Å"eerie ambient quality† (Maher: 14: 2005) about it which differs largely from its western counterpart. As noted previously, in the traditional Japanese horror movie the â€Å"past haunts the present, invariably taking the form of the supernatural† (Schneider and Williams: 6: 2005). Where, as director Rob Zombie (Halloween, 2007) points out, in American horror â€Å"you’ve gotta kill someone in the first five seconds† (Chaffin: 2005). J-Horror takes a very different approach to this, focussing on delivering heavy â€Å"atmosphere, nuance and ambiguity† (Chaffin: 2005), instead of raw grotesque gore, mainly due to the fact that the Japanese audience is much more tolerant of it (Phelan: 10: 2005). In Japanese horror films there’s much more of an acceptance towards the irrational and the unexplained (Lovgren: 2004). Nakata says that the ghost need do nothing more than â€Å"stand behind and stare at the main character† (Davies: 2005) to create fear amongst the audience, it all comes from sounds, shadows and suggestions, you don’t need â€Å"a 3D creature lopping people’s heads off† (Lovgren: 2004). Takashi Shimizu compares the current J-Horror style to films by American director John Carpenter, such as The Thing (1982) and Halloween. Saying that â€Å"just the suggestion of the presence of a ghost is frightening† (Dixon: 7: 2005), whereas Sarah Michelle-Gellar, star of The Grudge, describes Asian horror as being â€Å"much more beautiful, more poetic, leaving much more to the imagination† (Baughan: 78: 2005), a view which seems to be shared by many. Western horror plots normally evolve around the idea that the characters discover the cause of the horror and then destroy it, but J-Horror works very differently to this. As Stephen Susco, the writer in charge of translating Ju-on: The Grudge for the remake puts it, Asian horror is more â€Å"like a haunted house that follows you† (Kay: 7: 2004), there’s no limits or barriers to the horror. For example in Ringu where Sadako Yamamura climbs out of the television set, breaching any line which might keep you safe. In the west a ghost is often required to want something much more meaningful and have a deeper back-story, whereas â€Å"in Japan a ghost may simply want to terrify and destroy† (Phelan: 10: 2005). It’s the little differences like this which make these variations on the horror genre so different, where Hollywood mostly relies on over the top multiple sequences of death, Japan still has its roots firmly placed amongst the aesthetics of folklore, Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre (McRoy: 214: 2006). Although history would suggest that Europe was the first stop of film makers and studio’s looking to remake a movie for a world audience, Japan has long been a â€Å"happy hunting ground for Hollywood remakers† (Shackleton Schilling: 2003: 17). First beginning in 1960 with The Magnificent Seven, John Sturges’ classic remake of the cult hit Shichinin no samurai, and then followed by Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), a remake of the Japanese film Yojimbo. In fact Yojimbo was remade once again in 1996 in the Bruce Willis lead crime drama Last Man Standing, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s screenplay that it was still deemed worthy of a remake over 30 years later. Literally the largest example of Hollywood remaking a Japanese movie though is Godzilla (1998), Roland Emmerich’s re-envisioning of the then twenty two film monster series, beginning in 1954 with Goijira (Godzilla). It was this film which became one of the first early examples of a foreign film becoming â€Å"Americanised†, even though it was given a (very limited) subtitled theatrical run it was still remade two years later as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), with numerous new scenes shot and inserted into the original Japanese film, completely changing the plot and removing any real trace that it was a foreign made production (godzylla.com). As Mike Macari, Fine Line’s Creative Executive and avid Asian film fanatic, states Hollywood has always had the ability to â€Å"import foreign ideas and re-export them to a world market† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9), remakes have always been a very important part of American film making, but in the last ten years this is becoming even more so. As the mainstream Hollywood audiences’ become bored and overexposed to the current market the studios are forced to look elsewhere for inspiration, Walter Parkes says that Hollywood’s â€Å"voracious appetite† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) will look wherever it can for new material and inspiration. American children have been â€Å"growing up on Pokemon, Japanese anime and manga† (Frater Kay: 2003: 9) for the past ten years, which has meant that as they become adults they’ve become more accustomed to the Japanese style, whereas fifteen years ago they wouldn’t be so open to it. Roy Lee states that he looks for â€Å"something new and fresh in the story that will appeal to a wider audience† (Paquet: 2003: 15), as long as it has an original concept and several strong scenes Hollywood can see potential in it for a remake. â€Å"Hollywood is a machine† (Maher: 2005: 14) and has proven that it can translate even the most cultural specific film into a box office success. Chapter Three Case Study As previously mentioned Hideo Nakata’s Ringu became the first film associated with the style of movie which would later be described as J-Horror. It came up with a fresh and exciting approach to its genre which would not only be used as a template for its western remakes, but the stream of replicas which would follow it in Japan. In this chapter I will be looking at the film in much more detail, comparing and contrasting it to Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood remake The Ring, in an attempt to identify how truthful it stays to the original, which parts are changed and westernised, and why this is the case. Although I am using Ringu/The Ring as my main example, mainly due to the fact that it was the first contemporary case of remaking Japanese horror, I will try to relate my arguments and observations to other films and