#the western version would have like a mummy and some vampires and ghosts and Frankenstein's monster and a bit about walking under a ladder

[ineffablefool]

Finally watching Spirited Away, after years of seeing all kinds of people wax rhapsodic about it over the years.

I did... not expect it to make me feel uncomfortable about being a fat person so very, very many times.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Another HypMic AU

Why “another”? The first one is here (and that may have influenced parts of this one).

Again, not all the specifics of this AU have been ironed out.

This one’s a world where all kinds of mythical creatures coexist with humans and, if they’re not already humanoid, can take human forms. Due to dilution of bloodlines over time, some families are mixed human/creature. The Party in this case created the division system to lead a human rebellion against the mythical creatures, although that’s hard to enforce against mythical creatures in hiding...

I like the MTR portrayals of this in particular, so I ended up drawing them (also because I keep proving I can’t draw Jakurai’s eyes decently and this is a way to circumvent that). The Hifumi in this image came out really well, I think. 

Ichiro: steam dragon, a red Western-style dragon which thrives in hot temperatures, breathes fire and can be commonly found in volcanoes or other warm places.

Jiro: water dragon, a blue flightless dragon, somewhat akin to the Loch Ness monster or an aquatic dinosaur, commonly found near large bodies of water, but is not picky about temperature.

Saburo: ice dragon, a white spiky dragon which thrives in cold weather, breathes ice and has stumps for wings. The spikes can be used as projectiles, but since Saburo is a child version of this kind of dragon, the spikes haven’t fully grown in yet and so for now, he’s just an annoying kid/dragon hatchling who’s too smart for his own good.

Samatoki: centaur (a pun on the “horse” in his name). Despite the fact the equine parts of him make it hard to wear certain kinds of vintage clothing unless he fully assumes human form, he nonetheless holds a lot of pride in his status as a mythical creature. If you want to really piss him off, treat him like a horse.

Jyuto: wererabbit (again, a pun on the animal in his name, but slightly inspired by Wallace and Gromit). Mostly, this just means enhanced kick strength, enhanced senses (bar sight, which sucks even for a human) and a mild desire for carrots when in human form, although most wererabbits would also have enhanced sight.

Riou: selkie (inspired by his former occupation and the scene in Rhyme Anima episode 8). Much like the mythology goes, he’s human unless he has a seal skin. His father was the selkie in this case and he taught Riou survival cooking.

Ramuda: Frankenstein’s monster. The scientist in this case is (mainly) Rei. Essentially human, bar an uncanny ability to conduct electricity and some ice resistance from his creator.

Gentaro: ghost. Claims to specifically be the ghost of a dead author, although whether this is true has yet to be confirmed due to his lying and ability to become corporeal.

Dice: elf. As per the mythos, distinguishable via the pointy ears and a very proud but wise race. Dice is still dedicated to gambling (particularly where leprechaun gold or other treasure is involved), but is also trained in the use of a bow and nature magic...which he sometimes forgets to use in his quest for survival... (Otome is human in this AU, meaning Asuka Mikado is an elf.)

Jakurai: gorgon. Wears something to cover his eyes so he doesn’t accidentally turn anyone to stone - typically a blindfold since he can use the sight of his snakes as well as his own, although occasionally he’ll wear sunglasses. The snakes have weak venom, but are mostly quite harmless. If he ever gets into a fight, he’ll only ever use his petrification as a last resort.

Hifumi: vampire. Similar to the portrayal in Demi-chan wa Kataritai, Hifumi has all the known vampire weaknesses, but they don’t kill him outright unless a human can be killed by that cause too (he gets easily sunburnt, dislikes garlic etc.). Can turn into a bat, but sucks at being one. Took on a job as a host because it suited his lifestyle well...although any sparkles the clients see are a side effect of vampire hypnotism and they’re not really under his control.

Doppo: werewolf. Depending on how angered/courageous he’s feeling, his alternate form can end up being a dog instead of a wolf. Also has all the standard weaknesses of his kind, but won’t die from them unless a person can be dead from that cause too. Gains some animosity from his coworkers on nights with a full moon, particularly his balding boss, because it’s believed he’s ditching simply because he’s escaping responsibility.

Sasara: a kuchisake otoko. The reason his division is represented by a fan is because of the fan he uses to hide his own disfigurement (the one on his mic and/or the one he’s often portrayed holding) and this is also the reason he pursued manzai as a career - to get audiences to smile, regardless of what they look like or were thinking prior to watching Sasara at work.

Rosho: a griffin. Went searching for his own variety of treasure and that’s how he became a manzai entertainer and later, a teacher - he decided he would protect talent rather than a physical treasure (see ch. 8 of the DH & BAT manga).

Rei: ice dragon (adult). As you might expect, the steam, water and ice dragons are related (they’re each quadrupedal with long necks, although the water dragon has flippers instead of legs) which is how each Yamada brother is a different type, but Rei holds some contempt for Ichiro because that’s the only one of his offspring capable of flight.

Kuko: poison dragon, an Eastern-style dragon which somewhat resembles the dragon on his Hypnosis Speaker, although it is purple and spits poison, it’s commonly found where poisonous gases naturally occur and it’s distantly related to the steam, water and ice dragons. It’s capable of drifting on clouds, but not outright flight like the steam dragon.

Jyushi: a mummy. Uses the bandages as part of his chuunibyou delusions, although they’re not entirely necessary for human life and can be annoying to have around at times. Has extreme heat tolerance but is also prone to drying out easily, like all of his kind.

Hitoya: a leprechaun. Gained his greedy nature from his kind but his job from his brother. Still jealous of Jakurai, even though they are different types of mythical creature.

Yotsutsuji: an orphaned child who stumbled upon the secret of the mythical creatures and ended up sympathising with them. May or may not also have his own mythical creature lineage, although exactly what creature that lineage comes from is unknown. His fate is currently unknown.

Nemu: human, unlike her brother. Holds some contempt for mythical creatures, which is what caused her to join the Party.

[gibelwho]

Marathon #2: Horror

With the successful wrap of the Western Marathon, it is time to turn our attention to the Horror Marathon - and boy, am I nervous about it! I am not a huge Horror fan and tend to avoid these films whenever possible - but that time is over as I dive into Filmspotting’s next marathon, focusing on the Horror genre. I started off this journey through the safest possible route - reading “The Horror Film: An Introduction” by Rick Worland - an academic text of the genre’s history that also traces the societal context that was reflected in and also shaped by the genre. In this introduction, I will touch on the basics of the genre, summarize the history, explore my own experiences with Horror films, and lay out the list of films we will be watching. Here I go - holding my breath in suspense, closing my eyes in terror, and tiptoeing towards the Horror!

To start at the beginning - what defines a Horror film? At the basic core, a Horror film is intended to provoke an emotional response from the viewer - to shock, disgust, scare, and (in the truest essence of the word) to horrify. This is accomplished through the mise-en-scene of the film - the settings, iconography, and also the themes. A vital component of this package is the villain of the piece - the Monster! Whether a grotesque figure featuring heavy makeup or a regular human maniac, the monster is a violation of regular society and true nature; they must be fearsome and repellent, attacking the normal life of the heroes and seeking to destroy their victims (and oftentimes the domesticity surrounding those protagonists). Early in Horror history, pulling from Gothic trappings, the settings were often sites where monsters would credibly dwell - a decaying haunted house where ghosts still reside, a scientist’s lab where experiments go wrong, or creepy cemeteries where the dead rise to pursue the living. Later on, the settings expanded into “normal society” locations - a small-time hotel, the suburban house, or other teenage hangout spots. The iconography that goes along with these settings are hallmarks of nightmares - the overwhelming shadows, an offscreen terror that is creeping closer, the victims intense scream or look of dread. The early era of Horror featured monsters that were external threats to society and the institutions (church, police, state) were all helpful to the protagonists, who were characters worthy of saving. Once the turbulent 1960s gripped the United States and Hollywood as a business and artistic center began to change, the Horror genre transformed as well - the monster could now come from society itself, plots referenced the decay and breakup of the American family, and an overall questioning of normality and tradition was commonplace. Finally, the genre began to direct its films toward a teenage audience, especially attempting to entice potential youthful ticketgoers with stories centered around sex and violence. In contemporary times, the latest development in the genre revolves around how special effects can escalate the production of gore and the enhancement of the grotesque to even higher levels of mayhem. 

Horror films have their roots in Gothic literature and were first popularized in Germany in the 1920s, when the German Expressionism style gained momentum. Films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922) established much of the iconography and early themes for the genre. Many of the film directors and artists left Germany, lured by the opportunity to influence Hollywood and it’s take on the genre. Universal in particular specialized in Horror films - an early cycle during the 1920s with films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), both featuring the first Horror star Lon Chaney. Universal’s second Horror cycle took place in the 1930s, utilizing the talents of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff; classic films like Dracula (1931) with Lugosi and Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932) with Karloff were significant milestones cementing the legitimacy of the genre in popular culture. The genre was less prominent during the WWII years and was overshadowed by Science Fiction during the 1950s (although Roger Corman and Vincent Price both got their start during this time making low-budget teen exploitation Horror films), but made a sharp comeback in the 1960s and into the chaotic Vietnam War era in America. 

Many scholars point to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho (1960) as the titular movie in the Horror genre’s shifting viewpoints about the larger society. As noted above, pre-1960s Horror films ended with the destruction of the monster, which brings a sense of closure to the unnatural element it had inflicted upon the characters and society. Once Psycho had established that the villain could be a madman that emerges from society itself and, combined with the turbulent Vietnam and Cold War eras, the institutions once worth preserving were now suspect and even working against the protagonists of Horror films. These themes became even more exaggerated in the 1970s and the rise of the slasher/stalker films (which will be the focus of this Horror Marathon). Filmmakers that grew up as fans of the previous generation of Horror films (and the fan magazines that sprung up in popular culture as well) began making their own versions of the genre in the 1980s and 90s; Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, John Carpenter, George Romero, Francis Ford Coppola, Terry Gilliam, and M. Night Shyamalan working with major studios all took their turn at directing Horror films, partnering with makeup artists and special effects masters to heighten the terror. Independent studios also took on the low-budget Horror flick, aimed at the teenage audience, with films like Evil Dead (1981), Scream (1996), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). As the Horror genre entered into the new millennium, the films took on a postmodernist trend - showing awareness of the genre’s history, tropes, and plot conventions - and sometimes even commenting on it for additional screams or for comedic laughs. While the genre has evolved, its core tenant of scaring the bejeezus out of the audience has never strayed from its mission.

Personally, I actively avoid Horror films, whether screening in the theater or watching at home. I have seen exactly zero of these films included in the Marathon and would never have actually pursued them without taking on this challenge. I spent some time reflecting on why I have an aversion to the genre and it comes down to not wanting to actively subject myself to the feeling of fear, which is literally the base intent of Horror. Images of gore (which I usually glimpse through the slits of my fingers covering my eyes) aren’t as terrible for me as the atmospheric suspense; the former I can tell myself is not real and just movie magic - but the monster stalking the woman in the dark or the slow creaking of a door opening or the anticipation of an attack in a rain-soaked alley - these all could be real events!

Over my life, I have watched a few Horror films that have stayed with me. My most vivid memory is watching The Ring (2002) in high school. I went with a group of friends and drove a few of them home. To get back to my house, there was a backroads way that went through wetlands with limited streetlights - so after an extremely suspenseful and scary movie, I drove home through a dark and winding road that was just PERFECT for something creepy to attack me. Thank goodness I made it home ok! Another Horror film that I watched during high school had the opposite of the intended effect - I went to a party where The Exorcist (1973) was screened; chatting with friends, half paying attention to the film, and not truly connecting to the material meant that when the famous head spinning scene happened - laughter rang out amongst all my friends. An entirely different atmosphere surrounded my screening of The Shining (1980) - I was living alone, watching it late at night, and had to pause the movie halfway through and call my Mom to distract me from the growing dread in the pit of my stomach. And my final notable Horror viewing experience was when I began this blog; I watched Nosferatu (1922), one of the original Horror movies filmed in the German Expressionism style. This film was less terrifying and more atmospheric - and I certainly appreciated the filmmaking techniques employed to create the vampires creepy style and tone, despite being so early in film’s history.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Horror Film: An Introduction” because I could enter into the genre through a historical and societal lense, taking an academic approach to an otherwise scary venture. Out of the vast canon of films that have been produced in the genre, this Marathon is only taking a small slice from the 1970s and 80s - primarily looking at the slasher/stalker cycle. It also includes two sequels, so I will be including two additional films as homework to screen before those official entries, although they will not count towards the awards at the conclusion of the Marathon. Here are the films I will be cringing, flinching, and screaming at during Gibelwho Production’s Horror Marathon:

1[a]. Night of the Living Dead (1968), George Romero

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978), George Romero

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Tobe Hooper

3. Suspiria (1977), Dario Argento

4. Halloween (1978), John Carpenter

5. Re-Animator (1985), Stuart Gordon

6[a]. The Evil Dead (1981), Sam Raimi

6. Evil Dead 2 (1987), Sam Raimi

Watch your back and happy haunting!