Four Means Death

Well not means, I suppose, though it sounds the same in Japanese. The word "shi" doubles for both apparently, which would explain why my book on the language says that there is also the word "yon" to mean four. In fact a similar thing happens where there is a preference to say seven as "nana" instead of "shichi" to avoid speaking of death even in such a tangential way. It makes me wonder immediately is there is an instinct to not make films beyond the trilogy point in Japan. Back to four, this has lead to something of a superstition involving never giving gifts in number of four, or multiples of four. So no boxes of 16 cookies or anything of the sort. Makes you wonder about 24 packs of drinks or four wheeled conveyances.

As you can only guess that I would say, superstition can be a powerful factor in a story if you so wanted it to be. We have our own superstitions on this side of the world and they are pretty well trod. So why not go a little further afield for inspiration. Certainly there is a market for translations and remakes of foreign horrors. I always prefer something a little more original though, so I tend toward the translated movies, and hope (though it may well be pointless) that the studios will begin putting out something new if only because the scriptwriters and directors get a good jones on to write their own stuff and cash in more directly.

Last night, watching Killer Klowns from Outer Space, was as fun as always. I cracked up at one point where there was such a blatant giveaway about what was going to later happen to the one character. Of course seeing it the first time it didn't seem like anything other than just an ordinary bit of dialog until it came to fruition. I also got a real kick out of the set and character which I just can't help think are some kind of homage or send-up of "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" from Stephen King's Creepshow. Then of course there is the balloon-tracking-dog, can't forget how utterly absurd and hilarious that is on the surface and how disturbing it is if you really think about the power that represents.

Tonight we go back to the real horror movies, and what a doozy this one is. I call it a real piece of cinema, something much more movie than other movies. This one is so great and yet at the same time it stands on the precipice of a real controversy. That controversy for once is among the horror fans themselves. Everyone picks a side, or so it seems and the battle lines are quickly drawn. Which is the best werewolf movie? The satirical one about a foreigner turned werewolf while in England, or the one I stand by wholeheartedly, the real horror movie, The Howling.

Mood: drained.
Music: Furnace Room Lullaby by Neko Case & Her Boyfriends and Dead Girl Superstar by Rob Zombie

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