I Watch 'Em So You Don't Have To

Foreign Horror Films


As a rule, I try to stay away from foreign horror films. I'm not prejudiced against any country, in fact I'm kind of a 'world without borders' kind of person - I don't care what country you're from, you're all right by me.


But films made in other countries have certain characteristics that can be extremely trying and tedious to the American film viewer. You probably know what I mean: English films can be uneven and meander a lot trying to make a point. Australian films are just.... weird. South Korean films are - well I've only actually seen one and it was so full of anti-American propaganda that I'm surprised they showed it in this country. Canadian films are kind of just like American films for one main reason: most of them ARE American films, just made in Canada because in many ways it's much less expensive. Films from the east, such as China or Japan, are different because what they fear and what we fear is a lot different. While we would have vampires, ghosts, demons or whatever, Eastern culture invades their movies and a lot are about fears of their ancestors somehow wanting revenge against their families (which to me doesn't make sense but...) or of curses, or of things happening that Americans would just look at and either laugh or shake their heads. Movies made in Europe (other than England) are... strange. Just strange. Their view of horror also has a peculiar twist that in this country really doesn't play well. But every once in a while you come across a foreign film that is a little smarter and a little better put together than the average horror film. Those I watch, those I will review. Not that I haven't seen a lot of them, despite trying not to watch a lot, sometimes that's all that's on so.... I watch 'em so you don't have to. Whether they make any kind of sense or not.


So I will try to include a few more of the foreign horror films I've seen, good or bad. In fact, there is a Spanish (not made in Mexico but Spain) spook movie that was a little more intelligent than your average what-was-that-sound kind of haunting movie. And a South Korean one - wait a minute, that means I've seen two of those, how about that, that had the kind of twisty plot that could keep you interested despite having to read the subtitles. Those two follow, and the others I'll work into my regular regime of movie reviews.


And I thank you in advance for your patience.