Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas, 2016
Extreme cinema is an international trend which encompasses a wide range of cinematic genres: thri... more Extreme cinema is an international trend which encompasses a wide range of cinematic genres: thrillers, dramatic narratives, so-called “art films,” and horror films. In the context of Asian extreme films, we find an especially highly-dynamic crisscrossing of influences. There is an assumption in the Western imagination that the Asian diaspora is unidirectional insofar as Asian populations gravitate toward the beacons of Western civilization. Trends in post-millennial extreme cinema however disrupt this particular diasporic narrative. This article argues that post-millennial extreme films are not simply a bidirectional flow, but rather a complex circulation of themes, aesthetic motifs, and filmmakers.
In Chambers appropriates some of the visual and narrative motifs that we associate with the Holoc... more In Chambers appropriates some of the visual and narrative motifs that we associate with the Holocaust. Although In Chambers is clearly situated within a tradition of dystopic fantasy narratives, it finds similarities with the torture porn genre – which also adopts the iconography of the Holocaust.
This chapter explores the inclusion of graphic sexual content in post-millennial cinema. Art film... more This chapter explores the inclusion of graphic sexual content in post-millennial cinema. Art films have increasingly incorporated scenes of unsimulated, hardcore sex acts—traditionally associated with pornography—into their narratives in recent years. Arousal, perhaps more so than any of the other themes explored in Extreme Cinema, wields the potential for affective dissonance. In these films, sexual transgression and eroticism might turn towards disgust, signifiers of pain might be confused for signifiers of sexual arousal, or morally objectionable content might elicit sensual arousal—at the intersection of violence and fetishism. The films discussed in this chapter include: Wetlands, Nymphomaniac Volumes I and II, 9 Songs, Helter Skelter.
Storytelling evolves, as do genres. Evolutions prompted by creative innovations, hybridization, o... more Storytelling evolves, as do genres. Evolutions prompted by creative innovations, hybridization, or encountering emerging technology, any of these might lead to a genre fail. Genre failures mark a juncture in an evolutionary branch, leading to a dead-end, a limp wilting limb, or a vigorous new branch. Even in this latter instance, prior to its institutionalization, a genre innovation might at first come off as stupid. As examples, the authors evaluate innovative approaches to the horror genre, Roman Pornos (Japanese softcore erotic films), and the televisual following the advent of streaming services. From the emergence of long-format television, to the possibilities of interactive narratives, streaming has a measurable impact on (televisual-)genres, and forms. Interactive narratives begin to blur the boundaries between televisual/cinematic narratives and videogames.
Different from a surprising plot twist, narrative dissonance pertains to narrative syntax. Like m... more Different from a surprising plot twist, narrative dissonance pertains to narrative syntax. Like music, where dissonance is evident even to the completely untrained ear, narrative dissonance marks a narrative encounter that “feels off,” and in that sense stupid. The authors take Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time as their primary example. Episodes might end abruptly, feeling incomplete. The program also draws from Bakhtinian principles, including what is termed, “adventure time”—internal-diegetic moments where characters embark on various quests, but these individuated episodes have no bearing on the overarching narrative. And these quests, because they have no bearing on the narrative writ-large, might be considered stupid. The chapter also reviews the videogame Gone Home, and its reliance on spatialized storytelling, which strike some as dissonant—stupid.
In this introductory chapter, the authors conceptualize what the “stupid” means, and its relation... more In this introductory chapter, the authors conceptualize what the “stupid” means, and its relation to media. The stupid generally refers to things that fail to meet existing categorization (e.g., storytelling conventions, genres). An encounter with media that does not fit into established regimes of knowledge, might be characterized as stupid. The stupid should not be confused with the “bad object.” Rather the stupid often emerges in narrative forms, and finds affinities with the “cinematic attraction.” Storytelling forms evolve, and these changes might be prompted by creative innovations or technological developments. The authors argue that the paradigms of assessment in media studies largely address narrative, however, innovations in storytelling (particularly more recent developments) are not necessarily invested in novelistic or cinematic storytelling as conventionally conceived.
“Ludonarrative dissonance” derives from Clint Hocking’s review of the videogame Bioshock, and ref... more “Ludonarrative dissonance” derives from Clint Hocking’s review of the videogame Bioshock, and refers to instances where gameplay seemingly runs counter to the narrative. The procedural (e.g., mechanics, or gameplay) versus narrative debate has waned within the ludic discipline, however, in the larger gaming community these underlying tensions surfaced in the most toxic rhetoric. Gone Home met tremendous hostility (in the “Gamergate” controversy), because conventional gameplay is elided in favor of narrative. The narrative focuses on a young queer woman, and this vividly contrasts with the supposed “default” videogame demographic. And for these reasons Gone Home might be read as stupid. Casual games (typically phone-based games), relatively unplayable without micro-transactions, are implicitly placed in a contingent relationship with triple-A console games, also, might be viewed as stupid.
The American cycle of horror films dubbed as ‘torture porn’—the Saw and Hostel films being most r... more The American cycle of horror films dubbed as ‘torture porn’—the Saw and Hostel films being most representative—were summarily dismissed as sadistic. But little regard has been given to the true nature of sadism and the ways in which these films actually grapple with this much-abused term. Furthermore, while the history of disciplinary power has largely witnessed the removal of state punishment from public view, in the post-9/11 era torture porn films return what has been kept from view.
The much-maligned Transformers franchise is exemplary of the contemporary Hollywood vernacular. W... more The much-maligned Transformers franchise is exemplary of the contemporary Hollywood vernacular. While colloquially stupid, this franchise also represents an industrial trend that moves the cinematic closer toward the model of the theme-park ride. Critics predictably lambast the films for their incoherence, however, the spectacular is not a design flaw, but the point of it. Furthermore, screenwriters for these films, understand that they are writing for a global market, and thus a premium is placed on action. As a consequence, the experience of writing a Transformers movie might be more akin to writing a Cirque du Soleil show than a Hollywood movie. The style of these films, especially in their choreographed action and editing, intends to amplify the visceral roller-coaster like thrill.
Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas, 2016
Extreme cinema is an international trend which encompasses a wide range of cinematic genres: thri... more Extreme cinema is an international trend which encompasses a wide range of cinematic genres: thrillers, dramatic narratives, so-called “art films,” and horror films. In the context of Asian extreme films, we find an especially highly-dynamic crisscrossing of influences. There is an assumption in the Western imagination that the Asian diaspora is unidirectional insofar as Asian populations gravitate toward the beacons of Western civilization. Trends in post-millennial extreme cinema however disrupt this particular diasporic narrative. This article argues that post-millennial extreme films are not simply a bidirectional flow, but rather a complex circulation of themes, aesthetic motifs, and filmmakers.
In Chambers appropriates some of the visual and narrative motifs that we associate with the Holoc... more In Chambers appropriates some of the visual and narrative motifs that we associate with the Holocaust. Although In Chambers is clearly situated within a tradition of dystopic fantasy narratives, it finds similarities with the torture porn genre – which also adopts the iconography of the Holocaust.
This chapter explores the inclusion of graphic sexual content in post-millennial cinema. Art film... more This chapter explores the inclusion of graphic sexual content in post-millennial cinema. Art films have increasingly incorporated scenes of unsimulated, hardcore sex acts—traditionally associated with pornography—into their narratives in recent years. Arousal, perhaps more so than any of the other themes explored in Extreme Cinema, wields the potential for affective dissonance. In these films, sexual transgression and eroticism might turn towards disgust, signifiers of pain might be confused for signifiers of sexual arousal, or morally objectionable content might elicit sensual arousal—at the intersection of violence and fetishism. The films discussed in this chapter include: Wetlands, Nymphomaniac Volumes I and II, 9 Songs, Helter Skelter.
Storytelling evolves, as do genres. Evolutions prompted by creative innovations, hybridization, o... more Storytelling evolves, as do genres. Evolutions prompted by creative innovations, hybridization, or encountering emerging technology, any of these might lead to a genre fail. Genre failures mark a juncture in an evolutionary branch, leading to a dead-end, a limp wilting limb, or a vigorous new branch. Even in this latter instance, prior to its institutionalization, a genre innovation might at first come off as stupid. As examples, the authors evaluate innovative approaches to the horror genre, Roman Pornos (Japanese softcore erotic films), and the televisual following the advent of streaming services. From the emergence of long-format television, to the possibilities of interactive narratives, streaming has a measurable impact on (televisual-)genres, and forms. Interactive narratives begin to blur the boundaries between televisual/cinematic narratives and videogames.
Different from a surprising plot twist, narrative dissonance pertains to narrative syntax. Like m... more Different from a surprising plot twist, narrative dissonance pertains to narrative syntax. Like music, where dissonance is evident even to the completely untrained ear, narrative dissonance marks a narrative encounter that “feels off,” and in that sense stupid. The authors take Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time as their primary example. Episodes might end abruptly, feeling incomplete. The program also draws from Bakhtinian principles, including what is termed, “adventure time”—internal-diegetic moments where characters embark on various quests, but these individuated episodes have no bearing on the overarching narrative. And these quests, because they have no bearing on the narrative writ-large, might be considered stupid. The chapter also reviews the videogame Gone Home, and its reliance on spatialized storytelling, which strike some as dissonant—stupid.
In this introductory chapter, the authors conceptualize what the “stupid” means, and its relation... more In this introductory chapter, the authors conceptualize what the “stupid” means, and its relation to media. The stupid generally refers to things that fail to meet existing categorization (e.g., storytelling conventions, genres). An encounter with media that does not fit into established regimes of knowledge, might be characterized as stupid. The stupid should not be confused with the “bad object.” Rather the stupid often emerges in narrative forms, and finds affinities with the “cinematic attraction.” Storytelling forms evolve, and these changes might be prompted by creative innovations or technological developments. The authors argue that the paradigms of assessment in media studies largely address narrative, however, innovations in storytelling (particularly more recent developments) are not necessarily invested in novelistic or cinematic storytelling as conventionally conceived.
“Ludonarrative dissonance” derives from Clint Hocking’s review of the videogame Bioshock, and ref... more “Ludonarrative dissonance” derives from Clint Hocking’s review of the videogame Bioshock, and refers to instances where gameplay seemingly runs counter to the narrative. The procedural (e.g., mechanics, or gameplay) versus narrative debate has waned within the ludic discipline, however, in the larger gaming community these underlying tensions surfaced in the most toxic rhetoric. Gone Home met tremendous hostility (in the “Gamergate” controversy), because conventional gameplay is elided in favor of narrative. The narrative focuses on a young queer woman, and this vividly contrasts with the supposed “default” videogame demographic. And for these reasons Gone Home might be read as stupid. Casual games (typically phone-based games), relatively unplayable without micro-transactions, are implicitly placed in a contingent relationship with triple-A console games, also, might be viewed as stupid.
The American cycle of horror films dubbed as ‘torture porn’—the Saw and Hostel films being most r... more The American cycle of horror films dubbed as ‘torture porn’—the Saw and Hostel films being most representative—were summarily dismissed as sadistic. But little regard has been given to the true nature of sadism and the ways in which these films actually grapple with this much-abused term. Furthermore, while the history of disciplinary power has largely witnessed the removal of state punishment from public view, in the post-9/11 era torture porn films return what has been kept from view.
The much-maligned Transformers franchise is exemplary of the contemporary Hollywood vernacular. W... more The much-maligned Transformers franchise is exemplary of the contemporary Hollywood vernacular. While colloquially stupid, this franchise also represents an industrial trend that moves the cinematic closer toward the model of the theme-park ride. Critics predictably lambast the films for their incoherence, however, the spectacular is not a design flaw, but the point of it. Furthermore, screenwriters for these films, understand that they are writing for a global market, and thus a premium is placed on action. As a consequence, the experience of writing a Transformers movie might be more akin to writing a Cirque du Soleil show than a Hollywood movie. The style of these films, especially in their choreographed action and editing, intends to amplify the visceral roller-coaster like thrill.
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