Tag: Reading response 2

Cat Links Lecture 4: Everyday Spaces as Narrative

[Reading Response] – Cuts through Hong Kong

Posted on Derrick Chan

The writing depicts 60s Hong Kong living spatial relationship through analyzing immigrants and their homes in the film. Unlike nowadays’ housing situation, the bonding between both neighbors and spaces were much tighter in the past. Even though Hong Kong is still renowned for its insanely high housing and population density, the newly built commercial buildings and residential projects have taken away more private space. The walls have divided the city into interior and exterior regions. Back in the days, buildings were majorly tong laus. Owing to the density, people’s relationships were shortened due to short distance between households. You could

Continue reading[Reading Response] – Cuts through Hong Kong

Cat Links Uncategorized

reading response2

Posted on u3626536

Reading Response 2 In response to the reading The Multilayered Metropolis, I began to reflect on how multilayered pedestrian systems are represented in Hong Kong, where I live, and how they resonate with cinematic depictions of the city. Hong Kong’s architecture, with its dense urban sprawl, is a maze of elevated walkways, overpasses and a complex underground network, reflecting the multi-layered concepts discussed in the document. These infrastructures not only contribute to the bustling rhythm of the city, but also have a significant impact on Hong Kong’s social interactions and cultural dynamics. From a cinematic perspective, these multi-layered spaces in

Continue readingreading response2

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 9: Global Space, Time & Architecture

[Reading Response][ Cinema, Cities and the Cinematic]

Posted on fathima

The chapter delves into the interconnectedness of cinema, cities, and the cinematic experience in the context of a digital age. The author examines the dynamic relationship between urban environments and cinematic representations, emphasizing the mutual influence and impact they have on each other. It investigates how cities function as both physical and conceptual environments for films, impacting the narrative, aesthetics, and cultural representations inside them. Abbas explains how filmmakers use urban settings, architecture, and cityscapes to create unique visual and narrative experiences that represent their attitudes about urban life, cultural identities, and societal challenges. Additionally, the chapter touches upon the

Continue reading[Reading Response][ Cinema, Cities and the Cinematic]

Cat Links Lecture 8: Sci-Fi Technoscapes

[Reading Response 2] Imagining Urban Futures Ho Tsz Hei

Posted on u3619305

In the reading, author Carl Abbott mentioned world of science fiction, which idea of imagining urban futures that defy our current understanding of cities.The reading presents with James Blish’s “Cities in Flight” and Stephen Baxter’s “Flood”,which are unique and captivating portrayals of mobile cities, challenging the conventional notion of traditional stationary urban centers.   How do these cities function? What are the gains and losses associated with their mobility?I think these ideas are good that challenge our preconceived notions of urbanity by exploring the possibilities of mobile cities. By examining the dynamics of these moving communities, we are prompted to

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Imagining Urban Futures Ho Tsz Hei

Cat Links Lecture 7: Monsters, Materials & Skyscrapers

[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo

Posted on horace19

In the chapter, the author humorously uses ‘Oh no, there goes Tokyo… but it will be back, and it may be even better than before.’ to conclude the never-ending optimism of the Japanese towards apocalypses. However, reflecting on the newer takes in the franchise, I believe the optimism is starting to be questioned, and a new perspective is introduced in this parallel of apocalyptic imagery and real-life disaster. One iconic example is Shin Godzilla (2016) directed by Hideaki Anno. In the postwar ‘golden age’, the monster in films is merely a plot device that introduces the apocalyptic backdrop and renders

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 6: Housing Stories

[Reading Response 2] Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City

Posted on u3595192

The passage analyzed three types of Asian urban horror movies, which are associated with the social-culture contexts and economic background. The first type is mainly produced in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, which has a complex relationship between the living and the dead, including ghosts fall in love with humans, revealing secrets, punish wrongdoers and so on. While the second type is about the loneliness and isolation of both ghosts and humans, mainly produced in Japan and South Korea. The reason behind it is the transformation and redevelopment towards neoliberal urban leads to the disconnection and isolation among people. The

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City

Cat Links 2024 Blog

[Reading Response 2] Katarzyna Ancuta’s Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City

Posted on mattsee

Ancuta presents in the passage the idea that ghosts in media are portrayed differently depending on the architectural backdrop. I am intrigued by this idea since it shows how different forms of housing setting can not only affect our daily lives, but more importantly, influence how we process the supernatural and extreme emotions like terror. I find it interesting that by altering the setting, the agency and motives of ghosts seemingly transform, the focus at times shifts to the architecture, its layout and features, rather than the story of the ghost itself. By analysing ghost movies that are set in

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Katarzyna Ancuta’s Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City

Cat Links Uncategorized

[Reading Response] Hong Kong: Culture and the politics of disappearance

Posted on derekdw

 Ackbar Abbas’s article, “Building on Disappearance,” delves deep into the ramifications of Hong Kong’s rapid urbanization, examining the *vanishing* effects it has had on the built environment, urban fabric, and cultural heritage. Abbas explores the relationship between architectural entities and collective memory; it highlights the heightened significance of the theme of disappearance in Hong Kong cinema, particularly in the aftermath of the pivotal 1997 handover to China. His analysis underscores the profound impact of vanishing edifices, the loss of architectural continuity, and the erasure of cultural landmarks on the city’s sociocultural tapestry. And he touches on the anxiety people in

Continue reading[Reading Response] Hong Kong: Culture and the politics of disappearance

Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 6: Housing Stories

[Reading response 2] – Communal after living: Asian ghost and the city

Posted on answ530

Ghost stories mainly focus on the theme of non-human and supernatural, often create a sense of horror due to its nature of mystery and unknown. Using this particular feature, the article depicts the correlation between the ideology of ghost and the urban architectural environment in Asian cities, and addresses Asian culture and their attitude towards ghost cities, eventually brings out their impact on various social issues. First, it is a common phenomenon that the underlying animistic beliefs and pratices are rooted in people’s ideal mindset, which affects the perception of ghosts in Asian cultures. The cultural rituals are the products

Continue reading[Reading response 2] – Communal after living: Asian ghost and the city

Cat Links Lecture 7: Monsters, Materials & Skyscrapers, Uncategorized

[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo – Anvesha Bajpai

Posted on anvesha

I was interested in exploring the deep psychological trauma ingrained in post-war Japan, particularly stemming from the experience of nuclear warfare which has a profound influence on Japanese popular culture, leading to doomsday cities such as Tokyo as recurring themes in films and media. Critics like Susan Sontag suggest these narratives serve as a means to address and cope with the collective trauma experienced by the population. Susan Sontag’s perspective on the appeal of postwar science fiction cinema, exemplified through films like “Gojira” (1954), illustrates the connection between trauma and storytelling. “Gojira” visually captures the destruction of Tokyo. Sontag argues

Continue reading[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo – Anvesha Bajpai