First, The article talked about the originality of ghosts in films: the residue of the past and the comeback of trauma. The locations of Hongkong ghost films are mainly in the apartment, and the author explains that the apartment is often divided into several “coffin homes” for poor people to live in. Those poor people can not afford the cost of graves to have a proper burial so their souls roam the earth. However, with the process of urbanization and capitalization, the ownership of a grave has become a luxury. The majority of the dead are likely to stay apartment-bound.

Continue readingReading Response: Katarzyna Ancuta

The article explores the depiction of ghosts in Asian horror films in the context of urbanization, and explores the relationship between humans and ghosts in Chinese ghost narratives, highlighting the cultural and religious beliefs that underpin these relationships. Firstly, the article examines how Asian apartment horror films portray ghosts. In Asian cultures, it is normal for Asian cities to accommodate ghosts alongside the living. Especially, films made in Japan and South Korea show the alienating character of modern urban communal lifestyles. Besides, the relationship between humans and ghosts in Chinese ghost narratives is also discussed. The article demonstrates how ghosts

Continue readingReading Response: Ancuta, K.

After reading the article ‘Communal After-Living: Asian ghosts and the city,’ I think that the ghost in the film symbolizes the disconnect between the living and the dead, particularly in contemporary urban settings where the two are divided by physical barriers. The concept of “loneliness” is really important in ghost-themed movies. Ghosts in movies can be viewed as a representation of this isolation and the loneliness of contemporary urban life. Moreover, referring to the article ‘In Search of the Ghostly in Context,’ ghosts are used in Fruit Chan’s films to symbolize both the teenagers’ struggles in today’s urban environments and

Continue reading[Reading Response: Ancuta. K. and Cheung E. M. K.]

The article highlights the significance of ghosts as an element in apartment horror films and explores the potential social issues represented by these films. What attracts me the most is the similarity between the living and ghosts when face with loneliness and isolation. Ghosts are usually only seen by a specific group of people and can only move within a certain range or through several media, which is the loneliness of ghosts. In addition, due to city redevelopment and modern transition, humans are controlled by the pressure multidimensionally and are forced to experience loneliness. When the building structure is isolated

Continue readingReading Response: Katarzyna Ancuta