Seishun to Dokusho (June 2011)
Rohan au Louvre (May 2011)
Interview Archive
A comment from Nisio Isin recommending Hirohiko Araki's Bizarre Horror Movie Analysis. It was published in the July 2011 issue of Seishun to Dokusho on June 20, 2011.[1] The comment was also posted in full on the Hirohiko Araki Official Website on June 30.[2]
Interview
Reading "Hirohiko Araki's Bizarre Horror Movie Analysis"
First of all, I have to admit, I'm not really the type who watches many movies. The reason is because I'm scared of the darkness in movie theaters. To be more specific, what scares me is the situation where a lot of people gather in one place to the point where I can’t see what the person next to me is doing. So, I've hardly seen any of the movies introduced in this book.
However, it's precisely because of that fear that I was able to enjoy this book from a different perspective. I think I can confidently recommend this book to people like me who usually don't go to movie theaters, or to those who find horror movies too scary to watch. It is true that I was probably a little more excited than usual to read a book by Araki-sensei, a manga artist I deeply respect, but in the end, all I did was "read a new book," nothing more than that.
Yet, when I finished reading, I somehow felt like a veteran movie fan who had watched many horror films. Moreover, I found myself wanting to go buy the DVDs, thinking, "Maybe I’ll watch that movie again." It was a strange book and a uniquely strange reading experience. This is probably because Araki-sensei really loves horror movies and loves introducing them to the reader. His way of talking about the movies makes the reader feel that same enjoyment.
Recently, in the world of creative writing, stories about "chasing your dreams" or "making wishes come true" have started to lose some of their persuasive power. Personally, I feel that stories about "Being happy in the now!" attract people more than those that focus on ambition. I think this is because the idea of "dreams don't come true" has become more widely accepted, and instead, people have started seeking the "importance of the everyday," or in other words, "affirmation of the status quo."
However, there is nothing more fleeting than the present. The world has become a place where dreaming is difficult. But maybe that's why, by watching horror movies with themes about the "collapse of everyday life," we can prepare ourselves for when that time comes. However, I am still afraid to go to the cinema!
『荒木飛呂彦の奇妙なホラー映画論』を読んで
最初に告白しておくと、僕はあんまり映画を見ない奴です。理由は映画館の暗闇が怖いからなのですが、具体的に言うと、たくさんの人が一箇所に集まって、その上自分の隣の人が何をしているか見えない、というシチュエーションが怖いからなのですが、だから僕は本書で紹介されている映画もほとんど見たことがありません。ただ、そんな僕だからこそ、本書を普通とは違った角度から楽しめました。僕と同じように普段映画館に行かない人や、あるいはホラー映画は怖くて近寄りがたいと思ってらっしゃるかたにも、安心してお勧めできる一冊だと思いました。尊敬する漫画家である荒木飛呂彦先生の本を読むにあたって、気持ちが相当以上に入っていたことは確かですけれど、言ってしまえば僕は、あくまで『新書を一冊読む』以上のことは決してやっていないはずなのです。が、しかし、読み終えたときにはなんだか、数々のホラー映画を見終えた歴戦の映画ファンのような気分になり、また、「あの作品を久し振りにもう一回観てみようかな」と、ＤＶＤを買いにいきたくなってしまうという、不思議な内容で、不思議な読書体験でした。それは多分、荒木先生が本当にホラー映画が好きで、本当に楽しそうに紹介してくださっていることに起因するのでしょう。荒木先生の語り口が、読者まで楽しい気分にさせてくれるのです。最近は創作の世界においても、『夢を追いかける』だったり『願いを叶える』だったりといった成長系の物語が若干説得力をなくしてきて、そういう上昇志向めいた意識よりも、『今が幸せ！』という物語のほうが、人を惹きつけるみたいだと個人的に思っていて、それは『夢の叶わなさ』が一般的に浸透してきて、それよりも『日常の大切さ』、言い換えれば『現状の肯定』こそを、人が求め始めているからではないだろうかと思うのです。ただまあ、そういう日常や現状ほど移ろいやすいものはないので、確かに夢を見ることが難しい世の中になっちゃいましたけれど、そこであえて逆に『日常の崩壊』がテーマとも言えるホラー映画を見ることで、感覚を鍛え、いざそのときに備えるというのもいいのかもしれません。やっぱり映画館は怖いですけれどね
