Dracula’s Eastern Legacy: Japanese vampire films of the 1970s

Peter Hutchings

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper explores three Japanese vampire films directed by Michio Yamamoto for Toho Studios, Chi o suu ningyo (Legacy of Dracula 1970), Chio suu me (Lake of Dracula 1971), and Chi o suu bara (Evil of Dracula 1974). These films raise interesting issues about the international nature of horror production during this period, and, in particular, the ways in which Japanese cinema incorporates generic conventions developed in the West. The paper identifies indeterminate qualities within the films and argues that this makes it difficult to place them definitively within either a national or an international context. It is suggested that accounts of horror would benefit from taking fuller account of the playful, improvisatory elements evident not just within Yamamoto’s work but more widely in the genre.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10-19
JournalAsian Cinema
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2011

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Dracula’s Eastern Legacy: Japanese vampire films of the 1970s'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this