If anyone has seen an Asian horror film before the American remake, it may be safe to say that there were some subtle changes in the translation to appeal to American viewers. With the exception of The Ring, many of these changes cause the film to fall flat on its face once translated (with fresh new American faces) and delivered to North America. The plots are usually thinned out in an effort to keep viewers engaged. But because of this, many of the brooding elements that made the original a smash overseas are lost in translation.

Without giving the plots of key movies away, most remakes focus more on the “star” rather than the concept. Films like The Eye (Jessica Alba) and The Grudge (Sarah Michelle Gellar) center around the main character and the logic for the haunting are less complicated and engaging than the originals. Call it “Asian horror for dummies” if you will.

Why not just bring over the original and either use subtitles or dub it like a kung fu flick you ask? The answer is not an easy one, but it is probably pertains to something along the lines of an audience culturally identifying with what appears on their screen. Also the brutality and gore in some Asian films would never get past the ratings board here in the states (watch Ichi the Killer or Oldboy to comprehend).

It isn’t just horror flicks however, as one of the biggest action movie heroes of all time just so happened to a guy of Asian descent by the name of Bruce Lee (and let’s not forgot how Jean Claude Van Damme was just a wack American version rip off of him). Today’s breed of action films has been held down by the likes of Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Even your favorite video games have borrowed heavily from Asian culture. The obvious is the popularity of the Street Fighter series while the horror genre games such as the cult classic Fatal Frame are built strictly around Asian concepts. To say one side is pilfering more from the other is basically the pot calling the kettle black.

So who is at fault in this classic case of culture swagger jacking?

Nobody.

Although many things end up lost in translation between American and Asian cultures, the one constant element that must be maintained is respect. We’ve learned a great deal from Asian culture while the proof is in the pudding that Asian’s have often admired what America has brought to the table. No need for the finger pointing. Simply enjoy both cultures and I guarantee that you will become a well respected and diverse individual. Now I’m off to watch Fist of the North Star in my Crooks & Castles hoodie while sifting through my collection of BDP CDs.