Michael Berry

Cutting Film Violence: Effects on Perceptions, Enjoyment, and Arousal

The authors investigated the effects of cutting specific graphic scenes of film violence on self-reports of arousal, enjoyability, and perceptions of violence among a sample of U.S. students. In 3 studies, they varied film exposure from 1 1/2 min in the 1st study to a complete motion picture (American vs. British version of same film) in the 3rd. In all 3 studies, the participants rated the cut versions as less violent than the uncut versions. The participants distinguished quite subtle differences in levels of violence, even when the cuts were minor and contextualized within an entire movie. Cutting the movie significantly increased its enjoyability for the women; for the men, there was no significant difference. Cutting violent films made no difference in arousal for the men but substantially lowered self-report levels of arousal for the women.

Postmodernism and Chinese Novels of the Nineties

is already completely different from the culture of the New Era (xin shiqi), we have begun to use the term post-New Era (hou xin shiqi) to deepen our analysis of the culture of the nineties.1 I would like to begin my exploration into this culture of the nineties with excerpts from recent works by two authors who have emerged as the most lively and energetic young writers of the decade, Xu Kun and Liu Xinglong, and that clearly reveal the emergence and growth of a new social and cultural space. In Xu Kuns novella Hot Dog (Re gou), a scholar, Chen Weigao, sees

Words and Images: A Conversation with Hou Hsiao-hsien and Chu T'ien-wen

HouHsiao-hsien (HouXiaoxian) is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker who has directed fifteen feature films, includingATime to Live and a Time to Die [Tongnian wangshi] (1985), City of Sadness [Beiqing chengshi] (1989), and Flowers of Shanghai [Haishang hua] (1998).HouHsiao-hsienwas born inMei County,GuangdongProvince, in 1947 to aHakka family that immigrated to southern Taiwan in 1949 when Hou was still an infant. He graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts in 1972. In addition to his directorial features, since 1973 Hou has worked on more than twenty-five additional films in a variety of capacities including assistant director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. Hou was a key member of the influential New Taiwan Cinemamovement (1982–1986),which included fellowfilmmakersEdward Yang (YangDechang),Wan Jen (WanRen),WuNien-chen (WuNianzhen), and Ko Yi-cheng (Ke Yizheng).