Asian Movie Reviews

Ab-normal Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:32:00 +0000

Name: Sei Mong Se Jun (HK), Ab-normal Beauty (English Title)

Director: Oxide Pang

Release Date: November 4, 2004

Introduction:

Unlike some of the earlier films I've reviewed, this movie is directed by only one of the Pang brothers; in this case, Oxide Pang. However, the Pang brothers completed two movies as part of this set, the other being Leave Me Alone directed by Danny Pang. The two movies share only one thing in common: the car crash in both movies are the same one. The rest of the separate movies have nothing to do with each other. Leave Me Alone is more of a thriller while Ab-normal Beauty makes a foray into the horror genre.

Synopsis:

Jiney is a self-absorbed rich-girl-turned-tormented-art-student suffering from parental neglect. The only one that truly cares for her well-being is Jas, her close friend and possible lover (kinda strange, considering how the two are actually SIBLINGS in real life). There's a boy that's interested in her, but she pays him no mind, unless it's to act out her own perversely morbid fantasies. After happening upon a car accident, she is fascinated by the dead body of the woman and takes pictures of the gruesome scene with her camera. Afterwards, she develops an unhealthy obsession with death, which ultimately leads her into a the hands of a murderer.

Review:

Visually, I would say that Abnormal Beauty is stunning, the colors especially. Oxide Pang certainly has a thing for greens, yellows, and reds! The acting was fairly good, considering how the two female leads are originally singers and not actors. To me, the lesbian undercurrents between Jiney and Jas could have been more developed if Oxide Pang had decided to go that route. The plot was a little simplistic IMHO. I would say that the movie focused more on the horror moments than the storyline as a whole (there could have been way more development). Aside from that, I would call this more a thriller than a horror. It was fairly entertaining, though I got a bit bored at other times. I do give it points for being refreshing in teh sense that hey! No creepy long haired ghost thing!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 6
Scares:5
Gore:7

Video:
LINK: Watch Ab-normal Beauty

The Eye II

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:52:00 +0000

Name: The Eye II (USA), Gin Gwai 2 (Hong Kong)

Director: Pang Brothers

Release Date: March 18, 2004

Introduction:

The Pang Brothers decided to made a sequel to their well-received movie The Eye, and this was the result. The movie stars Shu Qi, a Taiwanese actress who has made a rather eclectic collection of films, including some soft-core porn. Though it appears that The Eye II is a sequel, the only way that this movie is related to the first is that both of the main characters can see ghosts after some sort of major even that happened in their lives. As I've mentioned before, The Chinese name literally translates to "seeing ghosts," which makes the premise of the sequel seem more logical.

Synopsis:

Joey is a woman with man troubles. After being rejected by her boyfriend, she tries to commit suicide in a hotel, but gets her stomach pumped. However, her brush with death through suicide enables her to see ghosts. Along with this disturbing discovery, Joey also realizes that she is pregnant. though she considers an abortion, she becomes tormented with her thoughts and becomes unstable. Joey notices that she is constantly haunted by a strange woman. Thinking that this ghostly woman means to harm her baby, she is scared of her and determined to discover her origins, leading to rather troubling results...

Review:

The Eye II was a decent enough horror flick, but it lacks the polish and cohesiveness of the original. All of the key plot points are present, but I feel like there's something missing, like a finally barrier separating the audience from the film. I don't feel like Shu Qi's character is particularly likeable. She seems cold and unstable, so I ended up not liking her as much as I liked Mun from the first movie. Some of the scares were just not effective. They struck me as being incredibly fake, and I felt like the final climactic scene was just too long and repetitive, causing me to lose interest.

On the other hand, there was an interesting back-story and an novel take to reincarnation. The movie was well paced, and fairly engaging storyline. I liked the rape scene, but I wish that there could have been more character development. All in all, it was worth a watch, if nothing else. I had higher expectations because the first movie was SO GOOD (go watch it!!), but I would say that The Eye II was decent. Save it for a evening at home with some friends. Quite good with popcorn, but not so much if you're grossed out by fetuses.

Ratings:
Entertainment: 6
Scares: 4
Gore: 6

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Cinderella

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:30:00 +0000

Name: Cinderella

Director: Man-dae Bong

Release Date: August 17, 2006

Introduction:

As I'm sure you've heard, Asian women have a fat for plastic surgery, and chief among these are South Korean women. Lately, it has gotten to the point where even Korean men are partaking in this commonplace after school activity. New eyelids are given as graduation presents; jaw shavings and nose jobs as birthday presents. Of course, common surgery can easily be viewed as a rather expensive method of self-improvement, but in this Korean horror film, plastic surgery can also be deadly to both your physical and mental health. This is the second movie from director Man-dae Bong.

Synopsis:

The film opens a flashback of a birthday gone horribly wrong, then immediately flashes to an incredibly inaccurate plastic surgery performed on a young Korean women seeking a jaw reduction. The surgeon, Yoon Hee, has a lovely daughter who is friends with the girl being operated on. The daughter, Hyeon Su, is not obsessed with facial reconstruction, unlike most of her friends. The two of them seem to have a wonderful and close mother-daughter relationship, until Hyeon Su's friend that was operated upon begins to be tormented by visions of a vengeful ghost with long black hair (we haven't seen that before...) Soon, it becomes apparent that Yoon Hee is hiding a deep dark secret, and trouble brews as it slowly begins to surface...

Review:

I kind of enjoyed this movie. It seems to lack a certain depth though. I mean, really good horror movies tend to pull you into them so that feel like actually in there witnessing all of these events. A really good movie in general has you sympathize with the characters and become genuinely interested in the happenings of their lives. Cinderella lacked this sense of depth. Also, very bad title choice in my opinion. You can sort of draw the stepmother-daughter-stepdaughter connection a little, but for the most part, no. It doesn't work all that well. The main characters themselves were portrayed by fairly decent actresses, but they still left me feeling incredibly cold (no ice pun intended, if you see the film, hehe). The pace is also *quite* slow and the character development was a bit limited for my tastes.

I know, kind of harsh, but that doesn't mean that I hated the movie. For one, the visuals were quite pretty, so it was a pleasant movie to watch, and I ultimately did become emotionally moved by the plight of the two girls, though that was largely due to the incredibly tragic storyline. The scares though, were CHEAP. At the end, they put in this half-hearted attempt to scare you that mostly did not work at all. I am easily frightened. The X-Files once scared me so hard that I couldn't sleep for five weeks. This movie did not scare me all that much. I slept fine.

All in all, it had a good plot-line and back story, but I feel like the director didn't let it live up to it's full potential. Basically, a possibly good movie with incredibly bad editing.

NOTE: The ending is incredibly ambiguous and maybe it's because I spaced out while attempting to watch this, but if you can figure it out, leave me a message/comment, I'd be glad to discuss the two interpretations of the end that I came up with.

Ratings:
Entertainment: 6
Scares: 4 (unless you're into the overdone long haired ghost thing)
Gore: 7 (lots of knives into faces. and the ice thing....why would you DO THAT??)

*watch it if you're bored, just get ready to be incredibly confused*

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

You have to download this in order to watch it if you don't speak Korean because it's not subbed.
I am including the CrunchyRoll version as well, though the video quality is not so good.

Cinderella Crunchy Roll Video Link

Shutter

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Name: Shutter

Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wangpoom

Release Date: September 9, 2004

Tagline: Have you ever carefully looked at your pictures?

Introduction:

You have all heard that the camera can capture your soul in a photo, but what if it could capture the images of those already dead? This Thai movie explores this concept of ghostly images captured by an unsuspecting photographer, leading to chilling results. I would say that this is probably one of the best films to come out of Thailand. Although they seem to mass-produce horror films, most of them are rather cliche and not all that enjoyable. Another film I will be reviewing in the future is called 13 Beloved, which is another very good example of Thai cinema at its finest. Shutter is being made into an American remake, so if you don't want to read subtitles, I'm sure you'll get the general gist of it with the American version. As always, I strongly urge you to see the original first.

Synopsis:

Tun is a photographer that lives with his girlfriend Jane. While driving home from a wedding, they accidentally hit a woman on the street. Fearful of the repercussions of their actions, they drive away from the scene though Jane is reluctant to leave the woman behind. Afterwards, Tun begins to see ghostly figures lurking in his photographs. Also, he has a mysterious neck ache that doctors cannot seem to find the cause of. Soon, Tun's friends begin to kill themselves off one by one. There seems to be a dark secret shared between Tun and his friends that has finally surfaced to come and haunt them all...

Review:

Shutter was a well-paced movie for the most part, and I would say that it's probably one of the scariest that I've reviewed so far. The images of the ghost were truly, truly disturbing. *shudder* Also, you can't help but feel a little sorry for Tun, and especially for the poor little ghost girl. I might close my eyes and see her crawling up my bedsheets, but I still want her to find happiness eventually.

A very good film from Thailand, so good, in fact, that the Americans have stolen the idea *again* and made a remake which recently came out in theaters. As you all know I'll say, watch the original! And Asian chicks are totally hot, so you might as well see one here :)

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 9 (omg, I freaked out so hard...don't watch this with the lights off!)
Gore: 6....ewww things in jars.

*Highly Recommended*

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Three...Extremes

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Name: Saam Gaang Yi,
Three...Extremes

Director: Fruit Chan (Dumplings), Takashi Miike (Box), Chan-wook Park (Cut)

Release Date: August 20, 2004

Tagline: From the Nightmares of three horror masters

Introduction:
This is a wonderful omnibus of films from three different regions of Asia: Japan, China, and Korea. All three are fairly well established directors (Fruit Chan became known for Made in Hong Kong, Chan-wook Park directed the (in)famous Revenge Trilogy, which YOU SHOULD SEE and I will be reviewing them in the future, and need I even say anything about Takashi Miike--besides f*ed up perv, that is ^_~). Three...Extremes was supposed to be a sequel to Three, but because of Three...Extremes' much greater popularity, Three was later re-released under the title of Three...Extremes II. I will include a short description of Three...Extremes II along with the online video at the end of this review.

Synopsis:
Dumplings (Chan): Mrs. Li is a middle-aged former starlet bent on regaining her former youth and beauty. In order to do so, she goes to Mei, a ex-doctor turned "exotic" cook, to sample her rejuvenating dumpling recipe. Just what are in these miracle dumplings, and exactly how old is Mei?

Cut (Park): A director of horror movies has been captured by one of his deranged extras. This extra has also captured his wife, and in order for the director to save her life (and her fingers), he must play the sadistic game that this maniac has set up for him.

Box (Miike): Kyoko dreams of the days she was with her twin sister. When they were ten, they would perform together in a strange ballet act involving boxes and a very strange man. However, she cannot seem to separate dream from memory, and is continually haunted by tragic events of the past.

Review:
I absolutely loved this movie. I would say that "Dumplings" was probably my favorite because it's a different style of horror than I'm used to. The movie was not so much scary as it was twisted. Just what would you do to achieve beauty and longevity? Also, the atmospheric feel of the movie just really draws me. On the other, "Cut" was all too familiar. If you've seen Saw, you've basically seen the premise of "Cut," though it has a bit of 13 Beloved thrown in there(which I would also suggest that you watch, because I'm watching it as soon as I can find it!!). All three movies are definitely more visually appealing though. Colors are gorgeous and some of the images played across the screen (not to mention the crunching noises...) are a twisted orgasm for the eyes. I would say that "Box" was downright confusing. In my opinion, it was probably the scariest, and the storyline is mostly coherent, but the end just sort of throws it all out the window. I was enjoyable though, so I would suggest it!

All in all, Three...Extremes was a great movie and definitely worth your time. I would say that it's a fairly good intro to Asian horror, besides your usual Ringu and Ju-on movies. I would say that these directors tried to be more original. Check it out!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 7.5 (more twisted and disturbing than scary, though)
Gore: 6 ("Cut" and some of "Dumplings" ...yummy...)

Go watch it, fool!

Video:

Veoh hates me, but I found them on Crunchyroll. Sorry for the inferior quality :(
Three...Extremes
Sequels:
I said that I would write a segment on Three...Extremes II and here it is! This movie was actually made before Three...Extremes and was originally titled Three, but as I mentioned in the introduction, it wasn't nearly as successful, so it was renamed and reintroduced after Three...Extremes.

The segments are pretty good, with the exception of the middle one from Thailand that even I couldn't watch, However, the one from South Korea called "Memories" and the one from China called "Going Home" are actually quite lovely, especially the latter. Once again, keep in mind that these are independent film makers, so the stories aren't as mainstream as most horror films you would find in movie theaters. Nevertheless, I would suggest this movie for one of those relaxing days at home when you want to be more stimulated. Of course, I will include a link to the Veoh video (NOTE: download the VeohTV player; it's actually pretty useful). Enjoy!

Also, there is an extended version of "Dumplings," which I will include at the end of this post. It's a little different plot-wise, but the general feel and message are the same.
Veoh is being mean and took down all of these videos as well, so here's the link from crunchyroll:
Dumplings

I can't find Three..., but I'll put it up when I can, promise!!

The Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:27:00 +0000

Name: Gin Gwai (Cantonese Title)
The Eye

Director: Pang Brothers

Release Date: May 9, 2002 (Hong Kong)

Tagline: What if the reflection you see is not your own...

Introduction:
I would say that the Pang Brothers have probably made some of the most well known contributions to the horror genre from Hong Kong. The Eye may very well be their most successful, with its eight awards and five nominations. It has been successful, in fact, that America decided to make a remake of it starring the beautiful Jessica Alba (though I'm not sure what this says about the quality of this film...). The Chinese title literally translates to "Seeing Ghosts," which I personally believe to be a far better description of the content of the movie. This film has spawned two sequels: The Eye 2, and The Eye 10.

Synopsis:
Angelica Wu portrays the blind Mun, a well-adjusted concert pianist. She is about to receive a corneal transplant surgery that would restore her sight. Though she is at first quite pleased with her newfound vision, this gift soon proves to be a curse when she is visited upon by strange and disturbing visions of those who have died. Even more troubling is the fact that the reflection she sees in the mirror is not her own. Troubled by these images, Mun enlists the help of her doctor's nephew in learning about the history of her extraordinary corneas. This journey takes her to Thailand and into the tragic history of Ling, the original owner of the corneas.

Review:
This film moves at a good pace and does a nice job of utilizing atmosphere. Though I've always been wary of films that span across different nations, I would say that the Pang Brothers did not overdo it in this case. Angelica Wu does a wonderful job of portraying Mun (She did win the Hong Kong Film Award for best actress in this role). While The Eye is first and foremost a horror film that is meant to frighten its audience, it also gives a moral lesson about listening to those who are trying to help you, being kinder to those who only have your best interests at heart, and ultimately, learning to be happy with who you are and what you possess.

I enjoyed this movie enough to actually buy it, which is definitely saying something for me. It was very involving, and heart-wrenching at times. Though I didn't come away from it as shaken as other films often make me, I would say that the horror employed by this particular film is that type that takes a while to sneak up on you. It does not contain the usual cheap scares, and I believe that not a single "pale Asian woman hiding behind her curtain of black hair" was exploited in its making. In conclusion, I urge you all to see this movie. It's a wonderful example of Chinese cinema, which often neglects this genre. And please try to do so before seeing the American remake. Originals are mostly better than their dressed-up, Americanized versions.

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 7 (burned/crispy people don't really scare me all that much...)
Gore: 5 (really just for the chard bodies at the end)

Highly Recommended!

Video:
Online Videos by Veoh.com

Acacia

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:20:00 +0000

Name: Acacia

Director: Ki-hyeung Park

Release Date: October 12, 2003

Introduction:

In my experience, Asian families treat adoption differently than American parents. I believe it is the emphasis we place on bloodlines and family. In most Asian countries, no friendship bonds, and no relationship bonds will ever be stronger than the chains of shared blood. Women who have difficulty bearing children are look down upon by their in-laws and even their own families. It is not a matter of personal choice, but rather a duty to one’s own existence. While I’m not saying that this does not go for many other cultures, I’m sure you’ve all noticed how many more American couples adopt children as opposed to Asian couples.

Acacia explores the bonds between the members of a family that have decided to adopt a child before miraculously having their own.

Synopsis:

Kim Mi-Sook lives with her husband, a successful OB/GYN, and his father. She cannot have children, but Do-il, her husband, desperate wants to have a child. Kim Mi-Sook, who is an art teacher, judges a children’s art show from a local orphanage, and notices a strange, but very good piece done by one of the children. She meets this child, whose name is Jin-sung, and the couple adopts him into their home.

Jin-sung is a quiet, talent, and sweet child, though he has a disturbing habit of spending hours with the dying tree in their backyard, and also bringing in large bugs and sleeping with them. Mi-Sook adjusts somewhat poorly to his presence in the house, and soon, she discovers that she is actually pregnant. From then on, the feelings of the family members intensifies. Mi-Sook’s mother comes, though she seems to abhor Jin-sung, and Jin-sung himself feels threatened, especially after overhearing that they plan on sending him back to the orphanage. Jin-sung fights with Mi-Sook and runs away.

The next morning, Jin-sung is nowhere to be found. Strange things start to happen to Do-il’s father and Mi-Sook’s mother. The couple’s relationship becomes increasingly unstable, and disturbingly, the dying tree in their backyard suddenly begins to grow leaves…

Review:

Acacia is rather slow for the first half, but after Jin-sung’s disappearance, things pick up quite nicely. The visuals are stunning, especially Mi-Sook’s artwork. The acting is very nice; even the children managed their roles wonderfully. This is definitely more of a psychological horror than anything else. I guess the scary parts revolve around how disgusting people can become in certain circumstances, and how easily humanity can be stripped away from seemingly decent people. There’s definite social commentary on families, and children’s roles/women’s roles.

This movie about as far from lighthearted as you can get. While it is not deeply frightening, it certainly gives you a lot to think about. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot, though it left me kind of shaken, and the beginning could have been cut a bit. Enjoy though; it is a different sort of horror than most the ones out there!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 4 (creepy little kids though…)
Gore: 1

*Highly Recommended*

Video: Found it!!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

The Heirloom

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 05:01:00 +0000

Name: Zhaibian (Taiwan)
The Heirloom (Intl)

Director: Leste Chen

Release Date: September 16, 2005

Tagline: Sometimes inheritance is a curse.

Introduction:

One less well known Chinese/Taiwanese tradition is the raising of child ghosts. Several affluent families would obtain a dead fetus and feed it blood from a member of the family in order to claim the ghost’s power as their own. These child ghosts were incredibly useful; not only could they be used to augment a family’s fortune, they could also get rid of the family’s enemies.

Synopsis:

James Yang has inherited an old mansion left to him by his deceased relatives in Taipei. He moves into the magnificent, though abysmal, house with his girlfriend Yo, who is a marvelous dancer. They celebrate their moving in with two friends; Yi-Chen and Cheng. Yi-Chen begins to explore the house with Yo, and the two women go up to the mysterious attic, and Yi-Chen, who is a reporter, is compelled to take a few pictures of the Yang family, whose pictures they find completely covering a wall. The next day, Yi-Chen mysteriously appears in their house at midnight, and strange things begin to happen to their friend Cheng. Eventually, Cheng is found dead in his bathroom, mysteriously killed by hanging at midnight, though no rope was found at the site.

With the help of Yi-Chen, Yo struggles to uncover the cause of these disturbing events. Soon, she finds out strange things about the Yang mansion, and her boyfriend’s odd ancestors.

Review:

The Heirloom looked great. The colors were wonderful, and the atmosphere was nice and gloomy throughout. I expected to be a bit more scared, and I guess I would be in comparison to most of you guys, just because the child ghost tradition is something from my own culture. I even know of people that have validated this practice. I don’t suggest you attempt it though!

Terri Kwan, who played Yo, did an amazing job, in my opinion. On the other hand, Jason Chang (James) gave a less than dazzling performance, to say the least. The storyline was fairly good, though there could have been a bit more development on the ghost, because not once was a ghost actually present. I guess the scarier element in this movie was what people were willing to do to gain in this world, despite the adverse effects it had on their family and their own lives.

All in all, a movie definitely worth seeing, especially since Taiwan (and China in general) is rather unrepresented in the horror movie field. The movie does stay with you after you watch it; I couldn’t go up to my attic at all afterwards!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 5
Gore: 1

*Recommended*

You can find this video at http://www.crunchyroll.com/showseries?id=2943

I highly suggest that you get a Crunchy Roll account. It’s really good for streaming videos when it comes to all things Asian!

A Tale of Two Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:06:00 +0000

Name: Janghwa, Hongryeon (

Korea

)
A Tale of Two Sisters (Intl)

Director: Ji-woon Kim

Release Date: June 13 2003

Tagline: Our sorrow is conceived long before we are born…

Introduction:

This film is loosely based off of a Korean folktale centered on the relationship between two sisters and their wicked stepmother. A couple had two daughters, but the mother died. Afterwards, the father weds another woman in order to give his daughters a mother. This stepmother is cruel and makes her new stepchildren’s lives a living hell.

Synopsis:

A Tale of Two Sisters begins in a mental asylum. A doctor is questioning a girl about the details of a day in the past while she merely sits silently. Later, in what is assumed to be a flashback, you see the same girl, Su-mi, arriving at a house with her younger sister, Su-yeon. With them come their father and their stepmother, Eun-joo. Things seem strange in the house; for instance, inside their rooms, they find completely identical clothing and accessories. Later that night at dinner, things are tense and strange. Their father leaves early after giving Eun-joo two pills to take. When the girls go to bed, the house turns eerie, filled with disturbing dreams.

During the next few days, things become even stranger. Eun-joo abuses Su-yeon, and fights constantly with Su-mi. Through the course of these events, they father seems completely oblivious. Mingled in these troubled events, there seems to be something haunting the family, something that none of them has yet to come to terms with…

Review:

This movie is probably my favorite, as far as Korean horror films go. Throughout the entire movie, there is an undeniable sense of dread and foreboding, and while there is of course a dramatic reveal at the end, it still leaves a bit of room for open interpretation. This movie looks beautiful; the colors are stunning, and the acting, especially that of the Su-mi and Eun-joo, is utterly enthralling.

The suspense is well maintained in the movie; I had to watch the climax behind my fingers! The storyline was great, and the ending was not at all obvious to the normal viewer. It takes at least two views (or the help of a wikipedia article) to pick up on most things in the this movie, so it’s a good one to watch over and over again. All in all, A Tale of Two Sisters was a wonderful movie, and a must-see of anyone remotely interested in Asian horror films

Ratings:

Entertainment: 10
Scares: 8
Gore: 1

*Highly Recommended! Watch it!*

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Reincarnation

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:58:00 +0000

Name: Rinne (

Japan

Reincarnation (USA)

Director: Takashi Shimizu

Release Date: January 7, 2006

Introduction:

This movie by director Takashi Shimizu is actually the third installment of a six movie project called J-Horror Theater, which will feature six movies from different horror movie directors (Norio Tsuruta, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Hideo Nakata, Takashi Shimizu, Masayuki Ochiai and Hiroshi Takahashi). The first two are called Kansen and Yogen (Infection and Premonition, respectively). Shimizu has directed various horror movies like Ju-on, Ju-on 2, and Marebito (which I will try to find and review ASAP!).

Synopsis:

Reincarnation opens on a movie director creating horror film centered on eleven homicides committed by a mysterious director at an infamous hotel in Gunma in 1970. Nine are hapless victims that just happened to be in the hotel, while one was his wife, and the other was his daughter. One of the girls auditioning for the part of the daughter (who was much younger in reality than the girl cast to play her) keeps getting strange visions of a young girl holding a creepy looking doll. The actors are all led to the hotel in order to get a feel for place.

Another of the girls who tried out for the part of the daughter claims that she would be the most suitable for the job because she is in fact the reincarnation of this young girl. Sadly, strange deaths begin to occur, and the only thing these victims have in common is that fact that they are all younger than thirty-five…

Review:

I guess this movie was a decent watch, but it was nothing too special. The story featured some originality, but I found it to be rather droll and contrived at times. There are, of course, the overused “ghost in closet” and “creepy child” tools used way too often in these movies, though it did feature a decently involving plotline (though after a while, you could definitely see it coming). I guess I found the movie to be rather limiting in terms of character development, and, well, basically characters that we actually got to know. I mean, all the ghosts were so incredibly one-sided, and I guess I felt like that girl didn’t get what she deserved.

The building blocks for a good movie were all there, but instead of coming together in a seamless whole, this movie looks pieced-together and rather flat. It’s not as scary as I expected it to be, and the storyline seemed a bit simple. All in all, it was just plain mindless entertainment. Enjoy, if you’re bored, but it’s nothing special. There’s lots of other good movies out there, though if you want something along the lines of Chakushin Ari, by all means, go for it!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 6
Scares: 6
Gore: 3

*Watch it if you must, but it's nothing great*

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Ringu

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:07:00 +0000

Name: Ringu (Japanese)

Director: Hideo Nakata

Release Date: January 31 1998

Tagline: “One curse, one cure, one week to find it…”

Introduction:

At last, a movie I’m sure all my readers actually recognize! If you can’t tell, I prefer to write about movies that you might not have heard about yet, so this will probably be the only “big name” horror that I will review, because most likely, you’ve heard all there is to hear about the other ones—Ju-on, Dark Water, Kairo (Pulse), and basically anything else that America has remade. If you haven’t seen the American remakes of these movies, please watch the originals first! I’ve learned from personal experience that watching an American remake will most likely ruin your experience when later viewing the original movie.

Ringu is based off of a book of the same title by Koji Suzuki, who is probably the Japanese equivalent of Stephen King.

Synopsis:

Two teenager girls are talking about an urban legend where a mysterious videotape kills people a week after they see it. Soon afterwards, one of these girls, Tomoko, dies along with three of her friends. Tomoko’s aunt, Asakawa Reiko, is a reporter who is coincidentally writing a story about the same video tape, and upon discovering that Tomoko and her friends died at the same time, she investigates the circumstances of their death and discover that the friends were all at a resort together in Izu, where they originally found the strange video tape.

She goes to the resort and watches the same video tape, and unfortunately exposes it to her young son and her ex-husband. With the help of her ex-husband, she tries to discover a cure of the curse that she has unwittingly inflicted upon herself and those closest to her.

Review:

This movie is better, as far as plot goes, than the American remake by far. The plot is difficult to follow at times, but there’s something grittier about it that the glossy American version just doesn’t have. I also liked the atmosphere better, because it makes the movie seem all the more believable.

I don’t have much to say about it overall though, because I’m sure you’ve heard it all before. The plot is stunning, and the acting is also fairly amazing. There’s no way you can go wrong with this movie, though it does leave you with more unanswered questions that the American version might. Much of this is resolved in later movies though.

All in all, enjoy! You should definitely watch this before you watch any other versions J

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 9
Gore: 2 (oh, the fingernails…)

*Highly Recommended*

Chakushin Ari/One Missed Call

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:41:00 +0000

Name: Chakushin Ari (Japanese)

One Missed Call (USA)

Director: Takashi Miike

Release Date: January 17 2004

Tagline: Death cannot be put on hold…

Introduction:
I guess this is Miike’s attempt at a “normal” horror movie. He abandons his usual strangeness in this rather ordinary horror flick for more conventional ways to getting a good scream out of the audience. This movie follows the usual storyline of: 1. Something awful happens and continues to occur with a marked pattern; 2. A potential victim seeks to solve the mystery before she dies; 3. She (usually it’s a female) discovers the source of the problem and dies before she can do anything about it or manages to somehow placate the unhappy spirit.

Synopsis:
A group of friends are having dinner, and three girls end up going to the restroom together after a discussion at the table about fear. While they are inside of the stalls, they hear a strange ring tone coming from one of their phones. Yoko, the unfortunate owner of this phone, finds a message on her answering machine. As she listens to it, it seems that the message is from herself in two days time! The message ends with a bloodcurdling scream they all feel a bit uneasy. Two days later, Yoko calls her friend Yumi, who was also with her in the bathroom, and says the exact same things that were stated in her message to herself, and ultimately dies. Her severed arm (I’ll let you figure out how it got severed) dials a number on her phone to the next victim of this vengeful spirit.

Yumi again witnesses the death of her friends and classmates. Despite their best efforts to thwart this spirit, they all die off one by one (replete with creepy red candy coming out of their mouths), and someone from their phonebook becomes the next victim. When Yumi gets the call herself, she tries to solve this deadly mystery with the help of a man who had lost his sister in a similar fashion.

Review:
I was a bit disappointment with this movie, mostly because Miike has always been so original in the past. While I was entertained for the duration of the movie, it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. Chakushin Ari employs the usual cheap scares that most horror movies do: the creepy black haired girls, young children hiding in cupboards, creepy shower scenes, etc. While Miike claims that this movie was supposed to add something different to the genre, he didn’t succeed very well. This movie was way too similar to Ringu and Ju-on, though I guess Ju-on did come after this movie. I mean, the phone calls two days before you die? The tragic, evil little girl ghost with mother issues? The decaying body found by the heroine?

Though I didn’t enjoy the plot, I did enjoy some of the horror aspects of the movie. Some of the death scenes were quite creative, and it did move at a nice pace, so you were interested throughout the movie. I wouldn’t call this movie unsettling, like Audition or Suicide Club, but it is scarier than both in a theater-screaming sort of way. Regardless, this movie certainly isn’t bad, and it’s probably creepier than any American remake of a Japanese movie, so I guess it deserves a viewing as much as the next one, but Chakushin Ari isn’t an essential for your repertoire in Asian horrors. If you’re bored, go watch it. It will keep you entertained while it lasts!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 7
Scares: 9
Gore: 4

Go watch it if you want to, though it’s nothing special.

Sequels:
Two sequel were made to this movie, though neither was directed by Miike. I guess they're decent as far as sequels go, but once again, they're nothing too special.

Video: Chakushin Ari 1

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Video: Chakushin Ari 2

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Video: Chakushin Ari 3

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Suicide Club

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:05:00 +0000

Name: Jisatsu Saakuru (Japanese)

Suicide Club/Suicide Circle (Intl)

Director: Sion Sono (also the writer)

Release Date: 2002

Tagline: Well then, goodbye everybody.

Introduction:

Suicide Club was both written and directed by Sion Sono as part of a trilogy of three independent films. Deemed the “most groundbreaking film” at the Fant-Asia film festival, Suicide Club lives up to this lofty expectation. Painted in the somewhat questionable media of cult-horror, Suicide Club evokes a message of identity, alienation, and connection between individuals, their families (related, or not related) and themselves.

Synopsis:

This movie opens to fifty-four school girls, with the average age of fifteen, who gleefully leap to their deaths in front of a speeding train. As you can imagine, the ensuing scenes are gory and horrific. The only clue to their mass suicide is a small white bag left behind at the scene. Meanwhile, another small white bag is left behind at a hospital, where a nurse commits suicide. The police are baffled; these two incidents seem to have no connection to the other, and the fifty-four school girls are from eighteen separate schools.

Among the sinister contents of these two white bags; the increasing suicide epidemic; a strangely perturbing website; and a band composed of preteen girls who seem to have the nation under their spell lies a troubled nation and a sinister plot.

Review:

This movie can be rather confusing at times, you have to keep in mind that this is the first movie in a series of three. The next movie, Noriko’s Dinner Table, sheds more light onto mystery created in the first. Suicide Club keeps you guessing, and in the end, leaves you haunted and troubled. I, for one, did not know what to think after viewing this movie. I guess we’ll just have to wait until the series is complete!

Some of the gory scenes in this movie are incredibly shocking. For instance, the daikon chopping scene almost made me lose my dinner. Just as a warning, try to not eat before or during the viewing of this movie!

Above all, this is a movie about relationships: relationships with your family, relationship with your friends, and most importantly, relationships with yourself. “Are you connected with yourself?” the movie continually asks. Is life worth living without these relationships? This movie stays with you long after you finish watching it, forcing you to evaluate your society. While Suicide Club is more suitable for a Japanese audience, I’m sure you can identify with some of the issues is brings us.

Regardless, don’t be scared off by all the heavy societal questions that I have just posed. This movie is wonderful, and everyone should watch it, if only for the gory suicides and the cute Asian chicks. Enjoy!

Ratings:

Entertainment: 10
Scares: 8
Gore: 10 (just you wait…)

*GO WATCH THIS AS SOON AS YOU CAN*

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Uzumaki

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:16:00 +0000

Name: Uzumaki (Japanese)

Spiral into Horror (European)

Director: Higuchinsky (Akirhiro Higuchi)

Release Date: February 11, 2000 (Japan)

Introduction:
Uzumaki means spirals or vortex in English. This movie is based off of a horror manga of the same title by Junji Ito. The storyline has been somewhat simplified in the movie version, but still retains the general form of the manga. Despite the European name of the director, he is actually Japanese! While this movie is light on the scares, it makes up for it with an abundance of highly entertaining black humor and trippy strangeness.

Synopsis:
In the town of Kurozu-cho, strange things are happening! Kirie Goshima, a high school student, is on her way to meet her boyfriend, Shuichi, when she stumbles across his father engrossed in the figure of a snail that he is videotaping. Though she calls him, he fails to respond. Kirie leaves Shuichi’s father, and is scared by Yamaguchi, a male classmate of hers that has a severe infatuation with Kirie. After blowing him off, she waits for Shuichi at the tunnel into town. They discuss the strange behavior of his father, Shuichi surprises Kirie and asks her to run away with him.

Shuichi’s father’s strange behavior is only the first of many bizarre occurrences happening in the town. It seems as if everyone has become obsessed with spirals, to the point where people begin to transform into giant snails. Kirie and Shuichi try to uncover the mystery behind these eerie happenings, but are confronted with the disturbing deaths of the townspeople.

Review:
I found this movie to be quite amusing, if not a bit unorthodox. The acting of the main characters seems somewhat trite at times, but this does little to retract from the movie. I was torn between disbelief and hilarity for most of the movie, though I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic and confused towards the end. A warning though: don’t watch this movie while you’re under the influence of anything hallucinogenic; it’s enough of an acid trip by itself!

The only complaint I have about this movie is its ending. I feel like there should have been another half hour tacked on to at least shed a bit of light on what is causing this town to go completely haywire, though I guess this allows for the movie to be viewed multiple times; you still want to find out what actually happens!

Overall, if Aracard and Hello Kitty managed to have a child who was obsessed with spirals, you would get the essence of the strange, but enticing piece of cinema. Go watch it! It’s worth the ninety minutes of your life!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 9
Scares: 2
Gore: 6

Recommended (though not if you’re looking for something completely terrifying)

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

So sorry that there are no subs! I'll try to find another one if I can, but Veoh's being a bitch and taking down all the videos for this site. Here's the crunchyroll link:
Uzumaki-Crunchyroll :)

Audition

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:57:00 +0000

Name: Ôdishon (Japanese)
Audition (USA)

Director: Takashi Miike

Release Date: March 3 2003 (Japan)

Tagline: She always gets a part...(haha, just you wait...)

Introduction:
I am using this first movie to introduce one of my favorite Asian horror movie directors: Takashi Miike. He has the most interesting sense of humor that I have had the pleasure of stumbling across (as I'm sure you will encounter in various movies like Ichi the Killer, and Zebraman, not the mention The Happiness of the Katakuris). He also manages to capture some of the strangest, most grotesque, and disturbing beautiful aspects of the human psyche, especially in this movie, Audition. Overall, the movie is relatively straightforward, and rather slow, but the last thirty minutes or so will leave your head spinning.

Synopsis:
The story opens with the death of Shigeharu Aoyama's wife, leaving him a widower with a small son. Seven years later, Aoyama decides to take a wife, largely due to the influence of his son and friend. In order to forgo the normal dating rituals, and avoid wasting time with unsuitable women, he decides to find a new wife by auditioning women for a possible movie role. While leafing through the resumes, Aoyama is drawn to one in particular: Yamazaki Asami. When he finally meets her, his attraction is confirmed (indeed, she is possibly the only "normal" girl in the sea of stripping, overly-eager girls that turn up). Aoyama is certain that this girl is the one that he wants, despite the reservations that Yoshikawa, his producer friend, expresses about her.

Review:
The first three-fourths of this movie move incredibly slowly. Everything is painted rather mutely, and while you can sense the intense feelings of the characters, you are only given an impression of their magnitude. That is, until the final quarter of the movie. I guess it reminds me of when The Wizard of Oz suddenly shifts from black and white to color, except everything is painted blood-red! This way, the conclusion shocks the audience to the core, though glimpses of the madness are carefully placed throughout. Nevertheless, we are willing to put aside these disturbances for the most part because everything else seems perfectly normal; those momentary flickers of horror seem too out of place to be plausible, so they are discounted.

This is what is most frightening about this film. While this is obviously an extreme case, this could happen to anybody. Look at how many precautions Aoyama took before dating Asami. You can never be to careful about how you entrust yourself to...

All in all, this film deserves a viewing or two. The first time left me shocked, while the second let me understand the actions of the characters without being distracted by the rather horrific torture scenes. While I feel like a bit can be cut from the first three quarters of the movie, I think that Miike executed this film excellently, even up to the very last scene, which leaves you strangely sympathetic. The acting is very well done, though Eihi Shiima (Asami) seemed a bit cold at times (but she gets naked, so it evens out, hehe!) Enjoy!

Ratings:
Entertainment: 8
Scares: 7
Gore: 9

Highly Recommended!

Video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

FYI, you can watch the full video by waiting for the first five minutes to load, and after watching the first five minutes, drag the bar past five minutes. It doesn't always work, so it's easier if you just download it.

Good luck, and happy viewing!

An Introduction...

noreply@blogger.com (Cicy Li) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:48:00 +0000

My name is Cicy Li, and I am an avid viewer of many Asian movies, especially horror movies.
Here, I will give a synopsis of each movie, followed with my review of what I consider to be the movies flaws and strengths, and then an overall rating on a scale from one to ten of various characteristics: Entertainment, Scares, Gore, etc.

This week, I will review:
Audition
Uzumaki
Suicide Club
Chakushin Ari/One Missed Call 1(plus sequels)
Ringu
Reincarnation

I will try to alternate regions from which I pick these movies each week (obviously, this week is Japanese horror; next week will feature Korean horror).

I hope you'll enjoy these movies! I will try to post links to where you can find them on the internet after each review :)

Enjoy!