Reincarnation Review 2005 輪廻 Japan

Happy Halloween!

Since it's approaching Halloween I thought I'd sit down to an Asian horror classic.

This entry to the J-Horror collection is directed by Takashi Shimizu(Ju-On: The Grudge/Marebito). While not quite reaching the heights of Ringu and Ju-On, Reincarnation still holds it's own as a fine supernatural thriller.

When a young actress gets a role in a film based on a series of grisly murders in the 1970s, she begins to experience the killings as if they are happening in front of her. When she discovers an 8mm camera that appears to contain footage of the murders, she decides to develop the film, with terrifying consequences.

Japanese subways are always so crowded

Shimizu is great at creating an eerie atmosphere and tension. This is the real strong point of Reincarnation. Although the film might start off a little slow, it gets more and more tense as the film progresses. By the start of the third act, you'll be on the edge of your seat as the story unravels and plot elements running parallel with each other join up to give a thought provoking and compelling conclusion.

Yuka delivers a stunning performance as Nagisa Sugiura, an actress cast in the lead role of the horror film within the horror film. The film seems to be partly influenced from The Shining with the setting of the hotel, some similar plot points and also her acting style adds to this.

Traditional Japanese head massage

J-Horror isn't for everyone. It is much slower paced than American counterparts. And it doesn't have the constant jump scares, although, Reincarnation is quite creepy and does have a jump scare or two. But it's the story that matters, Reincarnation will have you guessing and questioning throughout the entire film until everything clicks in to place wonderfully at the climatic ending.

If you are looking for a Horror film to watch this Halloween, you could do worse.

7/10

See this if you liked:
The Ring
The Grudge
Dark Water

Phone Review 2002 South Korea 폰

Phone is a solid slice of Asian horror which was released during the wave of popular horror exports from The Ring to The Grudge to Dark Water to A Tale of Two Sisters. But does Phone live up to the hype of it's counterparts?

Stylish Korean horror starring Ji-Won Ha as an investigative reporter who, having recently published a controversial article about sex scandals, has begun receiving a series of menacing phone calls. In an effort to escape the calls, she changes her number and moves house. But the calls keep coming - and when her friend's young daughter innocently answers the ringing phone, she starts to scream in terror and goes on to exhibit increasingly crazed behaviour. As she tries to unravel the mystery behind the phone calls, Ji-Won uncovers the terrible secrets that lie behind her new phone.

Something that is always striking yet refreshing about Asian horror films is that the vast majority of them play out like a mystery thriller. The frights are there. The tone is creepy. But your interest is usually kept until the very end because you are waiting for the unveil. And Phone is no exception.

The real strong point of Phone is the story which is actually clever and complex. Full of twists and turns, it takes you till the end to figure out exactly what is happening and why. And just when you have pieced it all together... They throw another twist at you!

Don't know if cute... Or creepy...

Ha Ji-won is a great lead who is likable and convincing with her desperation of trying to help her friends daughter and solve this mystery. But the little girl Young-ju played by Eun Seo-woo delivers the best performance of the film. For a child, her acting and delivery is brilliant. She can change it from cute to creepy half way through a sentence., which is remarkable.

Going in to Phone, as a horror, you are going to want to be scared. In all honesty the film doesn't fully scare you. The tone and setting is definitely creepy. But there are no real moments that will leave you feeling terrified. There is also no real "jump scares" so don't go in expecting any of those modern Hollywood scares. Phone isn't as scary as Ju-On, but it is a completely different breed of Asian horror.

All in all, South Korea did deliver another good horror film with Phone. Some of the plot and story feels similar to other Asian horrors, and maybe it wasn't as scary as it could have been. But it's a fun film with a compelling story and a stand out performance from the young girl that's definitely worth checking out.

7/10

The Cat Review 2011 South Korea 고양이: 죽음을보는 두개의눈

A South Korean horror mixed with cats surprisingly turns out to be one of the best Asian horror films I have seen in years! 

So-yeon works in a pet grooming store called Kitty N Puppy. After a Persian cat owner dies she gets stuck looking after the cat until an owner is ready for it. Everything is fine until the cat starts acting up and a mysterious little girl with green cat like eyes starts haunting her.

I can't quite place exactly what made this film work. But it is just incredibly fun.

The Cat is a good mix of Asian suspense horror with some of the more American "jump scares". This works very well with the flow of the film and is actually pretty refreshing. The film never really has time to slow down or get dull.

I love cats. I love every kind of cat. I just want to hug all of them. But I can't.

Some of the film is a little typical of Asian horrors with the creepy little girl. But mixing it with the cats is new and fresh, and it's used in a way that doesn't feel over played. The film also has a good mystery feel to it, almost like The Ring, which really draws you in to the story until the very end when you discover what has been taking place and why.

A very fun modern horror, while not essential viewing, it is fun and reminds me of the horrors Asia was releasing in the late 90s and early 2000s.

7/10

#TheCat #Horror #SouthKorea #고양이

Three Extremes 2 Review 2002 三更 Saam Gaang

Three... Extremes 2

Great suspenseful classic Asian horror... but not as good as the original!

Three Extremes 2 is a trilogy of short Asian horror films from veteran directors from South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong. The full running time is 122 minutes.

Memories, from director  Kim Jee-woon(A Tale Of Two Sisters/A Bittersweet Life/I Saw The Devil) is a great supernatural and psychological horror following a man who keeps seeing disturbing visions of his missing wife, which his psychiatrist puts down to repressed memories of why his wife left him. Meanwhile, his wife awakens in an unknown street with no idea how she got there. 

A fun stylish horror film with an interesting story which never dulls while the two stories intertwine and the mystery unfolds.

The Wheel is a Thai film from Nonzee Nimibutr. And it is easily the worst of the 3 films. This is a period horror set in a small village. When an old puppet master dies, a curse is put on his puppets for anyone else who owns them. When someone comes along and finds the puppets, an evil curse starts.

This film didn't really grip me. No real plot or characters to care for and a dull ending which won't excite anyone.

And finally we have Going Home, from one of the great Hong Kong directors Peter Chan(Comrades/Perhaps Love/The Warlords). Although better than The Wheel, it doesn't quite reach Memories.

Going Home follows a man called Wai and his son, after they move in to a new apartment block they begin to notice they have a strange neighbour and a lot of freaky stuff happening including a strange girl and all the vacant apartment doors opening themselves. Things take a turn for the worse when they discover their neighbour Yu has preserved his dead wife's body...

Fun set of films, with a different theme and style for each film to keep you entertained. A little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, The Wheel brings it down, and overall it doesn't quite meet the height of the other Three Extremes... Which is a masterpiece.

6.5/10

Note. "Three Extremes 2" was released first in 2002 as "Three". And the Sequel "Three Extremes" was 2004 but released worldwide first.

The Top 10 Asian Horror Films

Happy Halloween!

I do LOVE a good horror flick, and the best time to watch them is Halloween! So if like me you want to kick back on All Hallows' Eve with some good horrors, then here is some recommendations.
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10)The Doll Master (2004/South Korea)

The Doll Master... The scariest doll since Chucky!

The story follows a group of students who are invited to a museum in the middle of nowhere for a private doll gallery and the promise of dolls to be made in their image. You guessed it. The dolls start killing people!

Brought to life by a vengeful spirit the doll starts killing off the guests one by one, as they try to figure out what is going on and how to stop it!

There is a lot more to this film with clever twists and turns! All is not as simple as it seems. And if you wait patiently through the slow burning story you are in for a treat. Great story and ending. Well worth the wait.


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9)R-Point (2004/South Korea)

R-Point stands out from a lot of other Asian horrors because of the fact it's a horror/war film.

Set during the Vietnam War. After a platoon of South Koreans go missing in Romeo Point, Lieutenant Choi takes a platoon to search for them. Upon arriving on the island and finding a grave site and abandoned building, they discover that one of the men in their platoon is actually one of the missing men they are trying to find... Brilliant! The film is full of shocking twists like this which make it more of a psychological and atmospheric horror!

Now queue all the soldiers distrust for each other and we end up with a classic Asian horror!

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8)Noroi (2005/Japan)
Japan does "found footage" horror. And does it very, very well!

The film is 2 hours long, slow paced and can take a while for you to really get where it's going. But if you have the patience to sit through it then you will be rewarded!

Noroi is filmed as a documentary and it really feels like you are watching a real documentary at times. A very creepy documentary with some subtle yet terrifying images that will be stuck in your head.

The story is pasted together with found footage, documentary, home video and video clips from TV game shows. This keeps it fresh and interesting and helps it flow better and takes away limitations you would have from other found footage films.

This is one to watch without knowing too much about, so i'll leave it at that. Check it out especially if you are a fan of handheld films, or were before the over saturation.

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7)One Missed Call (2003/Japan)

The first film on the list to be directed by Takasahi Miike! And the first film on the list to have an American remake. Avoid the remake and stick to the original!

Part Horror, part Mystery. People are recieving missed phone calls from an unknown number, the voice mail is oddly made from two days in the future... And is from yourself screaming in terror and agony. Two days later... you die!

Of course the message then gets passed on to your contact list so all your friends are next! It takes one girl and guy to team up to investigate where these phone calls are coming from and try and stop it, while they race against time before they recieve the call!

Sounds like a typical J-Horror, nothing too original here, but very fun and scary! Also has a really creepy ring tone that I used for a while on my own phone. Eeek!


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6)Three Extremes(2004/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan)

3 short stories told by 3 brilliant directors from across Asia! These are very versatile and intriguing horror films which go from weird, to weirder to weirdest.

Dumplings directed by Fruit Chan is a slow burning, sick and twisted film. Not scary but disturbing.

Cut directed by Park Chan-Wook is a confusing and sophisticated  torture flick. Very well made!

The Box directed by Takashi Miike is the scariest out of the bunch. Weird imagery and dream sequences with lots of what the hell moments.

A good 3 movies in 1 horror film which has something to please everyone.

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5)Ju-On(The Grudge)(2002/Japan)

The curse of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage.

One of the best films I have ever witnessed for creating an unsettling atmosphere.

A home-care worker goes to work in a house occupised by an old lady who is bed-ridden and terrified of something in the house. After exploring the house the home-care worker discovers a door shut with duct tape... In which hides a little boy and his cat.

Queue some of the creepiest and scariest scenes ever recorded for film. It's great at suspense and building up the scares, it will have you jumping all over the places and hiding your face. But, it also has a great story which is told very well.



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4)Audition(1999/Japan)

Kiri Kiri Kiri

This is Takashi Miike's masterpiece! A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special movie audition, arranged for him by a friend to secretly find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.

Over an hour of this film is essentially a drama. It has a long, dramatic and interesting build up to the horror you are about to see! And boy is there a lot of! The last half hour is outstanding and really makes the film come together.

Audition also helped inspire the American film Hostel... But don't hold that against it! Check it out.

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3)Tale Of Two Sisters(2003/South Korea)

This has had the Hollywood remake treatment. I forgot the name of it, but avoid it and watch this very intelligent, very frighting original!

Two sisters return home to stay with their father and cruel stepmother.. after spending time in a mental institution! Once there, in addition to dealing with their stepmother's obsessive and unbalanced ways, they are haunted by the tragedies of deaths from within the family.

This is very well told. There are some very good scares in this one. But it's the story and characters that really grab your attention. It's a rollercoaster full of twists and turns! And one that as soon as it ends, you will want to rewatch it again. Awesome mind blowing ending!

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2)Ringu(1998/Japan)

What?! The Ring isn't number 1?

The fight for first and second place was a tough one! Very tough. Thought about it for a long time but I just honestly feel that number 1 on the list scared me more! Don't get me wrong though, Ringu is a masterpiece.

The story centres around a videotape. If you watch it you die in seven days! A TV journalist teams with her ex-husband and investigates the death of two teenage girls. She discovers a lot more than she bargined for.... Sadako!

The image and look of Sadako is very well known by now. It's been used it countless other films and even spoofed in comedies. But most people will know her from the US remake... Which was actually a pretty decent remake!

This film terrified me when I first seen it, and the brilliant ending was planted in my brain and made me scared of my own TV for a long time. It's that good!

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1)Pulse(2001/Japan)

Would you like to meet a ghost?

Yes.You guessed the number 1 film on the list... well probably not actually.

Japanese university students investigate a series of suicides linked to an Internet Webcam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead.

Nothing to unfamiliar for a J-Horror, almost like the Ring in a way. Set on the internet it's something we can all relate to, otherwise how are you reading this blog? The internet can be a scary unfamiliar place as we see in this nearly incomprehensible horror tale.

Pulse has a very lonely dark setting and atmosphere. It's a gore free chilling film which will leave you thinking long after the credits have finished. Don't worry if it takes you a few watches to know what's going on as it can be truly baffling. A real horror masterpiece in the genre which must be seen by everyone!


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There you have it! My top 10! It was a very tough job narrowing it down to 10 and putting it into order. Still a few films I might have got in the wrong order but i'll leave it at that.

I hope you all have a good Halloween and watch some good horrors! These are some suggestions that shouldn't leave anyone disappointed. Did I miss anything out? Let me know!

Trick or Treat?!

:)

Sadako 3D Review (The Ring 3D)

Sadako 3D
96 min - Horror - 12 May 2012 (Japan)

Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa
Writers: Kôji Suzuki (novel) & Yoshinobu Fujioka (screenplay)
Stars: Satomi Ishihara, Kôji Seto and Tsutomu Takahash

Firstly let me get this out of the way, I didn't get to see this film in 3D. I'm not really a fan of 3D. But Sadako 3D really needs to be seen in 3D if you get the option! I will touch on that more later.

Sadako 3D is in The Ring series of films, although many probably won't acknowledge it with the original trilogy. Sadako 3D is directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa and is based on the novel 'S' by the creator of Ring, Koji Suzuki. There a few similarities and many, many differences.

Synopsis:
Akane is a high school teacher who hears a rumor from her students that there is actual footage on the Internet of someone's suicide. The footage is said to drive anyone who sees it to also commit suicide. Akane does not believe the rumor at first, but when one of her female students dies after viewing the footage, she and her boyfriend Takanori are fatefully drawn into the horror that has been created by the man who appears in the suicide footage, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's intention is to create chaos in the world by bringing back Sadako and the power of her curse. Now Akane has to fight against Sadako and Kashiwada to save the lives of herself and Takanori.

... I'm really scared.

Sadako 3D is a completely different style of Horror flick from the previous Ring films. The story telling is different, the style is different, the pacing is different and the scares are very different.

While the original Ringu films were scary in a slow suspenseful way, like most Japanese horrors. Sadako 3D tends to lean more towards the Hollywood style surprise scares. And it is full of them! I will honestly say this film made me jump on quite a few occasions.

Can you remember the ending to the original Ringu film? Of course you can, it's one of the most iconic horror endings and images of all time. Sadako 3D tends to run with that and over use it by having Sadako come out of every screen possible, phone/laptop/TVs. Nothing is safe. Even the giant plasma screens you see around the busy streets of Tokyo aren't safe from Sadako and her long hair and gruesome hands.

This is were the film would look good in 3D. It's really shot for 3D with lots of hands stretching out straight to touch you and objects flying directly towards you. Seeing it in 3D could really add to the scares! A gimmick, yes. But if used correctly it can be a clever gimmick.

However, this outing is also extremly flawed. It doesn't have the same atmospheric feel as the other Ring films. It's more aimed at the teenage audience with their "idols/popstar" cast. Even Sadako looks like some kind of Japanese popstar when you see her as a normal girl. Watching the trailer, it never gives you the chills once that pop song kicks in! However this has obviously worked in terms of the box office, Sakdako 3D has done very well with 1,500,000,000 Yen ($19,228,500 USD), more than half of the box office was made up of teenagers, and a sequel has been announced for Summer 2013.

The other big flaw is after Sadako comes out of the screen and is in the real world. Without ruining it for anyone, they have changed her look drastically. And it kills the momentum of the film. After this point, any credit or scariness Sadako 3D had is pretty much gone. The creepy Sadako we all remember is gone, and is replaced with something that just looks stupid!

So, see Sadako 3D if you enjoy horrors. But don't expect a classic. And don't expect it to live up to the other Ringu films in the series, because it doesn't. However, I think this will still entertain most J-Horror fans, flaws and all.

5/10

Trailer below, with English subtitles:

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Now for some light hearted fun. Japan might not do horrors like they used to... But something they do brilliantly is promotion for films! Check out some of these photos of live promotions going around Tokyo for Sadako 3D.

 

Awesome!

Another - Live Action Remake - Trailer and Stills

Looks like Another is the latest anime to get the live action treatment. For those not familiar with the anime, I reviewed it while it was airing, link.

Synopsis

 In 1972, a very popular honor student named Misaki died partway through the school year in Yomiyama Middle School’s class 3-3. His peers, devastated by the unexpected loss, decided to carry on as if the student were still alive, going so far as to keep the desk in place and bringing it to the graduation ceremony. Yet no one could explain why the dead classmate was present on the graduation photo.
In spring 1998, 15-year-old student Kōichi Sakakibara arrives from Tokyo in Yomiyama, to stay with his grandparents while his father works in India. He transfers into class 3-3 but misses the first few weeks as a pneumothorax keeps him hospitalised. While in the hospital, he receives a visit from his classmates and meets a mysterious girl wearing his school’s uniform called Mei Misaki, who seems to be visiting the morgue.
Once recovered, Kōichi goes to school and tries to adapt. His aunt, a teacher at Yomiyama North, gives him a few pointers but, like his peers, remains evasive when it comes to their behaviour towards Mei, who is treated by all as if she did not exist. Kōichi is further confounded by the air of mystery around class 3-3 and the fact that it is isolated from other classes, even practising P.E. separately.
Things go from bad to worse when a classmate, Yukari Sakuragi, slips while running down the stairs and dies, impaled on the sharp end of her umbrella. This is one of many deaths related to Class 3-3 which have Kōichi and his friends Mei, Naoya Teshigawara, Tomohiko Kazami, and Yūya Mochizuki, trying to unravel the mystery of 1972’s Misaki and the “calamity” that has struck Class 3-3 ever since.

Cosplay Island?

I'm looking forward to this going by what I have seen from the trailer. Also, knowing Japan is brilliant with horror and suspense, this could work out very well! On the other hand, Live Action adaptions of anime are usually hit or miss, with the majority being miss!

Another gets a theatrical release across Japan on August 4th 2012. No news of an international release yet, so watch the trailer below over and over to keep you going! Or watch the anime!

 

 

Sadako throws opening pitch at baseball game!

Yip. The girl from The Ring throws the first pitch at a Japanese baseball game! WTF!

 

 

We all know Baseball is the biggest sport in Japan, well looks like Sadako knows that as well! Here she is at the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters Vs Chiba Lotte Marines game from the Japanese baseball league, throwing the opening pitch to promote the new film in the Ringu series "Sadako 3D".

Sadako 3D opens across Japan on May 12th. No word yet if it will get a worldwide cinema release, just need to keep our fingers crossed!

Until then, here is the full length trailer:

The Ring goes..... 3D

Someone hold me...

Sadako 3D

Horror - 12 May 2012 (Japan)

Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa
Writers: Kôji Suzuki (novel), Yoshinobu Fujioka (screenplay)
Stars: Satomi Ishihara, Yusuke Yamamoto and Shôta Sometani

Akane is a high school teacher who hears a rumour from her students that there is actual footage on the Internet of someones suicide. The footage is said to drive anyone who sees it to also commit suicide. Akane does not believe the rumour at first, but when one of her female students dies after viewing the footage, she and her boyfriend Takanori are fatefully drawn into the horror that has been created by the man who appears in the suicide footage, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's intention is to create chaos in the world by bringing back Sadako and the power of her curse. Now Akane has to fight against Sadako and Kashiwada to save the lives of herself and Takanori.

Wow! Firstly, I'm not a fan of 3D, seems like a fad to sell more cinema tickets and make movies "better". But what I am a fan of, is J-Horror. And what kick started my love for it? Yes... The Ring. One of the scariest and best horrors of all time, so I'm really really looking forward to seeing the next one in the series. And for the record, I can kind of understand the 3D direction behind this.

Check below the teaser trailer for some newly released stills!

Some freaky shit.

Another...

Their class has a secret no one dares talk about...

Another
Anime - 9 January 2012 (Japan)
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima
Production: P.A. WORKS, Team Another
Currently Airing Weekly

In a third year classroom of Yomiyama Kita Middle School in Japan, there was a girl student called Misaki. The girl was very popular with fellow students as she was good at sports and also an honours student. Misaki suddenly died and strangely her classmates carried on as if she was still alive until graduation. In the Spring of 1998 a new boy Kouichi Sakakibara gets transferred to the class. He realises there is a strange and fearful atmosphere in the classroom and among students, who all seem to be deeply afraid of something. One of the girls Mei Misaki seems to attract him but the closer he gets to her the more the mystery and horror unfold at the school.

"Another" is definitely an interesting and fresh new anime, not like any I have witnessed before. The horror mystery anime is based on a novel called "new masterpiece" and there is soon to be a live action version hitting Japan in the summer!

What do you call Anime Girls with only 1 eye? Anime Grls

I feel I should inform readers that this anime might not be for everyone. The story and visuals can be quite dark and graphic. With some of the scenes being a little shocking! But that's all part of the fun for people who like horror, and horror anime shouldn't be any different. The animation is nice with a lot of dark and moody colours to really capture the fear and darkness of the anime. The blood is often very striking and rich! And some of the deaths are nothing less than horrifying. Japan is often praised as a master of suspenseful horror and this also shows across the format of Anime.

The music for Another is actually fantastic! The musical score builds up suspense very well, it really helps with the eerie feel of the anime and it also helps deliver the scares! The opening theme is Kyomu Densen (Nightmare Contagion) by ALI PROJECT which suits this anime perfectly with it's sound, especially during the chorus. And the ending theme is Anamnesis by Annabel.

Wait to you see this result of carrying an umbrella!

Another is a thrill ride that sucks you in and leaves you wanting more as you try to solve the mystery for yourself and figure out what exactly is going on, and what their class secret is. Each episode unravels just enough to leave you wanting more! It's an anime that usually ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you 'dying' to see the next episode. Har-har. So give it a watch!

Another is available to stream at Anime Crazy or Watch Anime Online
Or if you prefer download then check out Nyaa