Last seen ASIAN movie [Archive] - Page 7 - Horror.com Forums

roshiq

02-24-2009, 11:24 PM

"Feng shui" 6-7/10

Had its moments.

Philippine language might be the most fucked up language i've ever heard. just about every third sentence contains at least 1 english word. Isn't that odd?

:D :D I saw it other night on youtube and thanks for recommending it man. It's the first any Philippines movie I ever saw. Nice story indeed but it was seems like a TV movie, was it?

>>: B-

Paprika (2006)

>>: B

Ringu 2 (1999)

I haven't seen it before, I saw the US remake instead. Anyway, not worthy...a big disappointment.

>>: C

Ju-On: The Grudge (2003)

I was thinking to just give it a watch for the 2nd time and have those "chilling" memories back. But I was wrong! This wasn't the part that I saw before...I was actually get bit confused with the series. The two
"Grudge" films that I saw were the US remakes, not the originals. But actually I saw a super creepy Japanese Ju-On for sure sometime ago...then what was that???

>>: B

Ju-on: The Curse 1 & 2 / The Grudge Prequel (2000)

Now that's the Ju-On film I was looking for a reviewing! Eerie sounds and the creepy atmosphere still almost able to scared the hell out of me in the middle of the night.

Thank God, few days back I bought all the dvds of original Ju-On films.:)

>>: A

roshiq

02-28-2009, 01:46 AM

Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (2003)

Had its moments, not bad at all.

>>: B-

Perfect Blue (1998)

Saw it for the first time. Pretty impressive.

>>: B+

Ring 0: Birthday (2000)

A romantic & decent prequel of Ringu tragedy.

>>: B-

Rasen [Ring: The Spiral] (1998)

Actually it was based on the actual novel sequel to Ringu by the original author but personally I felt it was like an alternative & weird sequel of the main story.
**Spoiler**: Sadako becomes horny in this part where all her ghostly appearance changed into erotic ways!:D

>>: C-

Angra

02-28-2009, 03:51 AM

So is Rasen a horror movie? Or is it porn?

Coz if it's a horror movie then i'm not gonna watch it. :p

roshiq

03-01-2009, 11:43 PM

So is Rasen a horror movie? Or is it porn?

Coz if it's a horror movie then i'm not gonna watch it. :p

Nope, it isn't a porn. Just Sadako was bit horny that's all. Instead of scaring people this time She just likes to seduce her victim:D

roshiq

03-03-2009, 02:07 AM

Wishing Stairs (2003)

>>: C+

roshiq

03-04-2009, 02:08 AM

Korei aka Seance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259388/plotsummary) (2000)

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's this slow paced horror film loosely inspired by the 1964 film Seance on a Wet Afternoon. But here the director (who also directed acclaimed Asian Horrors like Kairo & Cure) portrayed the plot quite differently. The story starts with Junko...the psychic housewife (who can see & make contact with the spirits) and her husband (a sound technician) become burdened with a kidnapped girl who escaped her assailant. Junko didn't let her husband to call the hospital or the police for the fear that the police will then suspect them as the kidnappers and also for somewhat selfish reasons. The girl dies while still in their house and her ghost begins to haunt not only Junko but also her husband.

The ending was a big disappointment, it could have done a way better.

>>: B-

roshiq

03-06-2009, 01:43 AM

Memento Mori: Remember the Dead (1999)

>>: C-

The Ghost aka Dead Friend (2004)

Nice little time passing very common Asian Horror.

>>: B-

Angra

03-06-2009, 08:18 AM

[B]The Ghost aka Dead Friend (2004)

Nice little time passing very common Asian Horror.

>>: B-

Indeed. But the scares, for the most part, actually works in this one.

Its biggest problem is that the girls involved all look alike..

roshiq

03-06-2009, 08:06 PM

Indeed. But the scares, for the most part, actually works in this one.

Its biggest problem is that the girls involved all look alike..

Yeah and I have to admit when I first started to watch Japanese & Korean films than all the girls look very similar to me also in almost each & every movie. It was even hard for me to recognize them separately or to remember who has been killed, who is still alive or who has turned into ghost only by their names.:o

Angra

03-06-2009, 11:22 PM

It was even hard for me to recognize them separately or to remember who has been killed, who is still alive or who has turned into ghost only by their names.:o

lol

Eeeeexactly. :p

scouse mac

03-08-2009, 05:14 AM

Deathnote: The Last Name

ChronoGrl

04-03-2009, 12:23 PM

We need to be watching more Asian Horror films. This forum is just EMPTY.

*crickets*

Tell me about the Deathnote movies - Any good? Pros/Cons? Recommendations?

I watched most of Meatball Machine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820111/) the other week, but haven't posted about it because I didn't finish it. Not that I didn't enjoy it; it was pretty fantastic, though it definitely dragged at times (I think that Tokyo Gore Police really improved on that theme so, seeing TGP prior to Meatball Machine really raised my hopes). I need to get around to finishing the movie, but the boyfriend is not too keen on it. Unfortunately, since we share a space, we have to "agree" on what's on TV. Hrmph.

Anyone else? Comments on Meatball Machine?

Despare

04-03-2009, 01:26 PM

Angra

04-03-2009, 01:53 PM

I know. It's pathetique.

Maybe on my days off in the easter i get to see a few.... maybe..

scouse mac

04-03-2009, 04:32 PM

Tell me about the Deathnote movies - Any good? Pros/Cons? Recommendations?

The Deathnote films are definately worth checking out.

Apparently its based on a Manga book and the storyline in the films were specifically done as a two parter, they flow into each other very smoothly. The acting is very good and the cgi (needed to portray the Death Gods) is solid.

The (very) basic idea is the main man, Light, has a book called the Deathnote, which when he writes the name of a person in it, that person will die. Time and type of death can be specified but if not, their heart will just stop. The Deathnote belongs to a death god called Ryuuk who accompanies Light and 'enforces' the power of the Deathnote(this isnt exactly correct but cant be arsed going into detail!).

The target audience seemed, to me at least, to be towards teenagers but dont let that put you off. The second film, The Last Name, is better than the first but both are worth a watch.

ChronoGrl

04-05-2009, 05:00 AM

http://www.horror.com/forum/showpost.php?p=790246&postcount=1494

I think I'm going to have to start it again from the beginning. I really loved the visuals and the absurdity of it... I also loved the love story; so comically tragic. I need to give it a second chance and not just write it off as "not as good as TGP."

The Deathnote films are definately worth checking out.

Apparently its based on a Manga book and the storyline in the films were specifically done as a two parter, they flow into each other very smoothly. The acting is very good and the cgi (needed to portray the Death Gods) is solid.

The (very) basic idea is the main man, Light, has a book called the Deathnote, which when he writes the name of a person in it, that person will die. Time and type of death can be specified but if not, their heart will just stop. The Deathnote belongs to a death god called Ryuuk who accompanies Light and 'enforces' the power of the Deathnote(this isnt exactly correct but cant be arsed going into detail!).

The target audience seemed, to me at least, to be towards teenagers but dont let that put you off. The second film, The Last Name, is better than the first but both are worth a watch.

I've seen stills of Deathnote that show Ryuuk tagging along with Light - Does that take away your ability to suspend your disbelief? Or does it mesh well with the rest of the movie. Just curious; it's always tough to take those stills out of context, especially if you're already wary of CGI.

scouse mac

04-05-2009, 05:07 AM

I've seen stills of Deathnote that show Ryuuk tagging along with Light - Does that take away your ability to suspend your disbelief? Or does it mesh well with the rest of the movie. Just curious; it's always tough to take those stills out of context, especially if you're already wary of CGI.

The design of Ryuuk is a little 'cartoony' and it does take some getting use to initially. I think if they had designed it to be more realistic then it would benefit the film (how realistic a death god would be i dont know!) but its not a major distraction.

Zombie_Bait

04-05-2009, 04:23 PM

I have soo many unwatched asian horror just sitting at my sister's house (she wants me to watch it with her because the coward doesn't like watching it alone and gets mad if I watch it first), but the last two I can remember watching were..

Zoo (though I don't know exactly if you can call it horror, though the first story and the 'seven rooms' story both had horror qualities), and Shutter.

When I get a chance, the next one we'll watch is Suicide Club.

Despare

04-06-2009, 04:16 PM

I think I'm going to have to start it again from the beginning. I really loved the visuals and the absurdity of it... I also loved the love story; so comically tragic. I need to give it a second chance and not just write it off as "not as good as TGP."

Yeah, I think that's a mistake I make with movies too. Because a couple of films will share something very similar, I think "that one was better" before the movie I'm watching is even half over. It's easy to do but when I revisit both of them I realize there are major differences that I all but ignored.

Angra

04-07-2009, 12:50 PM

Less talking and more watching, you two. :cool:

Zombie_Bait

04-07-2009, 04:03 PM

Ah! I forgot I also watched Cinderella on the Sundance Channel! That one was pretty interesting...

Demonique

04-22-2009, 09:00 AM

I actually have been watching a lot of Asian horror lately so I'll throw my two cents in.
First I had to catch up with all the more popular movies that I had not seen so I watched Ringu, Ringu 2, Ju-on (both versions), Ju-on 2, Shutter, A Tale of Two Sisters, Three Extremes, and Oldboy (although I don't think that is horror but I'm sure there's another thread about that around here somewhere).
Then I started watching less well known stuff:

Haunted Apartments - This one is from Japan if I remember correctly. I loved it. I really like the revenge ghost thing. It has a corny title but I thought it was really good.

Forbidden Floor - I think this one was from Japan as well but won't bet the house on it. It is another apartment building type movie although it is about the unlucky floor. North Americans don't put a 13th floor in their buildings, Asians don't have a 4th floor. I also really liked this one.

Apt or Apartment - from Hongkong if I'm not mistaken (hmmm I think I have an apartment theme going here). I've actually watched this one twice. I liked it so much I had to show a friend.

Body #19 - Thai I think. I was surprised at how good this one was even though there was a LOT of CGI. Ghosts, revenge and a twist ending that wasn't too unbelievable.

The Red Shoes - Korean Horror movie based on a Hans Christian Anderson story. I felt it was quite thin in the plot department. Not really worth a re-watch.

The Victim - Thai Horror - Was left scratching my head and saying Huh? a lot. I suspect I lost a lot due to cultural differences. It is about a woman who plays the victim in crime scene re-enactments. I couldn't understand why they re-enacted these crime when they had already caught and convicted the perpetrator. Apparently I don't understand the legal system.

Exte - Japanese Horror movie about . . . Evil Hair Extensions! I spent the rest of the day laughing about the Hair Monster and making jokes about the terror of split ends. Yes it was horrible and not in a good way.

I have become quite the addict to Asian horror - I love it! I do have a small rant so please allow me to spit out the poison. It is this: If I am watching a movie with subtitles, it is likely because I don't speak the language. If I don't speak the language, chances are I can't read it either. It so pisses me off when they show a newspaper article or diary entry with the Answer to the mystery and they don't tell you what it says. I get grouchy about that. Second - why can we not have yellow subtitles? White subtitles written across the character's white shirt tends to lend itself to a difficult reading environment (I remember something about this in an Austin Powers movie).

Ok rant done.

zwoti

04-30-2009, 01:22 PM

king boxer
36th chamber of shaolin

Angra

05-01-2009, 12:39 AM

"Ong-bak 2" 5/10

Tony Jaa's first and hopefully last attempt as director. Coz damn!

Way too few spectacullar stunts ( I think i remember 2) to make me bear over with the mess of a story and story-line.
Not that the stories in his former movies were a whole lot better, but at least they had tons of over-the-top stunts to entertain me throughout. Besides the stories were executed much better, due to much better directing by Prachya Pinkaew, who's also superior in both choreography and camera work. Not that Tony hasn't learned a lot from Pinkaew, but he still has a long, LONG way to go it seems.

So what Tony needs to do now is to crawl back to Pinkaew for another team-up and forget anything about directing another movie in a looooong time..

I'm pissed. :mad:

roshiq

05-04-2009, 12:09 AM

Tales of Terror: Haunted Apartment (2005)

>>: C

the_real_linda

05-06-2009, 03:10 PM

Tokyo Zombie (2005)

psycho d

05-08-2009, 10:28 AM

Black House (2007). A very well done, and well paced, Korean horror flick. Ashe.
d

psycho d

05-09-2009, 06:56 AM

Bright Future (2004). Loved the clean cinematography of this flick. A simple story told brilliantly (needed no major twists to carry it). Acting was great, almost too heart-felt at times. Not sure i understood the whole thing, but that was probably from cultural differences. Ashe.
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psycho d

05-10-2009, 06:06 AM

Noriko's Dinner Table (2005). Not the easiest movie to get into, but it was worth the effort. The story was told in a rather disjointed but effective manner. Powerful exposition of how fake our lives really are. Ashe.
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zwoti

05-10-2009, 01:06 PM

tokyo gore police

neverending

05-15-2009, 11:40 PM

One Missed Call.

I liked it a lot, but it didn't blow me away like many other Miike films have- particularly the ending. I really felt he cheated with that last scene.

roshiq

05-16-2009, 11:54 PM

Chocolate (2008)

A Thai Martial Art action film from the director of Ong-Bak and Tom yum goong. Bit dramatic but the fight sequences were quite satisfying for any martial art fan..specially liked the final fight on the balcony & billboard!

>>: B

psycho d

05-18-2009, 05:39 AM

Sympathy For Mr. Vengence. Obviously, a great movie. Not sure, but i may have liked it more than Oldboy. While Oldboy may have been a better movie (if just slightly), Sympathy really moved me.

***spoiler***

My only complaint is that i felt the last scene did not need to be explained. i thought it pretty obvious who the killers were and why they killed him. Brutal killing as well. Piercing/stabbing is the most intimate form of killing (aside from strangling, i guess), with dark sexual overtones. Awesome stuff. Ashe.
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psycho d

05-18-2009, 07:48 PM

Tetsuo: The iron Man. Freaking bizzare. Glad to have seen it; could not watch it a second time. Pretty impressive camera work. i could not imagine listening to that soundtrack. Ashe.
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Angra

05-18-2009, 11:40 PM

"Chocolate" 6-7/10

I have to say... didn't love it.

Compared to Jaa's movies, this was almost martial art in slow motion. I actually got a lil tired of watching the fight scenes. ME?!!!

psycho d

05-20-2009, 05:03 AM

One Missed Call. Miike can definitely make a creepy movie without being over-the-top. i agree with with Neverending, though, that the very ending was kind of a cheat. Ashe.
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psycho d

05-22-2009, 05:40 AM

Reincarnation (2006). Really liked this one. Almost rates up their with Pulse/Kairo. There were lots of scares, and most of them were quite original. i thought that the story was well-crafted as well. Ashe.
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neverending

05-22-2009, 05:49 PM

Yah, Reincarnation is one of my faves.

psycho d

05-23-2009, 05:49 AM

Izo. i can see why a lot of people would not like this one. There must have been a lot of symbolism that got lost between cultures, but that is not going to stop me from taking a stab at what this movie was trying to say.

***potential spoiler alert***

Mu guess that what Miike had in mind is that man created a culture in which man himself was to be worshipped. Anything that got in the way of man's self worship was to be annialated, which in turn became a self perpetuating cycle of violence and absurd destruction. Now this may have two implications. First, i think that a major tenet of Bhuddism is that to become one with God one must annialate the self. In parallel but to the contrary, i think that Miike wanted to show that in man's drive towards apotheosis he must annialate God as well, which would have been all well and good except for the fact that is was only man's ego that desired to become God. In the end, man's/culture's destructive tendencies will only get him close enough to God such that he will be destroyed by the Almighty himself. Anyway, that is what i took from this flick. Admittedly, i could be way off the mark here, but what the heck. Ashe.
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cactus

05-24-2009, 07:31 PM

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

psycho d

05-25-2009, 05:07 AM

Art of the Devil- The dubbing was so bad that i could not make it through this one. Maybe i really missed out, but i doubt it.

The Eye 2- This one by the Pang Brothers was awesome. The spooks were relentless, but they never lost their effectiveness nor did they detract ya from the main story, which was also solid. i also found the main character difficult to like, but in a good way.

Joint Security Area- A fine great war drama that centers on the power of friendship. It also centers on one of my favorite themes of human nature- hatred of strangers or those living outside of our arbitrary bounderies. Good stuff. Ashe.
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zwoti

05-26-2009, 01:44 PM

neighbour no. 13

Elvis_Christ

05-28-2009, 03:14 AM

Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls

psycho d

05-28-2009, 06:25 AM

Seance. Pretty good flick. Not necessarily scary, but the story was good. This week's theme seems to be decent people making horrible choices. Ashe.
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Despare

05-28-2009, 08:54 AM

Art of the Devil- The dubbing was so bad that i could not make it through this one. Maybe i really missed out, but i doubt it.

Yes you did, that film and its sequel are very cool, gruesome flicks. Watch it with subtitles.

psycho d

05-29-2009, 05:53 AM

Yes you did, that film and its sequel are very cool, gruesome flicks. Watch it with subtitles.

Thanks. i will try again then. i could not get the subtitles to work the first time around.
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psycho d

05-30-2009, 06:09 AM

Acacia. Pretty good flick. Not really scary, but like other Korean flicks, the story is pretty meaty.

***potential spoiler***

i am starting to get the hang of the Korean penchant for using flashbacks at the end to fully explain the story. Ashe.
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psycho d

05-30-2009, 06:11 AM

Hey Mods/big cheeses, i am sure not to be the first to say this, but shouldn't this forum name be changed to "Asian Horror?" Just sayin'.
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neverending

05-30-2009, 10:22 PM

The mods don't have that ability. Sorry.

psycho d

05-31-2009, 08:21 AM

Zebraman. Sounded too corny to be any good, but alas, i was wrong. Great flick. Except for saying that this flick is just great fun, a review here would be pointless. Corny? Yes, and perfectly so. Ashe.
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cactus

05-31-2009, 03:36 PM

Oldboy
.

psycho d

06-01-2009, 06:13 AM

TGHS: Lynch Law Classroom. Not really a fan of exploitation flicks, but i still had to check this one out. It was ok i guess, but as said, not really a fan so take this with a grain of salt. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-02-2009, 04:23 AM

Death Note. Reading the jacket on this one made it hard to believe that it would be any good. Instead, it was great. Pretty twisty, great story, and a brilliantly simple ending (the very, very end, that is). Ashe.

ps This forum is beginning to fell like the Omega man.

psycho d

06-05-2009, 06:58 AM

R-Point. Sort of confusing Korean flick, probably due to translation and cultural reasons. While the premise is creepy, the movie was not all that scary, not that it needed to be. Overall a good watch. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-07-2009, 05:38 AM

Premonition. Pretty descent flick, though the father seems to overact in every stressful scene.

Re-Cycle (Gwai wik). Starts out a little slow, turning into your everyday Asian ghost story, and then Bam!, not so typical. Loved it. Visuals were stunning, and i loved how the ending tied most everything together. The story does sort of try to stuff its main point down your throat, but this does not take away from the story (unless your are uber guilty concerning the point of the story, that is). Ashe.
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neverending

06-07-2009, 07:40 AM

Well, Chrono will disagree with you on the story, but I loved Re-Cycle.

Angra

06-07-2009, 07:59 AM

Well, Chrono will disagree with you on the story, but I loved Re-Cycle.

Yea, me too.

One of my favorite asian horror movies.

ChronoGrl

06-07-2009, 08:16 AM

Well, Chrono will disagree with you on the story, but I loved Re-Cycle.

I just thought it was too heavy-handed. The "resolution" was predictable and cheesy.

However - Quite possibly one of the more beautiful and inventive films I've seen. I think next time I watch it, I'll do so without subtitles and make up my own story. :D

roshiq

06-08-2009, 01:12 AM

13 Beloved aka 13: Game of Death (http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/1590460/775222/) (2006)

A Thai thriller about a salesman named Phuchit who receives a phone call on the same day he loses his job at a music center. The man on the line gives him a strange offer: complete 13 different tasks and win 100 million Baht. Chit agrees to take part in this 'game' and his missions commence. . . ranging from the trivial (swatting a fly) to the unthinkable & most disgusting..:mad: ...you'll see! The biggest catch: He must complete ALL the tasks. . . or lose all the money!

Tasks were weird but overall, it was a time passing 'okay' entertainer with a bit disappointing ending.

>>: B-

zwoti

06-08-2009, 04:15 AM

sparrow
fist of legend

psycho d

06-09-2009, 07:20 AM

Tell Me Something. Great movie, but these twisty foreign flicks make it easy to get lost and i end up missing the subtle things. The subtitle translation probably did not help. Also, i still have a hard time figuring out who is who in some Asian flicks. The guys tend to look alike to me, especially when they do a quick flash of a victim and i have no idea who is now dead; not politically correct, but true nonetheless. Still, a great flick. Ashe.
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Angra

06-09-2009, 01:49 PM

"Dorm" 6/10

To begin with i thought it was going to be an asian Devils Backbone rip-off, but it turned out to be mild kiddie horror movie. Not a bad watch, but no wauw's.

psycho d

06-10-2009, 06:11 AM

Ichi the Killer. Still wondering if i liked this one. It was not as violent as i thought it would be. Miike seems to be an over the top symbolic director, and this flick is no exception. It is just difficult to figure out what he is saying in this one. All i could glean is that it has something to do with society's intermingling of pain, eroticism, and satisfaction. Either way, this flick was no disappointment for the Miike lovers in the crowd. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-11-2009, 07:27 AM

JU-ON. i was really expected this to scare the crap out of me (watched it alone, late at night, on at a rather deserted horse ranch). Maybe i have finally hardened up a bit. Great flick. A tad better that the US version. Crazy way to tell a story. Loved the bleakness (is that a word?) of this one. The spooks were relentless to the point of being predictable, but this was strangely not a problem for me. Overall a great flick, just not as good as i was expecting. [Expectations lead to pain and misery.] Ashe.
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Angra

06-11-2009, 02:48 PM

"Phobia" 6/10

A mixed bag.

4 shorts.

First one plain sucked. Mobile horror is out. We've already had One Missed Call 1, 2, 3 and a crappy remake. Find something new.

Second story was nice 'n gory ghost revenge.

Third story was also alright. 4 young guys out on a camping trip that goes quite wrong. Not scary, but entertaining and sometimes a lil funny.

Fourth story about a stewardess who has to serve a wealthy bitch on a private plane, started out being the best of the four, but failed to pull out something surprising or new at the end.

neverending

06-11-2009, 10:42 PM

Kagemusha.

One of the greatest films ever.

psycho d

06-12-2009, 04:19 AM

Lady Vengeance. This one was my least favorite of the Park vengeance trilogy, but it was still a great flick. The ending was solid, and there was one supremely powerful moment towards the end. Only disappointing as Oldboy was incredible and i thought that Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was even better. JMHO. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-14-2009, 06:38 AM

Silk. Incredible film. A great story that takes a serious peek at some abstruse aspects of humanity, of fear loss by death, of the powerful emotions love and hatred. The story was rich and the acting was clean. Character development was more than adequate. Oh yeah, it happened to revolve around a cool ghost story.

Shaolin Soccer. Pretty fun flick, but a disappointment when compared to Kung Fu Hustle, which was supreme. Still a good flick that had some great moments. Ashe.
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neverending

06-14-2009, 06:18 PM

Loved Silk. Very cool.

roshiq

06-15-2009, 01:55 AM

Hospital

A low budget Thai horror, probably made for TV with a very average & predictable plot.

>>: C-

psycho d

06-15-2009, 05:16 AM

Suicide Club. "Are you connected to yourself?" i was sorta expecting to be let down by this one because i thought that Noriko's Dinner Table was supreme. Did not happen. This flick was on par with Sion's NDT follow-up. Powerful stuff, complete with that bleak understanding of human nature that American film lacks. The gore factor is pretty thick in this one. Also, the animal lovers in the crowd might find one scene a tad harsh, so be forwarned. Ashe.
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The_Return

06-15-2009, 05:44 AM

Lady Vengeance (2005)

Doesn't quite live up to Oldboy, but blows Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance out of the water. This is a near perfect film - Chan-wook Park is easily one of the most talented storytellers working today. He tells an incredibly complex story through unconvential methods, and manages to draw the viewer into Geum-ja's quest for revenge.

Amazing visuals, lots of twists and enough moral ambiguity to really give you something to think about long after the credits roll. See it if you haven't.

psycho d

06-18-2009, 05:52 AM

The Eye 3. Kinda an odd third entry to The Eye series by the Pang Brothers. Hard to tell if they were just trying to jam as much ghost info into a movie as possible, or if the they were just having fun at the viewer's expense. The movie vacillates between kinda scary to goofy. No real message is related in this disjounted flick. i must admit that some if it worked as it was somewhat entertaining, even funny, at times. When all is said and done, my favorite of the series was definitely The Eye 2, with this one at the bottom of the heap. Ashe.
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neverending

06-18-2009, 03:55 PM

I'll agree with you on Eye 2- I really liked it.

psycho d

06-19-2009, 04:56 AM

Spider Forest. This one takes its own sweet time to get going, but it is worth the wait. Starts getting a little twisty, and to be honest, i was a little confused at the end. Strangely this did not detract from the movie. i loved the dark emotional atmosphere. i really liked this one. Korean filmmakers really know how to build a colorfully rich movie.

Ringu. Obviously a great flick, but i thought the US version was more creepy. i think it had something to do with the great effects in the TV scene. The horse scene in the US version also set for a disturbing tone. That said, the original was great. I just wonder how i would have felt if i had seen the original before the US version... Ashe.
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psycho d

06-20-2009, 05:58 AM

Sword of Doom. Spectacular Samurai flick. Though the ending was somewhat unintentional, it was powerful by chance. i loved the paradoxical antihero. My lack of historical knowledge of this era made for a little confusion, but this of course was not the film's fault.

Koma. i found myself at times mad at this flick for not following the direction that i thought it should be going, which in part made it all that much better. Angelica played her part nicely, but i have to say that the other lead actress faltered a couple of times. i think that a better editor could have done a better job cleaning it up. Luckily, it was not enough to detract from the story. The ending was dark and disturbing. Overall, nicely done. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-21-2009, 05:41 AM

Onibaba. Obviously, this is a classic, must see, war-torn Medieval Samurai era flick. Ashe.
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zwoti

06-21-2009, 09:50 AM

the machine girl

psycho d

06-22-2009, 04:35 AM

the machine girl

Was it worth 96 minutes of your life??? Looks pretty cheesy, so what'dya think of it? Ashe.
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psycho d

06-22-2009, 04:45 AM

Dorm. This was not exactly scary or what i expected, but i did rather enjoy it. i thought the story was well-crafted, and for a bunch of kids, the acting was solid. i thought the concept of "becoming a man" was also nicely engineered.

***Potential spoiler alert!***

This movie had a nice "Let the Right One In" feel to it. Not trying to compare the two, except that it was a nice tale of friendship with some elements of horror in the background. Ashe.
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roshiq

06-23-2009, 03:41 AM

Carved aka The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007)

Not bad...an average Asian Horror with some decent scares.

>>: C+

zwoti

06-23-2009, 10:14 AM

Was it worth 96 minutes of your life??? Looks pretty cheesy, so what'dya think of it? Ashe.
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nowt wrong with t'cheese

the myth

_____V_____

06-23-2009, 10:16 AM

the myth

Mallika oogle-able? Jennifer Lynch's Hisss is next...and getting a lot of buzz.

ChronoGrl

06-25-2009, 07:50 AM

Was it worth 96 minutes of your life??? Looks pretty cheesy, so what'dya think of it? Ashe.
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I was disappointed with Machine Girl. Should have been better. Tokyo Gore Police was better.

psycho d

06-27-2009, 05:35 AM

Uzumaki. Very twisted-sorry, but i could not help myself. i liked this one. It had a Miike goofiness to it, but somehow this added to the creepiness. This flick had an ingeniously amateur feel to it, though the editing was truly a little lackidaisical. Some of the up close camera shots and goofy, over-acted scenes were perfect for this flick. Ashe.
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psycho d

06-29-2009, 05:00 AM

Kagemusha. Absolutely incredible. The three hours almost flew by. Ashe.
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neverending

06-29-2009, 07:29 AM

Kagemusha. Absolutely incredible. The three hours almost flew by. Ashe.
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Definitely a delight. One of the pillars of world cinema.

psycho d

06-30-2009, 05:46 AM

Arang. Pretty well done Korean thriller, though the acting was a tad chunky in a couple of places. i know it is sorta cheating, but i still love the Korean penchant for clearing up the main story's mysteries w/ flashbacks at the end. Not as rich as other K-flicks, but this was actually appreciated as i can get lost with subtle foreign Nuances. Good flick with a great story.

Throne of Blood. A Shakespearean story set in Medieval Japan. Definitely a classic.
Ashe.
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psycho d

07-01-2009, 05:30 AM

Ghost of Mae Nak. This Thai thriller is up there with Shutter, and may have even been better. The acting was solid, the story meandered perfectly, the characters were well developed, and even the ending, which almost had a cheesy Hollywood twist, was still perfect for this flick. i love how Bhuddism has such dark connotations in Asian flicks. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-02-2009, 06:19 AM

Red Eye (Redeu-ai). i kinda had low expectations for this one, don't know why. Instead, it turned out to be a typical, well told, multi-layered Korean flick that did not disappoint. By my account, Korean flicks have rich stories and cinematography, Thai flicks are very creepy, and J-horror can be rather bleak. i haven't come up with an aspect of Chinese flicks that stands out as distinctive. They seem to be just good and scary. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-03-2009, 04:37 AM

Phone. i don't know why this Korean flick received such mediocre reviews. i liked it. While not up to par with some of the more incredible S. Korean flicks, this one, which could have easily been mundane, is still a nicely layered story that Koreans seem to excel in. It was not very scary, and the ending was not exceptional, but to me the the story here trumped the ghostly scare factors. Definitely worth a watch. Ashe.
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Solar Storm

07-03-2009, 05:24 PM

Ju-on (v-cinema version) 10/10. Even though it is pretty slow at some parts, it really gave me the creeps lol.

psycho d

07-04-2009, 06:18 AM

Art of the Devil. After having failed to get through this one on the first attempt, i was able to suffer through it last night. Having just returned home from pedalling over "the grade" i think that i was just too tired to turn it off. The dubbing was atrocious throughout. The special effects were cheesy, and some of the action scenes looked as if they done by first graders. That said, the concept was still pretty creepy and the shaman was believable enough to be scary by himself. i hope that the sequel is better after having sufferred through this one. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-05-2009, 05:22 AM

Yojimbo. Absolutely awsome flick. Toshiro played that part perfectly. i cannot wait to see Sanjuro. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-07-2009, 05:20 AM

Dark Water (2002) i definiitely liked the original better than the remake (whose greatest attribute was JC). Even though there were not as many scares, the story itself was much better, lacking any Hollywood taint. Ashe.
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neverending

07-07-2009, 11:51 PM

roshiq

07-08-2009, 01:40 AM

Memories of Murder (2003)

Korean horror film directed by Joon-ho Bong.

Never heard of this guy before but I'm REALLY glad I watched this. Not your typical Asian horror movie at all. No tall women with long hair. No creepy kids with big eyes. No ghosts.

This is the story surrounding the investigation of Korea's first serial killer case. I don't know where to start here... Perhaps by mentioning the directorial finesse of Joon-ho Bong. He straddles a line between a very dark humor and deadpan seriousness with the assurance of a master. Expert at creating tension and surprise.

At first we're presented with the world's worst criminal investigative team. They trample evidence. They arrest the wrong people and torture confessions out of them. They plant evidence. When a detective from Seoul joins them on the case, they are jealous of his more sophisticated methods and try and discredit him.

There's a real visual flair to this film as well, along with some stunning visual metaphores. Many key scenes take place in the rain at night and they're shot with perfection.

The lead actor, Kang-ho Song, turns in such a nuanced performance I was awed. He portrayed his role, at first that of a bumbling corrupt cop, that transforms into a very sympathetic caring character. It was probably the best performance I've seen in an Asian movie (what ones I've seen, of course).

The story itself moves along at a brisk pace, always kept me interested, and revealed some deft touches, symbolism and depth.

Needless to say- I was extremely impressed.

Ashe- you will love this- check it out.

You too Chrono!

Glad you liked it, NE:) . I saw this movie years ago but still can't forget anything about it as every aspect of the film was so beautifully portrayed that impressed me greatly. And as you said it's not a typical serial killer movie..it's more than that. Instead of focusing on the murder scenes and shocking images like most other conventional serial killer films, the movie puts much more time and details into the story, characters and the situation of the time the incidents took place. At the very beginning it was said that the case still remain unsolved but I almost started to forget this fact as the story runs with a great flow. The frustration of witnessing the many problems the investigators were facing and the very high tension during the murder scenes kept me hooked all along. Intense humor, brilliant cinematography, excellent character developments with the incredible casts delivered in perfect way by the director Joon-ho Bong.
Not only chrono and Ashe, I also like to recommend it for fortunato and Alky. I'm sure they'll love this Korean Masterpiece.

psycho d

07-08-2009, 06:15 AM

psycho d

07-08-2009, 06:30 AM

Apt. (2006). This Korean flick had some great scares, plus it was a pretty good story to boot (a tad dark). It is probably one of the creepiest Korean movies that i have seen. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-09-2009, 06:01 AM

Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto. First of three. So far so good. Cannot wait to see the other two. Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-09-2009, 07:06 AM

Angra

07-09-2009, 10:44 AM

Maybe I'll get to watching it today and report back. I think we need more action up in this forum. ;) :D

Not our fault they've stoped making good movies over there. :rolleyes:

psycho d

07-11-2009, 06:41 AM

Sanjuro. Not sure if i liked this one more or less than Yojimbo, which i thought was awesome. i want to say that Yojimbo was better, but cannot for some reason. Ah, who cares anyway. Great flick.

Juon 2. Great sequel. Even creepier than the original. Loved the bleak atmosphere created here, and the ending was awesome. Great camera-work and disuninted scene sequencing.
Ashe.
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psycho d

07-12-2009, 06:12 AM

The Hidden Blade. i typically despise love stories, but this samurai flick was worth it. The story was simple but solid. It was pretty slow going, but the historical setting was awesome if not hilarious, and such a slow pace allowed for the development of the main character. The fight scene was down-to-earth realistic, and movie's title came into its own at just the right time. Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-12-2009, 06:53 PM

Juon 2. Great sequel. Even creepier than the original. Loved the bleak atmosphere created here, and the ending was awesome. Great camera-work and disuninted scene sequencing.
Ashe.
d

Really? I started watching this one a while back, but for some reason it had the feel of a REALLY low budget, cheap horror flick to me (and not a good one). I turned it off when I got bored and had enough - Not your experience? Is it worth turning on again? I honestly loved the original Ju-On, the remake, and Shimizu's Rinne as well... Ju On 2 didn't grab me, though... Maybe I should give it a second chance?

...

Watched Memories of Murder on Friday, and don't really have much to add to what NE and Roshiq have already said...

There's a real visual flair to this film as well, along with some stunning visual metaphores. Many key scenes take place in the rain at night and they're shot with perfection.

The lead actor, Kang-ho Song, turns in such a nuanced performance I was awed. He portrayed his role, at first that of a bumbling corrupt cop, that transforms into a very sympathetic caring character. It was probably the best performance I've seen in an Asian movie (what ones I've seen, of course).

Instead of focusing on the murder scenes and shocking images like most other conventional serial killer films, the movie puts much more time and details into the story, characters and the situation of the time the incidents took place... Intense humor, brilliant cinematography, excellent character developments with the incredible casts delivered in perfect way by the director Joon-ho Bong.

The movie was gorgeous. The period and cultural piece of being able to look close up at the unprepared police department as they struggle to bring in the killer - by any "means" necessary - The incredible acting job of Kang-ho Song (who is equally as amazing in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - NE GO SEE IT!) - all came together to form a fascinating, well-directed film.

...

But I am not sure that investigative/crime/"thriller" movies are necessarily my cup of tea. I can't knock the movie per se, but I was bored at times. I can see where the movie is utterly brilliant, but I thought it dragged (though again, I think it's more my disinterest in the genre, not a fault of the film)... I would recommend it to people, but I don't think it's something that I could sit down and watch again.

3.5/5

adamstubbs

07-17-2009, 08:30 PM

Really? I started watching this one a while back, but for some reason it had the feel of a REALLY low budget, cheap horror flick to me (and not a good one). I turned it off when I got bored and had enough - Not your experience? Is it worth turning on again? I honestly loved the original Ju-On, the remake, and Shimizu's Rinne as well... Ju On 2 didn't grab me, though... Maybe I should give it a second chance?

I'd say definitely give it a second chance. Ju-On 2 is actually my favorite of all the Ju-On & Grudge films out there. I just like the odd space/time jumps in the film.

Angra

07-18-2009, 01:54 AM

I'd say definitely give it a second chance. Ju-On 2 is actually my favorite of all the Ju-On & Grudge films out there. I just like the odd space/time jumps in the film.

Are you talking Ju-on 2 or Ju-on:The grudge 2?

adamstubbs

07-18-2009, 06:48 AM

Are you talking about Ju-on 2 or Ju-on:The grudge 2?

Ju-On 2 (Japanese)

I only refer to the American productions as The Grudge.

Angra

07-18-2009, 01:49 PM

Ju-On 2 (Japanese)

I only refer to the American productions as The Grudge.

You do know the japanese series consists of:

Ju-on
Ju-on 2
Ju-on: the grudge 1
Ju-on: the Grudge 2

Right?

And half of Ju-on 2 is pretty much the last half of the first one with about 35 minutes of new ideas added. Which, to me, makes it the worst of the Japanese Ju-ons.

adamstubbs

07-18-2009, 06:28 PM

You do know the japanese series consists of:

Ju-on
Ju-on 2
Ju-on: the grudge 1
Ju-on: the Grudge 2

Right?

And half of Ju-on 2 is pretty much the last half of the first one with about 35 minutes of new ideas added. Which, to me, makes it the worst of the Japanese Ju-ons.

You do know that everyone has different opinions and I love Ju-On 2 no matter what you or others might think. Deal with it.

zwoti

07-18-2009, 08:36 PM

yo-yo girl cop
house of fury

Angra

07-18-2009, 09:18 PM

You do know that everyone has different opinions and I love Ju-On 2 no matter what you or others might think. Deal with it.

I think you're wrong on that one.

But whatever..

adamstubbs

07-19-2009, 06:02 AM

I think you're wrong on that one.

But whatever..

I'm wrong about people having differing opinions on certain movies? What are you smoking?

And for any confusion, I was referring to this film...

Ju-On 2 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367913/)

psycho d

07-19-2009, 06:35 AM

And half of Ju-on 2 is pretty much the last half of the first one with about 35 minutes of new ideas added. Which, to me, makes it the worst of the Japanese Ju-ons.

From a movie-making point of view you are most correct, but from a movie-experience point of view Ju-on 2 creeped me out more, making it a more enjoyable experience for me. JMHO. Ashe.
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HostelSaw

07-19-2009, 07:36 AM

I have only ever seen one and it was "One Missed Call"

Angra

07-19-2009, 10:22 AM

I'm wrong about people having differing opinions on certain movies? What are you smoking?

And for any confusion, I was referring to this film...

Ju-On 2 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367913/)

Yea, that's what i thought.

That one you're linking to is Ju-on: The Grudge 2.

So stop acting like a stubborn insulted jackass and listen to what i'm actually saying. There are 4 japanese ju-on movies and Ju-on 2, which is NOT the one you're linking to, is the worst of the 4 for the before mentioned reasons.

Don't believe me? Look up Takashi Shimizu on IMDB.

adamstubbs

07-19-2009, 10:52 AM

Go fuck yourself angra

Angra

07-19-2009, 02:02 PM

That's more like it. :)

psycho d

07-20-2009, 05:08 AM

And now something totally different...

Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple. This second installment continues to build up nicely. There is much more action than in the first, and the love story keeps getting more convoluted. Toshiro's character begins to show some growth towards being a true samurai. Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-20-2009, 07:58 AM

Yea, that's what i thought.

That one you're linking to is Ju-on: The Grudge 2.

So stop acting like a stubborn insulted jackass and listen to what i'm actually saying. There are 4 japanese ju-on movies and Ju-on 2, which is NOT the one you're linking to, is the worst of the 4 for the before mentioned reasons.

Don't believe me? Look up Takashi Shimizu on IMDB.

That actually clears up a bit for me... I think the one that I tried to watch was Ju-on 2 and not Ju-on: The Grudge 2. Ju-on 2 I thought was boring and looked pretty cheap. I will have to find the latter. Thanks. :)

Angra

07-20-2009, 08:03 AM

That actually clears up a bit for me... I think the one that I tried to watch was Ju-on 2 and not Ju-on: The Grudge 2. Ju-on 2 I thought was boring and looked pretty cheap. I will have to find the latter. Thanks. :)

No problem. :)

psycho d

07-22-2009, 04:56 AM

Art of the Devil II. Horrible dubbing, cheap production, and chunky storyline. Still, it was brutal enough to be decent, and the twists kept it interesting. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-23-2009, 05:23 AM

Jigoku. Not sure what to make of this one. The first 2/3 of the movie set up the last third perfectly, but the last third took forever. My take is that this is a good movie that is not very enjoyable. It also reeks of Japan's desire to appear Westernized. Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-23-2009, 05:55 AM

Art of the Devil II. Horrible dubbing, cheap production, and chunky storyline. Still, it was brutal enough to be decent, and the twists kept it interesting. Ashe.
d

Do you need to see Art of the Devil I before watching this one?

P.S. I always love your sigs - Where do you find the images?

psycho d

07-24-2009, 05:30 AM

Do you need to see Art of the Devil I before watching this one?

P.S. I always love your sigs - Where do you find the images?

The two flicks are not related so you could easily see the second without seeing the first. Also, those pics are from Joel-Peter Witkin, a photographer that was infamous for using corpses and freaks of nature as models. Just google his name and you will find lots of sick stuff. He also has a couple of photo books out there that are amazing (but $$$). Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-24-2009, 05:52 AM

The two flicks are not related so you could easily see the second without seeing the first. Also, those pics are from Joel-Peter Witkin, a photographer that was infamous for using corpses and freaks of nature as models. Just google his name and you will find lots of sick stuff. He also has a couple of photo books out there that are amazing (but $$$). Ashe.
d

Thanks. I've been meaning to check out Art of the Devil II on Netflix instant for a while. Mayhaps I shall this weekend.

Also thanks for Witkin's name - That's the sort of twisted art that my boyfriend and I aspire to collect. I think I found a new obsession.

zwoti

07-25-2009, 10:41 AM

kung fu dunk

roshiq

07-25-2009, 11:05 PM

Black Magic Woman (http://www.diabolikdvd.com/imgproduct/330819890ed48d4a88c276059a37fa18b8ccc.jpg) (2004)

After moving into a new apartment a girl working in a Ad firm begins to receive some gifts of black magic instruments that she uses to avoid misconducts against her and take advantages in her personal & professional life. But however she is unaware of the negative effects, in the end, she becomes the victim of her own salvation.

A low budget Thai horror film probably made for TV.

>>: C

psycho d

07-26-2009, 05:32 AM

Seven Samurai. Not that i am qualified to make this assertion, but this was nothing short of an epic masterpiece. Kurosawa is absolutely amazing. Ashe.
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psycho d

07-28-2009, 05:50 AM

Samurai Trilogy 3: Duel at Ganryo Island. An incredible last installment to this wonderful trilogy. Inagaki is definitely on par with with Kurasawa. Ashe.
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ChronoGrl

07-28-2009, 06:38 PM

roshiq

07-29-2009, 01:44 AM

Gui si (Silk) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486480/)

Solid little Chinese ghost movie. Good suspense, decent character piece, and the ghosts are nicely done. Not a perfect movie, but definitely worth a looksee. It definitely surprised me how much I enjoyed it.

3.5/5

I was looking for its dvd for quite a long time and lately I have found one at a dvd store but what a pity...it has no subtitle!:mad:

Three (http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/three.htm) /
Three Extremes II (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/711/711093p1.html) (2002)

A horror anthology consisting of three segments by three directors from three countries.

Memories (Korea)
A man goes to a psychiatrist to try to remember what happened the day his wife disappeared from his life. Meanwhile, a woman wakes up and finds herself lying on a deserted road, having no idea how she got there in the first place. She tries to find her way home. Separately, they begin to regain their memories of what happened.

It's from the maker of A Tale of Two Sisters but this is mediocre at best with few decent shock tactics. At the beginning it looked pretty good but the end product left me unsatisfied.
C+

The Wheel (Thai)
The story deals about cursed puppets in a rural background. The weakest segment of this anthology.
C-

Going Home (Hong Kong)
While searching for his missing son, a cop, Wai, finds himself detained by his neighbor Yu in his apartment. Through Chinese medicine, Yu has been tending to the body of his dead wife for three years; apparently believing that his wife will revive in a day or two so they can go home together.

Comparing with the other two, this is the best overall of the bunch. It's not a typical creepy Asian piece for the most part, but despite the production values, the direction makes great use of its setting and limitations. This is a multi layered story but the sad thing is they only clarified the major one, not the other part that connected to a major character and also helped the beginning to start. Otherwise, it's the one that makes this collection worth watching.

**Spoiler**
what happened to the little boy? It seems the little girl was the couple's unborn child, but why could the little boy see her, and what happened to him? what did the photographer's studio have to do with the story?
**Spoiler end**
B+

Overall...: C+

psycho d

07-29-2009, 05:17 AM

Cure (1997). Slowly paced psychological drama. Not really a thriller, but still quite enjoyable. The lead character is very well developed. The storyline is fine. The ending perplexed me a bit; not sure if it was just a fun and abrupt ending or if it had some subtle, symbolic, or abstruse (to me at least) significance. Seems it got some bad reviews for not being as incredible as Kurosawa's Kairo, which is silly. Definitely worth a watch. Ashe.
d

ChronoGrl

07-29-2009, 04:36 PM

I was looking for its dvd for quite a long time and lately I have found one at a dvd store but what a pity...it has no subtitle!:mad:

Three (http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/three.htm) /
Three Extremes II (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/711/711093p1.html) (2002)

A horror anthology consisting of three segments by three directors from three countries.

Memories (Korea)
A man goes to a psychiatrist to try to remember what happened the day his wife disappeared from his life. Meanwhile, a woman wakes up and finds herself lying on a deserted road, having no idea how she got there in the first place. She tries to find her way home. Separately, they begin to regain their memories of what happened.

It's from the maker of A Tale of Two Sisters but this is mediocre at best with few decent shock tactics. At the beginning it looked pretty good but the end product left me unsatisfied.
C+

The Wheel (Thai)
The story deals about cursed puppets in a rural background. The weakest segment of this anthology.
C-

Going Home (Hong Kong)
While searching for his missing son, a cop, Wai, finds himself detained by his neighbor Yu in his apartment. Through Chinese medicine, Yu has been tending to the body of his dead wife for three years; apparently believing that his wife will revive in a day or two so they can go home together.

Comparing with the other two, this is the best overall of the bunch. It's not a typical creepy Asian piece for the most part, but despite the production values, the direction makes great use of its setting and limitations. This is a multi layered story but the sad thing is they only clarified the major one, not the other part that connected to a major character and also helped the beginning to start. Otherwise, it's the one that makes this collection worth watching.

**Spoiler**
what happened to the little boy? It seems the little girl was the couple's unborn child, but why could the little boy see her, and what happened to him? what did the photographer's studio have to do with the story?
**Spoiler end**
B+

Overall...: C+

I agree with you mostly on Three... Extremes II, though I actually liked The Wheel. I didn't think it was amazing or anything, but I was just fascinated by the Thai cultural folklore aspect of it. It was also fascinating to see the pure Thai rural life - I guess it caught my attention from that aspect. That's one of the things that I like about foreign films; even if the movie isn't that great, I enjoy just soaking up a culture that I haven't been exposed to very much.

I LOVED the third film, but I agree with you about the holes. I'm not sure if it was a bad translation, but that (what you mentioned in your spoiler) did NOT make sense to me at all and I thought that they could have done without it. Regardless, I particularly loved the ending to that film - it definitely caught me by surprise, which is always nice. :)

roshiq

07-29-2009, 11:44 PM

I LOVED the third film, but I agree with you about the holes. I'm not sure if it was a bad translation, but that (what you mentioned in your spoiler) did NOT make sense to me at all and I thought that they could have done without it. Regardless, I particularly loved the ending to that film - it definitely caught me by surprise, which is always nice. :)

Ditto...:)

DeadAtSea

07-30-2009, 12:22 AM

Does a Porno count? lol. j/k last movie was Ringu.

psycho d

07-30-2009, 05:50 AM

Rashomon (1950). A brilliant Kurosawa flick centering on the deceptive nature of man in the ever present need to be seen in the most favorable light possible. Toshiro marvelously performed his part with playful exuberance. Ashe.
d

psycho d

07-31-2009, 06:29 AM

Nang Nak (1999). Great flick about Thai folklore. The cinematography was at times rather breathtaking, appropraiately dark at other times. Not really a scary flick, at least for actual jump out of your seat scares. Instead it was scary in concept, or rather in its essence. i think the overall message about the potential evil of born of attachment was inspirational though wickedly dark. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-01-2009, 05:42 AM

Retribution(2006). This flick from Kurasawa may actually approach the depths of fear and suffering explored in Kairo. In this movie, he seems to explore the fears of becoming insignificant after death. While the effects are at times almost cheesy, this did not detract from the film. The lead actor was perfectly cast as a gritty though committed detective, while his partner was splendidly grounded and stolid. The story was good, and when it seemed to come to an end, there was still much more to it. Overall, i really liked this one, though it may not be for everyone. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-04-2009, 05:23 AM

2LDK.. The scenes in this flick are like a series of coke cans, the first opened delicately , the rest opened after having been shaken up, where each subsequent can is shaken more than it predecessor, until the cans in the finale come straight out of a paint mixing machine. It then ends in poetry.
Ashe.
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_____V_____

08-05-2009, 09:20 PM

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQ4pIK2mL._SS500_.jpg

Recommended.

psycho d

08-06-2009, 07:16 AM

Zatoichi: The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) Up there with the Yojimbo series, but not as amusing (in the funny sense). Lots of honor and being true to oneself. Fighting is brief. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-07-2009, 06:44 AM

Infection (2005). This flick is all atmosphere, all the time. The actors all emote an unnerving, underlying tension throughout. The way it builds up the feeling that something is definitely wrong with the hospital could nary have been better. Then things start to get creepy. Seemingly random scenes become less random, and finally ya just wish that something would scare ya for a cathartic release. Downcast and nihilistic enough to almost capture the flavor of Kairo, but unique in its own way, this one was great until the very end, where i think it tried to intimate its abstruse existential message but failed. Otherwise a great watch. Ashe.

psycho d

08-10-2009, 05:22 AM

Samurai Assassin (1965). Lots and lots of dialogue, so get out your reading glasses. This was set just before the Shogunate fell. Ironic that these Samurai were conspiring to bring down a political system that was repponsible for their livelihood, after which of course their status and way of life was drastically reduced. Mifune delivers yet another great performance of an over ambitious Samurai wannabe. Great story, intrigue, and even a love tale gone horribly awry. Ashe.
d

ChronoGrl

08-10-2009, 05:45 PM

FINALLY got around to watching...

Kairo (Pulse) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286751/)

I had actually seen its American remake prior to the film, so it was especially interesting to note the differences between the two. While the American remake focused on the physical horror of the apparitions, the original tale focused more on pure alienation, isolation, and disintegration. Kairo is definitely more a romantic gothic film in that it's melancholy, desperate and incredibly moody. Definitely strikes a creepy and sad tone in its viewer as it shows how technology does not unite the world but rather isolate it. I thought that it was slow at times, but it could be that I was expecting more of a Ju-on ghost tale as opposed to this brilliantly sad piece. That being said, my boyfriend loved it, which says a lot as his attention span generally doesn't last the whole two hours of an Asian horror film.

3.75/5

psycho d

08-11-2009, 02:22 PM

Charisma. Pretty tough subject matter to base a movie around, but Kurosawa pulled it off. One must give some license to the subject matter in this flick, for it was admirable to even consider tackling this story in a movie. i don't know if the intent here was truly understood by the makers of this flick, but to me it centered more around man's self imposed apotheosis and hence role in world domination, included that of nature itself, rather than being directed towards answering the never ending debate as to which is the more important, the forest or the trees. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-12-2009, 04:54 AM

House of Flying Daggers. Absolutely spectacular. Visually stunning, this is one incredible love story with lots of great action. The use of wires is not over the top to the point of absurdity, and that dagger! Stunning. Ashe.
d

ChronoGrl

08-13-2009, 06:14 PM

Long knong (Art of the Devil II) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756222/)

First off I have to give a big FUCK YOU to Netflix for only having this movie available on Instant in its DUBBED form. The dubbing was AWFUL and completely pulls you out of the movie.

But regardless of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this flick and plan on getting the subtitled version to show to my boyfriend. I haven't seen a lot of Thai horror films and, to tell you the truth, in reading about them was never very interested in them as a lot of their subject matter seems to be drawn from voodoo curses (which to me, just seemed "silly" and "lame"). Well, I'll stop being closed-minded about it because I thought that Art of the Devil combined its voodoo curse with some brilliant bloody tortured scenes and created a pretty creepy atmosphere. While some of the special effects are definitely cheap, I was able to look beyond them and just enjoy the suffering of our protagonists. And, again, I'm surprised how easily I was able to suspend my disbelief, even with a voodoo curse being the main evil force in the film.

The only other issue that I had with the film is something that seems to occur in a lot of Asian horror films: A non-linear storyline cut with awkward editing of flashback scenes. They were obnoxious at first (of course, the poor cheesy dubbing didn't help at all), but eventually I got used to it.

Overall, a decent flick. Looking forward to seeing the non-dubbed version.

3.75/5

psycho d

08-14-2009, 05:53 AM

Lady Snowblood (1973). A very 70s feeling revenge flick replete with geisers of blood. Some of the in-your-face c/u camerawork was pretty impressive, and the over-the-top acting in every "startle" scene, ablaze with eyes bulging, was quite entertaining. A pretty standard story with twists all in the right places, this one is worth a watch. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-15-2009, 05:55 AM

Incident at Blood Pass (1970). Mifune's last portrayal of the Yojimbo character turned our to be quite the story of love, betrayal, and code of honor. Great flick. Ashe. d

psycho d

08-17-2009, 06:47 AM

Death Note II: The Last Name. Pretty cool followup to the first one, though the forseight that the antagonist and protagonist utilize is absurdly unbelievable, making the twists and turns unbelievable as well. Still, fun to see these two geniouses battling wits, and the second addition adds some fun new elements into the fray.

Chocolate (2008). This was a rather romantic, almost fairytale like story told with lots of martial arts violence, and great violence at that. The most impressive thing to me came after the end where some of the behind the scene making of the movie was shown. Ouch! Overall, a good flick. Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-18-2009, 12:53 AM

Tell me something (1999)

If they could do 'something' more for the confusing similar faces & names of the victims and the plot holes with that unclear ending, then it'd be a pretty damn good serial killer thriller.

>>: B-

psycho d

08-18-2009, 05:32 AM

Harakiri (1962). Great story centering around the time when the once noble Samurai were finding themselves jobless and destitute. Honor, or lack of it, is the key to this one. The Harakiri scene was pretty brutal. Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-18-2009, 11:19 PM

Voice Letter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470967/) (2005)

The fourth & best installment in the Whispering Corridor or High School Girl's Ghost Story series from South Korea. All four films of the series linked by themes rather than by ongoing characters. Each film is set in a high school 'with a history', and involves suicide, lesbian relationships, and schoolgirls haunted by their dead friends. Whispering Corridors (1998) got the series off to a mediocre but reasonable start. Memento Mori (1999) & The Wishing Stairs (2003) were very average or rather disappointing in compare to the other Asian horror of their time. But this one comes with a pretty decent story that has few scary or creepy stuff but holds everything quite nicely with an emotional bond. Though still there were one or two things didn't come up with a clear explanations but I like to recommend it for its fine story & reasonable characterization. To me this is the only worth watching film of the series.

>>: B

psycho d

08-19-2009, 04:57 AM

Natural City (2003). Pretty fun sci/fi flick where the protag's obsession over a futuristic, forbidden love sets the stage for disaster. Good thing he is a complete bad-ass fighter. Ashe.
d

psycho d

08-20-2009, 06:01 AM

Hero (Ying Xiong). Well told story(ies) set in warlord torn China. A visually stunning flick with beautifully choreographed fight scenes. Wire use is a tad heavy in the fight scenes though. The characters just get better and better with time. A beautifully tragic story of love and neo-patriotism. "Our land." Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-21-2009, 10:20 PM

The Wig (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475590/) (2005)

There are few scary scenes but the atmosphere, production value & the cast made it worthy enough for a decent watch. Don't expect any usual Asian girl with long black hair trying to scare you....instead to some extent the story is interesting & has a different approach than other 'Hairy Asian Horror'.

>>: B-

Muoi: Legend of a Portrait (http://movie-cafe.blogspot.com/2007/07/muoi-portrait-first-korean-vietnam.html) (2007)

A joint Korean-Vietnamese production which is Korean in style and direction but the nice settings and good visuals are flourished by Vietnam. Though the story centers on a 'curse' but it deals with it quite differently than 'Ringu'. The melodrama & horror are nicely blended together to keep the viewer engaged. A good effort was put into the period set flashbacks, in particular in terms of the costumes, and this too pays off, giving the film’s back story and curse a convincing origin. The film focused more on slow-burn chills rather than sudden frights, and so it doesn’t feature too many real scares, aside from a few odd visions. But they are spooky enough and impressive than those of other similar efforts.

Overall, Muoi: The Legend of A Portrait has a solid script, appealing visuals and well done performances. The film doesn’t break out of the formulaic nature of the horror genre, yet it does enough things right to make the film stand out from the crowd. It isn’t the type of movie to scare the hell out of you, but there is an intriguing story set within Muoi, along with a loads of mystery running throughout the film.

Recommended to Chrono and Angra.:)

>>: B

psycho d

08-22-2009, 06:47 AM

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972). The first in the series, a tale of a samurai that turns into a human demon in order to exact revenge. There are a couple of scenes here that really exemplify Occidental puritanism. Ashe.
d

ChronoGrl

08-22-2009, 06:53 PM

Muoi: Legend of a Portrait (http://movie-cafe.blogspot.com/2007/07/muoi-portrait-first-korean-vietnam.html) (2007)

A joint Korean-Vietnamese production which is Korean in style and direction but the nice settings and good visuals are flourished by Vietnam. Though the story centers on a 'curse' but it deals with it quite differently than 'Ringu'. The melodrama & horror are nicely blended together to keep the viewer engaged. A good effort was put into the period set flashbacks, in particular in terms of the costumes, and this too pays off, giving the film’s back story and curse a convincing origin. The film focused more on slow-burn chills rather than sudden frights, and so it doesn’t feature too many real scares, aside from a few odd visions. But they are spooky enough and impressive than those of other similar efforts.

Overall, Muoi: The Legend of A Portrait has a solid script, appealing visuals and well done performances. The film doesn’t break out of the formulaic nature of the horror genre, yet it does enough things right to make the film stand out from the crowd. It isn’t the type of movie to scare the hell out of you, but there is an intriguing story set within Muoi, along with a loads of mystery running throughout the film.

Recommended to Chrono and Angra.:)

>>: B

Unfortunately Netflix doesn't have this one, so I'll have to wait. :( I've added a couple of Whispering Corridors to my queue, though (Netflix has 1 & 3 available) - thanks for the recs. :)

roshiq

08-23-2009, 09:51 PM

Ugetsu monogatori [Tales of Moonlight and Rain] (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046478/) (1953)

A film of rare spiritual lyricism. Visually and emotionally moving, it underlines the beauty and eternity of love & relationship over material wealth. A genuine masterpiece with some stunning camera-work. Camera is in constant motion, symbolize not only the era and the central characters but, by implication, all of human life in the film. Especially in the long panning shot (almost a 360 degree shot) of the reunion near the end, adds a deep emotional impact to the story.

>>: A

psycho d

08-24-2009, 06:05 AM

Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs (2003). i liked this one much more than the original instalment. Intense childhood friendships, jealously, teenage awkwardness, and the desire for acceptance flavor this one which uses as its backdrop a school legend whose underlying message is to be careful of what ya wish for.

Body #19/Body sob 19 (2007). Very creepy Thai flick of post-mortem revenge. Pretty twisty plot that comes to fruition in the end, but then goes on when there appears to be no story left. Almost felt like there was some Korean influence in the story-telling style of this one. There were some pretty enjoyable special effects to boot. Enjoy.

Ashe.
d

fuglystick

08-24-2009, 07:42 AM

Silk--It was okay. I'm a little numb to the "spooky kid" stories anymore.

roshiq

08-24-2009, 09:28 PM

To Sir with Love aka Bloody Reunion (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0870958/) (2006)

An Asian slasher with a pretty weak plot & twist.

>>: C

psycho d

08-26-2009, 05:30 AM

fuglystick

08-26-2009, 12:33 PM

Oneechanbara (2008)--Not a good movie. But it does feature a hot girl in a bikini hacking up zombies with a katana, and copious amounts of blood, so I enjoyed it immensely anyway :)

laura android

08-26-2009, 01:51 PM

1. Bloody Reunion
2. Dorm

Bloody Reunion had some twists and turns that I didn't see coming and it entertained me. Especially, since the director seemed to fancy Hitchcock, evident in the shot choices, story elements, and the use of mulitiple personality disorders :)

Dorm was cool. The young actor in it was great. Dorm sort of reminded me of The Devil's Backbone.

roshiq

08-27-2009, 02:55 AM

Whispering Corridors 5: A Blood Pledge (http://asianmediawiki.com/A_Blood_Pledge) (2009)

The newest addition to the series. Dark, wrenching, and creepy but mediocre at best. Some nice camera works and the cute Asian girls made it worth watching.

>>: B-

psycho d

08-28-2009, 06:26 AM

Samurai Rebellion (1967). Toshiro Mifune portrays a stalwart samurai whose obedience to cultural duty and to his his lord are unquestionable. Until, that is, he is forced to choose between the honor of his family's name and his son's felicity. Incredible flick about how far a resolute man can be pushed. Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-28-2009, 11:30 PM

Bunshinsaba: Ouija Board (http://asianmediawiki.com/Bunshinsaba:_Ouija_Board) (2004)

Pretty average plot but fast paced & entertaining.

>>: B-

ChronoGrl

08-29-2009, 05:53 AM

Death Bell (2008). Starts out promising, then gets rather slow in building up the premise, get a little more interesting, after which it takes off like a demon rocket. This turned out to be a pretty brutal and twisted Korean flick that kept me guessing till the very end. One plot hole is still bugging me, but i probably just missed something. Definitely worth a watch. Ashe.
d

Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Asian Cult cinema just reviewed this along with a bunch of other Korean horror films... THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX!! :( I REALLY want to see this one. Where do you acquire these films to watch?

psycho d

08-29-2009, 06:19 AM

Chrono- ya can watch them free online at asian-horror-movies.com. Enjoy.
Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-30-2009, 01:06 AM

D-Day aka Roommates: 4 Horror Tales (http://chinkymovies.blogspot.com/2007/07/k-movie-d-day-4-horror-tales.html) (2006)

The story follows a bunch of girls who attend a private school to get special coaching for college entrance exam where strict discipline make difficult for them to adapt to the stifling atmosphere of the institute. The school is haunted by a fire that took place 3 years ago and that killed all the students. Strange patches drip blood from the ceiling and some girls are witness to scary phantomatic apparitions of former students. The tension builds up as the girls get closer to their final exam. Will history repeat itself?

Not bad but not so great either. The cast delivered nice performance in this less creepy/scary but atmospheric horror.

>>: B-

psycho d

08-30-2009, 05:13 AM

Epitaph (2007). Lots going on in this Korean horror flick. With many stories going on at once, it is easy to get lost, but not impossible to keep up. At times visually arresting, then creepy, sentimental, and then dicombobulating, i really liked this one. Ashe.
d

ChronoGrl

08-30-2009, 06:14 AM

Chrono- ya can watch them free online at asian-horror-movies.com. Enjoy.
Ashe.
d

Thanks - I'll definitely check it out; I used to watch them online at http://bloodyasia.forumup.vn/, but it appears as though the free movies have been removed. Hrmph. My only problem with watching them online is that I don't have a great connection or quality monitor, so I generally wait until I can get them through Netflix. Maybe I could try burning them on DVDs.

psycho d

08-31-2009, 05:39 AM

Noroi The Curse (2005). i really enjoyed this one. It would be best to check this one out without any review. Ashe.
d

roshiq

08-31-2009, 06:46 AM

Noroi The Curse (2005). i really enjoyed this one. It would be best to check this one out without any review. Ashe.
d

Ditto. One of the fantastic Asia Horror gem seen in recent times.:)

Truck (http://asianmediawiki.com/Truck) (2008)

Things go from bad to worse in the blink of an eye in this tense and unpredictable Korean thrill ride. A truck driver is working hard to support his ill daughter who has a bad heart, but he's fast running out of options. Desperately in need of money to pay for his daughter's surgery, he tries his luck at a gambling den, and ends up walking in on a gang killing. In exchange for his life & money for his daughter's treatment, he agrees to help dispose the dead bodies for the gang. Hitting the road with a truck of corpses, Cheol Min...the innocent everyday man truck driver runs into some unexpected predicaments when a serial killer hitches a ride!
Despite being a completely original Korean creation, you can see it got some of Hollywood's favorite thriller elements - a serial killer, an empty countryside highway, the innocent everyman, a truck, and a whole lot of dead bodies - somewhat like a Korean version of a Hollywood B-movie.

Overall Truck delivers a decent time passing entertainment.

>>: B

fuglystick

09-01-2009, 12:15 AM

Sick Nurses (2007)--Pure exploitation flick shot like an art house film. Plot non-existent, character development zip, but the chicks are smokin', there's some good kills, and the cinematographer had a field day.

psycho d

09-01-2009, 06:13 AM

Bunshinsaba: Witch Board (2004). This Korean flick did not enjoy good reviews, but i liked it. It is a typical Korean horror flick, twisted story and all. IMDb only gave it a 5.6 out of 10, which i thought was sorta low. Either way, it is worth a watch. What is it with so many Korean horror stories revolving around schools? Glad to have gone to school here in the states. Ashe.
d

zombie ash

09-01-2009, 07:47 PM

Battle Royal. One of my all time favorite movies EVER!

roshiq

09-02-2009, 11:21 PM

Forbidden Floor: 4 Horror Tales (http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Forbidden_Floor_-_4_Horror_Tales.php) (2006)

Just another very typical haunted apartment flick.

>>: C

psycho d

09-03-2009, 06:33 AM

The Red Shoes (2005). Pretty good Korean flick that teetered on being great but just didn't make it. The theme concerning the ugly side of human nature was pretty disturbing. And i liked the disjointed camera play on the character's faces, which gave the characters a creepy sense of ambiguity. Overall, definitely worth a look. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-05-2009, 06:45 AM

Uzumaki [Spiral] (2000)

Beautifully weird & totally fantastic. Must see for any Asian movie lover.

>>: B+

Cure (1997)

A slow burn intriguing serial killer gem from Japan by the maker of Kairo (Pulse) & Seance. Throughout the entire movie, you will sink further and further down the madness, terror, murder, and insanity that this movie amazingly possesses. Another great mesmerizing modern classic that I like to put just after the Memories of Murder in the Asian sub genre of serial killer movies.

>>: A-

psycho d

09-05-2009, 06:45 AM

The Legend of the Shadowless Sword (2005). A Korean martial arts flick that was a little heavy on the use of wires. The story was standard fare but the characters played their parts well. A little more of a romantic tear jerker than i am used to, though it was not over the top, at least for me. The good vs evil showdowns had an interesting twist on the actual deaths, and the fight scenes in general were pretty impressive. It was loaded with the warrior's code of the sword, which was not a bad thing. Overall i liked it and recommend it. Ashe.
d

fuglystick

09-06-2009, 09:01 PM

Invitation Only (2009)--Taiwan's answer to Hostel; in other words, a steaming pile of crap

psycho d

09-07-2009, 05:33 AM

Phobia (2008). Went in blind and was a little confused at first, which was kinda fun. Pretty fun flick, but not the scariest.

Princess Aurora (2005). Very good Korean flick. Many have compared it to Lady V, but they are of very different flavors. Takes a pretty strong stomach, and there is one part that is emotionally devastating. Some pretty original kills as well. i recommend it. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-08-2009, 12:29 AM

Sick Nurses (2007)

Insanely funny and moderately sexy.

>>: C

Angra

09-08-2009, 02:26 AM

Sick Nurses (2007)

Insanely funny and moderately sexy.

>>: C

And yet you rate it C.

I guess insanely funny isn't THAT funny.. :rolleyes:

psycho d

09-08-2009, 05:40 AM

Sick Nurses (2007). As previously stated, premise=generic, plot=huh?, story=barely, acting=whatever, chicks=smoking hot, kills/gore=ranged from lame to discomforting. There was even a twist of sorts. But let us not forget about those nubile nurses. Shoved into a corner i'll admit to a B+ due to the brilliant casting.

Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait (2007). Pretty decent Korean flick set in Vietnam. Not super scary but creepy enough. Story was pretty solid, just not as rich as many other Korean flicks. Never stalled out. Acting was solid. Overall i'd recommend it. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-08-2009, 05:49 AM

And yet you rate it C.

I guess insanely funny isn't THAT funny.. :rolleyes:

yeah...cause it's 'insanely' funny.:p

fuglystick

09-08-2009, 08:22 AM

Killer Pussy--The phrase "what the fuck" was invented for this movie. I laughed my ass off.

Angra

09-08-2009, 09:02 AM

Killer Pussy--The phrase "what the fuck" was invented for this movie.

Is it that old?

roshiq

09-09-2009, 01:47 AM

Art of The Devil 3 aka Long Khong 2 (http://asianmediawiki.com/Art_of_the_Devil_3) (2008)

The prequel of the 2nd part of the series (AOTD 2/LK1). Not as good or as gruesome as the AOTD 2 was but I'd say it's a decent effort overall. Liked those beautiful shots of the Thai countryside which looked quite similar with ours.

>>: B-

psycho d

09-09-2009, 06:23 AM

Chushingura (1962). Overall, the storyline is simple- We must avenge our master. How this masterpiece unfolds does so in a slow but beautifully paced fashion. In doing so, we get to see how real people, aka not superheros, respond to the call of honor. This flick revolves around how hopeful heros live their lives ensconced in poverty, sadness, misfortune, and humiliation in order to exact revenge. Honor and duty are to be respected above all else, and apparently suffering is the avenue of the virtuous. Random events are shown to never really be random, sometimes with haunting effect. These wonderful characters, as honorable as they come, are never shown to be anything but human, making them even more painfully believable. In the end we are to be rewarded with a dramatic fight seen culminating in perfectly drawn tension alluding to??? i absolutely loved this samurai flick! Ashe.
d

fuglystick

09-09-2009, 06:49 AM

nvm, I'm an idiot

_____V_____

09-09-2009, 08:25 AM

Chushingura (1962).
i absolutely loved this samurai flick! Ashe.
d

A very, very overlooked and underrated masterpiece. I just love the hell out of that flick. Glad to see you liked it as much as I did. :)

More people need to see this.

psycho d

09-11-2009, 06:32 AM

Azumi (2003). Different from what i was expecting. Kinda like a teeny-bopper/martial arts samarai era flick with a very grim edge to it. At times warm and fuzzy, without warning it gets rather brutal and dark. It also had one of the best bad guys that i have seen in a long time. Enjoyably vile character. Great flick overall. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-12-2009, 05:59 AM

Doppelganger [2003]. This is probably my favorite Kiyoshi flick after Kairo, though Cure was up there as well. The camera-work was pleasantly playful at times, and Koji played his roles perfectly. The violence almost made me flinch from its realistic feel. To me this was a great study on culturally-induced repression. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-13-2009, 01:17 AM

Though it got some mixed reviews but I really liked Mike's original version, so I was pretty excited to see the sequels for a long time.

One Missed Call 2 (2005)

Started well but then gradually things get bit complex for introducing some unnecessary characters & confusing twists.

>>: C

One Missed Call Final (2006)

For the set up, characters & story it was more like an addition to the Whispering Corridors series. It also started nicely with a slight tone of Final Destination but things eventually got bit annoying at the end...mainly for that ring tone, death sms & weird little ghost 'Mimiko'.

>>: C-

psycho d

09-14-2009, 05:38 AM

Drunken Angel (1948). Another great flick by Kurosawa. Toshiro Mifune, recently released from the army, was skinny enough to convincingly play his role. Takashi Shimura portrayal of a rough and tumble doctor that cared too much about his patients was splendid. This turned ou to be a great story centering on the unbalanced relationship between two difficult individuals, both of whose natures are not apposite of their careers and therefore serves to torture them. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-16-2009, 05:54 AM

13: Game of Death AKA 13 Beloved AKA 13 Game Sayawng (2006). This guy's bad day really seems to have no end in sight. Starts out pretty well, becomes playfully difficult to watch, and then appears to take the path of abject futility. Luckily, this flick meanders back to the realm of being both watchable and enjoyable. At the end we are actually blessed with some meaning to the madness. i will contend that it almost left me with that forever coveted "strange feeling" after having viewed it. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-16-2009, 07:49 AM

13: Game of Death AKA 13 Beloved AKA 13 Game Sayawng (2006). ...Starts out pretty well, becomes playfully difficult to watch....

yep..there were some shitty tasks.;)

psycho d

09-17-2009, 07:07 AM

Samurai Banners (1969). This was truly a masterpiece of a movie which rivals samurai movies such as Ran and even Kagemusha in its epic qualities. First and foremost, Mifune's dreamy, ruthless, and tragic character was developed incredibly well. The cinematoraphy was splendid. The score-wonderful. The story itself was a marvelous military romance. Truly an awe-inspiring flick. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-18-2009, 06:15 AM

Cello (2005). Another splendly rich and twisted Korean flick. The story itself was perfectly tormented, with enough side stories to keep ya guessing. The acting was solid. The score was beautiful, as it should be for such a title. The typical Korean method to reveal the back plot was effectively utilized. The scare factor of this one was more holistic as opposed to being piece-meal. And while the ending threatened to be cheesy, it came back around to instead offer a nice surprise (though the very last scene was unnecessary). Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-21-2009, 05:49 AM

Buppah Rahtree AKA Flower of the Night (2003) Mostly hilarious, sometimes creepy or downright scary, and occassionally silly, this Thai Ghost story was a playful delight. The premise was simple- a girl dies in an apartment and refuses to leave by literally fighting off those that come to remove her corpse. There is more to it than that of course. The story is decent enough, and the ending was decent as well. The side characters were just goofy, which only added to the fun. Ashe.
d

roshiq

09-22-2009, 04:51 AM

R-Point (2004)

>>: B

psycho d

09-22-2009, 05:58 AM

Red Beard (1965). Another Kurosawa masterpiece, this one centering on the rough road that takes a young doctor from self-centered arrogance to selfless compassion. Mifune's performance was outstanding as the young doctor's mentor. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-23-2009, 05:14 AM

Mezzo Forte (2001). Didn't know cartoons could be so hot. My first stab at japanimation turned out to be perfectly violent and steamy. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-24-2009, 06:50 AM

Cinderella (2006). Decent enough Korean flick. i had a hard time keeping up with this movie, but i guess i got caught up when it started to drag on. Not up to par with other movies from Korea, but still might be worth a watch. Seems that this one followed the standard formula for Korean movies to a T, which is started to get a little stale. Ashe.
d

psycho d

09-25-2009, 06:48 AM

Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Beautiful and tragic, this film is set in feudal Japan. The main issues here center on human rights, or lack thereof, as seen as the treatment of peasants as less than human and therefore validating their use as slaves. Sacrifice and perseverence are also huge elements of this incredible flick. The cinematogaraphy was sublime. Ashe.
d

ProfondoXxRosso

09-25-2009, 10:00 AM

"Audition"

roshiq

09-26-2009, 02:28 AM

Child Blood (http://cinemabizarre.blogspot.com/child%20blood%20dvd.jpg)

Low budget made for TV Horror crap from Thailand.

>>: D+

House of Fury (2005)

>>: B-

psycho d

09-28-2009, 06:05 AM

The Human Condition: disc 1 (1959). The first instalment of Kobayashi's four disc trilogy (yeah i know) which portays an epic tale of a Japanese man's life during World War II. So far, this series is threatening to be one of the greatest movie epics ever. Not for the light hearted, this heart wrenching flick has been, up to this point at least, a great example of epic story-telling. As the first instalment was 3 1/2 hours long, looks like i have some hours to log in. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

09-29-2009, 12:19 AM

Shinjuku Incident (2009)

The story centers raise and fall of Iron Zhao aka "Steelhead" (Jackie Chan), a truck repairman from China who settles down as an illegal immigrant in Tokyo, and after a series of run-ins with the Yakuza, become a Don of Chinese rulling part of the city.

Bit typical Asian gangster flick where Chan & other cast members did a regular nice job.

>>: B-

psycho d

09-29-2009, 06:13 AM

Neighbor No. 13 (2005). i could see where this flick could test one's patience due its pacing and the character's lack of realistic responses to certain events. The story itself was solid, centering on the lifelong effects of schoolyard bullying. i thought that it was well acted, and whilst there were definitely times that the actor's responses were not realistic, this worked since a normal response to anything would seem out of place in this insane, disturbed, nightmarish atmosphere. The score worked wonderfully to keep the tension high. The camerawork was splendid, with effective use of shadows and distance in some scenes. To me, that some of the scenes were absurdly drawn out only added to the bizarre atmosphere of this flick. i loved the wonderful scenes which effectivley elucidated the psychopathological conflicts of the antihero. Though it relied heavily on flashbacks, their discontinmuity was such that their use did not seem so much a crutch as opposed to a further tweaking to a twisted story. Ashe.
derek

scouse mac

09-29-2009, 07:57 AM

Sick Nurses

Strange offering from Thailand, sort of The Grudge with its tongue firmly in cheek. Exceptionally pretty nurses with scanty clothing did help to carry me through the film as the plot was thin on the ground and acting/script average at best, but it did look good though. Id still say its worth seeing, all things considered.

MyraHindley

09-29-2009, 08:18 AM

Nagai Yume (Long Dream)

This one is kind of hard to come by, since I think it was made for TV and may not have a fancy proper release. It's based on a graphic novel by the same artist who did the Uzumaki graphic novels. This was one of the most bizarre cinematic experiences I've had in recent memory. The production values aren't particularly high, but it's worth seeing for the concept and imagery alone.

newb

09-30-2009, 05:27 AM

Sick Nurses

Exceptionally pretty nurses with scanty clothing

SOLD....I'll have to search this one out.

psycho d

09-30-2009, 05:43 AM

SOLD....I'll have to search this one out.

If'n you are in it solely for the nurses then you will not be disappointed. Smokin' hot they were. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-01-2009, 04:48 AM

Strange Circus (2005). This wonderful film should seem like one of the most depraved flix ever, but it was done in such a beautiful fashion that its disturbing premise almost takes a backseat, allowing its convoluted story to unravel splendidly. The music was wonderful, and some of the shots were visually arresting and grandiose. There are scenes where the viewer becomes so imbued that the depravity goes almost unnoticed, but then we are again brought back to our humanity, again to be shocked by what we must witness. A must see for any fan of disturbing movies. An insane delight. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

10-02-2009, 04:48 AM

A Page of Madness (1926)

A brilliant abstract portrayal of the inner mental state of the inmates in an asylum. Though sometimes it was bit complicated film to follow, as it has got no inter titles but surely it was ahead of its time. Surprised by some several reviews of the film where they noted The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920) as the biggest influence on the film, cause it also treats madness as prime subject. But the comparison with Dr. Caligari is quite pointless. This film handles the theme in a completely different way, both in terms of story-development and mood.

This landmark of Japanese silent film era was lost for fifty years until being rediscovered by the director himself in his garden shed in 1971.

>>: A-

psycho d

10-02-2009, 06:26 AM

The Human Condition: disc 2 (1959). The second instalment to this epic was just as monumental as the first. Can't wait for the next one. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-04-2009, 06:31 AM

Carved: The Slit Mouth Woman (2007). This flick had so much potential, but something was just missing from what could have been a top rated J-horror flick. The acting was pretty sketchy at times , albeit they child actors were usually the culprits. The lead actress was pretty bad at times too though. Even with these limitations, the atmosphere was wonderful, the lighting almost jaundiced, and the fact that the monster of this flick attacked at random and in full light of day made it pretty chilling. Actually, the slit mouthed woman proper was portrayed fantastically. Unpredictable to the core, the only thing that she was consistant was her need to inflict pain, and brutally so. Be prepared to see violence that would probably not be tolerated in the US. Her vile nature was evil incarnate, and i would say that she carried this flick. The score was perfectly unsettling as well. Definitely worth a watch. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

10-05-2009, 04:10 AM

The Quiet Family (1998)

It's about how a 'normal' family (in an isolated hiking area) react to some 'abnormal' or unexpected situations and face the consequences...overall an excellent suspense drama with a great balance between tension & laughter. Highly amusing and engaging black comedy from the director of A Tale of Two Sisters. A great cast including Kang-ho Song (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Memories of Murder).

>>: A-

Phone (2002)

A decent K-Horror. That cute little creepy girl almost steal the show from everyone.

>>: B

psycho d

10-06-2009, 05:42 AM

The Human Condition (1959). Finally made it through this absolute epic, 9h and 47m flick. This was simply a pacifist's incredible journey from a WWII slave labor supervisor to a soldier and finally to a POW in a Russian prison camp. This film is a painfully wonderful study of the pawns of war, whose sufferings are unimaginably portrayed in the fantasic epic. The Human Condition does not short-corner the realities of human nature, and how good men might behave when in horrific circumstances. Nor does director Kobayashi shy away from calling a spade a spade in his horrific portrayal of the Japanese during this WWII era flick. The hero, the ever stoic Kaji, is a monument of a man that holds true to his ideals by treating everyone in a fair and humane manner. His greatest flaw might be that he holds others to the nearly impossible standards that he holds himself to. Of course, there is the larger than life heroine, Kaji's beloved Michiko, which fuels him to survive each tribulation such that he can finally again rest in Michiko's arms. A wicked testament to human resolve, the ending to The Human Condition disappointed me at first, but there was no other way to end this monumental flick, and with reflection this ending became more and more powerful. A huge commitment for sure, this is still a must see for the arduous fan of classic Japanese cinema. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-08-2009, 07:02 AM

Ju-Rei: The Uncanny (2004). Director Koji Shiraishi tends to make movies that are not really appreciated here in the US (Noroi the Curse may be the one exception). This is one of them. Lacking foreshadowing and even a motive, this flick uses awkwardly angled close-ups and malingering camera shots to keep the viewer unsettled. Also lacking is gore of any kind, save for a scraped knee. Told is a somewhat unique fashion, the source of the horror, and the ending itself, is rather vague. Instead this is an unmerciful, Grudge-like film that offers no safety for the victims, where their demise can take place in a dark corner or in the light of day among friends. Shot in almost colorless color, the bleak outlook of this flick is disquieting as well. Not for everyone, i contend that this film is best left for the zealous J horror fan. Personally, i enjoyed it immensely, and the scene in the stairwell will probably haunt me for years. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-09-2009, 07:41 AM

Afterlife (1999). This is a wonderfully touching story that accounts for the afterlife. After death, humans first must check in to an institutional-like weigh station and choose one memory to take with them to eternity. There are counselors that are to both help choose an appropriate memory and then recreate it for the recently dead to see. Shot in a drab, almost documentary style, this great flick sneaks a story in behind the premise. The set is a drab, old building, and the feeling is really that of an instution, AKA a very human. Incredible flick. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

10-10-2009, 11:42 PM

Unfair: The Movie (2007)

A pretty average police action-drama that started well but failed to keep the pace after the 1st half.

>>: C

bubsy

10-11-2009, 05:35 AM

Machine Girl...Totally crazy, blood drenched movie. What Tarrantino's Grindhouse flick should have been.

psycho d

10-11-2009, 05:58 AM

Wild Zero (1999). Personally, i am not really a fan of B-movies. Nothing against them, just not my thing. Still, i felt compelled, almost duty-bound, to see Wild Zero. i must admit, though not on my J-horror fav list, i did enjoy this one much more than i expected. For fans of this genre, it must be one of the all around best zombie flicks out there. On a side note, this cheesy little treat also tackled a pretty heavy romantic theme, which to me added some depth to this goofy fun film. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-12-2009, 06:14 AM

Marebito (2004). This intense, low budget movie from Takashi Shimizu of Ju-on fame may not be for everybody, but it is a must see for those willing to take a psychological journey beyond the fantastic realms of disturbing terror. Actor/director Shinya Tsukamoto plays Masuoka, an alienated and voyeueristic freelance cameraman obsessed with what can only be thought of as the dark terror. Emotionally dead, he begins to seek life in the darkest of places, maybe in an effort to discover truth in ineffable horror. We take this journey with Masuoka mainly through the lens of his digital camera and his dialogue, only to descend onto the abyss of his (or everybody"s) madness. Immensely symbolic with no boundaries of interpretation, this flick is like a cathartic purge of the dark genius of Shimizu, which may not be far from the truth as this complex tale was reportably shot in eight days. For those willing to risk a trip into unspeakable madness and imagery, this wonderful film may be the perfect meal-ticket. Ashe.
d

psycho d

10-13-2009, 06:13 AM

Ugetsu (1953). This uniquely simple movie is also a masterpiece of direction and cinematography. The story itself is simple. Set in 16th Century Japan, two peasant men follow their dreams of wealth and glory as the country is about to be devastated by war. While the backset shows how the ravages of war torments the peasants to obscenity, this is more a tale of human nature, a tale of greed and vanity, of mistakes made by real people. Men here fight for wealth, fame and power, while the women strive for simple and unadorned security; that men make the greatest of errors does not equate to women being without their faults. The acting is compelling, with all of the leads portraying their parts with powerful results. The direction is awesome, and the camera-work is wonderful. With splendidly long takes, a camera inconspicuously on the move with flawless intent, and eerie scenes that forbodes what is to come (AKA the boat scene), there is nary a fault to be found in what should be considered one of the best films ever made. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

10-14-2009, 03:14 AM

psycho d

10-17-2009, 06:43 AM

Bio Zombie (1998). This wonderful little Asian zombie flick deserves better than played out comparisons to American zombie flicks. This is a dark comedy about two friends, jerks really, that are somehow wonderfully likeable. While the monsters take a while to make their appearance, the shenanigans that the two leads get into provide wonderful entertainment. The other characters turn our to be just as fun, and once the real fun gets going their interactions lead to some fun and playful scenes. Gore-hounds might be a little dissappointed with this fun, low-budget film, but i be that even they will come away approvingly. That this film is character driven and that we get to understand what true friendship and honor are really all about takes nothing away from its goofy horror. The ending itself takes on a completely unforseen tone, but with a dark and wonderful aplomb. Ashe.
derek

psycho d

10-18-2009, 05:09 AM

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003). That this is a visually stunning movie is not only an understatement, it is of minor importance to the profound impact that this spectacular film has on the soul. This is a sublime, symbolic, and simple study of life itself. With little dialogue, Kim-duc Kim tells the story of a man raised in a floating Buddhist temple by a wise and powerful monk. The theme is of lessons learned and paid for. This film was nothing short of an outstanding movie and visual meditation. Ashe.
derek

Caenxavier

10-18-2009, 07:54 PM

The Red Shoes, I was impressed, a lot of blood and the story was decent as well. It's worth a watch, it's on netflix instant if I'm not mistaken.

AmericanIdiot

10-18-2009, 08:43 PM

Big Man Japan

roshiq

10-19-2009, 02:08 AM

Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)

A true Asian Classic. Loved it.

>>: B+

neverending

10-19-2009, 03:56 AM

With a great score by Sadao Bekku too!

scouse mac

10-20-2009, 06:28 AM

The Good The Bad The Weird

What an extremely enjoyable film! Ji-woon Kim gives a visually stunning, action filled western set in '30s Manchuria. The plot is thin on the ground (to say the least), a train robber, outlaw and bounty hunter are all chasing each other across Chinese deserts on the hunt for buried treasure hinted at on a stolen treasure map. In turn they are pursued by the Japanese army and Chinese bandits and thats pretty much it. What makes this film is the excellent performances from all concerned, the quirky and funny script and the brilliant set pieces.

Did I mention how good it looks? The cinematography is fantastic, the sets are good and even the costumes are noticable in their quality. If you want to be thoroughly entertained, watch this.

ChronoGrl

10-21-2009, 04:02 AM

Attack the Gas Station (1999)

Four young Korean punks invade a gas station because they are bored. As they realize running the station for an evening might be more profitable & worth time passing than simply robbing it, they end up taking hostage the manager and employees as well as most of the customers.

An excellent comedy extravaganza from Korea. Don't dare to miss this awesome fun ride if you get a chance to see it anytime anywhere.

>>: A-

Can't WAIT to see this! Thanks for the rec!

Bio Zombie (1998). This wonderful little Asian zombie flick deserves better than played out comparisons to American zombie flicks. This is a dark comedy about two friends, jerks really, that are somehow wonderfully likeable. While the monsters take a while to make their appearance, the shenanigans that the two leads get into provide wonderful entertainment. The other characters turn our to be just as fun, and once the real fun gets going their interactions lead to some fun and playful scenes. Gore-hounds might be a little dissappointed with this fun, low-budget film, but i be that even they will come away approvingly. That this film is character driven and that we get to understand what true friendship and honor are really all about takes nothing away from its goofy horror. The ending itself takes on a completely unforseen tone, but with a dark and wonderful aplomb. Ashe.
derek

Glad you liked this one - I found it absolutely charming; something I would definitely watch over and over again. Completely underrated zombie comedy.

...

Dai-Nihonjin (Big Man Japan) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997147/): Definitely not a horror movie, this mockumentary covers... GIANT MONSTERS. We follow around BIG MAN JAPAN, a man who has been tasked with the job of fighting giant monsters when they come and attack Japan... Great concept. Some funny, fantastic giant monster-fighting scenes, but definitely falls short of the expectations that I had for it. It definitely takes a very SLOW and MUTED approach to the subject which, while I understand the point, I found myself getting bored and just waiting for the next ridiculous giant monster scene.

NE - You would really dig this one.

3/5.

psycho d

10-21-2009, 06:12 AM

Dead Girl Walking (2004). Koji Shiraishi is not intimidated in his exploration in demented art forms, and Walking Dead Girl is a prime example of his wickedly weird and artistic capacity. i bet that most folks would not like this short little flick (44 min), but anyone into weird and demented films might give this a go. Most of Koji's stuff seems to be very symbolic, and this one is no exception as exemplified by the ending. Dark and horrifyingly grim and even cruel, there is just enough comic relief to carry the viewer to the poetic ending. Ashe.
derek

roshiq

10-21-2009, 10:48 PM

Violent Cop (1989)

One of the early films of writer, director & actor Takeshi Kitano. A dark, slow burn Police action thriller about detective Azuma (played by Kitano) who seek vengeance due not only to his lust for revenge but because he's bit psychotic. There's a sense that Azuma won't rest until he gets his man not out of duty but out of madness...mainly cause of when he finds his perfect match for duel in the underground world of crimes.
Kitano gives a riveting performance in this film; and the film itself is beautifully shot with a good score. But the best part of this is perhaps the end - the film ends on a perfectly cynical note that couldn't be topped. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but certainly a great, hard-boiled crime movie with bleak seriousness. This movie has another title called WARNING - THIS MAN IS WILD, and in this case, it's not a joke at all.

>>: A-

psycho d

10-22-2009, 10:26 AM

Samurai Fiction (1998). Akira Kurasawa meets MTV meets Kung Fu Hustle. Not really, but there is some truth in this analogy. Music video director Hiroyuki Nakano apparently watched Yojimbo over and over while making this wonderful flick. His music video side definitely shows, but in a great way that somehow blends a rock n roll soundtrack with a samurai movie. Mostly shot in black and white, the use of color is used for emphasis only. Moderate use of humor and playful goofiness keeps the tone light for what could be just a rather heavy-hearted affair. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, and the villain (a real life rocker) is hard not to like. Don't expect a traditional samurai flick here, but instead keep an open mind for a movie most all fans of Japanese cinema should appreciate. Ashe.
derek