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Charisma
I saw Charisma tonight, what is ostensibly a horror film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the guy who did Pulse, Seance, and Cure, among others. While Charisma is marketed as a horror film, and was made by a guy known for horror, it isn't a horror film at all. There are a couple of unsettling scenes, but this movie is almost purely an allegory. A cop who makes a major screw up at his job is placed on leave and decides to just wonder into a random forest. There he meets different people who all seem to have a fixation on a particular and unique tree. Some people think it's dangerous to all the other plant life in the forest, but others think it's precious and takes precedence over all the other plants. And others just want to sell it for money. The cop gets involved in the entanglement, and in fact becomes the crux, so that he must ultimately decide the fate of the tree, and thus the entire forest. The symbolism is not very subtle here, the tree represents individualism. Those who want it destroyed represent the forces of conformity. This movie's message might resonate more in Japan in the late 90s when it was made, as Japan has historically been a far more conformist culture, so maybe it's an issue of greater concern there.
Apart from the metaphorical content, there were a few entertaining scenes and a few tense moments, but Charisma is not really concerned about that. It is probably the most abstruse movie from Kiyoshi Kurosawa I have seen so far, and that is saying something after watching Cure. The movie strolled by at a casual pace, and the story unfolded but not at a breakneck speed. It's an entirely non-standard story, so it had unpredictability on its side. There was no telling what was going to happen next since there is no other movie like it. Even though the story as a whole was rather enigmatic, it was easy to follow and not challenging as far as plot goes, so you might be left wondering about the meaning of a scene but you won't be left wondering what actually happened. Unlike many other high-minded movies, this one was fairly watchable and never really taxed my patience. On the technical side, the movie was professionally produced, so it looks and feels polished and competently made, so no cheap shot-on-video ugliness, sloppy sound mixing, or amateur acting here. There are a few interesting visuals, but mostly it's a guy wondering around a forest while talking to someone, so it doesn't look artsy despite its very cerebral premise. As with Kurosawa's other films, the characters are mostly shot at a medium distance, so there isn't a sense of intimacy or affinity for any of them. None of the characters are over-flowing with personality, they are a bit detached from each other, and the drama isn't derived from their relationships like normal movies. This is about what you would expect when the characters are largely symbolic. Charisma is all about the intellect and is not an emotionally stirring movie. Would I recommend this? If you were in the mood for a offbeat, high-browed stroll or were interested in seeing an allegorical debate about conformity versus individualism, Charisma is the movie for you. That probably isn't a mood that strikes many people very often, so I think Charisma is probably going to be a let down to most, especially horror fans who are looking for a more visceral experience. |
"Bedevilled" 7-8/10
One of those all-men-are-scum movies. Cruel, brutal, sad and depressing revenge flick, with one of the worst friends in movie history. Great character depictions. You really feel for the main character (Wonderfully played byYeong-hie Seo. Yes, her)and hate pretty much everybody else. Would have prefered a slight change in the ending. If you've seen the movie you'll know. ;) |
Deranged (2012)
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...psd1878556.jpg A good pandemic thriller from Korea. >>: B+ Confession of Murder (2012) http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...psa8cac87e.jpg Though they have become the Master of this genre but this is just an entertaining, fast paced Serial Killer thriller from South Korea, not as great and as gritty & violent as their masterpieces like THE CHASER, I SAW THE DEVIL or NO MERCY. Here it comes with a bit of social commentary about today's cultural fascination towards this sort of crimes & the criminals and that just presented with well constructed humor & action. The story focused more on the mystery surrounding the identity of the killer, rather than his gruesome activities. Expected a better & far more tormented ending for the killer. >>: B+ |
"13 Beloved/13: Game of Death" 8-9/10
Having just seen the american remake "13 Sins" and really liked it i had to give the original Thai version a watch. I was pleasantly surprised of how different the story was compared to the remake. Even most of the challenges were different. This one was slightly more comedy oriented and less brutal than the remake. I recommend you watch both versions. |
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I finally got around to watching Suicide Club, and how the hell did it take me this long to watch such a terrific movie? The movie starts out with a bang as 54 cheerful school girls all jump in front of a train off a platform while holding hands. Japan then goes on to experience a rash of suicide pact deaths which leaves the detectives baffled as to whether these are suicides or murders. The movie is very playful and is really half comedy, with some scenes of horror and shock. The main theme of the movie seems to be a lament over the shallowness of pop culture and how that inhibits self-reflection. The movie is not played with a straight face and gets gradually more nutty and surreal as it progresses. Suicide Club doesn't really fit into any conventional genre formula at all. It's a unique work, and it is unpredictable and original. There is nothing quite like it. It is a funny and clever movie and entertaining as hell, I really enjoyed it.
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LADDA LAND 2011
A family of four move into a new home where all manner of strange things happen around them. Supposedly based on a true story. Not horribly scary, but not horrible either. |
CULT 2013
A film crew documents the exorcism of a demon from the Kaneda home. The main "exorciser"(?) was kind of cool and looked like a character from a graphic novel, but sometimes came across as trying too hard. I had no problem with this movie. |
Lesson of the Evil (2012)
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps27e2c370.jpg Not as good as his other popular films, this is just a decently made psycho-thriller by Takashi Mike...about a School massacre! >>: B |
I saw a 2002 Korean serial killer movie 'H'. It was alright. Nicely directed, produced, and acted, but it felt like an amalgamation of other popular serial killer movies, primarily Seven and Silence of the Lambs. It had a couple original ideas, but those ideas were placed in service of serial killer movie cliches. There are better South Korean Horror serial killer movies than this one, notably Chaser and Memories of Murder. Speaking of Memories of Murder, this movie has strong elements of that one as well. H did have some gory scenes at least. Outside of being fairly derivative, there isn't that much wrong with it, it is watchable. There just isn't much in the way of surprises, as I have seen this movie before within other movies.
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A Tale of Two Sisters
I got around to watching A Tale of Two Sisters, a 2003 Korean horror film which had caught my attention for being on so many Asian horror move 'best-of" lists. While it wasn't a bad movie, I wouldn't include it among my favorite Asian horror films. The problem is it is derivative of other films. It is about twin teenage girls who move back into their childhood home where their cruel stepmother (is there any other kind of stepmother?) now lives. After the move, strange things begin to happen in the house. This is a nicely mounted production and not a low budget affair, it is well acted, scripted, and filmed. The direction and editing and not rushed, and it is well paced and confidently shot. The camera angles and color compositions reflect a very sure hand from the director Kim Jee-woon. I will have to grant that A Tale of Two Sisters did have a couple of scary moments. However there is a fairly derivative element which diminished the movie for me which I will discuss below the spoilers alert...
SPOILERS BELOW... . . . . . . . . . This movie had an 'imaginary' character too many. It almost becomes the movie which Charlie Kaufman's 'Adaptation' parodies with the concept of 'The Three'. Ultimately it ended up feeling arbitrary and only tried to pull the rug out from under the audience simply for the sake of a surprise. This movie reduces the narrative trick of undermining the audience assumption about the solidity of a character, a la The Sixth Sense or The Fight Club, to a kind of banality. In the end this movie felt like it was built out of components from other successful movies and thus lacked originality. A Tale of Two Sisters is so slickly made that I can see how it gets away with that and ends up on so many 'best-of' lists, but for me this re-tread aspect reduces the movie to simply being passable. Take the typical long-haired women ghosts of Japanese horror and combine them with Fight Club style alter egos, and you have a Tale of Two Sisters. It's well-made, yes, but it is still just an imitation of other movies, and it can not escape this sense of being a 'second-hand' story. |
Kuroyuri Danchi aka The Complex (2013)
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps84fbdee4.jpg A Hideo Nakata J-horror. Though it was promoted as inspired by modern Swedish classic Let the Right One In but it actually offers quite a different story. The first half was good, the build-up was interesting but the end product is nothing new. Kinda sloppy at the end. Moreover, that kid-ghost wasn't much scary. But overall, a decent time-waster. >>: B |
THE QUIET FAMILY 1998
A horror-comedy about a dysfunctional family who pin all their hopes and dreams on a lodge they have recently purchased. I was glad I happened upon it. |
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 It’s a low-budget, derivative imitator of much better creepy Japanese Horror films. Unless you’re an obsessive fan of all things Japanese, I’d give it a pass. |
The last seen Asian movie I've seen was Battle Royale and I own both films on blue ray which they came together that way. I didn't get so much for the second one but I did like however how they brought a few characters from the first one: that's the only thing that I liked about it.
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Ab-Normal Beauty (2004) I didn't think much of this, it had a good score and cinematography but I didn't enjoy it much-found it a bit boring and when the horror came it lacked the impact it should have had.
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ONIBABA (1963). Really creepy/atmospheric Japanese film about a mother/daughter-in-law trying to survive in a feudal Samurai war zone with a soldiers mask serving as a focal point. Some nudity and some spicy goings on as well::embarrassment::::big grin::. ****
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Not necessarily horror but I recently watched The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) and there's quite a bit of gore throughout. Oldboy is probably the best film of the series while Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is probably the goriest. The ending to which is absolutely brutal.
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EXTE: Hair Extensions
I finished watching Sion Sono's EXTE: Hair Extensions, a strange piece of Japanese cinema. Within the subgenre of 'cursed items' in Japanese horror, EXTE is about cursed hair extensions. Normally I wouldn't watch something built around such a shallow gimmick idea, but a director as clever as Sono would is going to have other things on the agenda, so I gave it a chance. Plot: a dead girl who was victim to an organ harvesting ring takes her revenge on the world through her continuously growing hair which is made into hair extensions. Anyone who uses these extensions has a real bad day.
The production is well done and very watchable. Well-acted, well-directed, and the visual effects were good, better than one would expect. A very watchable and professionally mounted film if not hugely budgeted, and not some amateur quickie like say, Asylum pictures type movie. EXTE kind of an odd mixture of cheerful and grotesque. It's not quite as bizarre as Sono's other films, and a bit more straightforward than I expected, but still pretty wacky compared to other films of its genre. Don't watch this movie expecting another Grudge or Ringu clone, it is more fun and campy rather than scary. It does has a few freakish kills though, so it is very much a horror film. I would say its worth watching if you are in the mood for something light as opposed to something dreary and portentous. |
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Grave of the Fireflies (1988) : A Akira (1988) : B+ Ghost in the Shell (1995) : A- |
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I finally saw the original Shutter (2004). I had to forget about all the vengeful ghost Asian horror films I've seen to give it a fair shake. Liked it quite a bit. One of the best in the sub-genre. |
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I saw The Eye some years ago. I bet some have seen The Maid as well, where a Filipino (my nationality) starred.
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"Journey to the West" 7/10
Pure chinese crazy adventure which had all the Stephen Chow trademarks. Sadly the story slowly fell apart after the very long but highly entertaining intro with all its Stephen Chow craziness going on. Only thing missing was Stephen Chow himself. It's on Netflix if interested. "Confession of Murder" 7-8/10 An action/thriller/comedy for the people who liked "I Saw the Devil", "Chaser" and whatever is in between. On Netflix if interested. |
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Ab-normal Beauty (2004) I gotta say, I didn't like it as much as many reviewers did, lauding Oxide Pang Chun for his style. It did have some interesting concepts, and the characters were likable enough, but it lost me with some overly-dramatic melodrama in the middle, and the switch in tone to torture for the last half hour might have helped the fizzling story move forward, but felt a bit tacked on. I also didn't quite understand how the ending actually happened, which, at least for me, counteracted the suspense. Definitely a significant step above a lot of films that lack creativity and skill in execution, but not good enough to be placed in the top echelon of Asian horror. 6/10 |
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LAKE OF DRACULA : BLOODTHIRSTY EYES. 1971
A bit of a hokey tale. A 5 year old girl has a near encounter with Dracula but he manages to find her 18 years later. She shares a home with her sister and has a steady relationship with her doctor boyfriend and seems to be all things Mary Tyler Moore. The soundtrack is...well, groovy and this Dracula has yellow eyes!!! |
Children... aka A-i-deul... (2011)
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...psf189c890.jpg Based on a true story about the unsolved murder case of Frog Boys...on March 26, 1991, five kids went to a nearby mountain to catch frogs but never returned. Eleven years later, police discover their remains (bones & cloths). Meanwhile, a struggling TV producer team-up with an ambitious college professor who tries to analyze the case with an interesting theory & different point of view and made some efforts to solve the mystery...!! Although it's got somewhat a similar premise & sometime feels like Memories of Murder, yet it is totally different but not as perfect overall; still a great watch indeed. >>: A- Sum-bakk-og-jil aka Hide and Seek (2013) http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps4d3ff8b5.jpg Another good, intense Korean thriller. Definitely worth a watch. >>: B+ |
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Audition Watched it a while ago. Pretty good. I also reviewed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiOcNj-enF0 |
The Grudge 2!!
I just watched Ju-On: The Grudge 2 on Hulu. It was even better the second time! It’s up for free which is awesome and you guys should check it out: http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/541830 ::EEK!::
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Reincarnation
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YONGGARY. 1967
Yonggary,a giant reptilian creature, hosts a "meet and greet" in South Korea. Delightful. |
A Dirty Carnival, 2009
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"The Chanting 1 & 2" 6-7/10
Above average asian haunted house movies. The first one has the better story, the second has the better scares. |
Guilty of Romance, 2011
Shion Sono ::love:: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1743724/ http://static-illicoweb.videotron.co..._vf_Poster.jpg |
Entrails of a Beautiful Woman -- 5/10
The majority of the film depicts rape that looks more like softcore porn, so fast forward to the final act to witness sheer horror brilliance. |
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