So once a month a few of my girlfriends and I hold a
Ladies Horror Movie Night, involving solely Asian Horror movies.
Because I'm the only one with a Netflix account,
I am responsible for bringing the movies, and need a little help.
Here are some of the movies that either I or the group have seen and what we think of them:
- Audition - My friend Amy introduced me to this film. Very slow starting, but then delightfully macabre and then horrific. I give it an A-/A.
- The Grudge - I know that some of you are going to criticize me for this, but I actually like the remake better than the original. I feel as though the original was long, drawn out, and had a lot of it that was superfluous. I feel as though the remake gave Takashi Shimizu the chance to cut the fat with the remake, to tell you the truth. I give the original a B, with extra points for being so influential in this genre of film.
- Reincarnation - SPEAKING of Takashi Shimizu, here's another one of his that I really enjoyed. I thought that the direction was fantastic and I honestly did not predict the twist at the end (and I really LIKED the twist at the end)... Not to mention, he had a knack for choosing incredibly talented foley artists. A-
- Cinderella - A bit slow-going with nothing really new. The reveal is pretty horrific, but it takes a LONG time to get there... I'd say B, depending on my mood (some of the images are REALLY horrific, and seriously, the reveal is fantastic).
- Arang - I thought that the direction was actually really good, and it was impressive to see a very strong female lead (usually in Asian horror, females are either Evil or Helpless, so it was great to see a strong one). I give the movie a B-/B.
- A Tale of Two Sisters - Honestly, I had REALLY high hopes for this movie. I thought that the direction was incredible, but one of the reveals was predictable while the second one... Didn't make sense (and felt as if it were just thrown in to add a twist). All in all, though, I would probably see this movie again, as I did enjoy the visuals, overall. B+/A-
- Tetsuo - Quintessential Asian Horror. Honestly, I was impressed that such a sexually explicit and imagistic film was not only produced but released in Japan in the late 80s. I give it an A-/A for pure balls (but I can't say that I necessarily LOVED it... it reminded me of Eraserhead).
- Three... Extremes - Oh, how I adore this triad of horror films... While Dumplings is a little slow and disappointing, I definitely enjoyed the latter two, both for different reasons. That reminds me - I really need to see it again. I give it an A/A+
- Battle Royale - I'm not sure if I'd necessarily classify this as purely horror, per say, though it definitely has some macabre elements. I loved it. A.
- The Host - SO refreshing to see a modern monster movie. Also a good combination of horror and comedy. A/A+. I need to own this film.
I hope that this is enough to go by to judge my horror movie taste. I would really LOVE if you guys could recommend some more (next horror movie night: January 19th!). If you don't mind providing a small movie synopsis and why you enjoyed the film, I might just keep you for my own unholy growing army of the night.
Thanks so much.