Origin: Philippines
Plot in a Nutshell: A woman finds an antique, Chinese bagua (mirror) on the bus on her way home from work. Little does she know that the good fortune it brings her and her family comes back to haunt those that stare into it.
Sneadal's Rating: 2/5 Bones. 1/10 Screams.
When picking this movie, I only did so because it loosely involved the zodiac. I did not expect much from the Philippines, and can safely say that after watching it, it does not have SHIT on Korea. That being said, the storyline was very interesting, but I feel that it could have been way scarier. Or at least gorier? What I loved and found cool about this movie was that each victim of the mirror dies in a way connected to their zodiac; for example, this old lady, who was born in the year of the rat, gets a fucking mysterious illness that comes from rat piss and dies from it. Eh, better example: A guy born in the year of the rooster dies after he makes a bet with the wrong person at a cock fight. It sounds lame, and as I said, could have definitely been played up. In the case of the old lady, she could have fallen and broken a hip or something and been attacked by rats like in Willard. One thing I found really weird about this movie though was the language in the Philippines.. Philippinglish! Chinglish?! Something?! It was crazy. I was also disappointed with the ending because you kind of don't know what happens to the leading lady. In comparison to the outcome of the other characters, it is lame. Oh well, 2 points for a good effort and unique idea.
On a positive note, I totally want a bagua (cursed or not). :D
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Du saram-yida (Someone Behind You) (2007)
Origin: South Korea
Plot in a Nutshell: Strange murders keep on happening in Ga-in's town, and before she knows it, the curse settles in on her own family. Suddenly she finds that she cannot trust anyone -- her friends, her family, not even herself. Can Ga-in find the cure to beat the curse before everyone she knows and loves turns on her? Or will she die trying?
Sneadal's Rating: 3/5 Bones. 3/10 Screamers. 10/10 for sexy Asian boys.
Well, something is most certainly rotten in the state of South Korea, and it's not the dead bodies of all the mysterious people dying, either.
I gotta say I am slightly disappointed after reading everyone else's reviews of this on AHM. Yes, the acting was good, it was sort of original, and had so many twists I thought I was watching an M. Night Suckadick movie. Something was just missing. Gore? Check. Ghosts? Check. Explainations? Check. I can't put my finger on it. Ohhhhh well.
Anyways. Not sure how to give you many more details without spoiling this... But I can say this: beware of wishing death on someone. Maybe it'll come true. Bwahaha.
Plot in a Nutshell: Strange murders keep on happening in Ga-in's town, and before she knows it, the curse settles in on her own family. Suddenly she finds that she cannot trust anyone -- her friends, her family, not even herself. Can Ga-in find the cure to beat the curse before everyone she knows and loves turns on her? Or will she die trying?
Sneadal's Rating: 3/5 Bones. 3/10 Screamers. 10/10 for sexy Asian boys.
Well, something is most certainly rotten in the state of South Korea, and it's not the dead bodies of all the mysterious people dying, either.
I gotta say I am slightly disappointed after reading everyone else's reviews of this on AHM. Yes, the acting was good, it was sort of original, and had so many twists I thought I was watching an M. Night Suckadick movie. Something was just missing. Gore? Check. Ghosts? Check. Explainations? Check. I can't put my finger on it. Ohhhhh well.
Anyways. Not sure how to give you many more details without spoiling this... But I can say this: beware of wishing death on someone. Maybe it'll come true. Bwahaha.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Ghost Photos: The Cursed Images (2006)
Origin: Japan
Plot in a Nutshell: After finding his grandfather's old camera, a boy and his sister see strange images that interfere with their livelihood.
Sneadal's Rating: 0.5/5 Bones. 0/10 Screams.
What a terrible movie. It didn't hold my attention for five minutes. It's almost like Shutter and One Missed Call mated and had a retarded baby. Not worth it. Ahhhhhh. What a waste of time. Japan epically failed with this one. :(
Pretty sure the only good thing I got out of watching this was seeing this little guy in one of the comments on AHM: ლ(╹◡╹ლ) ...... kawaii!
Plot in a Nutshell: After finding his grandfather's old camera, a boy and his sister see strange images that interfere with their livelihood.
Sneadal's Rating: 0.5/5 Bones. 0/10 Screams.
What a terrible movie. It didn't hold my attention for five minutes. It's almost like Shutter and One Missed Call mated and had a retarded baby. Not worth it. Ahhhhhh. What a waste of time. Japan epically failed with this one. :(
Pretty sure the only good thing I got out of watching this was seeing this little guy in one of the comments on AHM: ლ(╹◡╹ლ) ...... kawaii!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Akanbo Shôjo (Tamami: The Baby's Curse) (2008)
Plot in a Nutshell: Yoko Nanjo, once believed to be an orphan, has just been reunited with her father in their creepy mansion in the woods. Despite her father's joy at her return, everyone else at the mansion is not so pleased. It would seem that they have moved on with another child... and that is when the mystery begins to unfold.
Sneadal's Rating: 2/5 Bones. 2/10 Screams. 10/10 LOLS.
I know I have said that we should not judge a movie based on it's title alone.. but oh lawd. Tamami, Tamami, Tamami. It was a B film, and you could see it coming from a mile away. I was almost decieved, however, by the first 51 minutes of (MOSTLY) boring-ness. If you make it that far through it, you are in for a real rib-tickling treat. Tamami is most definitely the picture of a jealous sister; the Jan Brady of Japan. Not only is she jealous, she is hellbent on destroying everyone in her way, and boy does she get a kick out of it. Not to mention, this kid is stunning. I must reinvent her myself. It seems like the director took an alien fetus, cut off it's arms, gave it a Japanese hair cut, and stapled a Wallmaster (a monster from Zelda) onto it. Then they took that and merged the body with Blanket from The Brave Little Toaster, and gave it the gifts of flying and invincibility. I most definitely suggest watching the latter half of it, because honestly, I've never seen anything like it.
Seriously, you should check it out.. at least, the last 51 minutes. :P
Friday, July 30, 2010
Hitori kakurenbo (Creepy Hide and Seek) (2009)
Origin: Japan
Plot in a Nut Shell: The online sensation "Creepy Hide In Seek," in which participants seek to contact the dead becomes more than just a game; when students start to disappear, one teacher tries to solve the mystery.
Sneadal's Ratings: 4/5 Bones. 10/10 Screams for scare factor.
What a creepy ass movie!!! From the very beginning the viewer is drawn into the creepy zone between the living and the supernatural. While the movie has a somewhat slow pace, it keeps you hooked -- either by fear, or by sheer astonishment of how stupid the players of the game are for not following directions, and for even playing it at all.
The movie on it's own is technically not that scary. I mean, it's pretty damned spooky, but what is even scarier is that it is based on an actual game/ritual, called "One Man Hide and Seek," or, "One Man Tag." In the ritual, the player is to be completely alone (more precise instructions than the ones I am summing up can be found from Saya In Underworld, here). Traditionally being played at 3am (what we in the US call the "witching hour"), the player takes a doll or stuffed animal, and guts it, taking out the stuffing and putting rice and their hair/nails inside of it. The doll is stitched up with red thread, and then given a name. The player then puts the doll into a sink or bathtub filled with water, leaves to turn off all of the lights and turn on a television. A glass of salt water should be prepared at this time, probably. When returning to the doll, the player is supposed to be all "Lol, (doll name), I found you" and then stab the doll 3 times, and toss it back into the tub. Then, the player fucking hides and all kinds of crazy shit happens. When the doll (or fucking crazy ghost) finds you, you are supposed to spit the salt water in their face and shout "I win!" x 3.
SUMMARY PROVIDED, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THIS? This guy. Though he says he is documenting it, he has not updated since he went to try to figure out what to name his doll. The guy has got some biiiiiiiig balls, brother. I plan on keeping an eye on his updates.
Plot in a Nut Shell: The online sensation "Creepy Hide In Seek," in which participants seek to contact the dead becomes more than just a game; when students start to disappear, one teacher tries to solve the mystery.
Sneadal's Ratings: 4/5 Bones. 10/10 Screams for scare factor.
The movie on it's own is technically not that scary. I mean, it's pretty damned spooky, but what is even scarier is that it is based on an actual game/ritual, called "One Man Hide and Seek," or, "One Man Tag." In the ritual, the player is to be completely alone (more precise instructions than the ones I am summing up can be found from Saya In Underworld, here). Traditionally being played at 3am (what we in the US call the "witching hour"), the player takes a doll or stuffed animal, and guts it, taking out the stuffing and putting rice and their hair/nails inside of it. The doll is stitched up with red thread, and then given a name. The player then puts the doll into a sink or bathtub filled with water, leaves to turn off all of the lights and turn on a television. A glass of salt water should be prepared at this time, probably. When returning to the doll, the player is supposed to be all "Lol, (doll name), I found you" and then stab the doll 3 times, and toss it back into the tub. Then, the player fucking hides and all kinds of crazy shit happens. When the doll (or fucking crazy ghost) finds you, you are supposed to spit the salt water in their face and shout "I win!" x 3.
SUMMARY PROVIDED, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THIS? This guy. Though he says he is documenting it, he has not updated since he went to try to figure out what to name his doll. The guy has got some biiiiiiiig balls, brother. I plan on keeping an eye on his updates.
GOTH (2008)
Origin: Japan
Plot in a Nutshell: Two strange teenagers become fascinated with a new serial killer. When they find his notebook, they seek him out, ultimately discovering secrets about each other.
Sneadal's Rating: 5/5 Bones. 1/10 screams for scare factor.
Review:
Let's face it. If I was still my Emoqueesha, 9th grader self, this movie would have made me jizz in my pants. An awkward love story of sorts with awkward teenagers who seem asexual and obsessed with death and dying that is charming to that inner goth-let in all of us. The story offers a few interesting twists, the kind that make you go "O___O" as well as "^____^". There really isn't much to it, but the cinematography was pretty, and the kids are just downright cute (Come on, look at them). I don't know how you could hate on it; I have no criticisms, it's a nice change of pace from the usual Japanese movies I watch.
Upon my investigation, I've discovered the movie was adapted from a manga.. and I wants it.
Furthermore, America was going to try to fucking remake this, and the production company got shut down. So, America! Fuck no! I wonder if we could petition against further remakes of foreign films? I feel we should just stick to comedies, the only thing we are good at.
Plot in a Nutshell: Two strange teenagers become fascinated with a new serial killer. When they find his notebook, they seek him out, ultimately discovering secrets about each other.
Sneadal's Rating: 5/5 Bones. 1/10 screams for scare factor.
Review:
Let's face it. If I was still my Emoqueesha, 9th grader self, this movie would have made me jizz in my pants. An awkward love story of sorts with awkward teenagers who seem asexual and obsessed with death and dying that is charming to that inner goth-let in all of us. The story offers a few interesting twists, the kind that make you go "O___O" as well as "^____^". There really isn't much to it, but the cinematography was pretty, and the kids are just downright cute (Come on, look at them). I don't know how you could hate on it; I have no criticisms, it's a nice change of pace from the usual Japanese movies I watch.
Upon my investigation, I've discovered the movie was adapted from a manga.. and I wants it.
Furthermore, America was going to try to fucking remake this, and the production company got shut down. So, America! Fuck no! I wonder if we could petition against further remakes of foreign films? I feel we should just stick to comedies, the only thing we are good at.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Janghwa (A Tale of Two Sisters) (2003)
Origin: South Korea
Plot in a Nutshell: After returning from a stay in a mental institution, a family finds themselves haunted by past tragedies.
Sneadal's Rating: 5/5 Bones. 3/10 Screams for scare-factor.
Being a thriller I wasn't looking for this movie to be very scary, but it did give me a few jumps and chills. The cinematography of this movie was beautiful, and the acting perfection. And, I must say upfront it has the most beautiful soundtrack I have ever heard. The story, while saddening, was amazing, and although the finishing scenes will make you scratch your head, very few stones were left unturned. Soo-mi and Soo-yeon's step mother is evil enough to make Joan Crawford shit her pants. Joan Crawford also has nothing on her decorating skills. In my current binge of Asian Horror, South Korea continues to impress me. A Tale of Two Sisters is not one I will soon forget.
Note: Interesting. Seems to be a remake, a fourth one one. One was done in 1956, one in 1962, and another (with a varying storyline) in 1972. Wonder if I can get my hooks into these?
Plot in a Nutshell: After returning from a stay in a mental institution, a family finds themselves haunted by past tragedies.
Sneadal's Rating: 5/5 Bones. 3/10 Screams for scare-factor.
Being a thriller I wasn't looking for this movie to be very scary, but it did give me a few jumps and chills. The cinematography of this movie was beautiful, and the acting perfection. And, I must say upfront it has the most beautiful soundtrack I have ever heard. The story, while saddening, was amazing, and although the finishing scenes will make you scratch your head, very few stones were left unturned. Soo-mi and Soo-yeon's step mother is evil enough to make Joan Crawford shit her pants. Joan Crawford also has nothing on her decorating skills. In my current binge of Asian Horror, South Korea continues to impress me. A Tale of Two Sisters is not one I will soon forget.
Note: Interesting. Seems to be a remake, a fourth one one. One was done in 1956, one in 1962, and another (with a varying storyline) in 1972. Wonder if I can get my hooks into these?
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