Saturday, September 25, 2010

Whispering Corridors - Korea

          Director:  Ki-hyeong Park
          Year:  1998
          Plot:  "While investigating the school files, the frightened teacher Mrs. Park startles and calls the young teacher Eun-young Hur, telling her that the deceased Jin-ju Jang is back.  The line dies and Mrs. Park is attacked and killed by a ghost.  On the next morning, the teenager Jae-yi Yoon waits for her friend Ji-oh Lim, who has the ability to call the spirits, and they begin a close friendship.  The abusive and aggressive Mr. Oh, a.k.a. Mad Dog, is the substitute of Mrs. Park and prohibits Ji-oh to paint and compares the performances of the pretty So-young Park and the weird Jung-sook Kim, raising a barrier between the two former friends.  Miss Hur misses her former friend Jin-ju, who committed suicide, and while trying to contact her, she discloses a dark secret about the past of her friend and Mrs. Park."

          So I have found many places where people list Whispering Corridors in their top 10 best Asian horror movies list, but I really have to disagree with this.  I just didn't find anything appealing in this movie.  The killings were as bland as that from a tv drama, and the time between killings was so drawn out I almost turned the movie off.  And I rather regret not doing so.
          I know they were trying to show the relationships of the girls to show the motives of the ghost, but it kind of ruined the movie for me.  It was a little reminiscent of a soap opera albeit one with a vengeful ghost.  I've never been one for movies like Whispering Corridors.  I like a good heavy fast paced storyline, and this movie just failed in that perspective.
          This is one movie I do not consider to be horror.  Only three people died in the movie and not in any extravagant ways.  It might have been more worth while if the deaths were more interesting, but they weren't.  I doubt even after I watch all the Asian horror movies I can, that I will even bother watching the other Whispering Corridors movies.  I would hope the others are better but I don't really want to waste my time if they turn out the same as this one.

          If you want a fast paced storyline with clever death scenes, skip this one.  I know there are some out there who liked this movie, but if you can't stand really slow movies it is pointless. 

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