23:59 - Singapore

          Director:  Gilbert Chan

          Year:  2011

          Plot:  "When an army recruit is found dead, his fellow soilders are forced to confront a terrifying secret that's haunting their jungle island training camp."

          Looks like it is another Asian horror movie that I found myself watching despite telling myself I need to watch a different genre for my other blog Asian Movies.  Still, I am glad that I decided to watch this one, especially considering Halloween is nearing.  I mean I really didn't have any expectations for it, but Netflix said I would probably like it, so I thought why not.  I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

          While I still didn't find it scary, it was definitely a eerie movie.  That is about as much as I can ask of a horror movie knowing my tendency to not be affected.  Still, the movie wasn't perfect, as there seems to be two (maybe even 3) different ghost stories going on here.  There is the woman and child, as well as a soldier who are show early on but don't necessarily connect to the story that unfolds at the end of the movie.  It's not really a bad thing, but it just didn't connect well with the outcome, so I saw them more as fillers.  They do add to the eerie feeling of the movie though, just story-wise, they aren't necessary.

          I have always found it interesting to see the beliefs of other cultures and seeing this take on ghost and even possession was interesting.  They are similar in many ways, but the slightest differences interest me.  I especially found it interesting that the Sargent notes that they don't march on Thursdays.  While it is not explained in the movie why exactly they don't (because intended audience would likely know), I did look it up and it has to do with ghosts being more active on Thursdays.  I am curious to know why that is, but it definitely makes the Sargent's comments logical.  If you are going to let superstition effect military stuff, why not listen to the Sargent when he says it isn't a good day to do the march.

          It's quite late, so I will finish this off.  I would definitely suggest watching this one.  The ending is a bit sad compared to a typical horror movie ending, but not at all too different from some of the Asian horror I have seen.  Still, the movie has an eerie feeling about it that won't easily disappoint someone looking for a good horror movie.  I wouldn't expect it to cause veteran horror watcher to sleep with the lights on, but it should be enjoyable.

Black Night - China, Japan and Thailand

          Director: Takahiko Akiyama,Tanit Jitnukul, and Patrick Leung

          Year: 2006

          Plot: "This horror trilogy [anthology] follows the stories of a man who's having an affair, a woman plagued by nightmares and a mother who fears she's being stalked."

          We'll review each section separate as they are different and I would have a hard time reviewing them as one.

          Next Door:  I did enjoy that you can piece together parts of what happened before it is completely revealed, when Joe and Jane are talking when she arrives, and a comment Joe makes to a coworker.  It was overall, pretty good (much better than most US anthologies I have watched).  I did have a problem with the back and forth “It's my fault”, but the actual ending was good.   The promise that was made was kept which was a nice touch to me, though I guess there is some questions about the end now that I have read another's review.

          ------*Spoiler Start*------  Someone said that it was Hosie possessing Jane at the end living out her own dreams, but I am not so sure.   The issue in this belief for me is that when asked her name, she told the other to wait so she could read the passport (or whatever).  Hosie would have known her own name, so I am led to believe that maybe Jane wants to live out Hosie's life for her.  Otherwise apparently Hosie doesn't know her own name and has a weird idea of making sure Jane lives.  Not really living if a ghost is simply walking around in your body living the life she would have.  ------*Spoiler End*------

          Dark Hole:  I wasn't sure what to think of this section at first, but once Hyu was discussed, it got interesting.  This is mainly because until the end, I wasn't sure what to believe.  The question was, is it real, or imagination?   I like stuff that plays with that questions, especially if it plays out well and even leaves me doubting if I am right.  They arguments against the fantasy were really convincing, but the fantasy was also believable in my mind.

          I liked that while childhood memories were missing to the main character, she seemed to still have a connection to them subconsciously.  There is a major connection to water from her childhood.  The thing that I loved is that she works at the information counter at and aquarium.  Even if she couldn't remember, she still found herself connected to water in some way.  I don't know little things like that really make me believe that some real though went into the character, which I love in general.

          The Lost Memory: Maybe I am out of sorts when it comes to Asian horror movies, but I enjoyed this part too as I did not see the ending coming, either one.  I just liked how this unfolded and couldn't help but notice the role of water again.  I think they should have called the anthology Black Water (Dark Water is taken).

          Anyway, the overall story of this section was rather sad.  I mean the woman lost her memory and is struggling to get it back, but of course not all memories are good ones.  In reality, it might be important to get the memories back, but the character lives in a horror movie.  In that sense memories are often better left forgotten.

          As an anthology, I would suggest this one.  I didn't find it scary, but then again most horror movies are like that for me.  You may not enjoy it for various reasons (some acting in the first section wasn't very good), but I did like the stories for each sections and I found it to be better than some US anthologies (haven't found a good one yet).  If nothing else, it will be a use of time, whether good or bad.  I am having trouble finding a trailer, so a picture will have to suffice.

The Road - Philippines

          Director:  Yam Laranas

          Year:  2011

          Plot:  "When three teenagers disappear after a joyride, detective Luis Medina connects the events to a 12-year-old cold case with eerie similarities."

          Wow, a year since I posted...  Sorry...  Anyway, this wasn't my first choice of movie, but as the one I wanted to watch only had sound coming out of one side in my headphones (headphones work fine), I decided on this one.   I had it on my list of movies to watch, but hadn't really gotten the urge to watch it.  Maybe that is because the plot description, while interesting, doesn't particularly grab me.  In any case, the movie did pique my interest as I began watching it.

          I was a bit apprehensive about the movie in the first 10 minutes as it seemed kind off stupid, particularly the girl's scream as she turned only to fall off her bike.  When the red car showed up though and one character makes a rather strange claim, I found myself interested.  I definitely think the acting, as far as the scared teenagers (I have seen worse though, sadly) go, could have been better, but the storyline had my interest enough that acting wasn't that big of a deal overall.

          I did have an issue though with the story.  I know, I said it had my interest, but the problem was the movie never really worked itself out well enough.   The twist of who the killer is, or was, wasn't too bad and I was able to accept that well enough despite some issues with reality.   The thing I really had an issue with is the fact of how the teenagers got stuck on “The Road”.   I mean with the reveal of who/what is behind the disappearances, Part I really makes no sense.  And for the first time, I find myself needing to post some spoilers just to get this out as I have found no one bringing up this little plot-hole (from where I stand).

------------------*Spoiler Start*------------------

          Okay, so at the beginning of the movie, the teenagers go for a joyride and end up on a road that was blocked off by a wood gate.  No real problems there. Then as they go on, the road just seems to continue and a red car passes them.   A bit later the same car passes by again one of the girls verifies that there isn't anyone driving which she thought the first time.   As things progress, they realize the road just keeps repeating and the car continues to pass them until they see a bloody person in the back.   This point is where my plot-hole came up.

          By the end of the movie, it is revealed that the killer is the cop Luis and the ghosts were previous victims.   Normally I would say they were just trying to warn the teenagers away, but then how come they basically went in circles and had no way off the road?  I mean the ghosts wouldn't have kept them there and obviously the human killer couldn't be responsible.  The only possible explanation is that it was Luis' mother, but the movie gives no reasons to support this.   She only seen through her son's eyes and wasn't responsible for the predicament of the sisters, so logically, she wouldn't be responsible for the teenagers either.

------------------*Spoiler End*------------------

          Despite the rating, which it got for the storyline issue, and for being at times a bit slow, I might still suggest watching this to some.  It isn't the best movie, but the first part was quite good.  If this was a short (just Part 1) and not a full length movie, it would have gotten at least a 4 star rating, but the other parts really brought this movie down for me (particularly Part 3).  If you do decide to give it a shot, don't expect Part 1 to tie in perfectly with the rest there are points that tie in nicely, but one major one that doesn't.  (Oh decided to use trailers instead of pictures for the end of posts.  n.n)

          (Not greatest quality but other version showed way too much of Part 1.)

Hansel & Gretel - Korea

          Director:  Pil-Sung Yim

          Year:  2007

          Plot:  "On the way to visit his ill mother, Eun-soo gets into a car accident.  Disoriented, he wanders in the forest until he meets a young girl.  She leads him to her home deep in the forest, but the fairy tale like house encompasses a secret."

          I have been meaning to watch this movie for some time now, but never really got around to it.  My current knitting project (a rainbow tank top) calls for a lot of time, so I figured I would try to catch up on some movies.  It turns out that I had been missing out on a wonderful movie by putting this one off.  I am not sure what it was that made me put this one a list and forget about it, but I am glad I finally got around to watching this.

          It only took a short time, about 10 minutes, before I was hooked.  Now I usually don't talk about sets and lighting or anything because I don't have a clue what I am talking about, but even I know this had some great sets.  The house had a nice creepy feeling too it even with the fairy tale quality.  To me, the sets and all really added to the feel of the movie.  When everything seems normal and you might question the genre, the set just doesn't feel right and causes you to start questioning what you are seeing.

          Of course, the set can't carry the movie on its own.  A good movie need the actors to sell what the set is showing you.  This movie did well in that manner as well.  I thought the acting was great, especially from the kids.  The children in this movie really had some depth to them.  One minute you can be against them and their slightly skewed idea of how things should be, and the next, you are worried about them.  This really was the point of the movie that I loved.  It is the fact that the bad, isn't always bad.  It is something I was taught as a writer, a character cannot be all good or all bad and be believable.   There has to be a some good and some bad in all.

          This is definitely a movie I suggest.  It wasn't a 'scary' movie, but it definitely had a creepy feel to it, especially at the beginning.  This movie might not be a good one for a night when you want to be forced to hide under the covers, but it is one that should be watched.

Re-cycle - China

          Director:  Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "After writing three best-sellers about love story based on her own experiences, the successful writer Tsui Ting-Yin is without inspiration and having difficulties to write her new novel in the horror genre entitled "Re-cycle".  While drafting the text, spooky events happen at her apartment and her former boy-friend of eight years ago visits her, after his divorce.  When Tsui sees a supernatural long-haired character of her book, she is trapped in his world of terror."

          I found this movie to be quite great.  The beginning of it starts off as a pretty typical horror movie with strange things happening in her house.  The things is that the 'scary' stuff rather drops off after she enters the other world.  There is scares still placed in this world, but it didn't even really seem eerie to me.  I guess I was more intrigued by this other world than anything else.
          I loved the idea about the forgotten, or abandoned.  It was all really very interesting and really rather cool.  This idea has been done in another way (can't remember where I seen it before), but I have rather liked the ideas.
          The idea of the aborted babies is a little bit off for me.  I understand it, but it just leads to a lot of arguments.  It makes people argue about whether it is for or against abortion.  I would have rather not opened up a forum post about this movie and seen nothing but 'abortion is bad' or 'I'm pro-choice'.  It is just rather irritating when I am trying to find out more about the movie.  That is pretty much the only issue I had, and it wasn't even really about the movie.  I didn't see this movie as being 'Pro-Life'.  I just seen it as someone going through a rather real situation and feelings.
          I absolutely loved the ending to this.  I know it was a bit confusing for some, but for me, it wasn't that hard to figure out.  I loved that it really tied into the rest of the movie.  It is one that if you really paid attention you will be able to understand the ending, even if you need a little help.  I would be happy to help with that if anyone needs it.

          I highly suggest this movie, though it wasn't scary.  It is an entertaining movie with a really well done plot and idea.  So if you want a straight horror movie, this one probably won't do.  This movie will though be entertaining despite this so definitely watch it sometime.

Who are You? - Thailand

          Director:  Pakphum Wonjinda
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Nida is a single mother who takes care of her anti-social son who has locked himself in his room for five years.  The only way to communicate with her son is to write on a piece of paper and slip it under the door.  But, when outsiders start to get curious about what is going on behind the door of her son’s room, a series of terrible events starts to happen."


          I am really not sure what to say about this movie.  I didn't really completely enjoy this movie, but it wasn't the worst I have seen.  I think I might have turned this movie off, if it wasn't for curiosity.  I really did want to know what was going on with Ton and why he never came out of his room.  From the beginning, I had a feeling that something was going on.  Which of course I was quite right about.  I just hadn't figured out that sort of ending.  I guess I kind of seen that ending coming, but not the extent that it was.  I mean did we really need Gollum from Lord of the Rings thrown in there.  Okay, I want say anymore about that.
          If I am right about what happened with the girl's story, I feel kind of sorry for her.  For starters, having allergies like she did had to be quite hard.  Especially when her mother had her so secluded she wasn't even supposed to stand by the window.  I understand it could be dangerous for her, but what kind of life could she have like that.
          I was kind of interested in the whole idea of the power of the mind.  It is rather interesting to think about how much our minds can really do.  I have always been interested in psychology and all.  It just fascinates me the things that our mind can actually cause us to really believe.  By this I mean such delusions or even dreams that seem so real, it is hard to believe that they're not.

          I wouldn't really suggest this movie, but I do think that it isn't a complete waste of time.  This movie is just one for the curious, and like I have said before, for those with nothing else to do.  If you have the opportunity, I would suggest many other movies before this one.

Alone - Thailand

          Director:  Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
          Year:  2007
          Plot:  "Pim moved from Thailand to Korea to escape the guilt of being the surviving half of a conjoined twin.  After she returns to visit her dying mother, the spirit of her dead sister angrily thrusts herself into Pim's life."

          So I first have to say that this movie got me.  It isn't too often that a horror movie startles me to the point that I end up closing my eyes.  This one happened to do that though.  I even went back to the scene and it got me again.  I am not sure why.  I didn't even go through the build up the second time, and I was still startled by the scene.  The only thing is, that was the only thing that startled me.  The other 'scares' didn't get me, but for some reason the scene with Pim and the flashlight did.
          I had the ending a bit spoiled for me.   Yes, I knew the outcome before it happened thanks to some unnamed people.  The thing is though, this never really bothers me.  I end up just looking for the clues that hint to the end.  This fact sometimes makes a movie rather bad.  That is if they fail to show me subtle clues.  I have to say that this one did a rather good job.  There were many little hints, and if you paid attention, you might have been able to pick up on it yourself.
          This movie isn't as high up on other sites as I feel it should be.  I feel that this kind of came from being done by the same people who did Shutter.  It seems that many felt that this didn't live up to Shutter.  I don't feel that is a fair way to judge a movie.  A movie should not have to live up to the creators other works.  It should simply have to be a good movie in itself.  On this term is how I judge this movie and ended up finding it to be quite good, but of course it wasn't perfect.

          I do suggest this movie.  The story is well done and has many little hints throughout it.  It is definitely one that will let you think before they just spell everything out for you.  I can't see disliking a movie where they try to let you discover the fact for yourself before the reveal where they tell you if you are right or wrong.

Help (Qiu Wo) - China

          Director:  Qi Zhang
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  "Jiang Yan, is a psychology student preparing her thesis in hopes to go to the United States.  While having a hard time with the topic she was given, she also struggles with her boyfriend who doesn't want her to go.  After an incident that leaves her boyfriend dead, Jiang Yan begins to see and hear things that frighten her.  Her stress and horror escalates when she begins to suspect that her friend and Professor are plotting against her."

          So as I always do, I went and checked on IMDb to get the plot for this movie and was quite surprised.  This movie only has a 5.0 rating on the site.  This surprised me as I really enjoyed it, but maybe it just had to do with the fact that only 17 people voted so far.  This movie had a 4/5 stars on LetMeWatchThis.ch (my referral address is under the Asian Movie Sites tab, just in case you decide to get a free account).
          Okay, so onto the actual movie.  As I said, I found this movie to be really enjoyable.  I especially loved the fact that this movie got me with the ending.  The only problem was that this movie was not scary.  It didn't scare me at all, but that didn't seem to matter much while I was watching it.
          Like I said, this movie did get me with the ending.  During the movie, I was quite convinced with what was being shown.  The reason I think I was easily convinced was that as it was a horror movie, I had no reason to suspect there would be a twist in the story.  The ending really was one that I did not expect, but looking back, it does fit well with the story line.

          This is a movie that I would easily suggest to someone, but I would definitely add a warning.  This is not the movie to be watching if you are looking to be scared.  This is however a really good movie that I feel will be worth your time.

My Ex - Thailand

          Director:  Piyapan Choopetch
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Ken is a superstar and the dream date of every girl.  He can attract any woman he wants, but every detail of his life ends up in gossip columns and tabloid magazines. When news leaks that Ken will marry actress Ploy, the media goes into a frenzy and their dream life turns into a nightmare.  Someone is stalking them, day and night.  Nimit, Ken's agent, encourages his client to take a break at a beach house, but the problem only escalates when people around Ken start to disappear one by one."


          I watched this movie a while ago, but appearently forgot to post my review.  I found this movie to be quite good.  I hated Ken, but then again, I didn't completely.  While watching a horror movie, you need to be able to feel bad for the characters, otherwise you aren't connected to their horror.  With this movie, though I kind of hated the main character, before things really get to the climax, the story starts to show that he isn't completely bad.  He had done some not so great things to girls, but it seems like maybe he actually did care.
          Like I said though, the main character of this show was a major jerk to women.  He is always in the tabloids for his antics, and it seems rightfully so.  There really is no reason to treat women the way he did, and especially Meen, you will understand why her especially if you see the movie.
          The movie wasn't really all that scary.  Sure the ghost looked creepy, but it didn't scare me.  That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy this movie.  The story line is what keeps this movie entertaining and enjoyable.  The scares are just there, though they aren't done poorly.  I have to say that this is one that my sister would probably find scary, but for me it didn't reach that level.

          I would suggest this movie.  The story line is well done, and rather decently acted out.  The only thing that wasn't up to par for me was the scares, but that is partly because of my obsession with horror movies.

Yoga Institute - Korea

          Director:  Jae-yeon Yun
          Year: 2009
          Plot:  “After the co-host of a shopping channel TV show loses her job to a younger rival, she enrolls in an intensive yoga course.  The very strict trainer informs her students that there will be serious consequences if they do not follow her rules.”


          This is a strange movie to me.  Not that the movie itself was necessarily strange, but my feelings about it are strange.  I am kind of neutral about this movie.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that good either.  While watching it though, I was interested in finding out the ending.  That is the one good point about this movie.  Once you start, you really do want to know what happens in the end.
           I felt kind of unsatisfied with the ending.  I wasn’t sure what was going on exactly, and that is not something normal for me.  I understood that this movie kind of runs on a form of witchcraft that is never fully stated, but that still doesn’t rationalize the complete ending sequence.  Even with some of what is stated, the ending still makes no sense and really did nothing for me.  I really felt that there was no real resolution to this movie.
          This movie wasn’t completely bad though like I said.  It had some good points.  I did enjoy some of the death sequences like the one who breaks the “no showering one hour after training rule.”  For the most part, I think that this movie could have been rather good.  All it really needed was a great ending.  Without it, it just leaves this movie as a decent time waster.


          I would suggest to definitely skip this movie if you are in the mood for a great one.  This is a movie that though not completely bad, lacks some much needed points.  This movie is more for a boring day when there isn’t anything better to watch.

Rumah Darah (Macabre) - Indonesia

          Director:  Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  “Two newly weds Adjie and Astrid, along with 3 of their best friends decided to have an interstate road trip as a last attempt to reconcile Adjie with his estranged little sister Ladya. Their trip is however abruptly interrupted when they run into Maya, a strange girl out of nowhere, who wanders aimlessly into their path. "I've been robbed" is all she has to say.”


          This happened to be another movie that I have seen mentioned in a few recommendations that I had been putting off.  It also didn’t help that I have had a lot of homework from college and haven’t had much movie time.  When I did get a slight break from my homework, I decided to give this movie a shot.
          As far as the storyline goes, I was rather happy with this movie.  It kept me pretty interested throughout the whole movie.  I absolutely loved the portrayal of Darah.  I have to say she is rather creepy just in herself.  The rest of the movie wasn’t creepy or scary to me.  I am usually not a big fan of slasher type movies, but this one was still rather good.
          As far as the gore in this movie went, it was all pretty good.  There were points where the stuff looked as fake as it really was, but because I was really interested in finding out what was up with Darah, it didn’t matter much.  
          The characters really do hold this movie together well.  Beyond wanting to know about Darah, the best character was Ladya.  Usually I have problems with the standard horror movie theme that also plays in this one, but this one did it very well.  It is always fun to see a girl fighting back especially when it is effective.  


          I definitely suggest giving this movie a shot.  Despite some of the fake looking gory scenes, the storyline is rather good.  Its ending is a lot like a typical American slasher movie, but this one pulls it off better than most in my opinion.

Phobia (4bia) - Thailand

          Directors:  Banjong Pisanthanakun, Paween Purikitpanya, Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, and Parkpoom Wongpoom

          Year:  2008

          Plot:  “4BIA is a Horror Anthology. The first segment, "Happiness (Lonely)" is about a lonely girl who corresponded with a stranger over hand phone text messaging and soon discovered something strange about this new stranger that she is attracted to.”

          Seen as this is an Anthology, I think it is just fitting to talk about this movie as each of the parts rather than talk about the movie in general.  So, First off is what was subtitled as Happiness, but used the same characters as Lonely.

          As far as this section goes, I really enjoyed it.  I have mentioned before that I really enjoy subtle hints that allow the viewer to guess what is going on before it happens.  I’m sure some people might not like this, but it is one of my favorite things.  This one definitely had a few hints that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I especially loved the “cramped” comment.  I won’t say more than that.

          I have to say that I would be really scared in the girls situation.  I definitely wouldn’t take it calmly, and neither did she.  Though I knew something was going to happen near the end, it still made me jump.  One of the reasons I love Asian horror.

          Now for Tit for Tat.  This one was good as well.  The only thing that I had an issue with was the CGI.  Now normally, bad CGI doesn’t get to me in Asian horror movies.  This is due to the fact that I know that there CGI isn’t very refined because they do not usually use it as much as in American movies.  With this one though, I couldn’t get over it.

          The CGI just took me out of the movie because it was a really big part of the last half of this section.  With bad CGI, it is better too show as little as possible, and not to have it as the focus point of too many shots.  That is another reason I can over look bad CGI in most Asian movies, it isn’t usually on screen for long.

          I did like the rest of this section though.  The deaths were pretty interesting though because I watched it on YouTube, it was fuzzy for much of it.  Still, it was pretty good.  I really wasn’t expecting the ending though.  I thought it was going to turn out differently, but was rather happy with how it unfolded.

          In The Middle, was rather entertaining to me.  It took many things from other movies, but it didn’t just copy them, they actually mentioned where they were from.  Usually I don’t think I would like a movie to do this, but because they did give credit, I actually kind of liked it.  I will say that if you haven’t seen The Sixth Sense, The Others, or Shutter (either Thai or American) don’t watch this as it will bring up some major spoilers.

          There were some pretty humorous parts to this one.  I couldn’t help but laugh when they started to freak out in the tent.  It comes at a point that is pretty tense, and I just felt it looked way too funny.  I don’t know why, but I really didn’t see the ending coming.  Looking back, I know I should have seen it with all the movie mentions and all, but sadly I didn’t.  I mean I didn’t even see it coming until they turn it over.  

          I guess I actually liked this section without even really knowing why.  It wasn’t really scary, but neither were the movies The Sixth Sense or The Others, which this movie mentions.  All three however were rather good movies.

          Finally, Last Fright.  I have to say that this one got to me.  It isn’t too often that a short can get me to jump more than once, and that’s for a good short too.  This one though got me at two different points, and was just pretty well done for me.

          I do have to say that the ghost was pretty disgusting.  I have no problem with blood, decapitation, amputation, sticking things in eyes, and so on, but I couldn’t look at this ghost for more than a few quick glances.  I think if I would have looked for long I would have felt sick to my stomach.

          I have too say that I didn’t really feel completely sorry for the woman.  Sure the Princess was a rather cruel but to actually ignore such a warning is just wrong.  I mean yeah, she was being horrible, but that is only because the attendant did something wrong first.  Maybe this should be shown as a warning to some people.  n.n

          Anyway, I actually liked this section.  It did start off a bit slow, but in the end it turned out rather good.

          I would definitely suggest giving this anthology a shot.  It definitely surprised me that this movie turned out to be as good as it did as a whole.  Now I am going to have to watch Phobia 2.

Uzumaki (Spiral) - Japan

          Director:  Higuchinsky
          Year:  2000
          Plot:  "In a small town in Japan, Kirie comes upon her boyfriend's father silently videotaping a snail. He seems unaware of her presence and she thinks no more of it. Later, the mans obsession with spirals becomes more and more bizarre, ending in his suicide in a washing machine which turn his body into a spiral. Soon other inhabitants become possessed with different forms of spirals, one student seems to be mutating into a snail, an other's hair becomes strangely medusa-like. The entire town becomes possessed."


          I am not sure exactly why I liked this one so much.  This is a live action of a Manga of the same name, though I have never read the manga.  I am thinking that I might just have to after seeing this movie.
          Now this is marked as being horror and comedy, but I guess I missed the comedy parts.  Sure, some of the stuff in the movie was a little ridiculous, but I didn't really see where the comedy came in.  The horror part was rather evident.  Not really in a scary sense, though it did get a jump out of me a few times.
          It was more of the fact that with everything going on, there was little the main characters could do to stop it.  You don't even know for sure if they could have escaped if they had known in time.  Now that isn't a spoiler, because I am not going to tell you who or if any survives.  I just mean that the characters might have been able to escape all they witnessed if they left the town.  They may not have been able to though.
          This movie also had its sweet parts.  I have to say that one of my favorite parts was the scene at Dragonfly Pond.  It is such a sweet scene, but I guess it is more of a bittersweet.  I won't tell why I feel this way, but one of the reasons definitely has to do with all they see.  To have such a sweet scene amongst all the death and craziness, is definitely bittersweet in and of itself.
           I also want to mention that if you pay close attention throughout the movie, you will notice subtle spirals.  These can be seen swirling about the backgrounds of various scenes.  This is one movie that is interesting to pay attention to.


          I suggest watching this movie.  It is definitely an interesting one.  I am not sure how good it is to those that have read the manga, but I do know that it was a good movie to me, having never read the mange.    n.n

Death Bell - Korea

          Director:  Yoon Hong-Seung
          Year:  2008
          Plot:   "After Kang Yi-na is nearly strangled and another student throttled in the restroom, the classroom TV screen switches to an image of top-ranking student Hye-yeong trapped inside a fish tank that is slowly filling with water. A disembodied voice announces that her life depends on the exam questions he will set for them, and that a student will die for every question the class gets wrong."


          I have to say that I found this movie pretty entertaining.  The storyline is pretty good and kept together well with the death scenes.  I wasn't however scared by a single point in the entire movie.  It just wasn't scary.  I suppose this has to do with the fact that the deaths and such were very impersonal.  I was however very upset when one of the guys died, not going to say who, but I liked him.  Lately it seems my favorite characters are always the ones who get it.
          Oh yeah.  The thing that kept me interested was the questions that tried to point out the truth about a girl's suicide.  You constantly try to figure out what is really going on when watching the movie, but this isn't possible until the end.  I love movies that attempt to challenge you, though this one is not possible for you to solve on your own before the ending.  Despite that it was still very entertaining to watch.
          The only other problem I had with this movie, other than it not being scary, was most of the students.  They got on my nerves a lot, but that is pretty normal for horror movie characters.  It was the main two students who held the stupidity and craziness of the others in some sort of balance.  Without those two, the story wouldn't have held up with the other students involved.


          This movie is one that I do suggest, though not really for those who are looking for any scares.  However, though it may not be scary, the storyline is interesting enough not to waste your time entirely.

Masters of Horror - Dream Cruise - Japan/America

          Director:  Norio Tsuruta
          Year:  2007
          Plot:  "Absolutely terrified of the sea, an American lawyer reluctantly goes on an ocean cruise to be near the wife of a client, with no idea of the grim situation that awaits them all."


          I think i had expected a little more of this movie.  The story was just not put together enough for me.  Sure we got the basics, but there wasn't enough of anything for you to really care about the characters.  I really couldn't have cared less if one of them died, and it did bother me greatly that only one person dies (minus the already dead ghosts).  I have to say that the ghost was creepy, for the first few minutes.  Then the green glowing got really cheesy, and the movie fell apart.
          This wasn't the greatest movie, but then again it wasn't the complete worst either.  I had some time to kill and this did the job.  It wasn't the best, but the ghost of Sean did save the movie a bit in my mind.  The problem is that the ghost of Naomi is a vengeful spirit.  She wouldn't have just stopped like that.


          Unless you have absolutely nothing better to do, skip this one.  Like I said, unless you are really bored this one is not going to entertain you.  It isn't really scary at all.

Shibyo Osen a.k.a. Dead Rising - Japan

          Director:  Keiji Inafune

          Year:  2010

          Plot:  "Loosely based on the Dead Rising 2 game, Shobyo Osen is a spin-off story that takes place in a world where the zombie outbreak has spread all over the world, including Japan.  Areas with the infected are quarantined from the rest of the world, leaving the uninfected residents to fend for themselves against the horde of hungry zombies. Two of these people are brothers George and Shin, who decide to hatch a plan to escape after they find themselves trapped in a zombie-infested area."


          This movie was released as episodes for online viewing from Capcom.  I watched it on AsianHorrorMovies.com at this link.   There were those who said not to watch it if you were a fan of Asian horror movies.  I watched it anyway.
          I have to say, besides the dubbing and obviously low budgeted effects, it wasn't a bad movie.  The zombies weren't the greatest I have seen, but they also weren't the worst.  The thing that held this movie together for me was George.  He is facing a great obstacle, and I don't mean the zombies.  George is handicapped.  Not exactly your typical zombie movie star.  
          I couldn't stop watching this movie until the end.  I had to know what happened to George, and I have to say, I wasn't expecting the ending.  I know it was likely to happen, but I got so attached to George.  Now you probably get what I mean, but the way it is done, I hadn't expected.


          I would suggest watching this movie, but of course not when you want a great scary horror movie.  The effects may not be the greatest, but the characters are pretty well done.  If you do follow the link and watch it, don't shut it off until the very end.  The credits play before the movie actually ends.

Into the Mirror - Korea

          Director: Sung-ho Kim
          Year:  2003
          Plot:  "Woo Yeong-min retired from the police force after trying to save his partner and causing his death.  He must face both his own fear of mirrors and the mystery surrounding the fire that closed down the mall."


          Again, I have to admit that I watched the remake and the sequel to the remake before having ever watched this one.  Few things about the remakes first.  The first one was "scary".  It didn't get me, though I thought it was a good movie, but it did get my sister quite a few times.  The problem with the first remake was that a lot of it didn't make sense.  I just didn't understand how the mirrors worked even at the end.  It was never explained to the audience about the rules of the mirrors.  Also the whole demon thing was a little irritating.  Once again, you have to face a religion being forced on you through a movie.  If you aren't religious and don't believe in demons, this one just didn't work on the plot level.  Though it was an okay movie as far as horror goes.
          Now for the remakes sequel.  I found this one to be rather enjoyable.  It was hard to keep from laughing when Christy Carlson Romano was in the shower and awaiting her end scene.  It wasn't because there was anything funny about her.  No, my sister was just having a major issue with seeing the sister from Even Stevens naked.  When she finally covered her eyes, I was able to see a pretty great death scene.  The death scenes looked much better in this one.  I had an issue with the jaw separation scene in the first one because it looked super fake, but the death scenes in this one were rather good.


          Finally, let's move on the the original.  I have to say that this one though not "scary", I doubt even my sister would be scared, but it has a great well put together story.  If you have already seen the remakes, this one fills in all of the holes, about how the mirrors actually work.  As an audience we are given the story about the world inside the mirrors and how even if you die on the outside of the mirror, you can still be living within it.  All of this is plainly stated in the movie during a scene with the main character's friend.  Now if I would have been told this during the remake, the movie would have made a lot more sense, thought the whole demon thing would have had to be ditched.
          The plot of this one is completely different from the first remake, with the "ghost" or "spirit" within the mirror being a lot like that of the Korean movie "Shutter".  By this I mean that the spirit isn't like Kayako the Grudge, killing everyone it comes in contact with; no, this one only kills those who it has a previous involvement with.  Well, no more on that subject or I will give away too much (that is if you haven't seen Mirrors 2).


          Definitely check this movie out, even if you have seen the American remakes.  Into the Mirrors will allow you necessary insight into how the mirrors really work.  Even if you haven't seen the remakes, give this movie a watch.  It is a very intriguing story.

Ju-on: The Grudge 2 - Japan

          Director:  Takashi Shimizu
          Year:  2003
          Plot:  "While driving , the pregnant horror-movie actress Kyôko Harase and her fiancé are in a car crash caused by the Toshio.  Kyôko loses her baby and her fiancé winds up in a coma."


           I found this movie rather interesting.  It wasn't really scary, but it was definitely good.  This one follows the same sort of story telling as the first (and American remakes) whereas it jumps between the stories of more than one character.  It might be a little confusing if you haven't gotten use to this, but if you've seen a few movies with this style, it is fine.
          I have to say that I liked some of the stuff that was filmed in the house.  What I mean is, I loved what it turns out that they captured on film.  The guy might not have been so clueless if he had actually woken up to see the reply, but at least we as the audience get to see it.
          There were a few things that just weren't quite right.  Like the wig.  I remember reading a comment on the remake where they mentioned the wig scene from this one and now I know what they were talking about.  It wasn't scary it was just simply weird.  I also didn't like the birthing.  It was just a little too unbelievable to watch.
          Other than those, this movie was actually pretty good.  It wasn't scary, but it was entertaining, as a lot of Takashi Shimizu's films are.


          I suggest this, watch this movie even if it is just to see all of the Ju-on/Grudge movies.  It won't be a complete waste of time.