Japanese/Asian Horror Films

While I would much rather they just released the original films widely you could argue though that these US remakes encourage people to seek out the originals and that they're actually made more widely available because of the remakes. For instance, I only saw the DVD's of the original 'Ring' films and 'Ju-On' in the shops after the US had remade them.

Although I saw the original 'Ring' on C4 a couple of years before the remake was released so....

The only decent American remake so far has been 'The Ring' and even then it wasn't as good as the original.
 
My OH is a big fan of Asian cinema, and when we moved in together, his 50+ collection of films came too. I havent got round to watching all of them, but have seen Audition, Ring and Ring 2 which I loved.

I can recommend a really good creepy Korean film called R-Point. Probably one of the better films I have seen in the genre for a long time.
 
Yes, very good too!!

I'm just waiting for a copy of the Heirloom to come through the post. I've heard some very good reviews about that!!
 
The one's i've enjoyed most are:

1. Ringu - Probably my favourite horror film from any nation. But see it before seeing the US version for maximum effect. And try to avoid spoilers.

2. Ring 0 - Comes very close to Ringu, it's a horror story and tragedy all mixed into one and it will both touch and terrify you.

3. Pulse / Kairo - Very weird and very spooky film

4. Dark Water

5. The Grudge - Although i actually thought the US version was more scary but this could be because i saw that first.

Also highly recommend Oldboy, though it's not strictly speaking a horror film.

I have the Eye on DVD but it's faulty and the second half has been wiped off. i bought it from HMV a while ago but lost the receipt. It was OK but it didn't over bother me that I only saw half of it.

By the way, Ring 2 is not on a par with Ringu and Ring 0, although it's worth seeing just to see how the story develops.

Finally there is Audition. Not my favourite, but a lot of people like it. The first half is pretty boring but the second half is a bit shocking.
 
I quite enjoyed the Eye, not the scariest film I've ever seen, but still enjoyable.

Took me a while to get hold of Audition. I remember taping it on Channel 4 a few years back, but the video cut out 10 mins from the end. Really annoyed me that!!
 
Is that Uzumaki? I thought that was rubbish?

Watched Shutter the other week. The lamest story ever - students accidentally kill someone, he is a photographer, mysterious images show up in his photos, somehoe its connected to the woman they killed blah blah BLAH..., but by God it IS scary!!! On a par with Ring et al.

Kairo is getting a hollywood remake (ray.........not)

Anyone seen Cello or Ab-Normal Beauty? i got them to watch yet as well.

The Wig - is crap.

Koma - pretty good though i thought the ending should have been where
mad bint takes the boyfrienRAB kidney, instead of her frienRAB... it would have improved the story as well!

Koma 2 - Home sweet home starts off well and enRAB up pretty turgid

Also, its it just me or is Asia now staring to churn out similar style films on the back of the success of all the good ones? And in a similar vein? Like there seems to be a middle bit somewhere in the story where a character will do a flashback, telling thier tale (usually in a whisper) which explains everything, tying it all together before the final mental scenes where we all go ARGH! I DIDNT SEE THAT COMING!
 
Just caught this as part of the Film 4 Korean season - twisted plot, not complex, just sick.

I love the fact that these films are so detatched from the usual 'moral message' that's tacked onto so many western films, and the fact that they can so easily dip into the surreal and get away with it.

It seems Asian filmmakers have not even read the book on how to make cinema - they have obviously never even heard of a 'deus ex machina' because they'd realise they were overdoing it!

Still, it's highly enjoyable stuff, mainly because the plot is not telegraphed and there really is no guarantee of the uplifting finale.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.
 
I never understood the fuss about Audition - my thoguhts are it would have been better as a book, except for the torture scene. I was lying in my guy's bed watching it and we were so bored we almost had to resort to other things.

Ichi the Killer - Most HILARIOUS and gory horror movie I've ever seen, i LOVE it! I was in fits of laughter through most of it.

Battle Royale also, I would highly recommend. I'm loving the manga though, way more sex and violence which makes it that much more shocking!
 
Never understood the fuss with Audition neither, but movies that show a lot of torture aren't my thing so maybe that's why.

Anyway here's a list of the Asian movies I've seen and my opinions of them.

A Tale of Two Sisters - Sheer class and original.
One Missed Call - Good but the sequel is rubbish.
Ichi the Killer - Okay but a couple of brutal rape scenes which I didn't enjoy.
Suicide Club/Circle - Very good and original
Dead Friend - Not bad but not as good as some of the others.
JU-On 1 & 2 - Ju-On 1 very good and creepy. Ju-On 2 not so.
Shutter - Pretty good and quite creepy.
Dark Water - Very good.
Kairo - Good and creepy.
The Eye & Eye 2 - From what I can remember some scene's in Eye made me jump. Eye 2 ain't bad but not as good as the original.
Premonition - Good and quite creepy.
Face - Okayish
Whispering Corridors - Very good.
Ring, Ringu, Ring O - Ring was good, Ringu and Ring O weren't bad.
Old Boy - Very boring.
Phone - My favourite. Little Yeong-Ju was excellent in this film.
 
Well, went for this as it's the same director (Chan Wook Park) and it's equally sick but it's pretty straightforward and there does appear to be a moral message in this one.

There is no redemption through vengeance.

Left me wanting something more - plot stretched credibility at times, probably because it never could 'go surreal'.

Don't think the parents would have sat and watched the tapes.

Plenty of scenes were unnecessary to the plot - which was very simple in the end. I hope 'A Tale Of Two Sisters' is better.
 
R-point was terrible with some awful acting.

The Grudge was just confusing.

The Eye was good although not as good as The Mothman Prophecies which it reminded me of.

Although they're not horror films I would also recommend Public Enemy, Brotherhood, Joint Security Area and especially Memories of Murder, one of the best Korean films I've seen.
 
" A Tale of Two Sisters" is probably one of my favouites. This is a beautiful movie, the cinematography is astounding and the performances are beyond delightful. I loved the whole melancholic tone of the movie. Its Eastern style of storytelling also credits the audience with more patience, intelligence and imagination than their Western counterparts (IMO, of course) :)
 
OMG - I just got *confused* watching this. Admittedly, I was forced to watch it with a 'break' in the middle (about 1 hour in).

I think I lost the plot. :D But it was so sloooooow for the first hour anyway. Sorry if I didn't get this one, but the plot was too complex for me.

I admit to thinking some of the characters I couldn't tell who they were from one scene to the next. And who the hell was real and who was nuts? It fair lost me, but I didn't really want to re-watch it to try and understand, more's the pity.
 
Dont worry, it took me more than one viewing and a few visits to IMDB! But, id say go to imdb, read a few threaRAB, and please go back and watch the film again because you will certianly get more out of it when you understand it better :)
 
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