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xSamhainx
Paws of Doom
Joined: 11 Sep 2002
Posts: 2192
Location: San Diego |
It seems that everywhere you look in Asian horror, it's another palefaced child spirit making everyone's life a living hell. The phones ring, televisions suddenly flip to The Static Channel, and the quirky little ghost of the quirky little kid that died off-camera finally appears. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth ensues. This formula has been successful and filmmakers have definitely taken notice, but as I stood in front of the foreign section of my local video-2-go store looking at everything from Ju-on:The Grudge, Ju-rei:The Uncanny, Ringu, Shikoku, Tomie, The Phone, and a few I forget off the top of my head, I thought is this it?
Then, there amongst the melancholy little pasty asian faces of damnation, I noticed 2 little bloody girls posed on a couch with mom and dad standing behind them, sort of a grim and slightly surreal, ruddy image sticking out there amongst the stark greens and blues of their kin on the boxes near them. "Let me guess, Ju-Why:The Slightly Perterbed", I thought to myself. A friend of mine had recommended the film, "A Tale of Two Sisters" to me a while ago, and I hadnt read a bad review of it yet, so what the hell I grabbed it.
I'll have to cut to the point, it was a good horror film. No, it was a really good horror film. Is there a little kid ghost? Yes, there are spirits of the dead in this film, but it isnt the same-ol "look at mee, im so scawwy" action that makes jaded viewers such as myself say with a smirk "Ok little ghost, what did I tell you about sneakin up on me like that?".
There is a family dynamic that changes the rote chaotic-evil nature of the spirits, and the film itself, from sorta anonymous pasty-faced nasties menacing practically anonymous people, to instead a sad and scary tale of tortured spirits of living and dead loved ones bound by their love and hatred of each other. It's enthralling, and it completely sucker punches you about 80% of the way thru when the truth starts to become evident, and you learn just why everyone's so bent outta shape.
It also is the type of film that slightly annoys me in the way it metes out vital information very late in the film, meanwhile leaving certain likeable characters being dissed every 5 minutes by people around them for apparently no reason. It's just my upbringing, but smart-ass or disrespectful kids dont last very long around adults where I'm from. The stepmother is a likeable, pretty young thing who seems nice enough. Yet Su-mi (one of the sisters) sneers and treats her like utter trash, and it becomes annoying to the point you just feel like saying "just what the f#@& is your problem already?".
But as you'll see, she has plenty good reason to be pissed off. Not to mention (but i'll mention it anyway) she's also completely loco and being haunted by the freakin' dead 24/7, so things are a little crazy in Su-mi's world. But overall, it isnt an easy cruise-control movie to watch, and much like the time-reversal schtick of films like "Ju-rei" that actually run the story itself backwards, you'll soon be wondering if you are watching memories of the past, psychotic dreamscapes of dementia, or the present reality. But once you "get it", it's great.
Now most Asian horror fare Ive seen have pretty low production values, but this is not most Asian horror films. It is a nicely shot, well-produced, top-notch picture throughout. There isnt a whole lot of blood or graphic violence, so the cover may be a bit misleading to some thinking of a ghostie slasher or something. It's more along the psychological horror lines of say "The Shining", when the line between actual paranormal phenomena and plain ol' madness is questionable. I'm actually gonna buy this one.
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“Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.”-Mark Twain |
Fri May 13, 2005 2:23 pm |
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Korplem
Swashbuckler
Joined: 23 Dec 2002
Posts: 853
Location: Pearl Harbor, HI |
I have to say that I've been getting a little fed up with the recycled horrors myself. Since you're such a good critic and have never steered me wrong with your reviews I'll have to go find this one.
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If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.
-The Prince of Nothing |
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Mon Jun 13, 2005 7:09 pm |
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Korplem
Swashbuckler
Joined: 23 Dec 2002
Posts: 853
Location: Pearl Harbor, HI |
I don't get much of a chance to go look for movies these days but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for these.
_________________
If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.
-The Prince of Nothing |
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Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:57 am |
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