Blog Archives

Ah, The Ring. The film that drew our collective attention to Japanese horror after being desensitised by rivers of blood and latex gore. It took a slow moving, internalised film to really bring back that sense of dread that made you sleep just that little less soundly than before. And we were hardly disappointed — soon what followed were films like Ring 2, Dark Water and The Grudge (though admittedly I wasn’t that big a fan of that … (read more)

Well, there’s a thing: a Tomie movie with a plot! And I have to say it’s not at all bad, despite being made on a budget that would make a grown director weep.

Perhaps some of this giddy enthusiasm comes from having sat through the interminable Tomie 2. Sheer relief at not being faced with another whey-face, smirking teen queen may have led me to see this one as better than it is. Or perhaps it’s because some of … (read more)

There was, from our Western eyes, a Renaissance in horror coming out of Japan. Awareness about the Ring series had come to light and Dark Water was a worthy successor. As such, there was a level of expectation from The Grudge which, in hindsight, was somewhat undeserved. If anything, it just goes to show that the Japanese horror industry is just as fallible as their international brethren.

I suppose part of the disappointment with the film is in part to … (read more)

It’s said that misery loves company: so, apparently, do dead people. There’s no other reason I can think of for their burning desire to kill off as many bystanders as possible, with a plethora of dramatic effects.

I can imagine it’s not a bundle of laughs hanging around in the afterworld when you can’t stand up, there’s no alcohol, and you’re dressed for all eternity in your shift. And while I can share the selfish notion that if I’m miserable, … (read more)