I Am Legend (theater) / Omega Man (dvd)

To be completely honest, I didn't expect to see much difference between a Charlton Heston helmed Omega Man and the Will Smith fronted I Am Legend, and what do you know there wasn't. Same source material, similar outcome. Other than Legend's CGI that is. As Hello Siesta mentions, the film's defining attribute (throughout its many incarnations), is its religiosity, which skulks in the shadows throughout. Similarly, and likewise differently, Omega Man first smacks religious when Heston meets the other survivors but Legend holds out until the very end to trumpet the Smith character's Christ-like underpinnings and eventual sacrifice. One difference.

Contrarily, Heston's "Neville" ventures into this territory when he finds there are other survivors, or more precisely, when the survivors find him — Smith's "Neville" is somewhat noncommittal about his divinity; one moment waxing poetic about Bob Marley style peace & unity, the next screaming there's no God!. I'm not saying it's what I enjoyed about the two films, in fact I barely enjoyed both (first half of I Am Legend aside), it simply strikes me as lack of effort in capitalizing on Smith's Chuck Noland-esque execution, ... or maybe it's due to the story's supposed unfilmability.

Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006)

A quick hit on a documentary watched this past week: Ghosts Of Cité Soleil (The Ghosts of Sun City, or Fantasmas de Cité Soleil). The gist is this: During Jean-Bertrand Aristide's second try as Haiti's President (the more controversial of the two terms), and a resistance group headed by the former Haitian president's brother begins a city by city march to depose him and his Lavala Party. The story revolves around two Lavala brothers, "Bily" and "2Pac". 

As you might have guessed, 'Pac' co-opted his moniker from Tupac Shakur and is a self-described hip-hop superstar in the making — or he would have us believe as much. The two are militant leaders in two of the nineteen Soleils in Port-au-Prince and the top men in the Aristide armed & funded Chimére (Ghost) Army; an allegiance they appear to hold solely for its power. "Bily" is less flagrant than his brother, he wants to become President of Haiti, but "2Pac" is a bombastic thug who lords over his Soleil with a combination of charm and horrible fear. In one instant, 2Pac seeks a generator during one of the many power outages (to throw a party no less), but when a man waffles to hand his over, 'Pac' puts bladder-evacuating fear into the man — this is but one of his antics. What transpires in Asger Leth's doc is the brothers' efforts to maintain their power first and foremost, yet their portrayed as wanting to escape the squalid life in the Soleils. '2Pac' developes a contact in Fugees alumn Wyclef Jean to produce his music, and in turn, opening the window of escape that has eluded him — what's clear though is '2Pac' really has no desire to abandon a situation he relishes. This dichotomy is his alone. 'Bily', on the contrary, maintains his provincial, if not illusionary, political aspirations.

As a whole, and to Leth's credit, he holds back the urge to wonder into soap opera territory. I can image the self-control employed in the face of a coup, a weird love triangle, Wyclef Jean's inclusion in the events, and all of the in-fighting among the different Soleil leaders. How he staved off becoming repetitive or melodramatic is no small wonder.

I'll give Ghosts Of Cité Soleil 5 Powermad Haitians out of 10.

Stephen King’s The Mist (2007)

I have a few spare minutes this bone-shatteringly cold morning of 2°F so why not spend it here with the people whom, and the blogs which, warm the cockles of my heart. I saw Stephen King’s The Mist this past Thanksgiving weekend, a film I honestly intended to skip if it weren’t for the review/recommendation of Star Tribune/Vita.mn/The Rake film contributor Colin Colvert; someone who’s opinion in the world of film is trending harmonious as of late. 

I’ll stop just short of saying The Mist completely works, it does skew a tad obtuse (refreshingly so?), but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it in an instant for a host of reasons: a tremendous sense of space in light of the setting’s size versus the number of actors, studious recovery when the subject matter drifts towards digression, and a great sense of pace are but a few from the macro column. It's very worth a theater viewing if for no other reason than how a massive screen and pummeling sound-scape facilitate the film's simultaneously claustrophobic & remote anxiety alongside impressive visuals.

What lingers, for me, and without being blasphemous, as it were, Mist enters the ominous halls occupied by films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kairo and the upcoming blockbuster-in-waiting I Am Legend, but unlike Kairo and more in line with 1998’s Deep Impact, (although nowhere near as effective imo), ‘Mist’ speeds past a genuine opportunity to drop a steaming heap of salvation. Darabont errs by squandering an opportunity to give auds a truly revelatory experience; why the need to protect? Who knows. Supposedly King whole-heartedly approved of the ending.

Having read only four of his novels (one novella, and not the story in question; all relatively forgettable) I can somewhat attest to his affinity for punting. The last thing is, I can’t shake the feeling that it ebbs & flows in ways a certain H. P. Lovecraft short story does; I re-read it to satisfy my curiosity.

Best Films Of 2007 (From What I've Seen)

"Once you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am," the rest is soon to foller."

28.
30 Days Of Night
A phenomenal premise, but suspect execution. What saves the film however, and the reason it makes my top list at all, is the claustrophobic nature, and crisp, lush visuals. It's clear this was a video game platform written for film.

27.
American Gangster
A fairly melodramatic and cozy Hollywood production masquerading as a hard-nosed biopic.

26.
1408
It's here for some reason.

25.
The Number 23
I thought the film's revelation came much too late. Certainly after we've either figured it out or ceased caring.

24.
The Bourne Ultimatum
The deliberately smooth, yet ultimately anticlimactic wrap to a great series.

23.
Breach
My affinity for political thrillers may have worked in Breach’s favor here. Seems like a film which should have been released a couple years ago. Nothing objectionable and solid performances.

22.
28
Weeks Later
Would’ve been a tall order to top its predecessor; possibly a low-effort placeholder for 28 Months Later?

21.
Disturbia
I don’t care if what people say, despite being a total and complete spoof (if you will), it entertained!

20.
Eastern Promises
A mild disappointment. Have I been spoiled by Dostoevsky? Probably, but as I wrote before, the film somewhat collapsed upon itself under the weight of its own propriety. Sorry fans.

19.
You're Gonna Miss Me
Originally released at SXSW in 2005, You're Gonna Miss Me experienced a limited theatrical release this year, where most became acquainted with the melancholy look into the tribulations of shooting star turned burnt out institution-case Roky Erickson, founder of the mid-60's rock group The 13th Floor Elevators. In one scene, there’s a certain elegance and power when Erickson bangs out “Goodbye Sweet Dreams” ( a tune I hammered out on my acoustic thereafter for effect) for his brother and therapist during a session. Ultimately, a disjointed look at a broken human attempting to right his life.

18.
Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
This documentary, to some success, sheds a cautionary light on the pitfalls of the modern credit crisis and the systematic abuse therein. A tad inflammatory on the whole (if you ask me), in the sense that it paints credit in the most bleakest of lights and with the broadest of brushes, yet its points are all the same honest and ring true. The Suzy Orman mention is priceless. Based on the book of the same name.

17.
The Lookout
It’s been a while since watching this one, and I failed to write anything at the time for reference, but I do recall thinking it borrows from Memento near the end, and the unresolved ‘injured friend’ tangent left me shrugging. It's a well made thriller & caper.

16.
Saw IV
If submitting Saw IV in front of Eastern Promises seriously jeopardizes my critic-cred, then so be it. Darren Lynn Bousman’s cockeyed chain of justice films continually fall a short of transcending its celluloid bonds, I think we all agree on this, yet I continue to hold out hope this series turns more assertive

15.
Bug
Outside of 2004’s Thai gem Shutter, Bug may be one of the best low–budget horror films to both improve as it progresses, and comes seemingly from absolutely nowhere to surprise auds. Judd is wonderful as a trashed hotel queen, delivering this movie in the palm of her hands... and the whites of her eyes.

14.
Inland Empire
I wanted to rate this higher, but to be completely honest it just wore on for about a half hour beyond my attention. Much latitude is deserved for its Mulholland Drive-like character study, and the phenomenally rubixed standpoint, and with just the right splash of 19th Century Eastern European fabledom.

13.
3:10 To Yuma
Despite the fact it’s a remake, and in the face of suspect motivations (plot devices), 3:10 To Yuma sustains on it’s own flesh and grit (much like Mangold’s pseudo-epic Copland); particularly Russel Crowe’s Wade, whose self interest rears its ugly head in surprising ways. All of them are brilliant — on the other hand, Bale’s' Evans is the hero we hold on high but despise in the presence of others; today’s loser.

12.
The Darjeeling Limited
Am I growing weary of Wes Anderson’s cutesy, darling screed of hipster wholesomeness and fatigued families? Almost there. Still, it was alright.

11.
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten

This eulogy/celebration of Clash front man John Mellor, famously known as Joe Strummer (a name he got for his lack of technical prowess with the guitar), and his rise and dissension in the realm of punk rock. Personally, I was quite unaware of The Clash for a long time, then again to this day I can only tag three songs, so I went into this wide eyed.

In one scene, Strummer recounts writing their most well known track London Calling as a reaction to the pressures exacted onto us by the media: ‘It was too much. It was always that a sickness would kill us all, or the sun was going to crash into the earth, or the country would be drowned by the melting ice…and here I stayed in a shit apartment next to the river! Of course his lyrics reflect precisely this. They recorded the album on their own (after firing the band's manager/label) and did so inside of three weeks.

10.
We Own The Night
9.
The Host
8.
Paprika
Some movies you just have to seen.
7.
Grindhouse: Death Proof
6.
The Taste of Tea
5.
Gone Baby Gone
4.
Zodiac

3.
Into The Wild

2.
Michael Clayton
All environmental issues aside, this is simply a magnificently acted/directed/written film. Nary a glitch, and it cuts a wide swath yet refuses to get sloppy. To many people's surprise, Clooney nearly disappears into this role, and that deserves mention because he’s one of those actors who tend to outshine their character to the detriment of the film concerned.

1.
No Country For Old Men
A parable for our time. A pre–War on Drugs recollection/essay on violent, indiscriminate crime and a cinematic masterwork on the measurement of life. An investigation of greed. A call to our fellow man. A modern day Grimm's tale. No Country For Old Men is all of these and more.

On a realistic note, yet on point, I read this morning in my local paper of a guy who entered the home of an elderly woman. As the elderly woman recounts, she was awoken as she napped in a reclining chair by a man who claimed he had discovered her purse — using the key to let himself in. In short order, before she could get her bearings, he demanded a reward. But when she demanded he leave, he responded by spraying her in the face with mace then beating her face until she passed out. Or I recall the closed caption video of a downtown Minneapolis sidewalk where three urban troubadours ran up on an elderly couple, beat them to the concrete for their purse and wallet, then proceeded in kicking them repeatedly for good measure. I instantly know these seasoned citizens, these parents and grandparents, would have much in common with the thoughts and struggles of Tommy Lee Jones’ Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, if not this film as a whole.

I know there plenty of people who haven’t seen this film, but there’s simply too much to say concerning this film. Mindful of this, I want to touch on is the comedic element, something I paid special attention to during my second viewing. Ed Tom Bell is a regular cut-up indeed, although what struck me was not the crowd reaction to the mannered country-fried witticisms, but at the times the film intended to be more somber — the audiences reaction seemed far too automatic, willing to laugh at discomfort than embrace it. The word desensitized comes to mind. The coup de grace might have been the brief, but uproarious laughter when Chigurh blasts Stephen Root's unnamed character in the face with a shotgun. Is Root simply a stereotypical funny man? Did Woody Harrelson’s jocularity soften our guard? I can say that I didn't break a smile. Did I miss something?

The film's esoteric ending lent just enough to ring true, but once again not for some. I overheard a woman commenting “is that it?” as the credits appeared.

Paradise Villa (2002)

O.k., where to begin? Oh, right...the premise. Considering what it is, it won't take long to set the stage. Paradise Villa opens in a gamers cafe (before gaming cafes were cool), filled to the brim with keyboard slapping teens. We settle on one kid, Sumusal, as his PC crashes. When he gets his game back online, his character has lost all of it's power and all of it's weapons. Or more precisely, they've been hijacked. This doesn't sit well with him.

The main stage is an apartment building packed with quite the strange array of tenants. We've got the building caretaker, the Parks, a young couple with a baby, an older couple that can't get along and the husband is apparently screwing around with another, younger tenant. We have a couple of porn-star wannabes, and many more. This is where our "protagonist" ends up later that day to look for the hijacker he only knows as Viagra. That's right, Viagra. The building's residents have turned their attention to the Soccer World Cup game between Japan and Korea, so they're completely oblivious as to what is roaming the hallways and stairwells.


** spoilers **

I can hardly fault Park for using such an attractive cast, but when one scene erupts into a full-blown, multi-position free-for-all, I wonder how seriously Park took the movie in the first place. Paradise Villa's owner, (also named Mr. Park) is summoned home by a couple of young peeping tom tipsters about his woman getting her freak on with another guy. Mr. Park busts in on them in mid crescendo and during a fray with the guy, Mr. Park gets crowned and dies. As this is going on, Sumusal is in some kind of trance as he's going from apartment to apartment looking for Viagra and also busts into a home and stabs a woman a few times in the stomach. That's only the beginning...

What's soon evident as the killing progresses is that all but the first couple can almost be attributed to his search for Viagra, Rather than being opportunistic, they're killing for the sake of killing...and it gets boring very fast. He begins to go to absurd lengths (as does the cheating couple) to perpetuate their respective courses of action. Here, it doesn't work at all. Instead of plot or character development (I'll acknowledge that there are too many characters to develop them), Park resorts with toilet shots and crude voyeurism to hold the viewer's attention . In one particularly confusing scene, Sumusal is well into his spree where he happens to kill one of the young residents who is retrieving a tiny camera that's been stashed to spy on his porn-star neighbor. As Sumusal sits there with the freshly dead kid, he asks it if he's Viagra. After he's dead! Then, through voyeuristic-style camera work on Park's behalf, proceeds to spoon the dead porn-star. You can't make that stuff up; nor would you want to. The movie wraps up as "Gamer Kid" hears a ring tone melody that snaps him out of 'serial killer mode'. He washes himself clean of all the blood and leaves.

** end spoilers **

Whatever message writer/director Park had in mind for Paradise Villa is completely buried by the sub-B Movie violence and sexual content. I can barely decipher what I construed to be a 'technology is corrupting youth' theme, but anyone would be hard pressed to believe Paradise Villa was trying to say anything at all. It does however receive good marks for a consistent time-line, generally decent camerawork and good marks for using the entire building as a set. That keeps things a bit fresher than they might otherwise be. The main problem is, again, that it's just "there". It takes itself too seriously to be considered a slasher, too dry to make it as camp (where it might have had a fighting chance), and too base to be considered drama. And it's not funny. It doesn't have a home. So I was left detached and unconvinced.

Infernal Affairs 2 (Wu jian dao 2, 2003)

Infernal Affairs II, the sequel (but actually a prequel) of Infernal Affairs, hits the ground running as we're given the untold story that precluded Infernal Affairs' 1997 beginning. It's the year 1991 and a young Officer Yan (played here by Shawn Yue) has been dispatched to more or less infiltrate his own family. You see, Yan's half-brother is Triad boss and all-around upstanding citizen, Ngai Wing-Hau (Francis Ng). Hau has been catapulted to head of the class because SP Wong (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) has surreptitiously collaborated with a member of the Ngai Family's inner circle to have "retired" Triad Boss 'Uncle Kwan' murdered. After the assassination, the Triads are buzzing and the upper echelon bosses start to swarm and jockey for power. So to get everything back under control, Hau opens up a can of 'Michael Corleone' on the group, and one by one his problems go away. With the exception of Sam (again played deftly by Eric Tsang). Being one of Hau's closest compatriots, he barely escapes a meeting with some of Hau's associates while on a business trip for him in Thailand. Upon his return, Sam flips and talks to SP Wong about cooperating and the department puts him in a safe-house. This is where Sam has his first contact with an unfledged, but cagey officer named Lau Kin Ming. Ming (Edison Chen, A-1 Headline) makes the most of a few moments alone with Sam, at the safe-house with a team of officers, to create an opportunity for himself with Sam. And we see this come to fruition in Internal Affairs. There's plenty more than what's in this short recap, so don't be alarmed. It's not this cut and dry. The film ends on the cusp of the British hand-over of Hong Kong to the Chinese in 1997. A powerful turning point for Hong Kong in the film and in reality, as well as a good transition point for the film's characters into Infernal Affairs.

With Infernal Affairs II though, a majority of the movie struck me as a tad melodramatic. That may be due to the fact that it is a prequel. I knew the outcome of most every crucial character story-line the movie had to offer, which took most, but not all of the surprise and tension away from the start. But that only applies to the one's that we knew already. Where the melodrama helps is within the inter-Triad confrontations. Reason being, since most of the characters are new to us, the added dramatics and weighty camera work allows us to not dwell on that fact. The first third of the film readily acquaints with the new characters with a fast pace that requires our attention. Furthermore, we have in-depth looks into old favorites from Infernal Affairs; the tough road SP Wong takes to get where he is, Sam's rise to Triad Boss, a brief but effective glimpse of Ming's wife Mary (Carina Lau) and where she came from, and a few other nice additions.

One negative was the sometimes overbearing soundtrack, which I was surprised to find was a bit too eager in several places. Long tracks of dialogue were minimized and obscured by music playing simultaneously. Also, without Tony Leung and Andy Lau, the movie doesn't hit with the same magnitude as part one. But because it's essentially a preamble to Internal Affairs and provokes the viewer to recollect how each character fits, there's a built in fail-safe for the lack of "star power" to lead us. Internal Affairs 2 is it's own movie though, for reasons I mentioned earlier and because it covers essentially new ground. I would almost recommend that it be watched first because I do think it does a great job telling the back-story of Infernal Affairs. But it's clear (from flashbacks in part two and how it opens) that it is intended for a post-Infernal Affairs viewing. That, I would hate to mess with the originals brilliance by something possibly being spoiled. All that being said, a damn good companion piece to the original that is worth the time. Just don't expect to be blown completely away.

Kibakichi (aka Werewolf Warrior, Kibakichi: Bakko yokaiden, 2004)

In an attempt to diversify it's portfolio, MTI Studios along with it's newly born Saiko Films, threw together an inspired movie called Kibakichi, admittedly to gain some Asian Horror cred and cash in in the current success of the genre. This is the new label's first film. The studio's summary also appears on the Region 1 DVD. What it leaves out is that Kibakachi is standard B-movie fair. I had higher hopes for it.

The film opens with a deep, ominous voice; "A long time ago humans and monsters called Yokai, and nature lived in harmony without getting in the way of each other. But soon, men began to destroy the Yokai. Some fled to the mountains and some turned themselves into men, women, and the elderly to hide from the human world."

Now, there are obviously clear parallels in Kibakichi's story between world history's conflicting countries or populations within countries in man's quest for advancement or simply the ability to conquer and rule. Whether it's rooted, in the film's case (?), in feudal Japan's emergence into a more technologically advanced world (which I don't know a lot about, regrettably), or the Europeans going to America and taking land from the Indians, or even more contemporary instances, there's definitely a moral backdrop in Kibakichi. But such situations have taken place for thousands and thousands of years and in the end, it's the way the world has worked for just as long. So I tried to set that on the back burner while taking in the spectacle of Kibakichi.

The "spaghetti western" aspect of the movie is evident from the start. Kibakichi is strolling through a dry, grassy plain, while a group of bandits try to get the jump on him for some reason. The camera ping-pongs back and forth between sides and then, as if an homage to Sergio Leone, freezes on the blazing afternoon sun. Needless to say, Kibakichi will continue on his way that day. And similar to Clint Eastwood in his famous trilogy, Kibakichi, with reason, (as we find out later in the movie), will agree to extend his services to help pacify the village's turmoils. But unlike The Man with No Name Trilogy, Eastwood didn't encounter talking frog or turtle monsters on a narrow bridge leading into the tiny town. I'll have to check on that though. Kibakichi takes some sake at a pub and is quickly "recruited" to gamble at the local casino (for lack of a better term) and just like that, the meat of the story kicks into high gear. He sits at a long, low table to wager on a dice game that's based on an "even or odds" outcome. Many other patrons are also gambling , as well as enjoying the company of one of the many giggling geisha girls. It's not long before Kibakichi is raking in the cash and then suddenly pulled away from the table and asked by the village leader Onizo for his help as different factions of the region maneuver for respect and land rights. While other are more interested in recognition and power.

All in all, Kibakichi is a gutty effort from first time director and studio alike. It's well-rounded in it's mix of samurai fighting and monster mashing; along with a decent story. Even with it's flaws and the unexpected appearance of some modern weaponry, fan's of the genre shouldn't be left hanging. There's a little for everyone here. It's not exactly horror, as the studio claims (horror/action/fantasy). But I guess that depends on what you consider to be horror. I'd say it's closer to "slasher" if I were being pressed. And despite the often cheesy dialogue (ex. "Life is like a spot on a dice, we won't know until we shake it.") and freshman effort on the part of the director, which may have been a budget issue, Kibakichi wraps up nicely with some (literally) high flying action and ties up the story nicely as well. I don't think it's necessary to go into specifics here, especially with character names and individual motives because Kibakichi does jump around a bit and a couple very small plot holes left me wondering a little, but didn't distract me from enjoying it, somewhat. Kibakichi, I believe, is a love it or hate it type movie. Personally, I think it had an identity crisis. But I'll begrudgingly recommend it for it's uniqueness.

Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao, 2002)

Infernal Affairs begins as young police cadet named Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) is being groomed by the highest ranks of the Academy to eventually become an inside man for the police. His keen eye and steady demeanor makes him the perfect candidate to infiltrate the Triads, who have taken control of Hong Kong's streets and are peddling massive amounts of drugs to it's citizens. At the same time, a different road is laid out for fellow Academy officer Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau). Although we aren't witness to the actual path he takes, Ming becomes Yan's counterpart in the film, as he uses his position within the higher ranks of the police department to keep Triad Boss Sam a step ahead of any police actions. Sam is deftly played by Eric Tsang, who gives a highly effective, authentic performance here. What follows is one of the best table-turning, catch-me-if-you-can cop stories ever put to film.

Often compared with another great epic, Michael Mann's "Heat", Infernal Affairs is quicker, brighter and goes down in 40 minute less time. It's apparent why this film became a smashing success in Asia and in turn, exploded onto the world scene. Spawning a sequel (which is actually a prequel) and then a third installment.

Returning to the story; Yan, after leaving the Academy and subsequently earning his chops
on the street as a Triad footman for 10 years, becomes a member deep in Sam's inner circle. Yan continues to work directly and exclusively with Superintendent Wong (played by Anthony Wong) feeding him information that Wong puts to good use. He brings that information to his most elite police team led by Officer Ming, who unbeknown to Wong, relays it back to the Triads. Ming showcases his moxie and stealth inside an active command center, feeding police channels and locations to Sam in real-time, within five feet of fellow officers. Yan, at the same time, finds a way to keep Wong informed. A brilliantly scripted Felix Chong & Siu Fai Mak screenplay lends weight, tension and gravity to even the simplest scenes. Finally, Wong is able to get Sam brought in to be interviewed, but by that time, they both know that each has an undercover man inside their particular camps. In a Pacino/DeNiro-esque face-off, Wong and Sam smugly challenge each other to find their respective moles. The rest of the film is yours to enjoy.

One aspect of this film that gets as much attention and kudos as the characters themselves
is Chan Kwong Wing's stellar, powerful, moody soundtrack. The original score begins the
film along with sweeping, abstract visuals that flow gracefully across the screen, accompanied by the undulating score. What stuck with me in particular (as a first time listener to his work) was the alternately light, then heavy drum tracks as they scurried from front to back, left to right, left-rear to right-rear and diagonally back; washing the entire room with energy and life. The mood shifted from forceful grandeur to intricate suspicion and back again. The perfect audio preview to what was to follow. Deep inside the film is a heart-wrenching female vocal track that seems to signal the true beginning to Yan and Ming's respective gambits toward finding out each another, and when she sings again, yet another chapter begins to take shape. It's brilliant in depth and scope. Never a track out of step with the film and only the most appropriate volume and energy. So rarely does a soundtrack fall into line and dance so well with a film. So rarely does one set the tone for a film.

Infernal Affairs is loaded with subterfuge and intrigue. We're privy to both sides of the proverbial infiltration equation from the start, but this formula gets more complex with near misses and natural character evolutions, even as the story itself appears to begin it's resolution. At least that's what I found. There is a touch generic cop vs. cop to it (if I must find a flaw), with a couple classic stand-offs, but very little mano-a-mano conflict. The film's confrontations are wholly group against group; good against bad. That can't be ignored. The beauty of the film is in the interaction. It has all of the elements of many crime dramas, but Infernal Affairs is genuine and sophisticated like none other.

The Return (Возвращение, 2003)

Andrei Zvyagintsev's temperate thriller The Return portrays a mother and two sons living their seemingly unaffected lives, when, without warning, the man of the house (a resolute performance from Konstantin Lavronenko) returns. We as the audience are clueless to whether the mother (or for that matter the live-in grandmother) anticipated his return, but it's apparent that the two boys, Ivan (Ivan Dobronravov) and Andrei (Vladimir Garin), are taken by surprise. What is clear though is the boys initially resist their new father's regimented philosophies — a stark contrast to mom's. Slowly, the boys warm to their father but remain somewhat cautiously distant during an impromptu fishing trip. The remainder of the film puts the father-son relationship under an unequivocal gaze when the boys are tested along the expedition.

The Return's starkly constructed world smacks of a grim post-WWII shiftlessness, but this is most certainly a timeless, even allegorical tale. A lingering tension concerning the father's motivation seeps to the surface and is bolstered by the children's confusion and wavering allegiance. Filming in extreme northwest Russia near St. Petersburg, on and around Lake Ladoga — (in a tragic twist, the young actor who plays the eldest son, Andrey, drowned in this very lake shortly before the film premiered). Zvyagintsev chooses a befitting and picturesque locale to strengthen the personal conflicts in his humanistic masterwork. The region seems to smile wide and we're treated to lingering, poignant portraits throughout. At times this breadth of dimension and sparse dialogue struggles to invigorate, its smoldering fraternal conflict weighs heavy early on, but there's a method to this approach. A superabundance of symbolism, a mainstay in Russian storytelling, and references to powerful religious artwork, only adds to the visual buffet. One can't not be satisfied. It's simplicity lends to its extravagance.

Buddy Boy (2000)

Buddy Boy tells the tale of Francis, a stuttering, timid guy who's saddled (for all intensive purposes) with the responsibility of living with, and taking care of his super-religious but feeble, alcoholic step-mother. The reality seems to be that he's willing to do so. In fact, Francis and his mother are steeped in religion. Francis carries her on his back to and from church regularly and the Pastor visits their dingy, hole of an apartment every once and a while. He's bent on fostering Francis' beliefs in the church, or more specifically, asking him to attend Confessional more often (which the pastor seems to get a rush from).

One day, Francis comes home to find his step-mother lying unconscious in the kitchen with an empty bottle of glass cleaner clutched in her hand; somehow, later, (thanks to a high tolerance I'm sure) she wakes up. They go to church to repent. At one point, Francis is taking out the trash (no, not his step-mother) where he drops the arm-full of garbage down some stairs and manages to discover a knot that falls from a wooden wall behind the apartment building. He peeks out the knothole and sees that it looks directly into the apartment building across the street, more precisely, into the seventh-floor apartment of Gloria (Emmanuelle Seigner, also from The Ninth Gate). He notices the lights going on & off as she moves through her apartment, where she ends up in her bedroom. He a little intrigued to say the least. The next night, he returns to the knothole to find her having a party of some sorts, and after everyone leaves, she, again, moves to her bedroom. This time she appears blue and dispirited, despite the lively get-together. A third visit to the knothole produces the vision of Gloria feeling her breasts, followed by a bit of self-gratification. Francis is intrigued, but he's much too weighed down by life in general to think of these visions as anything but a passing novelty. Then one night as he's returning from work, he sees a woman getting mugged down the street from his building and he shouts out; the attacker runs away and he approaches the woman to see if she is o.k. and finds it's the woman from the apartment. Gloria seems to see something in Francis after they make their introductions, so much so that she proceeds to make several attempts to get together for coffee or dinner.

But nothing is ever what it appears, especially when it comes to complete strangers. Neither has a full idea of the others' lives in total, and the rest of the film in dedicated to letting each of them discover this, or to let their imaginations run wild... one of the two... or both.

Buddy Boy certainly doesn't run from the issues it starts. Be it how Francis deals with the growing burden of his bible-thumping, vulgar step-mother who smokes crack and drinks like a fish, only to play the 'sanctimonious card' when Francis strays from the flock, as it were. Religion is the main issue the movie deals with. The "how can a loving God allow such suffering" argument plays out to a point where Francis screams in his step-mother's face a multitude of blasphemies such as that "God can go fuck Himself" and that he hates everything to do with the church. His step-mother begins to pray. The other main issue is, (well I don't really know if it is this exactly), trust in another person. His relationship with Gloria becomes fraught with mistrust, lies, forgiveness, jealousy, obsession, and a multitude of other factors. On the part of both Francis and Gloria. Things get more complicated with the relationship and at home, but that will be something you'll have to see for yourselves. There's plenty more. In the end though, the twisting main plot and the surrounding story-lines (some of which don't completely pay off) combine for a somewhat disjointed experience. I like it, but even as 'real' as the feel is at times, I couldn't quite sink into the movie and consider it afterward. I kept going in & out of it. For all I know, it was meant to be that way.

Lhorn (Soul, 2003)

Lhorn is a foursome of tales from Thai folklore. Each tale supposedly comes from a different region of Thailand. Nothing as vanilla as The Singing Apes of Thailand or The Story of Bukit Merah, but four nightmarish tales of horror.

Lhorn, or "Soul", in actuality, has a macro story-line where a group of twenty-somethings (namely Dech, Fah, Dao, Krit, Manao, Toob, Uab and a couple friends) are recruited to assist Dech in restoring a large traditional-style Thai manor, which he has recently inherited. As we get to know the group through they're own introductions, we learn that most of them have a field of expertise that will help Dech with a required appraisal needed before renovations can begin. Some of the group are just tagging along. As they settle in at the house for the night, Manao's book of folklore becomes fodder as they wind the evening down. She has been engrossed in it all afternoon, so after some mild prodding from her girlfriends, Manao agrees to share a few of the tales.

** mild spoilers **

First up is the story that is closest to actual horror out of the four, imo; the 'Paup Ghost'. The premise is solid as far a horror goes: a carnivorous spirit is seen late one night, by a pair of fisherman, devouring the insides of a live animal. The following day, the village residents march to the village chief's house and demand he do something about this paup ghost that's been killing their animals. When they notice the demon entering the home of a small family after surprising it in a field another night, a witch doctor is summoned to that home to expel the demon from a most unlikely place.

The 'Paup Ghost' story has it's tense moments, although few and far between. But it does manage to stay even as a whole. The transition from the main (macro) story packs a bit of a shock in and of itself, and the dark tones & "peek-a-boo" style camera work (made famous by so many Japanese classics) teases us as the paup creeps in and out of view.

We briefly snap back to "the present" where Mamao is begged to spin another yarn:

The second tale has Den, a young man, renting a house near a large banana field. A house large enough for him and his soon-to-be-bride Sao, as well as to throw and bake pottery. Shortly after moving in, Den begins to have dreams of a young woman seducing him in the night as he sleeps. This "episode" takes place almost entirely at night and is very dark, visually. Content-wise, it's fairly short and pretty tame.

Again, we're brought back to the house. And again Manao regales those of the group who haven't either gone to bed or scampered off to get frisky. She tells the story of the Pong Ghost. This one is a lot like the Paup Ghost story but minus the animal eating.

This is where it gets quite a bit edgier and a tad more interesting. The final tale, is about a young servant woman who, after having been caught having an affair with her employer's (husband ?), is fired, promptly follow and raped to death by three young local men and buried under the so-called 'Takien Tree'. This tale simultaneously takes place in the past. We see the intertwining time lines playing off each other as the folklore surreptitiously enters the present.

Overall, I would hazard a guess that someone more familiar with Thai folklore may like this movie more than I did. It seemed flat and, in a few spots, boring. Each "act" was played very tight to the vest, so that even the genuinely scary parts couldn't balance the movie. The worst part of the film is the horrifically out of sync dialogue. The traditional music and (most) sound effects are perfectly utilized and in time, but the vocal overdubbing lags by a second or two. It's tough to tell if this continues throughout the movie because I was too busy trying to catch the English subtitles before they hastily disappeared. A minor flaw in the dvd that could stand to be corrected.

Soul does have a unique look to it and the cinematography holds it's own among horror film. One thing that struck me immediately was the lack of electric lighting and what a challenge is must have been to film the action and yet allow it to retain it's "naturalness". With the only light sources (seemingly) being a lantern or two, a few torches or the eerily bright moon, Soul ingeniously uses devices like fog to help reflect and magnify the scarce quantities of light. It's might be worth checking out for the unique format or the cool interplay between the final tale and the main story-line, but in the end, Soul was just too drawn out and lacked the punch of more interesting horror I've come to enjoy.

Shinjuku Triad Society (Shinjuku kuroshakai: Chaina mafia senso, 1995)

The scene is a rather familiar mixture of police versus yakuza, but shot at street level, with a gritty lens. It essentially begins with the murder of a police informer, who's found dismembered, lying in the street. The scene is a frenzied one, with passers-by horning in on the crime scene, investigators combing the crown for someone who can translate a witness's statements, and beat cops who pose for candid photos with the severed head! The entire film spans mostly Taiwanese & Japanese locales, Triad & Yakuza territories, and a multitude of dialects surrounding the Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese gangsters. In fact, the language barriers (or more precisely, the languages themselves) are nearly characters in and of themselves. Even the police get wrapped up by it.

After a violent and multifaceted beginning, the film becomes clearer; the Chinese-born Kiriya is a Japanese cop who becomes obsessed with saving his younger brother's future as a lawyer, while Yoshihito (the younger brother) has agreed to help in an "illegal" underground organ harvesting program the Yakuza and Triads have been conducting. The Chinese police know about it, but they consider two willing parties as a legit deal, 'Who has been wronged?', they say. Kiriya is sent to China to investigate the organ-harvesting case, but uses most of the time to investigate Wang, the head of a syndicate, who has employed Yoshihito as council/intermediary. The film definitely has a gritty, 1980's feel to it, and catches the far east gangster scene at the height of it's power and brutality. Nobody is safe, no one is untouchable.

I don't presume to "get" everything going on here, there's so many facets to a society I've never known, but Miike does a great job at parsing the dynamics/motivations of every character; even if they don't have a major role. Be it a drugged-up, strung-out whore who ultimately wants to live a normal life, or a Japanese officer who cares deeply for his Chinese parents that speak no Japanese and feel lost in the country they now live. One of those is a major character, and one is a minor one...but both lives are illuminated sufficiently. If I had to mention a negative, it would be that there's just so much jammed into the film that it was pulled in too many directions. The up-side is that it never became convoluted. Another would be, and I don't know if Miike did it for show/shock, but the movie is packed with loads of sex between the gangsters themselves or the gangsters and a couple of androgynous man-children. The police even use ass-rape as an interrogation tactic. He lost me there. Still, a great early Miike film and a must see.

Ichi 1 (1-Ichi, 2003)

Masato Tanno's '1-ICHI' is the live action prequel (as opposed to Shinji Ishidaira's animated Koroshiya 1: Episode 0) to Takashi Miike's full feature film, Ichi The Killer. In it, we get to witness the teenage roots of Ichi's manic-depressive beginnings and the origins of his monster-sized kicks. Tanno serves up Ichi's psychological, as well as physical beatings.

It opens as Dai (played by Teah) is putting the hurt on three local thugs and notices a fellow student Shiroishi/Ichi (Nao Omori) watching him intently and smiling at him from a walking bridge in the distance. This immediately ticks Dai off, as Dai isn't one to take anything lightly or as chance. He's determined to be the baddest guy around, and he's doing a fine job at it. Dai and his friends head home afterward to relax and eat. Dai is so focused and regimented that he only allows himself a certain amount of time to finish eating; he actually uses an egg-timer! Dai becomes obsessed and a little unnerved with Shiroishi, as he's always showing up to watch him fight (although we only see this a couple times) and believes that he's passively challenging his strength and dominance. Dai has had enough of Shiroishi's lurking and begins tracking him down. But not single-mindedly. He runs into Shiroishi as he's being pushed around by some thugs from another school and when Shiroishi refuses to defend himself, Dai actually jumps in the middle to ask him why he doesn't fight back. He doesn't lose his urge to crush Shiroishi, but becomes fascinated with him at the same time.

But before he can pull the proverbial trigger, a new student comes to school to complicate things. Onizame, a master of Hop Ki Do (a Korean discipline), brilliantly played by Koji Chihara, wastes no time in proclaiming himself king by first "winning over" Dai's friend's girlfriend by busting him up right there in the classroom upon arrival. which eventually leads to a phenomenally brutal ending to 1-ICHI, which is reminiscent of Ichi The Killer's famous final scenes. I'll spare a complete recap of anything further because you'll want to see it for yourself.

1-ICHI is a lightning fast 83 minutes but does a fine job in it's mission to explain Ichi's beginnings. Considering Tanno and his crew ran into time constraints immediately before shooting began (via the interview with Tanno and Miike on the DVD) the film is surprisingly fluid and cogent; what's there is there, and even though I wanted to, I couldn't argue with the character's motives or the extremely myopic and carefully constructed world. There is never an instant of 1-ICHI's world being fake or contrived, even when you begin to notice that there are never any authorities around or teachers present as the kids fight for lengthy periods of time; inside the classroom! I would hesitate to call it an incomplete or half-hearted effort as well. The world we see in the film is unique and self-sustaining, What's more, little things like Dai's friend Hide's penchant for watching only the third installment of a movie series, Exorcist 3, Godfather 3, Let's Ride The Pervert Train 3, because, as Hide puts it, "the third one tends to be self-explanatory, so it's easier to follow.", gives the film a quirky, likable edge and weight.

1-ICHI is not for the faint of heart though. You'll see (and hear) some brutally realistic, bone-breaking fights and some borderline sadistic behavior. Some of the earlier fights are on he cheesy side which directly oppose the latter's carnage. What you will also witness is the makings of Ichi's sexual excitement for violence; from simple erections to moments of release. Very graphic stuff here folks. This isn't just violent, blood-soaked brutality and CGI amputations as in Miike's cult classic. It may be low-budget, but it has a ton of character and by the end I was convinced that it dovetails nicely with Miike's film.

The Heirloom (Zhaibian, 2005)

The godsend known as Tartan Asian Extreme delivers Leste Chen's inaugural effort The Heirloom to North America, yet this real live throwback to American's slasher past doesn't arrive as one their most savory releases. Welcome, yes — good, not exactly. Surprising since all of the elements are there (no bare–breasted twenty–somethings), but the semi–pedestrian direction and slasher formula are. At issue is the presence of misplaced long–winded explanation–based dialogue. The movie isn't that complex...

A secluded house teaming with young professionals (as opposed to absent–minded lovable losers) plays host to Chen's plat homage, where a guy inherits a somewhat dilapidated house and soon a mysterious force begins to plague the he and his freinds. The single intriguing aspect of this movie involves the 'mysterious force' which moves people from one place to another (purposely vague), but this is a short–lived feature. Although it may seem early on that Heirloom is on the right track, but as time moves on there's little chance of it redeeming itself. However, the chance of it accidentally transforming into an unofficial spin–off  of the Friday the 13th series was high. Heirloom isn't woefully bad, it's just nothing we haven't seen before.

Theeviravaathi (The Terrorist, 1998)

In 2000 (a la Quentin Tarantino), actor extraordinaire John Malkovich introduced a lesser-known Indian film surrounding the 'martyrdom' of real life Tamil Tiger, Thenmuli Rajaratnam, of Sri Lanka's LTTE guerilla forces. The 19-year-old suicide bomber (she was reportedly 17 according to LTTE), Malli (so-called in the film) is the envy of her peers as young women and men alike battle the Indian military, who are occupying Sri Lanka as part of a larger "peace-keeping" effort during India's real-life Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's reformationist rule. Malli uses her Kaiser Soze-like disposition to win a coveted role as the person who will "sacrifice [her] future for the sake of [her] people" by suiciding at the feet of the arriving Prime Minister.

To save the reader from hackneyed, peer-reviewed hyperbole or dittoed parallels with today's (and past) Mideast tensions, I'll simply say Terrorist is a rather subdued, but cogent look at a young (dare I say, impressionable) girl who chooses to become a hero for her cause, to her people, and for her country. Malli's personal awakening, through several flashbacks, makes up a vast majority of the film's content and is appropriately signaled with Malli's proximity to water, in one form or another. The water detail is a major but evident one; and it's played nicely. As a final note, and after a historical comparison, the film does stray a little from actual events but it's a diversion which agrees with me. My guess is that most would agree.

Zodiac (2007)

Whether in stark contrast to the dreck of a lot of modern movies (a slight over-exaggeration) or simply a modern masterwork, David Fincher unleashed his nearly 3-hour reference gem, Zodiac, on the unsuspecting public this weekend. Robert Downey Jr. is The Chronicle's crime reporter, Jake Gyllenhaal is recognizable as the real-life Zodiac expert Robert Graysmith, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards (of ER fame) take center stage, upon their arrivals, as the real-life inspectors David Toschi and William Armstrong. These two draw the short straws (in retrospect) when a series of letters to the San Francisco Chronicle become to much for the editors of the paper to handle. Ruffalo is brilliant as the grounded, realistic lead inspector who wants to act but is bound by procedure. In fact, the entire cast (supporting and otherwise) hold steady as Zodiac's time line stretches beyond the decade. In particular, Downey Jr.'s character is quite the spectacle. [As an aside, I've come up with a concept that this character can be easily extrapolated into the dystopian future of A Scanner Darkly, where Downey portrays a drug-soaked schizo, who's "fall" might have very well begun in ways portrayed here! I humor myself....sue me.] Fincher's direction, per usual, is off the charts good.

Not only does Fincher capture, with mind-boggling accuracy, every aspect of the given "era" (I wasn't around then...in the interest of full disclosure), and he spins such a wise and sober yarn as to almost be bland or unsavory (have you read Journal of the Plague Year?). It's certainly not cool (although claiming to be un-cool has long been a way of doing so). Fincher simply presents well-established facts and long-held notions that the case was bungled from the beginning. What's more is, sworn testimony offers evidence that The "Zodiac killer" was well aware of, and seemed to invite, an investigation. What compelled me to see the film twice in two days was Fincher's genius, almost diabolical pacing.

Two other films immediately came to mind which seem to pen the film itself as a character to be considered. With Zodiac, the real life murderer's spree was marked with fits & starts, with long intervals of stagnation (ditto for the investigation). As the investigation makes way for dead ends and glimmers of hope, Fincher's departures from the investigation, into the characters lives (a la Heat), create avenues for drama and intensity beyond the sometimes soul-shaking violence in the Zodiac's world. Zodiac shan't be relegated to a best-guess-ending-for-an-unsolved-crime category, it works in too many ways and really doesn't pretend to solve the case anyway. Like Oliver Stone's JFK before it, Fincher works with facts, alongside supposition (fast and loose in some areas), to make a credible case and a brilliant movie. Interestingly enough, this mirrors the media/law enforcement kerfuffles of today. Unlike JFK, there really aren't alternatives laid out; reasonable doubt isn't an aim, it's a hindrance, the aim here is to draw parallels and expose. "There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer.", the film's tagline reads; there's more than one way to lose a killer as well.

The Eye 10 (aka The Eye Infinity, Jian gui 10, 2005)

The Eye 10 is the third movie of The Eye series and stars a cast of relatively unknowns; which strangely reminds me of every other "I Know What You Did Last Summer"-like line-up ever employed and immortalized in one movie or another.

A group of Thai friends get together, most from Bangkok, travel to a rural Thai village to meet another friend who sort of leads them on a sight-seeing trip through the Thai countryside. On the return trip, they hop a bus that passes by an accident on the roadside. They witness, and one of them films, a dead body lying under a blanket, surrounded by police who are reconstructing the scene and directing traffic. Later that night, they gather in the living-room of their host, Tak, and begin telling ghost stories. No one is having any luck with their stories, so Tak introduces an ancient storybook called "10 Ways to See a Ghost". In it, are 10 methods to conjure a ghost's presence. After some reluctance, they agree to begin exploring them one by one, to varying degrees of success.

The central theme of the movie takes off after they've tried a few, and move on to a game of hide-and-seek; played at midnight, while the 'seeker' hunts for the rest of the group while carrying a black cat. This method is the most effective so far and one of the group, namely Ko Fai, vanishes, without a trace. The police are brought in, but to no avail. They'll have to rely on the remaining methods in the book and Tak's mother's expertise as a kind of spiritual adviser to find Ko Fai.

The first thing that I will say, is that The Eye 10 isn't very good at all. What it is, is mildly entertaining. Well, there's no way to get around it. Somewhat because of the Pang Brother's cheesy brand of humor, but mainly because of the infusion of Thai folklore/mythology. In particular, a scene in a Bangkok apartment building where a possessed young man provokes a break-dancing showdown with two local punks in an upper hallway. I laughed so hard, but I've never felt so ashamed for doing so. Now for the bad. For starters, the story is barely believable, and the 10 methods from the book are a tad wacky and, in terms of the film's layout, they're told in a heavily disjointed and episodic manner. The folklore angle does puts a nice shine on them though. As far as the story-line, it was linear, but came across as jumbled or on-the-fly. No weight to it. So much so, that I wouldn't have been surprised to see a Carrot Top cameo or a 'Thriller-like' choreographed number. Not the way I like my horror.

Eye 10 isn't so much the second sequel to The Eye as it's a spin-off, in my opinion. I have a feeling it took some finessing to manage a germane link the audience would buy. Other than the title of course. In the end, there are some eerily effective scenes, (as short-lived as they are), and two or three genuine shocks. I wouldn't turn to The Eye 10 for a horror fix though. In that regard, it's wholly disappoints and comically underachieves.

The Locker (Shibuya Kaidan, 2005)

* spoilers ahead *

Kei Horie's Shibuya Kaidan, a.k.a. "The Locker", is decidedly a new run with the flavors of a few old favorites of Asian Horror; built around the premise of a small bank of public pay lockers in Shibuya District, which hold a horrific secret. Just south of famed Harijuku, Shibuya is a perfect locale for our clique of callow friend's that return from a weekend camping trip and visit that bank of lockers. The girls in the group routinely store books and clothing in them, as it's proximity to home and campus make for lighter travel between the two points.

While in the country, the six friends (3 ladies, 3 gents) consume a beer or two and attempt to tell ghost stories, which fall completely flat and digress into roaring laughter . It's quite the light-hearted night with friends. (And I laughed also because I could identify; I think we all can.) Things get going when one of the group, Keitarou (Yuge Tomohisa), takes the opportunity to scare the hell out of the group with a stone infants head he finds when our protagonist, Reika (Mizukawa Asami; grown-up Ikuko in Dark Water), had just heard faint crying near the adjacent lake. But she was the only one. Reika pleads with the group to listen for the cries, and as they concentrate, Keitarou produces the stone head which sends the group into screams. Even Keitarou couldn't believe his fortune on this prank. The next morning, on the return trip, another of the group suddenly hears those same faint cries, and upon their return (and subsequent visit to Shibuya), he and another girl disappear. A week later, they're found... but it's not pretty. Soon, the haunting escalates and the entire group faces a disturbing, and sometimes wacky, fate. But those wacky moments pass fairly quickly. Reason being, the characters themselves don't seem to be affected by them.

After two more of the group are killed or missing, the remaining trio of friend's make the association between the deaths, the locker in Shibuya and a certain sacred site that one or more of them had unknowingly desecrated. Just as they prepare an attempt to satisfy the spirit's wrath, their friend is found slumped over in a playground by a very young boy and she's taken to a hospital to recover. The police and doctors monitor her for any signs of improvement, so as to collect information about how and why she came to rest, comatose, in a city park. This is where it gets quite a bit better and makes up ground from the previous half, in terms of genuine scares. A major factor is the spine-cringing sound effects and to maybe an equal extent, a nice bit of editing near the end. The direction as a whole takes a huge step up here also. The camera work goes back & forth between Blair Witch-esque handy-cam to full-on classic Asian Horror style, but at all the right moments. And by this point, it settles into a nice groove. The remaining members of the group face their own fates. One of the group follows the trail back to the Shibuya Locker.

The things that work for this movie is the B-movie feel, the way it doesn't pound us over the head with intensity (it's really not that type of film), and the genuine urban-folklore angle. Similar to a famed, particular bathroom stall haunted by a young woman, this lore has enough weight to carry the movie. Those, and a couple wicked-nice scares and one pretty freaky scene midway through. What worked against it? Several aspects. In particular, a laundry list of familiar elements that quite a few other Asian Horror classics gave birth to and often suffering from being wholly unoriginal altogether. I'm also pretty sure the producers choice to go direct-to-video was partly due to the 'imitation factor'. In the end though, I found it entirely entertaining as a whole. The Locker is a film that has to be appreciated as a "sum of it's parts" type movie. As Herman Yau's Dating Death ('04) has to be. It has a little of everything, and as a viewer, I was kept on my toes and never bored and it's put together well. I couldn't ask for much more. I'll also relay my disappointed at the distribution company's choice for it's original release DVD cover. I think it spoils the movie a little. The Region 1 cover makes amends though. So finally, my score is probably one or two points higher than it should be, but there it is. Have fun with this movie, and you'll be fine.

Ringu 2 (Ring 2, 1999)

Reiko and her son Yoichi are back in Ringu 2, but after more of her family succumbs to the cursed tape she left with her father, they find themselves under suspicion and wanted for questioning by the police. Reiko decides to go into hiding to save her son. Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani; Ringu, Chaos) returns, as the film's lead, to investigate the her boss' death in conjunction with Reiko's disappearance. She meets a local television reporter Okazaki (played by the somewhat nondescript Yanagi Yuurei) who discovers the cursed VHS continues to be circulated, begins tracking it's use and the deaths that surround it. The joint mission becomes first to find Reiko and her son and next to find the solution to end Sadako's Curse.

The trouble I have with the film, (and I honestly tried to not immediately cut into it), is that during, and as I revisit the movie, my takes tend to manifest as direct comparisons to Ringu. It's inescapable, and I apologize in advance. We have people watching the VHS. They pass it on in an attempt to save themselves. We have some purposefully watching it, and we have some accidentally seeing it. Warnings are given about it's content. We have an investigation. And again, someone returns to Sadako's home for a finale. Sound familiar? Add in a visit to a mental institution to interview a survivor of "the tape", where the Mai & Okazaki meet a doctor who seems to have an inside track on solving Sadako's Curse, and you have your sequel in a nutshell. I won't say it's a predictable movie by any means. I can say however, that with few exceptions, surprise will not be the order of the day. If an extra 20 minutes were added to Ringu, this film might be rendered unnecessary. Or better yet, I would be satisfied that the complete story was told.

The better portions of Ringu 2 are definitely the scenes concerning the VHS and it's history. There is nothing more chilling than watching the grainy, stuttering flashes just before "The Well" appears! And we all know what happens after that... The remainder, I'm afraid, succumbs to Nakata's hurried screenplay; which, is saddled with forced material. (Let's not mention the failed first attempt at a sequel; "Rasen"). Which is unfortunate. The oft written about pressure to follow Ringu with a rock solid and timely sequel is most assuredly spot on.

Ringu 2 isn't as bad as all that, if only for the simple fact that it's visually magnificent and sports a monster soundtrack. My sub-woofer was working overtime on the deep effects during those creepy Sadako scenes and those shots of the VHS sent chills down my spine! Again, the scariest moments surround the tape and the short visit to Sadako history, once Mai travels back to the Yamamura home. In the end though, it's barely a sequel that needed to be made. It's also a sequel I wouldn't spend an inordinate amount of time tracking down. At the very least, make sure you've seen it's infinitely better predecessor.