P R E M O N I T I O N

[RMK!]

Japanese horror film based upon a Comic Book "Newspaper of Terror", no not the National Enquirer. This one will keep you involved and edge of your seat all the way. Great use of surround sound and interesting Special Features. Not a big CG movie but well worth the time if you like thought provoking horror flicks.

Other good sub-titled films I've seen this year:

Maria Full of Grace

Motorcycle Diaries

 

[Takeereasy]

Awesome, I'll check it out today if it's in.

 

[Tom Andry]

Hate to disagree, but I just watched it and it was kinda boring. A scary newspaper? Come on. Overall, the movie suffered from an abundance of overacting (the father), a dearth of music (this movie is so quiet at times I could hear my dvd player spinning - oooo spooky), and an end that is unexpected simply because it is kind of happy (for a Japanese horror flick).

I will say that the disjointed scenes after he defies the newspaper (I can't even type it with a straight face) were pretty freaky. Really nice transitions and some nice visuals. I'm not aware of the director or writer but it seemed to me to be pretty amateurish overall with too many long shots of people's backs, funny angles, and cheesy fake night shots.

I was really looking forward to this and maybe that's why I'm being so harsh. I didn't check out the special features but the surround use was kinda cool though it seemed overly loud what with no music and all.

 

[RMK!]

Hate to disagree, but I just watched it and it was kinda boring. A scary newspaper? Come on. Overall, the movie suffered from an abundance of overacting (the father), a dearth of music (this movie is so quiet at times I could hear my dvd player spinning - oooo spooky), and an end that is unexpected simply because it is kind of happy (for a Japanese horror flick).

I will say that the disjointed scenes after he defies the newspaper (I can't even type it with a straight face) were pretty freaky. Really nice transitions and some nice visuals. I'm not aware of the director or writer but it seemed to me to be pretty amateurish overall with too many long shots of people's backs, funny angles, and cheesy fake night shots.

I was really looking forward to this and maybe that's why I'm being so harsh. I didn't check out the special features but the surround use was kinda cool though it seemed overly loud what with no music and all.

Well I can see your points, sort of. I did not have any expectations and was surprised I liked it. I thought the cheesy aspects and overacting were typical of Japanese films. The newspaper metaphor was interesting to me and I like the fact that they did not go over the top with the CG. Made it seem more real. I watched part of the Special Features section (I never do this) and the feature on the garbage truck was really cool. The way they shot those scenes was interesting (that truck hit a real person). I also liked the surround mix.

 

[JohnA]

I just watched it as well...and I would give it about a 7 out of 10. I thought the acting could have been better. I think the last 20 mins or so with all the "disjointed scenes" was the better part of the movie.

 

[Tom Andry]

I thought the cheesy aspects and overacting were typical of Japanese films.

Not necessarily. Their acting style is definitely more melodramatic than I would like (gross generalization) but this movie was way over the top. Flopping around looking for a newspaper in front of a new reporter, interrupting her in the middle of a broadcast, how the stabber dude was so over-the-top crazy, all this and more was just way too much for me. Some of this you could justify by the situation (ok, his daughter just died so he's acting a little nuts) but taken as a whole, I just didn’t buy it.

The newspaper metaphor was interesting to me

I know that I was ridiculing the “Newspaper of Terror” in my previous post but honestly, I think that is because the movie (and the characters) didn’t sell the idea. If they had really sold me on the terror the newspaper instilled, I may have reacted differently. Lets put it this way, after Psycho, people didn’t want to take showers, after Jaws, people didn’t want to swim (many, not even in pools), I’m not thinking anyone is going to have a problem opening their morning paper after this movie.

I like the fact that they did not go over the top with the CG. Made it seem more real.

This seems indicative of the Japanese Horror genre in general. In the Grudge, the hand that seemed to come out of the back of SMG’s head was not CG, they just did a lot of takes until it looked just right.

I love CG as much as the next guy but I really think if you can do it "for real" than you should. Face it, Yoda was a puppet, everyone knew he was a puppet, he looked like, moved like, and acted like a puppet. But he was far more real to me in the first trilogy than in the second. Heck, I even liked him better in the cartoon.

I think the last 20 mins or so with all the "disjointed scenes" was the better part of the movie.

No doubt.

Out of 10, I'd give it a 3 overall and a 7 for the last 20 minutes.