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cheshirestog
Reviews
Ikisudama (2001)
Second Part Better than the first
Well, it is a lot better than the stuff oozing out of the toilets of Hollywood so I have to give some credit for that. The first part has been done before in movies and I should say better too. I skip it when I watch the movie. Interesting parts to it but not done well. For the first time view I would say watch it so you can understand parts of the second part. In it a boy is stalked supernaturally.
The second half is much better and is steeped in Japanese culture. This is why uneducated people with poor movie taste won't like it. They will say they don't understand or "there is no logic" and there definitely is for those of us with the brains to figure it out. I am tired of everything having to be handed over to you point blank at face value in things. Can't you do some deducing of you own? The ending is ambiguous and I like that because that means you can try decide for yourself. I see it is based on a book so that makes me want to go read it so I can know more. I probably get more than most people because of my knowledge of the culture but most of it can be picked up on the way by most viewers who are not lazy. In it a girl moves into a apartment to discover there is a weird curse on those living in certain units. The brother of the boy from the first part helps her in her endeavor to survive the curse.
As for the special effects..Sigh. It seems everyone is so jaded on special effects especially CG. Well, the CG is actually more corny and unrealistic if overused than the old methods. Makeup, costume, and ACTING is more preferred and not seen much anymore. The spirit in the second half is scary in the way that many of such figures similar are scary in horror video games and American older movies not from the new crap remake era. There really isn't much need for special effects. Most ghosts when people see them are not known to be like the classic "war reenactors" who are not reenactors but ghosts. The writing is less than perfect but pretty good and definitely better than the first half. If you ask me most people are jaded by the something has to happen every second instant gratification movies slammed out by Hollywood.
Hitomi and Asumi Miwa the scream queens of Japan do not disappoint. Despite the poor execution in the first half all the actors are still great. (in this I do not include Doggy Bag). The brother duo of Doggy Bag simply do an okay job. The one in the second half is better. I didn't like their music but strangely found myself humming it a while later. It grows on you...like the fungus on the Hollow Stone.
7 out of 10
House of the Dead (2003)
A group of rich kids attend a rave on a island only to find out it is inhabited by zombies.
Okay this movie is SUPPOSED to be campy. It isn't supposed to scare you really. It is just a zombie flick based of the arcade game. It isn't supposed to be brilliant just entertaining. The acting is fine. The story is simple. The effects are gory and cool. Lots of explosions and blood spurts. Great music and action sequences. Anyone who disses this movie doesn't understand the zombie genre. If looking for a serious scary film or serious zombie film watch Resident Evil. Not this. But in and of itself and what it is supposed to be it is great. The plot holes aren't serious unless you are looking instead of watching the movie in which case i suggest you lessen up. They are just rich kids with no brains. Of course they stay after seeing a blood covered camp they are stupid. And if you were watching it you would see that the person who controls the boat didn't want to go so they couldn't either and then it was too late. Anyways not a masterpiece but better entertainment than any of the crappy remakes coming out lately.
8 out of 10
Haute tension (2003)
A girl takes her friend home for vacation. Mayhem and bloodshed ensue when a madman shows up.
The only reason this gets a two is cause of the excellent gore and blood but even in a senseless gore movie you can't get blindsided like that. Most says they love this film but they all turn out to be those who don't have a good film education. This movie really bites. It builds up to end one way and ends another trying to be clever. However it builds itself into a corner seeing as how the evidence we are presented with makes the end explanation absolutely impossible. The ending is a major disappointment that leaves your jaw hanging and actually outrages you. You develop question thinking well maybe it could be if...no wait that wouldn't work either. Major letdown and waste of time. Perhaps if they had let it simply be what it seemed to be it would have gotten a eight or ten from me. Besides that even if you take in account the ending and say it WAS possible then you are still left with the fact that it is not original and takes part of every other movie i ever saw. But that only brings me back to the disappointing ending that is not only impossible but also unoriginal and a cop out. It is what is used when you can't figure out how to end a movie. It used to be original but now is just a Cut and Paste ending. Horrible. The acting is fine, everything is...till you get towards the end.
2 out of 10