generouspalmstroke Reviews

Confessions (2010)

Rivals Park Chan Wook's trilogy for greatest revenge movie

[10/10 · 6 June 2011]

CONFESSIONS is one of the most savage, brutal and poignant revenge stories I have ever seen. It doesn't start off all that great, but it by the end I was in awe. The movie begins in a Japanese classroom on the final day of classes before the spring break and the remainder of the movie are the events that follow the fateful day in this classroom.

The point of view switches numerous times throughout to different people affected by the event in the beginning. As the movie progresses you revisit past scenes from different character's perspectives but the scenes are never monotonous because you know much more the second time around. Much like an onion, CONFESSIONS is multi-faceted and there is much to discover and re-discover as each subsequent layer is peeled back.

A beautiful thing about this movie, at least for me, is how wildly my sympathy flip-flopped. Don't take sides too adamantly because as you learn more and more about the characters and events of the movie your sympathy too is bound to jump ship to the point where you're not totally sure who to side with. CONFESSIONS challenges you in this way. Some may find it frustrating but it just added to CONFESSIONS's charm and wit.

Unrelentingly dark, this movie is bound to incite feelings of bleakness and perhaps is not suited to those with a weak heart. The subject matter is heavy, the characters are morally-reprehensible and the feel of the movie is wholly somber – from the greys and dull blues which saturate each and every scene to the melancholy (albeit perfectly-suited) soundtrack which works its way infectiously into your mind and makes the horrific scenes before your eyes resonate deeply.

I will not spiel on for much longer, but in closing; the acting is top-notch; the storytelling is captivating; the cinematography is gorgeous; and the touches of violence and blood are done in taste and to immense effect – never feeling gratuitous.

I have seen many Japanese films but this one takes the cake as one of the best I have ever seen. If what I've said so far sounds convincing enough definitely give this movie a shot because I am rather hard to please and it did not let me down an ounce.

Frontier(s) (2007)

Viva la France!

[8/10 · 2 March 2010]

The first time I watched "Frontiers", going in with these huge expectations, I was not only amazed (and somewhat appalled) at what I was watching, but how the film had surpassed the hype. I was genuinely shocked at what was unfolding before me. "Frontiers" is horrendous, but in a truly positive sense. It's hateful, and brutal, and violent, and anti-human. But I loved it! I was so happy I had bought the DVD from Amazon instead of renting it.

Last night I re-watched it with three of my friends, none of which had heard of the movie and who barely knew the plot other than what I vaguely explained while the commercials were rolling. At the end one of my friends was crying, and she couldn't even tell me why. Another said he didn't feel like doing anything, that he was emotionally-drained and felt like going to bed, while the last one said she felt "weird" and for the rest of the night remained silent. Without exaggeration... that's how powerful and gritty this film is.

Some bash it for being derivative of things such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Hills Have Eyes" and even "House of 1000 Corpses", and while there are parallels and I cannot fault them for saying so, the movie does what it does very well (better than those three installments) and I think it was more of a homage to those other quality horrors.

It's fair to say when watching a movie with such a shock factor involved, things like acting and direction fall leeway; taking up the passenger seat and letting the violence lead. Such is not the case in "Frontiers". The acting on all levels is great, even stupendous in a few cases -- each character adding his or her own little bit to the story and cranking up the believability. Katrina Testa as Yasmine deserves mad props especially, during the film's second half her acting is just so raw and real you want to hug her and never let go.

The characterization is great. Before the craziness sets in the film devotes a good 30 minutes or so to acquainting us to the characters and really making you like them. This makes what eventually happens to them all the more devastating.

The cinematography is very crisp and fresh -- especially notable during the opening scene. It captures the bleak atmosphere of the film beautifully, to the rolling hills of the France-Luxembourg boarder to the depths of the Von Geisler chambers.

I feel like I'm rambling, and quite honestly I feel at the same time I have not written enough of how AWESOME this movie is.

All lengthy paragraphs aside, and if you can stomach brutality -- watch, buy, love "Frontiers".

Splinter (I) (2008)

Not buying what SPLINTER is selling

[4/10 · 2 March 2010]

"Splinter" is an obscure, indie flick that I probably never would've heard about if not for my interest in the indie horror genre. It was praised by others for its fresh appeal in a subgenre of overused CGI and tiring monsters.

Like most of the films I seek out, I have a rather high standard set. I need to stop doing this to myself. Time after time I'm disappointed. I can agree this movie had clever, unique creature design (akin to the Flood in the Halo series, actually) that has awesome and practical killing/infection methods. The effects were indeed convincing and CGI free (with one exception at the end) which was the movies biggest plus. The bad side to the deformed, spiked creature is that we never get a clear shot at it. During the action sequences the camera-work is frantic. This effect for me was ineffective. The 'shaky cam method' has been hit (enhanced "REC" to a terrifying spectacle) or miss ("Cloverfield... 'Nuff said) for me and depends on the film's strength elsewhere whether it succeeds or flops. The creature was one of the film's only strong-points and the camera-work hindered that.

The script in "Splinter" is (unintentionally) laughable ("It's okay. It's okay. We're cutting off your arm"). The dialogue was weak in the beginning and didn't engage me with a single character (not one!) and the latter half the script was nonsensical and unrealistic -- and not in the Takeshi Miike sense. For example (*spoilers*) after the amputation scene (which features no blood?) the trio sit around laughing and carrying on like old friends despite one of their appendages being freshly bludgeoned off with a cinder-block. (*end spoilers*) All three characters are too carbon-copied for my liking. We have the wimpy, indoorsy guy who struggles throughout but shines through, mans up, and becomes the hero. We have the tough-as-nails, in-yo-face chick who wears the pants in the relationship. And for good measure they threw in the disgruntled villain who warms up, being a "really nice guy" on the inside and redeems himself in a blaze of valiance. Bleck. Urp. Excuse me... I just vomit in my mouth a little bit.

A lot of scenes were unnecessary and stupid, pointless attempts to add suspense or tension (the whole 'ice' scene and the scene following the ice scene in the car) and I was just not buying any of what "Splinter" was selling.

In addition, and this is plain silliness, the cover design sucks and makes it look like some suspense/drama starring Julia Roberts (aka "Sleeping with the Enemy). Check out the Canadian DVD case -- it's 100x better.

For my conclusion I may be judging "Splinter" a little tough, but due to the glowing reviews it got I was expecting something great. The two people I watched it with said it was 'decent' and at the end of the day I cannot imagine it being any more than that.

Slither (2006)

A surprisingly refreshing, witty shlock horror

[9/10 · 2 March 2010]

Despite hearing bundles of praise for "Slither" I was on-the-fence about renting it. The thing is, it's one of those genre-bending horror-comedy flicks and I find those too contrived and cheeky to like. The only one coming to mind at all being Eli Roth's "Cabin Fever" -- which I'd recommend to fans of "Slither".

"Slither" impressed me completely. I found myself cringing at the (top-notch) effects and laughing at many of the deftly-executed jokes throughout. For me this movie succeeded in its two objectives -- grossing me out and making me chuckle. And what more could I ask for? In order to appreciate this you need to have an open mind while viewing. Don't watch set out to deliberately not laugh or else the hilarity of the movie will be in vain. Don't watch and expect nightmare-inducing images of horror because this movie is not like that -- it's a pure splatterfest. Never did I feel scared but the awesome gore and flawless creature design were admirable and nasty (aka *NOT* a CGI free-for-all a la "The Midnight Meat Train").

Every character you encounter from the major to the minor is perfect. They're all 100% genuine and could easily exist among us. We have no He-Men or Wonder Women who can have their arm torn from its socket and four rounds embedded in their chests and still pummel the baddies.

While on the topic of characters I MUST mention Gregg Henry (who played Mayor Jack MacReady). He is comedic gold and is quite possibly the most quotable dude in cinema history. His role made the movie for me (well, that may be a stretch...) and I need to commit some of his one-liners to memory to use day-to-day. In any other movie the lines would've been pure cheese and killed the feel, but the timing of the comedy is brilliant.

Most horror-comedy crossovers have an atrocious story with trite ideas and try to force snickers out of you with sheer ridiculousness alone, but not "Slither". This had a feasible plot with clever ideas (though it may have borrowed a thing or two from creature-feature heavy-weight "Alien") and if it wasn't such a riot it would've made a damn fine alien invasion flick.

An 80's horror throwback, a knot-inducing riot, and a splatterfest like no other, I have nothing negative to say about "Slither". Hopefully this week I'll track down a copy to buy so it can snake its way into my horror collection.

9/10

Marebito (2004)

Let MAREBITO take your hand, let it captivate you, let it lead you into a world of the insane

[8/10 · 2 March 2010]

"Marebito" was a very spontaneous buy for me. I saw it in on the shelves of HMV. The back read promising. It was directed by Takashi Shimizu ("Ju-on: The Grudge"). That was enough.

It starts slowly and builds. It's like a roller-coaster gradually climbing up the tracks. Clicking-and-clacking, and as it gets higher the hysteria heightens. By the time the roller-coaster is at its peak, the moment before it plunges down the drop that has your eyes reeling and your breath sucked away, you're scared but at the same time ecstatic.

This movie is beautiful but not in the classical sense. In fact what's happening throughout is repulsive but I couldn't resist but to find it endearing. You care about the characters. You want Masuoka to find what he's after--but you want him to be happy, though that's not what he wants. You want to discover 'T', you want to care for her like Masuoka does and you want her to be healthy. A mainstream movie-goer or a fan of casual horror will not like this movie. In fact, they'll probably hate it. They'll call it boring and tedious and convoluted, but all of that is just superficial. You must commit yourself to "Marebito". You must let "Marebito" take your hand, let it captivate you; let it lead you into the world of the insane.

"Marebito"'s atmosphere is one of morbid, somber unpredictability. The first time I tried to watch it I simply couldn't because the darkness (both literal and figurative) was too off-putting for me. I found you had to be in a certain mindset in order for "Marebito" to really lull you. It's not a movie of light-heartedness or comfort--it's a Lovecraftian-inspired piece so anyone familiar with HP Lovecraft's writing should find all the weird and wonderful things in his stories prominent in this.

I won't go any further because I believe "Marebito" is one of those movies that packs a bigger punch the less about it you know. This is definitely not a movie for everybody. Like I said above mainstream or casual horror fans beware. You're liable to detest this movie. People freshly introduced to Asian horror should start with something simpler--this isn't a movie to ease you into the genre.

"Marebito" is a rare, underrated gem and if you don't fall into any of the categories cited above than I recommend it. Otherwise, stay away.

9/10

Leprechaun (1992)

Jennifer Aniston's catalyst into stardom...

[1/10 · 2 March 2010]

Call me foolish for expecting an even half-quality film which centers around a demonic leprechaun killing for his gold, but this film was so awful it didn't even supply laughs. How this has a cult following -- or ANY following, for that matter -- is beyond me. How this utter trash spawned five sequels is even crazier. There's no way this brought in enough dough to supply the writer and the director for the sixth installment: "Leprechaun - Back 2 Tha Hood". The title enough is a red flag.

Speaking of the writer, this has to have been written by a seven-year old. It's probably some of the most tiring writing I've ever heard in a movie of ANY genre. Dora the Explorer has better dialogue. Hell, silent movies from the 1920's have better dialogue. How someone would sign for this movie is unbelievable. The chavs in my English class could form better sentences.

All four of the main characters are terrible, terrible actors--although it's Aniston at her finest. The worst is undisputablely Ken Olandt as the clichéd macho, wise-cracking hero. Robert Hy Gorman's role was very infuriating. I'm not sure if the director wanted him to be so obnoxious viewers wanted nothing more than to punch him repeatedly, but if that was his goal it's probably the only successful thing throughout the movie he accomplishes.

Something I can always count on when watching these older slasher (I guess that's what you would call this???) flicks are the awesome kills. They're always great. They usually make me chuckle at how ridiculous they are. Killing someone by jumping on them with a pogo stick was the only enjoyable kill of the movie. Come to think of it, I think this only had three kills in total. Even the body-count is miserable. Not even any of the four main characters died. That was basically what kept me watching--the prospect of one of them getting sliced 'n' diced.

Basically every aspect of this film is a failure. How they could make a movie about a murderous leprechaun any worse than it sounds is astonishing. My brother even fell asleep while watching this. And it was eight in the evening.

I'm probably coming off as up-tight, but I'm really not. I know this movie wasn't supposed to be taken seriously--how could it be if the people making it weren't even taking it seriously?--but I can enjoy the campy, cheesiness of Friday the 13th. Hell, I love those movies! But this... this is just pitiful. Let me say that I know now why I managed to snag the first three in the series for a measly $12. Needless to say I think part II and III of this series may remain unwatched for a long, long time to come.

The oodles of negative things aside, "Leprechaun" did have one saving grace: Jennifer Aniston's legs.

3 Extremes II (2002)

THREE EXTREMES II flounders as horror but flourishes as drama

[6/10 · 2 March 2010]

After the vast success of "Three Extremes" three other Asian horror savants (South Korea's Kim Je-Woon, Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr, China's Peter Chan) stepped up to the plate to deliver us a successor.

The original had three tales of distinct horror methods--one of gross-outs, one of violence, and one of psychological maiming. "Three Extremes II" however, seems to have a common theme about all three which is the voyage of the afterlife.

Due to atmospheric and thematic similarities I found the stories a little less engaging when viewed back-to-back. Perhaps this could've been that the first two films of the movie (the first especially) were rather uneventful.

Starting chronologically, the short "Memories" by Kim Je-Woon is South Korea's entry into the anthology. It starts with promise as it shows a man presumably sleeping on a couch and very gradually pans closer and closer to him. Then it shows us more of the room he is in, and immediately Je-Woon strikes a nerve of undeniable creepiness with a huddled women rocking to and from in a corner. This sense of uneasiness quickly dissolves as the story progresses. Nothing really happens throughout. Like I said above it was uneventful--sure people are talking (though there's an odd lack of dialogue in "Memories"), sure they're walking and driving around trying to discover a mystery, but it's a mystery most viewers have probably solved. There's also a woman who seems to have lost her memory, but almost immediately I put two-and-two together and figured out her connection with our main character. Je-Woon uses rather cheap shock-tactics like sudden movements and sharp music to make us jump. Its unfortunate Kim Je-Woon's entry was so weak narrative-wise and predictable story-wise, because he is the director of one of my favorite movies ever "A Tale of Two Sisters". I went in hoping for something exquisite from him but got a rather generic story. I do not dislike the movie, because it does have its pluses like solid acting, beautiful camera-work, and the cutest child you'll ever see in any movie, but I cannot say I liked it either because there was so little story. All-in-all, Kim Je-Woon's "Memories" is forgettable, shiny, and predictable--nothing more than you'd expect from one of Hollywood's J-horror remakes.

The middle segment on the disc is one of Thai origins called "The Wheel" from director Nonzee Nimibutr. Being only briefly acquainted with Thai horror, I found myself excited to see what Thailand had to offer. Many reviews claim this to be the flimsiest entry, but I have to disagree. I think most of "The Wheel" was lost in translation because it is a piece so close to Thailand. It's a cultural short involving Thai beliefs that we North American viewers simply cannot grasp--or at least not appreciate fully. That being said, I personally loved the cultural experience of watching "The Wheel" and felt almost like it was a documentary of rural Thailand. The set design is beautiful and exotic; the costumes and puppets are breath-taking and unique; the entire piece rings with foreign flavor, and was a nice contrast to "Memories" which could've been copied and pasted into any country's film. That being said, while it dealt with horror (spirits, possession and vengeance) it didn't feel like a full-feldged horror. The very opening is chilling but like "Memories" it fades to black rather quickly. Unlike "Memories" I found myself interested by the foreign aspect and the beauty of the setting, from the murky lagoon to the unique houses to the vibrant costumes. The acting throughout is rocky--there's a few actors who deliver questionable performances, and that is probably my biggest qualm with the film. Aside from that it had a very redeeming ending, and in more ways than one.

The closing piece is absolutely and without question my favorite of the three, and probably my favorite out of the original three as well. I think the DVD editors placing Peter Chan's "Going Home" last was strategy, as they started with the most feeble and the "Going Home" segment is powerful enough to make you forget about "Memories"'s weakness and leaves you with a very positive feeling after watching. Had they reversed the order, the haunting touch of "Going Home" wouldn't have survived through the end of "Memories" and my review would be two starts instead of three. That may sound ridiculous but it's all too true. The story starts with a single father and his son who are moving into a new complex, one that looks decrepit and neglected. This dirty setting is awesome for capturing what will happen later. Chan's direction then switches from the father-son relationship and to a much more aberrant relationship concerning a rather shoddy character we're introduced to through the young son and a wife who is seemingly long-dead. This is a ghastly, provocative, touching story of requited love and the testing of lengths one will go through for that love. I will not delve any further into the story--discover this gem on your own. If anything this DVD is worth the $15 for this piece alone--I wish it could've been a feature length film.

Overall, "Three Extremes II" doesn't succeed as horror but are an excellent trio of chilling dramas. It was a disappointing follow-up to "Three Extremes" but the two shouldn't be compared because they are different films with different messages. I picture only a fan of Asian horror liking this DVD, so if you're new perhaps go with something more user-friendly before diving into this piece.

6.5/10

Pulse (2001)

My pulse remained constant...

[3/10 · 2 March 2010]

I was so excited to finally watch "Pulse" after receiving it from Amazon, and I have to say I was utterly disappointed. I perhaps think I was too hyped up. I had expectations set by its fans that simply couldn't be met. After loving other Asian horrors, I thought I knew this would find a place in my heart.

The story was slow, painfully so. I am a diverse fan of horror. I love the brutal, bloody craziness of "The Devil's Rejects" and I love equally the steady, growing macabre of "A Tale of Two Sisters". "Pulse" offered little from either spectrum, sadly.

Along with the sluggishness of the plot, it was also very muddled. I hadn't a clue why characters were doing what they were doing and how what they were doing would help their problem. It seemed as if the director spouted off the plot in a sentence or two and the rest was improf from our actors. Unlike "A Tale of Two Sisters", which also has a rather hard-to-follow plot line, "Pulse" clears up very little at the end and left me feeling frustrated, confused and uninterested in the characters' endeavors. My closing statement about the plot was its inconsistency. At first it seemed as if the story was about the ghost world overflowing and their medium of escaping is the Internet. That's a damn original idea. I like that. But as the plot drones on, plot-holes and unexplained happenings rearing their heads in, it seems the director switched to some apocalyptic tale (as evident by the ending) that just hasn't been clear enough throughout to execute.

I realize the dreariness of the shots and the setting was intentional to make the viewer feel bleak and isolated, but the dullness of the movie was only intensified by the grainy, shadowy surroundings. I will admit there was a certain feel of surrealism with the movie, but that may have just been my attention waning in and out.

The actions of some of the characters are a little bit ridiculous as well, and perhaps if I was more enthralled by the story I would've been able to suspend more disbelief but as well myself being unmotivated so too were some of the characters. Like I mentioned previously, the logic behind what certain characters did were absent and contributed to the incoherence of the plot. Perhaps it was a result of the plot's incoherence that the characters do questionable things. To be honest I don't really care.

The acting was decent. Certainly nothing outstanding but nothing terrible either. No outliers to mention on either side of brilliant or plain awful.

Now I'll stop sounding so sour and mention that there were a handful of creepy moments. One towards the end especially that if there were more like it throughout, I would've enjoyed this movie (almost) wholly. I thought whenever the website was shown it was pretty unsettling, as well as some of the ghostly encounters our two main characters face. The things that went on between these ghastly run-ins were just too lackluster, baffling and "WTF" for me to truly appreciate.

Now for something pertaining to the DVD itself... Magnolia's release of "Pulse" comes with subtitles, yes, but the subtitles are off. They aren't said at the correct time of the character's speech. It may sound nit-picking but it bothered me a little and it may bother some others. I think this is the only North American release of the film though so you either have to deal or watch dubbing (NEVER WATCH DUBBING!!!) I tried to like the film, I really did. I WANTED this film to live up to the hype... but sadly, it fell flat for me. If you're looking for other creepy Asian cinema I can recommend you "Audition", "Shutter", "A Tale of Two Sisters", "Strange Circus" and "Marebito" -- all of which are more my palette.

Broken (III) (2006)

The Actresses' Motivation: "Don't EVER shut up!"

[1/10 · 2 March 2010]

While browsing through the DVDs at my video store, this one caught my eye for three reasons: 1) The cover art closely resembles an awesome French flick called "Inside" ("A l'interieur")-- which I recommend to any extreme horror fan 2) The Dimension EXTREME logo at the top, which has delivered some awesome titles ("Eden Lake", the aforementioned "Inside", and "Storm Warning") 3) The glowing reviews written all over the box which claim it makes "Saw" look like child's play and that it had won several awards at film fests ...

Well, let me say, as the box compares it to "Saw", it's as if "Broken" writer/director took EVERYTHING that made "Saw" a quality movie, did the opposite of it, and crafted possibly one of the worst horror films I have ever seen. I can't even qualify as fully seeing it. It was so abhorrent I couldn't watch it passed the 50-minute mark. I doubt I missed anything ground-breaking.

The acting is some of the most dreadful, desperate attempts I've ever seen. It's no wonder both the actress (Nadja Brand) who played Hope and the nameless torturer (Eric Colvin) have never had any work after the production of this abomination. Hope is our story's protagonist, and during the oh-so tame "torture" scenes we're supposed to root for her, but literally all she does is whimper and bitch throughout the whole movie, and there is about three minutes of character development before she is captured so we don't even know her character to sympatheize with. Needless to say I was hoping she would die the most brutal way possible. I couldn't even bear to follow through to see if she got away or not. Here's to hoping she was burned alive or something.

The antagonist says about 30 words throughout the film, and it's usually two- or three-word demands at Hope to 'wash this' or 'clean that'. I guess he lives in the woods that he holds Hope captive? We don't really know. We basically know nothing at all. Including who he is, why he tortures people, why he chose Hope, how he captured her, what the point of sewing a razor into her stomach was, and why the hell he insists on wearing this ugly hat. It really isn't menacing at all. In fact, there's nothing menacing about him. He is contrived, utterly cheesy, generic and completely baseless. If Hope were to get away in the movie, the only good thing that would come of it would be she would probably kill this guy. It's too bad they both weren't being tortured.

The gore that there is is nice, I will give it that. The setting is pretty nice-looking as well. But the camera work is about as lacklustre as the characters' acting so the nice surrounding is rendered pointless.

Pointless like this movie.

Please, please, PLEASE don't buy this. Don't even rent it. Don't contribute any of your money towards these people so they can think they did a quality job, or even worse, make another film.

.5/10