mihgeorg Reviews

Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

Over-rated

[6/10 · 19 March 2008]

Well, some years ago, I was being told how good are Japanese horror movies. After seeing the disappointing Ringu I had reasons to doubt them, and Ju-On gives me some more. This movie here is a repeating jumple of stories that relies heavily on showing you spooky ghosts killing random people. And by heavily I mean there is a ghost showing every three minutes or show, rendering the whole spookiness ineffective. Of course, odds say some of those scenes will be creepy and some are. Not many, but there are plenty of chills. As for the deaths... forget it, they get scared to death or something.

Overall, well-made shorts that don't work together that well. Personally, I felt like watching Lucio Fulci's The Beyond minus the inventive deaths, insane gore and artsy non-plot. Which actually leaves as nothing...

Mother of Tears (2007)

Better than most modern 'exploitation' films, but...

[7/10 · 6 February 2008]

The movie started with a big handicap: it was a sequel to not one but two classic horror movies and it was natural that not everybody was going to like it. But, truth is, it is a pretty good movie, although a little flawed. In an age when the revival of exploitation movies is all the rage (see Saw or Hostel for instance) it is a rare treat to see one of the forefathers of European horror movies (Argento) pay his tribute to another one (Fulci), because the movie felt more like something Fulci would have done. The violence is over the top brutal, the sleaze abundant and the plot thin and does not make that much sense. What alienates many viewers is the subtlety of the movie. Although it treads more into the fantasy element of the Mothers mythos, the lightning, the music, the set pieces are not assaulting the senses (unlike, say, Suspria), instead they prove a calm before the storm. And storm it is: we see savage mutilation, sexual torture, cannibalism and all the likes that make most of the modern Hollywood "nasties" pale in comparison. Only the last 15 minutes bring Inferno to mind (and it is only natural) Overall, the movie works adequately, but not perfect. There are some scenes that really do the trick (the chase being the highlight), being eerie or otherworldly, but one too many times the scope of the movie is so large that fails to give a strong impression on the viewer. and the ending... as in the other two movies of the trilogy is week. Overall, as a sequel to Suspiria it fails, but as a stand-alone movie, it is pretty good as a splatter movie with a budget (compared to most contemporary movies in the same category).

Masters of Horror: Pelts (2006) Season 2, Episode 6

Argento, once again, pushes the line

[8/10 · 3 December 2006]

Undoubtfully both the episodes Italian mastermind Dario Argento has done for Masters of Horror were some of the most disturbing episodes for the series. This one, although not a match for Miikes "Imprint" truly is extreme. The basic concept is about raccoon pelts forcing anyone touching them to kill them selves. And they do with some pretty disturbing and explicitly gory ways. Adding tons of nudity to the mix this must be the most extreme episode of season 2 and a very solid (while not overwhelming) episode. The camera work, while not as stunning as some of Argento's previous works, is very good. The script flows smoothly and, while not twisty at any point, keeps the watcher interested. Acting is decent (always Argento's downfall is bad acting) and the special effects so and so. The music is very good and Claudio Simoneti manages not to sound like his former band, the Goblin. To sum up it is a very solid episode that won't be a series highlight (I think "Cigare Burns" gets it) or a season highlight (I'm torn between Carpenter and Landis) but surely is one of the good ones in a relatively mediocre season

Suspiria (1977)

Pure horror

[10/10 · 7 November 2006]

Although it has aged quite a bit, this movie is a blueprint to make a horror movie. From the tense buildup to the savage first murder, then the eerie atmosphere to the climatic ending. Tecnicaly the movie is superb, with great camera work, lighting and music. The tension builds superbly and the murder scenes, though few are exquisitely made. True, seeing it now there are some flaws, like the not perfect acting or the really old special effects, but the strengths of the movie truly outweigh them. One of the best elements of the movie is that, in my opinion,is that is is not judgemental as many other genre movies, just a logical (in it's own logic) progression of a simple story. Everybody dies for a single reason and actually makes sense, while the movie does not try to press a point, just shows the events. A must see.