Aw, no Netflix!

I was all set to watch "Shibito no Koiwazurai" ("Love Ghost" is what they idiotically changed it to in English though apparently "Lovesick Dead" is the actual translation) and "Yee Di Hung Gaan" (...or "Inner Senses") but Netflix screwed up my queue and is, instead, "in the process" of sending me "Voice" and "1303 go Shitsu" ("Apartment 1303").

Sad face.

I'm disappointed. Both "Lovesick Dead" and "Inner Senses" are supposed to be good. "Voice" is another installment in the "Whispering Corridors" series and those have been disappointing in the horror department (although "Memento Mori" was really good), while "Apartment 1303" is by some of the creators of "Ju-on" and "Tomie" who, while having moderate success with those titles, have left me rather unimpressed with some of the stuff they followed them up with.

Still, I hope to have them knocked out by the end of the weekend. It'd be fabulous (and creepy) if we got a killer monsoon soon so I could watch with the blinds open and the lights off.

This past week I watched "Rinne" ("Reincarnation") and despite having high hopes, my expectations managed to be met fairly well. The "twist" was plotted adequately and the two storylines were woven better than I anticipated. The introduction of a creepy-ass doll was a welcome surprise and took the place of the traditional "long-haired lady ghost" as the top scare.

As per usual, there wasn't a whole lot of explanation to the story which, in places, marred my otherwise good experience. The theme of "reincarnation" was obvious from the get-go (not just from the title) and they throw in some weirdo stuff from the past having to do with the father and the studies he did... it was unnecessary and really just confused me.

Nagissa, the main protagonist, was... kinda silent. I'd be surprised if she said 30 words throughout the entire movie. And since she has a lot of screen time, she was consequently relegated to a whole lot of prolonged gasping and muffled cries. Not necessarily a bad thing - kind of refreshing, really - and she conveyed everything really well even without talking. It just got to be obvious by the finale.

All in all, definitely one of the better asian horror flicks I've seen. Some seriously scary moments, tons of tension that you come to expect from the genre and a cohesive, engaging story. A very pretty film to look at, as well.

I'm debating on whether or not my constitution can handle "Jisatsu Sakuru" ("Suicide Circle"). Not a horror movie as much as a psychological commentary, it's been compared to "Battle Royale" a lot in that it's thought-provoking and deeply disturbing in its themes. And if you've known me for any length of time, you've more than likely heard my praises sang in that direction, so my interest is obviously piqued. Even more than "Battle Royale," though, it's gory as HELL.

...Oh, who am I kidding. I'll watch it anyway and just cover my eyes like a complete puss.

This was long. Whew. But it felt good.