Recently Seen, Part 9 (October 2017)

[sitenoise]

Night's Tightrope (Shôjo) [2016] • Japan
Director: Yukiko Mishima
6/10

In order to cleanse my palate of the man universe of old-timey Japanese films I went for red meat. A story of suicidal high school girls, directed by a woman. It's based on a novel by Kanae Minato, whose other adapted works include Confessions, Penance, and The Snow White Murder Case. This one is no Flying Colors. Of the three adult men in the film, one is a convicted train groper who also participates in compensated dating with young girls, one is accused of train groping and abandons his wife and terminally ill young son, and one is a school teacher who steals a student's manuscript and wins an award for it but ends up committing suicide. Karma to the man universe of old-timey Japanese films! The one adult woman is a disgusting religious fanatic. "Reap what you sow" is an oft uttered refrain in the film. It's a common theme of contemporary Japan to explain the ennui of youth by juxtaposition to adult fuckeduppedness. But ...

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I wasn't very enthusiastic about the film's pacing, oblique mystery, or acting, but the cinematography is very nice. There are a lot of shots lit and framed exceptionally well, and they use a wide range of delicious colors (not just the dark and misty represented here). This one, of a moonlit girl with a strong breeze against her face made my jaw drop. It's CGI, but the way it makes her hair look like it creates a swirling tunnel to the moon is outstanding:

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The script includes a lot of "The Lord of Darkness" this, and "Now is the time for Night to begin" that, because a lot of it comes from the novel one of the girls is writing—the one her teacher steals. She's writing it to bring her friend back from the brink of despair. It's a pretty complex plot with clues that go by quickly. In the end I was left with a few mysteries unresolved, but the overall gist is understandable: friendship, bullying, angst, adult scum, and etc.

The reason the film didn't work for me is the two main actresses are weak. They are both very popular goody-two-shoe girls who went against type for the film. They each have a couple moments, but too often you can see them trying to act emotions that are unfamiliar to them.

I can only recommend the film as an introduction to Yukiko Mishima, and to those who don't immediately dismiss Japanese films about high school girls as being about high school girls. I think Mishima shows a lot of promise here. She needs to figure out how to move complex plots along at a swifter pace, but I really like her visual style. She'll also do better when she gets better actors. This is her fourth film and may be a breakthrough. Her next film, Dear Etranger, stars Tadanobu Asano and Rena Tanaka. Good luck!

 

[plsletitrain]

I like your screenshots. Some food for the soul. I want to explore this director but for some reason, I was put off by Confessions. I thought it had great potential, but if I remember well, I thought it was a bit wasted due to its "playing around the bush and protracted" delivery. I may be wrong with my recollection, though. I'll give this one a try.

 

[sitenoise]

I like your screenshots. Some food for the soul. I want to explore this director but for some reason, I was put off by Confessions. I thought it had great potential, but if I remember well, I thought it was a bit wasted due to its "playing around the bush and protracted" delivery. I may be wrong with my recollection, though. I'll give this one a try.

I was unclear. The writer of the novel this film is based on also wrote the book Confessions (and the others mentioned) was based on, but they were filmed by different directors. I brought it up because the writer seems to write rather dark material. The director of this film doesn't have much of substance preceding this one. But I was quite impressed with a lot of the photography and think with good actors she might hit one out of the park. The shot above is a street light, not the moon. Oops. The film also has a lot of standard high school girl movie tropes like long shots of girls holding hands and running:

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[plsletitrain]

because the writer seems to write rather dark material.

I'm a fan of dark material but.....

The film also has a lot of standard high school girl movie tropes like long shots of girls holding hands and running:

I believe I'm not born for those long shots of girls holding hands and running so now I'm undecided. I'm still gonna include this on my to-watch list though and try to watch on a slow day. I will watch Scoop! this week because Daniel's Yuck! comment is priceless.

 

[sitenoise]

I'm a fan of dark material but.....
I believe I'm not born for those long shots of girls holding hands and running so now I'm undecided. I'm still gonna include this on my to-watch list though and try to watch on a slow day. I will watch Scoop! this week because Daniel's Yuck! comment is priceless.

Although Night's Tightrope has some darkness and a reasonable mystery to it, I don't think you'd like it. Heck, even I thought it had some pacing issues (which is polite for boring).

I gave Scoop! a 1/10 for it's participation in the man universe, but it does have some funny dialog, and Fumi! But Yuck! for sure. Maybe you missed my yucky review

 

[plsletitrain]

Hahaha! Now I don't know if I'm still interested to watch Scoop!


Okay I'll ditch it and forever remember it as the yucky movie.

 

[sitenoise]

Her Love Boils Bathwater (Yu wo wakasuhodo no atsui ai) [2016] • Japan
Director: Ryôta Nakano
8.2/10

This film made me want to cry so much I had to start laughing about it. It's so jam-packed full of over the top, unbelievable drama I have no idea how it maintains itself as a lighthearted comedy. But it does. Let me see if I can unpack this monster:

First of all, on a general synopsis level, it's about a single (when we meet her) mom (Rie Miyazawa) to a sixteen year old (Hana Sugisaki), who finds out she has terminal cancer and only a few months to live. The first thing she does is hire a private investigator to find her husband (Odigari Jo) who ditched her and the 16 y/old about a year ago. The husband gets found quickly but has a nine year old daughter of his own in tow who landed on his doorstep about a year ago. Husband Jo had an affair with a woman nine years previous and the woman decided to dump the girl on him recently so she could go off and play, or something. So that becomes the basic family: mom, dad, 16, and 9.

Spoiler Alert (because all this stuff unfolds in surprise after surprise):

Spoiler

Mom hasn't told her 16 y/old yet about her illness. She decides to take 16 and 9 on a two day road trip to break the news. During the road trip they meet a hitchhiker who has family drama he's running away from so they kind of take him in. He's invited to come visit them at their home after he goes on more road trip to find a goal in life. Before mom breaks the news of her illness, she tells her daughter that the deaf and mute woman who just cooked them lunch (giant spider crab!) is her birth mother. But it's all in the family. Her dad is also her dad in this case. Odigari Jo gets around. Then mom collapses and ends up in the hospital. Consider the news broken. (The deaf and mute woman was so saddened back then that she couldn't hear her infant daughter cry she decided to run away).

I don't know what to say. This film is so ridiculous you'll get dizzy rolling your eyes, but somehow it works. The director ascends a mountain of cheese and then turns it into a glorious fondue. It works because the characters are all real and broken but good on the inside. And all the actors are terrific. Rie Miyazawa is Oscar caliber good as the super super super mom. Odigari Jo is Odigari Jo, an adorable boof. But I'm going to single out Hana Sugisaki as the 16 y/old for extra praise. I first spotted her last year in Pieta in the Toilet. It's hard to declare a 19 year girl a great actress, so lets just call it smarts and charisma. She can play a kid, and she can pwn adults. She's the next Fumi Naikada. Look out for her.

Her Love Boils Bathwater is pure feel good family drama that somehow hangs onto an indie quality. All the tragedies come wrapped in sweetness. It's uncanny. Every line of dialog in the film has a counterpoint somewhere else in the film. It's extremely thick, but the direction is so clear you're unlikely to miss a single beat. The film is really a 10/10 of perfection but I had to deduct a couple points because it's so nice. It has about four or five "endings". I didn't get the final one (although I have my suspicions. I think her love is boiling the bathwater).

Believe it or not I've only scratched the surface of this flick. There's a scene where the 16 y/old strips down to her bra and panties that might make you boo and hiss and throw popcorn at the screen but the director wraps it in so much "fuck yeah!" you will forgive him a moment later and applaud the scene. The guy's got unbelievable chops when it comes to film language and assembling a movie. I can't believe he laid all the stuff out in a script and thought "Yeah, I got this". It's ridiculous. Beautifully ridiculous and ridiculously beautiful.

 

[plsletitrain]

I promised myself I'll skip movies with cancer people dying (unless the cancer patient lives forever ) but your review is so enticing (sounds like I'm gonna like this) I might want to include this on my watchlist.

 

[sitenoise]

It's a sensitive subject. If there's a film that can make it a little uplifting, this is it. At least that's how it struck me. I think the director has lived through something like this. His previous film was about a similar situation. He's exorcising demons. The woman's goal is to make sure the things that she worked for keep going after she passes away. The sad and crying parts, for me, were the little things. This director is great at making a shot and controlling its echo. I shed a tear ten minutes in: the 16 y/old has declined a ride to school on the back of her mom's bike because it would be embarrassing. After a bad day at school (and good lord this kid has bad days), her mom picks her up and the shot of the girl's little hands grabbing her mom's stomach while on the back of the bike killed me. It's the little things like that this director does very well.

 

[sitenoise]

Christine [2016] • USA
Director: Antonio Campos
7.999/10

I don't know if this biopic of a news anchorwoman who shot fatally shot herself in the head LIVE on the air is appropriate, or appropriately done; whether it's good, or bad, or ugly. But Rebecca Hall is scary good. Her performance is one of those where you feel like what's happening onscreen must be happening to the actor. No actor could manufacture the number of subtleties she projects in her downward spiral into depression.

 

[ebossert]

I plan on watching Her Love Boils Bathwater over the next few days.

 

[sitenoise]

I plan on re-watching Her Love Boils Bathwater over the next few days. Not because of the story, at all. And not because it's perfect. The whole hitch hiker subplot addition is weak sauce, poorly executed, imo. It's about the degree of difficulty. I can't believe what this director gets away with (at least to me). He films people interacting with food in a good way! The dinner table scenes are some of the best. Right at the beginning, Odigari Jo, sitting at the table with a freaking sock on his head, tells a bad joke or something and the look Hana Sugisaki gives him is priceless. Hana Sugisaki is wonderful. Outstanding. The other kid actress is also very good. I think she gets away with her dinner table scene. And it's over the top ridiculous. Odigari Jo is surreal in how aloof he is to the deep shit that's going on. And it's adorable, not stupid. Watch for this line in the film, it made me feel like dancin':

This is Dad doing his best, lol

 

[plsletitrain]

Mars (2016, Japan)

The first question I have to ask myself is "Why did I even watch this?????" And the follow-up question to that would be "Why did I bother to finish it 'til the end?????" I must be insane (well, yes I am but still). If you told me this would be submitted for a high school project, I might understand. But to actually release this as a film is quite ambitious. I don't have any background on filmmaking and even I think I can do a better job. If the persons who acted in this film are considered "actors", I might be bagging Oscar awards.

I was looking for something to watch that's light-hearted and mindless and since the films on my watchlist require my functioning brain, I opted for a Vice Ganda or a romance film. I've seen everything from Vice Ganda so I browsed through my convenience store and saw this. Sounds cute. Not.

I wanted my brain to be relaxed while watching this. But I got headaches! I'll sue them. Someone please change the genre description from romance to comedy. The biggest pain was the acting. You could almost hear the "3,2,1, Punch! or 3,2,1 Cry! Or you could almost see the onion juice they placed right below their eyes so they can cry. Or you could hear them counting their steps until the next blocking. So painful to watch. Someone hold my hand before I lose all my hair from the pulling.

Story is quite cool (cool for the books, that is). There's a girl who has a boyfriend and then there's another guy who likes the boyfriend because the boyfriend saved him from some thugs at one point in his life. Girl was assaulted by her stepdad when she was young and this has caused her inner struggles (believe me, her inner struggling was a major headache). Boyfriend is her knight in shining armor (believe me these scenes where he rescues poor girl are a major headache part 2). Gay guy enters the picture because he's jealous of girl so he attempts to create a stir by psychologically playing with them (believe me the way he acted so psychotic and scary and villain-ey is a major headache part 3). Everything was a major headache. The scenes are cringe-worthy. They were serious with their craft, but sadly, the audience must have laughed so hard after watching this.

 

[plsletitrain]

There's a lot of funny scenes in the film but the candidate for the top spot would be the simulated sex scene where guy's on top of girl but girl's body was slightly slanted (and I saw it! The viewers can see it dammit!) thereby showing that the guy wasn't really on top of her. So much for simulated. They didn't even do the thrusting. *facepalm*

 

[plsletitrain]

I see there's no synopsis on IMDb yet. I'll contribute.

 

[sitenoise]

Too bad. The director's previous film was decent, and I'm looking forward to his next one, The Dark Maidens. Maybe not as much, now. I never heard of Mars.

 

[plsletitrain]

If his work on Mars is the same with his other works, then I can say that his films sounds good but looks bad.

 

[ebossert]

Highly Recommended

House of Voices (aka Saint Ange) (2004) (French Horror) (repeat viewing) – Set in 1958, a young cleaning girl is dispatched to tend to a crumbling orphanage, but begins to investigate a tragic event in the facility’s history. This is a high quality film in a number of aspects (acting, production values, direction, etc.). The deliberate pacing supplements the creaky floors and rundown, decrepit rooms to create some effective atmosphere. The sets do have some variety too. Overall style is top notch here. The lead actress is very good and the mystery is intriguing enough to hold one’s attention from start to finish. This director is most well-known for his brutally violent film “Martyrs”, but this is a better film overall, in my opinion. Don’t let the terrible online reviews deter you from watching this one. It’s damn good. (FYI, the film was recorded in both French and English, spoken by the actual actors themselves, but the English version is most widely available.)

Her Love Boils Bathwater (2016) (Japanese Drama) – The story here is about a fragmented family unit, which consists of a mother, her teenage daughter, the father, and the father’s daughter who was born from a mistress. The mother learns that she has terminal cancer and attempts to fuse the family unit together before she dies. This film has terrific performances and very well-written dialogue, and it thrives on those positives. There’s a lot of “tough love” and difficult conversations that prove to be the highlights. The sprinkling of humor also helps to elevate this to a more purely entertaining level than most films of this kind.

Recommended

Horror Stories (2012) (Korean Horror Anthology) (repeat viewing) – This omnibus surrounds the “wrap-around” story of a girl who is kidnapped by a killer who challenges her to save her own life. He tells her that he cannot sleep unless he is scared or tastes blood, so she must tell him scary stories if she wants to escape. This wrap-around story (entitled “Beginning”) is advanced further in between the other segments. The first story (“Don’t Answer the Door”) is about a young brother and sister who are visited by a suspicious delivery man. This is a really cool home invasion film that morphs into something else. Great performances by the kids and there’s a boatload of suspense. The second story (“Endless Flight”) is about a flight attendant who eludes a serial killer during a plane flight. Not especially unique or clever, but it is moderately enjoyable. The third story (“Secret Recipe”) is about two stepsisters who vie for the same man. The ending makes no sense, but the interaction between these nutcase characters is entertaining. The scares are a mix of blood and suspense, and are fun to watch. The fourth story (“Ambulence in the Death Zone”) is about five people in an ambulance, one of whom is infected with a zombie virus. This starts off predictably but gets exciting as it progresses. Overall, this is a fun collection of short stories that has rather shallow, undeveloped characters and a few too many dream sequences.

The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) (British Horror) – When a fungus turns most of the population into flesh-eating zombies, a scientist seeking a cure studies a young girl who is infected yet mentally normal. The zombies are the running kind and they are sufficiently creepy in how they rapidly chomp their teeth. I like that the lead protagonist is mostly human but still exhibits a few zombie qualities. Visuals of buildings covered with overgrown plants is a nice touch. Content is more simplistic than what I was expecting (given the extremely positive online reviews), and it does have some pacing issues (the 111-minute runtime is a bit too long), but this is good quality stuff.

Black Hand (2015) (Korean Horror) – The official plot synopsis is a bit of a spoiler because the main plot does not kick in until after the 30-minute mark. Our protagonist is a woman who is having an affair with a doctor whose wife is aware of the situation, which causes some friction between the ladies. Also, our protagonist has a blind sister who is ready for an eye transplant using the cutting edge technology that was recently developed at the hospital. This movie is a mix of predictable and unpredictable moments, but it’s simply engaging and interesting to watch. I wanted to see what would happen next. In terms of horror, there is some bloody imagery, mostly in the form of organ transplants, dismemberments, plastic surgery, or mutilated corpses. Nothing excessively graphic, but there is some wince-worthy stuff here.

The Conjuring (2013) (American Horror) (repeat viewing) – Set in 1971, two paranormal investigators work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their old farmhouse. The story is painfully generic (failing to provide a narrative or motif that drives interest between the scares) and moves as slow as molasses in January, which causes some pacing issues. On the positive side, the camerawork and performances are good. The house provides a creepy environment. The film only has a small handful of jump scares, which is also encouraging. Some of the scare tactics are effectively unnerving, but some are a bit too gimmicky (like close-up shots of screaming ghosts, people getting thrown around, exorcism scenes, etc.). The ending is kinda lame. Overall, this is good stuff though.

Dabbe (aka D@bbe) (2006) (Turkish Horror) (repeat viewing) – This is a remake of the Japanese ghost film “Pulse” (2001), and involves a small group of friends who are frightened by an escalating series of suicides and ghostly hauntings. Right from the get go, this film by Hasan Karacadag does some things right that the U.S. remake got wrong. First and foremost, it’s glacially paced (as it should be) and there’s an emphasis on establishing an eerie atmosphere that wears the viewer down. Scoring is an effective mix of ambient sounds and otherworldly wailing. There’s also excessive use of yellow on the sets and lighting, which is visually striking. The Turkish architecture that is showcased is also pretty damn cool. The horror scenes have some integrity because they are successfully awkward, bizarre, and creepy (the ghosts are freaky buggers). There are a handful of jump scares peppered in, but not enough to get annoying. This will be a bizarre viewing for fans of the Japanese film because a number of shots are almost exactly the same, but the filmmakers here also mix it up and that makes it interesting to watch. Fans of odd, lower budget ghost films may want to check this out, but some viewers may dislike its awkward, slightly cheesy vibe.

Halloween Nightmare (2015) (Japanese Horror) – A girl lands a job in the publishing industry, but she is assigned in the editorial department of an occult magazine and begins to explore a bizarre, unsolved murder case that occurs every year on Halloween night. There’s a pretty cool intro scene involving our villain, who emerges from black smoke. He has a pumpkin head but wears a purple suit and carries an axe, which is pretty cool. He also uses a neat ability to isolate his victims, so they can never be safe. The lead actress is actually good. Sound design is surprisingly effective in spots. There are also a few creepy moments. There are quite a few investigation and dialogue scenes, which creates a pacing problem because subtitles are not currently available. Cool little flick though. (Viewed without subtitles.)

The Green Inferno (2013) (American Horror) – A group of student activists travels to the Amazon to save the rain forest but are captured by vicious cannibals, and that no good deed goes unpunished. This actually has a decent setup, but it does drag out for a bit too long (an atmospheric traveling montage would have worked better). There is some graphic, brutal violence on display; and for the first time in his career, Eli Roth is able to make it somewhat memorable at times (good practical gore effects too). This film is also very un-PC in its depiction of Amazon natives, so I give it credit for that. There are some really stupid scenes though (the tarantula scene, the poop scene, the masturbation scene, the dream scene, etc.) and this is pretty thin, repetitive stuff overall. Still, it’s a watchable gore-fest and easily Roth’s best film.

Continued in next post. There are character limits here?

 

[ebossert]

Continued from prior post.

Not Recommended

Alien Covenant (2017) (American/British Horror) – The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, pursue an unknown signal with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape. First things first. Michael Fassbender is one of most boring actors around. Every time I see him, I feel like falling asleep. The bigger problem here is that “Alien Covenant” is basically just a lazy, low-grade slasher rehash of other “Alien” films, with more incomprehensibly stupid character decision-making to wave a stick at. Monster/gore effects range from good to mediocre, which is surprising given the $97 million budget. Despite a few good death scenes, this is a mostly dull-as-dirt, shoddily made affair. Ridley Scott needs to retire.

Saikyojyureiko (2016) (Japanese Horror Anthology) – This is an anthology of 13 documentary style horror shorts, with a total runtime of 60 minutes. This has a similar presentation to many films of this kind, with slow motion replays of ghostly images that are accidentally captures. One annoying aspect is that pixelation is used to “protect” the identities and locations of the people involved, which is an attempt at realism but gets annoying during a few of the shorts when half the screen is filled with pixels. The constant voice distortion is also irritating. In terms of scare tactics, the filmmakers did not put much effort or thought into this. Really lazy stuff, with no creativity at all. It’s not creepy either. (Viewed without subtitles.)

Conjuring 2 (2016) (American Horror) – Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising 4 children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit. This movie feels very tired and cliched, with some incredibly lazy scare tactics (e.g., cheap jump scares, people screaming, ghosts screaming, etc.) that repeat over and over again. I’m a sucker for characters walking slowly thru atmospheric environments, but the visuals here are way too bland and monotonous to hold interest. To be fair, there is one interesting visual regarding an obviously CGI ghost that I actually liked. The absurdly long runtime of 134 minutes really hurts, especially since there’s no character development and the backstory is skimpy. Some scenes feel superfluous. The ending is anticlimactic and non-impactful, just like its predecessor.

Halloween Nightmare 2 (2015) (Japanese Horror) – The pumpkin-headed villain returns and targets a high school girl and her friends on Halloween. This is a big downgrade from the moderately enjoyable original film. The protagonists are annoying and whiny and the villain shows up for about 1 minute of screentime, which is completely unacceptable. There is one creepy image early on in a bathroom stall, but all of the other horror scenes are weak. This is basically crap and it’s obvious that the filmmakers put no effort into it. (Viewed without subtitles.)

 

[ebossert]

Highly Recommended

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) (Japanese Horror) (repeat viewing) – If a nightmare were ever recorded on video, this would be it. Shinya Tsukamoto directs this outrageously weird, outlandish film about a man whose body cultivates metallic devices. Shot in black-and-white and lasting only 67 minutes, this one moves very briskly. Interestingly, some stop-motion animation and fast-forward photography are used throughout, creating a truly unique cinematic experience amidst the backdrop of mankind’s relation to technology and urbanization. There is some wild violence and sex, but it is very bearable considering the non-use of color. Anyone looking for a completely novel experience would do well to see this little gem. This is quite possibly the craziest film ever made.

Spider Forest (2004) (Korean Horror/Drama) (repeat viewing) – After a car accident, a man attempts to recollect his shattered psyche. This haunting film is very well made with solid acting and an intelligent script. There is a complex and engaging storyline, numerous psychological concepts introduced throughout, and impressive cinematography. This is a dreamy, ambiguous experience, but the structure of the universe created within it is very unique and creates a disturbing atmosphere that is reliant more on human nature than anything supernatural. Fans of David Lynch need to see this, immediately.

Strange Circus (2005) (Japanese Horror) (repeat viewing) – This one is sick, weird, and perverted, yet exceedingly interesting and well-written. Directed by Sion Sono, the primary focus here is on sexual/psychological perversion as a consequence of abuse. This film implements some really cool imagery and symbolism (i.e., the bright carnival amidst the pitch black night, the deep reddish sets, etc.). There are also plenty of twists and psychological elements to keep the viewer glued to their screen. (This is one of the few Japanese horror films that actually provides a detailed explanation near the end.) The viewer beware that there is a lot of explicit sex and a few gory moments to be had, as well as some uncomfortable situations involving children, but they are essential to develop the underlying themes. The acting is also excellent all around.

High Tension (2003) (French Horror) (repeat viewing) – A woman’s visit to her friend’s farmhouse turns into a hellish ordeal as a murderous drifter pays an unwelcome visit. This film excels greatly in its non-stop suspense sequences, which are very enjoyable. There are some extremely violent and gruesome scenes, but they do contribute to the intensity of the situation and never feel gratuitous. I really like how the woman hides within the drifter’s vicinity for long stretches of time, resulting in some truly memorable sequences. This film also contributes an outstanding score and sound design, which is seriously creepy and one of the best in recent memory. Some people criticize the ending, but the sheer tension of this film is unbelievable.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) (American Horror) – A father and son, both coroners, are pulled into a complex mystery while attempting to identify the body of a young woman, who was apparently harboring dark secrets. Almost the entire film takes place in the autopsy room and nearby hallways/rooms that are in the same building, but this is very impressive stuff! First of all, the methodical dissection and thought process for determining cause of death is very detailed and interesting. Second, there are some legitimately creepy moments. Third, Brian Cox is the co-lead actor, and that helps to anchor the film with a quality performance and a likeable relationship between the leads. Fourth, I’ve never seen an actual autopsy, but the practical effects looked good. Very solid flick.

Sinister (2012) (American Horror) (repeat viewing) – A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm home movies that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s. This has only a few cheap jump scares, which is a big positive because it forces to filmmakers to rely on suspense and terror instead. Consequently, there’s a sustained sense of dread from start to finish; this movie doesn’t screw around with boring filler. The 8mm tapes are creepy (the lawnmower scene is the best one), as is the investigation of the murders. As added bonuses, the dialogue is well-written and interesting, and the very few humorous moments involving the deputy are actually funny, in my opinion. I would have preferred the final “connection” to be inferred instead of explained, and the make-up for the ghost kids is pretty lame, but this is one of my favorite American horror films from recent years.

Traces of Sin (aka Gukoroku) (2016) (Japanese Drama) – A magazine reporter (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is granted a request to investigate a year old murder case gone cold, where a “perfect” family – a successful businessman, his beautiful wife and adorable child – were brutally murdered, and the culprit got away. Meanwhile Tanaka himself is burdened when his younger sister Mitsuko (Hikari Mitsushima) is arrested for child abuse. The opening hour is very much an ensemble affair, but the second hour shifts focus towards our two protagonists. The overall theme here is individual manipulation within a heirarchical society. This moves slowly, but the latter half is thought-provoking and quietly riveting. The script communicates things in intelligent, subtle ways that will require a bit of thinking on the viewer’s part to piece things together. Mitsushima is a stand-out here.

Them (aka Ils) (2006) (French Horror) (repeat viewing) – A couple is harassed by a group of hooded assailants. After a solid opening sequence, the next 15 minutes are a clinic on how to develop likable characters in the shortest time possible. Soon thereafter, the viewer is treated to an incredibly long, resoundingly successful suspense sequence that puts most films to shame. The violence is very tame, but the tension is ubiquitous as the camera follows the protagonists as they navigate within their gigantic home (as well as the surrounding woodland area) in an attempt to avoid being killed. The running time is a slender 77 minutes, which helps the filmmakers to avoid wasting time on superfluous baggage. The use of background sound is expertly used, the pacing is non-stop, and the ending is chilling.