Kuchisake - Onna (CARVED) - Movie Review

CARVED (KUCHISAKE – ONNA)

Directed by Koji Shiraishi & Written by Naoyuki Yokota            

Eriko Sato as Kyoko Yamashita

Haruhiko Kato as Noboru Matsuzaki

Chiharu Kawai as Mayumi Sasaki

Rie Kuwana as Mika Sasaki

Release Date: August 14, 2007

Synopsis

In Japan Kuchisake – onna is an urban legend whereas, an evil spirit of a woman mutilated by her Samurai husband. As retribution for her infidelity he cuts her mouth open from one ear to the other. CARVED offers a contemporary staging based on this popular Japanese folklore of a slit – mouthed woman who kills and kidnaps children.

The Film starts with school children gossiping about the Kuchisake-onna. Apparently the slit-mouthed woman likes to show up at 5pm in the park. She has a huge pair of scissors and grabs children. A particular teacher at school named Noboru, often hears a mysterious voice saying “Am I Pretty?” and coincidentally he claims that whenever he heard that sound, a child is being kidnapped. The first victim is a schoolboy who was grabbed from the park while she was waiting for the disfigured woman to appear with his friend.

The next day after the rumors erupted, teachers accompanied their students to where there parents can meet them for safety measures. A girl named Mika does not want to go home because her mom’s beating her and she hopes that Kochisake onna gets her. So Kyoko, her teacher goes on a walk with her and asks her if she had a fight with her mother, and later Mika reveals her bruises, but her teacher defends her mother and gets upset with her (this reminded her of her own self being an abusive mother to her daughter). Mika then runs off with her teacher following but suddenly Kuchisake – onna shows up and grabs Mika, the girl then struggles and revealed her disfigured face. Kyoko is too terrified to save her student.The police did not believe Kyoko about Kuchisake – onna.

Kyoko is approached by a fellow teacher (Noboru) and showed a picture of a woman who looks just like Kuchisake – Onna only her face is not disfigured. Later, Noboru reveals that the woman is her own abusive mother who died a couple of years ago, He then tells Kyoko about whenever he hears the voice a child is attacked somewhere. The next time he heard the voice he decided to go to where it was coming to prevent a kidnapping, Kyoko went with him and they manage to save a boy. When Kyoko stabs Kuchisake – onna repeatedly they discovered that she possess innocent people (moms) to have a physical body to interact with the living. They followed some clues they learned from a gossip and ended up in Noboru’s old home, where they found Mika.Kyoko & Mika made it out alive but Noboru died. In the end, the curse seemed to continue ( as the ending scene is : kyoko started to cough while she was alone with her daughter).

REVIEW

Through a series of flashbacks I learned that Noboru’s mother was sort of a bipolar. She begs Noboru to aim at her neck or next time she might kill her but instead, Noboru slits her mouth and stabs her in the stomach. He then puts a surgical mask to cover her mouth and a long coat to cover her stab wound then hides her in the cabinet.

I like this movie better than Carved 2 because it is less dramatic but creepier. The looks of the slit mouthed woman is disturbing and the staging of how can she attack children is unique. There’s a possession involved. Mothers with bipolar liked conditions are prone to possession of the kuchisake onna and the symptom is that when they started coughing.

The not so good thing about this movie is that it sort of lacks that frightening aura I’ve seen in some J-Horror movies like Kairo and the Audition. And additional scary stuff and sound effects could have make this film creepier.

Coming Soon - Thai Horror Movie Review

COMING SOON

Director: Sophon Sakdaphisit

Cast:    Worrakarn “Punch” Rotjanawatchra, Sakulrath Thomas & Chantavit Dhanasevi

Synopsis

Coming Soon is the directorial debut of the co-writer of Thai Horror Films “Shutter” & “Alone” Sophon Sakdaphisit.

Shane is a broke theater projectionist who agreed to work with Som to make a pirated copy of an upcoming horror movie “Spirit”, before it gets released. The night Som started recording the film, he mysteriously vanished and all Shane found was his camcorder. Shane then, became haunted of the same mysterious being behind Som’s disappearance. Struggling to find out what happened to Som, Shane & Som’s sister (also Shane’s Ex girlfriend) tried to unravel the truth behind the film and why Shomba is killing everyone who have seen the film.

The film started with a scene on the upcoming movie whereas a girl wakes up in a strange room, she tries to hide in a cabinet from whoever took her. Next scene was a mad looking eerie woman (Shomba) dragging her foot across the floor, and after she did not find the little girl she screamed and goes over the cabinet. The girl then jumped towards her knocking her to the ground, she almost escaped but Shomba dragged her back. When the villagers went to Shomba’s house, they are shocked when they find their missing children seated at a table, eyes blinded and mutilated. The villagers then beat her and hang her to death, but Shomba’s ghost continues to abduct children.

SHOMBA

Review:

This movie belongs to a handful of horror movies that scared the shit out of me. And truthfully speaking, Shomba really gave me the creeps. She gave me a feeling something like I felt back then when I first watched The Grudge. I am a fanatic of Asian Horror Movies due to unlike Hollywood horror, most Asian Horror movies have original concepts, and the most eerie looking ghosts ever. It’s like when you are home alone in the middle of the night; you will never want to turn off the lights due to fear of seeing the ghostly image of Shomba.

The staging of every scene also appealed to especially when I learned what caused the movie to take a life of its own. It was also briefly explained why Shomba is haunting everyone, for this movie is the caused of her accidental death while shooting the hanging scenes. Though some scary scenes are predictable, most scenes will make your hair stand or will make you jump out of your seat. My favorite scene was when Shane was re running the movie at the theater he got the scare of his life when he saw his friend on the movie with eyes gouged up.

Yes this film has its share of flaws, of course there is no such thing as a perfect horror movie, but for me, this one is a horror film you don’t want to watch when you are alone for it will give you a frightful nightmare.

Scared - Thai Horror Movie Review

SCARED (Rab Nong Sayong Kwan)

Director: Pakphum Wonjinda

Cast:     Sumonrat Wattanaselarat (Pii May)

            Wongthep Khunarattantrat (Jonathan)

            Kanya Rattanapetch (Tarn)

            Amornpan Kongtrakarn (Awm)

            Atchara Sikiiva (Kenta)

            Buanphot Jaikanthaa (Mai)

            Chaychawan Sida (Bawmp)

               Matika Arthakornsiripho (Tha)

Synopsis

A Group of freshmen on a field trip survived an accident but later are killed one by one in a forest town. As the body count rises remaining students tried to find out who are killing them & why.

Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk.

Review

This is more of the of a slasher film with a “twist” in the ending rather than horror, although at the beginning it somewhat give a glimpse of some Thai traditions including paying respect to the dead before entering the rain forest.

Unlike other Thai Horror films, the location of the movie being in the forest may give you the impression of Haunted Forest part Cannibal Holocaust but it isn’t about any ghost haunting people or tribesmen killing tourists, thus, it is more complicated than that.

While there are many interesting characters in the movie, as you started to know them (or like them), they get killed in a gruesome way. Personally, I don’t know who to root for; I don’t know which of them will survive. As the tension continues, the teenagers do not have a chance to build relationships. The staging of the death scenes are somewhat Friday the 13^th like – yes entertaining.

The confusing part – Reaching the last phase of the movie became terribly confusing for somewhat, it goes far away the slasher nature. And I can’t see the connection of the ending with what happened in the earlier parts. They sort of infuse something like Battle Royale in the finale. But unlike Battle Royale it is more of a reality TV, where the freshmen were subjected to a voting poll, the audience decides who to kill and who to save. If you are into gore and blood you must watch this movie.

The House - Thai Horror Movie Review

Release Date: August 23, 2007The House (Baan Phii Sing) – Thai Horror Movie Review

Runtime: 100 Min.

Language: Thai

Country: Thailand

Synopsis:

Based on true stories of three murder cases that occurred in one particular house, a female TV reporter (Shalinee) is sent to make a documentary about a murder case that happened six years ago when a Doctor, and a well known professor of a famous medical institute in Bangkok murdered his wife. As Shalinee researched about the possible role of the house to the murder, she discovered some connections to two other cases that date back to 8 years ago and 40 years ago, but both have similarities to the latest murder case. She then discovered the most disturbing fact that every couple that once lived in that house ends up in so much hatred and jealousy pushing the murderer to kill loved ones. After Shalinee and her husband entered the house, they began experiencing the same haunting other families experienced before. Will they survive or will they be considered as another casualty of the cursed house?

Movie Review:

While most of the Thai Horror films I’ve watched like Shutter & Coming Soon, The House did not exceed my expectation. Sure some of the scenes have the “Ju-On” effect but that’s it there’s no other horror factor. The storyline I would say, super predictable and a let down. Much worse was the acting especially of the main character who played Shalinee (Inthira Chaloenpura), yes she has this pouty lips but she tends to exaggerate imitating Angelina Jolie, This annoyed me a lot. In addition to this, I hated the way she screams and shriek every time a ghostly apparition would come in her way.  The value of a certain horror movie depends on the imaginative chills that send shivers to the audience’s spines, that’s what is missing in this movie, the over used frightening elements and nothing more. Although the appearance of the ghostly images were pretty done scarily and the sounds are creepy there’s not much of the death scenes because it is more of watching someone in a dream state, not being sure of reality or imagination. I guess the scary feeling was much felt of the audience who watched the movie in the big screen.

Lastly, The House failed to entertain me, as an Asian horror fanatic I am turned on with films that has a unique scary story line. Therefore I rate this movie as 2/5.

Another - Anime Series Review

ANOTHER

Release-Date: Winter Season 2012, a 12-episode animé TV series

Genre: mystery/horror/thriller

Novel: Yukito Ayatsuji

Manga Adaptation: Hiro Kiyohara

Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk. 

Synopsis:

In 1972, a popular student of Yomiyama North Middle School class of 3-3 died before the school year ends. Devastated by the loss, the rest of the class and even the teachers and principal carry on and pretended as if he was still alive, even bringing the desk in the graduation ceremony. Later on they discovered that their dead classmate appeared in the class picture. Gruesome deaths then followed every 3-3 class including their relatives. Humors circulated that the class is cursed and every year there is an extra student that is believed to be already dead but has a physical body and can interact with other people. School roster is completely altered and memories were erased from people involved. Fast forward 26 years after the first incident, a boy from Tokyo named Koichi Sakakibara transferred into Yomiyama Middle School. His mother who died earlier was also from Yomiyama Middle School and his aunt Mikami Reiko is the deputy teacher of class 3-3. She always reminds Koichi to separate their family life from school life, He calls her Reiko at home while at school he calls her Ms. Mikami. Right before the start of the school year he was hospitalized and in that hospital he met Mei Misaki, a girl with an eye patch. Later when he started going to school in May, he discovered that Misaki is his classmate. Suspicion replaced his excitement as he noticed the growing fearful environment inside the classroom. It looks like Misaki doesn’t exist as if he is the only who sees her. His classmates won’t talk about her name and pretended they don’t see her. As Koichi slowly discovered the secret of the class 3-3, he and Misaki and other persons involved must find a way to lift the curse that is to know who is dead and send then back to where they belong.

Review:

First of all, I consider this series as brutal and gruesome due to the graphic death scenes. I was hooked up by the first two episodes. But as the series continued I became irritated at the repetitive habit of somehow waiting for the big revelations of the show, for as some of the characters will try to reveal to Koichi what is happening they suddenly die, and oh, left you frustrated and hanging. And not of the questions were answered at the end of the stories. I felt that “I need to see more” or “What really happened?” & “Why/How did it turned out to be like that?”  Although it is fun unfolding the mystery watching every episode this anime failed to focus on relationships – like between Koichi and Misaki, It should have spiced the storyline, but Misaki doesn’t show any sense of deep emotions, I agree with other reviews that she seemed robot-like.

Excitement Factor – there’s a lot of excitement in the story for everyone is in danger, it’s like you know you are going to die but you don’t know how or when. It’s like you are walking home then suddenly you died of heart attack. 

Traumatic Scenes – well, most of the death scenes were traumatic but here are my favorites:

1.    Death by umbrella – When one of the classmates named Yukari Sakuragi accidentally trips the stairs and impales her neck to the sharp end of her umbrella.

2.    Suicide Scene of their teacher – after being stressed out of the fact that their class countermeasure is not working, he murdered his mother at home and stabbed himself in front of his class.

3.    Death by elevator – Nurse Sanae Mizuno who is also the sister of Takeru who also belongs to class 3-3 died when the elevator she was riding drops down the shaft and the ceiling crushed her.

4.    The insane crone murderer – when Takabayashi’s grandmother/manager of the hotel violently murdered some of Koichis classmates after burning his own husband.

The Good

·         The creepy and dark set up and atmosphere that compliments the story line.

·         The fact that “Another” is not a usual & expected anime that concentrates on endless fight scenes and enemy skill stage but it tackles the horror side which I usually see on horror movies, thus, the story can be stretched and the characters unexpectedly behave for what is expected.

The Flaws

·         12 episodes are not enough to fully end the series. Some questions were not answered and mysteries not solved like who altered the school records? Why didn’t they remember? Why earlier in the series Misaki did not use the ability of her other eye to detect who’s dead?

·         The roles – The story revolves on a cast which is all about a bunch of kids doing stupid stuffs, I mean what can you expect with their actions? The teachers seemed to not help the students and other family members were not given enough parts. There should be at least someone (adult) in the main characters rather than reiko and chibiki.

I Miss You - Thai Horror Movie Review

I Miss you (Thai Horror Movie – 2012)Genre: Horor/ThrillerDirector: Monton AryangkunCast: Jetsadaporn Poldee, Natta Veeranut Tongme, Apinya sakuljareonsuek, Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt, Lauren Weedman, Jacki Weaver, David Paymer, Mindy Kaling, Dakota JohnsonRunTime: 2 hrs 2 minsReleased By: Golden Village Pictures & Clover FilmsRating: PG13 (Horror)

Synopsis: 
Dr. Bee is a young 1^st year resident doctor at the Hospital’s Surgical Department while Dr. Thana is a senior doctor and also her superior during her internship. Humors are: when someone gets closer to Dr. Thana, they are haunted by Dr. Nok’s ghost, the girlfriend of Dr. Thana who died in an accident before their wedding. As she got to know the senior doctor better, she realized the extreme attachment of the doctor to Dr. Nok causing him to be haunted. Dr. Bee then attempts to relieve him from his misery and sorrow but her fears of having to face the ghost of Dr. Thana’s dead girlfriend overwhelmed her.

The creepy portrait of Dr. Nok

 Movie Review:Thai Horror movies are known to be scary and creepy. The movie title I MISS YOU looks like a typical romance movie but once you start watching the film you will notice the complications of the film for it involves deep love for a dead person. While most horror movies focus on gore & disturbing scenes, I MISS YOU tackles the “love beyond death” aspect. Thus the tagline of the movie is “If you love me, don’t miss me” meaning the more you miss a dead person, the longer their ghosts will linger around you and will make you haunted.Though some of the ghost scenes (like the elevator scene of a nurse being haunted after flirting with Dr. Thana) are scary, the film lacks scary sound effects or hair-raising background music.There are also twists and turns as you go by the movie that oppose the personality of Dr. Thana as being loving & faithful. But some of the twists just make the storyline more complicated because they tried to link some of the unnecessary characters to Dr. Thana, adding to the confusion.Personally, I find the film exciting at first, but after the 1^st phase, I got bored due to the stressful chain of events that happened. I got sleepy before the film ends because it got dramatic instead showing “climax” horror wise.