Through remakes of popular J-Horror flicks Ringu and Ju-on, the western world fell under a japanese horror phenomenon. However, the phenomenon was short lived and when the popularity of The Ring died out, all that has been given to us are very poor remakes of japanese horror films. Remakes that remove much of what makes the genre so great.
Japanese horror tends to swing one of two ways. In the direction of the extreme or the direction of the subdued. An extreme flick is full of blood, gore, sex, violence, and all the gratuity one could desire. While these films are often very disgusting and perhaps unsettling, I don't particularly appreciate them as true horror. They're shock films, extreme movies meant to invoke a reaction from the visceral imagery rather than to actually instill a long lasting fear in their viewer. I will make a blog about these movies later, but for now I will focus on the latter.
Japanese horror, much more than popular western horror, focuses on creating an atmosphere. An atmosphere in which something is clearly wrong but it is difficult to determine what it is. People who don't quite act right, situations that create a tension so thick it can be cut with a knife. That's what J-Horror excels in. If you've played games like Silent Hill, you know what I'm talking about. Rather than relying on the surprise scare of a monster jumping out of the closet, you are immersed in a truly unsettling and frightening world. Not to say there aren't some surprising moments or that there is no shocking imagery, but the execution of these scenes differs greatly from the likes of slasher flicks. I've rambled enough, let's start the list.
Number Five: Pulse (Kairo)
Pulse is about internet ghosts. Sounds like a stupid premise, but it is executed with extreme tension and visual beauty. The cinematography is excellent, the atmosphere is dark and moody, and the scenes are haunting but lack any real jump out scare potential. The movie leaves you feeling unsettled and creeped out at the end.
I don't want to spoil too much but there are two storylines happening simultaneously in the movie. The first storyline centers around a young woman named Kudo Michi. Her friend Taguchi goes missing, working on a computer disc. In a movie about internet ghosts and computer horror, I'm sure you can imagine the sort of twists around the corner. The second storyline concerns Ryosuke, an economics student, who is unknowledgable about computers. When he finally gets himself an internet connection things start to go wrong and they get very creepy.
I recommend this film highly, but it's not something I'd consider an absolute MUST see.
Number Four: Marebito
Marebito is a VERY unique film. It's a strangely beautiful movie, focusing mostly on character development and the disturbing relationships characters have. Our main character is obsessed with death. When he sees a videotape of a man committing suicide on a subway, he is determined to find out more about it. He explores the subway and finds a tunnel into what appears to be an abandoned underground city. There he finds a nude young woman chained to the wall.
He takes her home.
She doesn't speak japanese and doesn't appear to be very human like in her needs or habits. The movie focuses on the relationship between them and the trials he suffers for her. There is a mystery surrounding her and the movie is quite disturbing in some portions. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but it's a movie that really sticks with you after you see it. Of all the films listed here, this one is the most unique and interesting and I recommend it just because of the interesting subject matter.
Number Three: Ringu
Now you may have seen The Ring (a well done remake), but have you seen Ringu? This is the movie that started the J-Horror craze and it's one of the best in the genre. The story follows Reiko, a young reporter who investigates the existence of a videotape that kills those who watch it. Her son is a psychic, who communicates with the evil spirits within the tape.
She uncovers the story of a little girl named Sadako, the trials of her parents, the deaths of those who have watched the movie, and the malevolence behind the tape. The movie is beautifully paced and does a fantastic job of creating a frightening atmosphere. If you've seen The Ring, you know the plot of this movie but watching Ringu is still worth a shot. I believe the original is superior, although The Ring is a worthy remake. Definitely a must see movie.
Number Two: Audition
This is it. If you like horror films, you MUST watch the final two on this list. Audition is a movie that will never leave your mind after you see it. Audition is a movie that gets under your skin and settles down to start a family. Audition is the best example of creating fear through nothing but atmosphere and pacing that I can think of and the movie is executed flawlessly.
Watching it requires a lot of patience, but if you have strong attention to detail and don't mind a slow ride, this movie will be very rewarding. Directed by the legendary Takashi Miike (famous director of surrealist/shock/horror films) this movie stands alone as his best work.
The premise of Audition is this. An aging widower, Aoyama, is convinced by his friend and his son to find another woman. His friend, a movie producer, has the excellent idea of holding a fake movie audition. Aoyama will attend the audition and select a woman to date. He chooses a young woman named Asami. She is beautiful, pure, and delicate. He becomes a bit obsessed with her but finds that there is very little to learn about her past.
I can't say too much more, but there is something very strange about Asami and the further he digs the less he finds, beginning to doubt her humanity. The last 20 minutes of this movie are some of the most intense ever on screen and caused several audiences in Japan to vomit and/or walk out of the theater. The movie rewards you heavily for what is essentially an hour and a half build-up to the end and BOY is it worth it.
For the best experience, watch the film without reading anything else or even watching a trailer.
Number ONE: Noroi
This is not only my favorite J-Horror film of all time but my favorite horror film period. In fact it's one of my favorite movies, period. Watch it.
This movie is essentially impossible to obtain through legitimate means, torrenting it is the best option. Of course I won't be posting links to a torrent of the film in this blog, although the film HAS been uploaded on youtube. It's better to watch the movie unseparated though.
So what is Noroi? Noroi is a mockumentary. Yes it's one of those films that ripped off the Blair Witch project. But it's not shaky, it's not amateurish, and it's executed with an unprecendented realism that really makes you forget on occasion that the movie isn't real. The movie follows Kobayashi, a paranormal investigator, as he investigates a small disturbance in a town which quickly unfolds into a very very big paranormal occurrence.
The movie begins powerfully, with an introduction. You are told about Kobayashi and that he had filmed a movie called Noroi - The Curse, which was deemed to disturbing to be shown on TV. However, 4 months after the documentary was filmed, he went missing and his wife died in a house fire. So for the first time, audiences (you) are allowed to see the film. Essentially it's a documentary about a mockumentary. But the majority of the film is this banned documentary that Kobayashi made and that is the meat of the content.
The film gets creepier and creepier and the complex plot ties nicely together as all of the characters meet and become affected by the curse. I can't really say anything without spoiling the movie, but I'll describe the first scene.
The movie begins with Kobayashi investigating a claim in a small town somewhere in Japan. A woman complains of hearing baby noises next door, but knows for a fact her neighbor doesn't have babies. Only a son of about 6 years old. Kobayashi goes to the neighbor and upon knocking on the door is screamed at by the middle-aged woman who owns the home and told to leave. After an unexpected and quite insane verbal lashing, Kobayashi leaves only to see the young boy in the window. The camera catches the sounds of baby cries upon seeing the boy. A few days later, the woman who complained dies along with her young daughter.
Simple creepy things like this add up into a very intricate plot that has no real resolution. The mystery is never truly solved but the ending is satisfying enough and won't leave people scratching their heads. This is the best example of mockumentary done right in horror and although it may not be the best J-Horror film of all time, it is my personal favorite and I highly suggest it.
The beginning of the movie is there and it is split into 11 parts on youtube, if you choose to view it that way. I'd suggest finding a good torrent or even better looking for a way to buy a legit copy. The movie is worth owning.
On August 05 2010 14:42 Cambium wrote: Noroi sounds pretty interesting. I actually enjoy good horror movies, i.e. not movies that just pop scary shit onto the screen for no reason.
Exactly. I've seperated those sort of films into a genre I like to call "Surprise" or "BOO" type movies. The scare comes from an unexpected event occurring, or the loudness/sudden nature of it. I've never really been scared watching those movies, but when the bad guy jumps out of the closet with a BANG, it makes me jump out of my seat.
As soon as the movies over I forget about it. That's not true horror as far as I'm concerned. I also appreciate horror with a decent plot. If you're into plot heavy horror I'd suggest Marebito, Vital, or Rampo Noir. Rampo Noir has the best cinematography and imagery I've seen in a horror movie and the stories are excellent.
On August 05 2010 13:50 Pwntrucci[sR] wrote: I wanna watch all these movies but I don't either
LOL exactly how I feel. Japanese horror movies are freakin insanely scary. I saw audition and it wasn't too bad.. I wanna see Noroi, but it seems WAY too scary. What u think DH?
On August 05 2010 13:50 Pwntrucci[sR] wrote: I wanna watch all these movies but I don't either
LOL exactly how I feel. Japanese horror movies are freakin insanely scary. I saw audition and it wasn't too bad.. I wanna see Noroi, but it seems WAY too scary. What u think DH?
Noroi isn't that scary. This isn't the top 5 SCARIEST movies, it's the ones I like the most. I think Noroi has a cool premise, great execution, and engaging characters. It's the most immersive horror film I've seen but it isn't really that scary.
It is very unsettling though and the last scene will make you shit a brick the size of texas. What scares you is getting caught up in it and forgetting the documentary isn't real. But if I lost sleep over anything because of that movie, it was over thinking about it and not fear. But it is certainly pretty creepy.
If I had to pick the scariest film I'd pick Ju-On probably.
On August 05 2010 15:28 sinK wrote: those who like bizzare creepy stuff, should also check Uzumaki (aka Spiral)
I would suggest the manga over the movie. I think the movie was ruined for me in some aspects by the manga. Anything with Junji Ito's name on it is gold though.
Thanks for sharing, I'll watch Noroi. I think japanese horror movies are very scary. I watched Dark Water in the darkness when I was alone at my apartment and it scared the shit out of me. I didn't dare to enter my bathroom until the next morning :|
Watching noroi right now. It's really not very scary but it is very engaging. It may be because of the fact that i'm watching it on youtube but so far it's pretty tame.
I'm on part 5 of 11 right now and I think I'll stop there. It's getting too late o_o
On August 05 2010 17:14 Issor wrote: Watching noroi right now. It's really not very scary but it is very engaging. It may be because of the fact that i'm watching it on youtube but so far it's pretty tame.
I'm on part 5 of 11 right now and I think I'll stop there. It's getting too late o_o
On August 05 2010 17:14 Issor wrote: Watching noroi right now. It's really not very scary but it is very engaging. It may be because of the fact that i'm watching it on youtube but so far it's pretty tame.
I'm on part 5 of 11 right now and I think I'll stop there. It's getting too late o_o
I had to reread your description on Noroi to remind myself that it's not real..damn, I'm only in the first part and there's that lingering feeling that makes me forget that this is not real.
On August 05 2010 17:14 Issor wrote: Watching noroi right now. It's really not very scary but it is very engaging. It may be because of the fact that i'm watching it on youtube but so far it's pretty tame.
I'm on part 5 of 11 right now and I think I'll stop there. It's getting too late o_o
On August 05 2010 17:57 SilverSkyLark wrote: I had to reread your description on Noroi to remind myself that it's not real..damn, I'm only in the first part and there's that lingering feeling that makes me forget that this is not real.
Yeah most handycam movies are really cheesy and obvious in the way they're done but I think Noroi presents it quite believably. There are a few moments that take you out of it but they're few and far between.
I watched Noroi together with my friend late at night. we had no idea what we were getting into, except that we found it on some kind of top horror film list and that it was fairly high rated on Imdb.
After watching it, it's become one of my favorite movies of all time.
I cant belive how well the plot sews together all the seperate pieces. It's like a scattered mosaic that gets drawn into the whole picture in the end. You keep getting these tidbits during the movie where you connect what you saw in a previous scene with what you're seeing in the current scene. Its just a whole new experience of movie watching(not that i watch that many movies).
Its not the whole "boo, i gotcha with a screamer" movie. Its the atmosphere that kinda builds on you and you get these foreshadowings all the time and a feeling that SOMETHING is horribly wrong.
Anyway, gonna watch Audition tonight. Don't know if its something i should watch when im home alone at night, but i'll bite .
Edit: on second thought, after watching the Audition trailer, I've actually seen this one already.
Not as memorable as Noroi, its a very slow type of movie with a twist in the end.
Please do a top 5 K-Horror Films of All Time. K-Horror movies are so good. I just watched Death Bell and it had a good twist at the end and was very satisfying
On August 05 2010 13:50 Pwntrucci[sR] wrote: I wanna watch all these movies but I don't either
LOL exactly how I feel. Japanese horror movies are freakin insanely scary. I saw audition and it wasn't too bad.. I wanna see Noroi, but it seems WAY too scary. What u think DH?
Noroi isn't that scary. This isn't the top 5 SCARIEST movies, it's the ones I like the most. I think Noroi has a cool premise, great execution, and engaging characters. It's the most immersive horror film I've seen but it isn't really that scary.
It is very unsettling though and the last scene will make you shit a brick the size of texas. What scares you is getting caught up in it and forgetting the documentary isn't real. But if I lost sleep over anything because of that movie, it was over thinking about it and not fear. But it is certainly pretty creepy.
If I had to pick the scariest film I'd pick Ju-On probably.
god I watched ju-on years ago and the memories of that shit still scare me shitless Grudge has NOTHING on its japanese version
I've seen audition and did not enjoy it. Not because I found it scary, but a little silly. Not that it was a bad movie, but I wouldn't say its one my top horrors.
I've only seen Ringu and Audition out of the movies on the list. I want to find a copy of Noroi, it looks very interesting! Have you seen Nanimo Shiranai? Not so much a horror movie, but creepy and suspenseful in an inhumane sort of way.
Haha thanks Doctor H, I watched Noroi. Haven't dared to see horror movies for a long time and now I'm paranoid of every knock and strange event q,q Gotta down a few beers to fall asleep tonight..
On August 06 2010 04:30 lac29 wrote: Have you ever seen Suicide Club / Suicide Circle? I hear it's also pretty scary.
Yeah. Suicide Club is really cheesy but I found it disturbing. What gets to me in horror is home invasion sort of stuff so even bad movies like The Strangers scare the shit out of me. So the little bit with the kidnapping and Gemini really bothered me.
On August 06 2010 00:23 Xyik wrote: I've seen audition and did not enjoy it. Not because I found it scary, but a little silly. Not that it was a bad movie, but I wouldn't say its one my top horrors.
Audition is definitely not for everyone. The concept is strange, the backstory isn't very fleshed out, and the pace is a snail crawl.
I Just saw noroi, i thought it was a bit slow and it isn't considered slow. So i guess audition is definitly not for me. But i generally liked it, the ending was great.
On August 06 2010 05:49 YPang wrote: I Just saw noroi, i thought it was a bit slow and it isn't considered slow. So i guess audition is definitly not for me. But i generally liked it, the ending was great.
Just finished watching Noroi and it was REALLY REALLY REALLY good. Kind of slow to start but the last 3 parts were amazing, not to mention the last 5 minutes. Thanks for the recommendation. I think I'll check out Marebito next.
Man, I really shouldn't have clicked this blog. I watched lots of Asian horror movies when I was young (mostly because I was forced to by my older sisters -_-), but after watching enough of them, they scared me away forever. Although, having to watching them desensitized me enough that Western horror movies do not scare me whatsoever. They're actually kind of different imo, Western movies are more about physical/material fear (killers/murderers) and Asian movies are more about supernatural stuff.
Anyway, I haven't watched a single Asian horror movie in YEARS but, now, it seems like I have to. Whenever I hear about good Asian horror movies, I just have this urge to watch them even though I know I won't be able to sleep for days. I've been fighting that urge for a while however it seems like the urge will prevail. I shall report back after I gather up some courage to watch these movies. Thanks for the list.
Did anyone who was under the effects of the curse actually kill anyone but themselves? I know Hori "killed" the boy and attacked Kobayashi but it's arguable that he was under the effects of the curse anyway. I think it's more likely the dad just cracked under the stress of the events of the movie that involved him/his daughter more than anything.
I love audtion~ My only problem is that the box cover and the trailer and the plot summary all spoil the horror. It would have been a masterpiece if it was advertised as a romantic comedy which it is for the first half of the film.
On August 06 2010 07:09 dani_caliKorea wrote: I love audtion~ My only problem is that the box cover and the trailer and the plot summary all spoil the horror. It would have been a masterpiece if it was advertised as a romantic comedy which it is for the first half of the film.
It's hard to convince people to watch a boring japanese romantic comedy. I try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but yes I agree.
I saw the American version of Pulse a few years back and it was genuinely a contender for the worst movie I have ever seen. I imagine the original would be better though.
On August 06 2010 07:41 Bibbit wrote: I saw the American version of Pulse a few years back and it was genuinely a contender for the worst movie I have ever seen. I imagine the original would be better though.
I agree. I watched the remake and I'd give it a 3/10 or less. The original is fantastic.
The american remake of One Missed Call is the worst J-Horror remake of all time though, easily. It's HORRIBLE and the original was only a 7/10 at best in the first place.
On August 06 2010 07:55 Dimos wrote: Hey DoctorHelvetica, what's your new quote about?
It's a lyric from the song Kid A by Radiohead :3. I interpret the line as a comparison of power through force and power through manipulation. The whole album has a dystopian theme and is about the disconnection people have achieved from their own humanity. I hated the song for a long time but now I quite like it.
On August 05 2010 22:07 Tazza wrote: Please do a top 5 K-Horror Films of All Time. K-Horror movies are so good. I just watched Death Bell and it had a good twist at the end and was very satisfying
I second this.
I just loaded parts 4 to 11 of Noroi, hogging all the bandwidth of the school library hahahaha.
On August 05 2010 22:07 Tazza wrote: Please do a top 5 K-Horror Films of All Time. K-Horror movies are so good. I just watched Death Bell and it had a good twist at the end and was very satisfying
I second this.
I just loaded parts 4 to 11 of Noroi, hogging all the bandwidth of the school library hahahaha.
I've only seen about 3 k-horror films unfortunately
Well just put "A tale of two sisters" on the list and majority of the people here will be happy.:D
well, fuck, I loaded every nonori part and the shitty thing is that some of them only loaded at around 8 to 9 minutes but the progress bar shows that it is full..
finished watching Noroi, damn.......that was, sheit, easily one of the best.
I'm going to watch Noroi now since everyone is saying that it is really good. Hopefully I don't get too scared so I can sleep tonight. I'll come back and share my thoughts.
All i got was that the dude murdered his wife, and that somehow the vampire girl was his daughter who he abused cuz he was batshit insane.
Then he somehow fast forwarded into the future, was homeless, and then returned to the apartment where the vampire girl was still there. Then he returned with her to the place he found her, and is really scared for some reason or other.
This is why I don't like japanese horror sometimes haha, I feel like a lot of the symbolism/imagery flies over my head and i have no idea wtf is going on. Same thing with A tale of Two Sisters.
Audition was badass, remember watching it years ago.. Pulse was decent, after all the hype of the ring.. When i first watched it, it was crazy dissapointing imo.. The grudge however scared the crap out of me.
All i got was that the dude murdered his wife, and that somehow the vampire girl was his daughter who he abused cuz he was batshit insane.
Then he somehow fast forwarded into the future, was homeless, and then returned to the apartment where the vampire girl was still there. Then he returned with her to the place he found her, and is really scared for some reason or other.
This is why I don't like japanese horror sometimes haha, I feel like a lot of the symbolism/imagery flies over my head and i have no idea wtf is going on. Same thing with A tale of Two Sisters.
I've always interpreted it a bit like Silent Hill. That the happenings in the movie are sort of psychological manifestation of the guilt he had been repressing. That he had killed his wife and mistreated his daughter. He then returns to the underground, a sort of personal hell for him. He had been seeking death/fear as a sort of penance and he finally finds it in the end.
Marika or whatever her name was? I didn't think she was an actress but I may have missed that part. I was under the impression, given the her smile in the last shot of her face, that she was okay.
i can never forget the ring haha. watched it when i was like 10 or something, i remember crying myself to sleep for the next few nights. the mirror scene still haunts me
great list, i'll get my friends over to watch it since i'm too scared to watch horror movies by myself
Well wasn't there a scene after they perform the ritual and the camera man takes the actress home, then she starts groaning so the camera man pulls over and the actress goes batshit but manages to regain sanity. After that, it was narrated that Hori (because he went haywire too) and the actress were sent to the hospital (Hori was later sent to a mental institute), Hori dies but I don't recall anything happening to the actress after... The Curse was supposed to be lifted but she still had haywire moments and the demon is still alive.
Well wasn't there a scene after they perform the ritual and the camera man takes the actress home, then she starts groaning so the camera man pulls over and the actress goes batshit but manages to regain sanity. After that, it was narrated that Hori (because he went haywire too) and the actress were sent to the hospital (Hori was later sent to a mental institute), Hori dies but I don't recall anything happening to the actress after... The Curse was supposed to be lifted but she still had haywire moments and the demon is still alive.
On August 07 2010 11:27 konadora wrote: i can never forget the ring haha. watched it when i was like 10 or something, i remember crying myself to sleep for the next few nights. the mirror scene still haunts me
I had the same thing but with The Shining. It completely turned me off of horror movies as a result
having said that, Noroi does sound really interesting. Maybe I'll stop being a pussy and watch it one of these days
On August 07 2010 11:27 konadora wrote: i can never forget the ring haha. watched it when i was like 10 or something, i remember crying myself to sleep for the next few nights. the mirror scene still haunts me
I had the same thing but with The Shining. It completely turned me off of horror movies as a result
having said that, Noroi does sound really interesting. Maybe I'll stop being a pussy and watch it one of these days
I was like this with JuOn (The original, not the crappy Buffy remake.) I watched it during my first year of university and my housemate came downstairs at 3am to find me ravenously devouring a packet of custard creams with all the lights on, and a total inability to get out of my chair, let alone go back up to bed. It scared me shitless.
(I do consider myself a horror movie junkie too. I've seen most of the movies in this series of blogs and definitely at least 100 Asian films including a lot of Takashi Miike's work.)
On August 07 2010 11:27 konadora wrote: i can never forget the ring haha. watched it when i was like 10 or something, i remember crying myself to sleep for the next few nights. the mirror scene still haunts me
I had the same thing but with The Shining. It completely turned me off of horror movies as a result
having said that, Noroi does sound really interesting. Maybe I'll stop being a pussy and watch it one of these days
I was like this with JuOn (The original, not the crappy Buffy remake.) I watched it during my first year of university and my housemate came downstairs at 3am to find me ravenously devouring a packet of custard creams with all the lights on, and a total inability to get out of my chair, let alone go back up to bed. It scared me shitless.
(I do consider myself a horror movie junkie too. I've seen most of the movies in this series of blogs and definitely at least 100 Asian films including a lot of Takashi Miike's work.)
EPT![[image loading]](http://www.horrorphile.net/images/ringu1.jpg)
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![[image loading]](http://actionfigurecanada.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/noroi.jpg?w=450)
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