GhoulieJoe

‘Ju On: The Grudge’–I Wuvs!

Japanese movie, directed by Takashi Shimizu. This is the film the 2004 American remake (also directed by Shimizu) draws the most from (there is also Ju On: The Curse), and I’m not counting the Japanese sequel. A woman named Kayako (Takako Fuji) and her son Toshio (Yuya Ozeki) are killed by her husband Takeo (Takashi Matsuyama), and their angry, cursed ghosts kill anyone who comes in their house. Their victims’ stories are told in six segments.

ju5 — Ghosts that interrupt your sleep are just the WORST!

I’ve seen this a couple of times, and the remake a bunch of times, but it still manages to retain its eerieness. There’s just something about Kayako’s moans and her wide-eyed shock that out-creeps a good many movie monsters. Not to mention how she crawls; there’s one scene when Kayako gets a prolonged close-up of her slithering down a flight of stairs, and it’s damned unnerving.

0000grudge3 — She’s more scared of you than you are of her

Then there’s her habit of dragging people away rather than straight-up killing people on-screen, making us use our imagination about what’s happening. The victims don’t always die right away—they’re tormented psychologically first. And of course there are little Toshio and the menacing Takeo. The performances are great overall. A couple of actors are meh, but Megumi Okina is always great.

There are a couple of less-than-scary moments, like when Rika (Okina) hears a cat yowling and sees her room is filled with cats, including a few clearly fake ones. Or the scene when a character runs from a trio of ghosts. She piles chairs in front of her door, apparently forgetting that she’s in Japan and has a sliding door. These don’t negate the scares, though. Going back to my raving about the creepiness factor, the scares are also wonderfully subtle, like the scene when an old man plays peek-a-boo with Toshio, and Toshio’s reflection seen fleetingly in a door. The ghosts pop up subtly, without calling attention to themselves—they sneak up on the audience too.

I can’t say the remake is a better film, as I like them both; I do like how Izumi’s (Misa Uehara) story was expanded in the American sequel. The segments and big cast of characters take some getting used to, particularly when Toyama (Yûji Tôyama), who is shown to have a young daughter, has a vision of her going in the house as a teenager. The scenes aren’t all in chronological order. But overall, I thoroughly enjoy it. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something creepy and well-made.

‘Para Elisa’: Not the Worst, but Often Frustrating and Unpleasant

Spanish movie. Ana (Ona Casamiquela) is a college student who needs to raise money for a post-grad trip, so she answers an ad for a nanny. Unfortunately, her employer Diamantina (Luisa Gavasa) is completely unstable, and her daughter Elisa (Ana Turpin), who turns out to be older than Ana, wants her to be her doll. And when Elisa doesn’t get what she wants, she gets violent.

There are things to like about the movie. The sets are great, and the scenery is gorgeous. The acting is decent. The score is properly ominous. The filmmakers do a good job of building tension, for example blood dripping on Diamantina’s piano during the opening credits. There are some creepy moments, like when Elisa says, “If I take your legs, you won’t walk.”

But ultimately I found watching the film frustrating, for multiple reasons. Ana is really whiny and annoying, and the characters surrounding her are no better, from her physically abusive on-again/off-again boyfriend Alex (Jesús Caba) to her friend Úrsula (Sheila Ponce), who is trying to get in Alex’s pants. Then there’s the scene when Ana, who has been given a drug that doesn’t allow her to speak, manages to get Alex on her cell phone and is stymied by her speechlessness—did Spanish cell phones not have texting in 2012? Or the many times when Ana should have been able to simply overpower Elisa–she’s tiny! And Ana has rage on her side! Or how Elisa ties her up with ribbon, even after Ana demonstrates that she can get out of such a flimsy binding. Or the scene when Alex goes to the police and tells them that a stranger answered his girlfriend’s phone and mentioned that she was being “punished,” and the police tell him they have to wait 48 hours to start looking for her (which is not a thing in real life), and when he won’t leave they threaten to lock him up. On a personal level, I’m learning Spanish, but I still oyo muy lentamente, and I had some adjusting to do to keep up with Ana’s rapid-fire delivery, but that’s my own fault.

If you’re in the mood for a Spanish movie about a woman being held captive against her will, give it a look. Or watch the amazing To Let. Why not both?

‘The Strangers’: Dark, Disturbing, and All Too Plausible

Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are a couple staying in an out-of-the way vacation house. They’re menaced and tormented by three masked sociopaths (Gemma Ward, Laura Margolis, and Kip Weeks).

First and foremost, The Strangers is darn creepy. The magic of this movie is its wondrous subtlety. For example the scene when the Man in the Mask enters the kitchen with Kristen. She doesn’t notice him at all, and he doesn’t call attention to himself—he’s sneaking up on us, too. The masked villains are scary because they’re invulnerable; they’re always one step ahead of Kristen and James, who can’t even successfully wound them. They’re mysterious; they barely speak, and we don’t see their faces. They’re emotionless; they have no pity for their victims. The few times they do talk, it’s in a monotone.

str1 — Look how much space is in the shot, and how unobtrusive he is! Sneaky bastard!

Sound is also used successfully. There’s no score, just occasional licensed songs. And a lot of scary, jarring noises. Like when James and Kristen first encounter the maskies: Dollface comes and pounds on the door, repeatedly. There is little in the way of comic relief; James and Kristen aren’t even a happy couple. Before the action starts, James proposed to Kristen and she turned him down, making an awkward, painful situation to begin with, and building tension.

I first saw this in the theatre with my husband Andrew, and I was definitely clinging to him more than once. When we went home, we needed to watch something funny before going to bed. When I went to check that the front door was locked, he said “Boom boom boom!” and I jumped a mile. Repeat: said. He didn’t make a banging sound, he spoke. Needless to say, this doesn’t happen to me often. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something realistic and atmospheric. Here’s a shameless plug for an article I wrote a while back for addictedtohorrormovies.com that further explores how scary Dollface is in particular.

2009’s ‘Don’t Look Up’: A Classic Ghost Story in an Exotic Locale

Marcus (Reshad Strik) is a director yearning for a chance to make a comeback in the film industry. He’s also prone to having visions of ghosts, which leads him to a haunted movie set in Romania. It seems that in the 1920s, a director (Eli Roth, really playing against type here) was trying to make a movie based on a gruesome local legend. However, the film was never finished, as everyone around died horribly. Cue Marcus and a brand new crew, which unsurprisingly does not fare well either, what with people being flung from balconies and a mean case of eye-eating flies.

don2 — I totally told you not to look up!

First, a warning to Eli Roth fans: he may be third-billed, but he’s only in the movie for a couple of minutes, never to be seen again. Ditto Shiloh Fernandez. However, Henry Thomas is worth sticking around for.

The movie has some surprisingly creepy and disturbing moments, like when a horrifying old man shows up with a goiter full of demon baby. It’s also a somewhat original idea—the folktale part, not the movie within a movie part I mean.

Unfortunately, it’s very confusing. My biggest issue is with the legend being filmed. It revolves around a woman named Chavi (Adja Hodzic) who makes a deal with the Devil that her first-born child will in turn bear him children. The kid, Matya (Zelda Williams), is vilified by the townspeople for being born with the devil’s mark, and is subsequently tortured…but not until she’s an adult. It’s also baffling in other, more spoiler-y ways.

don3 — “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me maybe…”

It feels slow-paced even when gory stuff is happening, and none of the characters are particularly compelling or even all that likable. I would have been a lot more enthusiastic for a movie about the first crew that tried to film Matya’s story. Not to mention how the close-ups of Matya’s eyes (the top image below) are uncomfortably similar to ones of Sadako’s eye in Ringu (the bottom image):

That said, I enjoyed it more than I’m letting on–Fruit Chan is a talented director, and it’s definitely worth a watch.

1997’s ‘Campfire Tales’ is Fun and a Little Scary, but Kinda Predictable

Anthology-style movie. The wraparound story is of four teens (Christine Taylor, Christopher Masterson, Kim Murphy, and Jay R. Ferguson) who are stranded in the woods after a car crash, and they’re telling each other stories to pass the time, as one does. “The Hook” concerns a pair of young folks (Amy Smart and James Marsden) menaced by a hook-handed maniac. “The Honeymoon” is about newlyweds Valerie (Jennifer MacDonald) and Rick (Ron Livingston) in an RV menaced by murderous creatures. “People Can Lick Too” tells the tale of Amanda (Alex McKenna), a young girl who is menaced (it’s a very menacing movie) by a lunatic while home alone. “The Locket” shows drifter Scott (Glenn Quinn), who meets a mysterious woman (Jacinda Barrett) with a haunted house.

cam2 — “I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed.”

The stories are based on urban legends, so anyone familiar with the genre (I’m a big-time nerd for it) or who has seen either Urban Legend or Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, the first three segments will be familiar. Also, the stories the film is based on are short and punchy by nature, and the movie fairly creaks with the effort to stretch to a full 90-ish minutes. However, the legends are presented and retold in pretty original ways. “The Honeymoon” took me almost to the end to figure out its legend of origin.

campfire-tales2 — “Stop it! You’re killing me!”

It has its silly moments, like in “Honeymoon” when Rick struts around naked and yells, “I just had great sex!” I was curious about why Amanda’s parents were gone all night for a parent-teacher meeting. Also, the twist ending has a few issues—you’ll see when you get there. It does have some eerie moments, mostly in “Honeymoon,” as the villains are never explained.

campfire-tales1 — You know they’re villains cause they’re getting fingerprints all over the glass

I love late-90s movies (as long as they’re not about Jason or Michael Myers), and this one is packed with nostalgia and plenty of entertainment. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something light but occasionally creepy.

‘Creepshow 2’: Dimestore Morality and Creative Gore

Inspired by the EC comics of the 1950s (and of course the original film), it’s an anthology of three segments. “Ol’ Chief Wood’nhead” concerns a kindly shopkeeper (George Kennedy) whose wooden Indian statue takes revenge after a robbery. “The Raft” is about four college students on a lake menaced by a hungry blob. “The Hitch-Hiker” is the tale of a woman (Lois Chiles) haunted by her hit-and-run victim (Tom Wright).

cre5 — Ya see, kids, these Indian statues out in front of stores used to be a common thing ’cause 18th century white folks were illiterate and ignorant AF

The first segment is extremely offensive. The store owner is white, and while he’s friendly and generous to his Native American customers, his wife (Dorothy Lamour) is condescending, saying things like, “You’re too good to these people, Ray.” Ray is likable, but even he gets in on the cliches with dialogue like, “Sam Whitemoon, you’re a disgrace to your people.” Not to mention the reverence with which the “good” Native American character treats the wooden statue. And in the true spirit of the ’50s, Sam is played by a white dude in brownface–see below, Holt McCallany in character and out.

In addition, the statue kills in the most stereotypical ways possible: arrows, a hatchet, and scalping. While class issues are present, like Sam’s counterpoint, his rich white friend Andy (Don Harvey), Sam’s desire to get out of poverty is overshadowed by how absolutely terrible a person he is.

Race and class issues come up again in the third segment, a bit more successfully. Annie, a wealthy white woman, kills a shabbily dressed hitch-hiking Black man—she’s distracted because she damaged her luxury car’s leather interior. She feels guilty but rationalizes the incident, concluding that she’ll turn herself in later if she can’t live with it. Shortly after, she balks at the extensive damage done to her vehicle while ramming the man after he comes for her: “Look at this car! $3,000, $4,000.” The second segment seems more about environmental issues; the blob is supposed to resemble an oil slick (It looks more like a tarp to me), and it has bits of garbage floating in it. And of course there’s the standard horror movie lesson of not to get high, have fun, and have sex.

cre8 — [As he’s choking her] “How much do you want?”–actual quote

The movie has a fairly impressive pedigree. It was written by George A. Romero. Greg Nicotero (of The Walking Dead among many, many other things) is a make-up effects technician. There are cameos by Tom Savini and Stephen King. However, “The Raft” is the closest any of them come to being scary. The goo is intelligent and sneaky; its skin-melting effects are gory and extremely painful to its victims.

“The Hitch-Hiker” is often more unintentionally amusing than scary. In one scene, the man is hanging out of Annie’s sunroof and resembling nothing so much as Superman flying while she speeds and tries to dislodge him, and at one point he ends up stuck on her bumper, pounding on her hood with his fists. He’s not an invulnerable monster; also, scary ghosts don’t say things like, “How you doing, lady?” and carry handmade signs that say, “You killed me.” Seriously, check out this gif.

Despite my jabs, I have to admit I’ve watched this many times with my sisters, and we still quote it to this day. Give it a look if you’re in the mood for something hokey and fun.

‘The Taking of Deborah Logan’: Demon Possession as an Allegory for Alzheimer’s

Deborah (Jill Larson) is an older woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Because they need the money, her daughter Sarah (Anne Ramsay) talks her into being the subject of a PhD candidate’s student film. The filmmakers Mia (Michelle Ang), Luis (Jeremy DeCarlos), and Gavin (Brett Gentile) stay in her house and watch her every move. Deb’s odd behavior begins going outside the parameters of the disease (like when she leaps to the top of her oven in a single bound), and it seems that an event from Deborah’s past is coming back with supernatural results.

It’s shot documentary style, which is not my favorite, but it’s done well. It’s a little reminiscent of Paranormal Activity at times, but overall it’s a pretty original premise. Alzheimer’s isn’t a subject often addressed in horror movies, and here it’s given a pretty serious examination. Sarah’s plight dealing with her mother’s irrational acts and Deborah’s own struggle to gain control over herself are actually scarier than possession by an evil ghost. Their isolation and the doctors’ inability to solve Deborah’s sudden decrease in normal brain function is more disturbing than the many jump scares. The scenes when Deborah are lucid are almost painful to watch because we’re given glimpses of what she was like before her health started to deteriorate.

The characters are likable overall, and are actually pretty diverse; they range from Asian to Latino to Armenian to gay. One of the only gripes I have is Gavin—he’s a throwaway character. Why Mia has two crew members with her isn’t really gone into, and she doesn’t really seem to need Gavin. When he takes off halfway through the movie, never to return, it emphasizes the pointlessness of him being there in the first place.

deb6 — I’ll give you three guesses as to which one is the lesbian character

All in all, it’s a tense and creepy watch. Give it a look if you’re in the mood for something dark and thought-provoking.

‘The Ouija Experiment’ is Unintentionally Silly but Pleasantly Diverse

Documentary/found footage style movie about Brandon (Carson Underwood), a film student making a YouTube feature about four acquaintances using a Ouija board. They are his film school buddy Shay (Belmarie Huynh), her boyfriend Calvin (Eric Window), Calvin’s sister La’Nette (Swisyzinna), and the siblings’ friend Michael (Justin Armstrong). After the group has a few too many reckless sessions with the board, they open a portal to let ghosts out, with less than happy results.

The most striking thing about the movie is the boring and endless character antics not involving the Ouija board. Calvin is a stereotypical Black guy, philandering with the honeys and quick to anger. He cheats on Shay, which takes up way too much screen time. The movie’s about two-thirds over by the time the ghosts make an appearance besides off-screen growling or giggling. The scene that explains why the ghosts are so pissed is blessedly objectively filmed, and is a breath of fresh air from the self-involved millennials and their narcissistic camera obsession.

oui3 — Yet another time-wasting scene: she shows up to lecture them about using the board responsibly, explaining rules that had already been thoroughly explained

The acting is acceptable, especially for such a low-budget movie. The cast is refreshingly diverse: Black and Asian as well as white—though the two white guys look way too much alike. Even the ghosts are Latina.

Cliches abound, like characters saying “Stop goofing around. This isn’t funny,” and “I’ll be right back.” I had to laugh when La’Nette sees a ghost; she yells “Hell, no!” and slams the door on it. La’Nette, easily the most likable character, is a bit stereotypical as the sassy Black girl (think Brenda in Scary Movie), but not as painfully so as Calvin. As could be expected, there are face-palmingly stupid moments, like when Michael wanders up to his attic and conveniently finds newspaper articles telling the story behind the ghosts. Has he never been in his attic before? Though if he’s squatting, that would explain why a guy who doesn’t appear to have a job has such a spacious house. Or the scene when La’Nettte, intent on burning the Ouija board in the fireplace, stops to ask “Do I just throw it in?” And my least favorite, everyone says “wee-jee”–if you’re going to blatantly steal from Witchboard, at least take away the correct pronunciation of the word Ouija.

But all in all, it’s not horrible. Give it a look if you’re in the mood for something formulaic but entertaining.

‘Frailty’: I Sure Love This Movie!

Fenton (Matthew McConaughey) is telling his life story to Agent Doyle (Powers Boothe) in order to convince him that he knows who a hunted serial killer—his brother Adam—is. Through flashbacks, Fenton reveals that when he and his brother were young children, their father (Bill Paxton, who also directed) began killing people, claiming that God showed him they were demons. Fenton never believed him, but Adam is carrying on the family tradition.

The performances are outstanding, from seasoned actors like McConaughey and Boothe to relative newcomers Matt O’Leary (young Fenton) and Jeremy Sumpter (young Adam). Paxton overdoes it here and there, but he blows me away in the scene when he destroys his first victim; he displays how conflicted he is about killing, even after he sees what the supposed demon did. Dad (his first name is never revealed) is a compelling character. He’s hard to identify with, but he’s still so loving and seems so rational about things. As Fenton puts it, “Sometimes truth defies reason.” All of the characters are likable, and the way the happy family falls apart is especially poignant.

fra2 — I’ll spare you a “family that slays together” joke

Frailty has a lot of positive associations for me, from my first viewing with my bestie Senta and my favorite ex Ang to each subsequent viewing with treasured horror movie buddies, including my sister Leslie, her boyfriend Kevin, and my husband Andrew. I still crack up every time little goody-two-shoes Adam is teased for putting so many peas on his plate, and he responds, “I sure love peas!” Overall, the movie is clever and not overly predictable. Give it a look if you’re in the mood for southern folks, old-fashioned values, and demon hunting.

‘Digging Up the Marrow’: Adam Green Delivers Again

Real-life filmmaker Adam Green is, in the reality of the movie, making a documentary about monsters. He’s contacted by William Dekker (Ray Wise), who tells him that he’s found a nest of real monsters. Adam is intrigued and later obsessed with getting to the bottom of Dekker’s story. He and his cameraman Will (Will Barratt) go out to the woods with him and find more than they bargained for.

The film takes a fascinating look at the nature of monsters. They’re examined as necessary to people as an escape from reality and as archetypal underdogs. Dekker stresses that they’re misunderstood. He claims his Marrow, as he calls them, are seriously disfigured humans who live peacefully underground. However Dekker is actually the creepiest element in the movie; he’s hiding something and is clearly not all there. But his argument for the existence of the Marrow is strangely compelling, even when he can’t produce proof.

dig2 — “This here is photographic evidence!”

The most interesting thing about the movie is how it blends real life with fiction. Aside from Dekker, all the people in the film play themselves. The performances are strong, especially considering these folks are typically behind the camera rather than in front; Green, who gets most of the screen time, does quite well. What he doesn’t do is present himself as a likable person who makes sound decisions. Eventually he’s blundering around in the woods, screaming at and even reaching into the hole that marks the monster’s territory after something steals his boot.

dig5 — Ray Wise, though–look at how Dekker is unsure about being on camera but determined to tell his story

Humor is used lightly and effectively. My favorite moment is when Dekker discusses a Marrow hideout near an IHOP. When questioned why there of all places, he answers straight-faced, “They like pancakes.” The pacing is a bit slow (we spend the first hour pretty much wondering if Green is going to end up in Dekker’s mystery room). There are occasional creepy moments, including a jump scare that genuinely made me jump. But the ending totally satisfies. It’s very much worth the wait.

I’m a fan of Green’s Hatchet series, and I trust him as a filmmaker to make something solid. Also, I was nerding out over cameos by Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, and Don Coscarelli (and to a lesser extent Tom Holland and Mick Garris). I wasn’t disappointed. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something thoughtful and disturbing.