2004 – GhoulieJoe

‘Three…Extremes’: Quality Stuff

Three short films by acclaimed Asian directors. “Dumplings” by Fruit Chan concerns an aging actress (Miriam Chin Wah Yeung) who finds a disturbing way to look more youthful. Park Chan-wook‘s “Cut” shows a director (Lee Byung-hun) taken hostage in his own home. “Box” by Takashi Miike involves a writer (Kyoko Hasegawa) whose horrible childhood comesContinue reading “‘Three…Extremes’: Quality Stuff”

2004’s The Stepford Wives: Riddled with Plot Holes, but Still Pretty Socially Relevant

Harried television executive Joanna (Nicole Kidman) moves to a Connecticut suburb with her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) and their two children. Once there, she finds the women a little…strange. They’re happy, they love to cook and clean, and they’re just a little personality-deficient. When her new friends Roger (Roger Bart) and Bobbie (Bette Midler) surrenderContinue reading “2004’s The Stepford Wives: Riddled with Plot Holes, but Still Pretty Socially Relevant”

‘Marronnier’: Compelling, Creepy, and Campy

Japanese movie, based on the manga by Junji Ito. Marino (Mayu) is a young woman who’s “hooked on dolls,” particularly those made by famous doll maker Iwata (Ochyazukenori). Her passion is ultimately detrimental, as Iwata’s loony assistant Numai (Hiroto Nakayama) becomes fixated on her. He eventually kidnaps her and reveals Iwata’s secret: the dolls areContinue reading “‘Marronnier’: Compelling, Creepy, and Campy”

Takashi Shimizu’s ‘Marebito’: Vampires, Kinda, and also Social Commentary

Japanese movie, whose title Google Translate assures me means “rare”. Masuoka (Shin’ya Tsukamoto) is a cameraman who feels disconnected from daily life. After filming a stranger committing suicide by stabbing himself in the eye, Masuoka longs to see what the man saw, thinking that his terror opened him up to seeing “things both strange andContinue reading “Takashi Shimizu’s ‘Marebito’: Vampires, Kinda, and also Social Commentary”

‘Hellbent’: A Gay Slasher You Can Get Behind

Lonely wannabe cop Eddie (Dylan Fergus) and his buddies: bisexual bed-hopper Chaz (Andrew Levitas), awkward Joey (Hank Harris), and studly Tobey (Matt Phillips) head out to the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival to get some bootie. Eddie is especially interested in Jake (Bryan Kirkwood), a hottie he met earlier. They catch the attention of a maskedContinue reading “‘Hellbent’: A Gay Slasher You Can Get Behind”

‘Dead Friend’: A Nifty Korean Ghost Story

Korean movie, AKA The Ghost, AKA Ryeong. Ji-won (Ha-neul Kim) is a college student with amnesia. She starts having visions of an angry spirit coming to get her, but doesn’t remember what she did to cause it. She’s approached by Yu-jung (Hie-ju Jeon), one of her old friends from high school, who helps her gradually recall that she,Continue reading “‘Dead Friend’: A Nifty Korean Ghost Story”

‘Club Dread’ is a Sly Slasher Spoof

Sun. Sand. Fruity drinks. Murder! Pleasure Island, Costa Rica, is home to Coconut Pete’s Coconut Beach Resort, which is dedicated to decadence. Unfortunately, someone is running around killing off the staff. Further unfortunately, there are no boats, phones, or radios, so everyone is trapped. It’s up masseur Lars (co-writer Kevin Heffernan), aerobics instructor Jenny (BrittanyContinue reading “‘Club Dread’ is a Sly Slasher Spoof”