J-HORROR RISING Review by Steve Kirkham

Arrow Video. Limited edition Blu Ray. 28th October

I have been on a bit of a journey through Japanese horror cinema of late, what with Radiance’s release of DAIEI GOTHIC – JAPANESE GHOST STORIES and now this from Arrow of several films of more recent vintage. Most will know the RING and JU-ON series, but here’s a chance to explore some of the lesser known outings on this four disc set.

DISC ONE: SHIKOKU (1999) and ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL (2000)

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main island of Japan and is encircled by temples, which protect it. As a child Hinako left there with her parents to move to Tokyo, leaving behind her friends Sayori and Fumiya. Years later, the grown up Hinako (Yui Natsukawa) returns – and learns that Sayori had drowned. Somehow though she still feels her presence. She meets up with Fumiya (Michitaka Tsutsui) and they reminisce about their late compatriot…

Made in the wake of RINGU, it isn’t long before a spirit of some kind, with long black hair, turns up! Hinako also discovers that Sayori’s mother has been making a yearly pilgrimage around the 88 temples of the island – but why is she doing it backwards? Is the island a gateway for the dead?

As much a mystery as anything else, with a smattering of romance, this does have a growing sense of dread and is quite creepy at times – is it just folklore or reality? Based on a story by Masako Bando (who also wrote ‘Inugami’). The movie leads to a spooky and tragic finale.

ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL (Isola: Tajuu jinkaku shôjo) appears to be one of the more obscure titles in this collection. Taken from a novel by Yusuke Kishi this is set in the aftermath of the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Yukari Kamo (Yoshino Kimura) can hear the thoughts of those around her and has come to help out at a rescue centre. One of the other volunteers, Hiroko Nimura (Satomi Tezuka) offers her a place to stay. Hiroko also works at a high school as a psychiatric counsellor. She shows her guest several drawings of trees – all very different, but all by one of her students, Chihiro (Yuu Kurosawa), where she works, who has 13 different personalities!

When Yukari meets the young girl, she realises she has seen her before wandering around in the rubble and chased by a dog… which she spotted later dead in the detritus. Is this youngster dangerous? This is a sort of horror/sci fi hybrid, with some quite gory scenes. Is there a connection between Chihiro and Yukari, with her psychic powers – and what does this have to do with experiments in sensory deprivation tanks and out of body experiences. Kurosawa is good at depicting the various characters that bubble to the surface, but the script by Hiroshi Hatajima, Mugita Kinoshita, Atsushi Kuwahara and Toshiyuki Mizutani is a bit muddled.

EXTRAS

Disc One:

Brand new audio commentary on Shikoku by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes

Brand new audio commentary on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl by critics and Japanese cinema experts Jasper Sharp and Amber T.

The Aftermath, Tom Mes discusses J-Horror at the turn of the millennium (23 mins)

Something in the Water, a brand new interview with Shikoku director Shunichi Nagasaki (22 mins)

Archive interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and actors Chiaki Kuriyama (2 mins) and Yui Natsukawa (3 mins) on Shikoku and with actors Yoshino Kimura (2 mins) and Yu Kurosawa (1 min) on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl

On-set footage of the filming of Shikoku (3 mins)

Behind the scenes on Isola (2 mins)

Original trailers and TV spots for both films; Image galleries

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DISC TWO: INUGAMI (2001) and ST. JOHN’S WORT (2001)

In INUGAMI a young teacher Akira (Atsuro Watabe) comes to a small village to take up a post – and is soon infatuated with an older woman Miki (Yûki Amami), who runs the paper making business there – creating the paper in the traditional way that her family have done for generations. She is a member of the Bonomiya family who have the task of keeping the Inugami spirits under control. As the film progresses she seems to get younger and odd things start to occur. In this simple community, ancient superstitions hold sway.

Director Masato Harada builds a sense of unease, with unseen terrors and freaky, bizarre imagery. About family dynamics, responsibilities and ingrained beliefs, this does at times play like a romantic drama. Is it all an old wive’s tale or real? The last twenty minutes or so bring things to fruition, with the violent ending switching to black and white.

ST. JOHN’S WORT (Otogiriso) was the least successful for me of all the films herein with frankly annoying imagery.

Nami (Megumi Okina) is an illustrator, who turns up at the office of her ex-boyfriend Kohei (Yôichirô Saitô) and his compatriots, who are working on video game designs. She has inherited an old mansion – so she and Kohei go to visit it as research for a possible horror game. Because you would wouldn’t you? They explore the spooky place, wandering around, which honestly doesn’t make for particularly riveting viewing. The rooms are full of odd paintings and of course strange things start to happen – but it’s all a bit dull.

Based on a novel by Shûkei Nagasaka this has lots of scenes which are, I assume, supposed to echo video games, even intercutting with dialogue within a text based outing. Innovative at the time perhaps but now old hat. Much of the film has odd, over processed colour scheme, which quickly becomes annoying with some of it shot a la found footage. Overall it’s a visual mess, which doesn’t really benefit from being in high definition.

EXTRAS

Disc Two:

Brand new audio commentary on Inugami by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements

Brand new audio commentary on St. John’s Wort by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.

Dog Days, brand new video interview with Inugami director Masato Harada (29 mins)

The Making of St. John’s Wort, archival featurette (21 mins)

Archive on set intro to St. John’s Wort by actor Megumi Okina (44 secs)

Archive interviews with St. John’s Wort actors Megumi Okina (17 mins), Koichiro Saito (19 mins), Reiko Matsuo (4 mins) and Koji Okura (4 mins)

Original trailers and TV spots for St. John’s Wort; Image galleries for both films

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DISC THREE: CARVED: THE SLIT MOUTHED WOMAN (2007) and PERSONA (2000)

An urban legend of a deadly tall woman, with long hair, a long coat and a mask behind which is hiding a mouth which has been cut open from ear to ear, CARVED: THE SLIT MOUTHED WOMAN (Kuchisake-onna) was my favourite in the set – probably because it was the film that cleaved closest to a Western sensibility of what constitutes horror. She utters “Am I Pretty” as she cuts you with her huge scissors…

Several children disappear and rumours swirl that the scarred menace is to blame. How is this linked to several decades earlier and can the missing children be found?

Kind of a serial killer movie with supernatural overtones. Director Kôji Shiraishi creates an atmospheric sense of dread, and whilst it does cut away from some of the graphic content it is still gory in parts and seeing the woman with the gash across her face is a great horror image.

PERSONA (Kahn gakuen) is a bit of a convoluted mystery horror wherein a student, who had been previously bullied, turns up at school wearing a strange mask. Before long many more students are wearing similar coverings. Yuki (Maya Kuroso) and Mitsugu (Yûmi Ishigaki), team up with a reporter, to try and find out why – which leads them to the mask making shop of Akira (Tatsuya Fujiwara, who you’ll probably recognise from the DEATH NOTE movies). One of the students ends up dead – did he commit suicide or was he murdered? How are things connected to fashion designer Daimon who has picked up on the trend for his latest show?

Exploring the psychology behind masks and identity this is more a murder mystery than anything else and almost feels like a giallo at times. It is quite stylishly put together but a mite pretentious.

EXTRAS

Disc Three:

Brand new audio commentary on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese folklore expert Zack Davisson

Why So Serious?, a brand new interview with Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman director Koji Shiraishi (18 mins)

Weapon of Choice, a brand new video essay on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson (16 mins)

Confessions of a Mask, a brand new interview with Persona director Takashi Komatsu (17 mins)

Image galleries for both films

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NOROI: THE CURSE (2005)

This is sort of a found footage film, though you would probably more appropriately call it a faux documentary. Journalist Masafumi Koboyashi (Jin Muraki) has been researching the paranormal for some years, gathering evidence and shooting footage. In April 2004 he has finished his latest NOROI… soon after his house burns down, killing his wife, and he mysteriously disappears. Will his new film reveal the truth of what has happened?

We are then presented with the movie he has made – following Koboyashi as he investigates various strange happenings. Initially much of it seems unrelated. A woman, living with her young daughter, both end up dead in a car crash, after reporting strange noises from her neighbour. A TV broadcast exploring ESP in children where one of the participants exhibits clear abilities. A group on their way to a ghost sighting spot, including actress Marika Matsumoto playing herself, who end up freaked out at a haunted shrine. A man who wears a tin foil hat, against ectoplasmic worms (seems perfectly normal).

As things progress, these various threads start to make sense, though I felt the whole affair felt overstretched and a bit cobbled together. It’s well enough acted, however the script is a mess with too many disparate elements vying for attention. This is another in the set that doesn’t necessarily benefit from being on Blu Ray with it’s mix of various different footage.

EXTRAS

Disc Four:

Brand new audio commentary by film critic Julian Singleton

Director’s POV, a brand new video interview with Noroi: The Curse director Koji Shiraishi (25 mins)

The Man in the Shadows, a brand new interview with Noroi: The Curse producer Taka Ichise (17 mins)

Changing Perspective, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson (21 mins)

Ectoplasmic Worms, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse and Japanese cosmic horror by Japanese cinema expert Amber T. (20 mins)

Bonus footage: How to Protect Yourself Against Curses (13 mins); Urgent report! Pursuing the Truth about Kagutaba!! TV Special (38 mins)

Deleted Scenes

Trailers and TV spots; Image gallery

Steve Kirkham