Sunday, January 8, 2006

A pair of foreign films again tonight. See, I’m cosmopolitian.

Kadokawa Mystery and Horror Tales, Vol. 1 - ????

     Okay, first off, I can’t find an entry for this in IMDB, and I’ve already returned the disc to Blockbuster, so I don’t have any details about the flick. It is Japanese, and a little “Grudge”y in nature, except that it’s three short films. They are not as strong as some of the recent imports from the land of the rising sun (and I really like the quarky, atmospheric horror coming out of Japan now. The American remakes that inevitably follow are second rate at best). The second one, entitled Cruel Kidnapping, was the weakest I thought. It had that “Japanese attempted humor” that may play over there, but just leaves me cold.

No extras either.

Two out of five beers

Oldboy – 2003

     Now this is more like it. This Korean import was excellent. Its very graphic, very gory and bloody, and very “edgy”. Its plot kept me guessing for the entire length. Basically, a guy is imprisoned for 15 years, and he doesn’t even know why. Just as mysteriously, he is released. The movie is his violent journey to discover just what the hell happened. I thought all the characters behaved absolutely believably. This is an outstanding movie, if you don’t mind the gore and graphic violence. I bet Quentin Tarantino thinks this movie rocks. I know I did.

Unfortunately, the commentary was in Korean.

Four out of five beers (might have made it to five, it the commentary had been in English)