Ju-on short films

Horrorphile

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Katasumi (In a Corner) & 4444444444

September 12th 2008 00:47

I’m a fan of J-Horror. Despite dozens of J-Horror titles being released straight-to-DVD the two cinema benchmarks, the Ringu series which started in 1998 and the Ju-on series which started in 2000, are blueprints in the J-Horror universe of supernatural terror and spectral nightmares. Hollywood had to have a piece of the action and so had the first two Ringu movies remade as The Ring (2002) and The Ring Two (2005) and the third and fourth Ju-on movies remade as The Grudge (2004) and The Grudge 2 (2006).

Takashi Shimizu, who directed not only the first four Ju-on originals, but also both the American remakes had the genesis of his tenebrous Ju-on brilliance in two short films; Katasumi (In a Corner) and 4444444444. It is in these two 3-minute films that we are introduced to the yurei (long dark-haired female ghost played by Takako Fuji) and the small white-face boy (Yuya Ozeki). Both these characters are instrumental to the nightmarish realm of the Ju-on features movies.

In 1998 Shimizu was commissioned to write and direct two segments for a Japanese anthology movie called Gakkô no kaidan G (School Ghost Stories G). However the producers weren’t entirely convinced of his skills, so he was restricted to a running time of less than five minutes for each segment. Of course, Shimizu handled his handicap with consummate skill and delivered each movie with a strong sense of impending doom and floating evil.

If you haven’t seen any of the Ju-on movies chances are you’ll probably find these two shorts a little odd and even silly. But if you have been privy to the Ju-on feature-length experience, these two prequels will certainly tap into some base fears. Obviously they’re not as powerful or as visually spectacular as the feature-length movies, but together – and especially in conjunction with the latter features – they clamp down vividly on the fear of the unknown and provide good material for bad dreams.

Shimizu has currently signed on to make Ju-on: The Grudge 3. I wait with baited breath.

Here for your viewing unease are Katasumi and 444444444:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

7 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

September 12th 2008 04:07

Good stuff.

Can't write much now my mobile phones is ringing.

Meow

Comment by Bryn

September 12th 2008 05:23

Horrorphile

Damo, yeah, shows what you can do if you execute a little restraint and keep things really simple, but are clever with composition, sound and editing, as Shimizu shows in these two films, especially in 4444444444. Glad you liked them, have you seen The Grudge?

Comment by Damo

September 12th 2008 09:24

Bryn

The Grudge is on my to do list and so is the new Appleseed movie.

I think simplicity works well because the familiar is distorted.
I watch the doco on making of Dr Who. 70 audio tracks for one episode. Shows how important sound is to set the mood.

Comment by Waysouth

September 17th 2008 03:29

Given To Gaming
Waysouth
Spanish Honduras

Ahhhh!!!!!! Now I'm going to have nightmares again, like I did before I even saw the Grudge, just from the trailers. Luckily Jennifer Love Hewitt can suck the soul out of most paranormal events, so the movie didn't scare me as much as the previews and this shortie.