Halloween Pumpkin Carving

I know by now most of you will be fed up of me talking about Halloween. I am sorry, I have talked about it a lot; but then again it is my favourite time of the year.

Not just because of the night itself. Everything about late October/early November excites me. The Autumn air is fresh, the temperature isn't quite chilly yet, and the nights draw in at about the right time so that you have an excuse to huddle inside earlier. It also helps that Halloween, Diwali and Fireworks night occur in quick succession; meaning their is no shortage of excitement, but that is just the icing on the cake.

This was my pumpkin effort this year.

I promise that this post will pretty much be my final word on Halloween 2014. So, fear not dear reader, it will soon be past; for 365 days at least.

I just wanted to quickly show you the pumpkins that my flatmates and I carved this year for the evening. I am rather proud of them. Although, I will admit we may have cheated in some peoples' eyes. We used templates for the pumpkins before we carved them, I am so sorry reader if you feel that I let you down.

We had a great evening, even if we didn't leave the house. We also got some trick or treaters come to the door; imagine my surprise opening the door to kid-Flash.

I hope you enjoy the photos below, feel free to comment and share your experiences in the comments below.

Happy Halloween 2014

Hello All,

This is just a quick blog post to wish you all a Happy Halloween. May your tricks be forgiving, and your waistlines just the same, with the treats you tuck in to.I hope you all survive the night and don't get grabbed by ghouls and goblins, what ever you have planned.

My plans are a bit subdued this year. My friends and I will be carving pumpkins, baking some cookies, watching scary films and then retreating under our blankets; probably all before ten o'clock this evening. Oh the joys of being hardworking third-year students.

Also, a quick mention that this week I have finally gotten around to playing the spook-tacular (sorry) Silent Hill 2, a game which every gamer and horror buffs should experience. I have been rather neglectful, until now, of the long list of games that are must plays. Weirdly, what put me off playing wasn't the horror, as I don't find it that scary. It was the rather archaic controls, but once I gave it time they have grown on me. So, now I can add that badge: 'met Mr Pyramid Head to my gamer belt.

How are you guys spending your Halloweens?
Share with us in the comments below.

I wish my meeting with Pyramid Head was this pleasant.

Happy Halloween banner from PDFfun, Silent Hill image from wall4all.

My Top Five What To Watch This Halloween

Halloween is one of those festive events that naturally goes hand in tentacle with watching a film. It makes sense, if you can't travel outside, in case of ghost and goblin attack, you may as well stay indoors and drool over the screen.

 It is made all the better when you invite your friends round to share in the horrors you watch. Also if you really are unlucky, and befall a monster, it helps that all you need to do is outrun your nearest and dearest.

In case you are in a quandary as to what to watch this year I thought I would make some suggestions. So, here are my top five films to watch around Halloween.

1. Cabin In The Woods
   I am a self-confessed Joss Whedon worshipper, but that doesn't stop this being an amazing film. It presents itself as your typical horror flick, yet beneath its calm surface is an intelligent commentary on the whole horror genre. A great film that isn't too scary or gore filled, with enough twists and turns to be genuinely entertaining.


2. Sleepy Hollow/ Sweeney Todd/ The Corpse Bride/ Beetlejuice 
   Basically number two is anything made by Tim Burton (if they star both Johnny Depp and Helen Bonna Carter you get extra points). Like Joss Whedon I have a lot of love for the emo of Hollywood and always enjoy a Burton film. All four of these are brilliant films and demonstrate Burton's distinct cinematic direction. This year I will probably choose Beetlejuice as I haven't watched in some years. 'Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice'...


3. The Nightmare Before Christmas/ Coraline 
   Another director who specialises in making the darker side seem simple and innocent is Henry Sellick. A brilliant stop-frame director who created a film that has probably had the biggest influence on me (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Anyone who is confused at this point and thinking I put The Nightmare Before Christmas in the wrong place needs to go stand in the corner with the dunce hat.


4.  Alien/ Aliens
Lets get a classic in this list shall we? Both of these are great horror films from a time when directors, like Ridley Scott and James Cameron, understood tension isn't cheap scare tactics (Sinister, cough... cough...). The tight corridors of Alien create a genuine sense of claustrophobia and the horror flows naturally. Aliens fear draws from overwhelming odds and an objective that is worth protecting. Whilst they may now be showing their age, especially the wind-up beast that flies out of John Hurt, the unease never fades.



5. Ringu
   Readers of my blog will know that I recently watched the Japanese original that inspired The Ring. I fell in love, and disgust, with it instantly. Once again the maker didn't rely on showing the monster, nor cheap jump scares. Instead the director used everything from subtle camera angles, background side effects and cheaper production values to create something truly unnerving. One of the few films that almost got me jumping behind the sofa. To check out my full review see Here.

   

   This sums up my childhood I think...
   Which probably explains a lot.

   
   

That's my full list. What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with my choices?


What are your thoughts, let us know in the comments section below.

Halloween banner from anarchyonstardoll, Tim Burton artwork from fanpop,

Halloween - Practical Magic

It’s October, which can only means one thing: the supermarkets are acting rather schizophrenic right now. Half of the shops shelving is being taken up by Christmas tat (despite the fact that it is about three months away); the other half is still clinging onto a sense of everyday life. The untouched part is worryingly eyeing up what happened to a large portion of the floorplan, dreading when its tinsel-time will come too. Christmas aisles are like a virus, one that we have no hope of stopping before it spreads. Then there is one lonely aisle, perhaps one and a half if its lucky, dedicated to an event that is actually coming rather soon: Halloween.

This yearly cycle always frustrates me, not because of ridiculously early preparation which angers most people. But because of the way Halloween gets overshadowed. Last year, for instance, some shops were pulling down their Halloween stock the week before the 31st of October. In its place stood more Christmas stock, seemingly five other shelves just wasn’t enough.

I love Halloween, perhaps more so than Christmas. There is less pressure to be happy, to see people and generally less expensive; it makes the experience overall more fun. Christmas becomes so hyped with expectations that it can never live up to it. After eagerly opening my advent calendar last year I spent the actual day watching TV like a zombie. I didn’t even like the programmes that were on, nor do I watch TV regularily (for some reason becoming a student actually made me more proactive, clearly an oddity).

Halloween on the over hand, is barely celebrated in the UK and what is celebrated isn’t my take on it. I don’t trick or treat (often), I don’t have a séances board (the Milton Bradley board game that’s fun for the whole family, even great, great, great grandpa Joe) and I am not part of a cult. What I actually do is bake, carve pumpkins, dress up with friends and watch a scary film.

My personal belief of Halloween is similar to the older Pagan views and other festivals like Obon (Japan) and Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Basically I believe if anything does happen on Halloween it is that the spirits come back to our world once again. Not to spook us out of spite, I can’t imagine the dead would make the effort just to troll the living, but to revisit their ancestors. Having said that I am a realist at heart and don’t hold much belief in ghosts anyway.

Last year for my first blog SaxonDaze, I reviewed a ghoulish confectionery item each day for October. For this blog I plan to celebrate by charting the best and worst examples of horror related games, films and books.  The first of this could have begun with a review of PracticalMagic, which Amy (from the Willow Web) and I watched recently. It won’t however, partly because it would be a rant rather than a review. But mostly because it is one of Amy’s favourite films and I really don’t want to be slapped.

I will briefly discuss some of my VALID reasons for disliking the film and I will try to back them up. Firstly I felt it have a few pacing problems. There were moments in the film were time will have moved on in the story with little indication as to how long has passed. It left me rather confused on more than one occasion.

Scenes seem to change at whim, sometimes I thought it changed without fully completing its purpose. Scenes like one where one of the sister visits to comfort the other. One moment they are talking in bed and raising each other’s morale, the next they are back to everyday life. They had about two or three lines of comforting each other, acting rather sombre, before skipping to the next moment where they are laughing and joking. It is a technique that, if handled properly, could be effective. If we know the characters well enough we can assume what may have occurred between them.But I didn't really connect enough with them, I didn't feel like I had time to. Any poignant or character building moments flashed to the next. In my opinion the scenes change a lot without indication of time, purpose or place and felt rather jarring.

I think the main issue is the source material. It is based on a moderately long book and a film with a running time of around 90 minutes can’t hope to do justice. It does devote a lot of time to other scenes, usually ones featuring cheesy nineties pop and cringe worthy family fun. I understand the need for this as the relationship is the films focus and in films it is better to show and not tell. I am not asking for dialogue where characters just say 'Oh what fun we had earlier'. However, had they made it a bit longer they could have avoided the many times in which scenes change without much explanation. It made it seem rather erratic and flighty to me.

Here looking like Mary Poppins with magical powers

My second issue is the male characters, who really lack any personality of their own. They are pretty much stock characters; you have the perfect husband who tragically dies, the dream guy and then the abusive one. None of them say very much and what they do say is rather cliché. Again, I think this comes down to time: the men aren’t really the story and therefore don’t get the screen time to be fleshed .

Also the treatment of the men in the film is rather worrying. Both the perfect husband and dream guy fall in love due to spells cast upon them. They have no choice but to fall in love and possibly die if the sister's curse is to be believed. The main character doesn’t even warn her husband of the curse that befalls men who marry into her family. The other sister isn’t much better and often drugs her partner each night after sex; I’m pretty sure that is illegal in most states. You could say it is refreshing that it is men who are finally getting these poor character profiles, but really that is a poor excuse.

Overall you could say that I wasn’t very taken with Practical Magic. I know the film doesn’t really target me as its audience, but that’s a flimsy excuse. Many may argue that technically it isn’t a horror film and shouldn’t be the beginning of my horror themed posts. On the other hand, from a male perspective, it is a rather chilling tale of men being controlled by the magic surrounding two sisters.

I will now pass over to Amy at the Willow Web, if she would like to respond to my criticism.




Halloween Image from Pics Hunger, Practical Magic image from Daniella's Bureau, Film still from Spooky Things Online

Alien Isolation

As I mentioned in my previous EuroGamer Expo post, I was very fortunate to attend this years event. It gave me a chance to get hands on and see some of the biggest releases that would soon be hitting the highstreet. The biggest developers were there of course along with many indie developers and the event drew quite the crowd.

Whilst I don't tend to enjoy playing snippets of games pre-purchase I was quite eager to try Sega's Alien: Isolation.  This game has been causing quite a stir since its announcement and has won many awards at this years E3. After the last game in the franchise, Alien: Colonial Marines, ended in such devastation I was wary of the hype it was gaining. I as with many others had been burned by the previous game and felt I needed to see it first hand to avoid the problem a second time.

One big problem with bigger games such as this is that they drew the queues. Some of the lines boasted waiting times of over forty-five minutes for only a few seconds of demo. Thankfully this wasn't the case with Alien: Isolation. The queue seemed to dissipate in massive chunks and I started to question what they had behind the massive curtain perimeter. What didn't help was the smoke that seemed to be emanating from somewhere inside. Perhaps inside the infamous Xenomorph lurked and we gamers were in a production line of sorts fed to the hungry beast.

As I approached the staff energetically engaged with us in a refreshing manner that many other booth staff were not. All wearing uniform drawn from the film series, they ushered us forward stating that their 'Xenomorphs were hungry' or to move closer to 'warm us up, Aliens like their food hot. They also provided us with a free comic that ties into the game and told us of the competition that ran alongside the demo. If you could survive until the end of the level (a big IF they emphasised) your time taken, if good enough, would be added to a leaderboard. For those who made the top ten a free T-shirt was yours, if you came first a replica jacket from the game. With such customer interaction it is no wonder the booth apparently won an award for best visitor experience.

We entered the area in groups and were shown a short video about the games production. Then ushered into a darkened box filled with monitors ready to scare the unfortunate watchers. Many articles have said that the game is 'terrifying' and I hoped that it would live up to this. I am still very much on the hunt for something to scare me and I as of yet go rather sedate when confronted with all manner of horror media. I ensured I was sat comfortably, knew the controls and had the headphones secured to ensure I was as immersed as possible.

Immediately felt a sense of familiarity as I looked around the cramp cargo hold I started the level in. As a fan of the film series the iconic look that they carry was like an old friend. Everything is a light grey, piping hangs from the ceiling and tubes of coolant encompass me. This clearly where my character as the daughter of Ripley belongs. The developers clearly understood the feel of the franchise. It could have been tempting, with all the graphical technology at their disposal, to create a wondrous and eye-catching setting. But instead they have stayed true to the gritty, bleak, cargo ship feel that evokes the nostalgia.


I soon found myself gathering everything in the room to help my survival: metal scraps, extra batteries for the motion tracker, health bars and of course a handy flamethrower. I liked the sense of urgency this installed in me from the get go. I hope that a lack of resource will be big in the game making your chance of survival defendant on careful management.
Making my way cautiously towards the objective, a switch to activate the lifts door control. Utilising that trusty tracker to ensure I avoided any unwanted attention. I liked the fact that the tracker seems to take up a lot of the screen when used, which should discourage overuse. Anything else and a player could become reliant; much like Arkham Asylum's detective mode. I noticed a few times my wall-hugging technique would bring me in collision with the scenery. At which point a box would tumble and it's noise seemed to echo too loud for comfort. I felt the atmosphere was just right and really affected my playing style. I became very cautious of tight spaces where I may knock something; which drew me out into the open.

I soon learnt that this would be a bad sign.

I soon met my hunter of course, it was inevitable, unfortunately this wasn't as exciting or terrifying as I had hoped. I just watched him pass me by before sneaking behind him. A lot has been said about the Alien's intelligence, but I still saw the same adherence to a patrol pattern as any guard has in countless other games. Not to say it isn't imposing, I did find myself taking a breath in as it walked past hoping it wouldn't turn its gaze my way. When I made it to my destination I was given the next objective, head back to the lift. At this point there is a scripted attack, but as I kind of guessed there would be I was prepared. I flamed the Xenomorph in the face and then sprinted to the exit, pressing the lift control and surviving... on my first attempt.

It may be a bit boastful, but I will tell you that I did indeed make the leaderboard, unfortunately not the top. I was pretty proud of my free T-shirt especially since they had said no one had won for a while.

The demo was good, yet it wasn't quite as outstanding as I had hoped. Yes, it was atmospheric and yes, it is definitely an improvement on Alien: Colonial Marines (but the what isn't?). Groundbreaking, however, it isn't. The Alien was very easy to outsmart and this meant I never truly felt too vulnerable. I know in the main game there will also be other threats to deal with, I'm sure it has potential.

For now I will keep an eye on it, however, not enough  to pick it up on release day.







Alien: Isolation image from ABCgames, in-game image from Videogamewriters.

Seventh Son

What type of person are you? Let’s do a little test to find out. I want you to imagine that you have just found out a beloved book or series of books is about to be made into a film. Are you type A, who upon hearing this news buries their head into their arms and silently weeps. Type B, who gets super excited exclaiming that you finally get a chance to enter an exciting land. Or are you type C, who reserves judgement until later. Well reader, which are you?

Right now I am quite firmly type A after seeing the second trailer for Seventh Son; the upcoming film 'inspired' by Joseph Delaney's Spook's Apprentice series of books. I put inspired in quotations because after seeing the trailer I can't imagine much inspiration came from the page.

To start with the main character Tom Ward, in the books, is aged twelve in book one. Seventh Son's Tom is played by Ben Barnes, a man aged thirty-three almost three times the age of his character. The same can be said of Tom's love interest Alice, played by Alicia Vikander who is twenty eight. In my mind these casting choices have been made so that the film can target an older age range. An age range that has had enough pandering to, in my opinion. Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Host, films whose central characters end up in an teenage angst-fuelled romance. Yes, Tom and Alice have a romance in the books, but at their age it's a subtle one that doesn't match the audience the film makers are targeting. That audience is rather removed from the original book's, which targeted children aged between nine and fourteen. I have to wonder why the makers are shifting the focus of the viewers, especially when this shift dramatically alters the story.

I will give them credit in casting Jeff Bridges as the Spook. He's tall, gangly and sports an impressive beard. He is a great choice for the role and matches the image in my head. The costume he has doesn't quite match. It has the appearance of a knight from the crusades but with a gothic twist: too much chain mail for my liking. Delaney's Spooks wear a long black cloak that leaves them rather fragile and their greatest defence is their knowledge of the dark. In my opinion plates of armour offer little protection from the magic of a witch or the mental torment of a boggart.

This brings me to my next gripe with the film. The book series fits comfortably in the horror genre, it even states on the back 'Not to be read after dark'. I remember when I first read the books feeling slightly uneasy at some of the horror found in its pages. An unease that came from a very psychological place as the story took advantages of very subtle, yet powerful fears. One part that was rather effective came early in the first instalment and young Tom Ward's training. He was tasked with spending a night alone in a cellar haunted by a ghost known for killing those who dwelled within. Before the task begins Tom is briefed on the ghost and the cellar's history, then the candles blown out and we are left alone with Tom in that cellar. Soon thumps and groans are heard from its darkest corner and Tom slowly begins to investigate. The tension created from the approach to the pile of sacks is almost unbearable with great detail made about the slow walk. I won't ruin it for you by detailing his grim discovery; you'll have to read for yourself.

I say this because I can't imagine the scene will be brought to the big screen. From the looks of the trailer subtlety flew out the window when the four-armed monster opened the blinds. It looks like horror isn't the genre the film sits in; instead it looks like a fantasy/adventure film. So, not only does the film want to get in with the tween romance trend, but also wants to ride The Hobbit 's tail-coat too. If the directors don't have enough confidence to allow the film to stand on its own merits why should the viewers?

Talking of The Hobbit, I can't help but think that it 'inspired' the setting of the film. The books are firmly set in England, specifically around Lancaster. It anchored the plot and made it more believable, which when dealing with the horror genre is very important. Freud's work The Uncanny tells us that when what we find familiar is altered it becomes unfamiliar and a sense of unease is created. Think about the view you get every time you open your front door, it's an image that I'm sure is pretty strong in your mind. Now I want you to imagine something that doesn't belong there, for instance a sinister clown, it would unsettle you to say the least, am I right? By changing the setting to something that looks a lot like Middle Earth shatters any familiarity and horror it may have. 

With his cloak on the Spook does look right I must admit.

Lastly, perhaps most tragically, the film appears to mess with the rich lore that the series created. In the trailer spooks are described as being 'noble knights'. Anyone who has even read the first chapter will know this isn't true. Spooks are seen as a blight on society, omens of death and misfortune, they are an unfortunate necessity. If one has to call a spook in then one would hope it leaves soon. They are seen as anything but noble. The books also utilize Celtic folklore and contain creatures and myths from the British Isles. I can't imagine much of these are included and indeed the monsters in the trailer look rather CGI and far removed from ancient.

It is a shame the film seems to deviate so much from the source material, especially when other films have shown it can be done, and done successfully. Harry Potter did it right, J.K Rowling kept a firm grasp on the treatment the films delivered and it paid off. The films are a gift to the fans of the book and a joy for them to watch. Twilight does this too, mainly because the makers had true passion for the books. If Twilight can get it right, then surely anything can, am I right?

I found this map which illustrates the books locations.

As you can tell I'm rather disappointed in how Seventh Son is shaping up. I have a feeling that Delaney signed away the rights to the film and ran with the money. Researching this post reminded me of a film adaptation being made of another of my favourite childhood series, Artemis Fowl. I then looked that up and it seems that the film will cover book one and two, this news sent my head right back into my arms, and I'm not coming out.

What do you think about film adaptations of beloved books, or perhaps the other way around? Let me know in the comments section.

Back cover image from Bookcrossing, Cast image from Comingsoon, Map from Larissabookgirl. 

My latest Obsession #1: American Horror Story

Do you ever get into something so much that you can't get it off your mind? I certainly do, my life has been littered with times characterised by my latest obsession. This week a new obsession grew within me, one with horrific consequences.

I was walking through my local HMV, when I was drawn towards American Horror Story; like a puppet on a string. I felt compelled to pick up the box by it's striking cover photo. I loved the disjointed feel it has as characters don't seem to be engaging with each other. It just oozes multiple mysteries and couldn't help peak my interests. I hope that someone got a raise in the art department for this one.

Up until then, I had assumed to be a typical American drama. I'm not sure why I had assumed this, perhaps due to one of the producers previous work on the show Nip/Tuck. However, as I have mentioned in my Ringu post, I am on the lookout for something that will chill me to the core. With a title like American Horror Story, you would think I'd have at least taken slight notice.

One aspect of the that didn't help is that it also looks rather sex obsessed. This is something that has put me off other series like True Blood. Whilst I don't object to sex, I don't like when a TV show becomes more about showing skin then fleshing out the story. Too often, I find that they focus on sex in order to seem dark and edgy, but to me it just seems a bit childish. Often coming across like some desperate teenage boy's fantasy.



The picture created questions that demanded answers.

When I picked up the box I still wasn't convinced as whether it could warrant it's name. The description on the back doesn't help - with little to indicate that it is anything more than a family drama. It also seems more interested in advertising it's all star cast, rather than the story. This is another trait I see in many American shows, like Six Feet Under, which I tend to avoid like the plague. I have my own family issues - so why would I be interested in other peoples?

Yet, something about the box made an impact. With the subtly disturbing images that seem unconnected and distant from one another leaving an impression on my sub-conscious. It can't help but capture your intrigue with the promise of mystery. When I discovered the first series on Netflix and with a spare afternoon, I decided to give the pilot a try - I'm glad I did. I was hooked from the get go, but with the chilling opening line 'you're gonna die in there,' how could I not be?

Check out the trailer!

Somehow I watched half the first season in a single afternoon - I haven't had a TV marathon session like that since Heroes. I confess, I'm hooked, but unfortunately I'm also stuck. I recommended the pilot to my girlfriend, and now she has asked me to wait for her whilst she catches up. This wouldn't be too bad if not for the fact that she is rather busy (find out why on her blog, sorry for that cheeky plug).

I can't get it out my head; I keep thinking about it's complex plot and twisting details. That's a clear sign of an obsessesion, when you can't stop yourself agonising over possibilities. Already I can tell that I will soon have watched season two and three. Then I'll be impatiently waiting for season four.

I urge those of you have yet to be bitten to give it a try. Even the squeamish amongst you will feel compelled to keep watching.

What do you think of American Horror Story?
What are you rather obsessed with?
Are there shows you want to recommend, then let me know in the comments section.


Cover image from Life in the Dollhouse

Ringu Review

So, this could well be my last post. I fear for both my life and the possibility of winning shortest blog run in 2014. For in seven short days, I may be dead. I’ve watched a certain tape; if myths are to be believed the phone should spark into life very soon to signal my impending doom. I am referring to The Ring, or rather the Japanese original Ringu.

They both tell the tale of a reporter who watches a cursed video tape that will kill anyone who sees it within seven days. The reporter then embarks on a journey to discover the cause of the curse, in an attempt to break it and save her life.

 

Except, if I’m honest, I’m not terrified. Just vaguely unsettled and a tad disappointed. I’ve been looking forward to watching this for a while now, partly in my quest to find a horror film that will horrify me, but mostly out of respect for the impact this film has had on modern horror culture. When something reaches our shores by achieving such cult status, I want find out the cause of its popularity. So, when I finally found a copy of Ringu, and a fancy collector’s edition at that, I leapt at the chance. I relished the thought of a terrifying date with a ghost girl waiting only for my funeral suit to be finely pressed for the occasion.

Here is my awesome collectors edition... Shiny

I bet when I mentioned 'ghost girl' you all had the same image in your head: a fragile woman clothed in white with long, dark and greasy hair. This image is one many will recognise, yet do not know the origins of. Sadako, (known as Samara in the American remake), is based upon a Japanese urban legend concerning the souls of long-departed wronged women, called Yurei, intent on revenge. The idea has sent chills down spines for decades and, after the popularity the film gathered, the spine-chilling spread to the West. Ringu gained a following that sparked a resurgence in Hollywood for ghost stories and cursed items, which continues today. Unfortunately, not many can pull it off quite as well as Hideo Nakata, director of Ringu, and we end up with the likes of Sinister (eugh). However, the novels the Ringu films are based upon are a fusion of cultures themselves. The antagonist Sadako, as I mentioned, is based upon the Japanese Yurei legends. But the seven-day curse idea comes from American urban legends and draws inspiration from the film Candyman. With a horror heritage like that it is little wonder that both the American Ring and Japanese Ringu franchises gained such strong fandoms.

 

Yet, after watching it myself I can’t help but feel a little let down. I felt uneasy, yes, and there were points which pricked my senses. But alas, no feelings of genuine terror. Perhaps I built it up too much and expected to be shocked; modern horror films have got us used to reoccurring jump-scares and effects that create unimaginably graphic images. Neither occur here. The film had a low budget-feel and the famous antagonist only appears a handful of times. This helps to create a better story experience, whilst not scary as such. The grainy quality and lack of sound create a sensation of real tension. Often, films today have no moments of absolute silence - think about it. Even without dialogue or soundtrack there is still some form of background noise. But in Ringu there are moments of silence, and these moments become almost unbearable. However, I would more think of it as a mystery/thriller than as a horror. Much of the film focuses on the main character hunting through past occurrences; in a desperate attempt to trace the curse to its source.

This Yurei looks quite peaceful,
which just adds to the danger she poses.

I hope to watch the American remake soon and the many other spin offs, at which point I’ll look a little more in-depth at the story and the differences. For now I will mention that I feel as though much of the film is set up. The big reveal as it were, which is indeed a powerful and chilling scene. Heightened by the use of disjointed chords and a terrifying use of something as mundane as a television (no spoilers). Unfortunately, I had already witnessed said scene online out of impatience, and the effects show their age a bit meaning that the payoff was a little lost on me. Overall though, I really did enjoy it as a piece of entertainment and it is clearly different from other 'run of the mill' horror films too dependent on cheap thrills. I can understand why it has achieved such cult status; however, this status has been built up my own high expectations. Hopefully the sequels will shock more as I have less knowledge as of yet. I applaud it as both a piece of cinema, and as a piece of Asian culture.

If you don’t hear from me in a week's time than assume I have fallen foul of the dreadful curse.

(Yurei image from Pandemonium in Paradise)