Thursday, August 24, 2006

Sept 14th and 3 extremes

It looks likely now that the release date, pricing and all the other Wii secrets are likely to be revealed on the 14th September. On this date, Nintendo are holding a press conference in the US. This is all fine and good, but that’s 3 damn weeks away!

I’ve pretty much given up hope that they will release the Wii prior to my birthday (November 7), I’m just hoping and praying that it’s still before Christmas (which it still looks likely to be). Otherwise, I might have to rethink my PS3 purchase plans.

Films watched:

Three Extremes

This is a collection of 3 short horror/thriller films by 3 leading Asian directors (from Japan, Korea and Hong Kong). I got this mainly because of Park Chan-wook’s involvement (Cut), but was also interested in seeing the other segments.

As its 3 short films, I’ll give a mini review for each:

Dumplings
By far the most disturbing of the 3 films, this tells the story of a woman trying to recapture her youth by eating dumplings with rather suspicious ingredients. I daren’t go any further without offending people.
Quite slow, but very gripping.
7.5/10

Cut
The most simplistic of the 3 stories and also the bloodiest. It tells a simple hostage story, that of a film extra taking revenge on a director.
Both oddly comic and gruesome at the same time, this section is only let down by an ending which doesn’t really seem convincing enough.
7/10

The Box
By far the creepiest of the 3 films and also the most visually striking.. Surprisingly the dialogue for this segment is kept to a minimal, there are several minute where nothing is said at all. At times, slightly unnerving in a “Ringu” like way, but severally let down by a story which make little to no sense.
The ending explains to a degree why it makes no sense, but this doesn’t add much weight to what has gone before.
6/10

2 comments:

Sameranda said...

Oh my God I have a friend you would get on with SO well, she loves foreign horror films. Is obsessed, I would even go as far to day.

Anyway that film trilogy sounds nasty... I bet they aren't renting it at Blockbusters!!

Bazlurgan said...

All the best horrors in the last few years have been Asian in origin. Ringu (The Ring), Dark Water, The Eye.

Asian cinema just seems to have the knack of making something seem both spooky and unnatural.