(2004) **1/2Back to the Japanese "Angry Ghost Syndrome" we go.
Yumi's friends start getting creepy phone calls from themselves, placed a few days in the future. None of them ever answer these calls, hence the title, so they always get a message from themselves which is their voices saying something innocuous and then screaming. Of course, once the times and dates arrive the person who received the call dies in a nasty way. Yumi hooks up with a guy who has also been affected by the killings to try to solve the mystery of the origin of the calls.
This movie did have a few good freaky-tense scares, but it was really all over the map. A bit too much influence from The Ring and Ju-On, without any of the awesomeness of those two flicks. Who exactly is the evil/vengeful ghost? If you knew you were supposed to die at a certain time, would you really spend any part of that day in an abandoned, creepy hospital? I'm thinking not so much. Plus I thought the ending sucked. Maybe the remake Warner Bros. just wrapped will be better. I look forward to the comparison.
Kind of a lame way to wrap up my Horrothon Debut, but whatcha gonna do? This has been a complete blast and I am very happy with my healthy dozen flicks. I'm going to be too busy trick-or-treating with the kiddos tomorrow, (not to mention getting prepped mentally to go back to work after nine vacation days,) to watch any more movies. Already looking forward to next year! Woo-Hoo Horrorthon 2007!
4 comments:
Nice work, darlin. Too bad you didn't like OMC better, but I hear you about the "all over the map" thing. This was a deliberate homage by director Takashi Miike to the movies you mention, which might help explain the big heaps of derivative.
Excellent work this year! I believe of the rookies only AC beat you for quantity. Woo to da hoo. I want pics from tomorrow night, asap. Actually, just post 'em.
I definitely enjoyed this more than you. I loved the creepy ring-tone and tried desperately to get it on my phone. I also loved the climax in the old hospital, especially the woman walking upside down on the ceiling. Terrific review though.
From some of your comments I have wondered if perhaps I am being too harsh on some of these movies.
It did scare me, especially the woman coming out of that cabinet in the apartment - but I felt the overall effect was more of a "Huh?" than an "Oooo."
Be as harsh as you want, it's all just opinion! Following The Ring and JUON I got on a major Japanese kick for a while. A lot of the films I viewed were terrible so I think I give the half-way decent ones more slack.
I also love the 'live' murder on TV!
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