bondblackberry The story revolves around the setting of a Japanese movie during World War Two. Yet, the scenes of that movie when screened is interrupted by some scenes from a old discarded television movie. This initiates the mystery and the film gets the fuel for the making of a perfect scary movie. I watched a lot of Japanese horror films, but this is definitely one of the scariest. I liked the ending, yet I feel they should have explained a bit further to keep the viewers pondering over why there is a mystery of a haunted setting in the first place. What caused those killings? Why it happens in that place? From when the place was haunted and something like that. It could have made the viewers to ruminate and compare whether such things happens in reality. This would have kept some apprehensive people on their toes especially those, if they are in the acting business :) Please watch this movie and you can get this movie in Youtube.

christopher-underwood Second feature film from the man who would go on to make The Ring and Dark Water, indeed his very first film if you exclude, as I see IMDb do, a 'pink'. but first or second it is a great effort and if it doesn't totally succeed it certainly has some very creepy moments and is breaking new ground for a ghost film. He is already using the media, ghostly images appear superimposed upon the film he is using to shoot a melodrama, and utilising the long haired maniacal girl/ghost image. Modest running time exactly in accordance with the requirements of the story; if only all directors would go short if the story did not warrant more. A little confusing now and again because Mr Nakata does not lay everything out that obviously but well worth catching.

Rocket-Pictures This movie was really hyped up by some of my Japanese friends. Basically it has exactly the same positives and negatives of the original The Ring film also directed by Nakata. It has one of the creepiest scenes I've ever seen in a horror movie, when the blurred image of the ghost actress appears on the rushes of the footage shot by the film's hero. However, the plotting is pretty bad and the finale feels like a real missed opportunity. As with The Ring the plot explanation for who and why the ghost actress is, is completely garbage. Interesting to see it has been picked up for remake rights. They really need to tie up the exposition plotting to make this work - i.e who the ghost actress is, what she wants, why she is haunting the studio, why the director has memories of watching the film as a child, why him???!! etc. When the ghost actress reveals herself it never lives up to the creepy image scene earlier in the film. They would do well to watch The Eye by the Pang Brothers to see how this is done, instead of the usual white faced hovering ghost.

zetes It doesn't even merit a review, other than as a warning to potential viewers. It's a somewhat generic ghost story about an actress haunting a studio during the filming of a WWII period drama. There's no fear involved, no suspense whatsoever, nor any surprises. One shocking moment that looks a bit too silly to be shocking. The visual style is very flat and dull, although there is some really nice editing once in a while. The story never comes together, and the films is really just a total bust. 4/10.