Beautiful Japan

All things beautiful from Japan, particularly Japanese girls, electronics, entertainment, and pop culture.

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November 30
Japanese movie Premonition I never lose an opportunity to watch a Japanese movie and the other day when I was surfing the Comcast On Demand menu to pick something, I came across Premonition (considering how many horror movie they have, I was not surprised).  As I curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine, I was ready to be scared, but actually, while the movie is about many people dying, I have a hard time classifying this as a horror movie, especially a J Horror movie, because they can be really scary. To me, it was actually more of a mystery, and in the end, it almost became a philosophical movie (I don’t know why I kept thinking of Santiago in the book The Alchemist).  Briefly, it is the story of a couple Hideki (Hiroshi Mikami) and Ayaka Satomi (Noriko Sakai) and their daughter Nana, returning from a weekend trip, when due to a road accident, the little girl dies.  Then the couple start to come across the newspaper (Kyoufu Shinbun or newspaper of terror) that warn of forthcoming events, that they try to stop.  It is a movie about psychics and visions (which I find to be total BS in reality but good enough for entertainment).  Overall, an interesting movie to watch about Japanese society.

Japanese movie Premonition

I never lose an opportunity to watch a Japanese movie and the other day when I was surfing the Comcast On Demand menu to pick something, I came across Premonition (considering how many horror movie they have, I was not surprised).  As I curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine, I was ready to be scared, but actually, while the movie is about many people dying, I have a hard time classifying this as a horror movie, especially a J Horror movie, because they can be really scary.

To me, it was actually more of a mystery, and in the end, it almost became a philosophical movie (I don’t know why I kept thinking of Santiago in the book The Alchemist).  Briefly, it is the story of a couple Hideki (Hiroshi Mikami) and Ayaka Satomi (Noriko Sakai) and their daughter Nana, returning from a weekend trip, when due to a road accident, the little girl dies.  Then the couple start to come across the newspaper (Kyoufu Shinbun or newspaper of terror) that warn of forthcoming events, that they try to stop.  It is a movie about psychics and visions (which I find to be total BS in reality but good enough for entertainment).  Overall, an interesting movie to watch about Japanese society.

August 25

Japanese horror movie Grotesque

One thing that I admire about the Japanese that they are such strong believers in doing what you like.  Pretty much like the French who know how to please all their senses without guilt.  That is why some of the best stuff for entertainment — no matter what you like — comes out of Japan.

While some may find it gross, but appropriately named horror film “Grotesque” that you should not expect it to find it at a video store next door.  For instance, the authorities in Britain found the movie so full of violence and other perversions that they are afraid that it could cause psychological harm to audiences.

“‘Grotesque’ features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism,” the board said in a statement.  The DVD features literally non-stop torture  — including amputation, eye-gouging, castration and evisceration. 

I wonder if this will give even more reason for horror movie fans to watch it.