Showing posts with label j-horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label j-horror. Show all posts

24 June 2013

EIFF 2013 - The Complex (Kuroyuri danchi) Review

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Rating:
18
Review Date:
22nd June 2013 (EIFF 2013)
Director:
Hideo Nakata
Stars:
Atsuko Maeda
Hiroki Narimiya
Masanobu Katsumura


We should know better than to get excited when a once great horror director makes a back to basics comeback. It's happened with John Carpenter (The Ward), George A. Romero (Survival of the Dead), Wes Craven (My Soul to Take), and Dario Argento (Dracula 3D), and now it is the turn of Japan's own Hideo Nakata - the man behind Dark Water and Ringu. In a miraculous feat Nakata has managed to make a film worse than all those aforementioned combined.

The Complex follows a young nursing student (Atsuko Maeda) who moves with her family into a derelict apartment block, which her friends claim is haunted. After being disturbed by eerie noises coming from her neighbour's apartment it seems these claims may have some truth.

Nakata has made some of the most terrifying Japanese horror features in recent years, which makes The Complex and even more disappointing watch. Opening as an old-fashioned ghost story, The Complex sticks pretty close to the conventions of the genre - from strange noises in the middle of the night to shadowy figures appearing every so often. However, these scenes lack any of the tension or originality they deserve - failing to quicken the pace or enhance the horror of The Complex. As the narrative progresses the clichés continue to come thick and fast from dying old men to sinister children - many completely laughable in the bland way they are executed.

When The Complex does deviate from the conventions of the ghost film there are some great concepts to be found in Ryûta Miyake and Junya Kato's screenplay. Traces of de ja vu begin to seep into Asuka's daily life, resulting in a unsettling tone being established. This eventually leads to a look at the effects that grieving can have on the mental state, however, these come secondary to Nakata's preference for traditional genre scares (ie. possessed children).

The main issue that The Complex simply is not scary. It lacks any tense edge of your seat moments or any originality in its set pieces. It's not a terrible film - it is just a case of having seen almost everything before and on a superior level. This can result in The Complex becoming quite a tiresome and immediately forgettable watch.

Despite some intriguing concepts at its heart, The Complex is dull, generic and laughable at points. Sadly this is not the return to form that many thought Nakata would deliver.

★★☆☆☆

Andrew McArthur


29 May 2013

Anime Writers Wanted, Join Us At Cinehouse & The People’s Movies

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Kwonicha ! We’re recruiting again and we want you and that’s the Anime Writers! We’re looking for lovers who have a passion for all things Japanese, are you that person?

Do you want to review the latest reviews from Manga Entertainment and MVM but it’s not all about the reviews. Post the latest news from the world of anime, the latest trailers, create fresh original but most of all entertaining articles and features help create The People’s Movies & Cinehouse into a hub for Anime fans? If you your passion also lies in Asian cinema in general we can help you out there too and we’ll do our best to give you a platform to share your passion?

We’re looking for a couple of writers who have written for sites before or someone really eager to get first steps, so do you have what it takes? Remember this isn’t just for reviews they are probably most important part of working with us. So can you work on your own initiative know where to look for the latest Anime news, trailers to create your posts?

Unfortunately we can’t offer any money however you will be able to keep those MVM and Manga Entertainment releases you will review, we can provide you with the Anime films to review, maybe occasionally the odd cinema screening, passes for festivals. What are you waiting for then? Get in touch now, Freelancers are welcomed

So how do you sign up?


  1. Your Name &Age
  2. Location (what is your home town name)
  3. 2 sample links to previous posts
  4. Reasons on why we should pick you (500 words maximum)
  5. If your freelancer let us know


Where do I send the above too? label your email 'Anime Writer' and email the info we need to cinehouseuk@gmail.com

Please Note The Peoples Movies And Cinehouse are UK based websites so if you live outside UK we cannot provide anime to review, however if you are keen to help using your own sources please do get in touch.



27 January 2013

Nakata Hideo Returns To J-Horror With The Complex

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He is one of J-Horror's most iconic director Nakata Hideo and is probably responsible for most of famous J-Horrors such as Ringu (Ring)known to Western cinephiles.

Nakata Hideo returns to horror with The Complex (Kuroyuri danchi)and tonight we have our hands on the first teaser trailer.

Starring Atsuko Maeda formerly of J-Pop supergroup AKB48 as a nursing student Asuka who moves into a an apartment block plagued with strange mysterious deaths thanks to what to a death that happened 13 years previously. When she further investigates the strange noises from adjacent flat she learns the old man who lived there died trying to claw himself out of a wall but who is responsible for the deaths?

Films such as Sinister have a lot to thank Nakata for introducing the watch the video and you'll die a concept that can be seen in many western based horrors too. Tonight at Rotterdam International film festival The Complex will make its world premier then on 18th May Toei will release the in Japan. No UK date has been set but expect the film to arrive later in the year/2014.


sourceNipponcinema