tkuhns Reviews

Ring (1995 TV Movie)

Only for big fans

[22 June 2004]

This film was produced by and originally shown on Fuji TV in Japan. Nevertheless, expect a bit of nudity (five scenes in all) and an attempted rape.

For a TV movie, this is surprisingly well filmed. People who are familiar with the 1998 theatrical film will follow the plot just fine. It's essentially the same, with some minor differences (Sadako's back story is different and the reporter is a male, for example).

I live in Japan, and this is the first "Ring" movie that most of my Japanese friends saw. Many of them claim it is scarier than the theatrical remake, but I cannot concur. The warped photos, videotape, ending, and generally eerie feel of the Japanese theatrical version make it far superior.

Battle Royale (2000)

You'll get it if you know modern Japan

[14 May 2004]

Most of the reviewers here speak from their own viewpoints, i.e. non-Japanese westerners, and they praise/knock the movie based on its violence, plot, etc. That's fine. But through their ignorance of the culture this film springs from, they are missing its subtleties.

I've been teaching in a Japanese high school for three years now. Once I saw this movie, I could instantly appreciate its skill and surprising frankness at commenting on some of the sad and strange realities of Japan's modern youth.

Japan is a culture obsessed with youth. Almost everything here is tailored to the under-30 (and much younger, actually) crowd. For example, most westerners watching Japanese TV will be surprised at how childish it seems. The things that seem childish to your average American junior-high student are very appealing for a Japanese high-school student. Girls in their 30s desperately try to be "cute" to attract guys. Adults and children alike read comics by the droves, and sometimes pops up a strange, not-too-well-hidden undercurrent of pedophilia.

This movie takes the heavily cliquish, often childish, and often incomprehensible (to me) social system of young Japanese boys and girls and gives them guns. This is the natural result. Take it from me, the characters and situations are very realistic.

This gets mixed with the growing anxiety among the older generation at the rising rudeness and rebellion of the new generation in a culture that values politeness above all else. From a frustrated and humiliated teacher; to students killing each other over seemingly unimportant squabbles; to the overly-cutesy, peppy training video that perfectly mimics nearly any show on NHK these days -- this film subtly and brilliantly comments on half-a-dozen issues that weigh heavily on the minds of Japanese people today. That's why it was such a big hit in Japan.

Maybe you just have to live here to get it. I give it 5 stars.

Ghoul School (1990 Video)

Not even fun

[3 August 2000]

I respectfully disagree that this movie will be anything CLOSE to a "cult classic." As an avid fan of low-budget/no-budget schlock, this film is a waste of time. A few people with green faces run around an almost empty school chasing people. The chicks on the cover are nowhere in the movie. Even the ending is dumb.

Cyborg (1989)

Quite boring

[31 July 2000]

Yes, of course the movie has action. But that is all it has. Basically, you get to see Van Damme run from a big group of bad guys and beat the crap out of them every time he stops. No kidding, this is just "run to this location, fight, run to new location, fight some more.." ad infinitum. Good action movies know you need breaks and pacing, but this one had none. There was nothing too impressive to me about the fight scenes, either. You just never get that "high stakes" feeling that make action movies thrilling.

Manhattan Baby (1982)

not that great

[18 July 2000]

This movie is difficult to watch and follow, although it has all the typical Fulci stylings (lots of focus on the eyes, creepy music). Surprisingly, there is hardly any gore. I would only recommend it to a die-hard Fulci fan. Maybe something is lost in the translation.