How did a single ‘Big in Japan’ videotape change the course of global horror history? Find out in this insightful documentary charting the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of Japanese supernatural chillers featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology against a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay. From PSYCHIC VISION: JAGANREI (1988) and straight-to-video SCARY TRUE STORIES to such key titles as RING (1998), PULSE (2001) and THE GRUDGE (2002), critics and filmmakers reflect on how the bleak Dystopian visions and unsettling atmospheres infiltrated their way into the world’s shocker consciousness.
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Director
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Na-young, a reporter, hears from her friend U-won, a station attendant, about a ghost of a child in the abandoned station house under OKSU Station. Curious, Na-young decides to investigate further. She finds out that there was a train accident at the station and there was a fatality. When Na-young meets the sister of the fatality TAEHO, she hears from TAEHEE that her brother was looking around for a well. Na-young and U-won set out to search for the well, buried somewhere around the abandoned station house. After they find the well; they promise the children's ghosts they meet there that they will tell the public the truth that children at OKSU Nursery were buried "alive" in the well. Though the truth was revealed, the deepened resentment could not be ended.
Director
The film follows Saki (Momotsuki), Mei (Kudo), and Kaho (Teramoto), the members of the budding idol group called Wish as they are set to appear in the sequel of Toei's hit movie, Yugami. Toei Movie Studios is a place where a lot of popular movies and dramas are filmed, but this studio also has an untold secret.
In the time after Naomi’s parents suddenly die, she happens to meet and bond with the popular actor Morinori Tokito who lives in the same apartment building.
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Screenplay
Saki, Anju, Chiaki, Ami, and Kaya reunite for the first time in years. The five of them excitedly decide to go Toshimaen Amusement Park, a place that was very important to them when they were younger. None of them know that they're about to enter a nightmare…
Director
Saki, Anju, Chiaki, Ami, and Kaya reunite for the first time in years. The five of them excitedly decide to go Toshimaen Amusement Park, a place that was very important to them when they were younger. None of them know that they're about to enter a nightmare…
Construction worker Kumada (Kiryu) used to be a member of the popular band Uma no Hone 30 years ago. In a sudden turn of events, he moves into a low rent shared apartment. His roommate Yuka is an idol, but begins being friendly with when he says his job is related to music.
Screenplay
A film that takes the theme of psycho-phobia. The film visualizes a forbidden psychic experiment that is a "departing" process to a world of madness, aimed at "spiritual revolution".
Director
A film that takes the theme of psycho-phobia. The film visualizes a forbidden psychic experiment that is a "departing" process to a world of madness, aimed at "spiritual revolution".
Teleplay
Miyuki Asakawa tells her colleague Etsuko Yamagiwa that she has a ghost in her home. When Etsuko goes to Miyuki's home, there is only Miyuki's father there. Etsuko becomes worried about Miyuki's state of mind, and she takes Miyuki to the psychiatric hospital where her husband, Tatsuo, works. There, Miyuki receives a diagnosis that she lacks the concept of "family." Later, Etsuko tells Tatsuo that she is not comfortable with Dr. Jirō Makabe. Tatsuo introduced her to Dr. Makabe earlier at the hospital. Etsuko has a feeling of unease about her husband working with Dr. Makabe. One day, Etsuko hears Dr. Makabe state "I came to Earth to invade."
Sugawara
Those who want to die seek refuge in a mysterious café in this feverishly strange Japanese debut.
Screenplay
The stage of this piece is a film school. In this setting, there is a heroine aspiring to be a director who has invited a major actress to perform in a film that will become her art project graduation piece. This actress is a lecturer and the heroine feels reverence for her. However, before one knows, the setting falls into complete disorder and the performers are forced to tackle a formidable force that is beyond the control of individuals.
Director
The stage of this piece is a film school. In this setting, there is a heroine aspiring to be a director who has invited a major actress to perform in a film that will become her art project graduation piece. This actress is a lecturer and the heroine feels reverence for her. However, before one knows, the setting falls into complete disorder and the performers are forced to tackle a formidable force that is beyond the control of individuals.
Screenplay
Dr. Hattori and her husband watch footage of brain surgery experiments with Manchurian, Russian and Japanese guinea pigs that had been found in the basement of a wrecked hospital. Out of the blue, there is a white light and when they look back, they see they children Ota Miyuki and Kaori staring at the light. Years later, Miyuki vanishes from the Tama Medical University Hospital and her sister Kaori, Miyuki's boyfriend Motojima and detective Hirasawa are seeking her. However, Miyuki and the teenagers Kazochi, Takumi, Hattori and Rieko have been submitted to a nightmarish experiment by Dr. Hattori and her team with tragic results.
Director
Dr. Hattori and her husband watch footage of brain surgery experiments with Manchurian, Russian and Japanese guinea pigs that had been found in the basement of a wrecked hospital. Out of the blue, there is a white light and when they look back, they see they children Ota Miyuki and Kaori staring at the light. Years later, Miyuki vanishes from the Tama Medical University Hospital and her sister Kaori, Miyuki's boyfriend Motojima and detective Hirasawa are seeking her. However, Miyuki and the teenagers Kazochi, Takumi, Hattori and Rieko have been submitted to a nightmarish experiment by Dr. Hattori and her team with tragic results.
Screenplay
O filme conta a história do sensitivo diretor cinematográfico Marcus Reed, que trabalha no remake de um "amaldiçoado" filme de horror da década de 20, do cineasta Béla Olt. Mas quando uma imagem fantasmagórica começa a sobressair-se através da lente da câmera durante as filmagens, isto ameaça a realização do longa e a vida de sua equipe.
Writer
The story of Orochi revolves around the life of the Monzen family. Aoi Monzen, a famous, but aging, movie star and Kazusa and Lisa Monzen her two daughters. Aoi hopes for them both to take over her legacy as a star, but Kazusa does not live up to her expectations. The mother is always pitting the girls against one another competitively. As a result, as the years pass, the love the sisters shared grows to a hidden hatred. When another girl named Orochi saves the girl's mother from a terrible accident a bizarre chain of events is set in motion spanning many years. The atmosphere in their estate builds up until Orochi reveals a terrible truth that the family must keep hidden from the world. Orochi serves as the narrator of the story. The movie is based on a Kazuo Umezu manga series which ran from 1969 to 1970.
Adaptation
The story of Orochi revolves around the life of the Monzen family. Aoi Monzen, a famous, but aging, movie star and Kazusa and Lisa Monzen her two daughters. Aoi hopes for them both to take over her legacy as a star, but Kazusa does not live up to her expectations. The mother is always pitting the girls against one another competitively. As a result, as the years pass, the love the sisters shared grows to a hidden hatred. When another girl named Orochi saves the girl's mother from a terrible accident a bizarre chain of events is set in motion spanning many years. The atmosphere in their estate builds up until Orochi reveals a terrible truth that the family must keep hidden from the world. Orochi serves as the narrator of the story. The movie is based on a Kazuo Umezu manga series which ran from 1969 to 1970.
Screenplay
A horror film directed by Hiroshi Takahashi. After winning an overwhelming number of seats in the National Diet, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shintarō Makabe, is about to undertake a constitutional revision to remove Japan's Article 9 (forbidding the building of a military). However, this leads to conflict with his wife. Meanwhile, the President of the United States has been cursed. (Description translated from Amazon.co.jp)
Director
A horror film directed by Hiroshi Takahashi. After winning an overwhelming number of seats in the National Diet, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shintarō Makabe, is about to undertake a constitutional revision to remove Japan's Article 9 (forbidding the building of a military). However, this leads to conflict with his wife. Meanwhile, the President of the United States has been cursed. (Description translated from Amazon.co.jp)
Screenplay
When an overweight girl gets dumped by her lover, she resolves to impress him by going on an extreme diet. All goes well at first, but when she is reunited with her former lover, she begins to feel the hunger pains once again...
Gregory
A young man is unable to have relations with the girls he likes. A pimp meets him after having a strange experience and they are althogether on a bizarre ride through a gloomy and disconnected Tokyo.
Screenplay
Bad things happen when innocent blood is shed. In the early 1700s, Lord Sodom Ichibei is happily celebrating his wedding day when his wife-to-be suddenly dies. In his search for an explanation, he kills any and every suspect he comes across. When Lord Ichibei tortures and kills two innocent girls, their death brings about a curse on the Sodom family. Three hundred years later, one of Sodom's descendents, Ichiro, is also set to be married. But one of the innocent victims has been reincarnated as Ichiro's sister and she kills everyone at the wedding. This transforms Ichiro into the evil and vengeful "Sodom The Killer", a cursed man hell-bent on slaughter and the world's destruction...
Director
Bad things happen when innocent blood is shed. In the early 1700s, Lord Sodom Ichibei is happily celebrating his wedding day when his wife-to-be suddenly dies. In his search for an explanation, he kills any and every suspect he comes across. When Lord Ichibei tortures and kills two innocent girls, their death brings about a curse on the Sodom family. Three hundred years later, one of Sodom's descendents, Ichiro, is also set to be married. But one of the innocent victims has been reincarnated as Ichiro's sister and she kills everyone at the wedding. This transforms Ichiro into the evil and vengeful "Sodom The Killer", a cursed man hell-bent on slaughter and the world's destruction...
Ao dirigir no campo com sua esposa e sua filha, Hideki pára e entra em uma cabine telefônica. Lá descobre um jornal velho com a foto de sua filha e um artigo que descreve sua morte em um acidente de trânsito. Com uma horrível premonição, testemunha a colisão de seu carro exatamente como fora descrito na matéria. Aflito, torna-se obcecado em descobrir o mistério do jornal. Embora tente encontrar sua sanidade, é assombrado por visões de desastrosos eventos em sua comunidade. Quando recebe um outro jornal misterioso com um artigo que fala da terrível morte de uma jovem estudante, tenta fazer de tudo para salvá-la da morte e salvar-se também...
At some time in the 21st century, Japan's economy is in shambles. Riots and terrorism are the norm. The government buys up television stations in a last-ditch effort to promote nationalism and order to the nation. But this is the dawn of a new dark state. A new form of 3 on 3 basketball is developed in which anything goes, and the winner of the game is the team with the last man left standing.
Creative Consultant
No Japão, dois fantasmas vingativos atormentam e matam qualquer um que entre na casa onde eles morreram: Kakayo, uma mulher assassinada pelo marido, e seu filho pequeno, Toshio.
Screenplay
Rachel Keller é uma jornalista que decide investigar a misteriosa morte de sua sobrinha. Ela percebe a relação da morte dela e de várias outras mortes com um estranho vídeo, que faz com que todas as pessoas que o assistam morram exatamente sete dias depois. Intrigada com a história, ela agora precisa descobrir um meio que impeça que a profecia se realize, já que ela e seu filho assistiram ao vídeo.
Writer
After her brother is accused of murdering four people, his sister, desperate to prove his innocence, goes to a psychic for help. The price they ask, however, is far more than she expected, and the answers they give her are nothing she could ever have imagined. And what is the FBI doing investgating a murder in Japan?
Author
Depois de muita procura, a repórter Akiko Miyaji finalmente consegue encontrar a menina Sadako, trinta anos após os acontecimentos do primeiro filme. Esperando encontrar uma menina de sangue frio e má, ela encontra uma frágil e que faz aulas de teatro em Tóquio.
Screenplay
A estudante Mai Takano tenta encontrar a verdade por trás da morte misteriosa de seu amado Ryuji. Ela começa a procurar o vídeo supostamente possuído pelo espírito de Sadako, o qual, acredita-se, tem o poder de matar qualquer pessoa uma semana depois de tê-lo assistido.
Writer
Miyashita, a former low-level yakuza member, has tracked down and kidnapped his daughter's murderer with help of his friend Nijima. But others are soon implicated in the death, leading the pair further down a violent path of revenge.
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Após a morte de Tomoko Oishi, uma repórter, Reiko Asakawa, ouve histórias de um vídeo que mata quem o vê uma semana exatamente após assisti-lo. No início não dá importância aos rumores, mas ao descobrir que um amigo de Tomoko, que assistiu o vídeo, morreu exatamente uma semana depois ela começa a investigar. Após ver a fita estranhas coisas começam a acontecer.
Screenplay
Screenplay
Sho Aikawa plays a police detective whose dark personal history makes it impossible for him to stay within the limits of the legal system. But he is not just a detective; he is also a husband who has to explain to his wife how he got blood on his sleeve. And the criminals he pursues turn out to be as imperfect and oddly human as he is-and just as determined to protect their own families. This is the first of Kurosawa's films to pay homage to 1970s American gunslingers like Dirty Harry and reinvent them for modern Tokyo.
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A direct-to-video film by Akihiko Shiota.
Writer
Satomi breaks her lover Takao out of jail, who was falsely accused of killing her parents.
Screenplay
On the set of a dark war time drama at an old movie studio, a young director, Toshio Murai, is trying to complete his debut film. The two starring actresses, Hitomi Kurokawa and Saori Murakami, play sisters in his film. Murai has a crush on Hitomi, the seasoned leading actress, and keeps a photo of her by his bed. The younger and less experienced actress, Saori, is annoying and likes to have recess on the set. The production of the movie is consistently interrupted by strange occurrences and the cast and crew begin to get spooked.
Screenplay
Shion, ruthless assassin for the Magnificat crime syndicate, is as beautiful as she is deadly. But when her latest target turns out to be the man she loves, Shion is torn between duty and her heart. Her reluctance marks her for death by Magnificat, and her decision forces her into a life on the run, with her fellow assassins always a step behind.
Screenplay
Adaptação do mangá de mesmo nome, Crows conta a história de Bouya Harumichi um estudante novo transferido para Suzuran anos antes de Hana sequer sonhar entrar pra lá...Crows conta a história dos veteranos dos atuais veteranos de Hana... A época onde surgiram os caras mais fortes da história de Suzuran. Bouya Harumichi é um estudante novo transferido para o colégio de garotos Suzuran um lugar onde só os piores delinquentes vão. Devido à sua grande quantidade de delinquentes que são odiados pelo povo em geral como se fossem corvos o que acabou deixando o lugar conhecido como "Colégio dos Corvos". Harumichi é um lutador incrivelmente forte, mas tem uma personalidade irresponsável. Como ele vai atuar neste novo ambiente, onde todos são delinquentes?
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Keiko’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has been infected with HIV. As she struggles to cope with the situation and resist the infection, she finds new friendship and companionship with a journalist named Miyuki and a man named Akira.
Screenplay
This is a series of three short supernatural-themed movies. The first tells the story of a teen girl who dreams of haunted doll. In the second movie, a widowed mother brings her children to a house in the woods to help them forget the death of their father. While in the woods one of the children meets a ghost that wants more than just to be friends. The last movie tells the story of three teen-aged girls who go on vacation, only to find themselves at a haunted inn.
