Reincarnation

The Good:

Asian cinema is always unbelievably good at seriously making you feel an emotion, whatever they might be going for (disoriented, unsettled, afraid), and this film did not disappoint.

The jerky just "off" movements of the characters - that "not quite right" color in some rooms - the camera angles and the music/sound all worked brilliantly together to make you feel a constant weight of dread pressing in on you.

This film did contain one of the creepiest things I've seen in a long time - the doll. I'm not going to say anything else - if you see/have seen the film then you/you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

The Bad:
Once again in the end I was left in complete confusion. Unfortunately - as brilliant as the Asian horror is on all other fronts - the confusion factor at the end can be very high. I'm not sure if I was more annoyed because at the had no idea what had happened or because since I couldn't figure out what had happened the feeling of unease just wouldn't let up. Either way - I wanted something more and just didn't get it.

All in all:
Good Asian horror - not nearly as good as Ju-on or Ringu - but good. If you like puzzles as endings and don't mind the risk of being continually unsettled when you can't figure out what happened - it's worth a watch.

The Grudge 2

Not normally something I would have gone for - I tend to like the Asian versions far better than their watered down, dumbed down American remakes - but I read on the cover that Sam Raimi had worked with the original director (Takashi Shimizu, who did the original Ju-on). I thought that perhaps with the two teamed together it might be better this time around. Plus my husband preferred to see the American version because the Asian ones can be "too confusing".

The Good:
I don't have to watch it again.

Okay - perhaps it was good because it explained what happened in the first movie better (though if they had done a better job of translating the first film - Shimizu told you the first time around - they just chose to leave that part out).

The Bad:
Almost everything else.

The beginning of the movie was actually the end of the original Ju-on (the Asian version of The Grudge). At first I wondered why they hadn't just included it in the first movie as intended - then I realized it was a pitiful attempt to draw people back to see this steaming pile of dog crap by letting them believe that Sarah Michelle Gellar was going to be in it for more than a few minutes. I can't begin to explain how banal I find Americanized versions of Asian horror films. All the "interpreters" seem to ever manage to do is take everything that makes Asian horror so good and creepy and water it down to the point that it doesn't even slightly manage to come close to that.

was a beautiful Chopin piece - than The actors were horrid, everything seemed badly staged, it was just bad - plain bad. If Ju-anThe Grudge, and it's mediocre continuation were a 50 Cent show. Bleh.

All in all:
Avoid at all costs - unless of course you'd rather have warm piss instead of beer in which case, this movie is perfect for you!