dwatts
11-03-2002, 11:12 PM
See my other post for a lead in....
“Nightmare” is another example of an Asian film that is something other than top tier. This is not a bad thing, clearly not all Asian films can be at the level of Freezer and Audition. In fact, it is a fascinating exercise. The horror genre is full of clichés (how many more groups of teens can we see slaughtered?) would you be interested to know if the Asians fall into the same ruts?
The story behind Nightmare is a plot you have likely seen played out a dozen times. A group of young people do something bad – and they are haunted by the event – by the ghost of their victim. This has been played out countless times before, I must say, it is not generally a plot that would have attracted my interest.
Having said that, I wanted to delve deeper into Asian film, below the cream to see what is beneath. Lurking just beneath that cream is Nightmare.
Given the hackneyed plot, you would have every right to expect a lashing for this film. But it doesn’t get one for a very good reason – it does not show all its cards at the start of the film (the overall plot is rolled out slowly through its length) and secondly because it will likely scare the crap out of you a few times too. You see, the returning spirit in this film is truly frightening.
If you have seen Battle Royale, than you are familiar with the opening sequence. In this sequence a young girl, with a blood and dirt stained face, emerges with a grin on her face, looking insane and frightening. Well – Nightmare takes that little girl and gives her a complete film. When she appears, sometimes in flashes, I guarantee you’ll have a few jumps and suffer some Goosebumps. It is very well done, indeed.
I must admit, I am enthralled by the beautiful women found in Asian cinema. There are plenty here. And when one of them is turned into a symbol for evil, it is doubly shocking. Add Director who knows what he is doing, and you have a recipe for something great.
The film making here is superb. We have some great camera work, lighting and a script that, although clichéd, delivers the goods without getting too predictable. This is a pure Asian take on a film the Americans have made a hundred times, and while staying in the same lane, the Asians show this old school plot still has a bit of life in it yet.
This film is highly recommended to those that love Asian horror cinema. Sure, the story is not going to amaze you - but the overall effect likely will. In this day and age, it was actually refreshing to see a minimalist clichéd plot brought back to life.
Gorehounds: One scene, right at the beginning, that would have made Fulci proud.
Transfer: 4:3 in my copy. Anyone else noticed, that a 4:3 film played in a widescreen suffers very minimal distortion. I watched it in widescreen mode and it looked perfectly fine. A nice transfer, not superbit…. But….
Extras: Trailer.
“Nightmare” is another example of an Asian film that is something other than top tier. This is not a bad thing, clearly not all Asian films can be at the level of Freezer and Audition. In fact, it is a fascinating exercise. The horror genre is full of clichés (how many more groups of teens can we see slaughtered?) would you be interested to know if the Asians fall into the same ruts?
The story behind Nightmare is a plot you have likely seen played out a dozen times. A group of young people do something bad – and they are haunted by the event – by the ghost of their victim. This has been played out countless times before, I must say, it is not generally a plot that would have attracted my interest.
Having said that, I wanted to delve deeper into Asian film, below the cream to see what is beneath. Lurking just beneath that cream is Nightmare.
Given the hackneyed plot, you would have every right to expect a lashing for this film. But it doesn’t get one for a very good reason – it does not show all its cards at the start of the film (the overall plot is rolled out slowly through its length) and secondly because it will likely scare the crap out of you a few times too. You see, the returning spirit in this film is truly frightening.
If you have seen Battle Royale, than you are familiar with the opening sequence. In this sequence a young girl, with a blood and dirt stained face, emerges with a grin on her face, looking insane and frightening. Well – Nightmare takes that little girl and gives her a complete film. When she appears, sometimes in flashes, I guarantee you’ll have a few jumps and suffer some Goosebumps. It is very well done, indeed.
I must admit, I am enthralled by the beautiful women found in Asian cinema. There are plenty here. And when one of them is turned into a symbol for evil, it is doubly shocking. Add Director who knows what he is doing, and you have a recipe for something great.
The film making here is superb. We have some great camera work, lighting and a script that, although clichéd, delivers the goods without getting too predictable. This is a pure Asian take on a film the Americans have made a hundred times, and while staying in the same lane, the Asians show this old school plot still has a bit of life in it yet.
This film is highly recommended to those that love Asian horror cinema. Sure, the story is not going to amaze you - but the overall effect likely will. In this day and age, it was actually refreshing to see a minimalist clichéd plot brought back to life.
Gorehounds: One scene, right at the beginning, that would have made Fulci proud.
Transfer: 4:3 in my copy. Anyone else noticed, that a 4:3 film played in a widescreen suffers very minimal distortion. I watched it in widescreen mode and it looked perfectly fine. A nice transfer, not superbit…. But….
Extras: Trailer.