FANTASY ART & ASSORTED ODDNESS by Patrick W. Stewart
KOREAN HORROR
A Tale Of Two Sisters-- a.k.a. Janghwa, Hongryeon (2003)
An incredible mind-freak experience, Tale of Two Sisters is part drama, part psychological study and part supernatural horror. Sadly, I can't mention many of the plot points without potentially revealing valuable secrets. Hmmmmm...I can't even really describe the characters without revealing them either. Dern!!! So...what can I tell you??? Ummmm...well, that it's EXCELLENT. It's one of the best and most genuinely frightening films I've seen. And, it's one of those rare movies that succesfully misleads you. It plays with your head in a way that leaves you guessing which parts are ghostly and which are imaginary. Even the ending leaves you wondering.
Now, if you're looking for a gruesome "torture porn" type picture, look elsewhere. This is a smart, dramatic, evenly paced film with loads of eeeeeerie atmosphere in which the drama unfolds. The lighting, editing, camerawork, and direction are all masterfully done. I haven't seen too many horror films that are both creepy and beautiful to look at at the same time. The scenery and cinematography are superb.
When it comes to the fright factor, they give you a well balanced mix. The ghostly imagery is quite spooky and not used too much of too little. There are many great suspense building sequences as well to wrack the nerves. The producers also seem to understand how to use sound. They knew the proper music and effects to use in all of the sequences I thought. They also understood when to use the sound of silence which can be just as frightening, if not more so.
Sooooo, yeah...I highly recommend this one--as if you couldn't guess. 'Tis a perfect film to pop in the DVD player in the middle of the night when you're by yourself. Even better if ya turn all the lights off. Really...really it is.
Oh yeah...a couple of other nuggets for your info.
Yes...Hollywood DID do a remake. It was out late 2008/early 2009. But, they didn't call it "A Tale of Two Sisters." Nooooo. They called it "The Uninvited." This I thought was stupid and may cause unnecessary confusion. Why? Well, you see, because there is another Korean horror/suspense film actually called "The Uninvited." Sooooo...what happens if Hollywood decides to ripoff...errr...ummmm...remake that one? Will they call that one "A Tale of Two Sisters?" Stooopid Hollywood. Stoopid, stoopid. Anyway, hope all that cleared up some of the aforementioned confusion if there was any. I'm going to sleep now as it is about 3am in the mornin'. I will be dreaming of Korean chicks.
Now, if you're looking for a gruesome "torture porn" type picture, look elsewhere. This is a smart, dramatic, evenly paced film with loads of eeeeeerie atmosphere in which the drama unfolds. The lighting, editing, camerawork, and direction are all masterfully done. I haven't seen too many horror films that are both creepy and beautiful to look at at the same time. The scenery and cinematography are superb.
When it comes to the fright factor, they give you a well balanced mix. The ghostly imagery is quite spooky and not used too much of too little. There are many great suspense building sequences as well to wrack the nerves. The producers also seem to understand how to use sound. They knew the proper music and effects to use in all of the sequences I thought. They also understood when to use the sound of silence which can be just as frightening, if not more so.
Sooooo, yeah...I highly recommend this one--as if you couldn't guess. 'Tis a perfect film to pop in the DVD player in the middle of the night when you're by yourself. Even better if ya turn all the lights off. Really...really it is.
Oh yeah...a couple of other nuggets for your info.
Yes...Hollywood DID do a remake. It was out late 2008/early 2009. But, they didn't call it "A Tale of Two Sisters." Nooooo. They called it "The Uninvited." This I thought was stupid and may cause unnecessary confusion. Why? Well, you see, because there is another Korean horror/suspense film actually called "The Uninvited." Sooooo...what happens if Hollywood decides to ripoff...errr...ummmm...remake that one? Will they call that one "A Tale of Two Sisters?" Stooopid Hollywood. Stoopid, stoopid. Anyway, hope all that cleared up some of the aforementioned confusion if there was any. I'm going to sleep now as it is about 3am in the mornin'. I will be dreaming of Korean chicks.
Phone (review coming soon)
The Red Shoes (review coming soon)
