Project: Asian Horror Movies.

안녕하세요.  오랜만 니다.

미안해 for being MIA over the weekend.  I had a lot planned but I also had a lot of things to do so blogging got pushed to the backburner.  So I have this big ol' list of possible blog topics staring at me and taunting me.  DX

Anyway, the main thing that is keeping me busy over the weekend right now, apart from my Korean language learning, are my rediscovered love for Asian horror movies.  아시아 공포 영화.  Through the years, I've always started off a year with a plan to watch a list of movies from a specific genre, a certain actor, or a movie franchise.  And I always fail to do well on it.  Some years, I even fail to start.  -__-  This time, however, I was lucky to catch the bug right when I'm very inspired and I happened on a couple of lists that I can work with.  

So why Asian horror?  Honestly, that's my favorite film genre.  Not just your general horror grouping... but Asian horror.  East Asian (Japanese, Korean, Chinese) mostly with a bit of Thai horror thrown in.  My awe of Philippine horror has lessened dramatically after the 4th Shake, Rattle, and Roll movie and apart from Feng Shui and Sukob, I find that "special effects" are taking precedence over actual content and scare factor.  Even the reenactments for All Souls Day specials for TV shows are scarier than the "film fest" movies.

It all started when Ringu or The Ring blew up the movie scene.  Oh, what is this movie with a girls in a white dress and long hair covering her face coming out of the TV and yeah, you're gonna die in seven days.  I saw the Hollywood version with Naomi Watts and I thought it was a different "Hollywood horror" but I wasn't impressed.  I didn't get the hype.  Then, I watched the Japanese original.  And loved it.  The Hollywood remake was more of a thriller than horror.  The Japanese one was creepy.  I guess it had something to do with the Asian features of the actors... for some reason they look creepier than Caucasian features.  They didn't have to talk; the music paired with the setting of the scene made it scary.  And I don't mind the subtitles.  Reading them and watching what was going on at the same time did not take anything away from the experience.

After that, I started exploring the genre.  Ringu 2, Ringu 0, Ju-On, 폰, Shutter, Whispering Corridors... until I probably toured most of Asia.  I'm not easy to scare but I've found some that did it for me.  There are some lists on the internet that looked interesting and thanks to Youtube and some apps, definitely doable to go through.  So I kind of turned it into a project... to go through these lists and find new favorites.

I don't want to flood you with lists so here's what I've seen so far since starting this project and also my all-time favorites that I've already watched and probably will rewatch throughout this activity.


FAVORITES

• Shutter (Thailand).  Don't even think of that Hollywood remake.  That was pure garbage.  It genuinely angered me.  They destroyed it, it was all wrong.  Don't watch that.  The original is heavens creepier, scarier, and much better than any Hollywood horror movie.  I even watched it dubbed in Filipino and still loved it.
• 폰 (South Korea).  Phone starring one of my favorite actresses, 하지원 (Ha Jiwon) of Secret Garden.  This is definitely a favorite and I have a freaky story as to why.  When I first watched this, I was alone in the house and I played it on our huge TV, about 54-56 inch TV.  I sat through the whole movie, unmoving.  I thought the child actress was AMAZING and I loved that they used Beethoven as theme music, and all that.  As the credits faded to black... and I mean, as soon as the screen turned black... our house phone rang.  And it was the exact same ring tone as the one in the movie.  I let that biatch ring it's little heart out.  Whoever it was ndidn't all again so I have no idea, up to this day, who that was.  XD
• Ringu 0: Baseudei (Japan).  As much as I loved Ringu and Ringu 2... this one takes the cake.  It is a prequel to the other Ringu movies and here, Sadako is portrayed as the protagonist instead of the antagonist.  It's the story of how Sadako ended up in that well.  It's a sad story.  I recommended this to a lot of people and they loved it also.
• 인형사 (South Korea).  The Doll Master is perfect for those who are creeped out by porcelain dolls.  I rewatched this recently and I still love it.  I like the gruesome death scenes and the idea of dolls having souls.  I just don't like the ending that much.  But I like the movie a lot.

MOVIES I'VE WATCHED SO FAR (I started watching 20130227)

• 아파트 (South Korea).  APT.  
• Whispering Corridors 5: A Blood Pldge (South Korea).
• Tales of Terror: The Haunted Apartments (Japan)
• 젤로 (South Korea).  Cello.
• 므이 (South Korea).  Muoi: The Lgend of a Portrait.  This one was pretty awesome.  I might watch it again to determine if it is a favorite or not.
•  폰 (South Korea).  Phone.
• 인형사 (South Korea).  The Doll Master.
• Ringu (Japan).

I'm open to suggestions and recommendations.  Leave them below.  You don't have to tell me what they are about but feel free to do so. 

PS: Here's my Listography of the Asian horror movies that I've watched so far: click.