地下幻燈劇画 少女椿, Chika Gentō Gekiga: Shōjo Tsubaki
(1992) 48 min
Rated: NR (blood, excessive gore, nudity, sex, rape, animal death)
Country: Japan
Director: Hiroshi Harada
Starring: Minako Naka, Norihiko Morishita, Keinosuke Okamoto
Links: IMDB | Wikipedia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Set in early 20th century Japan, a girl named Midori is tricked into joining a freak show where she endures torment daily. Based on manga by Suehiro Maruo.
Orozco the Embalmer AKA
Orozco el embalsamador
(2001) 91 min
Rated: NA (Real murdered corpses, real embalming corpses, nudity, drug use)
Country: Japan
Director: Kiyotaka Tsurisaki
Starring: Froilan Orozco
Links: IMDB | Wikipedia
Rating: ★★★★☆
A documentary about an embalmer’s work in one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of Bogotá in 1990’s Colombia.
Warning: Descriptions of real embalming as it is the subject of this documentary. I have attempted to leave out photos with bodies and gore for this summary and review.
Three… Extremes
(2004) 125 Min.
Rated: R
Country: Hong Kong / Japan / South Korea
Director: Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park
Stars: Bai Ling, Byung-hun Lee, Kyoko Hasegawa
Links: IMDB | Wikipedia
Rating: ★★★★☆
Three short films directed by three talented Asian directors.
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Suicide Club AKA Jisatsu Circle (自殺サークル)
(2001) 99 Min.
Rated: R (Gore)
Country: Japan
Director: Sion Sono (園 子温)
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Mai Hosho
Links: IMDB | Wikipedia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
After a group of Japanese school girls kill themselves, a mysterious rash of suicides plague Japan.
Noroi: The Curse A.k.a ノロイ (Noroi)
(2005) 115 Min.
Rated: NR (mutilated animals, gore)
Country: Japan
Director: Kôji Shiraishi
Starring: Jin Muraki, Rio Kanno, Tomono Kuga
Links: IMDB | Wikipedia
Rating: ★★★★★
A documentary filmmaker follows a trail of paranormal phenomenon that lead to his own disappearance.
