The Red Eye Report's 2010 October Horrorthon #12: "Kaidan"

Set in the days of Edo old, Kaidan centers on the relationship between young tobacconist Shinkichi (Kikunosuke Onoe) and singing instructor Toyoshiga (Hitomi Kuroki). When the two meet, their attraction is undeniable, though both are unaware of the sordid ties that bind them. As children, their fathers were involved in a spat that left Toyoshiga's pop slain and Shinkichi's damned to a life of misery. Sure enough, the curse works its magic on the two lovers, fanned by Shinkichi's penchant for young women and Toyoshiga's searing jealousy. Ultimately, the latter passes on, but not before declaring a curse of her own, swearing to wreak havoc not only on Shinkichi's life but also that of whoever dares bat eyes at him next.

Consider Kaidan a glimpse at J-horror's very roots, courtesy of Hideo Nakata's Wayback Machine. Although known best for the modern chillers Ringu and Dark Water, Nakata's picture harkens back to when Japan's ghost stories were treated as sagas and art forms unto themselves, rather than a means to put little Toshiro to bed. This respect is evident throughout Kaidan, from the stylized pre-credits sequence to the bittersweet finale. Shinkichi is no schmoe haunted by a cursed Cuisinart but the hapless victim of his father's sins, gradually driven mad by his inability to find peace in this world and seeing only torment to come in the next one. If horrible things occur, they truly are out of his control, and for as much as she spends the film in Sadako mode, Toyoshiga's own issues allow her more dimension beyond the usual vengeful ghost stereotype. Knowing the shared history they remain oblivious to paves the way for a good deal of characterization and dramatic weight that horror flicks generally shirk in favor of getting to the gore as soon as possible.

Nakata has the right tone in mind for Kaidan, but nailing it is one tale that doesn't have a happy ending. For one, in terms of the leads being dragged to hell and back, Nakata doesn't seem to know when enough is enough; Shinkichi is mostly innocent, but all the hardships he endures makes you wonder if the story really does regard him as an outright villain. Similarly, Toyoshiga is so vicious and relentless, it becomes hard to view her just as a wronged woman seeing that her memory is served justice. The ambiguity needed to pull it all off just ain't here, and while Nakata set out to pay homage to the past, he can't help but fall back on tired tricks from the derivative thrillers he helped inspire. He remains honorable and never outright cheap, but with random love scenes and babies farting out dozens of snakes, one gets the feeling much of the film was spiced up to appeal to Western perceptions of Asia Extreme. Plus, the flick looks pretty damn flat overall, a shame considering how nifty and alluring its intro scene turned out to be.

If there's an audience for Kaidan, it's more for the Snake Woman's Curse crowd than for Grudge groupies. Its reverence to the past and commitment to building up characters are what get us to care about the proceedings beyond who'll be dispatched next and how. You don't have to be Nobuo Nakagawa to tell that Kaidan isn't a total artistic success, but I'll take something that makes it halfway there over something that accepts mediocrity with open arms.

The Red Eye Report's 2010 October Horrorthon #6: "The Entity"

Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey) is an independent woman and proud of it. She's a single mother of three, works all day, and attends typing school at night, all with her sanity intact. But on a night no different than any other, the unspeakable begins to take place in Carla's home. An invisible force barges in and violates Carla in the worst ways, before disappearing as quickly as it arrived. Overcome with distress as is, she's further angered when it seems that there's no logical solution to what's happening. The more well-meaning psychiatrist Dr. Sneiderman (Ron Silver) delves into Carla's past, the more frequent and intense her attacks before. Whoever or whatever Carla's assailant is, it's real, though it'll take something special to bring it down in our world.

Schindler's List. United 93. The Passion of the Christ. These are very admirable films, from artistic and thematic standpoints, though it's a little weird to say I "like" them. They reached their respective aims as effectively as they could have, but it'll be a long time before I pop any of them in on a rainy afternoon. As much of a sore thumb as it looks stacked against these pictures, The Entity is just the same, ostensibly a mainstream creepfest that deals in unexpectedly mature and very disturbing concepts. Just as startling is that the film, having been released when most moviegoers based their image of the supernatural off of the Amityville clunkers, makes it to the end without a scratch on its overall dignity. The Entity is a tough sit, but it survives by servicing its characters more so than the gorehound crowd. There are images of sexual assault that are difficult to watch, but the absence of some simplistic objective on which to hang these sequences spares the film the ravages of crass exploitation.

From shocking beginning to harrowing end, The Entity is firmly focused on Carla and never once wavers. Psychologically and physically, she's put through the mother of all wringers, savaged by a demonic aggressor and tortured by the fact that there's sound way to deal with it. A wrenching scene in which Carla breaks down and ponders submitting to her assailant is as riveting as the more showy attack sequences, both of which are still tastefully handled. Things do start to come apart in the third act, when the story edges away from mimicking its real-life basis and throws in a climax with Carla being pursued by a possessed freeze gun. It's never skipping hand-in-hand through a field of silly alongside The Manitou, but it definitely shows how the biggest pyrotechnics show you can muster is no match for a performance like Hershey's that encapsulates all manner of torment most of us can only imagine.

I hadn't known The Entity was such a hot commodity before I hit it up, with new discs on Amazon beginning at $110 as of this posting. I tracked my copy through the library, so unless you have a chum who's up on his '80s horror collection or a dusty VHS of your own laying somewhere, chances are you've seen the last of this ditty for some time. In any case, I'm dying for a current viewer's take on The Entity -- after so many films have instructed us when to be scared like good little puppies, I'd like to see how they do with something that actually has a reason.

October Horror-thon #30: "Paranormal Activity" (2009)

Paranormal Activity's bare-bones story centers on a twentysomething couple, Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston). As a young girl, Katie claims to have been haunted by a supernatural force that's apparently followd her to San Diego. Micah uses this revelation as an excuse to stock up on camera equipment and play ghost hunter, but it's serious business for his significant other. As recording begins, the amount of unexplained phenomena steadily increases. Objects move of their own volition, the lights are suspiciously wonky, and disturbing sounds erupt out of nowhere. After consulting an expert (Mark Fredrichs), the young lovers deduce that a demon has targeted Katie and will stop at nothing until its campaign of terror has driven her to insanity.

In 1925, folks fainted upon seeing Lon Chaney as the Phantom of the Opera. Nowadays, it's like you need two swimming pools of blood and a visit to Clive Barker's nightmares to keep viewers awake. This is why my hat goes off to Paranormal Activity, current darling of the horror scene, for doing what it does well and with little hoopla to speak of. It has but a few creaky doors and flickering lights to its name, though in the hands of director Oren Peli, these bumps in the night are more than enough to cast a disquieting spell over moviegoers. But when I speak of squeaks, grunts, and groans, that's really all you get; the movie leaves your mind to fill in the gaps, which I admired but will leave other thrill seekers dissatisfied. It's a slow burn, with a lot of set-up and only a few spurts of payoff, though the constant presence of dread works better than any jump scares could.

Though it's cruel to write off Paranormal Activity as a Blair Witch clone, there are similarities that can't be ignored. The scares are one thing, though foremost is the cinematography. The events are depicted entirely through Micah's omnipresent camera, in an example of the first-person perspective actually working well when applied to horror. Seeing the couple's plight unfold is freaky, though just as effective is how Peli uses this approach to include the human element. Much focus is put on the growing strain between Micah, who outrightly taunts his unseen aggressor, and Katie, a true believer in the otherworldly driven to tears more than once. There is some daffy behavior exhibited (after all, what's a horror movie about a bad decision or two), but it's to be expected. These are regular people with regular flaws, a refreshing alternative to characters who exist solely as walking scream factories.

Paramount's hype machine is working overtime promoting Paranormal Activity, though it is best seen with a crowd. Feeding off of others' reactions is half the fun, and don't be surprised to find yourself addressing the slightest noise with the utmost suspicion when you get home. A classic it is not, but Paranormal Activity still represents how creepy horror can be at its most direct.