Author: Oki Covarrubias
Coming-of-age stories with horror backdrops typically have the upper hand when it comes to bringing a unique vision due to the genre’s ability to tackle topics in ways that other films might not. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but there are quite a number of titles that fall into this category and are
Veteran fans of Japanese horror are familiar with the name Takashi Shimizu, there’s no doubt about it. Having gained attention from horror fans all around the world with his Ju-On franchise, Shimizu-san has been a continuous contributor to the genre with varying reception from his audience. Admittedly, I haven’t been a good audience for some
Even though the Asian horror movie craze is not as potent as it was back in the early 2000s, new titles have managed to make their way overseas and have often been met with impressive reception. Netflix, which has become a household staple at this point, even found recent success with Squid Game, a Korean
Have you ever had a heart-to-heart with a bartender? I’ve often heard peers joke about how bartenders are basically therapists with a license to sell alcohol, and although I haven’t expressed my inner turmoil to any drink-serving strangers, the phenomenon is pretty widespread across the globe. What is it about bartenders that make people want
The sixth-generation era of video games is often regarded as the pinnacle of survival horror, having granted us titles such as Silent Hill 2, Fatal Frame, Forbidden Siren, and the more obscure but sometimes equally adored Ku-On. These games were perhaps just as seminal in bringing a newfound fan base to Japanese horror as the
Over the past few years, nostalgia has been a key element behind the drive and continuous success of the horror genre. The surge of remakes, sequels, and the newly coined term “requels” is par for the course at this rate, and even most original projects can’t help but openly reference the works that inspired it.
The term “remake” is often met with blatant vitriol and is usually accompanied by assertions that Hollywood is either running out of ideas or is cashing in on the nostalgia of the audience. But what if Hollywood isn’t the wizard behind the curtain of the remake? What are the opinions when a country outside of
“Strings of gold sway gently in the wind, They play a sweet and gentle melody, At night I walk in the pale moonlight, Together with a dream, A secret dream..” Having spent most of my adolescence hunting down Japanese films at my local video stores and rummaging through endless online forums to discover new titles,
I distinctly remember when it was announced that Takashi Shimizu, one of the most consistent contributors to Japanese horror over the last two decades, was going to direct a film based on the infamous Aokigahara forest. It came as a surprise to those of us who were still waiting on a similar project to come
“Witches don’t die before leaving their legacy.” With the Halloween season upon us, it is inherently fitting for us to start thinking about all the wonderful things that have become synonymous with it; carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, visiting haunted attractions, lighting bonfires, attending costume parties and watching horror films. The latter is not exclusive