The fact that both Hideo Nakata (Ringu, Dark Water) and Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, Reincarnation) have been consistently releasing new horror films as of late is astonishingly overlooked. At the same time, one can argue that the not-so-favorable critical reception for these films is the reason why they’re not gaining the traction that their predecessors once
Author: Oki Covarrubias
If you’re familiar with the name Ryuhei Kitamura, you are most likely familiar with either the beloved zombie action flick Versus (2000), the exquisite jidaigeki (period drama) Azumi (2003), the explosive kaiju epic Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), or, my personal favorite, the genre-bending supernatural action flick Sky High (2002). In fact, it is very likely
Widely accepted as “the scariest film of all time”, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) has stood the test of time and will probably be talked about until the very end of it. Whether or not you agree that the film is indeed the scariest of all time, it has still managed to cement its reputation
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The adage above—from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet—has stood the test of time, having been referenced in countless other books, television shows, and films. The assertion that the names of things do not affect what they really are is perhaps more relevant now than
The curse of endless sequels has plagued horror films for years with multifarious results. The Ringu series kicked off back in the late 90s and is no exception to this curse. With the previous effort in the series, Sadako (2019), seemingly failing to meet fan expectations—high expectations that were set by the involvement of Hideo
If someone from ten years ago told me that I would one day be able to find Junji Ito merchandise at even some of the biggest chain stores, I might not have believed them. Even now, I’m astounded each time I enter my car and see the Tomie air freshener that my niece got me.
Hellraiser fans rejoiced when the news broke out that Clive Barker would be regaining the U.S. rights to his novella The Hellbound Heart and the film it spawned in December of 2021. This meant that any upcoming Hellraiser projects would need his stamp of approval before going forward after the specified date. After a series
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