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aka Ring Ø: Birthday.
A prequel that moves back 30 years to introduce us to Sadako, a young girl haunted by ghosts, her unknown past and visions of the future. Sadako is learning to act, but her demeanor marks her out. Her fellow actors finding her disturbing, especially when the star of the play dies and Sadako is given her part.
At last we get to see what makes Sadako tick and how she came to be the demon she developed into in Ringu, as events and people around her conspire to push her into a rage and make her into a monster. The ring is complete in this worthy finale or begining if you like.
aka Ring 2.
The sequel to Ringu. Following the death of Ryuji, his girlfriend Mai tries to learn how and why he died. She soon discovers the videotape and the story of Sadako. After some investigating, she learns that Ryuji's son, Youichi, is developing the same psychic powers of Sadako. A fact that brings her into conflict with the now reclisive Reiko.
Ring 2 continues the slow inexeable pace of it's parent film, taking the story to another level as we learn more about Sadako and her family. Though not as good as Ringu, this still holds up as a spine chiller worthy of watching.
aka Ring.
Reiko is a divorced mother of one, and tv journalist, whose niece was recently found dead of shock. When she learns that three of her niece's friends have also died, she decides to investigate. She discovers they all watched a disturbing videotape, and that anyone who watches it dies seven days later. She recovers a copy of the tape but time becomes critical when first she, her ex and then her son accidentally watch it.
This masterpiece of Japanese suspence brought a new wave of Asian horror to western eyes. The film starts slowly, but inexorably builds to its climactic end. A must see, as simple as that.
aka Bride of Fengriffen. Fengriffen. I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream.
18th Century England and Catherine (Stephanie Beacham) marries Charles Fengriffen (Ian Ogilvy) and moves into his country estate. From day one she is tormented by visions and a severed hand. Things that seem to revolve around Silas the woodsman and her husband's grandfather. As she seems to descend into madness Dr Pope (Peter Cushing) arrives and is determined to unravel the mystery before it is too late.
This film has it's moments, but for me it unwinds at too slow a pace, and worse, is too well lit at times, which unfortunately dispells any chance of suspence in a number of scenes. So if you come across it then have a watch, just don't go out of your way.
aka Die Todeskarten des Dr. Schreck.
An early example of the portmanteau horror by Amicus, featuring Peter Cushing as Dr. Schrek, who via tarot cards predicts the bleak futures of five people in a train carriage. As usual there is a variety of stories in cludingthe supernatural, vampires, voodoo and Werewolves, some better than others. All this and a twist at the end of the film. Well worth watching, even if it's to see the spark between Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
aka House of Crazie.
A young doctor arrives at a lunatic asylum and is set the task of interviewing four patients and determining which one was the former head doctor, who has subsequently gone insane. Thus follows four separate stories of various descents into madness. Will the doctor deduce correctly.
Well written and filmed, with stories that are all sufficiently different to maintain your interest and a startlingly nihilistic ending for the period. This is a product of a company that had honed its product and filled it with stars of the day, everyone from Peter Cushing, Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland and Richard Todd, amongst others pop up. Whilst there is nothing new here, it is a good solid example of the genre of portmanteau horror.
aka I Tre volti della paura. The Three Faces of Fear. The Three Faces of Terror. Les Trois visages de la peur.
A horror in three parts, introduced by and featuring Boris Karloff as the Wurdalak. Firstly, The Telephone where a woman recieves a series of phone calls from her ex-pimp who has escaped from prison. She enlists the help of her lesbian ex-lover Mary, who comes over, but this just serves to rack up the tension and claustrophobia as they await the coming of Frank. Second we have The Wurdalak: A 19th Century tale of a young man who stumbles on a family awaiting the return of their father, who they now believe to be a Wurdalak. A walking cadaver who feeds on the blood of the living, preferably close friends and family. The final story is The Drop Of Water. In Victorian London a woman is called to a house to dress the corpse of a medium, and whilst doing so steals a ring. She is subsequently plagued by a fly and visions of the corpse. The fantastic photography and lighting lends extra atmosphere to these three very claustrophobic and stylish stories. See this film, but preferably in the original Italian version. AIP for some reason decided to tamper and released it with the stories rearranged and eliminating some of the sub plot elements.
aka Ring Ø: Birthday.
