Three... Extremes
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 2:51 pm
Synopsis:
Three separate horror short features done by three separate Asian directors.
Review:
Not to be cynical, but each of these reminds me closely of specific works of fiction or directors/authors I've encountered before. I'm not saying they're ripped off, but there are striking similarities in terms of style.
1) A mix of David Cronenberg atmosphere and themes (The Fly) powered by Jonathan Swift (specifically "A Modest Proposal"): An actress who thinks she's aging less than gracefully looks for the ultimate beauty treatment to stay young.
2) Over the top violence, weirdo characters, strange black humour punctuated pop culture references, very Tarantino-esque: a crazy dude breaks into a director's house, taking both him and his wife hostage. Psycho makes a deal with the director and promises his wife goes free if he commits a murder.
3) M. Night wanna-be: the viewer gradually pieces together elements from one girl's extended sequence of flashbacks/dreams/lazy writing to learn wtf happened to her seemingly identical twin. There's a "twist" at the end.
Verdict:
If we're talking the one that'll rattle most people, it's the first. The one that's done the best is probably the second. The third felt like the weakest because of the retarded ending. Worth checking once.
Three separate horror short features done by three separate Asian directors.
Review:
Not to be cynical, but each of these reminds me closely of specific works of fiction or directors/authors I've encountered before. I'm not saying they're ripped off, but there are striking similarities in terms of style.
1) A mix of David Cronenberg atmosphere and themes (The Fly) powered by Jonathan Swift (specifically "A Modest Proposal"): An actress who thinks she's aging less than gracefully looks for the ultimate beauty treatment to stay young.
2) Over the top violence, weirdo characters, strange black humour punctuated pop culture references, very Tarantino-esque: a crazy dude breaks into a director's house, taking both him and his wife hostage. Psycho makes a deal with the director and promises his wife goes free if he commits a murder.
3) M. Night wanna-be: the viewer gradually pieces together elements from one girl's extended sequence of flashbacks/dreams/lazy writing to learn wtf happened to her seemingly identical twin. There's a "twist" at the end.
Verdict:
If we're talking the one that'll rattle most people, it's the first. The one that's done the best is probably the second. The third felt like the weakest because of the retarded ending. Worth checking once.