This list will, of course, continue to evolve as I expand my horrific horizons. But, as of today, these are my Top 10 Favorite Asian Horror Movies…
Probably the weirdest film on this list – and that’s saying something. Based on Junji Ito’s J-horror manga of the same name, the movie focuses on a small community beset by spiral-themed terrors.
Favorite scene: The wall-crawling human snails.
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A provocative and surprisingly philosophical horror movie involving spirits, missing persons, death, despair, and the terrors inherent in our technology-obsessed world.
Favorite scene: The limping spirit.
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Pity the poor serial killer unfortunate enough to run afoul of a very determined, very sadistic husband mourning the murder of his fiancé. The grieving hubby wants revenge – but, hey, he’s in no hurry.
Favorite scene: Saving the nurse and losing the Achilles tendon.
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Three segments by three different directors offer three different cultural takes on the genre (China, South Korean, and Japan). Arguably the most disturbing entry, Dumplings, was expanded into a full-length theatrical release.
Favorite scene: Forcing down those dumplings.
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The third installment in this horror series focuses on a cursed home – and its unlucky new owners.
Favorite scene: You’re not even safe under the covers!
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A recently-divorced mother and her young daughter move into a run-down apartment. It isn’t long before mom begins to notice strange occurrences: spreading water stains on the ceiling, hair in their tap water, and a pesky red bag that keeps reappearing no matter how many time she disposes of it. What’s going on? Well, it could have something to do with a little girl who disappeared a year earlier…
Favorite scene: That final elevator scene still haunts me.
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This one starts off as a slow burn about a lonely middle-aged man, recently widowed, who attempts to meet women by holding auditions for a fake production. He should’ve stuck to tinder. The last fifteen minutes are downright harrowing as the woman of his dreams becomes the stuff of nightmares.
Favorite scene: Kiri kiri kiri!
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A young girl, recently released from a mental institution, returns to her secluded home where her father, younger sister, and suspicious stepmother await.
Favorite scene: Don’t look under the sink!
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It’s Speed meets The Walking Dead in the greatest zombie movie ever made.
Favorite scene: The East Daegu train station encounter.
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A reporter investigates the legend of a cursed video tape.
Favorite scene: As much as I love the shock cut to the girl in the closet, I have to give it up for the iconic t.v. screen crawl-thru.
So what do you think? Did I miss one of your favorites? Let me know.
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These are freaky cool. I generally am terrified of horror films due to the things that go bump in the night. However… Ben Browder did a great job in his first directorial effort on a horror film that he also stared in as Max Rainwater a mysterious and sorta dim (maybe) janitor. You have to include “Bad Kids of Crestview Academy.” and he did one of those slasher things for the Booth Brothers called “Dead Still” that was awful but intriguing.
My first memory of Ringu is tied to Star Trek Enterprise…
After a long night at work, I got home, turned on the tv, and hit rewind on the vcr that had recorded that night’s Enterprise.
Tapes.. LOL..
In the time it took to rewind, Channel Four started showing Ringu.
I’m not, and never have been, a fan of horror movies, so the prospect of a subtitled horror didn’t seem all that interesting to me.
The video reached the start of the tape, but I never pressed play.. I continued to give Ringu my complete attention..
Such a good film.
Bought the Ring Trilogy boxset the very next day. 1,2,0 and eventually grabbed Rasen to complete the collection.
Still not a fan of horrors, but I count Ringu as one of my all time favourite films.
I have seen the American version of Dark Water. It is spooky good. I have not seen The Eye, but have seen The Eye 2. It was spooky good too!
I’ve only seen “Train to Busan”, which I though was fantastic. Best zombie movie I’ve seen. I only saw the remade version “The Ring”, but I understand the original was better.
I’m ashamed to say the only one on the list that I’ve seen is Train to Busan, and it was amazing. The wife doesn’t especially like subtitled films, because she spends most of the movie with her face buried in her phone on FB. Hence the need to hear what’s being said. Me, I actually watch the movie, so I’m okay with subtitles.
Odd that WordPress made me a “guest”. I’m actively logged in.
This has been a rocky road…
The guest is because you aren’t logged into josephmallozzi.com but rather are logged into wordpress.com. When we upgraded the site to its own domain, your personal link to Joe’s site through josephmallozzi.wordpress.com became obsolete. We don’t have any registered users on the blog so you are a “guest.”
On the other hand, I’m currently looking into any problems with subscriptions to Joe’s blog. Check your personal page and make sure you are still subscribed.
I didn’t even notice the url change to Joe’s own domain. I have a shortcut on my browser. =) I am still subscribed. Thanks!
Rita
Love how the fonts for each of our names are different colors.
It lends so much life and personality to the conversation XO
The blog looks great but yesterday it wouldn’t accept my post I wrote, on Chrome. Looks fantastic though, Rita! I’ll try posting this and see.
Looks like a success!
On to some bad news, I’m not sure how many of you’ve had heard but maggiemayday has received very bad news about her hubby’s cancer. Larry’s been put on “comfort care”. Please, keep them in your thoughts/prayers as they go through this last journey together. 🙁
*ascii hugs*
Oh Tam. How awful for both of them.
Cancer is so brutal and unfair. 🙁
Hope Larry at least gets to see the deadpool2 movie I pre ordered for him last week from Maggies wish list.
Is there anything else any of can do to help?
Does she have a go fund me page set up?
I’m not on FB and she seldom checks her twitter
But please do let her know
I send warmest gentle hugs
and will keep her & Larry in my heart and daily thoughts.
Train To Busan ranks #1. Two that didn’t make your list. Dorm, made in 2006. Follows a young boy sent to a boarding school. Ghost stories abound. A drowned boy. A closed, abandoned pool. Several memorable scenes. My favorite scene, when our protagonist realizes his “best” friend is actually a ghost.
I don’t know if you consider Battle Royale a horror pic but it’s definitely disturbing. Misbehaving school children sent to an isolated island with tracking explosive collars around their necks. Each child is supplied a “survival” backpack and the game begins. The last person alive wins. I watch it every time it’s on. A precursor to Hunger Games.