Even tho "White ghost" does provide some very, but very tensioned moments, I found it hard to take it seriously. I mean, after watching it, it's rather difficult to say that this one is worthy of a grade over 6, cause let's face it, for a cheesy Asian fun, it does the job, but if you in for some real scares with a over the top plot and development, "White ghost" looks like a cartoon!Again, don't get me wrong, dunno how, but when I saw it, it scared me out of my mind, cause the execution is very good, but if they were able to put it on screen like this, why didn't they try harder on the script part? Get a decent idea, make use of it, and put your name up there, with the rest of Asia's greater horrors! They did everything better than most such films, again, the plot is what killed it for me. Check it out and you'll see what I'm talking about!Cheers!
... View MoreI suppose it makes logical sense for the distributors here to combine both Ju-on: White Ghost and Black Ghost stories in 1 screening. After all, each is only 1 hour long, and narratively are somehow intertwined together quite loosely, with their production marking 10 years since Ju-on's cinematic premiere. Helmed by two different directors, we're given two direct-to-video productions, each with its own flavour and separate storyline dealing with the Ju-On Grudge curse, and frankly, with its limited production budget and consistent elements, For those unfamiliar with the Ju-on mythos (like me), fret not, as the films are self- contained, so prior in-depth knowledge is not required to enjoy what's essentially one of the longer enduring J-horror franchises out there, which has been remade by Hollywood as always. For both tales, the story lines were done in non-linear fashion, which is supposed to make you work at piecing together its chronology, with an increased challenge in White Ghost being two separate timelines you have to make mental notes of.Then there's the episodic cliffhanger that trails off each segment. On its own, the episodes within White Ghost and Black Ghost can be extremely short stories of their own, since each contains its own dedicated shock-scare moments, though White Ghost seemed to enjoy making it look so cheesy with its atmospheric jump scares, sudden appearances and the likes, and I admit it did get to me, especially with that old ugly woman with a penchant for holding onto a basketball (yes, all will be explained in due course) seem to have a fetish for charging towards her victim / screen.Personally, between the two, I'd prefer White Ghost to Black Ghost, mainly because of the storyline which was more engaging and kept within its limits, save for a tangent in White Ghost for AV star Mihiro to appear in a needless scene that had most of her screen time being butchered for a screening here (no, my friend who has met her before, says there's nothing sexy about that segment, more of a violent treatment which was rather tame that the censors frowned upon). For Black Ghost, it went off into the hokeyness of a Japanese medium of sorts, probably to show off some snazzy looking CG-ed belly, and a tale that's less engaging.For what it's worth, these stories did enough to pique my interest in the original Ju-on mythos, and I just might pick them up on DVD just to see how those got executed. For starters though, I have to get used to how "The Grudge" can be used as a plot device for ghouls to get created / passed on, as I felt White Ghost had it quite nailed down, and Black Ghost didn't exactly do a great job on that concept.
... View MoreNow that i what I call a cash off. This movie seems to be one of three released in 2009 under the Ju-On Name. It takes some of the basic ideas from the original Ju-on... the child ghost, the long black hair, the screeching scream sound and the house. But the whole way this one is made is pure trash and reminds me of that ridiculous "Tales of Terror" clip show movie. Its edited in sequences which simply fade to black, the visuals are uninteresting like in a DV-Production and the effects are laughable. Like in "Tales of terror" they go for some cheap shock in the end of each sequence. In this case its a ghost granny with a basketball... yes, really. The scene in the toiled has to be seen to believed because its so bad you have to laugh. Nothing special here... even the movie is just an hour long I was bored. Stay away!
... View MoreIm a bit unsure wither or not to make this a good or bad review. I don't think it deserves to be considered one of the ju-ons, neither does Kuroi shôjo in my opinion. I think the story was well written; perhaps the let down was due to the director. It didn't have the same eerie settings, and uneasy tension that the other ju-ons captures beautifully. The acting in some scenes was also quite cringeworthy. I did like the non-linear running which is also carried out in this "ju-on" ; probably the only was it can be compared. I think this film has a good frame work for a really good horror; just not enough was put in. Also i did not understand how the granny with the basketball could be considered scary; it was more hilarious than anything. I enjoyed the fact that Toshio made an appearance, however i don't understand why, and nothing explained this. i think it is worth a watch if you are a fan of the ju-on series; just to witness it, but don't approach with great expectations.
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