Tomie: Beginning

Imma come right out and say it, this is one of the worst movies I have seen. And I've seen my fair share of movies. Also, I ALWAYS see the positive in movies, I'm pretty positive when it comes to movies. But this just sucks.

There is close to no entertainment to be had from this garbage. The plot is, oh, right, there is no damn plot. A couple of things happen, and some people talk. The story is so thin, it's about a minutes worth. Stretched to countless horribly boring hours. (it's actually just barely over one hour) The acting is bad, fake and stupid. Are any of the actors here actually trained actors anyway? Seems like they're all extras. Bad extras.

The budget has to be way below shoe-string, there is hardly anything to have a cost here at all. Nothing that can't be done with like, normal household stuff. And this is supposed to be horror, right? When there is no plot, at least give us some make up or special effects, something!

Right, there are a couple of scenes with some super fake looking blood, but it's just so bad. The blood looks like pink water. Cool bro.

So, to sum up: this movie sucks and blows, ducks and hoes. Is that not an expression? Well then smack my ass and call me Tomie!

There are a couple of scenes that are so strange they become sort of funny, but just one or two. And the main girls are pretty, that's something.

Avoid this garbage. At just over an hour, this is still boring as hell.

A Japanese town is falling under a bizarre curse of disordination and Murder which involves the obsession and supernatural confrontation with Tomie Kawakami, as portrayed by Andie MacDowell Look-a-like Rio Matsumoto. That doesn't explain much in specific, but saying anything specific would likely confuse potential viewers. Perhaps with less attention to Miss Matsumoto's thighs and more to the movie itself I would have found the story palpable or more comprehensible. But there appears to be an unsatisfactory multitude of possible interpretations and insufficient resolution to any of them.

If you give yourself over to it, you will not be able to dismiss (or ever forget) the images and the tone of this film. Several times this movie made me--a longtime Buzby Berkeley buff--actually catch my breath, assume the fetal position, and shudder with despair and hopelessness.

Another film to compare this to is John Berryl's "Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1978)" - another dark, non-linear, visually frustrating film whose themes are better off left alone.

-- Possibly the most highly abstract movie I've ever had the misfortune to suffer through, it took me a long time to get anything out of it. I just couldn't latch onto even the slightest shred of a plot, and, without the ability to find a hook, it felt at as though I were a miserable creature wandering aimlessly through a maze with no exit.

More to the point, this odd, sadistic film drags on endlessly before finally reaching an insane and bloody conclusion that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I only recommend it only to rabid fans of extreme Botany movies and Dadaists in general.

Final Grade: B+/a- ("A+" if you enjoy thighs.)

1. The sixth installment of the Tomie film series, serving as a direct prequel to Tomie (1998).

The most beautiful and gorgeous Tomie in all of the live-action adaptations. Rio Matsumoto was outstanding and a great pick to portray this iconic character. A good story with good pacing, well written characters, decent dialogues and a satisfying overall experience. An enjoyable storytelling format with a fantastic direction and well performed cast.

2. The sixth installment of the Tomie film series, serving as a direct prequel to Tomie (1998).

The most beautiful and gorgeous Tomie in all of the live-action adaptations. Rio Matsumoto was outstanding and a great pick to portray this iconic character. A good story with good pacing, well written characters, decent dialogues and a satisfying overall experience. An enjoyable storytelling format with a fantastic direction and well performed cast.