St. John's Wort

Absolutely astonishing imagery and camera-work elevates this simplistic horror film to a level that doesn't even have a name. In all honesty, the story isn't that bad to begin with but it's just utterly put to shame by the sheer look of this film. I was expecting another thuggish Japanese horror/thriller, a la INUGAMI, but there was none of that here. Just an amazing experience especially for those who are intrigued by the power of the new wave digital cameras which have been slowly taking over more and more independent productions worldwide.

There are a few scenes in the film with laughable CGI by North American standards, but to nitpick about something that is so boringly dispensed in North American films would be such a gratuitous waste of time. This wasn't some insane Hollywood blockbuster with the standard $70, 000, 000 USD budget, hence requiring 50 million dollars just for the effects budget!

In the end this film totally delivers what is necessary for your enjoyment. An awesome story, genuinely creepy as hell moments, hot girls (BONUS!) and hands down, the best freakin' cinematography that I've seen since..., well, since Fight Club!

This is it people, the future is looking VERY bright for digital films!

This was my second run at Oriental horror films and unlike the first try (some movie about spirals) I actually enjoyed this one. I have a hard time trusting anyone who says they knew the ending, it was pretty well disguised through most of the movie. In addition it was a unique blend of video game and movie. Things going against it were the colors and the fast-forward thing that both of the Japanese horror movies have had. I would highly recommend subtitles over the dubbed in English as the subtitles seem to make more sense and the dubbing gives the movie an undesired godzilla effect. A little on the artsy side but definitely accomplishes good suspense. 8/10 for an enjoyable time watching the movie.

Nami's is creating a video game with the images from her dreams. While visiting her estrange father's abandoned house that was inherited to her along with her workmate/ex-boyfriend Kohei, she discovers the dreams that she has seem to match that of the house and some hidden secrets too. It's basically a mystery/horror film about a creepy house and its dark secrets.

This was one really SLOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW film, with nothing really exciting happening at all… actually to be honest nothing much did happen. Though you might say it was slowly building up the psychological terror that was about to come- but towards the end it turns into somewhat of a bloodbath of graphic images that doesn't really gel. All it was about was two teenagers wondering around a dark creepy house and Nami discovering secrets about her family… it's too bad because it came across as very atmospheric- but it was really tedious sitting through this drag-fest.

The film looked great- but that's it, I had trouble trying not to fall asleep, as there was nothing engaging and mysterious about the story and characters. The plot doesn't make much sense at all, it was truly incoherent and all over the place as one scene slowly dragged onto the next without any real urgency, then you get a twist that you see coming- but then it would twist back on itself and your left scratching your head… fancy that? But this final twist lacks logic, as it's not fully explained and therefore is ridiculously laughable.

What I can't knock is the sinister and chilling atmosphere, with a misty house that is truly atmospheric and unnerving, especially the paintings on the walls, the menacing shadows, dim lighting and dark corners. The colours stood out as well and become somewhat of an impact, very bleak and depressing colourings of greys, browns and black, created a real emptiness. The flashy camera-work (something you would associate with Sam Rami) is quite out there and very arty at first- but it was over-used to a point that it became real choppy and distracting, because at times you couldn't tell what was actually happening.

The performances were the same as the plot, really flat and uninspiring. That's because they're given nothing to work with and they don't do anything of any interest. Therefore… who cares!!!

When the outlandishly grim conclusion happens and we start learning where the film is actually going, you couldn't really give a toss, as you were bored to death waiting for an hour for something good to happen. Instead for that hour we get look at dark rooms and more rooms, in many different stylish ways- but then something actually happens and it picks up in the last 15mins, though people might have given up already and I wished I did. To make matters worse the film ends with a very absurd and unsatisfying conclusion… *Shaking head*.

Like some fellow users have typed, the film does play out like a video game. Though I admit I'm no video game fanatic- but the problem is it's like your watching somebody else playing the game, which isn't that fun... I rather be playing it!

Just expect to see the usual harrowing images, a creepy house with spooky noises and things lurking. Oh don't forget an evil looking girl with long black hair in a white dress. I bet you didn't see that coming.

Looks visually good, but this yawner lacks punch as nothing much happens!

1/5

Version: Japanese, English subtitles (by SBS)

I don't know what to make of 'Otogiriso'. It was slow from start to finish, quite a feat for a movie that runs less than 90 minutes, but it built up a strange and creepy atmosphere and was crafted using some interesting concepts.

I can't say much about the plot without spoiling it: Nami (Megumi Okina) has been designing a video game based on dreams she has been having. After finding the house from her dream, Nami and Kohei (Yoichiro Saito), decide to investigate the house. Naturally, this is a bad idea, but video games and movies alike thrive on bad ideas.

The whole concept of 'Otogiriso' is that the movie is a video game. It plays out like a game - the characters are stuck in one location, they have a support team they can phone, they have maps and must find keys for locked doors. A nice idea, but probably one that would appeal to gamers and few other people. Others might appreciate the cinematography, but this is definitely not for everyone.

'Otogiriso' is a good movie, I would recommend it to gamers, and maybe fans of Asian horror movies - 7/10

When video game makers decide to visit a decaying Gothic mansion (which belonged to one of the crew's deceased relatives) in order to produce their next video game, things go weird very quickly indeed. It's only a matter of time before things become deadly serious and long hidden secrets are revealed...

"St. John's Wort" (2001) is an example of a modern horror film. It's shot using digital cameras, giving it that unique hi-tech sheen that some may love or hate. The effects in post-production are interesting, for example, scenes going into fast forward, pausing and rewinding, etc. There's an interesting use of colour and an impressive use of sound effects, too.

Despite the modern look of the film, the script sadly did not hold me glued to my seat with fear and anticipation of events to come. In fact, there were moments when this film became a little boring. It tries to blend reality and virtual reality but doesn't really cut the mustard in the way I felt "Avalon" did. This film may be interesting for those interested in the geography / making of video games but that's where any deepness ends.

Still, there are a couple of attractive girls in the movie for those looking for eye candy, and mixed with impressive video effects and a top drawer soundtrack, this still rates as around 5/10. After other recent top-drawer explorations into Asian cinema, I felt this was disappointing but the DVD is inexpensive and still provides more entertainment value than many of its western counterparts.....