Rabitto horâ 3D

My first exposure to the films of Takashi Shimizu was "Ju-on: The Grudge." I remember seeing it and literally gripping my armchair in horror while hoping the freaky dead lady crawling down the stairs wouldn't find a way out of my television to get me. I also remember thinking to myself, "Why can't Americans make horror flicks like this?"

When I received an e-mail that Shimizu was going to be in town promoting his new movie "Tormented 3D" for the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), you better believe I jumped at the opportunity to interview him and see it in a rare theatrical screening. I was blown away by the twisted tale that unraveled in front of me.

After seeing a 3D horror movie featuring a stuffed white rabbit, siblings Kiriko and Daigo begin seeing it in a life-sized form. The giant creature stalks them and seems to be trying to tell them something. What is the rabbit attempting to communicate to them and what sort of psychological doorways will it open?

Director Shimizu told me "Tormented 3D" was a companion piece to his film "The Shock Labyrinth 3D." I never realized how much it relied on "The Shock Labyrinth 3D" until I saw it again. It's basically the trigger for all the misery Daigo and Kiriko suffer through in this movie. It's the proverbial key that unlocks the dark recesses of their minds.

I know the idea of a giant white bunny rabbit running around grabbing people and stalking them might sound absurd. Trust me when I tell you, Shimizu takes the seemingly goofy concept and twists it around in your psyche to the extent that you'll never want to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt or read the story of Peter Cottontail ever again.

If you love Asian cinema, "Tormented 3D" is an essential addition to your collection. It's not likely you'll only watch the film once, as it takes several viewings to truly take everything in that it offers visually. This is so much more than a typical horror film and offers an emotional journey as well as a thrill ride.

After killing an injured rabbit, the boy Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) does not go to the classes anymore and his older half-sister, the librarian Kiriko (Hikari Mitsushima), becomes his tutor. They live with their father, the book illustrator Kohei (Teruyuki Kagawa), but he does not care to Diago. One day, Kiriko goes with Daigo to the movie theater to watch the 3-D film "The Shock Labyrinth" and Daigo catches a rabbit that comes out of the screen. Soon Daigo has nightmares with a big rabbit and one night, Kirito follows him and believes that his mother Kyoko is attacking him dressed in a rabbit costume. However Kohei tells that Daigo is fruit of her imagination since he died in childbirth.

"Rabitto horâ 3D", a.k.a. "Tormented 3D", is a horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu with an intriguing premise. Unfortunately the inconclusive screenplay is a complete mess and the director makes a confused movie impossible to be understood. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): Not Available on Blu-Ray or DVD.

Little makes sense in this movie about a rabbit (human sized, dress up style) that tries to kidnap a child and bring it to its world of madness: an amusement park. Why is there a human-sized rabbit and why it decides to try to take the child is explained in one of those flashbacks that make even less sense than the rest of the movie (and if you have seen any Japanese horror movie from around "The Ring" onwards you may guess the whole plot from minute one, by the way; not that you will care, so boring is this). While the child goes on adventures with the rabbit (there is zero sense of tension, horror, danger or anything that one might call this a horror movie) his sister tries to protect him, but, well, she is not very good at it.

I don't know what makes less sense: that you have famous actors in this movie or the reason behind the rabbit's behavior. It is not scary, there is little tension, the ending has been done to death before... There are way better options out there.

Takashi Shimizu is known for his ghost horror films like The Grudge and the lesser known Shock Labyrinth. His latest Tormented is actually a direct sequel to Shock Labyrinth although there is very little talk of the two films being connected. While Labyrinth was fine, it was a bit all over the place and was received mixed reviews. Can Tormented 3D step it up to deliver more that the fans love or will it be another convoluted addition to the genre.

Tormented 3D follows a young boy with an unusual friendship with a stuffed toy rabbit. With his father lingering on the brink of insanity and his sister struggling between life and death, the boy sinks ever deeper into the bizarre relationship leading to a shocking series of events. While this works fine as a standalone film, it will make more sense if you see Shock Labyrinth. In this film the main characters see the previous film in the theater and have supernatural consequences in regards to the rabbit aspect. From there this film pretty much goes its own path using the rabbit symbolism to an even bigger scale. This film is better structured than its predecessor which may be why they tried to create an all new film experience and succeeded. The imagery of human sized stuffed rabbit is really disturbing creating an unnerving film experience if you really see what is going on. There are some really cool uses of the rabbit to create some strange moments that builds the bizarre nature of this film.

Takashi has once again delivered a thought provoking film that works even if it is a bit confusing and out there. That is most likely the reason it does work and is way better than the previous film. If you've enjoyed his previous films then you will be sure to enjoy this bizarre tale. While not all that scary, there are some strange moments that come off a bit creepy making it work well. It's recommended you check out the Shock Labyrinth prior to watching this, but if not you will not have any issues following it, but it will create a broader understanding of what is happening.

You know, after seeing "Shock Labyrinth" (2009) I thought Takashi Shimizu was losing it. Sure, it was only one movie, but it was a really lame movie that felt like amateur hour. Most fortunately, Shimizu rebounds nicely with "Rabbit Horror." A young mute woman (Hikari Mitsushima, arguably Japan's best young actress) and her little brother experience nightmarish visions involving a large rabbit. While there's nothing particularly scary here, the horror imagery is creative and fun to watch (there is an emphasis on dream logic, various "forms" of rabbits, an amusement park, and a nifty spiral staircase). The psychological elements are nothing new, but they unfold nicely and are engaging. Ironically, this has certain similarities to "Shock Labyrinth" but does everything a lot better. At only 83 minutes this is a cool movie that flies right by.

By the way, the highly acclaimed Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love, Hero, Green Tea) is the cinematographer, so that helps too.

Some other recent Japanese horror films that I recommend are "Tomie Unlimited" (2011), "Kyofu" (2010), and all four of the "Kaidan Horror Classics" (2010) films.