Gidam

People that enjoy movies that sustain a horrific atmosphere and internal logic that allows "the suspension of disbelief" should give the 2007 Korean horror movie "Epitaph" ("Gidam") a chance. It is really good looking throughout and I thought the last minute or so was really great.

Even better, the visual effects have accessible meaning the way they do in some of the best Thai movies, aren't just eye candy or so obscure you'd have to be a film student to get them.

It has an irritatingly convoluted plot, but it does come together at the very end. I think the typically Asian sincerity more than makes up for the typically Asian convolution.

I'd like to start off and say that this is a beautifully cinematic film. Even without the horror element, you can just admire this movie for what it is, simply beautiful. It does an amazing job at combining the horror element with the artistic shots. With both of these working together creates a truly terrifying experience that you can't take your eyes from. I like to call it a "pretty nightmare".

The movie will be very confusing if you're not paying attention because there are multiple stories happening at the same time(However, you'll most likely watch it twice). Each story seems to have its own twist that unfolds throughout the movie and finishes with a satisfying ending. This is definitely worth a watch. While it is not your typical horror movie, it is still very good and will scare you/creep you out.

After finding a photo album, a doctor looks back on his life which includes his time working in a hospital during WWII which involves the mysterious case of a young girl being tormented by ghosts among other incidents which set him off on a journey to stop the encounters from continuing.

This one has quite a lot to like with it. One of the better strengths here is an enjoyable storyline that offers a lot of intriguing elements. That there are several timelines at play with the setup in the present day setting up the storyline at the hospital in the past which sets this one going. The whole idea of the original hospital-set story going through the time period does allow it to tie into actual history quite nicely while that also leads into the series of storylines involving the romance between the doctor and the woman laying on the table he's tasked with working on. On top of this setup is the storyline about the strange deaths involving the soldiers that takes place around the entire hauntings-at-the-hospital setup that's at the center of the film. The ability of this one to keep these factors charging along in a cohesive manner provides a solid baseline here. The other nice factor here is the strong series of haunting scenes the few times we get them. The early encounters in the hospital showed off the haunted nature of the building with the ghost popping out of strange locations while letting the creepy look and make-up of the ghost generate solid thrills. Also quite effective are the quick ambush attacks of the serial killer going around knocking off the various soldiers which bring about the few bloody sequences that show up here. With the finale also bringing together the various storylines with the series of revelations and reveals coming into play, it ends on a high note that's just as enjoyable as the impressive technical qualities. Full of gorgeous cinematography and some wonderfully composed shots, especially within the hospital setting, which offers an overall impressive setup that has quite a lot to like. There are some flaws with the film that holds it back. The main factor against this one is the rather dull and plodding pace that takes forever for much to happen. As it winds through the series of intricately laid-out storylines and setups at the hospital, the overall impression taken here is one of a drama rather than a frenetic genre effort. Even taking into account a romance between several of the characters that result in a traumatic incident with the car crash or the struggle to keep the daughter alive following that incident drags the pace out even more. With so much of the film bringing up these outside elements in favor of doing more hauntings and creepy moments, that results in very little of this feeling decidedly creepy or chilling. Despite the enjoyment of the storylines at work, the film could've really used some more action to downplay the heavy focus on dramatics.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

...But if you do watch it anyway, you won't be disappointed. Just don't expect an all-out horror film; there's lots of drama and love story in this one too. Yes, the story is a little jumbled because of its non-linearity, but if you have the patience, this movie is worth it.

Parts of this film reminded me of The Cell, which is not a bad thing at all. The surrealistic imagery is successful, and even though it was hard to follow, the stories were entertaining.

In conclusion, this movie requires patience, and it is a little hard to follow, but if you keep with it, the interesting story elements will entertain you.

7 from me.

What seemed like a promise and at least original turns out be dull and very confusing. Now you could say that it takes time to appreciate the story and the construction of this story. But i do think that if that is the case that the story has to be interesting and entertaining. "Epitaph" just isn't. Sure there are some creepy scenes and there seems to be some atmosphere that could have made this movie into a genuine horror classic. The problem is that the story (3 different stories) is not that complicated but because of it's construct doesn't make sense at all. Only if you have the patience to sit through the movie you will get some clarification at the end. What is the purpose of telling the story like this. Is there really more to it? Is there a depth never seen before in a movie? Answer:NO! It just tries hard to conceal it's flaws and in the process have the appearance of sophistication. And believe me that it is pretty flawed. I couldn't tell you if the actors are any good. There are only brief moments of conversations between characters that were conventional but not enough for me to care about any of the characters. Overall this horror isn't scary. And it doesn't offer drama that touches me or is a least bit interesting. Not for me!