Ikisudama - L'ombra dello spirito

A two-part story, the first half of the film being about a creepy stalker with the ability to leave her body; the second about a girl who's new apartment has a few haunting secrets in it's closet. While not an entirely terrible film, "Shadow of the Wraith" fails for several vital reasons. While the disturbing cover art on the DVD made me excited about the film, it's really cartoony in tone--there wasn't a single scary or even creepy moment in the whole film.

The first half of the film is goofy, with only a few surprises here and there (Most involving cheap pop-scares).

The second half of the film had absolutely NO logic, and a really, really stupid ending that left me going "Huh?". Oh, and the "evil spirit" is absolutely laughable special effects-wise.

To the film's credit, there are a couple of gruesome bloody moments (a nice impaling and a messy train accident being the highlights), and the acting wasn't as bad as it could have been, considering the dumb material the actors/actresses were working with.

Oh, and what in the name of all things good and holy was with that band, "Doggy Bag"?

4/10.

Well, it is a lot better than the stuff oozing out of the toilets of Hollywood so I have to give some credit for that. The first part has been done before in movies and I should say better too. I skip it when I watch the movie. Interesting parts to it but not done well. For the first time view I would say watch it so you can understand parts of the second part. In it a boy is stalked supernaturally.

The second half is much better and is steeped in Japanese culture. This is why uneducated people with poor movie taste won't like it. They will say they don't understand or "there is no logic" and there definitely is for those of us with the brains to figure it out. I am tired of everything having to be handed over to you point blank at face value in things. Can't you do some deducing of you own? The ending is ambiguous and I like that because that means you can try decide for yourself. I see it is based on a book so that makes me want to go read it so I can know more. I probably get more than most people because of my knowledge of the culture but most of it can be picked up on the way by most viewers who are not lazy. In it a girl moves into a apartment to discover there is a weird curse on those living in certain units. The brother of the boy from the first part helps her in her endeavor to survive the curse.

As for the special effects..Sigh. It seems everyone is so jaded on special effects especially CG. Well, the CG is actually more corny and unrealistic if overused than the old methods. Makeup, costume, and ACTING is more preferred and not seen much anymore. The spirit in the second half is scary in the way that many of such figures similar are scary in horror video games and American older movies not from the new crap remake era. There really isn't much need for special effects. Most ghosts when people see them are not known to be like the classic "war reenactors" who are not reenactors but ghosts. The writing is less than perfect but pretty good and definitely better than the first half. If you ask me most people are jaded by the something has to happen every second instant gratification movies slammed out by Hollywood.

Hitomi and Asumi Miwa the scream queens of Japan do not disappoint. Despite the poor execution in the first half all the actors are still great. (in this I do not include Doggy Bag). The brother duo of Doggy Bag simply do an okay job. The one in the second half is better. I didn't like their music but strangely found myself humming it a while later. It grows on you...like the fungus on the Hollow Stone.

7 out of 10