Katasumi

Katasumi (1998) is the first of two short films that were written and directed by Takashi Shimizu, which serve as prequels to his feature film debut, Ju-on : The Curse (2000). This one focuses on the final moments of two schoolgirls, Hisayo Yoshida (Ayako Omura) and Kanna Murakami (Kanna Kashima), as they fall victim to the cursed spirit of Kayako Saeki (Takako Fuji). Its premise is simple, yet extremely effective, and showcases several characteristics of classic J-Horror movies, such as the monstrous embodiment of an evil entity, the vengeful spirit of a woman, an eerie or secluded location and a complete lack of a music score. The acting is also more than adequate and the ending is quite satisfying, despite being somewhat ambiguous. And, even though it is still one of the shortest short films that I ever watched, it remains a fitting introduction or companion piece to one of be most famous Japanese horror franchises.

In this short short, Takashi Shimizu brought a concept that would later give rise to the Ju-on franchise. There's not much to say for it being only three minutes long, except to present a glimpse of Kayako before her film debut. The connection this short film has to the first film is very evident and feels like a deleted scene that would have fit well in the film. The special effects are obviously limited by the budget used, but at least Kayako has makeup that they knew how to maintain or improve in the next installments that would appear. Katasumi is a short film that only serves as an advertisement for the Ju-On franchise. My final rating for this short film is a 5/10.

'In A Corner (1998)' is one of two short films created by Takashi Shimizu for the anthology film 'School Ghost Story G (1998)'. Interestingly, Shimizu's two shorts make up less than 10% of the final film, yet these are the segments that have made the most impact. This is primarily because they act as precursors to 'Ju-On: The Curse (2000)' (as well as the subsequent 'Grudge' franchise); in fact, they act almost as missing scenes from that film. This movie acts as an introduction to Kayako, one of two Onyro at the centre of the aforementioned series, and it's a lot more effective than Shimzu's other 'School Ghost Story G (1998)' short. This is primarily because its payoff is unsettling and, as such, satisfying. Though the movie's fade-out ending sort of reduces its ultimate impact, its final act is still an effectively freaky culmination to the overall piece, which does a good job at building tension throughout. It's a solid effort, especially considering its length. 6/10.