Completed
Anna0_0
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 28, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
These short films are both under 5 minutes in length and utilize many aspects of horror. With the camera angles and video quality one can easily tell these clips are older (made in the 90's) but that does not make them boring. The story is pretty original for what is presented in such a short time. The acting is not amazing, but it is not awkward or bad. Each actor and actress fits their role just fine, so the acting is what one would expect. There is little actual music in these shorts, however the use of audio affects are outstanding, especially with quality headphones. The sounds, many whom have experienced the Ju-On franchise will know: the sounds of moaning,scratching, creaking and cat meows - but they are not static, stale, or boring. The sounds enhance and add suspense to clips many may assume are too short to do anything. Despite the age of the clips and the expected audio the clips are worth watching and can be rewatched multiple times, especially if one wants to watch everything in the series.

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Completed
CherryBunny
8 people found this review helpful
Jul 27, 2015
Completed 5
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 1.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
These are two very short films tied into the Ju On series. Each are less than five min. Both are creepy but I found Katasumi the creepiest. If you are a fan of the Ju On franchise, or a fan of Japanese horror in general, I highly recommend. Keep in mind, though, they were made in the '90's and the quality reflects it. Since they are both so short, they are easily rewatchable.
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Completed
JohnnyRobinson
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 30, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

1998 shorts that were two of a four-part as part of Gakkō no Kaidan G

Also Known As: Katasumi (In a Corner) and 4444444444 (Ten Fours)

The short films that started the Ju-on/The Grudge franchise.

The original was part of a four-story shorts by Takashi Shimizu; he impressed Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who arranged for him to make the first two movies:
Ju-on: The Curse (February 11, 2000) and
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (March 25, 2000).

Shimizu was taking a film-making class under Kurosawa at the time.

The combined films are 6 minutes, 42 seconds long, but can be found online in shorter versions.

There seems to be a confusion over the 'names' of the two girls. Yoshida Hisayo (Omura Ayako) is fine but some list the second girl as Kayako Saeki or Kanna Murikam and played by Fuji Takako or Kanna Kashima...and to think some people really do care!

This short is also available on the Grudge 2 dvd extra disc.

The plot is so short and simple that I am skipping this part.

First off a little history...

In both films we have a Eastern concept of onryō, which can be more than a ghost if you want to study up on them.

Being a Religious Studies major, with a lot of reading also in mythology, folklore, et al, onryō are only a tiny portion of yurei, or 'dim spirits'; the most dreaded type of these are onryōis or onryō, vengeful spirts that can be found in cities, shopping malls, any type store, or anywhere else.

They are vengeful spirits usually born when people are wronged: a husband kills his wife, a walker is intentionally ran over by a driver in a car, a soldier is offered to live if he surrenders but us killed instead. Most are female spirits, but many exceptions exist

Instead of just wandering, they transform into powerful, wrathful spirits who seek vengeance on everything they encounter. Often they were victims of war, catastrophe, betrayal, murder, or suicide—and they many times display wounds or marks received at the time of death.

The stories of onryō go back to at least 8th century Japan and are found in all areas where people have lived and are especially are prevalent during bad times and times when there is no justice for the poor and weak.

The important thing you should remember is that "vengeance." is what all of them want, and "strange sounds" are characteristic of all of them as well!!

I enjoyed this but it wasn't scary to me. I sat laughing at the characters as they were acting!

Good short for a person's first try or so. I had heard about the Grudge movies before but had never had the time to see them.
I will try to catch them in the future!

444-444-4444, second part

As I just explained in my review for Cursed (2002), numbers has significant 'meaning' in Japan and other Asian countries

Again, a little history,...

"Numbers" are very important in Japan and most of everywhere else in Southeast Asia, full of symbolism for both young and old alike; there is even a full page of the similar ways that the number '4' is pronounced in different SE Asia dialects, but basically the kanji for 4 四 can be pronounced "shi," which in another kanji 死 means death


While he's an onryō, he is still a child as well. Keeping his childish disposition makes him more eerie

Again, it wasn't as so scary as it was humorous, but I will try to watch some of the sequels if I can find the time!


RE-WATCH VALUE" Yes!

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Katasumi and 4444444444 (1998) poster

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