I just picked up this Koji Shiraishi film released by Pathfinder Films, and also got a chance to sitdown and watch it as well. I must say this is certainly one of the best examples of horror films to come out of Japan since RINGU. Now I have seen all four of the JU-ON series, both the tv movies and the theatrical films and they really didn't do much for me at all. JU-REI however is the complete opposite for sure. Filled with washed out saturated colours, a creepy score and tons of chilling moments all essantial elements in creating a great atmosphere. The stucture of the film's storyline is layed out in 10 chapters, starting with the 10th and running down to the first. With all the characters directly related in sameway or another. You can certainly bet you'll get a full report on this film and DVD in the new year from Cinema Nocturna.

Yes, I saw all JU-ON series a couple of years ago, and yes JU-REI has it's "plain and simple rip-off elements", but in this day and age when it's increasingly hard to come up with new and original ideas, what these days don't have their "Rip-off qualities". Sure there were the same ghostly cries, the same ghostly make-up etc. Well, if you looked into Japanese folklore, that ghostly make-up/cries which many of these films use is the norm in which many of thier ghosts are explained, hense the same with this films using it. All in all, I simply believe after watching JU-REI after the JU-ON series, felt that director Koji Shiraishi improved what JU-ON really lacked, a raw and chilling atmopshere.

Thoughts please...