It's been over a year since I started searching for copies of the JU-ON films, and thanks to a few wild dealings with proxy bidding services for Japanese auction sites I was able to track down a copy of part 2. It was well worth the effort!
Although the copy of JU-ON 2 I viewed did not have an english-language option, a skeletal understanding of the story was easily discerned and was all that was needed to enjoy the proceedings. The film is a series of lightly-connected vignettes about the various inhabitants of a cursed apartment and the myriad of horrible fates that befall them.
After my initial viewing, I felt the film started very slowly and didn't really offer much until its final 20 minutes. The second time around however, I really found myself drawn in from the get-go. While the last 20 minutes do pack the strongest punch, the first 50 minutes build on each other quite well and set you up for what amounts to multiple drop-kicks to your psyche in the final sections. Director Takashi Shimizu conjures up some of the most frightening images yours truly, a fear film vet and the sort of person who scares none too easily, has EVER seen.
I recommend this film highly, and wish you luck in tracking down a copy. As for me, I'm off to find the original JU-ON...
Although the copy of JU-ON 2 I viewed did not have an english-language option, a skeletal understanding of the story was easily discerned and was all that was needed to enjoy the proceedings. The film is a series of lightly-connected vignettes about the various inhabitants of a cursed apartment and the myriad of horrible fates that befall them.
After my initial viewing, I felt the film started very slowly and didn't really offer much until its final 20 minutes. The second time around however, I really found myself drawn in from the get-go. While the last 20 minutes do pack the strongest punch, the first 50 minutes build on each other quite well and set you up for what amounts to multiple drop-kicks to your psyche in the final sections. Director Takashi Shimizu conjures up some of the most frightening images yours truly, a fear film vet and the sort of person who scares none too easily, has EVER seen.
I recommend this film highly, and wish you luck in tracking down a copy. As for me, I'm off to find the original JU-ON...