Compiled by Vanessa Chalmers, Rebekah Green, Faith Orcino, Mila Pantovich
Paprika (2006)
The late Satoshi Kon released his animated mind-thriller “Paprika” in 2006. Based off the novel Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the movie travels between the world of dreams and reality. In the film, Dr. Atsuko Chiba and her staff experiment with a machine called the DC Mini. Using the DC Mini, Chiba—also known as Paprika—and her patients enter their dreams. One day, the DC Mini machine goes berserk and the dream world begins to come to life. It is up to Paprika to find the reason why the experiment failed in order to stop the mayhem before the dream world engulfs the real world.
Karas (2005)
Tatsunoko Production made the original video animation (OVA) “Karas” in celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary. The film concentrates on a supernatural community living under the radar in the midst of human society in modern day Shinjuku, Tokyo. When the Shinjuku police department receives several cases of mysterious deaths throughout the city, they are unaware of the local demons responsible for the murders. As the tension between the two realms increase, character Yurine awakens the new guardian Karas. Karas must now restore balance between natural and supernatural, while protecting his own life. “Karas” is a masterful piece of film work with an interesting blend of 2D anime and 3D computer-generated images. The character Karas can also be found in the Wii game “Capcom VS. Tatsunoko.”
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The premise of the film may be simple: three film students attempt to uncover the secrets and truths about the legend of the Blair Witch only to go missing and never seen again, save for the discovered film footage of their camera. But the execution of this film is where it exceeds clichés and expectations. The terror that students Heather, Michael, and Josh experience in the Black Hills Forest of Maryland are drawn out in hand-held style, dark, quiet and realistic, leaving the fear up to the viewer’s imagination. The Blair Witch Project is a film that still chills viewers eleven years after its release, and it is a great film to revisit in time for this coming Halloween.
“Let the Right One In” (2008)
The second best thing from Sweden after Ikea, is John Ajvide Lindqvist’s vampire horror-romance, “Let the Right One In.” Released internationally in 2008, the film, directed by Tomas Alfredson, follows 12 year-old Oskar, a loner, tortured at school by a band of bullies, and Eli, his neighbor, also 12 (in vampire years), who Oskar discovers is a vampire, responsible for the grisly murders happening in their Stockholm suburb. The pair form an alliance based on Oskar’s vow of secrecy in exchange for Eli’s protection from his tormentors at school. The film adheres to traditional vampire folklore but injects it with an unsettling darkness, broaching themes of death, disfiguration, pedophilia, and violence. A metaphoric iceberg, it takes more than one viewing to even begin understanding the psychological weight of this story. The subtitles make the film a literary experience, and although the premise outlines a budding romance between human and vampire, the film transmits an intensity that “Twilight” lovers Bella and Edward will never touch. An American remake – “Let Me In” – is set to be released later this year.
Audition (1999)
Based on Ryu Murakami’s novel of the same name, “Audition” was directed by Takashi Miike in 1999 and is one of the most multilayered and prolific horror films made. This Japanese film is incredibly different from the constant blood and gore that Hollywood produces. Without relying on graphic violence, “Audition” takes its time to slowly build up tension, twisting the story in directions you never thought it would take. While the film is visually mild in comparison to most slasher films; it’s the concepts presented that will haunt you well into the night, with visuals burned into your memory. Immediately recognizable by those who’ve seen it, you need only mention the burlap sack scene for people to know exactly what film you’re talking about. By the time you get to the end, which features the most unbearably visceral torture scene in film history, you’ll find yourself wondering why what you. With incredible acting and voyeuristic camera angles, Miike’s “Audition” is a disturbing masterpiece that will have you needing serious mentally preparation for a second viewing.