You find yourself waking up in an unfamiliar place. Around you, are classmates and friends waking up from their unconsciousness. There’s a cold metal collar on your neck and you wonder why it’s there. Before you can even move a muscle, suddenly the doom slams open. The fluorescent light reveals the mysterious figure as Kitano, your much abhorred teacher. That’s the ordeal Nanahara and the entire 3-B class are facing.

The teacher gave a pep talk about the Battle Royale program. The government imposed the program to eliminate delinquency among the youth. The rule is simple. You can only go home when everyone else is dead. The survival program will run for 3 days on the isolated island. To spicen up the game, some areas become a danger zone. The students needs to keep moving or their collars on their neck will explode.

Each of the students were given a bag with randomly selected weapons. The fortunate ones gets kick ass firearms while the rest gets mundane objects. Seriously, can you kill anyone with a pot lid? Psssh..
The moment they step out from the classroom, they have two choices to make. To kill or be killed. Who will be the ultimate survivor?

Sadako’s Ramblings:
I’ve read an article about Battle Royale when it was featured in “Time” magazine. The movie was tagged as one of the controversial films in 21st century. In the film, Japan is on the brink of economic crisis with unemployement on the rise. The government conveniently blamed the delinquent youths responsible for crisis. Like a typical totalitarian, their solution to problem is to obliterate what they perceive as threat.
Some may perceive the film as too violent. If you watched the film from beginning, you will understand why it is necessary. Violence determines how the characters will interact with each other. You can feel the frustrations of the characters as they face a difficult dilemma. The choice between your life or your friends’ life.
I heard there’s an American remake since New line cinema has acquired the rights for it. Wait, isn’t this the same production company that ripped off Peter Jackson on royalties. I can already envision slutty cheerleader chicks making out and kills the horny geeks. I would love to see how the nerds will take out the football jocks. Imagine Emo kids on a grand slam battle royale fest against the goth. My bad, how can those two groups kill each other? The emo will be preoccupied slashing their own wrists. The goths will happily or depressingly drinks up the emo’s blood.

Rating:
Fear Factor: 8 out of 10 – Enough to make you bite your nails.
Violence and Gore: 10 out 10 – “Kill Bill” movie pales in comparison to the violence.
Nudity and Sex: 0 – Gotta give ‘em some slack. They’re too busy killing each other off.
Replay value : Makes you click replay button gazillions of times.

Screenshots:

Two friends were having girly talk about their romantic shindigs. Sadly not much mention of her sexcapades. However, one girl talked about watching a cursed videotape a week ago. Whoever watches the tape will die in 7 days. Then that night, one girl died while the other has lost her mind.Reiko Asakawa, learns about her niece’s mysterious death. Her investigation led her to IZU inn where other people who stayed there met similar fate to that of her niece. Upon checking out the room, she came across an unlabeled videotape. After watching the tape, she conclude that this was the cursed video. So she gave a copy to her ex-husband for him to check out. Together, they investigate the mystery behind the cursed tape.

Unfortunately, her son Yoichi also happened to watch the cursed tape. Fearing for her life and her son’s life (and her ex husband too). She embarked on a trip, hoping to find answers to save her loved ones and an ex-loved one. Will Reiko solve the mystery behind the cursed tape before her time is up?

Sadako’s Ramblings:
I first heard about the movie when my sister raved about how her friend’s friend’s cousin’s friend got hold of the bootlegged version and almost “died” watching it. However, only the Hollywood version was shown at the cinema that time. I did managed to find a bootlegged copy of “Ringu” and watched it in an instant. The movie has this raw feel to it. Like all psychological thrillers, the start of the movie is slow. Then as the protagonist digs further on the mystery behind the cursed tape, that’s when the tension starts.
This movie unleashed a wave of Asian horror films. It redefines a new kind of horror, the kind of fear that is only found in your mind.

Rating:
Fear Factor: 8 out 10- If you’re Ringu virgin and have hair-phobia
Violence and Gore: 2 out of 10- Does bloodied fingernails count?
Nudity and Sex: 0 – Horror and sex don’t mix. Imagine having a boner then fall into ice cold pool.
Replay value : Great to watch when it’s raining and with the lights out.