Sky High (2003)

After seeing potential in the genre-bending Versus (2000) about a decade ago, I hoped that Ryûhei Kitamura would someday get the opportunity to put his talents to better use and make a great film, but this isn't it. It’s a prequel to a TV Series that's based on a manga. If everyone (except Hiromasa Taguchi) had been replaced with cast members who could act and not just look good on a magazine cover, and if Kitamura had taken more risks, the film could've been worth the time invested in it. Perhaps then I wouldn't have spent almost two hours wondering when it was going to get good and why it was even called Sky High. If I'd seen the series I may have felt differently about the story, but a lot of that would still apply.

2 destinations out of 5

AUDITION [1999]

Takashi Miike's Audition is a brilliantly crafted disturbing psychological horror film that is guaranteed to have you squirming by the end.

Unlike the torture porn genre which dumps the gore on you every 5 minutes, Miike allows the tension to slowly build up over the course of the film and then suddenly assaults you with some of the most horrifyingly memorable cinematic moments in history.   Eihi Shiina's haunted performance makes Alex Forrest and Annie Wilkes look like Mary Poppins.

4 "lovely" ladies in white out of 5