Long Dream (2000)

What if mankind could possess immortality? That is what one doctor ponders in the Japanese made-for-tv film Long Dream. Based off a short manga story by Junji Ito, the H.P. Lovecraft vibe is strong. As the author is a self-professed fan, it's not difficult to see his influence. Director Higuchinsky is painstakingly true to the source material's imagery, almost to his detriment. From the spot-on casting to the horrific character transformations. The budget is obviously low, but the makeup effects are high-quality. They are mirror images from the manga, but they're almost cartoon-like, lacking a sense of logic and reality. It's refreshing to see an adaptation follow the original story so closely. It only extrapolates in the third act, and I believe it aids in strengthening motivations while creating emotional fodder for the characters. Unfortunately Higuchinsky fails in fashioning a successfully cohesive conclusion. He seems to have the same issue with 2000's Uzumaki as well.

2½ bulging eyeballs out of 5

Love Ghost (2001)

I'm a big fan of Junji Ito, and while I think his works lose a little something when adapted to film, I'm eager to check out any movie that has his name attached. The film is a loose adaptation of Ito's story Lovesick Ghost, a tale in which people are driven to suicide after having their fortune told by a mysterious handsome man. For those of you who have read Lovesick Ghost, the two main characters are reversed. Midori is the one returning to town, and Ryusuke takes over her role in the tale.

Aside from the gory throat slashings, this felt more like an atmospheric drama than a horror film. It descends into WHAT A TWEEST territory near the end, but was a pretty neat movie as a whole. The CG is terrible, but the rest of the film looks great, even though it's obviously low budget. At its best, it's dreamlike and lovely in the the way David Lynch can be, and at it's worst, it's your typical cheesy asian horror film, minus the onryo.

3 and 1/2 M. Night Shyalamans out of 5