Tormented [Blu-ray]

A solid Entry into Japanese 3D Horror
Japanese horror is a lot of fun, although it can be an acquired taste. Some folks find it too quirky, since the Japanese culture has different views on society and what scares them. Others find it too nonsensical. But for me, I love it. These films usually hit on something primal, a deeply ingrained nerve that gives everyone an uneasy feeling, regardless of race. TORMENTED is one of those films. Deeply rooted in psychological fears, this film will haunt you long after it is over.

Last summer, long before my blog crashed, I reviewed another one of Takashi Shimizu's films titled SHOCK LABYRINTH 3D. I had mixed feelings on that particular film because, although it was shot well and had a nice chill to it, the storyline was sketchy and didn't make sense in certain parts. This is important for TORMENTED because the film pulls from SHOCK LABYRINTH in a few different ways.

Let me explain: the characters in TORMENTED go to a movie theater and see SHOCK LABYRINTH...

Rabbit Horror [Tormented] Focuses Less on Scares and More on Drama
Shimizu dipped out of his realm of creepy and scary to focus more on a horror-esque fantasy adventure that is literally connected to his previous film Shock Labyrinth 3d. I personally enjoyed the film and if you are a long running Shimizu fan, there should be a great movie waiting here for you. I wasn't a HUGE fan of Shock Labyrinth, but I thought this was much better. Also the two leads, and the kid were all great. Chris Doyle (a once Wong Kar Wai regular) acts a cinematographer for this film, and it shows. Quite appealing to look at. If you are looking for a more Ju-On style film, look elsewhere. This is quite different from his previous works.

I'd give it a 3.5/5

"Rabbit Horror 3D" caught me off guard. Very good film.
Being a film student and a big fan of Takashi Shimizu's work with my favorites being "Ju-on 2", "Marebito" and now "Tormented 3D" aka "Rabbit Horror 3D", I was very disappointed in his film "Shock Labyrinth 3D". I was concerned that he was going mainstream and lost his edge like the Pang Bros. and M. Night Shyamalan have. Being a graduate of Psychology and Social Sciences, I was enthralled by this film. The film is loaded with psychological aspects and is one big case study of a tortured protagonist. You would think that someone walking around in a rabbit suit would be a ridiculous and rubbish but this is not the case with this film. The film is very haunting and disturbing at times. There are also a couple of very scary scenes that will stay with you for a while. The blu-ray has a nice transfer and the audio is good and boasts a haunting score by musical genius Kenji Kawai (who has done soundtracks for films like: "Ghost in the Shell", "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", "Death Note",...

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