The whole Technology Is Evil theme that runs through much current Asian horror is certainly an interesting one, and invites plenty of parallels with 1950's American Sci-Fi, another genre with a reactionary fear of scientific progression. After the eighth millionth shot of a ringing phone, though, up to and including a preposterous CGI version, it all starts to get incredibly monotonous.
Phone works best when sticking to the business of blowing cold air down the back of the viewer's neck, and flounders like some stickleback washed up on an eerily abandoned beach when getting caught up in the progressively ridiculous gimmickry of the plot. The Eye, another spook-tale by fellow Koreans The Pang Brothers, was just as derivative and daft, but offered genuinely piercing moments, scenes that reverberate around the skull long after you've forgotten about how awful the second half was.
Phone has no such qualities. It's highly effective in places, and it's gorgeous to look at, but I'm already starting to forget what the point of the whole motherfucking thing ever was.
Something to do with an iPod or something.
Man, that Michael Moore sure hates Canada.
The Duke resides at Mondo Irlando
Article comments
1 - srp
weird. this sounds sort of interesting because i've been researching weird voyeur porn and stuff and had no idea how freakin' weird people can get. i mean, pee cams? and these ain't staged: these are real men, women, and even KIDS (not barely legal, either, i mean Kids like 9) in poses from their parents etc. And then there are tips on how to hook up spy cams on your sexy young wife neighbor, even rape requests that are fulfilled, all buried deep within "legit" sites that ARE staged; but if you go deep enough, you find creepy stuff; so this idea Duke, that you mention, that technology is evil, is as you said, intereting. to me as well...
since my work involves IT a great deal - the whole idea that technology that was developed to help us is being manipulated for what i can only think of as evil (you'd have to see these things of kids), then it's again, the people - but it's such a compelling topic. I'd be curious to know if Snuff and the like are a big deal in Asian films and if so, are they staged or real? i've heard that most are staged and i believe that - but the stuff i recently saw of children, was most certainly not staged - these were little kids; anyway
going OT but i found your piece really interesting and it hooked into some work i've been writing lately -- if you have any related links etc. or film suggest. for this topic, please do post or private email me.
cheers and thanks for such an interesting piece.
srp
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
srp, thanks for the comments. its well late in the night, so i just have time to suggest these links to other reviews de duke what you might find interesting, since they cover similar subjects. Especially of interest, based on what you said, will be the review of tesis.
Review Of Tesis
Review Of Mondo Cane
Review Of Mondo Cane No. 2
Review Of Cannibal Holocaust
Review Of Mountain Of The Cannibal God
Review Of Africa Addio
phew! hope you find something of worth.
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
shit, those links mostly don't work. hopefully these ones do;
Review Of Tesis
Review Of Mondo Cane
Review Of Mondo Cane No. 2
Review Of Cannibal Holocaust
Review Of Mountain Of The Cannibal God
Review Of Africa Addio
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
yep, those work