Noroi

Noroi (The Curse) is a 2005 Japanese horror film made in the form of a mockumentary. It describes Masafumi Kobayashi, a paranormal expert who produced a series of books and movies on supernatural activity around Japan. He disappeared in the process of making his greatest and most disturbing film yet, The Curse. This film has not been seen much out of Japan, and is pretty lengthy at 2 hours.

I've just finished watching Noroi on Youtube. Let me warn you, if J-horror movies like Dark Water, Ringu or Ju-On gave you a bad scare, this movie will utterly mind-rape you and is a lot more disturbing. What makes Noroi so engagingly spine-chilling is the fact that the entire film is shot with a hand-held camera, and any shocking footage looks VERY real, hence a lot more disturbing. If you're a fan of watching reality shows or documentaries about the paranormal, Noroi is DEFINITELY for you.

And unlike similar western films, such as The Blair Witch Project, Noroi unabashedly reveals what was lurking in the darkness and any fucked-up imagery that the characters were seeing at the time. Noroi does a great job in creating an eerie atmosphere of fear from both creepy music and voices and strange paranormal phenomenon. In some scenes, you KNOW you're about the see something REALLY fucked-up, but morbid curiosity takes over and you just can't seem to look away.

Like most J-horror films, the plot can be rather scattered and shown in different time intervals. You'll find a hard time linking anything together and the different events don't seem to be related at all, but it won't really matter. Inevitably, everything begins to piece together in the second-half of the film. And the ending...really sums it up and will prove to be very shocking. The story and concept is both unique and outstanding. The cast were really excellent and believable to the point that it makes you wonder if this is really a film, or did it really happen in real life.

While J-horror films have a tendency to have some slow intervals throughout the film, there wasn't a dull moment in Noroi. From beginning till the end, it just grabs you and feeds your hunger to know what the hell is really going on. The only complaint I have is that some of the questions that were left unanswered but that's just a minor flaw to me. The entire movie definitely made up for it. Kudos to the Koji Shiraishi for this creation.

Leave it to the Japs to create really messed up horror. Noroi can give you some seriously disturbing chills and you might have trouble sleeping at night. I just hope the US doesn't suddenly get a hold of this and decide to make a crappy remake to ruin it.

Please Drive Safely...

Oh dear God, watching this makes me re-live the nightmare that could've been. One of those drivers could've been me. I was shaking and tearing up as I watched this.

It's just horrific how your life can take a really UGLY twist at any time. The pinned lovers at 2:38 really tears me apart.

Shit can happen on the road at ANY time, even if you weren't driving. But please, always drive safely.

A Very Close Shave

Yesterday, something almost happened that would have changed my life forever.

It was the early evening after work. I was a slightly groggy but still very much alert. I had just exited the Jelutong expressway via the Pantai Jerejak exit and made a U-turn around the Queensbay roundabout, which was my usual route when coming home from work. Right before I entered a small overhead bridge into Pantai Jerejak, I saw two motorcycles parked on the left, and a group of people with umbrellas near it. As I entered the left lane and passed that scene, what I thought was an accident turned out to be four ladies, each with an umbrella of different color, walking between the parked motorcycles to get through. I was distracted for about 4-5 seconds.

When my eyes shifted to the front again, I was stunned when I saw three men pushing a car up the bridge right in front of me! How did I NOT SEE THEM as I was going up the bridge? I was moving at about 50-60 kph at the time and when I saw them, I was only about 2 cars away. In a fit of utter shock, I knew in a split second I HAD TO slam the brakes. I don't know why or how, but when I lifted my foot from the accelerator to hit the brakes, it got caught UNDERNEATH the brake pedal! My right leg must've shifted a little when I was jolted with shock. It was like something out of Final Destination.

In the brink of panic, I immediately SWERVED my car to the right and NARROWLY avoided the guy pushing on the right. There was no screeching of tires, nor did I even have time to honk, so I doubt they even noticed. What good would honking do anyway? At that speed and distance, when they turned around to even look, it would've been too late. Thank God there weren't any cars or motorists on my right when I swerved. I really didn't have time to even take glimpse at right rear-view mirror to check.

After that REALLY close shave, I was terribly shaken, dumbstruck and in shock. My mind raced over what almost happened and I thanked God OVER AND OVER again for not letting something truly horrible transpire. I couldn't sleep last night. Horrible images of what could have happened kept flooding my mind, triggering fear and anguish. What if I swerved and there were other vehicles or motorist on my right? What if I didn't manage to swerve and hit all three of them straight on without any BRAKES? What if I swerved, hit a vehicle and without a chance to hit the brakes, still slammed into the men? Imagine what would happen if I had crashed into them head-on? All three of them would suffer the brute force of the crash and be crushed between two vehicles, mine and the one they were pushing uphill. I had almost killed three people and they didn't even know it. They wouldn't have even seen it coming. In a split second, ours lives would have taken an ugly twist, something that would've been irreparable and mar our lives forever.

NEVER had I been so grateful to God for watching over me and not letting something as horrific as this happen. I would've been scarred for life if it did.

Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

A Moment Of Silence

The start of 2010 has been marked with two great tragedies. First of all, my heart goes out to the people of Haiti in the wake of possibly one of the most horrific tragedies ever seen. An 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 100,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands more homeless, with nothing left and nowhere to go. Haiti is already one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere, and ironically, this gruesome tragedy took away what little they have left. My heart and prayers go out to them...

Another tragedy occurred closer to home. A dragon boat practice turned tragic after the boat capsized at the Macallum Street Ghaut in Penang, which claimed the lives of 5 teenage students and one teacher.

(More here and here).

My deep heartfelt condolences goes out to the parents, friends and relatives of the deceased. It is truly gut-wrenching when a life is taken so suddenly at such a young age. I can't begin imagine how overwhelmingly distraught their loved ones must be right now.

Let's offer a moment of silence and prayer for the poor unfortunate souls and their loved ones.

Right now, I feel really lucky to be alive and still surrounded by people I love.