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1998 shorts that were two of a four-part as part of Gakkō no Kaidan G
Also Known As: Katasumi (In a Corner) and 4444444444 (Ten Fours)The short films that started the Ju-on/The Grudge franchise.
The original was part of a four-story shorts by Takashi Shimizu; he impressed Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who arranged for him to make the first two movies:
Ju-on: The Curse (February 11, 2000) and
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (March 25, 2000).
Shimizu was taking a film-making class under Kurosawa at the time.
The combined films are 6 minutes, 42 seconds long, but can be found online in shorter versions.
There seems to be a confusion over the 'names' of the two girls. Yoshida Hisayo (Omura Ayako) is fine but some list the second girl as Kayako Saeki or Kanna Murikam and played by Fuji Takako or Kanna Kashima...and to think some people really do care!
This short is also available on the Grudge 2 dvd extra disc.
The plot is so short and simple that I am skipping this part.
First off a little history...
In both films we have a Eastern concept of onryō, which can be more than a ghost if you want to study up on them.
Being a Religious Studies major, with a lot of reading also in mythology, folklore, et al, onryō are only a tiny portion of yurei, or 'dim spirits'; the most dreaded type of these are onryōis or onryō, vengeful spirts that can be found in cities, shopping malls, any type store, or anywhere else.
They are vengeful spirits usually born when people are wronged: a husband kills his wife, a walker is intentionally ran over by a driver in a car, a soldier is offered to live if he surrenders but us killed instead. Most are female spirits, but many exceptions exist
Instead of just wandering, they transform into powerful, wrathful spirits who seek vengeance on everything they encounter. Often they were victims of war, catastrophe, betrayal, murder, or suicide—and they many times display wounds or marks received at the time of death.
The stories of onryō go back to at least 8th century Japan and are found in all areas where people have lived and are especially are prevalent during bad times and times when there is no justice for the poor and weak.
The important thing you should remember is that "vengeance." is what all of them want, and "strange sounds" are characteristic of all of them as well!!
I enjoyed this but it wasn't scary to me. I sat laughing at the characters as they were acting!
Good short for a person's first try or so. I had heard about the Grudge movies before but had never had the time to see them.
I will try to catch them in the future!
444-444-4444, second part
As I just explained in my review for Cursed (2002), numbers has significant 'meaning' in Japan and other Asian countries
Again, a little history,...
"Numbers" are very important in Japan and most of everywhere else in Southeast Asia, full of symbolism for both young and old alike; there is even a full page of the similar ways that the number '4' is pronounced in different SE Asia dialects, but basically the kanji for 4 四 can be pronounced "shi," which in another kanji 死 means death
While he's an onryō, he is still a child as well. Keeping his childish disposition makes him more eerie
Again, it wasn't as so scary as it was humorous, but I will try to watch some of the sequels if I can find the time!
RE-WATCH VALUE" Yes!
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