Exhuma is a supernatural horror movie from South Korea by director Jang Jae-hyun and starring one of the country's greatest actors ever with versatile Choi Min-sik. In a globalized world, I was more than happy to enjoy this film at the cinema of my neighbouring city. To my negative surprise, I was the only spectator who wasn't Korean in the audience. People finally need to understand that there is a wonderful cinematic world to discover out of Hollywood. Make sure to spread the word about this very good horror film.

This movie revolves around two shamans, a mortician and a Feng Shui master who are hired to lift the curse from a prosperous family of Korean emigrants by relocating the grave of their ancestor. However, things start completely spiralling out of control when this relocation occurs. Something far more sinister than the buried body of an ancestor is hidden on the gloomy hill next to the North Korean border.

Exhuma convinces on several levels. First of all, the story comes around with a few interesting shifts and turns that will keep the audience entertained throughout. The movie's ominous atmosphere is gripping from start to finish. The acting performances are overall very good as we get to witness a particularly balanced cast. The movie's final third gets quite intense and some of the viewers at the cinema were particularly scared. Light and sound techniques increase this intensity even further. The camera work is precise and focused and the special visual effects aren't overused and work particularly well.

However, this movie also has a few minor flaws. The excellent actors and actresses aren't given a script in which they can really show their immense talents. This film focuses too much on its sinister story rather than its promising characters. While some viewers at the cinema were actually scared, I didn't find the film terrifying at all as a horror movie enthusiast. The atmosphere is tense but there isn't one particularly scary scene that has stayed on my mind.

An important issue that deserves its own paragraph is the presence of racism in this film. I'm very familiar with Korean culture and cinema, have been following Korean movies closely for about two decades and have read several books on this subject as well, so people who might tell me that I don't understand some of the remarks or that I'm exaggerating things are wrong. Those are usually the kind of remarks that you get when criticizing Korean cinema. Believe me when I tell you that I think that Korean cinema has been the greatest in the world for the past two decades and that in ninety-nine out of one hundred cases I only have favourable things to say. This is why it's important to criticize things when they really matter as is the case here. Two elements have left a bitter taste in this film. First of all, the daughter of the Feng Shui master is studying in Germany and dating a local man. Instead of caring how this man treats his daughter, the only thing the master is worried about is that their children might have blue eyes. Besides the fact that blue eyes are truly beautiful, reducing future family members to one small physical detail is stereotypical racism at its worst. Another even worse element worth to be pointed out is the movie's particularly negative portrayal of Japanese culture. I'm aware that Japan has occupied Korea and committed atrocious crimes in the past but one has to eventually get over this and realize that such things happened eighty years ago when none of the characters in the movie was even alive. The film starts with a scene where a polite stewardess shyly speaks Japanese to one of the characters who rebuffs her aggressively by telling her proudly that she is Korean. Such exaggerated anger in relation to an innocent mistake seems excessive to me. That film also discusses and portrays some of the horrors the Japanese have committed in the past but these elements don't add anything to expand the depth of the plot. Such negative remarks just feel gratuitous, old-fashioned and resentful. Furthermore, the film's antagonist also turns out to be Japanese which is analyzed, discussed and shown on numerous occasions. This film attempts to show that the Korean shamans, mortician and master are courageous, determined and idealistic while the Japanese and their collaborators from the past are inherently evil. Such drastic decisions almost give this film the style of an obsolete propaganda film that might as well come from North Korea. Let me tell you that contemporary Japanese horror movies on the other side don't attempt to make any foreign ethnicities look dreadful. There are no evil buried American generals haunting poor Japanese babies. That is however exactly what you get in this film with a Japanese warrior tormenting Korean families for centuries. This movie would have been so much better if it had simply focused on an evil Korean warlord of the past as an antagonist rather than strategically dishonouring Japanese culture, history and people. The scriptwriters deserve nothing but shame for such an excessive portrayal of racism and don't even try to justify the unjustifiable.

Aside of that major flaw that deserves to be addressed, analyzed and discussed, Exhuma, originally known as Pamyo, is nonetheless an atmospheric, entertaining and intense supernatural horror movie that deserves more attention, recognition and respect. If you like this particular movie, make sure to watch other South Korean films with similar vibes that are executed even better such as The Wailing, I Saw the Devil and Memories of Murder. The underestimated recently released The Ghost Station that actually honours Japanese horror cinema also deserves your attention.

Final Rating: 7/10 Points

Dear readers,

I'm proud to introduce you to my reviews of Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Trilogy. It covers the films Zigeunerweisen from 1980, Kagerô-za from 1981 and Yumeji from 1991. These films combine romantic drama, historical fiction and supernatural mystery. This trilogy has recently been released in a beautiful box set by Arrow Academy that should certainly appeal to cineasts.

Zigeunerweisen (1980) - Gypsy Ways - 7/10

Zigeunerweisen, which translates to Gypsy Airs from German and refers to a recording by Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate, is the first part of director Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy. Let me explain these elements a little bit further. The movie title refers to the recording because the two lead characters are listening to it and trying to figure out the violinist's words that are briefly being uttered. The trilogy refers to films taking place during the Taisho era between 1912 and 1926. Said era is often interpreted as inspired by arts, democracy, diplomacy, individualism and liberalism. All three films tell romantic dramas with hints at gothic ghost stories.

This first movie marked a remarkable independent return for veteran director Suzuki Seijun thirteen years after his last movie Branded to Kill created for production company Nikkatsu Corporation. The director was fired by the corporation for a lack of focused scriptwriting and commercial acclaim and successfully sued the company over many years which led to dramatic changes in Japan's cinematic industry. In the meantime, Suzuki Seijun had only created negatively received social satire A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness. Zigeunerweisen was shown in inflatable tents on convenience stores and in public places rather than in public or private cinemas which gathered a lot of attention. The movie is thus also the most commercially successful of the trilogy.

The story revolves around two intellectual former colleagues and friends who couldn't be more different from each other. Aochi is calm, gentle and organized as he prioritizes stability over experiments. Nakasago is wild, rough and disorganized and values experiments over stability. Aochi suffers greatly from believing his wife might have a romantic relationship with Nakasago. On the other side, Nakasago doesn't only seduce his friend's wife but also becomes smitten with a geisha. In his despair, Aochi bonds with Nakasago's abandoned wife during one of his prolonged absences. Despite those struggles, the two men remain friends and the morbid Nakasago suggests that whoever outlives the other should get the other's bones. When Nakasago dies alone in the countryside due to a drug overdose, Aochi continues to be haunted by his friend through his wife's admiration for him, the deceased's geisha's frequent visits and the strange daughter of the dead man.

This movie discusses numerous different themes such as death, desire, family, friendship and love. The film thus inspires profound discussions among cineasts. The mysterious story has several interesting changes and shifts and concludes on a surprising note. The acting performances are excellent throughout. The settings in rural Japan are wonderful to observe. The elegant costumes are truly inspiring. The soundtrack based upon classical music provides much atmosphere.

The film however suffers from its excessive length, clocking in at an ambitious one hundred forty-four minutes, that starkly contrasts the filmmaker's previous films that usually weren't longer than ninety minutes. Especially the movie's middle section is particularly slow, focuses on much repetition and doesn't properly develop the plot. The movie's commercial success was mostly due to its circumstances and presentation but not due to its content and quality.

At the end of the day, Zigeunerweisen is a mysterious drama that should appeal to intellectual audiences, experienced cineasts and people interested in the Taisho era. This movie is however too ambitious, complicated and long to appeal to wider audiences. Its overall style hasn't aged very well either and looks particularly old-fashioned by contemporary standards. You must muster a lot of attention, patience and time to fully embrace this experimental feature film.

Kagerô-za (1981) - The Temptation of Bladder Cherries in a Time When Tradition and Modernization Clash - 6/10

Kagerô-za, which roughly translates to Heat-Haze Theatre and references this movie's unique finale, is the second part of director Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy and comes around only one year after the unconventional comeback success of Zigeunerweisen. This movie is based upon a novel by Izumi Kyoka. The film tells the story of a naive young playwright who feels attracted to a mysterious married woman who mysteriously appears into and disappears out of his life . He however soon finds out that her rich husband has a second wife of German origin whose blonde hair and blue eyes can only be seen under the moonlight. There are however rumours in town that the foreign wife is actually dead and has come back as a ghostly apparition. Caught between guilt and passion, the protagonist must decide whether he should defy traditional conventions and be with the lady he desires or commit a double suicide to escape from the nightmarish circumstances.

This film convinces with its overall mysterious and sinister atmosphere. Despite an absence of shocking scenes, Kagerô-za has a creepy vibe from start to finish. Viewers will wonder whether the whole story is fiction or reality or perhaps something in between. The theme of the contrast between traditional Japanese values and radical modernization is perfectly represented by the two female lead characters. The confusion, fear and loss caused by this clash is portrayed brilliantly by the protagonist. This movie doesn't offer any answers, solutions or strategies to these challenges, conflicts and problems. Viewers are thus invited to imagine possible outcomes and discuss these with other cineasts. This movie thus appeals to an intellectual audience and takes its viewers very seriously. In this regard, this film is pleasantly old-fashioned but might be a struggle for younger audiences at first contact.

There are however several reasons why this interesting movie nonetheless deserves a lower rating than its immediate predecessor Zigeunerweisen. First and foremost, Kagerô-za uses several stylistic devices from the predecessor such as its general atmosphere, parts of its plot and the general themes. This movie thus feels at times predictable, repetitive and uninspired. Even the camera angles and soundtrack offer numerous similarities. Viewers might feel that this film can't really stand on its own. Another significant issue is the film's challenging length of one hundred thirty-nine minutes. This film feels plodding in its middle section and is at least half an hour too long. Director Suzuki Seijun honestly did much better jobs when the studio limited his films to running times around ninety minutes in the sixties. His independent films from the eighties onwards should have benefited from some suggestions, overviews and cuts from studio executives to be easier to digest. The advantage is that his films from this era really represent the director's creativity, ideas and opinions without any filter but the notable downside is that these movies are at times overbearingly long, suffocatingly self-important and uncomfortably uncompromising.

As you can read, viewers will need a lot of empathy, patience and time to appreciate Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy to the fullest. Kagerô-za convinces with interesting characters, beautiful settings and mysterious story. The downsides are its repetitive elements, excessive length and slow pace. This movie is thus recommended to admirers of Suzuki Seijun's later career and cineasts appreciating romantic dramas with supernatural elements. If you already feel that this movie might not suit your preferences by reading this review, then you simply shouldn't waste your time and can skip this feature without any relevant regrets. If you feel however intrigued by this review and generally appreciate films that walk off the beaten path, then you might want to give Kagerô-za a chance.

Yumeji (1991) - The End of the Dream is the Start of the Journey - 6/10

Yumeji is the third and final part of director Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy. It comes around a whopping ten years after its predecessor Kagerô-za that didn't achieve the same critical and financial success as first instalment Zigeunerweisen. Just like its two predecessors, this final entry in the trilogy combines a romantic drama with mysterious supernatural elements.

The story is a semi-faithful biography of painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji. The movie tells how he leaves his best female friend behind to meet a mysterious lover he has only been contacting by mail. The strange lady is however getting sick and faces oppression from her family to join the painter and poet. The protagonist is stuck alone in an inn in the countryside and starts falling in love with the widow who runs it. She is looking for the body of her murdered husband on a nearby lake. He was murdered for desiring a married woman and was thus killed by her violent husband who has since been hiding from the police in the nearby mountains. Things get complicated when the murdered husband turns out to be alive and well and wants to win his wife over again. The unsuccessful murderer however also makes an appearance and wants to finish his tale of vengeance. The protagonist ends up feeling overwhelmed by these drastic changes in his life and starts losing his sanity.

This movie deserves praise for several elements. The settings are absolutely magnificent as the Japanese countryside evokes a magical atmosphere that makes viewers want to visit these locations. The calm, melodic and mysterious soundtrack blends in splendidly to enhance this atmosphere. The plot comes around with a few surprises, many of which are so absurd that this film has an almost humorous touch at times. This unpredictability of events will keep viewers watching until the very end.

However, this movie isn't without several notable flaws. Even though ten years have passed between this film and its predecessor, this movie feels so old-fashioned that it might have been made about a decade earlier. The story features numerous similarities to its two predecessors. The camera techniques haven't evolved one iota in a decade as the director never attempts to try out any new creative turns. This stagnant stability makes it difficult to even consider him a genuine artist and such a lack of development can't be defended by the idea of consistency either. Another issue present throughout the trilogy is yet again the film's slow middle section and its challenging length of one hundred twenty-eight minutes.

At the end of the day, viewers who have been enjoying this film's predecessors Zigeunerweisen and Kagerô-za are also going to be appreciating the concluding Yumeji. This movie convinces with mysterious atmosphere, intriguing plot and stunning settings. However, this third entry suffers from uninspired camera work, slow pace and repetitive themes. Despite a few memorable sequences such as the film's surreal opening that could come straight from a progressive rock music video or the hilarious hunting sequence between the dangerous failed murderer and his cowardly target, this movie is overall the weakest entry in the Taisho Roman Trilogy. It's only recommended to those familiar with its two predecessors and cineasts who appreciate the combination of tragical romantic dramas and atmospheric supernatural elements. In the end, Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy can be described as an acquired taste that needs much empathy, patience and time to be fully enjoyed. Personally, I'm glad to have watched all three movies but won't be revisiting them for quite a while.

Dear readers,

I would like to keep things simple this year and introduce you to my predictions for the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Florida Panthers versus Tampa Bay Lightning: Florida Panthers in six games

Boston Bruins versus Toronto Maple Leafs: Boston Bruins in seven games

New York Rangers versus Washington Capitals: New York Rangers in four games

Carolina Hurricanes versus New York Islanders: New York Islanders in six games

Dallas Stars versus Vegas Golden Knights: Dallas Stars in six games

Winnipeg Jets versus Colorado Avalanche: Winnipeg Jets in five games

Vancouver Canucks versus Nashville Predators: Vancouver Canucks in four games

Edmonton Oilers versus Los Angeles Kings: Los Angeles Kings in seven games

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are already going to be starting tomorrow, on April 20th 2024!

These knights in sedona red deserve nothing but admiration, respect and support!

Arizona Coyotes forever!