Review

Hideki Satomi is a work obsessed academic returning with his wife Ayaka and daughter Nana from visiting a grandparent in the hinterland. He needs to get an email happening but cannot get good enough reception via his mobile phone. Strangely his wife recalls a phone booth back the way they have come from that has an internet jack. Back down the road Hideki connects and while waiting on his email to send checks out a newspaper clipping that contains a death notice with a singularly shocking surprise. The obituary is for his daughter who apparently dies in a car accident in about ten minute's time. Hideki, somewhat shocked by this turn of events, goes to show his wife Ayaka the clipping when a large truck rams the family car and his daughter, who is unable to undo her safety belt, dies in the subsequent explosion. We leave the scene with Hideki trying to find the clipping as emergency personal and reporters look on at a bloke who has clearly let the Roos loose in the top paddock.

Three years later and Hideki and Ayaka are divorced, Ayaka is now a paranormal researcher and Hideki is obsessed with the newspaper articles of doom. Hideki is convinced that the supernatural is real after one of his student's is killed by a psychopath, an event pre-ordained by a newspaper clipping. Hideki and Ayaka are warned to leave well enough alone, but naturally don't, with Hideki in particular seeking to circumvent death. Naturally there is going to be a price to pay and Hideki needs to work out what that price is or spend the rest of his life in his own personal hell.

With interest in J-Horror peaked via The Grudge and the Ring franchises we get the advantage of a lot of other Japanese nightmares being sent our way, that conclusively prove that it's not all about long haired girls climbing out of TVs or spider walking down stairs. The good folk at Madman's Eastern Eye have put together one compelling collection called The Masters of J-Horror that got sent my way for a quick appraisal, which is a mistake as naturally I'll take weeks to mow my way through the five movies in the box set due to prior review requests. I was happy to receive the movies as for sure I haven't got my J-Horror on outside the main players in the Western market. If Premonition is anything to go by then I'm in for a good time, let's rip into it.

Before going much further I should point out Madman have released Premonition in the original Japanese print, so yes the dreaded subtitles come into play. Unless you are completely braindead, i.e. watched the seppo remake, then this shouldn't be a problem as this is one movie you really need to check out in the original.

Norio Tsuruta presents a movie that will make you think, exactly what is happening and what is a premonition?

Director Norio Tsuruta had me captivated by his use of imagery, shock tactics, and off the wall final block that had pretty much a take no prisoners approach. From the first scene, dig that huge sun and backdrop, through the various locations, Tsuruta is pretty much composing a work of art with stunning visuals, any number of money shots, and some of the best shock tactics I've run across this year. Hollywood take note, this is how to get your scare on, Tsuruta doesn't rely on thundering music to warn patrons a shock is about to go down or gallons of blood to browbeat the audience into submission, the Director lets his angles and motifs do the work for him. In Tsuruta's hands the horror is let off the leash to run snarling at the audience in some remarkable scenes that will leave you wondering why you haven't ditched your yank horror titles in favour of more J-Horror outings. Oh hell yeah, the Dude takes the genre, his viewers, and the whole movie making thing seriously and goes pedal to metal in order to make things stick. So for sure Premonition is not for the faint hearted or those who really don't want the cold chills running up their backs, i.e. 90% of the so called fans who are simply the cinematic equivalent of the clowns that slow down at road accidents. If you enjoy cinema as an art form then Tsuruta has your back.

I was somewhat less impressed by the script Noboru Takagi and Norio Tsuruta sent my way, it seemed slightly too obsessed with the source material, Jiro Tsunoda's Newspaper of Terror. While the plot of Premonition didn't follow the story arcs of the original manga there was still an palatable comic feeling to some scenes and developments that didn't translate well to the spoken word. For mine another edit would have got things flowing slightly more solidly on the screen as some of the dialogue didn't come across as wholly believable.

The effects are pretty solid in Premonition, from some CGI to show newspapers arriving from out of thin air, to the make-up used for the ghostly effects, one scene in particular might require some viewers to have a fresh pair of grundies on hand. Particular effective was the greyish blemish people developed on their skin if they sought to change the future, I was rocking on to that idea and the logical conclusion of continued meddling with the fates. There's a real Final Destination feel to things though with a strong Eastern twist that will have you high fiving the ninja just behind you. As one would expect from a Japanese Director Norio Tsuruta makes even the most common elements of the movie seem sinister, for example a breath of wind is wrapped in some freaky music to present a sinister idea. Not sure quite how the Japanese pull off the simple effects, but for sure they all add up to a movie that is fairly relentless in the atmospheric chill factor.

As mentioned above Director Tsuruta has his scare tactics on with some truly memorable sudden shocks, build of tension, and atmospherics. If you like your horror with feeling then dial into Premonition, Tsuruta knows he's making a scary movie and doesn't stint on the requirements. Thankfully sans high body count, gore, and the other superficial aspects lesser Directors use to mask ineptitude or to play to the pretend horror crowd, road accident purveyors yo.

Guess I should mention the final block of Premonition isn't taking any prisoners and really works as a surreal exploration of one person's hell. While the movie up to this stage has been pretty linear, the final chapter takes off into the prosaic as Hideki Satomi determines the nature of the curse and discovers there is a way to break it. Engrossing stuff, though readers who aren't prepared for mind games are going to be left solo at the altar here. Get ready for some twists and turns that will leave you breathless as the final scene unfolds.

The score for Premonition was supplied by the amazing Kenji Kawai who has one hell of a credit list, including the scores for the first two Ring movies, and the upcoming Sadako 3D that I'm anticipating. Kawai with Premonition goes for eerie, surreal, and impactful, pulling off one of the great movie scores in the process. The score for Premonition rivals the ones for The Omen, Jaws, Alien, you name it Kawai is leaving it in his dust.

I'm generally up for a J-Horror outing as the Japanese don't rely on Boredwood clichés and are pretty much sure to include some disturbed spirits in the mix. Premonition came at me with both guns blazing leaving me stunned and a tad uneasy as the final credits rolled. Interesting concepts, shock scenes that really do hit the right chill, and a narrative that is interesting enough as the protagonists seek answers to questions they shouldn't have asked. It's kind of like Ring, the research aspects, cross pollinated with Final Destination, the meddling with cosmic forces. Full recommendation kids, this is one movie you are sure to want to be across.

As stated above my copy of Premonition arrived in a box set along with four other movies. If you browse across to Madman you can also pick up the movie as a stand alone for around $20. Value for money or what! If you have a decent JB-HiFi near your place then check in there as well as normally the stores run a fine collection of Eastern Eye releases for the horror fan.