The Suicide Club

[OneWingedBird]

This film sounds interesting:

"Suicide Club is a superb example of Japanese extreme cinema, now gaining a cult following in the west. It opens with a graphic depiction of 54 schoolgirls who line up on a station platform, hold hands and leap in front of a train. Other similarly unfathomable deaths follow and the police are unable to explain it. The plot is full of strange twists and turns encompassing a teenie pop band and a sinister website. Disturbing violence and outrageous humour collide in an extraordinary film. "

More on it here:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0312843/usercomments

A lot of the user comments liken it to Ringu and Battle Royale.

 

[ogopogo3]

Just watched it tonight.

I liked how it eschewed the glacial pacing of most Japanese horror flicks and chugged right along, though it did peter out at about the one hour mark. But that was a damn good first hour. There's a couple of decent set pieces and some good gore.

Don't expect any explanation, though.

I'd give it **1/2 out of ****

 

[OneWingedBird]

Much what myself and my friend made of it, a great first half that kind of goes to pieces plotwise in favour of wacky set pieces, though the bit with Genesis was hilarious, as you say, no real resolution.

 

[BaronVonHoopla]

Ok, could someone who has seen this movie PLEASE explain some things to me?

First of all: WHAT THE HELL WAS IT ALL ABOUT???!!!

Like, who was the kid on the phone? The one who kept clearing his/her throat?? What does "Connection with yourself" mean? Is that a bad translation?

What did the Tim Curry guy have to do with anything? What about Desert/Dessert/Desart have to do with it all?

What the hell?

-Fitz

 

[OneWingedBird]

I think Genesis was thrown in for stunt value when they ran out of ideas, and possibly because he's some pop figure in Japan?

Dessert is a pun, as in pudding and a sweet name for a kiddie pop act, and as in to defect or depart (in this case fatally).

I'm as clueless about the rest of it as you are

 

[zizzerzazzer]

I pretty sure, having read somewhere about it, that it's a "comment on society" basically. And how disconnected we are with ourselves. I found it very true and very sad.

I liked the contrast between the cops who seem truly disturbed and concerned with whats going on, and then the happy pop culture which masks the reality of things. I think Genesis just added another layer of corrupt. It seems he's just crazy and does things for the sake of being sadistic at first, but it turns out everything was just a means to an end to be known in the world. (he lets himself get arrested and is happy about it) And I think this constant striving for attention and having it eventually lead to our destruction is what the movie is about.

Though it's probably one of those movies that has as many "meanings" as it has people who watch it.

 

[BaronVonHoopla]

I can only think that the translation was off somehow . . .

Either that, or it needed a re-write.

Still enjoyed it though.

-Fitz