Snake of June and Whispering Cooridors

Every month Tartan Films – Asia Extreme is releasing 2 great DVDs that are icons of Asian filmmaking in suspense and horror. This month Asia Extreme is releasing WHISPERING COORDIORS, from director Park Ki-Hyung and the ultra-intense voyeuristic thriller A SNAKE OF JUNE.

A mesmerizing journey from Shinya Tsukamoto, one of Japan’s most celebrated genre directors. The story of a repressed woman who receives an envelope labeled “Your Husband’s Secrets,” A Snake of June is a disturbing, experimental vision and an esoteric 16-millimeter near-masterpiece. Beautifully photographed, well acted – Japan’s better-than Eyes Wide Shut.

 

Whispering Corridors

Many of the most effective horror movies have acted as social criticism, Romero’s “Living Dead” series being the most famous. While not nearly as good as Romero’s films, Whispering Corridors is a fairly creepy low-budget hit from Korea most commendable for its criticism of the brutality of the Korean school system, an element that igniting consternation from the schools themselves. As a film, the atmosphere is suitably grim and it is very watchable, except an air of deja-vu hangs over the film. Scenes that smack of The Omen, The Devil’s Backbone, The Sixth Sense and Session 9 detract greatly from the film. The result is something very much worth watching, but perhaps most notable for its subtext than its cinematic qualities.

You can purchase A Snake of June here and Whispering Corridors here.