Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Scarecrow-88 Class *warfare* I felt was at the heart of this thriller from acclaimed cult director Shinya Tsukamoto regarding unstable Sutekichi(Masahiro Motoki) with a scar on his leg(..who was abandoned by his parents, found floating across a river and brought up by a theatrical troupe performer, living as a thief in the slums) who tosses his successful, respected and prominently regarded doctor twin brother Yukio into his family's well, assuming his identity. Sutekichi is essentially responsible for the deaths of their parents, but his ulterior motive is re-entering the life of Rin(Ryô)who was once his lover and partner in the slums, with them separated after their thievery leads to possible trouble for the troupe when a man comes seeking revenge for what they did to his family after stealing jewels. Sutekichi has studied Yukio's mannerisms and habits, perfectly embodying him with no one, except Rin(..who has been manipulating Yukio into thinking she's an amnesia case with no history she can recall)knowing who he really is. Sutekichi visits Yukio from time to time, to drop food scraps or for to torment and ridicule him. Over time, Yukio, in a sense, switches roles with Sutekichi, understanding what it was like from his point-of-view. There's a choice Yukio makes regarding whether to treat a drunken mayor who stumbled onto a spike which plunged into his chest, or a dirty, possibly plague-infested mother whose child needs help. Choosing the mayor, symbolically siding with the higher class instead of the poor, Yukio will swallow a bitter pill when his brother takes him away from the comforts of living, placing him in a horrifying situation of confinement, hunger, and filth..there seems to be no escape as he looks up at his brother, who teases about ruining his practice and making love to his wife. And, among the pile of burdens is the knowledge that Sutekichi may've been responsible for the deaths of his parents. Tsukamoto has always brought a collection of directorial styles, his camera can sit still, smoothly glide, follow the actions of a situation feverishly..whatever is taking place in the story, Tsukamoto has a certain way of conveying it. We get a look at two worlds, the proper, quiet life of a man of prestige and wealth, and the ugly, loud and scuzzy world of the slums..quite a contrast that really benefits the story as the lives of the twin brothers come full circle and both get an understanding as to what life is like in the other's shoes. Rin is the middle woman, who left the old world through an identity switch reaping the benefits of a much more healthier world, but inside longing for the life she once had, her love for Sutekichi just as strong as ever. As always Tsukamoto brings an uneasy atmosphere and the character arcs are stunning to behold, exploring the psychological terrain of what can transform a person when placed in a difficult situation(..all the three of the principals)whether it be for the betterment or detriment of their existence.

dbborroughs Shinya Tsukamoto, the man behind the Tetsuo films, Snake of June and Tokyo Fist takes on Edogawa Rampo story and turns in one of the most perfect marriages of sound and image I've ever run across not to mention one of the creepiest films I've seen in a very very long time.Yukio is a famous doctor who won fame treating the war wounded. He is much in demand by the wealthy and so has little time for the poor in a nearby slum where the plague has been running rampant. Yukio is also recently married to a young woman he met by the riverside and who is suffering from amnesia.Soon a dark figure is lurking about and after Yukio's father dies under mysterious and unnatural circumstances things begin to take a turn for the worse.What can I say? This is a creepy little thriller that will haunt you and keep you feeling off balance. Every shot seems to have been perfectly designed for maximum beauty. The soundtrack is a wonderful mixture of sound and music calculated to give the sense of things being not right. The effect of the sound plus the image is a sense of dread and unease even when there is nothing out of the ordinary in the frame, few thrillers or horror films have ever been able to make you feel so off by doing so little.Adding to it all is the plot which I'm told takes the Rampo story as a jumping off point and then spins it out with new complications. Give it big points for its ability to keep you guessing as to what is going on even if you know whats going on. Having read on the film I knew what was happening and yet I still had to entertain numerous other possibilities. This movie masterfully makes you wonder about what is real and what is not.I really liked this movie great deal. I don't know if its fully on its own terms or simply that its not another Japanese or Asian horror film with a long hair female ghost lurking about, honestly I don't care because the film is just so damn good it wouldn't really matter anyway.See this movie.

zetes Based on a novel by Edogawa Rampo, a Japanese author whose name transliterates to "Edgar Allen Poe". This story is very Poe-like, covering the subject of doppelgängers much like "William Wilson". Gemini is somewhat confusing, but overall it is a haunting film that actually generates fear and a deeper feeling of uneasiness. A rich doctor marries an amnesiac whose origins are unknown. Soon, her former lover – who happens to be the doctor's twin brother who was abandoned and then raised in the slums – comes back to claim what is his. The doppelgänger throws the doctor into a well and tries to win back his former wife. Soon, the twins begin to exchange personalities until, by the end, it's not entirely clear which one is the victor – or even if the final version of the man doesn't share the minds of both brothers. The film is slow to start, but it climbs to a high level. The technical aspects are especially amazing here. The makeup, the sound, the editing – everything is top notch. The acting is also great. Masahiro Motoki – whose other starring roles include Miike's exceptional The Bird People of China as well as a tryptich of Rampo adaptations named after the author – plays the doctor and his evil twin. A woman simply known as Ryo plays the doctor's wife. She's got a particularly intriguing face. She also starred in Ryuhei Kitamura's Alive. Gemini is not an easy picture, nor is it entirely satisfying. But it is great.

Speechless First things first: somebody needs to officially release this film in the United States. I see three thousand copies of Dude, Where's My Car every time I step outside, but when I want to see a beautiful and interesting film like Gemini, I have to track down a dubious bootleg on eBay. Pitiful.The plot concerns a rich doctor suddenly thrown into a well by a man who looks exactly like him. The mysterious doppelganger takes over the doctor's identity, his household, and his wife, all the while laughing and taunting down the well at his imprisoned twin. As the mysterious lookalike gradually reveals the truth to the doctor, it becomes less and less certain which of the twins is the "hero" and which is the "villain."Shinya Tsukamoto isn't a great director yet, but he's getting there. With Gemini he reveals a tremendous versatility, combining moments of sedate drama with hyperkinetic sequences of terror and joy. The actors are all magnificent (especially Masahiro Motoki in a complex double role), the cinematography is stunning, and the story is thoroughly intriguing and well told. It's not the best movie ever made by any means, but here and there Tsukamoto manages a few moments of real greatness, scenes where we genuinely become one with these characters and their needs. Watch the doctor, defeated and filthy at the bottom of his well, beg for a release from his suffering; watch the wife burst into tears as she remembers her past existence. Tsukamoto knows what he's doing. He hasn't quite achieved true greatness yet, but one day he may just break through.