DIFF 2012: TORMENTED

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TORMENTED

by Andrew Anselmo

Starring Teruyuki Kagawa, Hikari Mitsushima, Tamaki Ogawa

Written by Takashi Shimizu, Sotaro Hiyashi and Daisuke Hosaka

Director Takashi Shimizu

Running Time 83 min.

Selig film Rating FULL PRICE

Two words. Visually fantastic. Two more. Exhilarating ride. 

Tormented is, was – seeing as how I saw the midnight screening last night – a heart pounding rollercoaster excursion into a twisted foray of one's own mind. From the opening shot to the last image, I was enthralled and completely involved. 

From director Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge, 2004), Tormented is a Japanese horror film, that tells the story of one woman's lingering guilt.

Daigo, Kiriko's younger brother, is haunted by a ghostly bunny after he kills the rabbit belonging to his school. Teased by his classmates, he is consequently homeschooled by Kiriko, and that is when the story really begins to set in and the frights come out. Daigo's wild imagination takes him to the fantastical world of the bunnyman; a themepark. 

There he begins to unravel the mystery of the bunnyman and learn of his true identity.

When asked what the difference was between American horror and Japanese horror, during the Q&A segment of lastnights activities, Shimizu answered through his interpreter, "It's pretty obvious that American audiences like things that jump out at them, or loud noises that temporarily produce fright, but in Japanese culture, we like things that linger. I'm trying to blend the two together."

If you like horror films, you will most likely prefer this film. If you like psychological thrillers, you too will find it amusing. If you like mysteries, then I highly suggest that you will be entertained. 

Visually pleasing, wonderfully creative and pleasantly scary, Tormented is a fantastic watch!

You can catch it again tonight April 14th at 10:30 PM at the Magnolia in West Village. 

 
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Andrew Anselmo
Andrew Anselmo is a writer, director and producer. He has worked on a number of local productions, both in front of and behind the camera. Although he loves the art of performance, he prefers to work behind the scenes. At eighteen he took his first acting class and, like everybody else, was immediately hooked. It wasn’t long after, that he developed a desire to write, direct, produce and learn everything he could about making a film. Eventually, he found his way onto a local movie set in a behind the scenes role and started working more and more on local productions, often volunteering his services for free; a firm believer in “paying your dues”. He would go on to join the Dallas Producers Association and started attending events around town. A self taught screenwriter, Andrew studied scripts online, most notably Fargo, Magnolia and Boogie Nights. In addition to studying scripts, he also attended seminars at the Writer’s Guild of America in Hollywood and eventually relocated to LA for a period of time. While in LA, Andrew continued to write scripts and also studied improv at the renowned UCB Theatre. He also credits extensive, late night discussions with fellow actor/screenwriting friends, with helping him to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the craft, in addition to learning how to form a great story. In 2010, Andrew founded Stroke of Seven Films LLC. and started work on the development of a number of features. Ever the movie buff, Andrew also has keen interests in weight training, sports, cooking, reading, music and documentaries.