DVD Torihada: Gekijouban

Goosebumps: The Movie (aka Torihada Gekijo) (2012) (Japanese Horror Anthology) – This anthology is a spin-off of the excellent television series from 2007, so the focus here is on creepy psychos and stalkers. And let me tell you – there are some seriously messed up people in this movie. The very cute Mitsuki Tanimura returns and stars in the overarching story about a girl (working in a call center at an electronics company) who realizes that her neighbor has the same voice as one particularly nasty customer. Of course, that is only one of a handful of short stories present – like the woman who keeps finding balls of paper in her pocket, counting down from 30 to 1; and the salaryman who is stalked by a masochistic dwarf girl. Each segment is interesting and eerie. The almost complete absence of scoring works well because it's the character interaction that drives the uneasiness. There's also a surprising lack of violence, which results in great emphasis on the paranoia and suspense of being stalked by a serene lunatic. There are even a few surprises to enjoy too.

Despite the rather common perception that J-horror hit a bit of a slump during the past few years, there have been a number of good films released from 2009-2012: Kaidan Horror Classics, Creepy Hide and Seek, X Game, Kotsutsubo, Tormented, Death Penalty.com, Gomenasai, and Hellsing Ultimate (anime) are just a few examples.