D V D C R Y P T

REINCARNATION

Directed by Takashi Shimizu
Written by Takashi Shimizu & Masaki Adachi
Cinematography by: Takahide Shibanushi
Music by Kenji Kawai
Cast: Yuka, Karina, Tetta Sugimoto, Shun Oguri, Marika Matsumoto, Mantaro Koichi, Atsushi Harsuta, and Kippei Shina

2005/96 mins/Color/Dolby Digital Surround Sound
1.78:1 anamorphic/Japanese/Japan/NTSC Region 1

Review from Lionsgate DVD

A pretty actress (Yuka) is suffering from horrifying visions connected to the role in the new horror movie, she is about to star in. Said film is based on massacre where eleven people were killed by a madman, who even murdered his own children. They go to the actual hotel, to get a feel for the atrocious act. But, the visions soon get worse for her…

Takashi Shimizu finally gets away from those annoying JU-ON and GRUDGE films and makes this nice change of pace. It is not what I expected and that is a good thing.

The movie moves a bit too slow, but the last thirty minutes or so, make it worth sticking around for. There is a pretty nifty twist in the plot, and the POV style snuff film with-in-a-film stuff is great. Of course, the theme of reincarnation plays greatly into the film, and is nicely complemented by some good performances by the cast. The beautiful score by Kenji Kawai also adds much to the film.

REINCARNATION haunts us on DVD thanks to Lionsgate. The movie is shown in anamorphic widescreen in 1.78:1. The picture is gorgeous, with bright, vibrant colors and thick blacks. The Dolby Digital Surround sound is loud and crystal clear, in particular when it comes to the film’s aforementioned score.

There are a couple of good extras on hand. There is an intro by Takashi Shimizu, as well as a “The Making of REINCARNATION”. It is an hour long behind the scenes featurette, but beware of the horrid Japanese pop that they play on it. “Memories of Reincarnation” features a short nut revealing interview with Mr. Shimizu.

Finally, the extras are rounded off with deleted scenes that can be viewed with optional commentary featuring Shimizu, producer Taka Ichise, and lead actress Yuka. The commentary is subtitled and enjoyable; meanwhile, the scenes are justly cut out of the film because they would have further slowed the film down.

The disc comes with the trailers to all the other films that were part of the “8 Films to Die For” horror marathon of 2006, but it does not come with it’s own trailer. The film is broken into twenty-one chapters that can be accessed by the cool menu. It comes in a keep case and has a booklet that mentions all of the “8 Films to Die For” but, alas, no inlet card.

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