The Sylvian Experiments (2010)

After viewing an old film reel containing experiments on the human brain, Dr Hattori becomes interested in researching to see what happens when a person dies, and if there is indeed an afterlife where people are "re-born". Years later, one of Hattori's test subjects is actually one of her own daughters, Miyuki, along with other teens Kazochi, Takumi, and Rieko. However, not long after the experiment has been performed, Miyuki disappears, and it's here that her sister, Kaori, along with Miyuki's boyfriend Motojima and a detective, begin to search for her. As the search continues, Kaori starts to experience what appear to be hallucinations, but these only strengthen her resolve into finding out the truth about what her mother is doing and what happened to her sister.I've seen quite a few strange Japanese horrors in my time, but The Sylvian Experiments has got to rank up with one of the strangest ever. Right from the very start, you catch yourself wondering what's going on as it gets confusing pretty quickly, so if you don't keep up in the first 5 minutes then you have no hope for the remaining 90.It's not what I was expecting either, which was a good, creepy Japanese horror, but it's not creepy or scary (apart from maybe the idea of humans getting experimented on in such a way). Instead, it's more of a surreal psychological drama that has a Jacobs Ladder feel to it. It's a pity because it had all the elements to make it good, scary horror.As mentioned earlier, it's a very confusing movie, and the story does jump about a lot. I know foreign films have a tendency to do this, but this is on another level and quite a good few times you don't know if the characters are hallucinating or if it's real images they are experiencing. It's also a pretty slow movie so if you combine that with the confusing story then there's a chance you may just give up.Overall, it's definitely an intriguing film, but it's ultimately a disappointing one.

THE SYLVIAN EXPERIMENTS in its depiction(s) of medically-induced paranormal power(s) brings to mind some of the early work of Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg; i.e.; the black and white short STEREO and the feature film that may or may not have sprung from that, SCANNERS, as well as the mind-bending VIDEODROME (not to mention dozens of other such movies in between- and since). When her daughter Miyuki joins a group of would-be suicides in an airtight van with the treacherous Hattori, her mother takes the opportunity to subject her to a series of experiments, promising her: "You're going to see what humans can't. The reality of the world beyond our world." Following the experiment, Miyuki disappears from her mother's clinic with another subject. Miyuki's sister, Kaori, arrives to try to help find her, but when she and her mother return to the clinic, everyone there is dead. In a VERY Cronenbergeque scene, her mother shows Kaori that the walls have become "just like skin" because Miyuki's thoughts have started to affect the Reality all around her. There are some great twists near the end of the movie, but the ending itself is surprisingly disappointing because it's been done a million times before. Still, I would recommend THE SYLVIAN EXPERIMENTS to anyone who's a fan of David Cronenberg or of exceptionally well-crafted Japanese fright films.

It's quite unbelievable how much people are still praising the Japanese horror genre. Let me tell you, as a real horror fan and lover, that there are still far more great Hollywood genre movies than Japanese ones out there. Problem with Japanese genre movies often is that they are all too much alike in story and atmosphere and usually aren't helped by a very high budget.Problem with this movie is that it presents itself as a mysterious and clever one, while in fact it's being neither really. The movie is only mysterious because it's being told that way but not because the story in itself is being a very interesting or real clever and mysterious one. It actually causes the movie to work out more confusing and messy than anything else really.It's actually hard to believe this movie got written and directed by the same man who wrote the screenplay for the original "Ringu" movie and most of its official sequels, which I all also personally quite liked.The movie is also far too slow with its buildup, during its first half. When looking back at it, most of the stuff that happens in the first half isn't even that relevant for the movie and is also quite out of tone with its second half, which is far more horror orientated.But it's not like the movie is having any real good horror in it though. It's the type of horror that is featuring ghostly figures and lots of computer effects, that just never become scary. The movie also just really doesn't have the right required atmosphere for that.There is far too much wrong with this movie to consider it a remotely decent or recommendable one, not even for the lovers of Japenese horror (no, I am not saying J-horror!).4/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Dr. Hattori and her husband watch footage of brain surgery experiments with Manchurian, Russian and Japanese guinea pigs that had been found in the basement of a wrecked hospital. Out of the blue, there is a white light and when they look back, they see they children Ota Miyuki and Kaori staring at the light.Years later, Miyuki (Yuri Nakamura) vanishes from the Tama Medical University Hospital and her sister Kaori (Mina Fujii), Miyuki's boyfriend Motojima and detective Hirasawa are seeking her. However, Miyuki and the teenagers Kazochi, Takumi, Hattori and Rieko have been submitted to a nightmarish experiment by Dr. Hattori and her team with tragic results."Kyôfu" is an intriguing film, with a mad scientist that submits her daughters and other teenagers to creepy experiments that recalled me the Dharma Projet from "Lost". Unfortunately the screenplay is a complete mess and despite the good acting, cinematography, make-up and effects, the film is unintelligible. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "Herança Amaldiçoada" ("Cursed Heritage")