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Michael Scrutchin · Posted: 10.28.2004 3:48 pm Post subject: The Eye (2002)

Oh, dear God. I watched the Pang Brothers' The Eye last night, all alone with the lights out, naturally, and it made me feel like an 11-year-old kid watching the scariest movie ever made. In recent years, a few horror films have successfully gotten under my skin, but nothing like this. While it borrows heavily from The Sixth Sense and other films, it tops its inspirations in the scares department with some of the most dread-inducing build-ups and terrifying shocks I've witnessed in years. It's not a great film, but it's the most intensely frightening movie-watching experience I've had since watching Ringu on a bootleg VHS tape -- all alone with the lights out, natch -- four years ago. Of course, The Eye won't hit everyone like that. Its mildly-positive reception by both critics and audiences didn't do much to make me eager to see it in the first place -- and neither did the mediocre trailer. I'm still reeling from the experience, so I'm not even going to try to say anything insightful about the film and my reaction to it -- but, man oh man, it really, truly got me.

Has anyone else here seen it?
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juhsstin · Camera Operator Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 87

i saw it on the big screen, it was a treat.... and i agree with your assessment of the movie. :D

"why are you sitting in my chair???!" Twisted Evil

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Michael Scrutchin · Posted: 10.28.2004 5:58 pm Post subject:

the night watchman · Posted: 10.28.2004 7:05 pm Post subject:

Yeah, The Eye gave me a solid case of the willies, too. I think the restaurant ghosts and the elevator ghost came closest to dropping me dead on the spot. The second half of the movie doesn't work so well, and it almost seems like we step into a completely different film; like the Pang Bros. said, "Oops, we better get started on a plot." Still, first 45 minutes or so are worth the price of admission.
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Jim Harper · Posted: 10.28.2004 8:58 pm Post subject:

I agree with your assessment entirely Michael. The plot was pretty derivative stuff, but some of the shocks were absolutely perfect. Great film. Easily the best HK horror film I've ever seen. I've heard depressing things about the sequel, and the concept of a Tom Cruise-produced remake turns my stomach, but the original is a classic of Asian horror.

Personal favourite moment: "You don't recognise yourself yet?"

Michael Scrutchin · Posted: 11.01.2004 3:01 pm Post subject:

A few days after watching it, I have my first nightmare obviously inspired by it. At the end of the dream, I'm all alone in my room, shooting something on my miniDV camcorder -- it's on a tripod, pointing at a mirror on the wall, so that me and the camera are in the shot. But as I look through the viewfinder, I notice a soft blur above my shoulder. Before I start messing with the focus, I glance up from the viewfinder and look into the mirror. In the reflection, right behind me and over my shoulder, there's a person -- with a dark, dead, sunken-in face.

I woke up gasping for breath, heart pounding, just 30 minutes ago.

I'm getting chills right now just thinking about it. I haven't had a nightmare in years.
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juhsstin · Camera Operator Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 87

i wish i had dreams like that! Razz

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Who let the dogs out?