Suicide Club (Suicide Circle) (Widescreen Edition)

Starring:Ryo Ishibashi, Akaji Maro, Masatoshi Nagase, Saya Hagiwara, Hideo Sako, Takashi Nomura (II), Tamao SatÃ´, Mai Hosho, Yoko Kamon, Rolly, Kimiko Yo, Erika Tajima, Satomi Hisanaga, Taihei Hayashiya, Katsuhiro Watanabe, Yuna Natsuo, Atsushi Numata (II), Hajime Matsumoto (II), Midori Niie, Noriyoshi Shioya
Director: Sion Sono
Studio: TLA Releasing
Product Type: DVD

Description

A wave of unexplainable suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling high school girls join hands and throw themselves from a subway platform into an oncoming train. Are the jumpers part of a cult? What is the connection to the website that chronicles suicides...before they happen? And, what is the connection to the Japanese all-girl pop group "Desert?" Suicide Club is a stylish, bizarre thriller that examines pop culture and disaffected youth.

Customer Reviews:

Pop music kills!.......2007-05-15

I've watched this movie twice now and its really not as weird or hard to understand as some of the other reviewers have said.Its actually really simple,people are so involved with trends and fads now that they've lost touch with who they really are,and the extremes(suicide)they will go to fit in.Good gore and good satire make this movie something special.Pop music is dangerous.

Suicide Club.......2007-05-15

This movie was an interesting one. It wasn't exactly what I expected but had an interesting plot. In a few spots it got a bit confusing but I was able to put most of it together in the end. Certainly recommended but not at a high price!

Something Stirs Beneath the Surface.......2007-05-02

Throughout the movie there's an epidemic of unexplained individual and mass suicides. The Tokyo police department tries to unearth the common thread between these tragedies only to be lead about by vague clues and an ever increasing complexity to the apparent suicides. At this point if you take this film at face value you're probably going to think it sucks because from basically the first 15 minutes of the film to the end more questions are going to be created than answered. I'm still pondering what the film was really about but I think that's what the intention of the director/writer was. It's not a movie necesarilly about closure and telling a story but more of a big "What if" kind of movie. It poses a series of questions to the viewer and only uses the movie as a vessel in which to deliver these queries.

I'm not going to go on here anymore because it's a hard movie to put in to words. I think it's meaning and quality are drastically going to change depending on the viewer. If you like movies that challenge you to think than I couldn't urge you to watch this movie more and I'll leave it at that.

What feardotcom shoulda been.......2007-05-01

This is what feardotcom shoulda been IMHO. The ending, without giving anything away, was wholly unexpected and something you'd expect from manga or anime. The concept of children being evil is not new to the big screen, or small screen (I'm thinking in particular of Serling's Twilight Zone with the child that wishes everything his* way), but one incorporating the internet/BBS'es (yes, I'm that* old LOL) is...and adds to the whole creepiness of the film. Several American movies have had similar plots to this, but the whole feeling I had while watching it was that of an anime with live characters -- especially the end (which I won't reveal). Personally this is a movie that I won't be ready for watching again for at LEAST 5 years; it was that* creepy -- though I'm glad I did* watch it, it belongs up there with the new wave of Japanese masterpieces IMHO. It's VERY intense.

It was good but had so much potential.......2007-04-19

Well, only in Japan it seems can a director comfortably make star-studded features such as this. This rather remarkable career trajectory belongs to Sion Sono, whose Suicide Club stars high-profile actors Masatoshi Nagase (Stereo Future, Electric Dragon 80,000 V) and Ryo Ishibashi (Audition, Brother). Knowing this, it is no surprise that watching Suicide Club is a special experience indeed. What to think of an opening sequence in which 54 uniformed schoolgirls commit simultaneous suicide by jumping hand-in-hand in front of a rush hour train at Shinjuku station, covering shocked commuters in geysers of blood that washes in red rivers over the concrete platform? Welcome to tonight's main attraction, don't bother buying popcorn.

"Suicide Club" starts out as a rampant satire on fads and consumerism, with suicides portrayed as just another trend and the blood and scattered body parts as its by-products. The addition of the straight-faced police investigation sits rather awkwardly with the exaggerated tone of what's come before, providing only the first of many distractions and unfortunate decisions on the part of the director. For all its incidental impressive moments, "Suicide Club" remains disappointingly unstructured. Bits and pieces are scattered throughout the film (often literally, given Sono's love for lingering on gory details), but they never add up to a coherent whole. The story is peppered with a more than generous helping of red herrings, but these soon start to obscure the already muddled central intrigue (particular when they to come out of nowhere like the Rocky Horror-esque interlude halfway through).

This is a big shame, because some the underlying themes in Sono's film are interesting: the middle-aged police officers who know where to find the clues, but who are unable to get to them because they are hidden inside the bubble gum pop music and internet chat rooms which their generation doesn't understand; the representation of suicide as a superficial fad - there are seeds aplenty for a potentially great and truly confrontational satire, but the closest thing to being confrontational Suicide Club comes is when the buckets of schoolgirl blood flow in the already notorious opening scene, covering everyone and everything, the screen included.

With its combination of outrageous shocks and earnest intentions, "Suicide Club" could have followed in the footsteps of Audition and Battle Royale as a film to appeal to critics and cult fans alike. But with Sion Sono's confused handling of the material, it's unlikely to reprise the overseas success of either of these films. Some people may get a kick out of its portrayal of blood and gore, but even then its appeal is probably limited to shocking your friends with those opening five minutes.

Danger After Dark Collection (Suicide Club/ Moon Child/ 2LDK)

Average customer rating:

confused..
Note on Suicide Club
GREAT, even though it's risky...
Not so much "Danger After Dark", but still good.
GOOD!

Danger After Dark Collection (Suicide Club/ Moon Child/ 2LDK)
Starring: Maho Nonami , Daisuke Kizaki , Eiko Koike , Hideto Takarai , and Gackt Camui
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi , Takahisa Zeze , and Sion Sono
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FDFKH0
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Description

Loaded with blood and mayhem, the first collection from Danger After Dark is a trio of action-packed cult-favorites from Japan. In Suicide Club, a wave of unexplained suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling girls join hands and throw themselves in front of an oncoming train. Meanwhile, Japanese pop sensations Gackt and HYDE star in Moon Child, a wildly entertaining hybrid of futuristic sci-fi, John Woo-style gunplay and gothic vampire horror. The triumvirate is completed with 2LDK, a vicious comedy about two roommates whose petty catfight turns into a duel to the death.

Customer Reviews:

confused.........2007-03-05

Does anyone know if the version of Suicide Club in this box set is the same as the Unrated version? Or is it like the rated R version? I've heard that there was a difference in the amount of gore/blood in the two.

Note on Suicide Club.......2007-01-10

Of the three movies only 2 are in Anamorphic widescreen as the box and DVD's say. Suicide Club is 4/3 letterboxed widescreen and will not display properly on the widescreen TV without zooming which cuts off parts of the subtitles When printed on the box,in big letters, it says "new anamorphic widesceen transfer" one would expect it to be correct! Wouldn't one?
Addition: TLAreleasing emailed me today, and stated that there was a problem with the disk and has been corrected. Unfortuntantly the new ones are bad too. It wasn't fixed.

GREAT, even though it's risky..........2006-10-28

I am obsessed with watching all the movies in this box set. My favorite would definately be Suicide Club, and then Moon Child.

Suicide Club wasn't "strange" for me at all because i researched some of it before i watched it. Therefore i understood things that most people would consider as "grotesque" or "weird."

Moon Child i watched purely in "Yaoi fangirl" mode. Although, i do see the movie having somewhat bad acting in certain parts BUT still a great movie overall. BL fangirls or Yaoi fangirls would love this movie! So would any other person. (^.^)

2LDK...I watched this movie last because i was expecting it to be the most bloody. Yet, to my dismay, there wasn't any blood (like SC) until the last 5 or so minutes. To me, and American, i laughed at many things...such as how the japanese define "catfight" when normally here, in America, a catfight is an all-out-brawl with ripping of the hair, etc.

Suicide Club and 2LDK are movies that provoke your mind to twist in ways it never has before. Moon Child is sheer bliss and BL love.
Definately worth 26 bucks because Moon Child is 16 (or so) bucks on it's own...Worth EVERY CENT! ^.^ Even if you don't like one of the movies you'll be paying the price of a new DVD release anyway! So it's an awesome deal!

Not so much "Danger After Dark", but still good........2006-08-12

I'll review in the order I watched the movies. I didn't get the boxed set first. I brought Moon Child here after a recommendation. Let me first say that I love Gackt and Hyde. Their music makes me happy and I think both are beautiful. That was the biggest draw for me: two of my favorite Jrockers in a movie about gangsters and vampires. However, when I watch it, I forget about the stars and focus on the story and characters.
There are a few layers to each of them. Kei is a vampire, yes, but he doesn't act much like one. If you need a Western parallel, think Louis of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. He's tortured by his curse and it hinders many aspects of his life. Sho starts as your typical gangster and continues much in that vein. However, little things change him as the movie continues. I won't say much else in case I spoil this for anyone. Toshi and Shinji are very much the comic relief for most of the film, but they have their dramatic moments as well. Son is pretty no-nonsense, though he has a lighter side. You'll get what I mean. Yi-Che is very quiet and reserved, hardly ever speaking unless she absolutely must and sees no other option. I'm sure someone would bring up a little spoiler here, but I'm referring more to after that.
The story is on of friends, family, bonds, love (not the sort I'm sure you're thinking!), and time's effects on them all. I saw a thread on another site about the homo-erotic undertones in this. Well, there are none unless you want them to be there.
All in all, I personally enjoyed Moon Child. I suggest this if you enjoy Jrock/Jpop, can tolerate vampirism, like some comedy and a dash of action with your drama, and don't mind your fights scenes big, loud, and a bit over-the-top.

After picking up the box set, I watched decided to watch 2LDK. I'd read up on it a bit and determined that it would be better for my freshly filled stomach. Crazy movie, that one. The sort that makes you not dream of being a movie star, because I could definitely see it happening. Not to this extreme, however, but the tension is real enough.
This follows an evening in the lives of two actresses, Lana and Nozomi. They've just auditioned for the "heavy lead" role in a film, Yakuza Wives. Both of the are the prime candidates for this role. Both of them need said role to get ahead. They would do anything for the part. Anything.
Lana and Nozomi are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Lana has everything she could ever want, could get any man she could ever want. Still something is... off about her. You'll see just what that is. Nozomi is a girl from a small island simply living out her dreams. Both are portrayed in a perfectly believable way.
As I said, this follows two actresses housed in a 2LDK (two-bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen) by their agency. For about one-third to half of the movie, we hear their thoughts as well as the polite conversation. Talk about a study of human nature. For the rest of the movie, we see what happens when the two finally snap and go all out for this part.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. As a matter of fact, it's my favorite in the set. The cinematography is pleasing to the eye and tells the story just as well as the script. The acting is the best in the set and some of the best I've seen period. It is a bit over-the-top but that, I suppose, only drives the message home all the more: don't always trust what you see. There is always more hidden beneath the surface.

Finally, there's Suicide Circle. This is a movie you simply won't get unless you know at least a little something about most, if not all, aspects of Japanese culture. Though I am by no means an experts and some things were lost in translation for me, I have to say this was an entrancing movie. It is, for lack of a better phrase, a murder mystery. Suicides have been occurring en masse and the police are forced to find a way to stop it. But how do you stop people from killing themselves? This is a definite race for the viewer to discover the killer before the main characters do. There are many twists and turns along the way, along with a false lead. But don't worry, all will be revealed in the end.
This one was a bit gory for my tastes and so things made me want to run straight for the bathroom. Still, the intrigue kept me glued until the end. If you're faint of heart or week of stomach, I suggest waiting to eat. All in all, I still liked it. Not much to say about the actors; they were good. And I can't elaborate on the story with spoiling. There were things I didn't like, but I could deal with it. If you don't mind the gore, starting with 53 schoolgirls jumping in front of any and oncoming train, or deceiving cute-ness, I suggest this.

On the whole, I'd buy this again if I had to make the choice. The feeling of "danger after dark" really isn't there, at least not in the way I expected it to be, and Moon Child doesn't really connect with the set, theme-wise, the way 2LDK and Suicide Club do. However, if you like at least two movies in the, I'd spring for the set. Not perfect, but still a good buy.

GOOD!.......2006-07-24

I'm rating this as an overall "bang for your buck" type of thing.

I'll start with Suicide Club.
The movie has got a lot going for it. Great suspense, buildup and twist. It does a good job of bringing a lot of tension in the viewer trying to figure out on their own what is happening, but to me takes a turn into nonsense because of who they are saying is causing these acts. I don't like to spoil for anyone so my words are well-crafted I think. The movie is good up to the point of this ingredient, it then becomes silly. Had they taken a different route it would have been thoroughly enjoyable, but as it is, only about 65% so.

Moon Child.
It's not bad. I think the movie tries to ride on these popstars Hyde and Gackt more than the story itself. Eventhough I like jpop, I know very little of these 2 guys. Take a look at my pic...I think I'm "cuter", lol. So, that said. The story is interesting and has a lot to go for it. It deals with difficult choices individuals have to make and rides on "good and bad" or yin and yang fairly well. Keep that in mind, yin and yang. It's more that than the black and white good and evil. A little bit too low budget. I think if it was kicked up a notch it would have been much better.

Last, I rate 2ldk.
Out of the 3 I believe this is the best. Of the 2 stars, I recognize Eiko Koike. I'm one of those that picks up on details. I recognized her from her voice alone...so after this if you haven't yet, go watch Kamikaze Girls. She has a small role in that.

Eventhough the basis of this story is the most outrageous, vampires and suicide clubs aside, it's all about the premise. It's not "urban legend/myth" like Suicide club and it's not sci fi vampire stuff ike Moon child, but it's more tangible...plausible.

2 roomates, that not only have to live together, but do so with the fact they are complete oppposites...and if that wasn't enough, they have to compete for something that is very dear to them. A dream to become an actor. Throughout it all, you witness them acting within their own world, facades and all. It's quite interesting and very intense.

Buy the pack, you won't be disappointed.

Suicide Club (Suicide Circle) (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Pop music kills!
Suicide Club
Something Stirs Beneath the Surface
What feardotcom shoulda been
It was good but had so much potential

Suicide Club (Suicide Circle) (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi , Akaji Maro , Masatoshi Nagase , Saya Hagiwara , and Hideo Sako
Director: Sion Sono
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000CNY6Y
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Description

A wave of unexplainable suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling high school girls join hands and throw themselves from a subway platform into an oncoming train. Are the jumpers part of a cult? What is the connection to the website that chronicles suicides…before they happen? And, what is the connection to the Japanese all-girl pop group "Desert?" Suicide Club is a stylish, bizarre thriller that examines pop culture and disaffected youth. Japanese with English sub-titles.

Customer Reviews:

Pop music kills!.......2007-05-15

Suicide Club.......2007-05-15

Something Stirs Beneath the Surface.......2007-05-02

What feardotcom shoulda been.......2007-05-01

It was good but had so much potential.......2007-04-19

Average customer rating:

Death Wish Club
Starring: Rick Barns , Ann Fairchild , Meridith Haze , and J. Martin Sellers
Director: John Carr
Manufacturer: 905 Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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