Sometimes I just have to shake my head in disbelief at IMDb ratings. The current 5.7 average rating for this film is completely unacceptable given its overall quality, which is very high and easily surpasses many titles in the 7.0 to 8.0 rating range. "Carved 2: The Scissors Massacre" (2008) deals with the origins of the Japanese slit-mouthed woman legend. Here is a brief summary of the urban legend from Wikipedia:
"In Japanese mythology, Kuchisake-onna ("Slit-Mouthed Woman") is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. When rumors of alleged sightings began spreading in 1979, it spread throughout Japan and caused panic in many towns. There are even reports of schools allowing children to go home only in groups escorted by teachers for safety, and of police increasing their patrols. According to the legend, children walking alone at night may encounter a woman wearing a surgical mask, which is not an unusual sight in Japan as people wear them to protect others from their colds or sickness. The woman will stop the child and ask, "Am I beautiful?" If the child answers no, the child is killed with a pair of scissors which the woman carries. If the child answers yes, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear, and asks "Am I beautiful now?". If the child answers no, he/she will be cut in half. If the child answers yes, then she will slit his/her mouth like hers."
"The Scissors Massacre" is a very different film when compared with "Carved" because it focuses most of its efforts on humanizing the ghost-like killer and establishing an origins story. This film starts off like a light-hearted teen drama, but quickly contributes a violent murder that acts as the genesis for subsequent tragedies. The conflicts shine a spotlight on specific cultural problems of Japan, which include social ostracizing (e.g., persecution against victims of crime) and dysfunctionalities within the core family unit. Most amazingly, this is one of the few films that convincingly establishes the emotional breaking point necessary to transform a normal person into a vengeful monster. The anti-hero's world slowly but surely crumbles around her, with each and every one of her hopeful relationships being severed through betrayal. A big positive is that the anti-hero and many of the supporting characters are portrayed as both likable and multi-dimensional personalities that must make difficult decisions in the face of unfortunate events and external influences.
There are a few bloody death scenes, as well as some creepy moments, but the dramatic elements are the strength of this movie. A superior film compared to its predecessor, "The Scissors Massacre" deserves a lot more attention and acclaim than it has received thus far. It's a fine representation of what I love about the horror genre.
"In Japanese mythology, Kuchisake-onna ("Slit-Mouthed Woman") is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. When rumors of alleged sightings began spreading in 1979, it spread throughout Japan and caused panic in many towns. There are even reports of schools allowing children to go home only in groups escorted by teachers for safety, and of police increasing their patrols. According to the legend, children walking alone at night may encounter a woman wearing a surgical mask, which is not an unusual sight in Japan as people wear them to protect others from their colds or sickness. The woman will stop the child and ask, "Am I beautiful?" If the child answers no, the child is killed with a pair of scissors which the woman carries. If the child answers yes, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear, and asks "Am I beautiful now?". If the child answers no, he/she will be cut in half. If the child answers yes, then she will slit his/her mouth like hers."
"The Scissors Massacre" is a very different film when compared with "Carved" because it focuses most of its efforts on humanizing the ghost-like killer and establishing an origins story. This film starts off like a light-hearted teen drama, but quickly contributes a violent murder that acts as the genesis for subsequent tragedies. The conflicts shine a spotlight on specific cultural problems of Japan, which include social ostracizing (e.g., persecution against victims of crime) and dysfunctionalities within the core family unit. Most amazingly, this is one of the few films that convincingly establishes the emotional breaking point necessary to transform a normal person into a vengeful monster. The anti-hero's world slowly but surely crumbles around her, with each and every one of her hopeful relationships being severed through betrayal. A big positive is that the anti-hero and many of the supporting characters are portrayed as both likable and multi-dimensional personalities that must make difficult decisions in the face of unfortunate events and external influences.
There are a few bloody death scenes, as well as some creepy moments, but the dramatic elements are the strength of this movie. A superior film compared to its predecessor, "The Scissors Massacre" deserves a lot more attention and acclaim than it has received thus far. It's a fine representation of what I love about the horror genre.