One Missed Call might not be in the top-tier when it comes to the creepy vengeful girl subgenre within J-horror and is entertaining and fairly engaging even with some of the tropes and clichés.
One Missed Call Trilogy
(2003-06)
Genre(s): Horror, Supernatural
Arrow Video | NR – 326 min. – $49.95 | February 25, 2020
Date Published: 02/16/2020 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
Arrow Video provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIES |
|
In the first installment in the trilogy, 2003’s One Missed Call, student Yoko (ANNA NAGATA) receives a phone message from her future self, ending with her own death scream. Two days later, she dies in a horrific rail collision. As the mysterious phone curse spreads, claiming more young lives, Yoko’s friend Yumi (KO SHIBASAKI) joins forces with detective Hiroshi (SHINICHI TSUTSUMI), whose sister met the same gruesome fate. But can they unravel the mystery before the clock runs out on the next victim, Yumi herself? Mimiko’s curse continues to wreak bloody havoc in two sequels – 2005’s One Missed Call 2 and 2006’s One Missed Call: Final. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5 |
| This two-disc set comes with a nice, semi-reflective, slip cover. Inside is a booklet with production photos and essays.
ONE MISSED CALL The Making of One Missed Call (57:06) is a lengthy, behind-the-scenes, documentary on the production and with subtitled interviews with the filmmakers and cast. Pretty insightful footage as you get to see Miike’s process and interactions with the actors. Has more of a fly-on-the-wall style even with the interviews intercut with the BTS footage. Cast & Crew Interviews (14:23) with Actress Kou Shibasaki, Actor Shinichi Tsutsumi, Actress Kazue Fukiishi and Director Takashi Miike. These are archival interviews from circa 2003/04, some of which probably cropped in the making-of doc. Interview with Takashi Miike (20:15) — Another older interview with the director discussing his process of making a horror film. Screenings (14:09) — Some footage from the premiere in 2003 with the cast walking down the red carpet and inside the theater. Live or Die (11:56) is raw footage from the TV special in the film and is presented from two different camera angles. Pretty interesting to watch. A Day with the Mizunuma Family (2:45) — Footage seen in the movie inside the Mizunumma children. Alternate Ending (3:44) is a bit different, includes a scene with the television producer getting the call. Really unnecessary so glad they nixed it. Last up is the Theatrical Trailer (1:21), Teaser Trailers (0:51) and TV Spots (2:15). ONE MISSED CALL 2 Gomu (3:51) is a short film tie-in by Renpei Tsukamoto. Deleted Scenes (10:10) — A couple scenes that were cut with intros by Tsukamoto. Music Video (4:46) — “A Prayer for Love” by aki. And last up is the Theatrical Trailer (1:38), Teaser Trailers (1:37) and TV Spots (1:17). ONE MISSED CALL: FINAL Maki and Meisa (15:34) — Behind-the-scenes featurette with actresses Maki Horikita and Meisa Kuroki. Behind the Scenes with Keun-Suk Jang (11:45) — Featurette with the film’s South Korean star. The Love Story (12:06) — A short film tie-in for One MissedCall: Final. Candid Mimiko (15:02) — Location tour with the series’ iconic villain. Theatrical Trailer (1:49) |
VIDEO |
AUDIO |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
|
Overall, the One Missed Call Trilogy set released by Arrow is another home run with well done video and audio transfers to go along with a nice selection of bonus material and the movies, at least 2/3, were entertaining J-horror flicks. This is a must for any horror fan to go alongside Arrow’s Ringu collection; not sure what the story is with the rights, but hopefully they will release a massive Ju-on collection (with The Curse 1&2, The Grudge 1&2, White Ghost, Black Ghost, The Beginning of the End, Sadako vs. Kayako and The Final Curse). |