Customer Reviews

The Booth

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Booth puts a whole new twist on your typical J-horror movie. This movie puts you in the shoes of the protagonist of the story. The director wants you to see what the protagonist sees and thinks.

The story is about perception of the people who works, lives, and loves of our protagonist, and how he perceives the people who surrounds him in an antiquated radio station DJ booth. The story peels back the layers of the main character like an onion in flash-backs as the movie runs its course, and from it we learned that things are not always the way it seems. The movie mostly took place in a small, out-dated radio station's studio with a very bad history, where the main character was forced to broadcast his talk show due to the radio station was in the process of re-locating. It is from this confined space that this movie thrives and makes you feel very claustrophobic and very paranoid. At time our protagonist can not determined the strange happenings in the old studio were caused by ghost or some conspiracy by his co-workers or it was all in his mind. What I like about this film is that the film-makers makes you see through the eyes of the main character and makes you as paranoid as protagonist did. This movie is a very smart, abide rather short 74 minutes film.

The special DVD features are few, one ten minutes behind-the-scene feature, and two cast and crew interviews during the film's release in Japan. All the features are in Japanese with subtitle.

Alright, it's almost 4:00 am in the morning, and my brain cells may not be working on all cylinders, but I really thought that this film could have been one hell of a great dark-comedy horror film. For those who have seen the film; they might know where I am going with this, for those who have not seen this film; I will not divulge anything in the film which will ruin it for you. Now, first of all: Is this a great film? No. Is it a bad film? No. The film centers on a DJ who dispenses advice on a late night radio talk show. Shingo Katsumata (Ryuta Sato) is described on the DVD case as an arrogant and condescending talk show host. Well, I don't know about that. Compared to some of the radio talk show hosts here in the States, he seems tame and charming.

Now, why did I think this film could have been a dark-comedy? Well, for starters, I thought it was hilarious the way Shingo kept making mistakes on the air, and the way that his fellow colleagues enjoyed the way he squirmed and wiggled his way out of these errors. Not to mention the callers to the station who kept putting him on the spot. Plus, actor Ryuta Sato showed that he has a tremendous potential for dark comedy, as he continuously gave off very nuanced facial and body traits, which showed how uncomfortable he felt with what was occurring to him over the airwaves. If the director were to change, or cut out the first 6 minutes of the film, and the last 5 minutes--this film would have been funny. I kept thinking how funny the film would have really been if director Yoshiro Nakamura had taken it in that direction.

Now, some reviewers have stated that this film is not scary. And they are correct. It is not a scary film, and if anything, it feels more like a drama with small bits of horror thrown in. Very tame horror I might add. I purchased this film back in January, and when I first saw it, I was surprised that the film was described as "CREEPY BEYOND MEASURE." Well, it's not. Anyway, I would recommend that you rent the film first before buying it. And if you do happen to see the film, watch the car scene with Shingo and his lady friend Mabuchi real closely. I thought parts of that were really funny. And while you're at it, watch Shingo's interaction with the Chess Master in the booth, and the way he answers the callers questions over the airwaves. Especially when he is called a Liar. There are some funny parts to this film. Either that, or at 4:00 am, I have one sick sense of humor.

Booth (Yoshihiro Nakamura, 2005)

I love Tartan Films; they provide me with a steady stream of minor-league Asian flicks I'd never otherwise get a chance to see. The latest one to cross my path is Booth, a surprisingly quiet little drama (with horror elements, though it never becomes a flat-out horror movie) about a haunted DJ booth. Yes, if you've seen that episode of Night Gallery, this is going to look really familiar. The main character in the movie is Shingo (Ryuta Sato), a shock-talk DJ who hosts Japan's version of the hit American radio show Lovelines. During a station relocation, the show is forced to broadcast from the long-unused Studio 6, where it's rumored (we know it's true, `cause we see it in the opening scene) a DJ hung himself years before. Ever since then, the ghost of the old DJ has haunted DJs using the booth, or so it's said. And things start to go wonky pretty quickly during the show, as Shingo and his production team are beset by technical problems that sound suspiciously like someone cutting in during live call-in segments. The crowd, of course, goes wild, but Shingo is convinced it has something to do with his recently-ended relationship with a missing newsgirl. As the story progresses, Shingo gets more and more distracted, reliving the events leading up to the breakup.

This very short (one hour and fourteen minutes) movie takes place in very close to real-time, which is a tough thing for a director to pull off (just look at Snake Eyes); it works here, though, as Shingo's lapses end abruptly with callers or others in the studio prodding him. The tension mounts quickly, despite this not being a terribly fast-paced movie, and the central mystery of who it is that keeps breaking in on the line is well-structured and carried out in an almost classical mystery style. The end is just great--you see it coming, and you expect it, but the way it's filmed is interesting and somewhat original; Nakamura knows what he's doing, and I hope to see a good deal more from him in the future. ****

Although on a low budget, it does unveil some plot twists as the story unfolds. It is a ghost story, but not a horror story. The suspence builds as the story opens and people are not what they seem. Very well written and acted.

Just how frightening can a brightly lit radio station, full of chattering engineers and equipment attaching itself to the outside world possibly get? Very, warns this new Japanese thriller from Tartan Video's Asia Extreme label. Due to construction issues, abrasive and self-centered talk show host Shogo (Ryuta Sato) must conduct his advice to the lovelorn program from an old studio with outdated equipment. The facility had allegedly fallen into disuse after an announcer inexplicably committed suicide on-air there years ago.

Shogo views his listeners with ill-disguised contempt, cutting off their heartfelt pleas for love and understanding in order to garner cheap laughs. It's only after a mysterious female voice phones with the single word curse of "liar" accompanied by a metallic screeching sound that our shock jock finds himself in dark and dangerous waters. Is the caller a ghost? His producers, delighted with the sudden spike in ratings, tell him to proceed.

Following most cinematic ghost story conventions, it's what Shogo brings into the announcer booth, rather than the ectoplasmic remnants already there that proves to be his undoing. Our announcer friend knows full well where that metallic sound comes from. It's only after a frantic recollection of his recent and not-so recent past that Shogo learns too late the recent behind his karmic comeuppance.

The Booth, at a very tight 74 minutes is an intricate and complex spooker. Those familiar with Japanese ghost story conventions think they have a handle on the story, only to be confounded at every turn. The film also works as an effective critique of modern media, one that edits and manipulates personal suffering and misfortune into brief sound bytes for the listener's entertainment. Working professionally in radio for nine-plus years, this reviewer can attest to the veracity of all the film's characters. The archetypes seen in the film, from the nerdish news manager, the too-pretty girl with delusions of becoming the next Oprah Winfrey and the smarmy, money-grubbing producers all exist in the real world, thank you.

The only caveat one would offer about the film is that it all ties up neatly at the end, with every distaff story tangent explained and making perfect, logical sense. Those who crave the mysterious, obtuse thrills usually associated with J-Horror may complain that The Booth is "too western" for their tastes.

The DVD also features a making of feature, Q & A with the director and actor, original theatrical trailer and on-air interview with the filmmakers. The Booth is presented in anamorphic widescreen.

The Booth is a movie that deals our protagonist Shogo ( Ryuta Sato), who is a DJ for a late night radio show. He is transferred to an old radio station because of the relocation process being done on his regular station, and he soon begins to discover that not all is well within the confines of the old station booth. It doesn't take long before Shogo soon begins to hear strange voices that seem to cut in when he is on the air and he also sees strange visions when he is in the booth. As these strange occurrences continue to happen more frequently, Shogo begins to develop paranoia surrounding the booth and begins to question whether he is truly going insane or not.

What I liked about The Booth was that not only was it a good Asian horror film, but it was a smart one to boot. After having seen many Asian horror films, I can say that there are but a handful that stand out, and many that unfortunately don't. The Booth is a film that definitely in the former category. The majority of the film takes place within a radio booth, and it is here that the claustrophobic nature of the film is so prevalent. As we begin to unfold the layers of back story and see the protagonist (who could also be considered the antagonist as well, depends on how you perceive it) delve deeper into madness, I was able to be there with the character all the way. With the use of the booth as the catalyst for the story, the viewer becomes intertwined with the characters within the booth, thus allowing the viewer to seem like they are actually there when certain occurrences do arise. By the end of the film I was just as paranoid as the protagonist was.

The director, Yoshihiro Nakamura, was able to convey the claustrophobic nature of the film quite well. As I also stated above, the majority of the film takes place within the confines of the radio booth and Nakamura was able to work with that environment quite effectively, giving the viewer great shots and the actor's ample space.

The cast was excellent, specifically Ryuta Sato (who plays Shogo). He was the protagonist in the film and he basically carried the film all throughout. The other actors acted great for their parts and were convincing in their portrayals.

As for the music, it wasn't really a factor for this particular movie but the few select pieces were great.

For my final words on the film, I would have to say that it was a great little horror excursion. And for a film that has gotten such little recognition, it was a surprise to me to see such an engaging horror film, more specifically an engaging Asian horror film, which I haven't come across in quite some time. The Booth is a very smart horror that doesn't rely on tons of bloodshed to get its point across; all it needs is its environment and a central character, and that is all it needs to make The Booth what it is, a great horror film.

[...]

There is nothing frightening about weird noises, angry phone calls and a DJ who won't leave the booth even though he has to take a pee and instead wets himself. As one reviewer wrote, there are a ton of flashbacks although the most important and relevant one is from a few hours before the DJ went on the air. As he gets the weird whispers over the phone, the callers start to ask him about those rather than the topic at hand. This starts to tick off an already arrogant person and he takes it out on the callers and the staff. There is a mixture of the "horror" he committed and the slightly weird things that are happening in the station. Oh yeah, the studio is creepy because of what happened decades before to another DJ.
This was not scary, creepy nor good. It was a waste of my time. Even though there were a couple twists at the end, they didn't work because I didn't CARE. There are a myriad of Asian films that deal with phones out there that are average to really good. Put a phone, a girl with long black hair and a person (almost always a woman)who will die soon if they don't solve something before they die all together and you have a winning formula for an Asian horror flick.
This isn't a bad movie, it's worse than that, it's boring. Which is a sin in any movie, much less in a supposed horror flick. Even so-so films in this genre avoid.
If you want to watch a mystery, then RENT this. If you are looking to be shocked, scared or frightened stay away. FAR away.

An original Japanese horror movie that takes place mostly in real time, "The Booth" chronicles the events of one night inside the studio of a popular call-in radio show, and the supernatural events that occur that night.

Ryuta Sato stars as the show's host, a gregarious but cocky DJ who fields calls and dispenses advice to the lovelorn. During rennovations to the studio where the show usually broadcasts from, the DJ and his team have to re-locate for a night to a seldom-used (and purportedly haunted) studio in the same building. As the show opens, it's nagged by mild technical difficulties - static on the speakers and that kind of stuff - that starts to slowly escalate as the static assumes the form of voices repeating 'liar' as Sato attempts to counsel and chat up the phone-in callers. Assuming it's other broadcast signals cutting in on the frequency, the radio technicians attempt to fix the problem, but things continue to get weirder.

Aside from a brief (and highly effective) prologue scene taking place years earlier on the night the 'haunting' legend first began, The Booth alternates between its main track inside the studio and a number of (mostly short) flashbacks that detail events in the distant or recent past of both characters within the booth and callers on the phone. In the flashbacks we get the film's only real weakness. "The Booth" is obviously a low budget affair because, while the overall production values are actually good, the low budget shows in the few special effects sequences. The effects aren't spectacularly ambitious - one sequence I'm thinking of involves an automobile incident - but even these don't look especially realistic. Fortunately, it doesn't really interfere with the overall movie too much; just enough to make you think that it's too bad a movie this good had to be plagued by an insufficient budget for a couple of scenes.

"The Booth" uses some elements familiar to fans of Japanese horror - the appearance of ghostly or otherworldly phenomena coming through technology such as phone lines or radio signals; the use of one main narrative unfolding hand in hand with a series of flashbacks to tell a slightly non-linear story; etc. To some people this will be a minus. I think, though, that a lot of Japanese movies - his one included - keep coming up with new twists on these themes and new ways to make them work. The 'main line/flashback' thing for example - the field's pretty wide open for what you can do with that. "The Booth" puts some new spins on things, the way it happens mostly in real time works really well, and the movie is fresh, suspenseful and not as predictable as one might think it's going to be in the first few minutes. Definately a keeper.

I won't give away the incident in the central character's past from which the film's horror springs. But that incident is responsible for a growth of conscience which the narcissistic and seemingly remorseless radio talk show host battles to suppress. The film's tragedy grows from a real and widespread social phenomenon given great attention by the Japanese press and even by the legislature. In the best Asian horror films, especially those from Korea and Japan, terror comes out of the dark corners of human nature, not from randomly cursed ring tones. I invite lovers of high class horror to look into the whole Asia Extreme series released in the U.S. by Tartan. Look beyond the Ring and One Missed Call and their sequels (although some of them are very good by American standards) and track down reviews by critics and fans. In any case, The Booth is a tour-de-force of brilliant acting, superb pacing, and psychological and moral truth (without a trace of moralizing).

his short (just 74 minutes), sinister little film is billed and marketed like a horror film, when in reality it's more of a suspense thriller with some supernatural elements thrown in. Set almost entirely in an old DJ's booth at a Japanese radio station - one that's gone unused for thirty years, and is said to be haunted - "Booth" is the tale of radio DJ Shogo (Ryuta Sato), who works the midnight shift with his late-night call-in show centering on the pitfalls of love and relationships.

This particular night is Shogo's first in booth 6, an old booth at his radio station that's gone unused for decades - and, as the short intro to the film shows us, was the site of a DJ's suicide some thirty years ago; a DJ haunted by a spirit that drove him to do it. The radio station is moving, you see, and Shogo's relegated to this basement area because all the other equipment is already packed up and ready to go.

But right away, as the loud, brash and very vain Shogo begins his broadcast, strange things begin to occur. The subject for tonight's show is "unpardonable words" - things past or current lovers have said to you that were particularly cutting - and as the calls progress, Shogo finds that the tale each person phoning in reminds him of a similar case in his own background. Also, in the first few calls, in the tiny and cramped booth Shogo suddenly hears mechanical squealing coming over the air, along with a woman's voice calling repeatedly calling him a liar.

It's all unnerving, but Shogo blows it all off as a joke or technical glitch, at first; that is, until each call brings back a new and painful memory - and reveals more to the viewer of Shogo's past, along with a few secrets hidden within it. As almost the entire film (except for some flashbacks, via Shogo's past) takes place within the confines of the DJ booth, the film gets that much more claustrophobic as the calls get more creepy - and soon Shogo is not only unnerved but downright terrified, as he feels someone (or something) is getting closer and closer to seeking their revenge.

It seems that everyone who sees this film, from what I've seen, either really likes or really loathes it. Me, I fit into the former category, as for me I was along for the ride the entire way, the eerie setting and circumstances growing more sinister and threatening as the film goes on. Ryuta Sato, as Shogo, does an outstanding job of coming apart at the seams one layer at a time; certainly by the film's end his cockiness and self-absorbed personality are gone completely, as he's become a man terrified that the ghosts of his past are coming back to get him. There are even a few surprises along the way, one of which may have you scratching your head at first - but stick with the film, and if you're watching you'll understand just what's going on (sorry, but I've almost given away too much, already).

It's no secret that I love Asian horror films, partly for the way they screw with your mind and know how to induce real psychological fear without assaulting the senses with blood and gore. I wouldn't even classify "Booth" as a horror film, as said earlier, but don't be surprised if it still gets a bit under your skin, or still leaves you thinking about the film long after the end credits roll.