October 22, 2003 A Tale of Two Sisters Kim Meier OP Contributor It appears as though my obsession with Asian horror cin- ema isn’t an anomaly—North Americans love the Asian style, as proven by the success of South Korea’s Janghwa, Hongryeon (English title: A Tale of Two Sisters). Already a remake of a 50s Korean film, A Tale of Two Sisters has inevitably been picked up by Americans for a forthcom- ing western remake. It is difficult to review an Asian film in the context of North American movies. As good as The Ring was, it wasn't nearly as creepy as its Japanese counterpart, Ringu. There is something inherently terrifying about Asian cul- ture that western culture craves, and the underappreciat- ed filmmakers of Japan, China, and South Korea are slowly being recognized in European and North American theatres. Kim Jee Woon’s A Tale of Two Sisters is no exception and during its run at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) this month, it was so popular that two more showings were added. Sisters Su-mi and Su-yeon have returned home after getting over some sort of illness. They must deal with Ghoulishly Good— The Canterville Ghost Barbara K. Adamski Features Editor The Burr Theatre has come a long way, \ think as I gaze around the almost full house awaiting the lifting of the curtain at Friday night’s performance of The Canterville Ghost, directed by Michael Charrois. Artistic Director Ellie King, who has been with the Burr since its incep- tion three years ago, recalls the first production, Twouble at Twy’s Cwossing, and how the small audience sat in reg- ular chairs on the dance floor and watched the actors perform without a stage. I was there. Then began my love of the Burr Theatre and all they do for the community of New Westminster. Sadly, I don’t see nearly as many plays as I intend to, but every so often, there’s one that I deem a must-see and my family agrees. The Canterville Ghost, based on the short story by Oscar Wilde and adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly, was the one that got us out of the house on a windy and wet October evening—the perfect night to see a ghost story, especially one laced with humour. The energy of the cast was contagious. My ten-year- old daughter went from jumping with fright one moment to giggling hysterically the next. And, I must admit, I did a bit of both myself. In the story, an American family moves into Canterville Chase, an English manor house, and are delighted to hear that the home has its very own ghost. The ghost, 400 years-old Sir Simon de Canterville, is not quite as delighted about the situation, and tries a series of tactics to scare the Otis family away. The Otis family’s two immature and ghost-crazy daughters (Tamara their wicked stepmother who has a tendency to repri- mand the youngest in unconventional ways. Meanwhile, their father appears to be oblivious to the conflict between the three women and remains emotionally detached from everything. On top of this, a spirit is haunting Su-mi—a frightening character who successful- ly sent screams and nervous laughter throughout the packed theatre audience. This stunning film takes place entirely at one house and its yard. The composition is dark and beautiful, with a fitting soundtrack. Though the end’s twist may come off as cheesy for some, the story progresses appropriately, slowly unfolding bit by bit and finishing off with one of those satisfying “oh, now I get it” moments. There will undoubtedly be a North American DVD release for A Tale of Two Sisters, but if you missed it at the VIFF this year, you're going to have to wait a while to see it. In the meantime, visit your local movie-rental store and check out the foreign section to see if they have any Asian horror to tide you over and whet your appetite. Lashley and Molly Crick) try their own girlish methods to get rid of, or at least annoy, Sir Simon. Michael Roberds, better known as Uncle Fester from the New Addams Family series, of course makes a wonderful ghost—frightening, funny, and occasionally human. Madame Balaclava (Yvette Dudley-Neuman), the psy- chic researcher called upon to exorcise Sir Simon from the premises, is a hit and the banter between her and Sir Simon is one of the highlights of the show. Without giving away the ending, suffice it to say the story is about a place to call home, compromise, and plain old learning to get along. There were no weak spots in the performance whatso- ever—no lags, no flubs, no actors who can't pull off their roles. Everyone, from Mrs Umney the Scottish house- keeper to Weeds the clumsy and almost-moronic gar- dener, was outstanding. Staging, lighting, and costumes were well designed with spooky little details that kids (even we big ones) love. With an autograph session after the show and a raffle prize including dinner for three with Michael Roberds, The Canterville Ghost makes for a great night out. Show up in a costume for Halloween night's perform- ance and enjoy the free party afterwards. The Burr Theatre 530 Columbia Street, New Westminster 604.523.2877 Culture ¢ theother press © Kill Bill: Volume 1 Ld Kim Meier OP Contributor “Uma Thurman will kill Bill!” Quentin Tarantino is reported to have repeated this over and over on the set of Pulp Fiction back in 1994. Nine years later, Tarantino found himself with a three hour-plus work of art on his hands, and Miramax Films decided to split it into two separate releases. Such a move could go both ways; either Miramax was going to make twice the cash off of moviegoers, or the disjointed feel of cut- ting the film in half would be too awkward for the audience to handle. Kill Bill: Volume 1 has guaranteed Tarantino a spot in the film industry for years to come. Directing comes effortlessly to him and Tarantino has proven his knack for storytelling. Despite the fact that Kill Bill was intended to be a single film, Tarantino has put togeth- er Kill Bill: Volume 1 as a movie that can be seen on its own. Unlike the lengthy films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ki// Bill has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, leaving viewers both satisfied and wanting more. The best way to describe this movie would be to compare it to a colourful Japanese manga with the pages ripped out and taped back together, but in the wrong order. Tarantino doesn’t like to make linear sto- rylines and a ld Reservoir Dogs; we're thrown into the midst of the story only to slowly discover how it all began. Uma Thurman plays the Black Mamba, who has woken from a coma four years after being attacked at her wedding. Now, she’s out to get revenge against her five assailants: | Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Sidewinder, California Mountain Snake, and Bill (played respectively by Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and David Carradine). The movie is, quite literally, a long string of impres- sive martial arts sequences. A true action film with obvious Japanese influences, Kill Bill answers all my prayers for more mainstream gore by going to the extreme—gratuitous blood gushing out of chopped off limbs left and right. It isn’t violent gore, mind you, only messy. Finally, consisting of a few 70s staples mixed in with some sort of original psychedelic 80s/90s/dance/eth- nic/techno/funk/who-knows-what, (most notably the redone Green Hornet theme song), the soundtrack deserves a mention. If you like great music, spraying blood, hot women, swordfights, knife-wielding Japanese children, or movies—go see Kill Bill. My only regret is finding out what may happen to me if I find myself in a coma—from now on, I vote euthanasia. (This Week In History... October 24, 1988: The John Fogerty vs. Fantasy Records case begins. Fantasy claimed that Fogerty plagiarized his own song, “Run Through the Jungle” when writing “The Old Man Down the Amanda Aikman Culture Editor October 24, 1980: Paul McCartney receives a rhodium-plated disc from the Guinness Book of World Records for being history's all-time best-selling songwriter and recording artist. In a jealous rage, Ringo buys a pogo stick and attempts to make it into Guinness himself; he falls off after three hops. http://www.otherpress.ca Road.” If guilty, Fogerty would be ordered to smack his own bottom and then pay himself considerable punitive damages. October 31, 1988: Singer Debbie Gibson holds a séance at her Halloween party to contact the spirits of Liberace and Sid Vicious. But Gibson was reportedly disappointed when the legendary spirits finally made their appearance. Apparently Liberace criticized her off-the-shoulder-fleece fashion sense while Vicious stole her silverware and urinated on her plush animal collection. ) ~ Page 13