THE CLOSET Opens Up on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital Platforms and DVD from writer/director Kwang-bin Kim, Capelight Pictures and Dark Sky Films.  

Sang-Won (Jung-woo Ha) is dealing with the loss of his beloved wife and raising their young daughter Yi-Na (Yool Heo). Living in a secluded house in the woods, Sang-Won keeps himself busy with work and trying to keep his job. This leave Yi-Na to try and understand everything that has happened and with a father that seems to be pulling away.

One gray day, Yi-Na realizes there is something in her closet, something that is reaching out to her. In seconds, she is gone! Sang-Won tries everything he can to understand where his daughter has gone and can get no one to listen.

That is until Kyeong Hoon (Nam-gil Kim) comes into the picture. He tells Sang Won what has happened and where his daughter has gone. At first, he does not believe the unusual and mysterious man – until he becomes wrapped up in the thing that has his daughter. This isn’t the first time evil has come calling and if they don’t stop it, Yi Na won’t be the last child taken!

Ha as Sang Won plays into the storyline brilliantly. Dealing with the death of his wife, he seems to forget that there is a little girl that is also suffering and grieving. It is not until she is missing does Ha realize that his life means nothing without the little girl in it. Ha plays a man who does not believe until, like most believers, he sees for himself. Well done and well played!

Heo as Yi Na is amazing considering she is such a young girl playing in a film that asks a lot emotionally from her. Of course, she is adorable as well! She has the remarkable ability to say so much with her expression and that is important when most of us know that kids are not always forthcoming with their frightening emotions.

Kim as Kyeong is quite cool even though you get the feeling from the first that he is a little full of himself. Deep into the world of mythology and parapsychology, he has gadgets that are going to prove to Sang Won who has his daughter and what it is going to take to bring her back to the world of the living. I enjoyed Kim’s performance even to the last frame.

Other cast include Si-ah Kim as Myung Jin, Soo-jin Kim as Myung Jin’s Mother, Hyun Been Shin as Seung Hee and Park Sung-Woong as Myung Jinn’s Father.

Capelight Pictures has brought THE MAN STANDING NEXT, SECRET ZOO and the Russian sci-fi movie ATRRACTION. Their first theatrical release in the US market is the Korean film ASHFALL.

MPI Media Group is one of the largest independent entertainment companies with a compelling slate of the world’s most respected cinema, documentaries, performances and television programs along with Dark Sky Films.  Films such as THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and THE INKEEPERS and STAKE LAND brings original talent and projects to a vibrant slate.

THE CLOSET is the perfect thriller with the lights out and the family gathered around to experience terror of another kind. I am a fan of films that do not use blood and guts to tell a good scary yarn. This one does it clean, straight forward and does not mess about. Instead, it has the perfect jumps and jaw drops to keep the suspense going until the FILM is darn good and ready to let us go.

Thanks to director Kwang-bin Kim, THE CLOSET is beautifully presented, the cinematography and special effects give the film such authenticity for the creepy factor. The casting is excellent, and I honestly cannot wait to see the film again.

In the end – it is calling you!

Is COMA a Dream or Nightmare?

 

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray and DVD from Dark Sky Films, Capelight Pictures and writer/director Nikta Argunov comes a visual feast when you live in a COMA.

Viktor (Rinal Mukhametov) is a man who is opening his eyes to something he does not understand. As his mind clears, he is being picked up by Fly (Lyubov Aksyonova), Tank (Vilen Babichev) and squad leader Phantom (Anton Pampushnyy). Told to follow them, Viktor sees a large black figure chasing them with no mercy.

Getting away, he is taken to a camp and introduced to Astronomy (Milos Bikovic), Spirit (Polina Kuzminskaya), Gnom (Rostrislav Gulbis), and Kabel (Leonid Timtsunik). Viktor takes in his apacalyptic world as Fly explains that he is in a coma and that the world he now sees is based on memory. He realizes that there are no memories of how he got to this place, what happened to him or even his name.

Phantom isn't happy about Viktor's presence, but it is what their leader Yan (Konstatin Lavronenko) wants. Seeing something in Viktor, Yan explains that everyone has a special power in this place they live. It is needed if they are going to keep away from the Reapers, the very same creatures that chased him on the first day. Deciding he needs to understand more about what is happening, Viktor goes on a mission with Phantom and the group and discovers that this place defies all the laws of physics.

Quickly Viktor learns that his power has something to do with his skills as an architect and once Yan sees what he can do, it is time for them to find a home without the fear of Reapers. Then again, it may not be the Reapers that he should fear the most.

Mukhametov as Viktor jumps in from the moment, he opens his eyes. This is a fast-paced story being told here and this actor keeps the pace. I'm not so sure I would have been that quick but I enjoyed the fact that it makes everything he learns and does questionable, nice effect. Aksyonova as Fly finds a kinship with Viktor and is, in a sense, his information station. She shares with him what she knows and is a warrior in her own right with a story to tell.

Pampushnyy as Phantom is a gun toting, take no prisoners kind of warrior that does not want anything taking away his status or his girl. He follows what Yan says even if he does not always agree and with that comes a nasty side that makes the other nervous. Bikovic as Astronomy has a gift of his own for mapping memories and finding safe ways to travel in their chaotic and destructive world. Bikovic is a gentle person so having someone like Phantom around can be emotionally draining.

Lavronenko as Yan believes in Viktor and encourages him to find his gift and use it so that they can all be saved from the Reapers. When the time comes for them to decide their final move, it is Yan that brings the group together for the trek to the next place they can call home.

MPI remains the largest independent entertainment company producing a compelling slate of the world's most respected cinema, documentaries, performances and television programs. Representing films from some of the most talented directors, films include THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, THE INKEEPERS and STAKE LAND.

Dark Sky brings a vibrant slate of films with original productions such as GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR, WE ARE STILL HERE, CATFIGHT and more. You can follow Dark Sky Films on Twitter at @darkskyfilms and @mpimediagroup.

The Bluray includes the Extra Featurette of CGI, The Characters, Love, The World of Coma and Trailer. The film is dubbed from Russian to English and done very well. Coming in at 111 minutes, unravel the mystery of COMA.

COMA is an interesting mix of films such as INCEPTION and THE MATRIX but that's okay by me. This actually would make an amazing series for SYFY (you guys listening?) and something I'd watch on the regular.

The CGI is pretty cool, especially for the Reapers, and what is possible just by using the stroke of a computer pen. I have always found it interesting and COMA reminds me of why that is. The cast brings a unique set of characters, each with an ability that can either help or hinder the goal of finding a safe place.

Although the film is dubbed, it isn't horribly dubbed. In fact, within a few minutes it didn't even affect how I saw the film. I was interested in the twists and turns of the story and where it was headed.

Being kept away from the theatres and pretty much binged out on everything else, COMA is a nice change with a mixture of sci-fi, CGI, story, and a little creepiness along with it. So, if you are looking for something cool to watch for the weekend. Might I suggest everyone popcorn up and discover a world inside COMA.

In the end - wake up to save everybody!