While there has always been a bit of a U.S. interest in Asian films, it has only been over the past few years that these films have begun to crossover to mainstream audiences. Films like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” paved the way for the more recent “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers”, while the horror films “Ringu” and “Ju-On” have both spawned American remakes. As this market grows, there are more and more Asian films heading to our shores so the tough part is finding the good ones. One of the studios that has been building a reputation for finding and releasing some of the better Asian movies is Tartan Films. Just last month saw the theatrical release of “A Tale of Two Sisters”, which was an excellent psychological horror film. This month they are releasing two more thrillers on DVD under their ‘Tartan Asian Extreme’ collection, “Doppelganger” and “Phone.”

“Phone” centers on an investigative reporter (Ha Ji-Won) who begins to receive a series of unsettling phone calls following the publication of a very controversial article. Seeking to escape the harassment, she moves into a new house and changes her number. Unfortunately, where this might work for most of us, this is a horror film, so as you might expect… the calls continue. To make a bad situation worse, her phone gets answered by the young daughter of one of the reporter’s friends and she soon begins to exhibit some very disturbing behavior. It is only after some gruesome deaths begin to occur that the ultimate secret of the calls start to come to light.

My first impression upon hearing about “Phone” was that it sounded a lot like “Ringu.” Of course, first impressions can often be wrong as learned after watching this new Korean horror flick. The storyline is completely different, albeit no less frightening. Films like these strike a nerve because they tend to deal with everyday objects in a way that is very disconcerting. After all, how many times have you seen a movie where the sound of a phone ringing becomes a fear-provoking sound? Have you ever had your phone ring right in the middle of one of these movies only to jump out of your skin at the sound of it? Here the antagonist’s tool of choice is a cell phone, and let me tell you, I may be a little hesitant to answer mine after watching this movie.

I’ve been watching a lot of Asian horror lately, and what I’m noticing is that one of the pervading factors that make them work so well is the attention paid to imagery. “Phone” is a very stylish horror film, and there is a tremendous use of imagery used that evokes a sense of unease, and in some cases, extreme terror. This is one creepy film and one I wish I hadn’t watched late at night (yes… I’m a coward…).

Generally, there are always at least one or two actors that draw my attention in any movie, and here the honor goes to young Eun Seo-Woo. She plays the little girl who answers the phone and becomes, well… a little less than normal. Her performance completely steals the show as she becomes a major part of the overall narrative. There are times when jut the sight of her, sent chills up my spine.

The new DVD release offers up quite a few more extra features than are listed on the cover. There are interviews with most of the cast, including one with Seo-Woo. This one was the most unusual as she is an extremely cute kid and I had a hard time reconciling the fact that she had just scared the bejesus out of me. She also does some commentary in a featurette that is set up to show specific scenes. She shows up in a little video window on the bottom right of the image to talk about the movie. You will also find a Behind the Scenes featurette and a few deleted scenes, as well as a look at the wrap-up of the filming.

“Phone” turned out to be a much scarier film than I had originally anticipated, and is definitely getting added to my growing list of great Asian Horror.

Directed by: Ahn Byong Ki
Starring: Ha Ji-Won, Eun Seo-Woo, Choi Woo-Je, Kim Yu-Mi
Extras: Scene Specific Commentary, Interviews, Behind the Scenes Featurette, TV Spots, Deleted Scenes. Epilogue, Original Promotional Footage
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Tartan Films
Release Date: 1/25/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Violence / Disturbing Images and Some Sexual Material)
Website

We'll give Phone an A.