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Norio Tsuruta is the Japanese director behind Premonition and Ringu 0: Birthday as well as a number of other horror films in Japan, but as Asian horror grows in popularity here in the United States and elsewhere, so does the need for new material and many directors have found themselves enlisted in Hollywood, not just Tokyo. Tsuruta’s offering, Dream Cruise, also utilizes the short story written by Koji Suzuki, the very same author who penned the Ringu series and Dark Water and unlike the other Masters of Horror episodes, this particular episode was shot in Japan, and there were even a few locations that looked quite familiar from my trip there recently. Dream Cruise finds a New York attorney, Jack Miller (Daniel Gillies) having lived and worked in Tokyo now for two years. Alone for the most part, he has found some company in Yuri Saito (Yoshino Kimura) but there are a few problems with their relationship. Yrui is a married woman and not only that, her husband Eiji (Ryo Ishibashi) happens to be a very good client of the law firm. Jack needs to meet with Eiji for business and the client suggests the marina. Jack has little choice as Eiji hangs up before he can disagree with him and it just so happens that Yuri is at the marina as well. Eiji wants them to go out on his boat, just a casual get together, but Eiji also seems to know that there has been something going on between the two and now Yuri is fearful they may not return alive as Eiji’s previous wife “disappeared” before they were married. After the boat seemingly breaks down, something else seems to have come along for the ride, and the spirits of the past are now seeking revenge. So, here we have yet another Japanese ghost story, and having seen more than my fair share of Asian horror, the theme is growing a little old and stale. There arent’ enough twists at this point to really make the genre much different. It’s a little like how the slasher genre started to become a pale shadow of its former self during the 80’s, and as more and more films came out, the impact they had was less and less stunning. Dream Cruise is much the same; it’s just another ghost story in an already cluttered sea of spirits, almost all of whom are looking for revenge on those who betrayed them. Dream Cruise is a very slow moving piece, taking quite a while before the “horror” finally begins to creep into the presentation. Instead we deal with the fact that Eiji knows something isn’t right with his marriage, and Jack tries to distance himself from the truth, but more and more, Eiji slyly points to the fact that he knows the truth and something horrible might happen. The boat breaking down seems like just another ploy, but there is something more going on. We learn that his wife disappeared, and in the darkened sea, there is something waiting for Eiji, Jack, and Yuri; a dead wife looking for revenge. The ghost in this case isn’t that much different from those seen before. We find the jerky body movements, something seen in Ringu, the long hair that covers the face from time to time (though my discussion with the creator of Fatal Frame brought about an idea behind this I’d never thought of and that is that it obscures what is there, making some more afraid), and the idea now of the long-haired spirit is becoming a dead horse that has been beaten time and time again to no avail. It seems more and more like Koji Suzuki really just knows one approach to his tales of angry specters and the only real differences are the locations, characters, and a few of the scares, and the way to finally get the spirit to rest in peace. At this point however, I think it’s time that Japanese as well as other director’s simply give the onryo (vengeful spirit) treatment a much deserved rest and focus on some other forms of horror. The DVD is a bit on the thin side as far as bonus materials go, especially when compared to the first season releases of Masters of Horror. The making of feature however is done extremely well and not only shows you the making of the film but also some rather nice spots in Tokyo. There is commentary, though not by the director but instead Mick Garrisand and Daniel Gillies. There is also a stills gallery and the screenplay is accessibly via a DVD-ROM. I’m all for bringing more Asian horror to the United States, but the problem is that the ghosts are getting to the point of being more of a snore than a scare. I understand that it’s long been a part of Japanese culture and folklore, but there’s only so much that can be done before you loop around to the beginning and signs are shown where directors are borrowing ideas from one another. Dream Cruise isn’t a voyage worth taking and it quickly sinks before it hits the sea. -mike-
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