As he falls back asleep in the hotel, he returns to find his son fighting Asami, who is brandishing a can of mace. Aoyama tries to track her down using her résumé, but as Yoshikawa warned, all of the contacts are dead ends. Audition has been read as both feminist and misogynistic. Shigehiko kicks her downstairs, breaking her neck. Great voice performances, some funny moments, and a central relationship that will immediately suck you in make NextGen a fun watch for the entire family. [16] Mes concludes that this is done to suggest that what had happened in Asami's life had made her the violent adult seen in the film. [63], In the early 2010s, Time Out conducted a poll with several authors, directors, actors and critics who have worked within the horror genre to vote for their top horror films. [79] Audition was among the films included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. [7], Next Gen was "effectively 100%" created in Blender.[8]. [67] Actress Eihi Shiina stated that, in Japan, only a certain type of film fan would watch Audition. The man sticks his face into the vomit and hungrily consumes it. Zahlreiche Serien online auf dem Computer, iPhone, iPad, Android Handy usw. [26] Model Eihi Shiina was cast in the film as Asami. Watch VIXEN Abella Danger Gets Locked Out And Has Passionate Sex With Neighbor on Pornhub.com, the best hardcore porn site. [56] The film was later released by Arrow Video on February 29, 2016. In the morning, Asami is nowhere to be found. Before having sex, Asami demands that Aoyama pledge his love to her and no one else. The film was released on Netflix on September 7, 2018. After fatally damaging Ares, his system reboot completes before he can destroy Ares, becoming inert. [61] The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck described the film as "one of the most audacious, iconoclastic horror films in recent years". Aoyama collapses from the drug. [77][78] The directors noted the character of Asami, stating that an audience generally sees: "female characters in a horror film as the helpless victim. Pornhub is home to the widest selection of free Brunette sex videos full of the hottest pornstars. [2] Endō had previously composed work for Miike on films such as The Bird People in China. A passerby tells Aoyama that the police found three extra fingers, an extra ear, and an extra tongue when they recovered the body; Aoyama has hallucinations of the body pieces. Das ganze Film-Programm in SAT.1, Sendetermine, Infos und Spielfilme in voller Länge online streamen. [10] Contrary to this, Miike has stated that the final torture scenes in the film are not a paranoid nightmare dreamed up by Aoyama. For four days after the audition, she sits perfectly still next to the phone waiting for it to ring. 7723 subsequently deletes his weapon system to save his memories and prevent himself from hurting any more people, and promises to Mai to never let her down again, but is unknowingly seen by Molly's Q-Bot, allowing Dr. Rice to find him, and he goes to Mai's house to format 7723's memory and take him away. Only films not in competition qualify for the award. The deal excluded China. [52][53] A new DVD was released by Lionsgate in 2005 dubbed the "uncut special edition". [3], In May 2018, it was announced that Netflix had purchased worldwide rights to Next Gen, an animated film directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander, for $30 million. [39] Ishibashi found that Miike was "having so much fun with that scene", and that Miike was especially excited when Ishibashi's character's feet are cut off. [19][2][3] The following year, in 1998, Omega partnered again with AFDF Korea and other production companies including Creators Company Connection, Film Face, and Bodysonic to make the adaptation of Ryū Murakami's 1997 novel Audition. After several dates, she agrees to accompany him to a seaside hotel, where a smitten Aoyama intends to propose marriage. A flashback shows that the sack in Asami's apartment contains a man missing both feet, his tongue, one ear and three fingers on one hand. [50], In the United Kingdom, Audition received screenings in 2000 at both FrightFest and the Raindance Film Festival. The film stars the voices of John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Peña, David Cross and Constance Wu. It tells the story of Mai Su, a lonely rebellious teenage girl living in a world where sentient robot technology is commonplace, and 7723, a top-secret weaponized robot, who, through a chance encounter, meet each other and form an unlikely bond that they must use to stop a vicious threat. [1] In his essay on themes in Audition, Robin Wood stated that most of Miike's films are disturbing for "what they have to tell us about the state of contemporary civilization; they are not in the least disturbing in themselves, operating on some fantasy level of annihilation, with 'comic-book' violence". [45] Audition also won the KNF Award, voted by the Circle of Dutch Film journalists. Miike's films live inside their characters, taking the temperature of their longings, the ridiculous ambitions they chase so obsessively and their need to experience the extreme to prove they're alive". [34] Scenes such as those in Asami's apartment and at a restaurant were shot on location in a real apartment and a real restaurant. And I don't want to start thinking about that. Saving Mai, he shares one last goodbye with her before fighting Ares on equal footing. Yoshikawa attempts to reach any of the references on her résumé, such as a music producer she claimed to work for, who is missing. [8] Mes also notes that the avenging angel theme contradicts a feminist-themed revenge interpretation, given that one of Asami's victims is female. [8] Asami states "I want to tell you everything" during the torture scene, implying she had not been truthful before. Aoyama develops a paranoid fantasy of an attacking object: because he harbours sadistic thoughts towards women, he develops a fear that the object will retaliate. [15] Tom Mes suggested that these themes can be witnessed in the scene where Asami feeds her mutilated prisoner and then turns into the childhood version of herself and pets him like a dog. Küchenkleingeräte in großer Auswahl & Markenqualität - Fritteusen Mikrowellen Wasserkocher & Mehr Jetzt bei Netto online kaufen & liefern lassen! By comparison, she said, the film was seen by many more people overseas, which she attributed to "good timing". Exclusive to VIXEN.com on Pornhub.com, the best hardcore porn site. Next Gen is a 2018 computer-animated science fiction action film that is based on the online Chinese comic 7723 by Wang Nima, and is directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander. [11] Mes has argued against the feminist portrayal of the film, noting that Asami is not motivated by an ideological agenda, and that acknowledging that she takes revenge on a man who has lied to her would be ignoring that she has also lied to Aoyama. [59] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [80], Deadline reported that executive producer Mario Kassar had begun work on an English language adaptation of Audition in 2014. Pornhub is home to the widest selection of free Babe sex videos full of the hottest pornstars. She cannot tolerate his feelings for anyone else, even his own son. [21][22], To create Audition, Miike worked with many of his previous collaborators, such as cinematographer Hideo Yamamoto. Deutsch Français Español Italiano Português 中文 Nederlands Polski Svenska हिन्दी Русский English Login Mobile Preferences Favorites ( 0 ) [70], Audition has been described as an influence on "torture porn". A deeply moved Aoyama agrees. She inserts needles into the skin below his eyes, saying "deeper" continuously as she does so. [13] The film critic Robin Wood wrote that through her child abuse, Asami is taught that love and pain must be inseparable. But I really believe that it's hard to remake of any of my work. The film premiered, with a few other Japanese horror films, at the Vancouver International Film Festival, but it received much more attention when it was shown at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2000, where it received the FIPRESCI Prize and the KNF Award. [7], Studios weren't sure how it [Next Gen] fit an animated children's film with Marvel-like action. 100% Kostenlos Sofort As everything finally returns to normal, Mai begins making new memories with 7723. [52] The DVD included an interview with Miike and a documentary on the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. [4] Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Peña, David Cross, Kitana Turnbull and Constance Wu would lead the voice cast. Storming off to IQ Robotics to rescue Molly, Mai is quickly apprehended, but 7723 arrives and the two make up. It's nice that they liked my movie, but I'm not going to start deliberately worrying about why or what I can do to make it happen again". [52][53] The disc contained an interview with Miike and liner notes by Joe Cornish. [41], Audition had its world premiere on October 2, 1999 at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They are victims of repression and oppression, and only death and loneliness remain for them". [50][51] It eventually grossed $131,296 in the country. Next Gen is a Canadian-American-Chinese co-production. [66] Wood compared the film to Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, stating that the film was "almost as unwatchable as the news reels – of Auschwitz, of the innocent victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Vietnam, victims of Nazi or American dehumanization". ", "Team America, Anything Else Among the Best Movies of the Past Seventeen Years, Claims Quentin Tarantino", "Hollywood to remake Audition: English-language version of cult Japanese horror planned", "Exclusive: Director Richard Gray talks the "Audition" remake", JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Chapter I, Man, Next Natural Girl: 100 Nights in Yokohama, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Audition_(1999_film)&oldid=1005610792, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 February 2021, at 15:52. [27][28] Shiina first learned about Miike through his film Blues Harp, which made her interested in meeting the director. When Mai goes outside to check on her dog, Momo, she finds 7723 in her backyard. This film leads you in one direction, skillfully hinting at a darker storyline for the otherwise meek and slight Asami until the final 15 minutes where we are introduced to a merciless monster. [54] IGN concluded that the: "overall image quality is soft and fuzzy, with weak black levels, murky shadow areas and less-than-impressive color saturation". [52][53] This release included an interview with Ryu Murakami, a selected scene commentary by Miike, and a clip from Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 80% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. Aoyama comes home, pours a drink, and after a short while feels the effects of the drug. [82] The film's storyline will be taken from Ryu Murakami's novel as opposed to an adaptation of Miike's film, and the film will take place in North America. [29] When Shiina first met Miike, they began talking about her opinions on love and relationships. Pin and his bodyguard robot Ares arrive, announcing his plan of killing all of humanity. [42][43] The premiere was part of a program of modern Japanese horror films at the festival, including Ring, Ring 2, Shikoku and Gemini. He explains that he built 7723 to prevent an upcoming crisis. [51] It was Miike's first film to be released theatrically in the United Kingdom. [25], Actor Ryo Ishibashi wanted to work with Miike and agreed to the role. Netflix was the most generous and they're in a place where they can take a risk. [66], Of the film's success with Western audiences, Miike states that he was not surprised, but that he had "no idea what goes on in the minds of people in the West and I don't pretend to know what their tastes are. 7723 becomes apprehensive about using his abilities under Mai's orders, and refuses to blast Mai's school bully leader when she orders her hurt, so Mai hits the bully herself with her bat, but stopping after the bully begins to cry. Enraged, she drugs his liquor. Following a theatrical release in Japan, the film continued to play at festivals and had theatrical releases in the United States and United Kingdom, followed by several home media releases. However, Aoyama is so enthralled by her that he pursues her anyway. [33], Audition was shot in approximately three weeks, which was about one more week than usual for Miike's films at the time. The two then embark on a montage of shenanigans throughout the city, but as 7723 accumulates more memories, he struggles to decide which to keep. [1] Geoffrey Macnab, writing in Sight and Sound, referred to the film as a "slow-burning but ultimately devastating horror pic" and wrote that "it's a virtuoso piece of film-making with much more subtlety and depth than Miike's other films". It's something I want to make the most of". Her father left them when she was young, after which her mother started to depend on robots causing Mai to feel left out. A perfect personification of the irrational rage of a woman scorned". Audition was received positively by Western film critics on its release, with many noting the final torture sequence in the film and how it contrasts with the non-horrific scenes before. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Aoyama agrees to the plan and is immediately enchanted by Asami Yamazaki, attracted to her apparent emotional depth. [68], – Miike on being asked about his films being remade in Hollywood[69], After the release of Audition, Miike was going to adapt Murakami's novel Coin Locker Babies, but the project failed to find enough financing. At the hotel, Asami reveals burn scars on her body. [66] In comparison, he stated that Audition is "authentically disturbing, and infinitely more horrifying: the first time I watched it – on DVD, at home, after warnings I had received – I was repeatedly tempted, through the last half hour, to turn it off". It is about a widower, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), whose son suggests that he should find a new wife. [14] The audience is led to identify with Asami through this victimization and also what Stephen LeDrew described as a "patriarchal Japanese society". [40] For the special effects where Shiina's character places acupuncture needles into Ishibashi, special effects make-up was used to create a mask layer which was laid upon Ishibashi's eyes, which is then pierced by the needles. [76] Audition was listed by twin directors Jen and Sylvia Soska as one of their favourite horror films, and with the sisters saying that it was an influence on their film American Mary. Annoyed at her mother, Mai wanders off, stumbling into the secret lab of Dr. Tanner Rice, who has been working on an attack robot called 7723. The cast and crew consisted primarily of people Miike had worked with on previous projects, with the exception of Shiina, who had worked as a model prior to her career in film. [8][12], In Audition, the character of Asami is a victim of child abuse. [37], The torture scene at the end of the film did not initially contain Asami's lines "Kiri-kiri-kiri". [3][49] The film was given its theatrical release in the United States on August 8, 2001. [54] On October 6, 2009, Shout! He is a reminder of where too many other Miike films have headed – straight for the video racks". [71][72][73] The term was invented by David Edelstein to describe films such as Saw, The Devil's Rejects and Wolf Creek that offer "titillating and shocking" scenes that push the audience to the margins of depravity for them to "feel something". Shiina's career was primarily as a model and she only began acting after being offered a film role while she was on holidays. [7] The film sets up Aoyama with traits and behaviours which could be considered sexist: a list of criteria for his bride to meet, and the phoney audition format he uses to search for future wife. [20] To attempt something different, they hired a screenwriter (Daisuke Tengan) and a director (Takashi Miike) who were not known for working on horror films. [11] The film's score was composed by Kōji Endō. Next Gen is a 2018 computer-animated science fiction action film that is based on the online Chinese comic 7723 by Wang Nima, and is directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander. [65], Writers for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Sight & Sound all emphasized the film's final scene. [52][55], Audition was released in the United Kingdom on DVD by Tartan Video on June 28, 2004. [51] It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom by Metro Tartan in mid-March 2001. The film was released worldwide except in China by Netflix on September 7, 2018. Scheck (The Hollywood Reporter) wrote that "Miike lulls the audience into a state of complacency with a studied, slow-moving, lightly comic first half before delivering a gruesome final section that makes Stephen King's Misery look wholesome"; the ending was "all the more shocking for the clinical way in which it is presented". When it finally does, she answers pretending that she never expected Aoyama to call. [38][39] Shiina was initially whispering her lines while filming this scene, but after discussion with Miike, the two decided that having her say these lines would make the scene scarier. He crawls out and begs for food. At the dance studio where she claimed to have trained, he finds a man with prosthetic feet. Aoyama agrees, and with a friend, stages a phony audition to meet a potential new partner in life. [52][53] Peter Schorn of IGN gave a negative review of the 2006 DVD, finding that the video was "overcompressed to the point that a distracting, shifting blockiness frequently in backgrounds that draws the eye away from the actors". Meanwhile, Asami goes to Aoyama's house and finds a photo of his late wife. [18] Omega had problems setting up the release of Ring in Korea and had the company AFDF Korea work on a Korean re-adaptation of the Ring. Welcome & Orientation Incoming Exchange Students Summer Semester 2021 11 Mär 2021 - 12 Mär 2021 | 10:00 - 15:30 Uhr [60] Ken Eisner (Variety) gave the film a positive review. [6] Miike has stated that when he met journalists in the United Kingdom and France, he found they commented on the film's feminist themes when Asami gets revenge on the men in her life. They find Dr. Rice, who warns them of Ares, but before he can say much more, Pin appears and kills him. [81] Richard Gray was brought on to serve as the remake's director and screenwriter. Shigeharu Aoyama's friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa, a film producer, devises a mock casting audition at which young women audition for the "part" of Aoyama's new wife. Mai snaps at 7723 for deleting his weapon systems and not saving her mother. [2] When asked about the reception in Japan, Miike stated that there was "no reaction" as the film was shown small theaters for a short theatrical run. [20] Prior to Audition, Tengan was best known as a screenwriter for working with his father (Shohei Imamura) on The Eel, which won the Palme d'Or in 1997. [47], Audition was released theatrically in Japan on March 3, 2000. 7723 leaves Rice's lab to find Mai, but is pursued by the city police. Pin once told Ares to make the world "perfect", which Ares believes will only happen through humanity's extinction. Watch Tori Black is BACK! The website's critical consensus reads, "An audacious, unsettling Japanese horror film from director Takashi Miike, Audition entertains as both a grisly shocker and a psychological drama". [16], The main production company behind Audition was the Japanese company Omega Project. She lives in an empty apartment, containing a sack and a phone. She tells him that just like everyone else in her life, he has failed to love only her. is the world's best free live sex site. To create the film, the company purchased the rights to Murakami's book and hired screenwriter Daisuke Tengan and director Miike to film an adaptation. [48] Miike followed up that the Japanese audience did not really know about Audition until it received a greater reputation abroad. One day, the two attend a product launch at IQ Robotics headquarters. 7723 re-activates but fails to recognize Mai. [75] Roth stated that Audition influenced him to make his film Hostel, with Miike even making a cameo as a satisfied customer of the kidnappers who let customers torture their victims. [48] It received its American premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2000. With his plans exposed, Ares arms the Q-Bots and merges with a powerful assault armor to overpower 7723, while Mai rescues Molly and evacuates the stadium, but is captured by Ares' Pin body. Shigehiko returns home as Asami begins to cut off Aoyama's other foot, and she sneaks up on him with a spray. [52] Matthew Leyland (Sight & Sound) reviewed this release, stating that the audio and visual presentation was "exemplary" while noting that the interview with Miike was the only noteworthy bonus feature on the disc. She then cuts off his left foot with a wire saw. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?id=_fNEXTGEN01&country=CH&wk=2019W29&id=_fNEXTGEN01&p=.htm, "A behind the scenes look at the art of netflix's 'next gen, "Netflix Buys Animated Film 'Next Gen' for $30 Million", "Netflix Makes $30M Worldwide Rights Deal For Animated 'Next Gen' – Cannes", "Cannes: Netflix Buys Animated Robot Movie 'Next Gen' for $30 Million Worldwide Deal", 'Next Gen': Netflix's $30-Million Animated Pickup Taps the Sentient Robot Zeitgeist, "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Next Gen' On Netflix, About A Lonely Girl And The Robot Who Becomes Her Best Friend", https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-annie-award-nominations-complete-list-1165091, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/mpse-golden-reel-award-nominations-2019-complete-list-winners-1181255/item/outstanding-achievement-sound-editing-feature-animation-1172358, https://www.awn.com/news/2019-kidscreen-award-winners-announced, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Next_Gen_(film)&oldid=993788356, American children's animated comic science fiction films, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production, Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production, Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production, Award for Non-Theatrical Animated Feature Film, This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 14:30. [11] Miike also noted that he felt that Yamamoto was: "living in fear, and that sensibility comes through in his work. [35][36] Outdoor scenes were shot in Tokyo, along intersections in Omotesandō. With 7723, Mai confronts some school bullies, by destroying their Q-Bots. A fight erupts, but without his weapons, 7723 cannot stop Pin from kidnapping Molly and he flees with Mai and Momo into the sewers. If you're craving vixen XXX movies you'll find them here. At launch, Justin Pin, the CEO of IQ Robotics, reveals a new generation of Q-Bots to the public, but he secretly designed them to explode. See the hottest amateur webcams 24/7. [58], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 81% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 7.34/10. Aoyama tells his son to call the police and stares at the dying Asami, who repeats what she said on one of their dates about her excitement on seeing him again. When Mai confronts him about it, he reveals if he reaches full capacity, he will undergo a total system reset, losing all his memories in the process. See top porn cam girls like Dani Daniels, Gianna Michaels, Tori Black and more. [77][78] Director Quentin Tarantino included Audition in his list of top 20 films released since 1992 (the year he became a director). [83], "I'm just curious how it'd look like if someone tried to remake my work. Unable to fend off Ares, 7723 makes the decision to reboot himself, restoring his weapons and beginning the process of wiping his memories. [6][45][46] The FIPRESCI award was given by a jury of international film journalists, who grant this award during the Rotterdam International Film Festival. [63] Schilling concluded that "Miike is ready for a bigger role – as one of the leading Japanese directors of his generation". The film was shot in about three weeks in Tokyo. "[12], 2018 computer-animated science fiction film directed by Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander. [32] Shiina thought that the opinions and feelings she expressed to Miike were the reason she was cast in the role, and she tried to play the role as naturally as she could without going over the top. Ares attempts to use his now-weakened Pin body to destroy the vulnerable 7723, but Mai decapitates Ares, stopping him for good. "[11], However, Joel Keller of Decider found no major problems to prevent enjoyment of the film, writing, "Our Call: STREAM IT. Mai suggests deleting his core systems to make room, but he says he would lose functionality. [51], Audition was released on DVD in the United States by Chimera on June 4, 2002. [23] Miike spoke of his cinematographer by saying that Yamamoto was: "very sensitive towards death. Die erste Online-Zeitung nur für die Grafschaft Haag und den Altlandkreis Wasserburg [74] Audition influenced American directors such as Eli Roth. [10], In Richard Roeper's review for the Chicago Sun Times, he criticized the film's indecisiveness in what audience it was aiming for and said "It's a chore just to keep up with all the shifts in tone, and by the time Next Gen reaches the finish line, we're more exhausted than exhilarated. [9] The film was released theatrically in China on July 19, 2019 by Alibaba Group and Wanda Group. Mai has noticed that Pin's mannerisms are mimicking Ares', and the resulting battle is taken to a nearby sports stadium, where the truth is eventually and publicly revealed: Ares had killed Pin and has been using a bionic skeleton in his body. He falls into the lowest levels of the city, damaging his memory core. [57] The Arrow Video release was exclusively restored in 2K resolution and was scanned from a 35mm interpositive. [24] Yasushi Shimamura was the film's editor. Asami vomits into a dog dish and places it on the floor for the man. Audition was originally a project of the Japanese company Omega Project, who wanted to make a horror film after the great financial success of their previous production Ring. She initially tries to dismiss him, but after seeing his weapons system, she allows him to stay in the shed. [17] Omega were originally behind the production of Hideo Nakata's film Ring; this was a great success in Japan and, subsequently, the rest of Asia. [44] Audition was screened at the 29th Rotterdam International Film Festival in Holland in early 2000 where it was shown as part of a Miike retrospective. As she attacks the boy, Aoyama appears to suddenly wake up back in the hotel after he and Asami had sex, and his current ordeal seems to be only a nightmare; Aoyama proposes marriage and Asami accepts. The film has appeared on several lists of the best horror films ever made, and has had an influence on other horror films and directors including Eli Roth and the Soska sisters. [30][31] On their second meeting, Miike asked Shiina to play the part of Asami. [71][75] Richard Corliss, writing in Time, opined that Audition was different from torture porn films as: "unlike Saw and its imitators in the genre of torture porn, Audition doesn't go for gore-ific money shots. The bar where she claimed to work has been abandoned for a year following the murder and dismemberment of the owner. ", "FILM REVIEW; Wife Hunting Sure Is a Sick And Frightful Business", "The 18th Vancouver International Film Festival", "Audition (1999) – Takashi Miike – Releases", "Stream to Scream: Takashi Miike's "Audition, "AICN Horror chats with Jen & Sylvia Soska, the writers/directors of American Mary! anschauen! He starts to use his weapon systems, making the police forces respond with deadly force. Asami injects him with a paralytic agent that leaves his nerves alert, and tortures him with needles. [64] Audition placed at number 18 on their top 100 list. [1] Shimamura had worked with Miike as early as Lady Hunter: Prelude To Murder in 1991. [8] Dennis Lim of the Los Angeles Times examined similar themes, noting that the film is "ultimately about the male fear of women and female sexuality" and that women are blatantly objectified in the first half of the film, only to have Asami "redress this imbalance" in the second half when she becomes an "avenging angel". [62] Mark Schilling (The Japan Times) praised Shiina and Ishibashi's acting, but noted that "among the film's few irritants is a smarmy, snarly bad guy turn by Renji Ishibashi as Asami's wheelchair-bound ballet instructor. [19] Omega wanted to create a film different than supernatural-themed Ring, and chose to adapt Murakami's novel, which lacked this trait. [10] Elvis Mitchell (The New York Times) stated that the theme of the film was: "the objectification of women in Japanese society and the mirror-image horror of retribution it could create".