Review: Suicide Circle Follow-up 'Noriko's Dinner Table'
Noriko's Dinner Table, the sequel to cult classic Suicide Circle, is to be officially released on DVD in America on May 27, almost two whole years after it's Japanese theatrical release. Not that it concerns me, as an Australian, though; I picked myself up a "un-official" copy earlier, on eBay, although if you're one for genuine releases, and like movies that make you think, then this one is for you.
Noriko's Dinner Table is the story of a 17 year old girl, Noriko, who runs away from home seeking a new life with her recently made internet friends at haikyo.com, a forum dedicated to the connection of people, and the discussion of life's tribulations. Feeling neglected by her own family, she seeks refuge with her online peers, and soon ventures to Tokyo, determined to track down the forum's owner, a user by the name of Ueno54. After an arranged meeting with Ueno54, or Kumiko, Noriko realises that Kumikos family is just what she had been looking for; the family she never had. But as in the original, Suicide Circle, not everything is as it seems (yay, my first clichéd line :P), and as Noriko soon discovers, neither is Kumiko's family.
If you're after a gore-flick like the original, then I suggest that you stop reading now. Noriko's Dinner Table is much more drama than horror, a strange spin for director Sion Sono to take, but one that ultimately works well and leaves the viewer thinking long after the movie has finished. It's one of those movies that you'll feel like watching again, just to confirm that your understanding of what just happened is correct; for a movie, there is a lot to take in, and a lot for the viewer to interpret.
Fans of the original may be disappointed with Noriko's Dinner Table, but as a man of many genres, I found it engaging and almost controversially questioning as to what is acceptable in life and what is not.
Noriko's Dinner Table, part two of director Sion Sono's Suicide Trilogy will be officially released on DVD in America on May 27 – click below to place early Amazon orders.
Pre-order the DVD -- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001570H5K/24framesperse-20
Noriko's Dinner Table (Official site) -- http://www.noriko-movie.com
Noriko's Dinner Table, the sequel to cult classic Suicide Circle, is to be officially released on DVD in America on May 27, almost two whole years after it's Japanese theatrical release. Not that it concerns me, as an Australian, though; I picked myself up a "un-official" copy earlier, on eBay, although if you're one for genuine releases, and like movies that make you think, then this one is for you.
Noriko's Dinner Table is the story of a 17 year old girl, Noriko, who runs away from home seeking a new life with her recently made internet friends at haikyo.com, a forum dedicated to the connection of people, and the discussion of life's tribulations. Feeling neglected by her own family, she seeks refuge with her online peers, and soon ventures to Tokyo, determined to track down the forum's owner, a user by the name of Ueno54. After an arranged meeting with Ueno54, or Kumiko, Noriko realises that Kumikos family is just what she had been looking for; the family she never had. But as in the original, Suicide Circle, not everything is as it seems (yay, my first clichéd line :P), and as Noriko soon discovers, neither is Kumiko's family.
If you're after a gore-flick like the original, then I suggest that you stop reading now. Noriko's Dinner Table is much more drama than horror, a strange spin for director Sion Sono to take, but one that ultimately works well and leaves the viewer thinking long after the movie has finished. It's one of those movies that you'll feel like watching again, just to confirm that your understanding of what just happened is correct; for a movie, there is a lot to take in, and a lot for the viewer to interpret.
Fans of the original may be disappointed with Noriko's Dinner Table, but as a man of many genres, I found it engaging and almost controversially questioning as to what is acceptable in life and what is not.
Noriko's Dinner Table, part two of director Sion Sono's Suicide Trilogy will be officially released on DVD in America on May 27 – click below to place early Amazon orders.
Pre-order the DVD --