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Noroi
is a 2005 Japanese horror film directed and co-written by Kōji Shiraishi. It stars Jin Muraki as Masafumi Kobayashi, a paranormal researcher investigating a series of mysterious events for a documentary. The film employs a pseudo-documentary style of storytelling and utilizes found footage conventions, with the majority of the narrative being presented as if it were Kobayashi's documentary, made up of footage recorded by Kobayashi's cameraman. The film's cast also includes actress Marika Matsumoto, who plays a fictionalized version of herself, as well as Rio Kanno, Tomono Kuga, and Satoru Jitsunashi. ''Noroi: The Curse'' was released in Japan in 2005, and has received limited distribution elsewhere. It has garnered generally positive reviews, with critics commending the presentation, performances from the cast, atmosphere and pacing of its narrative. It is available for streaming on Shudder. Plot The film focuses on Masafumi Kobayashi, a paranormal researcher who has produced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kōji Shiraishi
is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is primarily known for directing Japanese horror films, most notably '' Noroi: The Curse''. Background Kōji Shiraishi was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan. After graduating from Kyushu Sangyo University with a degree in film making, he went on to work as an assistant director on such films as Gakuryū Ishii's '' August in the Water'' and Shinobu Yaguchi's '' Waterboys''. He cites Gakuryū Ishii as his favorite Japanese director, and Ishii's 1980 '' Crazy Thunder Road'' as his favorite film. Other directors he admires include John Carpenter, Brian De Palma, Abbas Kiarostami, and Sam Raimi, and films he enjoy include the original '' Dawn of the Dead'' (1978), ''The Evil Dead'' (1981), '' Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn'' (1987), '' The Thing'' (1982), and '' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974). Filmography * ''Suiyō puremia: Sekai Saikyō J Horā SP Nihon no Kowai Yoru'' (2004, made-for-TV) * ''Za Horā Ka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maria Takagi
is a Japanese TV and film actress and a former adult video (AV) star. Early in her career as a model, she also used the names Yukiko Hara and Rika Inoue. Life and career Gravure model Maria Takagi was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on October 25, 1978. Using the name Yukiko Hara (), she released a "gravure" (non-nude) photo album ''Nishi-Shinjuku Love Story'' () in June 1998. She made an early movie appearance in the August 1998 mainstream film , a love story directed by pink film director Shuji Kataoka. In November 1998, under the name Rika Inoue (), she posed for the men's magazine Urecco and as Maria Takagi, issued a photobook of nude pictures titled ''Blue'' in December 2000. The next year, Takagi starred in the erotic fantasy written and directed by Kei Marimura which reached theaters in July 2001. Takagi also had a small part in the Kyoto Broadcasting System TV show directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu and broadcast on January 5, 2002. Later in 2002, she had a role in the ero ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marika Matsumoto
is a Japanese actress. From 2001 and 2003, she was known as "Mini Stop-chan", acting as the mascot for the Ministop convenience store chain commercials in Japan. She is the owner of a unique voice and has held a recital with upcoming star Satoshi Tsumabuki. Since November 2005, she has been on the ''A&G Radio Show: Anisupa!'' segment ''Anisupa Kōnin Akujo Queen''. Her major roles in anime include Maya Tōmi in ''Fafner in the Azure'', Chocolat Meilleure in ''Sugar Sugar Rune'', Miwako Sakurada in ''Paradise Kiss'', Kazamori Sasa in ''Un-Go'' and Diancie in '' Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction''. In video games, she provides the voice of Rikku in ''Final Fantasy X'', ''Final Fantasy X-2'', and ''Kingdom Hearts II''. In live-action films, she portrayed herself in the Kōji Shiraishi-directed horror film '' The Curse'', and Yuka Morita in the Takashi Shimizu film ''Reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shudder (streaming Service)
Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller and supernatural fiction titles, owned and operated by AMC Networks. The streaming service offers original films and TV series like ''Creepshow,'' inspired by the 1982 movie of the same name directed by George A. Romero. Shudder also has well-known movies like 1978's ''Halloween,'' documentary series, and an annual Halloween "Ghoul Log" reminiscent of the Yule Log that's on TV during the holiday season. Distribution Shudder began with an invite-only beta testing in the United States the summer of 2015. By October 2016, Shudder was fully out of beta testing and had expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Shudder is available on Android and Apple mobile devices, Amazon Fire devices, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Chromecast as well as subscription via Amazon Video in monthly or annual subscriptions. Shudder was also available as part of the VR ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ectoplasm (paranormal)
Ectoplasm (from Greek ''ektos'' 'outside' and ''plasma'' 'something formed or molded') is a term used in spiritualism to denote a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums. It was coined in 1894 by psychical researcher Charles Richet. Although the term is widespread in popular culture, there is no scientific evidence that ectoplasm exists and many purported examples were exposed as hoaxes fashioned from cheesecloth, gauze or other natural substances. Phenomenon In spiritualism, ectoplasm is said to be formed by physical mediums when in a trance state. This material is excreted as a gauze-like substance from orifices on the medium's body and spiritual entities are said to drape this substance over their nonphysical body, enabling them to interact in the physical and real universe. Some accounts claim that ectoplasm begins clear and almost invisible, but darkens and becomes visible, as the psychic energy becomes stronger. Still other accounts state that in e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Windsor Star
The ''Windsor Star'' is a daily newspaper based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Postmedia Network, it is published Tuesdays through Saturdays. History The paper began as the weekly ''Windsor Record'' in 1888, changing its name to the ''Border Cities Star'' in 1918, when it was bought by W. F. Herman. The ''Border Cities Star'' was a daily newspaper published from September 3, 1918, until June 28, 1935. The founders W. F. Herman and Hugh Graybiel purchased the existing daily newspaper, the ''Windsor Record'' (known as the ''Evening Record'' from 1890 to November 1917), from John A. McKay on August 6, 1918. There was some conflict before the men purchased the newspaper. The ''Windsor Record'' had only partial wire service, and some felt that the national and international news was not sufficiently covered. Originally, the ''Border Cities Star'' was intended to be a rival daily newspaper to the ''Windsor Record''. However, Herman's application to Canadian Press Limited for fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Video On Demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of over-the-air programming was the most common form of media distribution. As Internet and IPTV technologies continued to develop in the 1990s, consumers began to gravitate towards non-traditional modes of content consumption, which culminated in the arrival of VOD on televisions and personal computers. Unlike broadcast television, VOD systems initially required each user to have an Internet connection with considerable bandwidth to access each system's content. In 2000, the Fraunhofer Institute IIS developed the JPEG2000 codec, which enabled the distribution of movies via Digital Cinema Packages. This technology has since expanded its services from feature-film productions to include broadcast television programmes and has led to lower bandw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Self-immolation
The term self-immolation broadly refers to acts of altruistic suicide, otherwise the giving up of one's body in an act of sacrifice. However, it most often refers specifically to autocremation, the act of sacrificing oneself by setting oneself on fire and burning to death. It is typically used for political or religious reasons, often as a form of non-violent protest or in acts of martyrdom. It has a centuries-long recognition as the most extreme form of protest possible by humankind. Etymology The English word '' immolation'' originally meant (1534) "killing a sacrificial victim; sacrifice" and came to figuratively mean (1690) "destruction, especially by fire". Its etymology was from Latin "to sprinkle with sacrificial meal (mola salsa); to sacrifice" in ancient Roman religion. ''Self-immolation'' was first recorded in Lady Morgan's ''France'' (1817). Effects Self-immolators frequently use accelerants before igniting themselves. This, combined with the self-immolators' refusal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. On average, U.S. refineries produce, from a barrel of crude oil, about 19 to 20 gallons of gasoline; 11 to 13 gallons of distillate fuel (most of which is sold as diesel fuel); and 3 to 4 gallons of jet fuel. The product ratio depends on the processing in an oil refinery and the crude oil assay. A barrel of oil is defined as holding 42 US gallons, which is about 159 liters or 35 imperial gallons. The characteristic of a particular gasoline blend to resist igniting too early (which causes knocking and reduces efficiency in reciprocating engines) is measured by its octane rating, which is produced in several grades. Tetraethyl lead and o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mental Institution
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative identity disorder, major depressive disorder and many others. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialize only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients. Others may specialize in the temporary or permanent containment of patients who need routine assistance, treatment, or a specialized and controlled environment due to a psychiatric disorder. Patients often choose voluntary commitment, but those whom psychiatrists believe to pose significant danger to themselves or others may be subject to involuntary commitment and involuntary treatment. Psychiatric hospitals may also be called psychiatric wards/units (or "psych" wards/units) when they are a subunit of a regular hospital. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mediumship
Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or spirit conduit (channeling), channelling, including table-turning, séance tables, trance, and ouija. Belief in psychic ability is widespread despite the absence of objective evidence for its existence. Scientific researchers have attempted to ascertain the validity of claims of mediumship. An experiment undertaken by the British Psychological Society led to the conclusion that the test subjects demonstrated no mediumistic ability. Mediumship gained popularity during the nineteenth century, when ouija boards were used as a source of entertainment. Investigations during this period revealed widespread fraud—with some practitioners employing techniques used by Magic (illusion), stage magicians—and the practice began to lose credibilit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small ''torii'' icon represents them on Japanese road maps. The first appearance of ''torii'' gates in Japan can be reliably pinpointed to at least the mid-Heian period; they are mentioned in a text written in 922. The oldest existing stone ''torii'' was built in the 12th century and belongs to a Hachiman shrine in Yamagata Prefecture. The oldest existing wooden ''torii'' is a ''ryōbu torii'' (see description below) at Kubō Hachiman Shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture built in 1535. ''Torii'' gates were traditionally made from wood or stone, but today they can be also made of reinforced concrete, copper, stainless steel or other materials. They are usually either unpainted or painted vermilion with a bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
