Another Heaven Review:

The Film

While investigating a practically gruesome homicide, Detective Manabu Hayase (Eguchi) and Inspector Tobitaka (Harada) discover this is just the first of many similar murders. What does not make sense is that the pattern of the crimes point to a female perpetrator but the strength required to strike the final blow would have to have come from a man. As the murders become more frequent, the murderer starts leaving messages of love for Manabu, making the investigative team baffled as to what they are actually dealing with.

Asian cinema is becoming an inspiration for Hollywood with its original and inventive takes on the horror genre. Another Heaven is slightly different as it is definitely inspired by an American film that has tackled a similar subject.

Watching this movie you can't help but remember the 1998 movie Fallen starring Denzel Washington and John Goodman. This involved two detectives investigating a string of copycat murders that lead them to conclude that they where dealing with a supernatural entity capable of pure evil. Another Heaven takes this interesting horror premise and adds a distinctive Japanese take.

The intensity and pacing of its inspiration is kept intact, as you follow the investigation for the first half of the movie, only learning what the two cops are discovering until they make their impossible revelation. The action then intensifies as the suspects continually change and everyone becomes the possible murderer. The very non-Hollywood ending is also kept, but is suitably different from Fallen to make for a slightly different experience.

The performances from the two leads, Yosuke Eguchi and Yoshio Harada are extremely good. The two have the right intensity and believability for the roles. Eguchi especially excels as Manabu, having the more emotional and powerful drama to contend with as his character's beliefs and own rationalities are questioned. Support is also good from the female cast. Yukiko Okamoto has a sexy creepiness about her as Chizuru and Miwako Ichikawa as a reluctant Manabu's love interest Asako, brings a lot of emotion and tragedy to the revelations in the finale.

Writer/Director George Iida, who also wrote and director the sequel to The Ring, injects Asian style and gore into the film. Far Eastern cinema never shies away from showing the graphic but they do it in such a way that they never dwell to long on a shot, increasing the shock value of what you are witnessing. Another Heaven follows this to the letter, offering us flashes of the murderers handiwork, intensifying the suspense and escalating the horror.

Anyone who has seen Fallen will draw comparison between the two films. While the inspiration is definitely the same, there are noticeable differences to make Another Heaven an enjoyable revisit to a similar subject. The ending may not be as memorable as Fallen but it does give the picture enough of a difference to make it just as original. With strong performances and good writing, Another Heaven is another fine example of Asian horror cinema.

Star Rating = * * *

Picture & Sound

The movie is presented in widescreen 16:9 anamorphic with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The picture quality is good but slight grainy in parts, especially during the opening titles. The movie would have benefited from a full 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, especially during the explosive climax but the stereo sound is very clear.

Extras

Interview with Director George Iida (35:08)

The writer/director talks about how he started in the Japanese film industry, his previous and upcoming films including Ring 2: The Spiral and his move in anime and what inspired him to write Another Heaven. He also discusses his influences and what he sees is the future of Japanese film.

Filmographies/Biographies

Detailed text biographies and filmographies for Director George Iida and stars Yosuke Eguchi, Miwako Ichikawa, Yoshio Harada and Akira Emoto

Trailers

Previews of other titles in the Arts Magic Range

Artwork
Covers from other DVDs in the Arts Magic Range

Overall

Arts Magic have produced another good DVD in their Eastern Cult Cinema range. Anyone who is a fan of Asian horror movies will find that Another Heaven is another high quality film in the Far East's dominance of the genre. While there might not be a lot of extras on the disc, the interview with writer/director George Iida gives a good insight into his movies and adds to the value of the DVD, making it a must buy for any fan.

Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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