Riding the success of such modern J-horror as RINGU, JU-ON and DARK WATER; the low-budget SOV "THE LOCKER" sets up another Japanese urban legend ghost tale with typical genre staples. Little imagination shows in its vision, even to go as far to steal the well-known climatic scare from "RINGU" right down to the camera shot of the singular eye amongst the long black hair. Instead of being unsettling, that moment is unintentionally tacky where the TV is replaced by a locker. Legend has it if you use a certain locker in Shibuya, your romantic wish will be granted. A group of rowdy college students try it out, but end up unleashing a curse that sees them haunted by phantom baby cries and paranormal phenomena.

At only 71 minutes never does it get going nor build any sense of atmospheric tension or suffocation, mainly due the flat direction, uninteresting performances and lackadaisical mystery surrounding the unusual events. Characters start hearing baby cries, seeing baby handprints, or little hands popping up. Then there's the moving rag that appears every now and then with the long black hair growing out. All of this leads to people either disappearing, seeing things that aren't there or simply going out of their mind leading to death. Other than one or two scenes, the scares don't get under your skin but only bamboozle. Nothing about this vengeful spirit is creepy, as the mannerisms (distorted body movements with crackling bones) are beyond clichéd and ghost make-up is cheaply done. The budget restraints might show, but it's a lack of originality along with its banal treatment of the routine makes "THE LOCKER" a disappointment.

Shibuya Kaidan is basically about a group of friends who use a locker that is supposedly haunted. Soon enough, weird stuff stars happening, and everyone is soon haunted by the ghost of a little girl with long (when I say that, I mean Cousing It-long) black hair. As they start getting killed off in a number of (mostly unintentionally funny) ways, it's up to the remaining friends to figure out why they are being haunted.

Probably the films biggest flaw is that there is not one shard of originality running through this. This movie not only steals a few great ideas from Ring, but also steals entire sequences from others. There's a hand-shaped protrusion coming out of a locker door, intended to scare you. The thing is, we say the same exact thing in the infinitely better 'Dark Water'. We also see the ghost girl do some creepy crawling, which was all-to-familiar to 'Ju-on'. We get hair coming out from under doors and such, visions of a creepy little girl, etc. We've seen this all before, but put together in a much more organized fashion.

That said, if you like J-Horror, you'll love this (I sure did). Yes, it's unoriginal and kind of predictable, and yes, it's evidentially not very groundbreaking. But it is really fun, and is actually somewhat chilling. There are many effective moments and the atmosphere is really eerie, however there are a few unintentionally funny moments. And even though the ghost is a Sadako/Kayako/Toshio-replication, I have to say, she is very very CREEPY. But of course, this movie has it's share of flaws. I haven't even gotten to the rest of them. First off, there isn't really any solid acting. The only performances that are really good come from the little girl who plays the ghost, Kasumi Sakon, and Asami Mizukawa. Second thing is the weak plot and solid story. There's also a few gaping plot holes, but I won't go into that just for the sake of time.

A few other good things... The music was good. Even though it was the same tune throughout the entire thing, it worked well. Another good thing is the quality of the actual video. It's of bad quality, but it somehow makes it feel more realistic. But the thing that will probably surprise you- I actually saw some meaning behind this (as in an underlying theme). There's some definite sub-text on loneliness and neglect here, but unfortunately, it's hard to spot due to all the flaws.

So in the end, I happen to really like this movie. But compared to other Japanese films such as RING and KAIRO, this is simple stuff. Still, if you like J-Horror, this is worth checking out.

Note: A DVD was recently released which contains Shibuya Kaidan, and Shibuya Kaidan 2.

My rating: 7/10.

I was forced to get the VCD from Singapore in January, as in Japan the DVD releases have no English subtitles. The VCD has 2 discs: both Shibuya Kaidan 1 and 2 (The Locker 1 and 2).

The whole idea is that people put a gift in a magic coin locker and they will get the love of their life or various wishes granted - however that kind of stuff never goes smoothly in Japan does it, and as they say: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Without spoiling anything, I will say that there are mysterys to be solved, and demonic long-haired (understatement) ghost girls to run away from.

I'd recommend it for a J-horror fan, but be warned that they are not glossy films, and the first one is especially schlocky in parts. SK1 is VERY low budget, and that was not helped by bad compression on the first disc. The acting is not of the highest quality, but sometimes that works in a horror film's favour, making the actors more believable. The film has some good scares, and some icky moments.

SK2 is much better though, and has some inspired scares and scenes, and though it is still low budget, it has some good CGI effects. Overall the production for the 2nd film is much better, and so is the acting. It follows on directly from the events that transpired in the first film, and pulls the story towards a pretty chilling finale.

Many who see these 2 films will no doubt compare them to Ring, Juon. It is true that both Shibuya Kaidan films seem familiar in parts, but please remember that most J-Horror films, derive from the same sources. Folklore and Urban Legends have inspired some awesome set pieces in Shibuya Kaidan films, and I suggest NOT reading the Urban Legends section of the official site, since they are actually scenes in the films! You have been warned! I have talked to friends here in Japan about ghost stories, and Japan is rich with them. While these films are not going to redefine the genre, they do, by using existing legends, add something too it, and I think they are worth seeing, especially the second film. To say that one J-Horror film is ripping off another is often presumtious. It would be better to say that it is indicitive of the Japanese culture of spirits, ghosts, and demons.

I enjoyed watching the Shibuya Kaidan 1 and 2, though I was a little embarrassed by the first film, as I watched it for the first time with some J-Horror Virgin friends, and they just didn't get it. I made them watch Kairo afterwards so as to give them a better impression of the genre. Like I said above, these films would be best appreciated by those that treasure the J-Horror Genre, and are interested in something different to watch, that is both creepy, and insightful into the supernatural world of Japanese Legend.