What Do The Critics Say?

"The cinematography is lush and gorgeous, making for a welcome respite from Cloverfield's psychotic shaky-cam; it doesn't have the dour ick-factor of "One Missed Call"; and it was better-acted and more entertaining than "The Eye". Jackson and Taylor do a bang-up job of making their onscreen dynamic believable." Staci Layne Wilson HORROR COM "While to you and I, "spirit photography" may look like little more than a bunch of snaps taken on a pub crawl, to believers it’s the manifestation of a ghostly form on a photo print." Tony Horkins EMPIRE MAGAZINE AUST "Made in the mould of Japanese horror films (exec producer handled The Grudge and The Ring) by Japanese director Masayuki Ochiai - but written by wide-eye Luke Dawson - Shutter sticks slavishly to its genre roots. The story isn't all bad, though, with its dramatic revelations about the young woman's past as it links to Ben's." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "The remake is superintended by Japanese horror impresario Taka Ichise, producer of the various Ring and Grudge films. He has given us more ghosts, mostly in the form of pale, unhappy Japanese ladies with spooky long hair, than anyone since Buffy Anne Summers opened the hell-mouth in Sunnydale, California. The main idea in Shutter is that cameras can kill you. That's not wholly new but it is topical. With the explosion in digital photography, there is a renewed interest in the idea of spirit photography. Shutter is an updated reimagining of the idea that ghosts can be captured on silver nitrate, or indeed, megapixels." Paul Byrnes SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"Strictly perfunctory in its concept and execution, Shutter presents the usual series of spooky images of a deadpan female ghost showing up at odd times and moving in the slow, jerky movements that are de rigueur for the genre." Frank Scheck HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Ochiai directs with calm assurance, no eyeball-rattling quick cuts here, and Dawson's screenplay preserves most of the original script's strengths and fixes a couple of weaknesses." Maitland McDonagh TV GUIDES MOVIE GUIDE "Though a presentation of 20th Century Fox, Shutter has the look and feel of a proper J-horror film." Stephen Cole GLOBE & MAIL "It's fun to root for the one who says "Boo!" rather than the screaming ciphers for whom we are usually asked to cheer." Josh Larsen LARSEN ON FILM "Unlike the family-friendly Prom Night (PG-rated horror movies seem to be all the rage right now) this one comes packed with scares, suspense and, most importantly, a colour palette that has the red: as in blood, turned up to 11. It’s a rarity for a horror film to actually have horror in it these days, even rarer for one to actually be good. Yup, it’s nice to see a film that attempts to appeal to horror fans as a whole – not just those who chew gum, listen to Britney when they’re working, and blush whenever they cross eyes with Jesse McCartney at an in-store appearance." Clint Morris WEB WOMBAT

The Inside Story A recent poll conducted by CNN revealed that one third of the people believed in ghosts, and that many of those claim they’ve seen one. At the same time, interest in spirit photography: events in which images of the dead are caught on film, has never been higher. The phenomenon is as old as photography itself, dating back to the eighteen sixties. Spirit photography has been riddled with controversy and fraud, yet many believe it to be one of the few methods of capturing ghostly phenomenon that approaches scientific methodology. Magazines devoted to spirit photography proliferate throughout Asia, and new internet Spirit Photography sites devoted to the subject spring up every day. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art recently hosted an exhibit devoted to spirit photography, called "The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult". This intriguing and foreboding subject is a key element of the psychological thriller "Shutter", from executive producers of "The Grudge" and "The Ring". "Shutter" is based on the 2004 film of the same name, which became the highest grossing film in Thailand. The horror-thriller was directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom. Its story is simplicity itself: a girl suddenly appears, gets hit by a car and disappears, only to return to haunt the perpetrators. But with its many twists and shocks, the film subverted audience expectations, revealing itself to be much more than a simple ghost story. The film’s enormous success in Thailand did not translate overseas, because some of its references had meaning only in the context of Thai culture and perceptions. Looking to make the story more accessible to American and Japanese audiences, esteemed producer Taka Ichise, along with Vertigo Entertainment’s Sonny Mallhi ("The Lake House"), Roy Lee ("The Departed") and Doug Davison ("The Eye"), and New Regency Productions’ Sanford Panitch and Alexandra Sundell, conceived a new version of the film. Screenwriter Luke Dawson was eager to dive into the phenomenon of spirit photography, which has long had a huge following in Asia, and was making significant inroads in U.S. culture. Dawson replaced the film’s original setting, New York City, with Tokyo. Dawson says, "it made sense to set the film outside the U.S. Tokyo is the perfect setting for this story, in which Jane feels like she’s surrounded by chaos, and is unable to fully comprehend the situation into which she’s been thrown. American audiences don’t see a lot of the inner workings of Tokyo, so we had a lot of fun capturing how the city would seem strange to an outsider." While work on the script went on, producer Taka Ichise ("The Grudge" & "The Grudge 2") approached Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai to helm the film. Like Dawson, Ochiai was intrigued by spirit photography and eager to boost its burgeoning presence in the West. "Japanese audiences are very familiar with it," he explaineds. "Everyone in Japan at one point or another has had a sleepless night after being exposed to spirit photography. Spirit photography is so popular in Japan because ghosts mean more to the Japanese people than to Americans. In Japan, ghosts don’t have to do anything to be scary." Ochiai did have concerns though. You see he doesn't speak english. "But my fears went away at our first rehearsal, when I realized we had a wonderful interpreter, and that everyone was moving toward the same goal. It was so seamless that I always felt like I was talking directly with the actors," the director recalls. 1999, 2000 & 2001 Teen Choice Award winner Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek") also has high praise for the interpreter, Chiho Asada. "Chiho was a miracle because she was able to take our slightly flighty actor talk and translate it into director talk." Rachael Taylor’s character Jane, is a kind of surrogate for the audience, for it is through Jane’s eyes that they will experience many of the film’s chilling moments. Taylor notes that Jane’s journey through an unfamiliar and ultimately terrifying landscape also mirrored the actress’s experiences in Tokyo shooting the movie. "I’m a country girl, so Tokyo was a complete other world for me," says the actress, who like Simon Baker (TV'S ""The Guardian"") was born in Launceston, Tasmania. "Tokyo has a very different kind of frenetic pace that you find in the U.S. or anywhere; even in New York City." Joshua Jackson was cast as Benjamin Shaw. "Ben is supposed to be comfortable enough in this world, that he’s able to navigate it with a fair amount of ease," says Jackson. "Jane is the stranger in a strange land who doesn’t know how to find her place." "I had some serious 'Lost in Translation' moments while filming Shutter," Taylor ("Transformers") recalls. "I think it’s similar to what Jane goes through in the film. She’s very much out of her depth and desperately trying to cope with a culture she’s unfamiliar with." Taylor says she is a spirit photography skeptic but became more open to the idea during production. "I am a believer in the existence of certain energies. And I like what "Shutter" has to say about energy or emotion being able to make itself heard. That makes sense to me: if something is really strong, it will find a way to materialize or send a message." But it was more than the idea of spirits caught on film that drew the actors to the project. "I really appreciated the evolving dynamic between this young couple," says Jackson. "The relationship seemed real and livable; then, of course, they’re thrown into a terrifying scenario." During production, Jackson and Taylor had significant input into delineating their characters, a fact much appreciated by their director. "Joshua and Rachael had a lot of great ideas and came up with some wonderful unscripted moments," says Ochiai. The two leads came to admire Ochiai’s skill in building on the screenplay’s scares and thrills. "Ochiai has this ability to set a mood and create tension throughout the story," notes Jackson. "As actors, we worked with him to create the scary moments, and have the audience join us for the ride." "Ochiai has a really good eye for what’s authentically scary, and that translates to all audiences," adds Taylor. Some traditional Japanese on-set customs also made an impact on the American cast members. David Denman ("When a Stranger Calls") recalls that "when Ochiai called, 'Action', every member of the crew dropped to the ground, hoping to stay out of our eye line." Jackson and Taylor are joined by supporting cast members: David Denman ("The Replacements", ""Smart People"", "The Office" & "Saint of Circumstances") as Bruno, the agency head who’s brought his friend Ben over to Japan for the photo shoot; John Hensley, who stars in the series "Nip/Tuck" plays Adam, a lascivious manager of models; James Kyson Lee ("Heroes") was cast as Ritsuo, the editor in chief of a spirit magazine publication, and Megumi Okina ("Ju-on: The Grudge" & "A Delicious Way to Kill") was cast as the ghostly spirit of Megumi Tanaka. Some interiors were filmed at the famed studios of the Toho Company Ltd, home to many of the films of Akira Kurosawa, and to "Godzilla" and "Mothra". When the studio opened its doors in 1932, its floors were made of dirt, and each Toho-based production would begin with a ritual where a priest or monk would pour water on the floor to ward off spirits. The stages have long since been renovated, but the ritual continues to be performed. "It was really lovely to witness these little blessings for Shutter," says Taylor. After principal photography wrapped in Tokyo, post-production work commenced in Los Angeles. Editors Michael N Knue A.C.E and Tim Alverson worked closely with Ochiai and producer Taka Ichise to create a final cut that maximized the tension and scares. "We spent a lot of time on getting the pacing right," says Knue ("The Ring "2). Knue credits sound designer Chuck Michael ("Million Dollar Baby" & "Night at the Museum") with helping to solve an editorial challenge involving a key sequence in which a principal character is tormented by a ghost; the character is shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by sudden and explosive camera flashes. First, Knue studied the comparable sequence in the original Thai film. "I realized that the scene was scary in the Thai "Shutter", not because of what you see, but because of what you hear," Knue explained. "I decided that our scene was too quiet, and Chuck came in and designed the sound in such a way that it starts off with a shock, then dips a little, then becomes like an aggressive monster coming after the character." These kind of visceral and psychological shocks are the film’s hallmarks. But Ochiai insists that "Shutter" also conveys important Eastern-based ideas about the impossibility of redemption and the nature of evil. He says it reminded him of an old saying from China: "Heaven’s net is very rough, but it still catches evil." Or put another way: "The law or social system might forgive, but there are entities out there that will not." So what is Spirit Photography? Simply stated, spirit photography is the capturing of unexplained natural or supernatural images using a camera and film. What takes place between photographer and subject is a form of electronic spirit communication. In 1839, the first publicly available camera, or "Daguerreotype", was introduced to the world. This cutting-edge invention could actually capture what the eye saw and reproduce it on a plate. The new invention was an instant success, and people around the world were scrambling to get one. Spirit photography got its start about two decades later when in 1861 Boston-based photographer William H Mumler took a picture of himself and "discovered" a ghost had appeared in the photo with him. Mumler began charging his customers for a séance/photography session and was making quite a bit of money in doing so. He was later exposed in the courts in 1872 as being a fake. For more on William H Mumler click here. Synopsis

For newlyweds Ben and Jane, a lucrative fashion shoot in Tokyo, is supposed to be a kind of working honeymoon. After arriving in Japan, they head off for a short honeymoon at Mt Fuji. That night, while making their way on a mountain road, they are involved in a strange incident. Their car smashes into a woman standing in the middle of the road. Upon regaining consciousness, Ben and Jane cannot find any trace of the girl Jane believes she hit with the car. Shaken by the accident, and the womans disappearance, they complete their honeymoon and then continue on to Tokyo, where Ben begins his glamorous photo assignment. Having worked in Japan before, Ben is comfortable there, and he eagerly reunites with old friends and colleagues. But then strange things start happening. Photo's taken at Mt Fuji and on the Tokyo shoot are spolit by mysterious eerie white patches. Jane believes the blurs in Ben’s photos are the dead girl from the road, who is now seeking vengeance for them leaving her to die.

The Verdict "Yes, it's another Americanization of one of those Asian spirit film that scares the crap out of most of the easily spooked Asian population but generally has little effect on western cinema audiences. The focus of "Shutter" is 'spirit photography', a phenomenon that is on the rise. In case you aren't up to speed, 'spirit photography' is photos which mysteriously, because no-one ever expects their shots to be anything less than perfect, have white discolourations on them or blurred bright flashes that ruin a print. In western society we would put that down to a number of simple causes which are usually the fault of the person who took the photo. Not so in Asia! Here they 'interpret' such botched up prints as messages from the spirit world. While 'spirit photography' probably has many genuine believers, you can bet your boots there are plenty of charlatans out there preying on the feeble-minded and those grieving the loss of a recently departed relative. Despite the debate over the credibilty of 'spirit photography', it's a premiss that works well in this remake of the 2004 Thai smash hit of the same name, which unlike the original, is not set in New York, but rather Tokyo, Japan. Australian actress Rachael Taylor (who some will remember appeared in the smash hit "Transformers"), stars alongside Joshua Jackson, who from 1998 to 2003 appeared in one hundred and twenty four episodes of the defunct "Dawson Creek". Full credit must go to Launceston lass Taylor who was very forgetable in her last film, but bounces back in this role showing once again just how talented our 'aussie' actresses are. Spookier than "The Eye" and much more exciting than "Ring 2", "Ringu", "Ringu 2" and "The Grudge 2". Well worth a look at. 3 1/2 STARS." "SHUTTER" was .......
directed by Masayuki Ochiai ["Parasaito Ivu", "Tales of the Unusual" and "Kansen"]; screenplay by Luke Dawson ["New York Stories"]; production design by Norifumi Ataka ["Moonlight Whispers" and "Aragami"]; edited by Tim Alverson ["Prince of Darkness", "Broken Arrow" and "Con Air"] and Michael N Knue ["The Crow: City of Angels", "Spawn" and "Bones"]; cinematography by Katsumi Yanagishima ["Brother", "Go", "Ashura-jô no hitomi" and "Môryô no hako"]; original music by Nathan Barr ["Cabin Fever", "Hostel" and "Hostel: Part II"]. Who's Who?

Joshua Jackson Rachael Taylor Megumi Okina David Denman John Hensley Maya Hazen James Kyson Lee Yoshiko Miyazaki Kei Yamamoto Daisy Betts Adrienne Pickering Pascal Morineau Masaki Ota Heideru Tatsuo Eri Otoguro

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Benjamin Jane Megumi Tanaka Bruno Adam Seiko Ritsuo Akiko Murase Natasha AMegan Wedding Photographer Police Officer #1 Police Officer #2 Yoko

Run Time 85 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - 20th Century Fox - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.