U.S. DVD Release
Since becoming a diehard J-Horror devotee I’ve put myself through some incredibly awful films all in the name of “fandom” and it’s very rare when I come across something really worthwhile. Everything nowadays ends up just being silly rip-off clones of Ju-on or Ringu. The person who coined the proverb “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” has never been forced to sit through dozens of long-haired ghost girl films!
One thing I’ve noticed is the steady increase in J-Horror anthology releases. Normally anthologies are a bitch to move but now with Asian horror being “in” these little “episodes that could” have a home. I mean you’ve got Hideshi Hino’s Theater of Horror, J Horror Anthology, Three & Three Extremes, Kadokawa Mystery & Horror series, Dark Tales of Japan, Scary True Stories and Tales of Terror from Tokyo!
If you, like me, have already seen and own many of these releases and you’re interested in checking something new and different out look no further than Dark Sky Films’ upcoming release of Masahiro Okana’s horror anthology Prayer Beads (Omoinotama). This anthology series consists of 2-disc containing nine episodes of original horror.
One of the cool things about this series is that each episode represents a bead on a string of prayer beads. All nine episodes promise to eventually meet merge for the final bead. In my opinion, this was a fantastic series despite the final bead finale falling flat on its ass in an attempt to join all of the stories together. This series is absolutely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Asian horror. The episodes are as follows…
Prayer Beads (ep. 1) – A pregnant young woman is determined to help her distraught friend through a hard time after her husband vanishes. Where has her husband gone and what dark secret do both women harbor?
Vending Machine Woman (ep. 2) – Vacationing lovers forced to stay indoors at night discover an old vending machine that provides them with a drink they cannot refuse.
It’s Me (ep. 3) – Two unscrupulous scammers set out to scam an elderly woman out of her money but there’s more to this old lady than meets the eye. Something, or somebody, stares out at Yuki from the darkness of a closet.
Real (ep. 4) – A well-respected doctor is forced to confront reality but is it the reality he knows or something more twisted and alien? Could the world we live in be nothing more than a lie?
Mushroom Hunting (ep. 5) – Three young college kids set out on a mushroom hunting trip into the woods. They’re warned by an old beggar that a dangerous witch lives in the woods in a field of mushrooms but nobody heeds his warning. Do witches still exist?
Eddie (ep. 6) – A new, strange creature has popped up in a Tokyo bay and the world has gone mad with adoration. A small boy with mysterious powers warns his grandfather to stay away from Eddie but can anybody resist the cute little creature?
Echoes (ep. 7) – A young girl goes missing and a very special elderly couple set out in search of the man that may be responsible for their granddaughters death. Was their precious granddaughter senselessly murdered for her organs?
Cat’s Paw (ep. 
– Is Nyanta, a cartoon character, real? Can this little anime character really grant wishes? If so, will a young boy make the right choices or will his attempts to “fix things” end up backfiring?
Apartment (ep. 9) – Enter a world of domestic abuse as a family is terrorized by the head of their household. There’s more than this abusive situation than meets the eye though and daddy dearest may never leave the apartment alive again!
Prayer Beads will probably remind a few of your old timers of the old school television anthology show, Amazing Stories. The opening segment of Prayer Beads actually resembles the original Amazing Stories sequence as well. Kinda interesting.
Anyhow, this series does kick ass. I truly enjoyed it and was surprised how original these episodes were. If you’re wondering whether you’ll be treated to a long haired ghost girl thing in this the answer is “yes.” Fortunately, there’s a cool “twist” involved that’ll definitely put a smile on your face.
Some of my favorite episodes were Vending Machine Woman, It’s Me and Cat’s Paw. I was really digging the whole modern spin on W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw.” I guarantee J-Horror fans are going to love the sick, twisted Vending Machine Woman. I was left giggling and repeating the phrase “Holy shit!” a few times.
Prayer Beads is indeed a sweet little anthology series though the last episode attempting to join all of the previous episodes just felt forced and confusing. People interested in finding out more about the series will also be disappointed as there are no special features included in this set aside from a trailer.
If you’re tired of weak, low budget American horror and you’re looking for something to give you the creeps and satisfy your demented side then check out Prayer Beads!
