(Amanda)
Sorry it's been so long since I posted. I'm past the lots of long papers AND moving of a week or two ago so I can settle my brain and refocus on what really matters ~ watching stuff and reading about you(debby) reading stuff.

So it's finally happened. A movie shocked me. Repeatedly. I never thought it would happen.

I am always extremely affected by quality films (and telly) and I've seen plenty of stuff that pushes any and all boundaries. I'm no sociopath, but I also can't think of a single movie that shocked me. But it's happened!

First off, in a class (the Psych of Horror) last semester we watched Audition (directed by Takashi Miike) ~ a fantastic Japanese film that literally made me almost literally faint. My vision was entirely replaced by white sparkles, I broke out into a cold sweat, and I had to brace myself in my chair to keep from falling out. It was the foot/piano wire bit (for anyone who has seen it ~ everyone seems to have their own unbearable bit). Woah, lordy. So Audition affected me, physically, more than any movie I'd ever seen.

In my current horror class, two nights ago, we watched another Miike film, Visitor Q. But, my goodness, it shocked me. In, probably, five ways. Nothing Audition-style faint-inducing. But in five entirely new ways! I'd describe the ways, but this is a child-friendly blog and you don't want phrases like 'extremely graphic necrophilia', 'extremely graphic lactation (that leads to many sorts of lactation-based curiousness)', and 'poop' cluttering up your children's hearts.

The movie is amazing, by the way.

Takashi Miike ~ you are a champ.