23rd of September:
Shrill Cries of Summer (2008)
In celebration of Ryukishi07's momentous new game, Silent Hill f, I went back to the first film adaptation of his magnum opus, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Shrill Cries of Summer is sloppily directed, miscast, and lacking in ambition or suspense. It's a cliffnotes version of the source material and entirely ineffective as a horror film. Still, the breathtaking beauty of the Japanese countryside brings production value and authenticity to it, and Airi Matsuyama is fun to watch as Rena. Eiko Shimamiya was also brought back to sing the opening and ending themes, and that counts for something... exactly two new songs on my playlist.