In the baffling and often mind boggling, Suicide Club<!--[endif]-->, director Sion Sono, weaves an almost hallucinatory tale of an epidemic of rash suicides striking Tokyo. Young people throw themselves in front of trains, off buildings and out of windows, in an apparent new trend makes death í¢â‚¬Å“coolí¢â‚¬ . Detective Kuroda (Ryo Ishibashi) and his squad are called in to investigate, finding that a mysterious website and a rather odd teen pop group may have something to with all the suicides.

To say Suicide Club is a trip, is an understatement. Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s been a while since Ií¢â‚¬Ëœve watched a film that has equally repulsed and mesmorized me. Yet, this is an integral part of the filmí¢â‚¬â„¢s beauty, the narrative taking you on a journey that even Alice in Wonderland may consider strange. The opening scenes features 50 Japanese high school girls lining up on a train platform, linking hands and then throwing themselves in front of an oncoming train, blood spewing everywhere. Things doní¢â‚¬â„¢t let up from there, a mysterious white sports bag turns up at the murder scenes, a rather bizarre teen pop group appear, and all manner of weirdness and grossness that populate almost every following scene of this very unique film. Despite the surreal narrative set pieces, the film does touch on issues of isolation and how it is affecting Japanese society. However, the film will more likely be remembered for its ghoulish appeal, and thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s no bad thing.

Those who prefer cinema a little more conventional may want to steer clear, but for those who like the subversive, then Suicide Club is heartily recommended. It has been playing festivals for a few years now, even popping up at L'탔°trange Festival in France last year and is currently available on R1 DVD.

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Joon-Hwang Jangí¢â‚¬â„¢s Save the Green Planet is one of those rare gems that manages to do something original with several different genres at the same time. Combining sci-fi, drama and gross out horror, Green Planet tells the story of Lee (Ha-kyun Shin) who believes the world has been infiltrated by a superior race of aliens. Kidnapping the head of a chemicals company, Kang-man Shik (Yun-shik Baek), Lee holds him hostage believing he is one of the alien generals responsible for the invasion. Graphically torturing him, Leeí¢â‚¬â„¢s life and sanity soon begin to unravel as an inquisitive cop comes a calling, his loyal girlfriend deserts him and his past comes rushing back revealing the motivations behind his unhinged attacks.

Though beginning in a distinctly blackly comic way, Green Planet is in actuality a very dark and violent journey through the mind of a disturbed young man. Combining rapid pace with some slick visuals the film is unique in every way. The scenes of graphic torture and violence may repel some, but they do not detract from the rewarding and, often emotional, experience the film offers. Buoyed by an extremely intense and convincing lead performance by Ha-kyun shin, Green Planet can be ranked alongside the likes of Oldboy, A Bittersweet Life and A Tale of Two Sisters as some of the best Korean cinema on offer.

Having played festivals worldwide and currently available on Region 2 DVD from Tartan Video, it is recommended you see this film at the next available opportunity.

Watch the trailer.